Deling City

Deling City is a location in Final Fantasy VIII. Its design is influenced by the city of Paris, France. According to the Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania, Deling City is perpetually covered in clouds and there are only 10 days of clear sky in a year.
Deling City is a cosmopolitan center located at the north of the Galbadian continent, and is the capital of Galbadia, named after its president, Vinzer Deling, who runs his administration from the city. It is also the home of General Caraway and Rinoa Heartilly.
== Story ==
When Squall and his SeeD team from Balamb Garden are sent to their first SeeD mission in Timber, they pass out while on the train and enter a shared dream where they witness the exploits of three Galbadian soldiers Laguna Loire, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac. After partaking in the last stages of the Timber War, the trio retreats to Deling City. At the Galbadia Hotel the three listen Julia Heartilly play the piano and Laguna tries to summon the courage to talk to her, but his nerves get the better of him.
Julia approaches Laguna herself and invites him to her room. He is delighted to do so, and the two talk for hours and share their dreams for the future. Julia wants to become a singer, while Laguna reveals he wishes to become a traveling journalist. When Laguna is called away to another mission the dream ends, leaving the SeeDs puzzled.
Later on the SeeDs arrive at Deling City. Ultimecia, within the body of Sorceress Edea, is to become the Ambassador of Galbadia and the party is on a mission to assassinate her under orders from Galbadia Garden, who fears for the sorceress's influence. The team meets with their contact General Caraway, after providing a password they recover from the Tomb of the Unknown King. Squall ponders whether they are being used for a coup d'etat, but nevertheless follows with the plan they have been given, as it is an assignment from Headmaster Cid Kramer.
The SeeDs are to divide in two teams: one to trap Edea inside a gated archway during her introductory parade, and another to snipe her from afar. Should Irvine, the sniper, fail, the leader of the operation, Squall, is to take her out head on. Quistis, Zell and Selphie form the gateway team, while Rinoa, whom Squall's party has been assigned to protect, is excluded from the plan for not being a SeeD. General Caraway—whom the party learns is Rinoa's father—locks her in a room to stop her from interfering.
After the general departs with the sniper team, Rinoa breaks from the room and confronts Quistis, the leader of the gateway team. She explains she has discovered an Odine bangle said to be able to suppress a sorceress's powers, and wants to come up with a plan to trick her into wearing it for the ceremony. Quistis rebuffs her, and leads her team out, leaving Rinoa to attempt to carry out the plan alone.
Quistis soon regrets her harsh words and returns to apologize, but ends up being locked inside the mansion with her team. Quistis, Zell and Selphie find a way to the Deling City Sewers and make their way to the gateway in time. Rinoa infiltrates the presidential residence on her own, but the sorceress sees through her gambit and renders her under her control.
Rather than rise to ambassador, Ultimecia takes control of the government by murdering President Deling in front of the cheering crowds. She ends the speech by bringing two Iguion gargoyles to life, and ordering them to devour Rinoa.
Squall and Irvine rescue Rinoa just in time, and soon the parade begins and the three make their way to the top of the palace where a sniper rifle has been left for Irvine to assassinate the sorceress with. As the parade commences they spot Seifer Almasy standing next to the sorceress; Rinoa's former boyfriend and Squall's rival from Balamb Garden.
Quistis, Zell and Selphie imprison Ultimecia inside the gateway, leaving it up to Squall and Irvine to snipe her from atop President Deling's residence. Irvine, unaware of Ultimecia's possession of Edea's body, remembers Edea as the woman who raised him and the others in an orphanage when they were children, and therefore refuses to assassinate her. When Squall convinces him to shoot, Ultimecia blocks the bullet with a magic shield.
Squall carjacks a car and drives to the archway where he fights Seifer, who has become Ultimecia's knight. Irvine and Rinoa join him, but after a short fight, Ultimecia impales an ice javelin through Squall's shoulder, and he loses consciousness. Squall has another dream about Laguna, and wakes up in D-District Prison.
== Geography ==
=== Overview ===
As the capital of Galbadia, Deling City is another hub for the transcontinental railway, located in the north-western region of the continent. To the east of Willburn hill, to the north of the Great Peak of Galbadia, within the Galbadian Plains.
Deling City is visited at night time, and is a well-lit and vibrant city. The city also has bus transportation connecting all its areas, and its buildings are of European architecture. 
=== Deling Station ===
As the capital city of Galbadia, Deling City Station is connected to numerous other towns and stations within the country. One of these stations include the Galbadia Garden.
