Bestiary (Final Fantasy XVI)

The Bestiary is a section of Active Time Lore in Final Fantasy XVI that shows lore information on the game's creatures: beastmen, wildlife, and some domesticated animals, as well as the Eikons. The available terms to view on the field are the ones related to the current plot. The entire bestiary section of Active Time Lore can be viewed at the Thousand Tomes library at Cid's Hideaway and The Hideaway.
The bestiary does not contain a list of enemies or stats, unlike most in-game bestiaries in the Final Fantasy series.
===Ifrit===
;Second Eikon of Fire
A fire-aspected Eikon that first emerged in the Year of the Realm 860, when imperial forces attacked the Rosarian stronghold of Phoenix Gate. Clad in infernal flame, the fiendish creature flung itself against the Phoenix, overpowering the Eikon with a strength and ferocity never seen before—or since.
Masked
;Ifrit
A fire-aspected Eikon that first emerged in the Year of the Realm 860, when imperial forces attacked the Rosarian stronghold of Phoenix Gate. Clad in infernal flame, the fiendish creature flung itself against the Phoenix, overpowering the Eikon with a strength and and ferocity never seen before. Its reappearance was to usher in a second, shocking revelation—that its Dominant was none other than Clive Rosfield.
Unmasked
===The Phoenix===
The Warden of Fire, whose strength resides within Joshua Rosfield, heir to the Rosarian throne. The Phoenix is always born in the ducal line, and is worshipped by the populace—not least because its flames of both destruction and regeneration have delivered the duchy from disaster many times over.
Basic Information
The Warden of Fire, last seen on the night of the imperial invasion of Phoenix Gate in the year 860, when the young Joshua Rosfield lost control of his powers. The Phoenix first awakened among the Motes of Fire, an ancient tribe who dwelled in the western reaches of Storm, and the careful preservation of bloodlines among the Rosarian nobility ensured that its Dominant would always be born of the ducal line.
Hidden Truths
The Warden of Fire, whose strength resides within Joshua Rosfield. Eighteen years after the imperial invasion of Phoenix Gate and Joshua's presumed demise, the Phoenix spread its wings once more in the skies above the Crystalline Dominion—wings in which reside the Flames of Rebirth.
Following the Destruction of Twinside
===Ifrit Risen===
:Unlocked after the events in the Interdimensional Rift
The two Eikons of Fire united as one. Clive and Joshua manifested this being in the skies above the Crystalline Dominion after entreating their Eikons to grant them the power they needed to quell the raging Bahamut. It has the body of Ifrit, the wings of the Phoenix, and the might that far exceeds either Eikon alone.
United
The two Eikons of Fire united as one, with a might that far exceeds either Eikon alone. With the body of Ifrit and the wings of the Phoenix, its appearance closely resembles that of Ultima, as depicted in the ancient murals of the Circle of Malius, could this be the final, true form of the vessel that Ultima requires to remake the world?
Hidden Truths
===Shiva===
The Warden of Ice, whose appearance on the battlefield makes her enemies' blood run cold. The Ironblood sent Shiva against the republican forces in the Nysa Defile, where she dueled against Titan, the Eikon of Earth.
Masked
The Warden of Ice, of whom Jill Warrick is the current Dominant. With her glacial aspect and ability to conjure boreal boulders from the aether, Shiva's appearance on the battlefield makes her enemies' blood run cold.
Unmasked
The Warden of Ice, of whom Jill Warrick is the current Dominant. Long before the fall of the Fallen, there existed a tribe in northwestern Storm known as the Motes of Ice, among whom the Dominant of Shiva would be born. Tales of the ice queens of the old north are passed down among the men and women of the northlands to this day.
Hidden Truths
===Ramuh===
The Warden of Thunder, whose power most lately awakened within Cidolfus Telamon. The Eikon is known the realm over as a symbol of judgment, no doubt inspired by its sage mien and the scepter with which it summons its levinbolts. Folklore has it that not only are Dominants of Ramuh blessed with the command of lightning, they are also granted a deeper understanding of the true nature of the world.
