FFXI Opening Movie

An FF staple: stones, crystals, and mystic ORBs

Narrator: It all began with a stone. Or so the legend says. In ages past, a sentient jewel, enormous and beautiful, banished the darkness. It's many-colored light filled the world with life, and brought forth mighty gods. Bathed in that light, the world entered an age of bliss. Until, after a time, the gods fell into slumber...

[We see a child, Aldo, holding up his hand as he gazes into the distance, so that it looks like the castle beyond is being held between his fingers.]

Castle on the mountain above the city

Narrator: That world was called Vana'diel.

The united armies march toward the city

[Aldo and his sister, Emelyn, turn to see an army heading toward the city. There are people of various countries and species.]

Narrator: In the 863rd year of the Crystal Era, Vana'diel was in the midst of a great war. Faced with invasion by the Shadow Lord and his hordes of Beastmen, the leaders of the enlightened peoples united their forces in desperate alliance. They were the Kingdom of San d'Oria, the Republic of Bastok, the Federation of Windurst, and the Grand Duchy of Jeuno.

A very cool-looking city

Narrator: Together, they struggled for survival in battle after battle, as chaos engulfed the land.

[It is nighttime, and the army of the Shadow Lord begins its assault on the city.]

The ogre-like Beastmen begin their attack

[The first wave of Beastmen attacks, and the soldiers of the alliance rush out to meet them. They fight with swords, bows, and even their fists.]

BOOM!

[From atop the walls of the city, we see the full size of the dark army. Hordes of Beastmen continue to head toward the city, as well as sinister-looking war machines. These tanks are shaped like monsters, and they fire on the defenders with the cannons in their mouths.]

Emelyn and Aldo make a run for it

[Some of the villagers run to a tunnel that leads underground, Emelyn and Aldo among them.]

Heh heh... METEO!

Closer view of the little mages

[Up on the walls of the city, some mages begin casting spells at the Beastmen. Giant meteors fall from the sky, crushing some of the attackers.]

Closing in from behind

[Aldo and Emelyn run down the tunnel, but the group of people ahead of them is ambushed by more Beastmen. They look back to see some more coming up behind them. The children quickly duck under some loose planks in the walls into a side passage.]

Face to face with a 100 foot high terror

[Giant Behemoths begin tearing through the city. One of them lifts itself up on two legs, and with a roar, comes crashing through the city wall. Meanwhile, Aldo and Emelyn reach a dead end in the passage, with only a small elevated hole leading outside. They hear Beastmen coming closer, and move towards the hole.]

Emelyn's concerned for her little brother

Emelyn: Aldo. Aldo, listen. You've got to climb.

Aldo takes a peek outside

[Emelyn hoists Aldo up to the hole, and he takes a look around. The bleak landscape is empty of activity.]

Aldo: Uh, Sis?

Emelyn: Can you lower yourself down?

Aldo: I think so.

[Aldo lowers himself down and looks around, but sees no one. Emelyn gets ready to jump up to the hole herself, but suddenly an arrow flies out from the tunnel and she has to duck to avoid it.]

Aldo: Sis, are you all right?

[Emelyn realizes that the Beastmen have almost reached the hole, and stands frozen with fear.]

Aldo: Emelyn?

Things don't look good for Emelyn

Emelyn: Aldo, just run!

[The Beastmen rush towards Emelyn.]

A face only a mother (or evil Shadow Lord) could love

[Emelyn frantically begins climbing up to the hole.]

Is she gonna make it?

[Aldo hears nothing more from his sister. He starts pounding on the rock.

Aldo: Em... Emelyn! ... Emelyn?

[All of a sudden, a pair of dark Beastmen hands thrust out of the hole, and start clawing around. A shocked Aldo runs away crying.]

The great city is no more

[As the beastmen torch the city, a despondent Aldo walks slowly away from it.

The land has healed... but what of the people?

[20 years later, the Beastmen seem to have gone. All that is left of the city is the ruined castle on the peak and a lot of forest below.]

What knights do when they're really bored... :P

[A hand extends in front of the camera, "pinching" the castle just like that kid did at the beginning of the movie. Can it be...?]

Emelyn would have been proud of him

[Yes! It is Aldo.]

He's made a few friends over the years

[More people join Aldo on the hill. A whole lot more people. They seem optimistic as they look out on the world. The camera zooms out, and then the group of people turns into the Final Fantasy XI logo.]

That's right. Online.

Seen everything? You can head back to the special features section if you want. And be sure to read the review too!