Saints of the Twelve

The Saints of the Twelve are saints that have been officially canonized by the Council of Loetstym in Final Fantasy XIV. As a tradition in Eorzea those who have performed great works, or lived a life of exemplary virtue are given the title of saint. These saints are each associated with the deity of the Twelve whose qualities they embody, and are reserved as figures graced by divine benediction.

The Council of Loetstym[]

The great deeds or purity of virtue of the saints were immortalized in tales or songs. However depending on the region, these stories contradicted each other, so the validity of the sainthood itself was often only recognized by certain social institutions. Thus it was that some five-hundred years ago, Archon Loetstym Merlzirnsyn of Sharlayan sought to redress these inconsistencies by collecting scattered anecdotes from across the realm, and unifying the results in his hagiographic compilation, the Saints of Eorzea. Based upon his definitive work, his successors went on to establish the "Council of Loetstym" in a move to formalize the process of canonization. Once every seven years, its members convene in the Sharlayan motherland to pore over potential cases, and cast votes to elevate new candidates to sainthood.

The figures thus recognized by the council become a ubiquitous sight in Eorzean society. They might appear as the subjects of theatrical productions or children's picture books, but perhaps the most common saintly encounter for adventurers is found in the stained-crystal illustrations of leve plates. Each leve plate features the depiction of a scene from a chosen saint's life, titled with a word which encapsulates the personage's most prominent virtue^[1]

All Saints' Wake[]

Legend tells that, at the same time each year, the Twelve honor the saints by inviting them to the celestial realm for a feast of deific proportions. In ascending to the heavens, they leave the mortal realm bereft of their divine protection. During this time, it is said that creatures of darkness come out from hiding to wreak havoc upon mortalkind, and with such gusto as if to make up for the rest of the year when their devilry is kept in check. Fearing for their safety, folk took to returning home before sunset and barricading themselves indoors with kith and kin until dawn arrived to banish the night.

Adventurers, however, could not be swayed by the threat of otherworldly terrors on the night of All Saints' Wake. Ever wont to seek out danger, these brave souls stood fast against all who would threaten Eorzea's people, and word of their deeds on this frightful night would embolden the townsfolk as years went by. In time, the people's trepidations were laid to rest, and they learned to celebrate the Saints' ascension to the heavens, rather than fear their absence. The streets came to be lined with ceremonial warding lanterns, and children would parade about in fanciful costumes, enjoying an evening of tricks and treats. This newfound reverence flourished into the seasonal tradition known as All Saints' Wake celebrated throughout Eorzea.^[2]

The canonized saints known[]

Saint Adama Landama[]

Adama Landama was a merchant of well-established wealth. Whilst many knew him as a miserly soul who would not spare a clipped gil for the poor, the peddlers in the marketplace held a decidedly different view of the man. Though it was true Adama was not one for charity, he never haggled over the price of wares he considered worth purchasing—be it a little girl's collection of seashells, or an idle artist's latest masterpiece. His practice of strolling amongst the stalls and filling an oversized basket with whatever took his fancy attracted new traders to the business of specialty goods, and eventually led to the market becoming the largest of its kind in the region. Celebrated for his munificence in the field of commerce, Adama Landama was raised up as a saint blessed of Nald'thal.

Saint Adama Landama and the Market Basket

Saint Allene[]

The festive commotion in the village square turned to bewildered panic as Allene rushed at the crowds, her harvest scythe in hand. She screamed at the villagers to flee into the fields, and flee they did—not for fear of the scythe, but of the unholy rage twisting the features of a woman known best for her placid nature. No sooner had the revelers taken refuge than a howling tornado tore a path of destruction through the now-empty village. As a farmer, Allene was well acquainted with the vagaries of the weather and, sensing the coming catastrophe, chose to feign a maddened attack on her neighbors rather than waste time on explanations. Celebrated for her act of resolve, Allene was raised up as a saint blessed of Nophica.