=== Galbadia Hotel ===
A popular hotel in Galbadia, Galbadia Hotel is a large building alongside a street of identical buildings. The hotel features a bar next to the foyer where, before her hit single "Eyes on Me," Julia Heartilly played the piano for patrons. This is also where Laguna Loire first met her. There is a save point in the reception, and a Timber Maniacs magazine under the bed in the hotel room.
=== Shopping Arcade ===
The shopping district is a long street of shops. On the right-hand side of the street, it has a general store and a junk shop where the player can buy items and remodel weapons. A Triple Triad player in black can have a Kiros card as part of the Queen of Cards sidequest here.
Recovery Item	Cost
Potion 	100
Hi-Potion 	500
Phoenix Down 	500
Antidote 	100
Eye Drops 	100
Soft 	100
Echo Screen 	100
Holy Water 	100
Remedy 	1000
GF Item 	Cost
G-Potion 	200
G-Hi-Potion	600
G-Returner 	500
Ammo 	Cost
Normal Ammo 	20
Shotgun Ammo	40
=== Caraway's Mansion ===
The home mansion of General Fury Caraway of the Galbadia Army is a large, stone mansion vaguely resembling a castle. There is a save point outside. To get into the mansion as part of the story, the player needs the student ID number from the Tomb of the Unknown King. The player can pay the guard outside for a location indicator for the map of the tomb, but this is not required to solve the dungeon there.
Later on the player must complete a puzzle in the general's office, which is solved by picking up a wine glass (called Cup in the game) and placing it on the statue's hand.
General Caraway is found here when visited at other times. He holds the rare Rinoa card, but the player must lose Ifrit to him first (Ifrit can be won back from Master Martine later). The earliest the player can win the card off him is when controlling Selphie as part of the Missile Base quest.
=== Car Rental ===
The Car Rental building is a tall building on the outskirts of the city, with neon light signs and a parking garage on the left-hand side of the building. Here, one can rent a car for 3,500 gil to travel across the world map without the fear of enemy encounters. Refilling fuel costs 3,000 gil.
=== Deling City Sewers ===
The Deling sewers are a labyrinth of corridors and streams filled with monsters such as Creeps and Grand Mantis. A Weapons Monthly Magazine can be found when controlling Rinoa, and three draw points are available: Esuna, Zombie, and a hidden Bio draw point.
=== Gateway ===
The gateway is the central, prominent feature in Deling City. Possibly a remnant from the days of the Dollet Empire, the gateway features a pair of working metal gates and is decorated by various stone gargoyles. It closely resembles the real world Arc de Triomphe.
The gateway is linked to the sewer system below. The player visits the room inside the gate as part of the story during the parade. There is a path through a park with a Thundara draw point that leads to Caraway's mansion.
=== Presidential Residence ===
The home residence of the president of Galbadia is a vast, stone building locked behind a wall. Currently, President Deling is the tenant of this high maintenance abode, featuring full scale security and a platform to address the public that await outside the gates. The Residence also features an automated display that emerges from the roof during celebrations.
== Quests ==
=== Transportation services ===
Deling City is served by an efficient bus service, which can be boarded for free. To board a bus, one needs to talk to the bus conductor at the relevant bus stop. Car rental is also available from the town entrance.
Unused text entries in the game data suggest there was once a plan for the player to be able to choose a location, but instead the bus goes around the city and the player decides when to get off.
=== The code to enter Caraway's mansion ===
When the party first arrives, a concierge at Caraway's house denies them entry until they provide a password. The correct code is found by visiting Tomb of the Unknown King to the south from the city and inspecting the sword on the ground in the first indoors area. The code is not fixed, and a randomized one is generated on each playthrough.
=== The secret passage to the sewers ===
Inside the locked room in Caraway's mansion, the player must check the wine glasses on the left, and place a glass in the statue's hands at the upper left corner of the room. A secret entrance will open up, leading to the Deling City Sewers.
=== Triple Triad ===
Deling City uses the Galbadia region's rules, where Same is the sole starting rule.
Rinoa card can be won from General Caraway in his mansion from the beginning of disc 2 onwards, although the player must lose the Ifrit card to him first. The earliest opportunity to do this is to head back to Deling City with Selphie before entering the Missile Base. The lost Ifrit card can then be won back from Martine at Fishermans Horizon any time after this.
Kiros's card can be won from a man in black in the Deling City shopping arcade as part of the Queen of Cards sidequest; the player must lose the MiniMog Card to the queen and then talk to her in Dollet's pub first.
If the Queen of Cards says she us going to Galbadia, she is found in the Deling City hotel. The player can do her sidequest if they send her to Dollet. She always moves when the number of rare cards (Lv.8–10) in her possession changes; the player needs to lose a rare card to her, or win one from her, but she doesn't start with any rares. From Deling City, she will move to Balamb (12.5%), Dollet (12.5%), Winhill (12.5%), or Fishermans Horizon (62.5%). 
