Varis Galvus

Varis zos Galvus is a non-player character in Final Fantasy XIV. During the events of A Realm Reborn, he becomes the new emperor of the Garlean Empire, succeeding his grandfather Solus zos Galvus. Before his ascension, he was Varis yae Galvus, High Legatus of the Ist Imperial Legion. Though Varis has been depicted in the Imperial Throne Room numerous times, he has never sat on the throne.
==History==
===Before Final Fantasy XIV===
Varis was born to Lucius yae Galvus, first son of Emperor Solus, and Hypatia wir Galvus. Varis was childhood friends with Regula Hydrus, who would eventually become Legatus of the VIth Imperial Legion.
During the imperial invasion of Nagxia between 25 and 30 years ago, Varis denounced the particularly brutal massacre of the village of Dagluk and ordered the Garlean infantry division responsible for it disbanded. When he was just shy of twenty summers, Varis reported his successful quelling of the provincial unrest to Emperor Solus, who did not acknowledge him and instead walked past. Varis' father succumbed to an illness and passed "before his time", leaving Varis with presumably only Solus as a paternal figure. It is likely this affected the way he raised Zenos.
Varis's wife was Carosa wir Galvus, with whom he had one known son, Zenos yae Galvus. She is said to have passed in childbirth. Varis is 46 and his son Zenos is 26; it can be assumed that Varis was arranged into marriage by Solus to produce an heir when Varis was 18–19 years old.
===Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn===
Varis zos Galvus was revealed as the new emperor of Garlemald during a meeting of the Eorzean Alliance, having settled the succession crisis following Solus zos Galvus's death. He had been contesting the throne with his uncle, Titus yae Galvus, Solus's youngest son. Being a High Legatus and therefore with military prowess, Varis had ousted his rival and crowned himself emperor. Since he had been opposed to Project Meteor, the Alliance leaders worried about another Garlean invasion into Eorzea under the new ruler. For reasons unknown, Varis was experimenting with Allagan cloning technology with Solus as the subject.
Varis had planted a mole in the Eorzean Alliance back when the Grand Companies were reinstated, known as "the Ivy". The spy was Flame Marshal Eline Roaille, the second-in-command of the Immortal Flames. Uncovering the Ivy's spy network revealed she had been a double agent for other parties, such as Ul'dahn Monetarists and Ishgardian heretics.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward===
Varis, along with his favored Legatus, Regula van Hydrus of the VIth Imperial Legion, interrogated the Zundu Vanu Vanu of Ok'Gundu in the Sea of Clouds while pursuing Archbishop Thordan VII. Varis acknowledged the Warrior of Light's reputation as a "nuisance", and claimed to be seeking a means to stop the primals, albeit with different means as he was willing to kill the Zundu though they had no role in Bismarck's summoning. Lucia goe Junius intervened with her magitek armor and Varis left on his dreadnaught, the Gration, promising the Warrior of Light that they would meet again.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood===
After the defeat of the Garlean forces in Doma and Ala Mhigo, the white Ascian Elidibus offered his condolences regarding Zenos's death. Varis brushed him off, saying his son was never fit for the throne while adding there was no place for "shadowless charlatans" teaching savages to summon their false gods. Elidibus assured he would not stop Varis from pursuing the black Ascians, though Varis remained skeptical of what mortal life would mean after the final Rejoining. Evading his query, the white Ascian revealed he had acquired Zenos's body as his vessel much to Varis's shock and outrage.
Varis decided to broker peace with Doma by sending Asahi sas Brutus of the Populares faction as his ambassador to hold a prisoner exchange as a sign of goodwill. Varis was unaware that Elidibus used his role as "Zenos" to manipulate Asahi into sabotaging the treaty, but Elidibus assured him that everything was going according to plan, stating that it was for the fate of the world. Though the Populares were driven out, Varis remained hesitant to invade Ala Mhigo despite Elidibus telling him the time was right. Elidibus took his leave while the Ascian that assumed the identity of Solus zos Galvus (Emet-Selch) appeared in one of the cloned bodies and chastised Varis for his indecisiveness, reminding him that the Ascians had created the Empire to cause discord via conquest to preserve the state of the world. Varis, furious with the former emperor, shot him, retorting that man was the master of his own destiny. Emet-Selch appeared in another clone body of Solus, scoffing before walking away, saying that he was merely doing his duty, as should Varis.
