It all began with a stone, or so the legend says. In ages past, a sention jewel, enormous and beautiful, banished the darkness. Its many coloured light filled the world with life and brought forward mighty gods. Bathed in that light the world ended an age of bliss, until after a time the gods fell into slumber. That world was called Vana'diel.

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 beasts. The leaders of the enlightened people 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 Jueno. Together they struggled for survival in battle after battle as chaos engulfed the land.