== Musical themes ==
"Under Her Control", the ninth track of the OST's disc 2, is the main theme of Deling City; a jazzy, laid-back melody. The title of the track refers to Edea (Ultimecia)'s dictatorial hold on the city.
"The Stage Is Set", the tenth track of the OST's disc 2, is a militaristic tune used when General Caraway was discussing the plans for the sorceress's assassination with the SeeDs.
"A Sacrifice", the eleventh track of the OST's disc 2, compliments Rinoa's encounter with the sorceress.
"Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" the twelfth track of the OST's disc 2, was used during sorceress Ultimecia's welcoming parade, a dark and mysterious instrumental piece combined with chants of "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec".
"Intruders", the thirteenth track of the OST's disc 2, was used during when Quistis, Zell and Selphie travel the underground sewers.
"Premonition", the fourteenth track of the OST's disc 2, plays during the fight against Edea.
"Wounded", the fifteenth track of the OST's disc 2, plays during the scene where Squall is attacked with Edea's Ice Strike Limit Break.
== Other appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade ===
FFAB Deling City - Central Avenue FFVIII.png|Central Avenue.
FFAB Deling City FFVIII.png|
FFAB Deling City FFVIII Special.png|
=== Final Fantasy Record Keeper ===
Deling City was the setting for the Challenge Event To Slay a Sorceress and its re-issue.
===Final Fantasy Brave Exvius===
=== Chocobo Racing ===
The Deling City appears as the secret track FFVIII Circuit that somewhat resembles the city's original layout in Final Fantasy VIII. With the notable addition of a large gunblade fountain, the circuit includes the presidential residence, the shopping district, the Deling station, and the gateway.
==Behind the scenes==
Director Yoshinori Kitase has later on lamented that the scene where Edea hits Squall with her icicle Limit Break feels strange and incomplete without voice acting, as the player can see Rinoa scream but cannot hear her. Discrepancies like these ultimately led to Square put more effort into adding voice acting into their games, starting with Final Fantasy X.
===Allusions===
During the parade, the masked dancers are performing dance moves similar to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video.
Deling City has some references to the number 8, namely, the buses have the #08 on the roof, and Rinoa says to take the #08 bus to get to the General's Mansion. The assassination plan is also to take place at eight o'clock.
The gateway at the city center is similar in design to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
===Missable interactions===
There are two variations of the scene in General Caraway's mansion. When Rinoa is going to call her father because he's taking too long, she will step outside and instantly return and reveal she is the general's daughter before rushing out again. If the player quickly talks to her before she approaches the door, Squall offers to go in her place. Also, in the Laguna dream, if the player leaves Galbadia Hotel during the Laguna dream, they can witness a traffic jam outside. This is because Laguna parked his APC in the middle of the street.
If the player returns to Deling City after the Battle of the Gardens, the G-Forces and NPCs therein have new dialogue. The G-Forces proclaim they now follow Seifer as Edea is gone, as he is in leagues with a new sorceress called Ultimecia whom no one has yet seen. They also talk about their operation on salvaging something that "has the power to end all wars" (Lunatic Pandora). The women outside the bus station who used to admire Edea's style are over her, and an NPC on the shopping district says that Seifer has teamed up with someone more evil and powerful than Edea and is "trying to do something to this entire planet".
== Gallery ==
ff8-deling-city.jpg|Deling Station and Square concept.
ff8-galbadia-station.jpg|Deling Station entrance concept.
ff8-carousel-clock.gif|Carousel conceptual sketch.
ff8-deling-city-gates.gif|Gate Tower conceptual sketch.
Deling City Presidential Residence FFVIII Art.jpg|Concept art of the Presidential Residence.
8b-dancer.jpg|Female parade dancer.
Parade Dancer Male FFVIII Art.jpg|Male parade dancer.
8b-char.jpg|The float concept on which Sorceress Edea rode during the festival.
Fanatical feast.jpg|Yoshitaka Amano artwork of the Deling City parade.
Parade FMV FFVIII Storyboard.jpg|Storyboard of the Deling City parade.
DelingCity-1-.jpg|Parade.
Deling City Carousel Clock rises from FFVIII Remastered.png|Carousel clock atop the presidential residence.
Squall leaps from the carousel clock from FFVIII Remastered.png|Squall leaps from the clock.
==Notes==
==References==
de:Deling-City
Category:Locations in Final Fantasy VIII
Category:Towns