Saint Allene and the Fields of Summer

Saint Anselmet[]

In a town swamped by corruption, the coin held an edge sharper than the blade. The pockets of court officials bulged with gold, yet the law was worth less than the vulgar scrawl on a tavern-room wall. Thus when a merchant tripped over a street urchin, and beat the child to death in a drunken rage, the man expected his ample purse to pay for his crimes. But Anselmet, a newly appointed judge, would not be swayed by bribes. Frustrated, the merchant sought to obstruct justice in myriad other ways, and again was stymied by Anselmet's resolute adherence to the law. The judge championed the return of order, becoming an unbreakable shield for the innocent. Revered for the equity he restored, Anselmet was raised up as a saint blessed of Azeyma.

Saint Anselmer's Decree

Saint Ascya[]

The Astalicia drifted on the empty sea, her rudder shattered by a sea serpent's tail. Not a shadow of land could be seen on the sun-flooded horizon, and even the crew's veterans were gripped by tendrils of despair. The captain put on a brave face, but it was only Ascya, the cook's apprentice, whose calm was unfeigned. After hearing the ship's navigator estimate three weeks until the current washed them up on the nearest shore, she drafted a plan to conserve their remaining rations. The sailors cajoled and threatened. The captain shouted orders. But she refused to dole out more food than was scheduled, never leaving her vigil beside the mean barrel. Praised for rescuing her entire crew with her temperance, Ascya was raised up as a saint blessed by Llymlaen.

Saint Ascya's Mead

Saint Basqual[]

The sturdy gates held for days, but at last they buckled under the relentless onslaught. Charged with the defense of the city, Captain Basqual and his company formed up in the courtyard, and caught the enemy's advance on a wall of shields. As the foe continued to swarm through the breach, however, the captain saw fear blossom in the eyes of his soldiers. Without hesitation, Basqual stripped off his armor, and nimbly skipped along the shield wall in naught but his nameday skin. The sight of the naked captain prancing amongst their ranks caused many an astonished snort—broken free of mounting terror, the soldiers fought to protect their exposed superior, and in their resolve succeeded in repelling the invaders. Celebrated for his devotion to maintaining morale, Basqual was raised up as a saint blessed of Byregot.

Saint Basqual and the Rampart

Saint Bodenolf[]

In a hasty retreat from a losing battle, Bodenolf led his mercenary company into a ramshackle village. Despite the villagers' obvious poverty, they offered the soldiers warm welcome, binding their wounds and concealing them when pursuers came in search of survivors. Bodenolf and his men gave hearty thanks for their salvation before going on their way. Several years later, when drought struck the land, the mercenaries returned to the village to dig their saviors a well. Not satisfied the favor had been repaid, Bodenolf rallied his company when a throng of brigands came to seize the precious source of water. And though they were outnumbered and taking heavy losses, not a single mercenary sought to flee the field. Praised for the unity he inspired, Bodenolf was raised up as a saint blessed of Nald'thal.

Saint Bodenolf and the Bottomless Well

Saint Coinach[]

Coinach was a seminary student of unprecedented brilliance. After becoming infatuated with the mention of "Allag" in the scriptures, however, his obsession with chasing the shadow of the long-lost empire cost him prestige with his tutors, and resulted in his eventual expulsion. The scripture's word was beyond reproach. Yet for those who had known naught but self-contained city-states, the idea of a world-spanning regime belonged firmly in the realm of allegory. Coinach turned then to the merchant's trade, and poured all his profits into research and excavation. It was not until the year before his death that he at last uncovered the ruins of an imperial city, and provided unquestionable evidence of the empire's existence. Revered for the industry of his efforts, Coinach was raised up as a saint blessed of Althyk.