Basic Information
The Warden of Thunder, whose power most lately awakened within Cidolfus Telamon. Dominants of the Eikon most often emerge among descendants of the Motes of Thunder, a tribe who once dwelled in the lands of central Ash—lands that the Kingdom of Waloed now lays claim to. Mayhap in part due to the tribe's comparatively advanced learning, Ramuh is associated with wisdom and judgment to this day.
Hidden Truths
===Garuda===
The Warden of the Wind, who Benedikta transformed into during her ill-fated flight from the empire. It takes the form of a fearful harpy, summoning storms and tearing into the flesh of its prey with hawklike talons. Such is the Eikon's frenzy for destruction that even allies of the Dominant of the day are wont to begin fleeing the battlefield when dark clouds gather overhead.
Basic Information
The Warden of the Wind, who Benedikta transformed into during her ill-fated flight from the empire. It takes the form of a fearful harpy, summoning storms and tearing into the flesh of its prey with hawklike talons. Its Dominant is most often born among the descendants of the Motes of Wind, an ancient tribe that once dwelled in the lands spanning the Straits of Autha—what is now the Crystalline Dominion.
Hidden Truths
===Titan===
The Warden of Earth, of whom Hugo Kupka is the current Dominant. He takes the form of a stone-skinned giant, whose granite fists shake the earth with every mighty pummel. Titan's Dominant awakens among the peoples of Dhalmekian deserts—the recipient of his strength being granted great power and status by the republic in return for a commitment to protect the nation in times of war.
Basic Information
The Warden of Earth, who takes on the aspect of a fearsome, stony giant. He is known to awaken among the descendants of the ancient Motes of Earth, a tribe who once dwelled in the deserts of what is now the Dhalmekian Republic. By far the largest and most physically imposing of all the Eikons, Titan's strength was the bedrock upon which the republic was built.
Hidden Truths
===Bahamut===
The Warden of Light, whose power dwells within Dion Lesage, prince of Sanbreque. In the Holy Empire, the Greagorian faithful hold dragons to be sacred creatures, and Bahamut the most sacred of them all. Because of this, as well as the protection it grants them, the Eikon is loved and revered by the imperial populace.
Basic Information
The Warden of Light, whose power dwells within Dion Lesage, prince of Sanbreque. A tribe known as the Motes of Light once dwelled in the northeast reaches of Storm where the great city of Oriflamme now stands, among which the Dominant of Bahamut would always emerge. In modern times, Dominants are often born among the Sanbrequois nobility—most likely because the tribe's bloodline still runs strong in their ranks.
Hidden Truths
===Odin===
The Warden of Darkness, who rides into battle atop his spectral steed, and whose black blade is said to be sharp enough to split the very seas in twain. His latest Dominant: King Barnabas of Waloed.
Basic Information
The Warden of Darkness, who rides into battle atop his six-legged steed, black blade in hand. His latest Dominant, King Barnabas of Waloed—a man scholars believe to be a descendant of the ancient Motes of Darkness within whose line all Dominants of Odin are born. However, they have yet been unable to prove this point, on account of no records of any Odins before Barnabas Tharmr having come to light.
Hidden Truths
===Typhon===
Seemingly drawn to the destruction of the heart of Drake's Head, Ultima emerged from a tear in reality wearing the skin of Typhon, a withered and wizened colossus, and drew Clive into a space between worlds wherein the aetherial entity might test his worth as a "vessel."
===Infernal Eikon===
:Unlocked after the events in the Interdimensional Rift
A form long since discarded by Ultima that brings to mind Ifrit, the Eikon manifested by Clive. It is seemingly incomplete, lacking as it does the wings of being created when Clive and Joshua combined the powers of Ifrit and the Phoenix.