After meeting "Solus" one final time, livid to learn that the succession crisis from his grandfather's death had been intentional, Varis parleyed with the Eorzean Alliance before the battle of Ala Mhigo could commence. While the Alliance leaders bickered with Varis against his conquest of the realm, Varis turned their own words against them calmly and succinctly. His negotiating skills overpowered the discussion, necessitating a recess, which reconvened after everyone had a chance to recollect themselves. Varis revealed the truth behind his Empire's establishment and the true nature of the Rejoining, requesting the Alliance to join him in seeing it happen so they could destroy the Ascians—only to be disappointed with the Alliance's lack of vision and resolve. Ultimately finding the negotiations a lost cause, Varis departed to ready his army for war.
While Elidibus battled the Eorzean Alliance and the Warrior of Light using Zenos's body, Varis was forced to return to Garlemald upon hearing rumors about his son being possessed. These rumors were spread by the IIIrd Imperial Legion, led by Nerva. This led to discontent within the Imperial Court, giving the possibility of a second war of succession. The battle in Ala Mhigo reached a stalemate as Elidibus failed to defeat the Warrior of Light as "Zenos" and was forced to retreat, with the Garlean forces following him. Varis argued with Elidibus regarding the battle, but they settled the matter with Varis vowing to do all he could to have Garlemald emerge victorious, warning the Ascian not to underestimate mankind. After Elidibus's departure, an engineer approached Varis proclaiming that production of Black Rose could commence. Varis hesitated for a moment before smiling deviously. It is likely he planned to have this chemical weapon unleashed to put an end to the war to then focus on the Ascian threat.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers===
Varis remained in Garlemald consorting with Elidibus about taking advantage of the Warrior of Light and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn members no longer being on the Source (they had been called to the First). Before either could act on such a plan, a plate-armored Garlean arrived and revealed himself as the true Zenos, having used his Resonant abilities to transcend death, ready to reclaim his original body from Elidibus.
Elidibus abandoned Varis after failing to stop Zenos and, more importantly, sensing Emet-Selch's demise in the First at the Scions' hands. Zenos wounded Varis in the confrontation, and when Gaius Baelsar and Estinien Wyrmblood burst into the throne room while infiltrating the palace, Varis confirmed Zenos had regained his body. Varis snapped the blade of Zenos's katana, still lodged in his stomach, and tossed it aside before tearing into Zenos. He assumed his son had returned to claim the throne, proclaiming that the freedom of their nation and people would never belong to his wicked son. Zenos insulted him, claiming he had no intention to rule the Empire; he had only returned to remove those who would interfere with his hunt for the Warrior of Light. Zenos killed Varis in one clean strike. Enraged, Gaius attacked Zenos, but even with Estinien's aid, they failed to defeat the prince. As imperial forces arrived, they saw the emperor dead and assumed the Black Wolf and the Azure Dragoon had killed him. Zenos, having grown bored of the battle, departed, allowing the imperial forces to fall into disarray. 
With Varis dead and no one to assume the throne, the Empire began tearing itself apart as Varis had feared. The imperial legions began acting on their own ambitions with Garlemald engulfed in a civil war. Following Elidibus's demise, the rogue Ascian Fandaniel used Varis's corpse as a medium to use the Garleans' faith in their emperor to summon Anima. Pieces of Varis's body were used to create the cores used to form the spires that manifested around Eorzea. 
=== Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker ===
When the Grand Company of Eorzea commenced their plan to stop Zenos and Fandaniel, they encountered some untempered Garleans who claimed to hear Varis's voice on the radio. The Warrior of Light and the Scions soon learned the phenomenon was a projection of Anima's tempering as they discovered the primal's origin. The Warrior eventually destroyed Anima, with Alphinaud Leveilleur praying for gods to be merciful towards Varis's freed spirit for his actions in life. As designed by Zenos and Fandaniel, Anima's destruction forced an order onto the tempered: should the empire fall, the world shall fall with it. The tempered flew into suicidal attacks, forcing the Alliance and the Scions to subdue them. 
