Esper Elder

The Esper Elder is a minor character in Final Fantasy VI. He was the oldest of the espers at the time of Terra's birth and their leader, and a friend of Maduin, the gatekeeper of the Esper World. When the Gestahlian Empire invaded the Espers' home, the Elder sacrificed himself to cast them out and seal the gateway between worlds.
==Profile==
===Appearance===
The Elder wears a blue robe with a sash in the front with gold trim. He has dark skin and a short beard, and long white hair. In the Super NES release, the Elder appears to have white wings, but his sprite in the iOS and Steam release depicts these appendages as extensions of his hair.
===Personality===
The Elder is well-respected by the espers for his wisdom and they follow his advice closely. He is cautious about open relations with the human world, remembering the War of the Magi where humans used espers as weapons of war. He cares for the espers deeply and was willing to give up his life to save them from the Empire. However, he was willing to allow Madeline to stay in the esper world with Maduin even after he declared his intention to seal the passage between worlds, and expressed concern for Madeline's safety when she went off alone.
==Story==
When the human Madeline found the esper world and Maduin took her in, she was cared for in the Elder's home. He eavesdropped on their conversation, hearing Maduin agree to take Madeline to the gate between worlds the next day. The two retired to Maduin's home and in the morning the Elder came to see them off, and was surprised to learn Madeline had left to go to the gate herself. Madeline and Maduin conceived a daughter, Terra, and Madeline stayed in the esper world.
Two years later, the Gestahlian Empire opened the gate to the esper world and invaded. With their realm quickly being overrun, the Elder declared he would create a tempest to sweep the Empire's troops out of their realm, and would then cast a seal to close the gate. The power to cast this seal was limited to a single bloodline of espers, of which the Elder was the only remnant. Though Maduin was concerned the effort to do this could cost the Elder his life due to his advanced age, the Elder remained resolute and left to begin the sealing.
While the Elder was casting the seal, Madeline, upset at the suspicions of other espers who accused her of being with the Empire, fled to the gate with Terra, and Maduin followed. The Elder warned that the gate could not be reopened once sealed but Maduin did not care and went to look for Madeline at the threshold. The Elder's spell worked, and Emperor Gestahl and his troops were cast out of the esper world, and Madeline, Maduin, and Terra were also caught up in the winds and sent to the human world.
The Elder is not mentioned again; it is implicit that he passed away from the strain of sealing the gate, as Maduin feared.
==Etymology==
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy VI
Category:Espers in Final Fantasy VICategory:Magicite in Final Fantasy VI
ru:Старейшина Эсперов