===Interdimensional Ultima===
:Unlocked after the events in the Interdimensional Rift
In order to further test the strength of the vessel "Mythos," Ultima lured both Clive and Joshua deep into the shadowy depths of his fractured mind, where he faced the brothers clad in the remnants of his erstwhile flesh—the Infernal Eikon.
===Chirada===
The aetherial conjuration summoned forth by Benedikta Harman when Clive encountered the Dominant of Wind near Lostwing. Despite their size, the creature's heavily feathered wings did not seem to hamper its movement, which was disconcertingly nimble. More so than speed, though, it was Chirada's array of powerful magicks that set it apart from lesser foes.
===Suparna===
An aetherial creation of Benedikta Harman, Dominant of Wind. When summoned in Caer Norvent alongside her twin, Chirada, the pair worked in tandem to attempt to overwhelm Cid and Clive, wielding a panoply of potent magicks and deadly aerial assaults.
===Liquid Flame===
An ever-shifting mass of living flame that rose from the fiery pools of Drake's Breath in what appeared to be response to an unwarranted trespass into the Mothercrystal's inner sanctum. Possessed both with the swiftness and temper of an untamed wildlife, the creature rained fury down upon the intruders, wielding the molten lifeblood of sacred Mt. Drustanus like it were but fistfuls of mud.
===Goblins===
A common species of beastman. While at first glance they may seem like mindless predators, goblins have their own unique language, and are skilled enough to both cast magicks and make rudimentary tools and weapons. While mostly found on the continent of Storm, the spread of Blight has forced them to find homes nearby human settlements—a move that oft ends in misunderstanding and bloodshed.
Basic Information
:Unlocked from "Live and Let Live"
A common species of beastman. Found mostly on Storm, they have habitually avoided contact with other races, be them beast or man. The continued spread of the Blight, however, has driven the creatures to find homes near human settlements, making violent encounters more commonplace. That said, a rare few have been found to possess the ability to crudely converse—and as at times even cooperate—with humankind.
Intercultural Exchange
===Gigas===
As they are oft witnessed in the presence of goblins, many believe these lumbering brutes to be goblins themselves, albeit ones that have grown to prodigious size. Scholars, however, deny these claims, and insist the two tribes are independent and their relationship a symbiotic one with the gigas providing protection to the slighter goblins who, in turn, provide the craftless giants with sundry arms and vestures such as the channel carcanets created from the bones of their victims. The spread of the Blight has seen both tribes impinge on human territory with increased frequency, and recent spottings having put them as close to civilization as Three Reeds in Rosaria.
===Orcs===
A warlike, yet surprisingly organized species of beastman native to Ash. They have long been in conflict with the Waloeders over control of the continent, and currently count the bulk of its eastern half as their own. However, the encroaching Blight continues to eat into the amount of livable land, making the fight for more territory ever more vital.
Basic Information
A species of beastman native to Ash, orcs have historically lacked the means with which to cross the Strait of Autha and make ingress into Storm. However, rumors of their having been sighted in Drake's Fang have begun to spread as of late, along with speculation that they might even have joined forces with their longtime enemy—the Kingdom of Waloed.
At Drake's Fang
A species of beastman native to Ash. Though they were seen fighting alongside Waloeder forces in both Dhalmekia and the Free Cities of Kanver, the death of King Barnabas saw a shift in their allegiances, and they now bend the knee to Ultima and no other.
Under New Leadership
===Minotaurs===
Towering beastmen that combine the heads of oxen with bodies eerily human. Minotaurs are abnormally aggressive—a trait that suggests that little "man" remains within the "beast"—and roam the grassy meadows of Rosaria, doling out violence seemingly indiscriminately with their crude, yet massive clubs. Despite the obvious danger, however, hunters still actively seek out these menaces for their lustrous manes which often command exorbitant prices at market.