There is a tragic irony in that Varis, who had wished the best for the Garlean people and a united world under the ivory standard, was desecrated into the arbiter of his nation's destruction.
==Characteristics==
===Appearance===
Varis is a large Garlean man with long platinum hair, gaunt features, and bright golden eyes. Like Cid nan Garlond and Nero tol Scaeva, he bears the signature Garlean "third eye" with a circlet worn over and outlining it. He wears a massive suit of dark armor with a red cape, similar to his late grandfather's promotional artwork . Even for a Garlean, Varis is very tall, towering over his son. Even when shy of twenty years old, his height was considered unusual. Varis appears to be the tallest humanoid character on Hydaelyn, standing at approximately 254 cm (8'5").
===Personality===
The emperor of Garlemald is militant, cold, and stoic, yet determined and charismatic. Varis believes his actions are just as he is willing to kill all beastmen to remove primals from the realm. He follows a "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" creed, stating that the condition of Eorzea and its people are of little significance to the fate of the entire world in the quest to remove or bind eikons. Varis is cunning and manipulative, as he twists the Alliance leaders' words and uses their nations' own histories to sow seeds of doubt. In the Japanese version, Varis reiterates that he does not wish to fight, only declaring war when it is clear common ground cannot be found.
Varis has little to no love for his family, spitting on his grandfather's coffin after claiming the throne. He recognizes his son Zenos for the monster he was and does not mourn his supposed death. He did, however, take offense to Elidibus using Zenos's corpse as his physical body.
In his youth, Varis admired and sought his grandfather Solus's approval, but this turned into resentment. Their relationship strained further after Varis learned that Solus was an Ascian and intentionally did not name a successor to incite civil war in Garlemald.
Varis has no desire to rule over Eorzea or other continents, and only wishes to destroy the eikons that threaten them.He is willing to ally with his grandfather's enemies to accomplish this. He believes man should be the master of his own destiny, despising the Ascians and their penchant for controlling others.
He aims to restore the world to its original state, freeing the people of their differences to unite them. During the negotiations with the Eorzean Alliance and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Varis reveals his true goals are more closely aligned with the Ascians, wishing to invoke the Umbral Calamity to restore mankind as one true perfect race devoid of differences. He believes these differences between races are what sprout feelings of distrust and hate. Varis beseeches the Eorzean leaders to join him and his Empire to accomplish this goal, regardless of the cost it may have on the other reflections of the Source.
Despite his conviction in completing the Rejoining, Varis does care for Garlemald, its people, and their freedom. Thus, he feels the burden of the throne is not meant for his twisted son, Zenos, who cares little for the Empire. He only appointed Zenos as his successor to prevent a civil war similar to that following Solus's death. His love for his people compels him to seek methods to victory that many others find unconscionable or impractical for conquest, such as use of the poison Black Rose. While others may be repulsed by such considerations, Varis posits that "if it spares the needless deaths of our soldiers and serve the cause of this empire, there is no method I would not employ." Despite this, many within the Garlean army were not truly loyal to Varis, who had to fend off rivals contending to the throne following Solus's death and later when rumors of unrest within the ruling family began circulating. Other Garlean legions, such as the Ist and the VIth Imperial Legions respected Varis deeply, and were loyal to the end.
== Gameplay ==
In patch 5.25, a recreation of then-High Legatus Varis yae Galvus is fought in Cid Garlond's memories during the solo duty The Bozja Incident, with the Warrior of Light being aided by Mikoto Jinba and recreations of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Varis can also be faced with a full party in the Memoria Misera (Extreme) trial.
A primal born from Varis's corpse, Anima, is fought as the final boss of the dungeon, Tower of Babil.
==Gallery==
FFXIV Prelude in Violet Artwork.jpg|Varis in "Prelude in Violet" artwork.
FFXIV Varis yae Galvus render.png|Varis yae Galvus render.
== Notes ==
===Annotations===
===Citations===
pt-br:Varis Zos Galvus
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy XIV
Category:Garleans
Category:Garlean citizens
Category:Antagonists