Final Fantasy 9 ¦ Part 14 ¦ The Attack On Cleyra

Title : Final Fantasy 9 Console : Playstation 1 / PC / Playstation 4 / Xbox One Release Year : 2000 (Playstation 1) / 2016 (PC) / 2017 (Playstation 4) / 2019 (Xbox One) Game Overview: Zidane Tribal, a thief with the Tantalus theatre troupe, is sent to kidnap Princess Garnet of Alexandria. The plan quickly unravels when Garnet chooses to go with them, seeking escape from her mother, Queen Brahne, whose growing aggression is pushing the world toward war. What begins as a staged abduction soon becomes something far more serious, as nations fall and uneasy alliances begin to fracture. As their journey unfolds, Zidane and his companions are drawn into a wider conspiracy, one driven by powerful forces working behind the scenes. Their path carries them across continents and into a mystery that reaches beyond their own world, forcing each of them to face the truth of who they are and what they stand for. It becomes a story of conflict, identity, and belonging, set against one of the series’ most enduring adventures. This one is for you Sam, feel free to berate me in the comments for missing everything and playing badly ;) Episode Plot: In Part Fourteen, Zidane spends time exploring Cleyra and eventually makes his way to the cathedral. There, a messenger passes on word from Freya that her meeting with the king may take some time, and that the group should meet her later at the inn. On his way back, Zidane is stopped by a distressed resident who begs for help after a child is taken by an Antlion near the sand pits. Zidane agrees to help and heads out with Vivi and Quina, soon joined by Freya. At the pit, they discover the kidnapped child is actually Prince Puck. The group battles the Antlion, defeats it, and rescues the prince, who immediately runs off on his own afterwards. The party returns to the cathedral and finally meets the king of Burmecia. Together, they decide the best way to protect Cleyra is to strengthen the great sandstorm surrounding the settlement through a ceremonial dance. But midway through the ritual, the harp used to maintain the storm suddenly snaps, causing the barrier to collapse entirely. Realising something is wrong, the group rushes back down the tree to investigate. Along the way, they encounter Alexandrian soldiers climbing upward, though strangely not in numbers large enough for a full assault. Then Prince Puck arrives with the truth—Cleyra itself is under attack, and the collapsing sandstorm was only a distraction. Meanwhile, Garnet is summoned before Queen Brahne. During the meeting, Kuja appears and places her into a deep sleep. With Garnet unconscious, Brahne orders her Eidolons—powerful summoned beings—to be extracted from her. Back in Cleyra, Zidane and the others fight their way through the chaos and confront Beatrix inside the cathedral. She steals a sacred jewel from the harp before escaping. The group battles her once again, but just like in Burmecia, they are completely outmatched. Beatrix retreats through a teleport created by her soldiers, and the party follows. On the other side, they emerge aboard an Alexandrian airship just in time to witness Queen Brahne summon Odin, whose attack completely destroys Cleyra below. With no way to stop the destruction, the group decides their only option now is to head for Alexandria—and Vivi believes he knows how to get them there. Where We Leave Off: We leave off on an airship trying to get to Alexandria. Episode Remarks: The siege on Cleyra was difficult to play through emotionally, it's not like Burmecia where the the deaths happened off screen, this battle shows the deaths on screen and the consequences. It was very powerful to play through. Then the destruction at the hands of Odin, it was emotionally difficult to go through. I'm honestly looking forward to being able to teach Beatrix a lesson once and for all, she is becoming a thorn in my side. Eventually she will get what's coming to her. That being said, I am curious what the Queen is up to. Knowing that she was after Garnet's summons, and now that she has them she has sentenced her own daughter to death, what has corrupted her and why? I'm looking forward to finally making my way back to Alexandria, I am curious what has become of it.