===Vampire Thorns===
While most flora is thought of as stationary, roots binding them to the soil upon which their matron's seed first fell, there are some species which have an uncanny capacity for locomotion—species such as northern Storm's vampire thorn. Instead of drawing nutriment from the earth, these pitcher-like plants hide themselves in the undergrowth where they wait for prey to haply stumble by, at which time they rush out, emitting a foul cloud of mind-numbing pollen and viscous sap to disorient the victim while they strike and strangulate it with a pair of frighteningly long vines.
===Morbols===
The foul cocktail of bile and partially digested prey that accumulates within these giant cavernous plants' bellies makes their breath so spectacularly rancid that it can be used as a weapon to repel would-be attackers. Morbols favor more humid climes such as those found on the volcanic isles of the Iron Kingdom; however, the spread of the Blight has driven the mobile flora to cooler areas such as the swamps of Rosaria.
===Hornets===
Most commonly found in the woodlands of Rosaria and western Sanbreque, hornets are oft mistaken for birds due to their prodigious size. This mistake, however, can prove deadly, for the overgrown insects are extremely territorial and highly aggressive, and will attack aught that might venture near their hive, using stingers laden with a poison potent enough to subdue creatures as large as a wyvern.
===Black Widows===
Unlike many arachnids which use gossamer webbing to ensnare their victims, black widows prefer instead to cling silently to trees and cliffs and await the passing of an animal below, at which time they leap down and assault their prey with hooked limb and caustic spit. They prefer dark, cool environs, and as such are rarely seen in Valisthea's southern deserts.
===Scorpions===
With pincers the size of boulders and a hooked tail as long as a chocobo is tall, merely the sight of a scorpion is enough to strike fear into even the most hardened of warriors. That said, the poison contained in their stingers is actually far weaker than those of their lesser cousins, and is primarily used to stun, rather than kill. They favor deserts and other hotter climes, and as such, are found mostly in Dhalmekia, as well as the fiery mountains of the Iron Kingdom.
===Megalocrabs===
Making a habitat of waters both fresh and brackish, these goodly crustaceans spend most of their time buried in the mud where they warm their sanguine humours as they wait for a potential meal to wander by. Since the time of the Founder, the peoples of Rosaria have hunted megalocrab for its sweet, succulent flesh and creamy tomalley—the species having long been known amongst the smallfolk as "firecrab" for the bright red color and Phoenix-like patterns which emerge on the shells after boiling.
===Cray Claws===
Found mostly in and around lakes and rivers of Sanbreque and Rosaria, these deadly predators are equipped with scissor-like pincers with which to dismember and eviscerate their prey. If that were not enough, the creatures take in water from their habitat to create highly corrosive juices in their bellies, which they then spit onto their victims' flesh to soften it, making it easier to consume.
===Chocobos===
Favored steeds of the people of Valisthea. While they are mainly bred for riding, some are used to pull wagons, and some are even eaten, but the boldest and bravest are put forward for use by the military. They are intelligent and fiercely loyal creatures, and tend to tolerate only their masters' attention. Wild chocobos are no less vigilant, and will readily attack anyone who they will perceive to be a threat—anyone who isn't carrying a fistful of gysahl greens, that is.
===Raptors===
Though still widely believed by the commonfolk of Sanbreque to be the descendants of dragons—on account of their leathery wings, meagerness of plumage, and distinct ability to spit fire—learned scholars have long since concluded that these deceptively reptilian creatures are none other than birds of prey which, over countless centuries of hunting creatures on the ground, have simply lost their capacity for flight.
===Vultures===
Opportunistic avians that, like many other predatory birds, prefer to stealthily swoop down on foes from above and skewer them with their razor-sharp beaks. Though they are thought to primarily feed on carrion, traveling in large flocks in search of the dead and dying, it is not uncommon for vultures to attack living prey when times are lean. If you happen to hear their eerily human-like caws, skwarks, and warbles, it is best to find cover, and quickly.
