Fourchenault Leveilleur

As Sharlayans, it is our task to observe—to chart the course of history, not to change it.

Fourchenault Leveilleur

Fourchenault Leveilleur [ˈfʊər.ʃəˌnoʊ ˌlɛv.eɪˈjɜːr, fuʁʃəno ləvɛjœʁ] is a Wildwood Elezen character in Final Fantasy XIV. The eldest son of Archon Louisoix Leveilleur, Fourchenault is a powerful member of the Forum, the governing body of the secretive nation of Sharlayan. He is the father of Alphinaud and Alisaie Leveilleur, and is married to Ameliance Leveilleur. As with the rest of his house, Fourchenault is a talented mage. His is a formidable intellect, and can read learned discourses at nigh-unequalled speed.

History[]

Early life[]

Fourchenault has carried a deep respect of Sharlayan's founding father, Nyunkrepf Nyunkrepfsyn, throughout his forty years. He eschews war as the pursuit of barbarians alone and seeks advancement through wisdom and reason. As such, he oft disagreed with his father, particularly when the latter established the Circle of Knowing to safeguard Eorzea's future. Nonetheless, Fourchenault respected people's right to make their own decisions, and did not attempt to bar the way when his sire and children wished to leave for Eorzea.

In his younger years he was a sage, though he retired his Nouliths when he joined the Forum.

When Sharlayan withdrew from the Dravanian Hinterlands in the wake of Garlean Empire's invasion of Eorzea, Fourchenault assisted in organizing the exodus to ensure no Sharlayan remained behind.

Ever since the exodus and his children leaving with Louisoix for Eorzea, Fourchenault has not made any form of contact with his offspring. Whenever the twins sent letters to their homeland, it was their mother who responded. Fourchenault had always refrained from speaking about his work in the Forum with the twins, who saw him as difficult to connect with.

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers[]

When the newly-formed Grand Company of Eorzea sent a request for Sharlayan's aid to prevent the Final Days, Fourchenault arrived to Gridania as the Forum's envoy. He requested for Alisaie and Alphinaud to be present, relieved to see his children in fair health while thanking Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna for her hospitality. Kan-E-Senna expressed her own gratitude towards Fourchenault's father, Louisoix, for his work in Eorzea and sacrifice to save them from the Calamity that had ravaged the land years before. Fourchenault acknowledged Louisoix's sacrifice, yet admitted he disagreed with his father's decisions as they defied Sharlayan philosophy to "chart the course of history, not to change it".

By espousing such barbaric notions, you subvert the teachings of Sharlayan and place all we have worked for in jeopardy. Alphinaud, Alisaie. As of this moment, you shall no longer bear the name of Leveilleur. How you choose to live your lives is no longer my concern. If you wish to walk the path of ruin, I will not stand in your way.

Fourchenault to Alphinaud and Alisaie

Fourchenault declared that Sharlayan would not aid in Eorzea's conflict against the Empire, proclaiming that these "Final Days" were unfounded propaganda. Alisaie and Alphinaud attempted to reason with him from their firsthand experience, but it only infuriated Fourchenault as he saw them straying from their Sharlayan values and allowing themselves to be poisoned by Louisoix's ideals. He denounced the twins as Leveilleurs before taking his leave, Alphinaud convincing an upset Alisaie that she could not change the opinions of their father and the Forum. G'raha Tia, who witnessed the argument, suggested from Fourchenault's strange behavior and being envoy instead of a lesser ranked member that Sharlayan may know more than they were letting on about the Final Days.

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker[]

Yes, we are bound by a duty we cannot ignore. Knowing this, what would you have us do? Abandon our vital work, and join you on the field of battle? We will never choose the way of the sword. We will fulfill our mission not through strife and bloodshed, but survival. Come what may, we shall live on. We must.

Fourchenault Leveilleur

Fourchenault did not immediately confront the Scions when they arrived in Sharlayan. He only confronted them after G'raha was caught snooping around the restricted sections of the library. When brought to the Forum, they permitted the Scions to remain in the city, but prohibited them from investigating the Forum's actions further, shutting down the Scions' investigation under the threat of expulsion.

Fourchenault and the Forum eventually revealed their actions to the public, as the start of the Final Days put their evacuation plan in motion. Alphinaud and Alisaie talked to Fourchenault, proclaiming to prove their beliefs as justified through action, and promising not to interfere. Fourchenault was part of a Sharlayan delegation sent to Radz-at-Han to explain their plan. He was surprised that the leader was a dragon. In the ensuing discussions, the two parties came to an agreement that the evacuation would be on a voluntary basis.

