Lorican Alliance The Lorican Alliance is a nation in " Final Fantasy Type - 0 " . Its capital is Berith . Lorica controls the Black Tortoise Crystal , which contains the power of the shield . Lorica is located precariously around the ridge of an enormous sinkhole , with legend stating that , due to their founder ' s daring and risktaking lifestyle , the Black Tortoise Crystal was discovered among its depths . Lorica rose to prominence on the strength of its trade and its aggressive policy of economic diplomacy . Lorica is located in a harsh mountain region , and its Black Peristylium , situated in a large hole in the ground , manages the Black Tortoise Crystal . Loricans directly take in the power of the Crystal to strengthen their bodies , making them bigger than the people of other countries . Nearly all citizens serve as knights for the military . This nation was referred to as " Kogai " in earlier footage . " In other Crystal - States , the people harness their respective Crystal ' s energy through magic and magiteknology . The citizens of the Lorican Alliance , however , absorb the power of the Black Tortoise Crystal directly into their flesh . As a result , their bodies are large and powerful , easily able to withstand a slew of spells or an onslaught of ammunition . They have even forged armaments using energy from their Crystal , buried beneath the land and housed within the Black Peristylium , the sole purview of the Lorican King himself . The Lorican people ' s Black Tortoise Armor allows them to stand tall in the face of even the mightiest Eidolons and magitek armors . " Story . The foundations of the nation were already in place when the Black Tortoise Crystal was discovered by an industrious young Lorican named Urshanabi . The Crystal was discovered buried within the sinkhole upon whose precipice Loricans had settled , some twenty - eight years after the advent of the Vermilion Bird Crystal . The boy became the Crystal ' s protector as its l ' Cie , and the Black Peristylium — dedicated to the cultivation of Agito like that of the Vermilion Peristylium — arose shortly thereafter . It is said that the warriors of Lorica , renowned for their might and temper , receive the blessings of the Crystal through the anointment of of Urshanabi . The Black Peristylium is also where the Council of Lorica resides , as the Alliance was formally founded eighteen years after the dominion ' s establishment , on Sil . XXIX , 141 RG . A formidable challenge to the Lorican claim for power over the region came from over the mountainside in Berith , and the ensuing power struggle engulfed the region . The year 141 wrought devastation upon the lands and people of Berith , and the once - presumptive conquerors found their land forced , and declared open war against Lorica . The Lord of Berith was found dead , and the Crystal - blessed Lorican knights claimed the mountain soon after , founding the Lorican Alliance . Milites Empire , the home of the White Tiger Crystal , developed the Crystal Engine in 214 for use of mechanized warfare . Four years later Milites made inroads to Berith and inadvertently engaged the Lorican paladins , suffering casualties in close range combat . As the first airships were conceived the advent of mechanization in warfare changed combat forever , and the imperial cannons mounted on suits of armor tore the Lorican lines to shreds from afar . Imperial forces penetrated the Lorican heartland before the Black Tortoise l ' Cie stifled their advance and brought about an armistice . The alliance poured its efforts into combating the Crystal - powered imperial weapons and to fortify itself against potential future invasions , and to this end Lorican scholars devised a means of imbuing arms and armor with the Black Tortoise Crystal ' s energy . The Arms of Agito could fell the formerly invincible imperial war machines , but the Crystal alone did not suffice to supply the nation ' s needs . Under the guidance of the Black Tortoise l ' Cie , the alliance distilled shards from the energy emanating from the Crystal . Production for the Arms of Agito became powered by these shards , and the Lorican knights became clad in the superlative equipment . Once enough knightly orders had been outfitted with Arms of Agito , Lorica declared war on Milites . The armies again clashed in the sandy region of Berith , and with their new equipment the Loricans overwhelmed the empire . Alliance knights pursued the fleeing imperial troops into their homeland , but did not anticipate their encounter with a White Tiger l ' Cie . The Black Paladins were driven out of imperial lands , but the knights ' Crystal - imbued Arms of Agito saved the alliance army from total destruction at the hands of the l ' Cie . Having succeeded in mass - producing magitek armors with the power of the White Tiger Crystal , the empire sought to test the power of it new mechs and the Lorican Alliance accepted the challenge in 315 . Believing their position advantageous , the Black Paladins took up their Arms of Agito and proceeded to the border , beginning the Third Lorican - Militesi War . The Black Paladins could not demonstrate the crushing strength they had shown in the previous war . The alliance army , consisting of knightly orders of only a few dozen warriors each , was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the imperial army , and the Black Paladins were annihilated . In wars past , the imperial army would have advanced on the Black Peristylium , where the Black Tortoise Crystal would have retaliated with l ' Cie , but because the empire ' s objective was to test its newly developed MAs , the empire pulled back , and the war came to a close . In 339 the Dominion of Rubrum , the home to the Vermilion Bird Crystal , that had not previously threatened the alliance , deployed an Eidolon on Lorica , which is said to have defeated a Black Tortoise l ' Cie . However , Eidolons can only be summoned for a time , and the dominion sacrificed too many lives to summon it to make headway into a proper invasion of Lorica . Not long after its third war with Milites , Lorica realized its Crystal arms only put it on equal footing with the empire . Unless the alliance gained the upper hand , it was only a matter of time until it would be annexed by the empire . As most wars ended due to the intervention of l ' Cie , Lorican craftsmen sought to develop weapons capable of combating them , and the alliance created two armaments capable of utilizing the Black Tortoise Crystal ' s power : the King ' s Sword and the King ' s Armor in 348 . Although either instrument was yet to be tested against a l ' Cie in combat , they were superior to any the alliance had seen before , and the craftsmen set out to mass - produce them . Creating these weapons consumed copious energy and the Black Tortoise Crystal ' s power began to weaken . The Lorican King halted production and the Crystal regained its power , but fearing that producing more arms would cause further deterioration , the King forbade the creation of any more such equipment . Steeled and strengthened through centuries of war , each Crystal - State had developed formidable fighting forces convincing each head - of - state of the possibility of unifying Orience under one banner . The waning of the Crystals ' power drove the four state leaders to expedite their war efforts , even if extracting energy from the Crystals exacerbated their deterioration . Fearing the weakening of the Crystals to be permanent , each nation sought to annihilate the others . What became known as the Great Orience War began as a border dispute between the dominion and the empire . Concordia launched an assault on Rubrum ' s rear guard , and the dominion responded by summoning the Verboten Eidolon Leviathan . While Milites focused on attacking the dominion , Lorica deployed its troops to the empire . Having driven the dominion out of Meroë Region , the empire continued its advance into the Iscah Region . The alliance tried seizing the Berith Region , but the king and the Black Paladins left Jubanla Region for Iscah to see how the King ' s Sword and Armor would fare . They were met by the Vermilion Bird l ' Cie Kiyosaki who engaged the Lorican King , and it is said that the two warriors died impaled on each other ' s blades . The empire lost more than half of its magitek armor in the clash between the king and the l ' Cie . With the alliance approaching from the north , and the imperial fleet in shambles , Militesi territory was vulnerable — but with the help of its l ' Cie , the empire escaped the plight . As the struggle continued , each nation ' s Crystal began deteriorating even more rapidly due to the replenishment the weapons , armor , and magic and through the creation of l ' Cie . As the power of all four Crystals was waning , on Ventusmens IV in the year 359 , the four nations ordered a ceasefire and began preparations for a peace treaty . The Pax Codex , prohibiting the use of l ' Cie in war was drawn up in 361 , and in 448 the four peristylia drew up a non - governmental pledge of non - aggression , known as the Fabula Pact . Lorica again comes under attack by the Milites Empire in 842 . In an all - out war between the Lorican soldiers and Militesi troops , the nation is annihilated by an Ultima Bomb dropped by the empire , leaving a huge crater in the area of Lorica . The devastation not even leaves behind any ruins to speak of , and the city is removed from sight . Khalia Chival VI , Chancellor of the Dominion of Rubrum , and the world of Orience , receive the news of the nation ' s fate . After the disaster the empire excavates the Black Tortoise Crystal from the wreckage despite being opposed by a group of paladins who survived the blast , and the area falls under imperial control . Rumors spread that Lorica vanishing from Orience marks the beginning of Tempus Finis , and that the other Crystal - States ' fall would soon follow . Milites Empire captures many Lorican survivors from the remains of their homeland and brainwashes them , transforming them into living weapons of war , reducing them to shells into which the imperial army has poured an insatiable bloodlust . Having lost all autonomy , the brainwashed Loricans follow orders without question , and are infrequently deployed into battle to fight for the empire . The king of Lorica is Gilgamesh and Enkidu serves as his royal advisor . Having forgotten who he is or any sight of his previous Focus , Gilgamesh wanders the land aimlessly , stumbling upon the Clash on Big Bridge between the empire and the dominion . Military . Each Lorican city - state had an organized troop of mounted paladins who converged to create the alliance army . The numbers of each knightly order varied depending on the size of their respective cities . Small villages would provide as few as fifty paladins , whereas Lorica — the largest of the city - states — boasted a total of 20 , 000 knights . More than 100 of these organizations existed throughout the alliance , and the entire army totaled 300 , 000 warriors . The armaments provided for the army are strengthened with the power of the Black Tortoise Crystal , although the specialist arms that directly siphon power from the Crystal are no longer allowed for use in fear of weakening the Crystal itself . The paladins were led by the Lorican king , who has been known to partake in battle . During the Great Orience War , for example , the king of that time managed to hold his own against a Vermilion Bird l ' Cie , although the battle ended in a draw with both parties killed . After the alliance is annihilated by the Militesi Ultima Bomb , its army is obliterated as well . Some survivors were taken away by Militesi to be brainwashed and are used by the empire for experiments to produce supersoldiers . Etymology and symbolism . The nations of Orience are based on the idea of Four symbols . The country ' s attributes and qualities , as well as symbolism to one of the animals of the Four Symbols is evident in its themes . Representing the north , Lorica is situated in Orience ' s northernmost regions . Representing the season of winter , Lorica is situated in a mountainous region , with little to no vegetation . Aligned with the Wu Xing element of water , the Black Tortoise Crystal ' s powers bestow great physical ability via being in the presence of its magic . Water being essential to all life , ameliorating and vitalizing with its consumption , the Black Tortoise Crystal also manifests its powers in such a manner . Its animal , the tortoise and snake , both symbolically represent longevity . Both are considered together in the same Symbol , and their name traditionally is known as the " Black Military " . Their symbolism also likely represents indomitable fortitude ( tortoise ) , and a fearsome might to not provoke ( snake ) .