===Wolves===
Individually lacking in both strength and speed to subdue prey of any considerable size, wolves will instead hunt in packs, communicating amongst one another as men might, so as to overwhelm their victims. And, while forever wary of other creatures, some breeds have been found to be more willing to form bonds with humankind, and thus can be found everywhere from traveling menageries to elite infantry units of the imperial army. Following rumors of children being mauled by wolves, the duchy ordered a mass culling of the beasts which saw their numbers in Rosaria reduced to almost none.
===Panthers===
Archetypal predators known best for their brilliant spotted coats and a proclivity to lives of solitude. As is the case with most felines, the animals are severely strong-willed and efforts by the Republican Army to harness their inborn speed and ferocity for use on the battlefield has been met with varying degrees of success.
===Coeurls===
Sleek-bodied creatures with coats of silken fur, coeurls are anything but soft, and will attack their prey viciously with tooth, claw, and even whisker—the latter of which can be used to generate powerful bolts of heart-stopping levin. Though native to the arid climes of Dhalmekia, coeurls have been known to wander far in search of new territory, and rumors place them as far north as the Dragon's Aery in Sanbreque.
===Antelopes===
A large, herbivorous creature found mainly on Storm. It has distinctive, elaborate antlers and long, sinuous limbs, which it uses to leap gracefully into the air. It attacks mainly with its antlers and rear legs, but many hunters are prepared to face such dangers nonetheless in order to acquire the lustrous, supple pelts for which these noble beasts are famed.
===Bighorns===
Found to graze primarily in the emerald meadows of Rosaria or the windswept savannahs of Dhalmekia, bighorns are easily recognized by the eponymous growths—the length of which can oft exceed several score hands—that jut sidewise from their crowns. These horns, as well as their hardwearing hides are prized throughout Valisthea, and can be bought and sold at marketplaces all over the realm. Caution, however, is recommended when hunting the creatures, as they are highly territorial and will charge relentlessly at anything that might stray into their line of sight.
===Griffins===
Fantastical abominations of nature, upon which the crown and wings of an eagle have been fused to the legs and loins of a ferocious land cat. They hunt their prey on high, circling a victim unseen before descending at terrible speeds, claws-first, to tear its throat. Should the prey prove more formidable, griffins have also been known to call upon the very winds to both slice and suffocate the quarry. Fortunately, these predators rarely descend from their mountain lairs, and sightings are few and far between.
===Chimeras===
That there might exist a creature so terrible, so twisted as the tricephalic horror that is the chimera is a striking reminder of the madness of whatever deity first whispered life into them. It is not enough that the winged daemons are both astonishingly aggressive and adept in the manipulation of aether, but they are also able to wield their influence over other beasts, commanding them like a field marshal might his regulars. Fortunately, they are seen only rarely, and only deep in the deserts of Dhalmekia.
===Adamantoises===
Enormous creatures with nigh-impermeable—and oddly fertile—shells that play host to divers flora that provide the painfully conspicuous reptiles with much-needed camouflage in the bogs and fens that they call their homes. At a glance, these lumbering giants may not appear much of a threat, but at the first sign of danger, they will retract their heads and limbs and whip themselves into frenetic spins that have been known to flatten entire homes.
===Behemoths===
:Unlocked during "Streets of Madness"
Towering agents of destruction known for their distinctive dual horns and a roar that can topple the mighty heavens. Simply the mention of one has been known to instill fear in the hearts of even the most seasoned warriors, and as such, few even venture to hunt these beasts of legend, leaving them to roam the blackened hills of Ash undisturbed. That is, save the scant few the royal army has somehow remarkably managed to fetter and tame for deployment on the front lines of battle.
===Dragonets===
Lesser dragons known for their nibleness in flight. Those specimens in the Sanbrequois subspecies known more commonly as the wyrm, or worm, are somewhat easily tamed, and as such widely employed in battle by the Imperial Legions.