Saint Coinach and the Lost Bounty

Saint Daniffen[]

When the basilisk came, the fishermen's poles which once bristled on the banks of the Velodyna River vanished from view, replaced with a sprouting of mercenaries' spears. Yet even these hardened fortune-seekers could find no counter to the beast's deadly gaze, and a forest of petrified flesh soon crowded the riverbed. Just when it seemed none remained to challenge the monster, there appeared an itinerant knight by the name of Ser Daniffen. The peril lay in meeting the creature's eyes, not in being seen by them, he proclaimed, and thus did he pad his helm's visor to render himself blind. Tracking his prey by the sound of its scraping claws alone, the knight stalked and slew the terrible basilisk. Daniffen was celebrated for his valor and daring, and raised up as a saint blessed of Halone.

Saint Daniffen and the Basilisk

Saint Dhyata[]

Year after year, the brass loaches in the lake grew fewer and fewer in number. When the wise woman Dhyata came at the request of troubled fishermen, she needed but one glance at their catch to discern the source of their woes—in their nets wriggled not only the grown loaches but also the young and egg-swollen females as well. After lecturing her audience on the gods' miracle of life, the sage snapped a branch to a certain length to show the size of fish they should keep, and forbade them from casting nets during the spawning season. The fishermen obediently followed her instructions, and within a few short summers the surface of the lake fairly churned with feeding loaches, so complete was their recovery. Revered for her lessons on life's sanctity, the pious Dhyata was raised up as a saint blessed by Llymlaen.

Saint Dhyata and the Lake of Plenty

Saint Endalim[]

In the midst of an apple orchard, a confrontation was brewing. On one side stood the peasants, tools raised in revolt; on the other, the lord of the land, flanked by his men-at-arms. Bloodshed seemed inevitable, until an elderly knight strode onto the field and planted himself between the feuding parties. The soldiers threatened the old man with a beating, but their blustering soon fell quiet as their lord sunk to his knees, pale-faced and stammering. Even without the golden crown atop his head, he had recognized the face of Archbishop Endalim IV. The archbishop had learned of the lord's mistreatment of his farmers, and sought to mediate the dispute not as a monarch, but as a man of the people. Celebrated for the impartial candor of his methods, Endalim was raised up as a saint blessed of Halone.

The Golden Crown of Saint Endalim

Saint Finnea[]

The fortress hold's defenders fought valiantly against the dragon horde, but as the battle wore on, the stench of desperation began to permeate the air. It was then that a fluttering pennant bearing the device of a white swan appeared from behind the curve of the mountain path—the lady knight Finnea had arrived with reinforcements. Though yet a novice with the blade, Finnea was possessed of a spirit seemingly incapable of conceding defeat, and had proven her mettle on the field time and again. Thus did her presence serve to reignite the flagging courage of the defending soldiers, and inspire a miraculous retaliation against their winged foe. Revered for her unyielding conviction, Finnea was raised up as a saint of Halone.

The Final Stand of Saint Finnea

Saint Gafryde[]

Injured on the field of battle, Ser Gafryde spent seven days in the care of a woodland hermit. On the day of his departure, the hermit interrupted the knight's words of gratitude—he had no need of thanks. What he wished was for Gafryde to perform seven deeds in the name of justice. He himself had failed to act when action was called for, and thus did he live apart, alone with his remorse. Seven years passed before Gafryde returned to the hermit. Gravely wounded, the knight spit blood as he spoke of the minor nation he had fought to save, and of the seven times his belief in righteousness had guided his sword arm. Sir Gafryde grew still then, his story told, a faint smile forever etched upon his pallid features. Revered for his unbending sense of justice, Gafryde was raised up as a saint blessed of Oschon.

The Seven Deeds of Saint Gafryde

Saint Jerhomme[]

Jerhomme was a hero of great acclaim, famed for rescuing many a fair maiden—and not a few thankful men—from the jaws of slavering beasts. On his travels, however, he was accompanied not by master mages or adept archers, but by ordinary folk—fishermen and camp cooks he met along the road. What they lacked in martial prowess they made up for with practical skills, and their enduring comaraderie sustained the champion through countless trials. Rather than any bauble or trinket he won through adventuring, it was these lasting friendships which he treasured above all else. Celebrated for the harmonious concord of his traveling brotherhood, Jerhomme was raised up as a saint blessed of Oschon.