Fourchenault escorted the Thavnairians through the remnants of Garlemald in hopes of using their lunar transporter; however, it was found broken and the convoy was assaulted by a horde of beasts of the Final Days. Fourchenault, despite his efforts to keep the evacuees calm, could not maintain order and had to accept help from the Scions and the remnants of the Garlean military to protect them. Fourchenault agreed to arrange a meeting with the Forum to discuss the inner workings of his plan in return for the Scions not interfering. He was later shocked at the identity of Sharlayan's lunar allies.

At Sharlayan, the Forum listened to Alphinaud's proposal to first learn more about the lunar evacuation plan, and voted on a bargain Alphinaud proposed: If the Scions could solve the engineering issues facing the project, the Forum would let the Scions use the ship for a different purpose than evacuating the people. Despite both Fourchenault's vote in opposition, and the fact that the Forum would have to abandon its evacuation plans, the Forum narrowly accepted the proposal. Fourchenault introduced the lead engineer constructing the starship and explained the obstacle: The engine was not efficient enough to meet the Forum's goals.

Alphinaud contacted the many allies the Scions had made across the world to gather the materials necessary to fix the problem, and exceeded the threshold by a considerable margin. Fourchenault was shocked at how the Scions could rally so many people to help and how many the Scions had aided, and was dumbstruck to learn his own wife had secretly been financing the Scions' operations. He admitted his view of the Scions had been wrong and welcomed Alphinaud and Alisaie back into the family. He finally understood the motive of his father, Louisoix, for saving Eorzea from the Calamity, realizing that in a twist of irony, his father had been guiding him the entire time, as it was his sacrifice at Cartenau that provided Sharlayan the means to start working on their starship. Following the finishing touches on the ship, Fourchenault christened it the Ragnarok, and watched the Scions depart for Ultima Thule.

Despite the odds, the Scions prevailed against the Endsinger, putting an end to the Final Days. When they returned everyone at Sharlayan cheered in celebration. Fourchenault breathed a heavy sigh of relief with his wife comforting him, glad to see the Scions return home safely.

Fourchenault traveled to Garlemald to assist in reconstructing the ruined city, having taken interest in the transporter to the moon. He learned of strange occurrences that the Ilsabard Contingent theorized to be the works of a remaining blasphemy hiding in the Tower of Babil. Fourchenault and Lucia asked the Warrior of Light to help. After talking to some refugees in Victory's Rest, Fourchenault theorized that the blasphemy was Nerva yae Galvus, last of the imperial family. The refugees needed to be given a proper home and treated with dignity, and so the Ilsabard Contingent agreed that instead of permanently occupying the territory, the land would be returned to the Garlean refugees, but with a new government. Fourchenault, with the help of Nero Scaeva, convinced some refugees to resettle on the moon and help oversee the repository of knowledge stored there. Fourchenault accompanied the Warrior of Light, Nero, and the leaders of the Eorzean Alliance in assaulting the Tower of Babil and killing Nerva. Following the blasphemy's defeat, Fourchenault declared Sharlayan's intention to end its isolationist policies and work with the rest of the world. He departed to brief the refugees settling on the moon.

Some time later, the Forum officially began to open Sharlayan's borders with the nations of Eorzea and the Far East, with Fourchenault admitting their isolationist policy had been an excuse to prepare for the planned exodus. Y'shtola and the Warrior of Light approached him with Scholarc Montichaigne's suggestion to have his approval to access restricted section of Noumenon, so that they could study the means of traveling through a voidgate. While Fourchenault was reluctant to allow it, he eventually did, as he was in debt to the Scions, and because this time they went about it through official means. He and the Forum would later allow the Warrior and their group access to the aether reserves found of the Isle of Haam to be used in opening a gateway to the Void to save the dragon, Azdaja, and prevent the entity called Golbez from launching a voidsent invasion. In return, the Forum requested the Warrior's group to cull the Isle of dangerous beasts.

When Pandaemonium appeared within the Aitiascope, Fourchenault took a direct involvement in the event.

Following the Warrior's, Y'shtola's, and Estinien's victory in the Thirteenth, Alphinaud and Alisaie returned to Sharlayan from Garlemald. Fourchenault was surprised to see them back so soon but was amazed upon hearing of the groups success in thwarting an attempted voidsent invasion, pleased that they stayed true to their intent despite the high risks in opening a way to the Void. He asked Y'shtola to write a record compiling her knowledge about dimensional travel between the Source and other shards.