===Aevises===
Middling dragons whose membranous wings are attached to their forelegs rather than their torsos, and end in hook-like talons used to rip apart the flesh of their prey. Their abundance in northwestern Storm eventually resulted in mass domestication by the Imperial Legion which, alongside the spreading of the Blight, drove remaining populations south into the deserts of Dhalmekia, where they now struggle for supremacy with existing species.
===Fafnir of the North===
An ancient dragon adapted exclusively for life on the ground, and as such, is encased in a thick, bony armor. Though its kin once claimed dominion over the Northern Territories, the spread of the Blight inevitably forced this once-gentle giant south in search of prey.
===Dragons===
Majestic winged beasts that are commonly considered to be some of Valisthea's most ancient creatures. Albeit rarely sighted in modern times, there are countless myths and legends regarding dragons, one of the most prominent being that Valisthea itself was formed when a mighty drake fell from the sky. According to the Greagorian faith, dragons were created by the goddess herself to serve as holy sentinels over her earthly demesne and as such, have long been employed by the Holy Empire of Sanbreque in various martial roles within and without the Imperial Legion.
===Bombs===
Floating masses of self-contained flame found across both Storm and Ash, these creatures lack the flesh with which we associate with typical fauna, leading scholars of the natural world to posit that they are not descended from any beast, but rather ungodly creations of the Fallen. By suppressing their internal furnaces, bombs can allow their bodies to cool and harden until appearing naught more than simple stones unworthy of remark. It is in this form that they hunt their prey, waiting until an unfortunate soul has stumbled upon their place of rest before rising from the ground to spew forth fiery gouts of death. Oddly, should the prey fight back, the bomb will not flee, but rather combust spontaneously, sacrificing its own life to save the flock.
===Flan===
Massive amorphous beings capable of bending and distorting their gelatinous forms into almost any shape imaginable, making them not only notoriously difficult to find, but almost entirely impossible to kill, as most cuts merely melt back into the existing flesh within a matter of moments. These creatures can be found in all corners of Valisthea, though their heightened sensitivity to the subtleties of their environs means that their outward hue can vary wildly from region to region, hence the variety of names—bavarois, gelato, and fool—by which they are known.
===Ahriman===
With their single unblinking eye, these winged horrors ever scan the horizon, seeking their next victims, using their singular ability to to bend the very air around themselves and leap across great distances to take prey unawares. Those few who manage to survive this preliminary assault, however, are soon faced with a second horror—a crippling curse whispered from the lips of an abyssal maw, leaving them with but moments to lament their fates.
===Iron Giants===
Oversized suits of armor animated by lost Fallen magicks. Deceptively swift despite their size, they wield both sword and shield skillfully and effectively, while the otherworldly plate which surrounds their vulnerable cores provide them with a nigh-impenetrable defense.
===Stolases===
Owls capable of transmitting the thoughts of others—specifically those with whom they are attuned. In response to an ancient incantation, their lithified "third eyes" store these thoughts in the form of aether, allowing them to be passed on as and when required—though only to the intended recipient. Stolases are mainly kept by royals, nobles, and other figures of authority for the purpose of sending secret or urgent messages, and are seldom available for commonfolk.
The incantation "O mia lost elan. Tu isag elythe" can be loose translated as "My will is now thy burden. Ne'er cleft our bond shall be."
===Ultima prime===
:Unlocked at the end of game
One of Ultima's many discarded avatars, this iteration of the self-proclaimed deity was awaiting Clive, Joshua, and Dion on their arrival above Origin. Though structurally similar to the Infernal Eikon, centuries within the dark crystal served to dramatically slow its deterioration, preserving both form and function.
===Ultimalius===
:Unlocked at the end of game
True name of the incarnation of Ultima that brought the last of his race to safety in Valisthea. When Origin was buried beneath the earth in order to absorb the aether it would need to rebuild the world, a great shrine was placed in the sky above it, from which humanity could be looked down upon. Having granted man the gift of magic and the seeds that would grow into a prophecy of the "savior" to come, Ultimalius placed his brethren into an eons-spanning sleep, that they might one day rise again.