Lyon Helsos

Lyon rem Helsos is a character in Final Fantasy XIV. He is a Pilus prior of the IVth Imperial Legion introduced during the "Save the Queen" story. Lyon is a strategist whose cunning is matched only by his renown as a tamer of beasts, and it is rumored that he alone is worth more than a thousand rank-and-file troops.
==History==
===Early life===
The indomitable Lyon has faithfully served two generations of Gabranth Legati─first the father, Basch van Gabranth, with whom he shares a homeland, and now the son, Noah van Gabranth. Having known the latter as an infant, Lyon forgoes protocol and refers to his commander as his "dear boy". Since the beginning of his military career, he has exhibited talent for warcraft, swiftly rising through the ranks to become a centurion and distinguishing himself during the invasion of Bozja well before his twentieth nameday. Now a grizzled soldier of eight and sixty, his vaunted skill at arms betray no signs of decline; his wealth of combat experience makes him all the more fearsome as he charges into battle at the head of his beast contingent in clashes against the Bozjan Resistance.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers===
Once the Bozjan Resistance makes it to the southern front, Lyon leads soldiers into battle against orders from his superiors. He engages the resistance on the field until Menenius returns to Castrum Lacus Litore and gets into an argument with his superior demanding they commit to a full assault and crush the resistance. Albeleo reminds him that the Bozjans aren't their main goal and they can't fight on both fronts if Dalmasca decides to rebel as well. Menenius and Lyon argue more about their plans until Lyon proclaims to return to the battlefield while the two continue scheming.
At the raid on the castrum in the Majesty's Auspice Lyon faces the resistance with his beast Dawon. He is fended off and his beast is slain, forcing him to retreat. He is seen again with Menenius and Misija, who is impressed by her ability to summon and control the primal, Gunnhildr. As Misija leaves to tend to her wounds, Lyon remarks she should learn to let go, referencing her mistreatment as a low born Bozjan and the grudge she holds for the resistance. He reports to Menenius about the IIIrd legion, requesting them to return to the capital, believing Nerva to be a coward unfit to a leadership position. Lyon talks to Menenius about his schemes in a playful banter, before saying that his plan to enthrall the soldiers was a fantastic idea.
Lyon appears at the southern front when Misija tempers another resistance member. He questions why she hasn't slain her captors, only for the enthralled to kill them for her. As she leaves, Lyon notices the Warrior of Light and Mikoto spying on him, and speaks loudly about how the eikon under her control is all they have left until reinforcements arrive, and announces he is forbidden from helping her before walking away.
After Misija's defeat, Lyon and Menenius witness reinforcements arrive to the southern front.
==== The Battle of Zadnor ====
Lyon retreats with the IVth Legion to the northern Plateau of Zadnor. Upon the Dalriada, Lyon meets with Menenius to ask if the weapon they unearthed is ready. After being told it will take more time, he gets angry stating that the resistance is almost to their base of operations and that the magitek technicians are completely useless. He questions why they don't return to Dalmasca while finishing the repairs of the weapon on their way back. Menenius states that he does not want to lose Bozja to the resistance and that the Allagan weapon they have at their disposal could destroy them similarly to Gaius and the Ultima Weapon, the latter of which completely destroyed Castrum Meridianum. Lyon berates Sicinius who is not there helping oversee the preparations of the Allagan Relic, when it was his idea and plan to use it. Menenius tells Lyon go out to the battlefield to resolve his pent up frustration and slow the resistance to which he happily obliges.
Lyon appears on the battlefield of Zadnor where he duels the Warrior of Light with his new weapons. After a tough battle he withdraws until the resistance starts their operation to destroy the Dalriada's engines. He fights off a group of resistance members until he notices the amplifier go off and the Dalriada is forced to land. He is called back to the airship where he asks Menenius to retreat with grace as they've clearly lost their advantage. Menenius replies back stating the relic cannot fall into the hands of the resistance and plans to seal up the weapon and self destruct the ship while Lyon retreats with the rest of the soldiers back to Dalmasca and defeat the resistance. Lyon believes it is too early for him to meet his end and offers to assist in burying the relic and confronting Gabranth about their failures together. The two engage in some witty banter and they prepare for the resistances assault on the flagship.
Within the greater hold, Menenius and his magitek suit are hard pressed against the resistance and he joins the battle with his beast Dawon, the younger. During the battle, he orders Dawon to transfer his aether to Menenius' suit in order to keep him in the fight as they fight both the resistance together. They are both defeated however and in a last ditch effort Menenius pulls out a device that will self destruct the ship but is stopped by the rumbling of the Allagan weapon: the Diablo Armament. The armament destroys the arena and they are knocked off onto another platform down below passing out from the action. The Armament is defeated by the Warrior of Light and a host of adventurers but reawakens a moment later causing destruction and mayhem. Lyon wakes up and turns around only to see the armament shooting a lethal blast at him, he closes his eyes preparing for death but notices that something blocked the laser. He is shocked to see Menenius protect him from harm at the cost of his life and catches his comrade before his body falls to the ground, yelling out in grief.
Lyon somehow escapes the destruction the armament caused and retreats back to Valnain to discuss the events that happened at Zadnor to Gabranth. Gabranth thanks him for his report and dismisses him while Lyon is upset that Gabranth's second in command is dead and thats all he had to say about it. Gabranth dismisses some of his lower ranked troops and asks Lyon what he would want him to say. Lyon retorts stating that he could at least acknowledge that menenius gave his life away for the sake of Gabranth's ideals. Gabranth notes that Menenius did not waver at death and that such strength is needed, stating that his time is short. He then orders Lyon to be sent to the gaols for his failure in Menenius' stead.
