The Legendary Giant Titan

In ages past, there was great conflict over the ownership of the southern forests of the continent of Quon. The situation having become a life-or-death struggle for power, the tensions between the giants that lived in the forest and the citizens of the city constructed in the forest's ravine-filled eastern outskirts became worse by the minute.

The giants (known as the Titans), won the war's early battles easily with their massive physiques; however, in face of the great numbers of the human armies, the Titans were defeated one by one, eventually dying out.

With the exception of a single giant.

The following day after the war's final struggle, there was young girl who wandered into one of the areas where a giant's corpse lay. Her name was Daemdalus. Following a young lamb that had run away from the village, she had become completely lost.

"The Titans will capture and eat little children who wander into the forest."

Having heard this, she was filled with the desire to dash away, but the thought of returning home having lost her older brother's prized sheep was utterly unbearable.

At last, Daemdalus caught the lamb on one of the backs of the collapsed giant soldiers, which resembled a small mountain. Right as her eyes began to stream tears of relief, from the mouth of the giant (whom she believed to be dead) below her erupted a groan that rumbled the earth. The girl tried to let out a frightened scream but nothing became of her efforts--she was even unable to move her very feet.

However, when examined carefully, the giant had deep wounds on his head and his left leg. As the trembling Daemdalus took out her water pouch from her waist to pour into the giant's mouth, he slowly opened his eyes. As he spotted the human child, his heart was instantly filled with hostility, but it was not long before he was overcome with sadness.

After ripping part of her clothes to wrap his wounds, Daemdalus guided him to a nearby cavern.

From that moment on, Daemdalus continued to bring food and drinking water to the cavern for many a day. Without worrying about his seemingly confused expressions, she also began to share stories about herself with the giant.

The lost lamb. Her older brother. Her mother's words of "one should be kind to the wounded" before she died. The gory stories of the "ferocious Titans", as told by the village people.

The Titan opened his heart to the girl, and soon began to speak her tongue in a rather broken fashion. What he revealed to the young Daedalus was completely different than what that she had accepted as the truth.

The Titans, who had lived peacefully in the woods for many years, gradually had lost their homes and sources of food as a direct result of the humans' efforts at deforestation. Their many protests left unheard, they had no choice but to take a stand.

Now knowing the truth, Daemdalus cried and apologized on behalf of her village many times. Titan simply patted her head with his forefinger and gently smiled.

However, the pleasant days that they spent together would not long continue. One day, Daemdalus's brother, noticing his sister's suspicious behavior, decided to follow her movements. Completely floored by what he discovered, he relayed a message to the militia without delay.

Daemdalus desperately tried to prevent the village's police force from entering the cavern. Greatly anxious for her safety, Titan allowed himself to be captured without any resistance.

The next time Daemdalus saw Titan, he was held captive in the center of the Town Square (which had been transformed into a temporary execution ground). In the eyes of the public, his chained figure seemed to be no more than a giant rock.

The scrap of cloth that Daemdalus had wrapped around Titan's left knee quickly dyed a brilliant red. Unable to endure the pain, Titan's gigantic body leaned forward.

Daemdalus, no longer able to bear watching Titan's pain, broke free from her brother's restraint and dashed towards Titan to hold his left leg in an attempt to support him. Titan, having seen the girl's desperate efforts, re-assumed his previous position to protect her. However, despite his deepest wishes, Titan slowly reached his limits. While holding the giant's feet, Daemdalus prayed to the Goddess with despair in her heart. Titan, having used up his last reserves of strength, soon let out a great moan, filled with pain and sorrow.

Suddenly, heavenly light began to fall upon the execution grounds from the skies. The Goddess, sensing Titan and Daemdalus's great hope, beckoned the two to the heavens by holding out her hand.

Embraced in a gentle glow, Daemdalus and Titan silently rose to heaven. Greatly affected by this mystic spectacle, the people of the city repented for the wrongs that they committed against the Titans, and it is said that for many years later, they held annual ceremonies in memory of the giants.

*Taken from: Vana'diel Tribune Issue No. 12*

### Notes

Note: Daemdalus was the brighest star in the Titan constellation in Vana'diel's sky. It is a golden yellow-colored star.