Saint Jerhomme and the Unlikely Brotherhood

Saint Lathme[]

Be it through war, sickness, or simple mishap, men are fragile creatures to whom death comes all too easily. And whilst this is a great misfortune for the one who passes, it is often of greater tragedy for those left behind. Seeking to ease the hardship of widows suddenly bereft of their family's main provider, Lathme would teach the art of spinning yarn, weaving cloth, and sewing clothes. She offered up her trade knowledge and asked naught in return, for in her youth, she too had known the loss of a husband. For all she gave freely, Lathme was praised for her charity, and raised up as a saint blessed of Nymeia.

The Warp and Weft of Saint Lathme

Saint Leseraux[]

Over the course of his career, Leseraux had transcribed many a crumbling scroll and dusty ledger. It was only when he entered his later years that he first set his quill to writing an original work. The tome Leseraux thus penned was a collection of fables which, whilst depicting the most ordinary of events, concealed various morsels of wisdom. In its pages, a criminal might find the means for atonement, or a warrior the seed of a new strategy. Be the reader wise man or fool, the stories offered each the insight he required. Containing as it did the distilled knowledge of every manuscript he had ever copied, Leseraux's book not only served to predict what trials the future might bring, but also hinted at the means for their solution. For his enlightened providence, Leseraux was raised up as a saint blessed of Thaliak.

Saint Leseraux the Seer

Saint Llafymae[]

Llafymae the bard sung songs of heroes' hearts. In a time when folk craved overblown epics where fearless champions slew monsters by the score, she crafted verses which laid bare the mind of her subject matter. Her words drew an unapologetic picture of uncertainty and terror, of crippling wounds endured for the sake of honor. She wrote of the heroes' true selves, which history had buried beneath the grandeur of their deeds. Although her works did not stir the blood as would a valorous ballad, it was no coincidence that those sobered by the truths contained therein did find firmer footing on the path of adventure. Celebrated for the wisdom she imparted to a host of fledgling heroes, Llafymae was raised up as a saint blessed of Nymeia.

Saint Llafymae and the Hero's Lay

Saint Meryall[]

Lady Meryall, the archaeologist responsible for unearthing the ruins of Sil'dih, was known for memorizing the names of several hundred sire laborers and assigning each a task suited to his and her talents. She also kept a detailed log on the families of her workers, sending small nameday gifts to sons and daughters, and slipping alchemical remedies into the hands of those caring for ailing parents. Meryall's caring attention earned the trust of her work crews, and excavations proceeded without debate or delay. Thus it was that the subterranean ruins were swiftly identified as the origin of the zombie scourge, and effective measures could be taken to contain the peril. Praised for the confidence she inspired in others, Meryall was raised up as a saint blessed of Althyk.

Saint Meryall's Log

Saint Mocianne[]

In return for a sizable contribution to the royal treasury, the alchemists were granted a monopoly over apothecary goods. The price of medicines immediately began to rise, until soon the simplest of remedies became luxuries the commonfolk could never hope to afford. Unable to bear the suffering of her neighbors, Mocianne took action. Drawing on the wisdom bestowed by her grandmother, she gathered wild herbs on the outskirts of town, then delivered her bounty to the sick and injured in secret—by weaving the herbs into flower wreaths was she able to deceive the guards who kept a watch for smuggled goods. Praised for her benevolence in the face of indifferent greed, Mocianne was raised up as a saint blessed of Menphina.