Fourchenault and his wife Ameliance would later see their children off on another adventure with the Warrior of Light to the New World of Tural, actually smiling as they depart.

Characteristics[]

Appearance[]

Fourchenault is a Wildwood Elezen with tan skin, long white hair, and blue eyes. He wears a Valkyrie's Coat of Aiming, which is a white, blue, and black with red lining. It is decorated with gold accents and blue sashes. He wears white trousers and black formal shoes. In combat he uses the Nuoliths Hagneia.

In Endwalker, he wears a more formal uniform of the Forum, a white shirt with golden buttons and a black tie overlain his chest. He wears a long white academic dress decorated with golden aiguilettes (also know as aglets).

Personality[]

Fourchenault values Sharlayan's wisdom, careful to preserve their tradition and culture. Fourchenault does not seek to control or demand anything of others, as seen in his respect for his father and allowing him to take his children to study in Eorzea. He appears well-spoken, welcoming, and even-tempered, but suddenly becomes hostile when his children question him, going so far as to disown them. His devotion to Sharlayan's creed of nonintervention has him refuse any alternative, including aiding the people in need or acting even to prevent the end of the world, claiming that Sharlayans' ancient ways are what make them who they are. His claim that his nation's creed is all that they know makes him appear close-minded.

Though Fourchenault once seemed to respect his sire, he now holds Louisoix in contempt for intervening to stop the Calamity and sparing Eorzea, even though his father saved countless lives and Eorzeans hold him in high regard. He decries his father's teachings and ideals, claiming they "poisoned" his children, and glares at the Warrior of Light when they recite his father's words. Another reason why he grew to resent his father, Fourchenault had hoped that Louisoix would discover a way to save his family from the Final Days, but following his death and letting his children go their own ways, Fourchenault couldn't accept the choice he had made. Only after seeing his children's resolve to save the world they love from the Final Days does he come to understand his father's point of view. As the Ragnarok was completed, Fourchenault began to wonder if his father had guided him from the very beginning, as Louisoix's sacrifice against Bahamut had caused a piece of Dalamund to land near Sharlayan, thereby allowing the Forum to truly begin working on the vessel.

When the Scions, including the twins, meet with Fourchenault in Sharlayan and work in deciperhing the Forum's true goals in creating an ark to save as many they can from the Final Days, the elder Leveilleur remains firmly at odds with them, appearing arrogantly self-righteous and rigidly stubborn. As the Scions work their way around the Forum's politics and Fourchenault sees all the people his children had befriended, saved, and gathered, including his wife, he comes clean with his behavior. Fourchenault reveals that all he ever wanted was to protect his children, even if it meant defying their wishes, and only after seeing their resolve did he accept that his children had grown from their adventures and have found the path they wish to follow.

Fourchenault admits to believing his children's chosen path had been the result of the Scions' influence, the Warrior of Light's in particular, one of the reasons he resented the Warrior so much. However, seeing the twins' resolve convinced him that he can't protect them forever and that it wasn't the Scions' influence that had made them interfere in the world's affairs, but the people in the world themselves, the people they wished to save. For this, he offers his sincere apologies and humbly asks the Warrior to continue guiding his children.

Since the Final Days being prevented, Fourchenault came to understand and accept that Sharlayan's isolationist policies was just an excuse to continue with their exodus plan but with the doom averted, he proclaims that Sharlayan must now take part in the worlds affairs, becoming proactive in aiding the Eorzean Alliance in dealing with crises. However, though he is on better terms with the Scions, Forchenault remains rather serious and focused on adhering to protocol, almost to a fault, rarely ever showing too much emotion but is more welcoming to their requests than before.

Gameplay[]

Fourchenault appears in the Endwalker master role quest Forlorn Glory as a sage. He uses the abilities Dosis III, Metadosis III, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Metaprognosis, and Dyskrasia II. And when the player is tethered by the main boss of the instance, he uses a small teleport ability to save them called Epimeleia and shields the party with the ability called Phraktos.

Behind the scenes[]

Fourchenault Leveilleur first appeared in the Tales from the Calamity^[1] story In Louisoix's Wake, and later in Encyclopædia Eorzea: The World of Final Fantasy XIV.^[2]

At the Final Fantasy XIV Digital Fan Festival 2021, the full version of the Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker CG trailer included the appearance of Fourchenault in the city of Old Sharlayan. Y'shtola Rhul confronts him over his neutrality in the face of the Final Days, but he still refuses to act.^[3]

Gallery[]

Phraktos.

Citations[]