==== The Fall of the IVth Legion ====
After losing Bozja, Noah and the IVth struggled defending against the Eastern Alliance. Depleted and run ragged after multiple battles, and with no reinforcements on the way as they had seceded from Garlemald, morale fell and the IVth stood in danger of losing a vital outpost. Six months after the fight in Bozja, Lyon, taking extreme umbrage at being held responsible for the IVth's defeat, plotted a mutiny against the leader whom he had once sworn undying loyalty toward. He escaped his imprisonment with the help of co-conspirators and snuck into Noah's chambers in the dead of night. After an exchange of words Noah's mind was made up—he succumbed to Lyon's blade without resistance.
Lyon set Castrum Valnaini ablaze and fled to destinations unknown. Dalmascan resistance later discovered Gabranth's body and armor, though he was not immediately identified both because of the burns from the fire and because so few had ever seen him without his helmet. When the identity of the corpse was confirmed, news of Noah van Gabranth's death spread across the land.
Lyon and the other former officers of the IVth—war criminals—remain at large. As for the rank and file of the IVth, the provisional government approved the repatriation for the majority as free citizens, electing not to try them for their crimes on the battlefield.
Three months after the legion's fall Lyon was sighted in Valnain by a member of Rumta-Zaraam, an organization—whose name means "the spear in the dark" in old Dalmascan—specializing in the hunting of escaped war criminals. Lyon had come to turn over the former senior engineer of the IVth Imperial Legion's magitek detachment, Sicinius mal Vellutus, who was also a wanted man since his disappearance following the events at Zadnor. Once Lyon had handed over his captive, he vanished. The Rumta-Zaraam member who oversaw the matter assumed Lyon was a mere bounty hunter, and failed to realize he was the man once feared as the Beast King. Sicinius himself was bound and unconscious at the time, and even when brought to trial, seemed unaware that Lyon was the one who had captured him. Lyon's bounty was raised and was noted to be accompanied by Pagaga quo Vochstein.
==Characteristics==
===Appearance===
Lyon is a highlander Hyur with brown skin and white hair. Lyon keeps his hair long and messy with a white headband holding it up, and a a braid on the left side of his head. He has light blue face paint as well as a few scars and has a full beard and mustache. Lyon is often shirtless, wearing only a South Seas Talisman. He wears High Steel Armguards of Maiming, Ala Mhigan bottoms of Striking, and Gazelleskin Open-toed Boots of Striking. Lyon wields a green axe with the same model as the Shinryu War Axe, and has a Lionsmane Shield for protection. During the events at Zadnor, he uses Ifrit's Battleaxe and The Wall of Crags instead.
===Personality===
Lyon has a notorious reputation for being unpredictable. A warrior through and through, he relishes battle for its own sake, and seeks out worthy foes against whom to test his mettle, mission be damned. Not even strategies of his own conception are exempt from his impulses, and his comrades are no longer surprised when they discover that he has abruptly sallied forth on his own. Despite his recklessness, Lyon does seem to posess some situational awareness, albeit superficially, as in Zadnor he suggested the IVth retreat while their new relic was not yet fit for battle since he realized the Bozjan Resistance had the momentum and it would be difficult for the IVth to fight back in Zadnor, and immediately changing his mind when offered the chance at front-line action.
His conduct has garnered him the ire of his superior, Tribunus Menenius sas Lanatus, but not even demotion seems to faze the old Hyur. Having no patience for Menenius's love of machination and maneuvering, Lyon often comments: "A warrior lets his weapon do the talking." Lyon does possess some level of respect for the old Elezen, however, mourning his death and being outraged over Noah's apparent indifference to it. Likewise, while initially loyally fighting with the IVth, his loyalty turned to anger after Noah held him accountable for the IVth's failures in Bozja. This drove him to assassinate the Legatus and capture their head engineer to turn over to the Resistance.
==Gameplay==
Depending on the player's performance during and Critical Engagements, they can fight Lyon in a duel in and solo engagements in and , respectively.
Lyon is fought as the final boss. During most of the battle he will command his beast Dawon to face the raid. Midway through the fight, a glowing area appears called "Passage to Majesty's Place", allowing up to eight people to jump to the northern arena to directly fight Lyon while the rest of the raid continues fighting Dawon and adds in the main arena. Once Lyon's health reaches 49%, the party will be launched back into the arena with Dawon. If his health does not fall in time, it will result in wipe.
Lyon is fought once more in the Critical Engagement. He will spawn once Menenius either drops to <35% HP, or when 1 minute 30 seconds have passed after the boss has been pulled. He will ride Dawon the Younger, with similar mechanics as the boss from Castrum Lacus Litore. Menenius and Lyon share a health pool and one will heal the other when their HP difference is 10% or more, and will tether each other if too close, giving both a buff to defense and damage dealt.
==Behind the scenes==
When the story "Save the Queen" was introduced in patch 5.25, when asking about the IVth Legion, Lyon's name was mistranslated as "Lion". In patch 5.35, when Bozjan Southern Front was introduced and Lyon appeared in-game, the dialogue was fixed.
==Gallery==
Lyon rem Helsos.png|Portrait in Field Notes.
File:Wildfire Crucible.png|Wildfire Crucible.
==Citations==
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy XIV
Category:Garlean citizens
Category:Hyur
Category:Antagonists
Category:Beastmasters