Saint Mocianne and the Unwithered Wreath

Saint Moergynn[]

In a certain castle, there lived a pair of brothers. The two had always been close, until one day a quarrel over some insignificant matter escalated from a simple disagreement to insults flung and gauntlets thrown. They each approached Moergynn, the town's finest blacksmith, to request the forging of swords for their forthcoming duel. Moergynn accepted the commissions, patiently re-hammering the blades as both brothers stopped by with additional instructions. On the day of the duel, the crowd was taken aback, for the siblings' swords were both blunted into little more than crude clubs. The blacksmith had merely shaped the steel as he had been bid, his reputation for excellence be damned. Revered for the constancy of his craft, Moergynn was raised up as a saint blessed by Rhalgr.

Saint Moergynn and the Edgeless Blade

Saint Nonoya[]

There was once a general renowned for his tactics. The mere sight of his standard on the field was enough to send tremors through enemy ranks, which would escalate within moments to an outright rout. Every such victory would earn the general an extravagant tribute from the king—and the opportunity to flaunt his growing wealth before his troops. A Lalafell named Nonoya, the feeblest of his soldiers, was the one to finally expose the general's true character. Weary of the bragging, and suspicious of his triumphs, Nonoya lingered behind when the next battle culminated in the predictable fleeing of the foe. She crept into the enemy camp, and was witness to her general raising a tankard with the rival officer. Praised for the testimony she provided to the court, the veracious Nonoya was raised up as a saint blessed by Thaliak.

Saint Nonoya and the Voice of Truth

Saint Norvello[]

On her way home from a campaign, the mercenary Norvello chanced across a pilgrim camp under attack by bandits. She immediately joined the fray, slaying several brigands before tumbling from her saddle with an arrow lodged in her thigh. Thrown into disarray, the surviving attackers quit the field, seizing a pilgrim youth as they did so. His frightened yelp put Norvello in mind of an enemy soldier she'd killed—a green recruit, scarcely more than a boy. Clenching her jaw against the pain, she pulled herself back onto her mount, and set off in pursuit. The sun was setting when her chocobo returned. On its back it carried the youth, who breathed gently in slumber, and Norvello herself, who breathed not at all. The mercenary was remembered for her selfless tenacity, and raised up as a saint blessed of Azeyma.

Saint Norvello's Quarry

Saint Randolfe[]

The assassin came on highborn orders to spill the lifeblood of the shepherd Randolfe, bastard son of the king, but found no sign of his quarry anywhere in the village. A few guarded queries revealed that the boy had herded his flock to the highlands and remained there for the past month, isolating the sheep from a deadly pestilence running rampant in neighboring fields. As fate would have it, Randolfe chose that very day to return, and the killer watched as the young shepherd readily gifted breeding animals to those who had lost their livestock. Struck by the selfless nobility of the boy's act, the assassin tossed aside his dagger and swore lifelong fealty to the king's illegitimate heir. Beloved for his effortless ability to make vassals of even the bleakest souls, Randolfe was raised up as a saint blessed of Menphina.

Saint Randolfe and the Assassin

Saint Rhita[]

Flanked by two elder siblings, the huntress Rhita set off in pursuit of the slavers who had taken her younger sister. They tracked their quarry to the coast, just in time to spy the villains preparing to load their ‘cargo' onto a waiting galley. The descent to the beach, however, suddenly shifted from gentle slope to precipitous drop, and there was no time to scout a less perilous path down. Eyes rolling in fear, the antelopes the women rode balked at the cliff's edge. At this, Rhita let out a piercing war cry, spurring the mounts into a headlong rush down the rocky face to the sands below. The slavers crumbled before the unexpected charge, and the sisters returned home triumphant, their rescued sibling in tow. Praised for her swift judgement and prompt action, Rhita was raised up as a saint blessed of Althyk.