### Article in original Japnese

昔、クォン大陸の南方に広がっていた森林をめぐって、激しい戦いがありました。それは森に住む巨人たちと、その東の渓谷に街を築いた人間たちとの、存亡をかけた戦いでした。

タイタンと呼ばれていた巨人たちは、巨体を活かして奮戦し、緒戦こそ優勢でしたが、やがて数に勝る人間たちの前に、ひとり、またひとりと倒れ、ついに死に絶えてしまいました。

たったひとりをのぞいては。

最後の戦いの翌日、巨人の屍が累々と横たわる戦場跡に、ひとりの少女の姿がありました。彼女の名はダムダルス。逃げた子羊を追いかけて、ここに迷いこんだのでした。

「タイタンは、森に入った子どもを捕まえて喰っちまう」

そう聞かされていた少女は、一刻もはやく、この場を去りたい気持ちでいっぱいでしたが、大切な兄の羊を失って家に帰ることはできません。

やっとダムダルスが子羊を捕まえたのは、倒れた巨人戦士の小山のような背中でした。彼女の瞳に安堵の涙が込み上げてきたとき、死体と思っていた足元の巨人の口から、地響きのようなうめき声が発せられました。少女は、声にならない悲鳴をあげましたが、足がすくんで動けません。

しかし、よく見ると巨人は頭と左脚に大きな傷を負っているようでした。ダムダルスが、腰からはずした水袋を恐る恐る大きな口にあてがうと、巨人はゆっくり目を開けました。人間を見たその瞳は、一瞬敵意をむきだしにしましたが、やがて哀しみをたたえた色に変わりました。

ダムダルスは自分の服を破いて、巨人の頭と左脚に巻いてやると、彼を近くの岩屋へと誘導しました。

それから何日もの間、ダムダルスは食べ物と飲み水を岩屋に運びつづけました。そして、巨人が彼女の言葉を理解していない風に見えるのも気にせず、自分のことをたくさん話しました。

羊のこと。兄のこと。“傷ついた人には親切にしなければいけない”という母の遺言。そして街の人から聞かされていた凶暴なタイタン族のこと。

やがて、巨人も少女に心を開き、タイタン族のことを、片言ながら話すようになりました。その内容は、ダムダルスの知っている話とは、まったく逆のものでした。

森に住んでいたタイタン族は、人間たちの伐採によって住処と獲物を次々と奪われたのでした。そして、度々の抗議も受け入れられず、やむなく立ち上がったというのです。

真実を知ったダムダルスは、タイタンに何度も何度も泣いて謝りました。そんな少女に、巨人は人差し指で頭をなでて、優しく微笑みかけるのでした。

しかし、2人の楽しい日々は長く続きませんでした。ダムダルスの兄は、妹の不審な行動に気づいて後をつけたのでした。そして驚いた彼は、軍隊に通報してしまったのです。

岩屋に突入してきた討伐隊を阻止しようと、ダムダルスは必死に抵抗しました。しかし、それを見たタイタンは少女の身を案じ、おとなしく捕らえられたのでした。

次に少女がタイタンを見たのは、広場の中央に設けられた処刑台でした。衆目の中、鎖でつなｪれたタイタンは、自分の何倍もある巨大な岩を担がされていました。

ダルダムスが巻いた左膝の服の切れ端が、みるみる真赤に染まっていきます。タイタンは耐え切れなくなり、巨体が大きく傾ぎました。

見ていられなくなったダムダルスは、兄の制止を振り切ってタイタンに駆けよると、左脚を支えました。それを見たタイタンは、少女を守ろうと体勢を立て直しました。しかし、それにも限界が近づいていました。

少女は必死で巨人の足を押さえながら、女神に祈りました。やがて、タイタンが最期の力を使い果たし、大きく咆哮したときでした。

突然、天空から神々しい光が処刑台に降り注ぎました。タイタンとダムダルスに希望を見出した女神が、2人を天へと招くためにそっと手を差し伸べたのでした。

やわらかい光に抱かれて、ダムダルスとタイタンは静かに天へと昇っていきました。神秘的な光景を目の当たりにした人々は、タイタン族に対して犯した過ちを悔い、その後、彼らを弔う祭りを催すようになったということです。

### Credibility of the Avatar Legends

The stories told in the Vana'diel Tribune might not be actually true. There are some points in the main storyline of FFXI that contradict the facts said in these stories.

It is possible that these stories are actual legends that are spread around by the people of Vana'diel. This becomes even more likely considering that most of the time the Vana'diel Tribune is being told from the point of view of people actually in Vana'diel.