The Call of Saint Rhita

Saint Tataroon[]

A goobbue of immense size and violent temperament stalked the countryside, and with peddlers too terrified to travel the roads, supplies in the mountain villages began to dwindle. Winter was fast approaching—if stores were not laid in for the cold months ahead, the villagers faced a grim season indeed. Yet despite this impending hardship, the cowardly local lord refused to risk his guards against the lumbering beast, and it fell to Tataroon, a Qiqirn trader, to take matters into his own tiny hands. Offering himself as bait, Tataroon lured out the goobbue, leading it through a bewildering series of traps, before finally collapsing an abandoned storehouse on the creature's head. Praised for the sapience of his cunning preparations, the Qiqirn was raised up as a saint blessed by Thaliak.

Saint Tataroon's Toil

Saint Thalysa[]

It was an age when the world knew only war. A city of the realm hired mercenaries aplenty to protect its crops, but there was a limit to how much grain could be safely sown and harvested. Rations of bread grew less generous by the day, and it was just as rumbles of discontent began to rise from the sellswords' ranks that Thalysa the baker devised a brilliant solution: by experimenting with methods of leavening and baking, she had created a new, denser variety of bread. Although their size remained unchanged, these heavy loaves encouraged more chewing, and by some strange process left the one who consumed them feeling far less hungry. Before long, the soldiers ceased their complaints. Celebrated for her ingenuity in feeding empty bellies, Thalysa was raised up as a saint blessed of Menphina.

Saint Thalysa and the Everlasting Bread

Saint Tothor[]

Every harvesting season, the villagers dreaded the inevitable plague of ravenous forest rats. Though they stood guard night and day, they could not keep the nimble vermin from their crops. When it was the hardworking Tothor's turn to keep watch, he did the unthinkable—he removed the fences from around his own well-tended patch of beans, and even put out pails of fresh water. Upon seeing his ravaged field the next morning, the villagers mocked the man for his fool-headed actions. But their derisive laughter lasted only until the rats appeared—sluggish and drowsy from their feast of beans, the bewhiskered pests were easily caught. The diligent Tothor was praised for the sacrifice he made on behalf of the village, and raised up as a saint blessed by Nophica.

Saint Tothor the Ratcatcher

Saint Wargbhar[]

Also known as "Truthful Bear", Wargbhar was a well-respected pioneer leader who treated with others in good faith and good cheer, no matter their origin. It was this all-embracing stance which fostered a sense of community in his frontier settlement, and allowed the diverse inhabitants to band together in the face of famine and other such difficulties. Wargbhar's forthright attitude extended even to his dealings with the beast tribes, his earnest negotiations patiently dismantling the barriers of language and custom, and transforming adversaries into unlikely allies. Upon his death, pioneer and beastman alike gathered to mourn his passing, and celebrate his extraordinary life. Ever after revered as an example of enduring sincerity, Wargbhar was raised up as a saint blessed of Rhalgr.

Saint Wargbhar the Mirthful

Saint Zozonan[]

Long was the war, and numerous were the refugees who fled its devastation. When Zozonan caught sight of the haggard throng approaching the city walls, it was as a knife twisting in his heart. The compassionate friar went in search of donations, but the merchants, miserly and selfish, rebuffed his gentle pleas. And so he gathered the few implements of value from his chapel, bartered them for provisions, and set off with a full cart to feed the hungry. Shamed by the austere Zozonan's act of generosity, those watching from the gates were moved to join him. First one city dweller ventured forth, and then another, until finally a crowd of helpers assembled to continue what the friar had begun. Revered for his example of sympathy and the lives he helped save, Zozonan was raised up as a saint blessed by Nald'thal.

Saint Zozonan and the Empty Chapel

Behind the scenes[]

In addition to the twenty-eight saints mentioned above there are still twelve guildleves whose tale has not been revealed. In addition to the saints canonized by the Council of Loetstym, the Ishgardian Orthodox Church has also canonized several other saints, among the most notable are Saint Thordan, Saint Reymanaud and Saint Guenriol. In the Crystarium in Norvrandt there are also eight unique guildleves, however it is unknown who they are representing.

Citations[]