How to describe the sheer amazement we felt when we emerged on the other side of the portal? I fear words do not do it justice. Before us was a vibrant world where the memories of the departed abided and reveled in bygone days. Living Memory, or so the Endless called it. How they laughed and smiled as they reminisced upon unfulfilled dreams. Alive in all perceivable ways...yet knowing no loss. So resplendent was every ilm of this paradise, the words rose unbidden to my lips: All this time, it was here—the city of gold.
Living Memory is a location in Final Fantasy XIV introduced in the expansion Dawntrail. Accessible through a portal at the top level of Everkeep, or alternately, through the gate in the depths of The Skydeep Cenote, Living Memory is the fabled city of gold spoken of in Yok Huy visions, and is located in another reflection of the Source.
History
Before Dawntrail
Living Memory is the top level of Everkeep, kept as a secret from general populace. Its construction was started after the end of Storm Surge, which resulted in the reported death of Alexandrian Queen Sphene. Unknown to the general public, Sphene did not succumb to her levin sickness, but was instead placed in stasis by a group called Preservation. Preservation "resurrected" Sphene as an Endless, ostensibly created from her memories separated from her soul; in reality as the original Sphene was still alive, only her memories were used to create an Endless copy of her. The Endless Sphene was reprogrammed to maintain the happiness of Alexandrian people no matter the cost. When the procedure of creating an Endless was proven successful through Sphene, deceased Alexandrians were also recreated as Endless who "lived" in a bliss within Living Memory. The souls of the deceased were returned to be used among the living through soul cells, which allowed the living Alexandrians to be revived whenever they died in an accident, yet not from old age. The living were also erased of their memories of the deceased, made possible by Living Memory's systems.
This kind of living cut off Alexandria from the aetherial sea and lifestream, and Alexandria was draining itself from resources since maintaining the Endless required a constant supply of living aether from souls. As directed by her programming, Queen Sphene sought new sources of aether, and a plan was created to open a gateway to the Source to steal its aether. The other side ended up in Tural. For the purpose of stealing the Source's aether, Preservation began researching interdimensional fusion, centered around an artifact the Milalla had brought with them when they escaped the Fifth Umbral Calamity in the Source. However, two Milalla Scientists, Robor and Alayla, defected from Preservation, opposing the ultimate goal of stealing Source's aether. They took the artifact and their infant daughter, Maya, through the gate to the Source to keep them safe from the hands of Sphene and the Preservation. After this, they formed a resistance organization, Oblivion, with the goal of preventing interdimensional fusion.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Twenty years later in the Source's flow of time, the gateway between Living Memory and the Source was opened again by Zoraal Ja, son of the Dawnservant Gulool Ja Ja. He heard Sphene, who promised him power in exchange of opening the gate. With the gate now open, the interdimensional fusion could now be realized. Zoraal Ja was crowned as the King of Resolve to Sphene's Queen of Reason, and they used interdimensional fusion to transfer Everkeep and its surrounding region to Yyasulani in Xak Tural. Living Memory was left behind, with a massive gate at the top of Everkeep connecting to it. After Zoraal Ja was defeated by the Warrior of Light, Vow of Resolve Wuk Lamat and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Sphene acquired the dimensional key and retreated back to Living Memory to finalize her goal fusing her world with Source completely and harvesting the aether needed to sustain the Endless. The Scions followed her through the original gate to stop her, with the Warrior, Wuk Lamat, Krile Maya Baldesion, G'raha Tia and Erenville journeying through the gate to Living Memory.
Post-Dawntrail
With the defeat of Queen Eternal, Living Memory became a ghost town deprived of its Endless inhabitants. Y'shtola made frequent expeditions, hoping to gain insight into travel between the Source and its shards. During one of her expeditions, she was accompanied by Oblivion member Shale, and the pair discovered the original, living Queen Sphene alive and released after four centuries in stasis. She was taken back to Oblivion's headquarters in Solution Nine, where she was cured of her levin sickness with Alisaie's anti-tempering treatment. Meanwhile, Preservation's founder Calyx continued to operate out of Living Memory, as his memories were stored separately from the rest of the terminals. Due to Endless Sphene's decision to give the Warrior of Light the key, Calyx revealed himself to them in an attempt to retrieve it by force.
While investigating a series of murders carried out by Everkeep's machines under Calyx's command, Oblivion discovered an abandoned floor where the Endless was first researched in hopes of locating him. Calyx contacted them during their investigation and invited the Warrior and their allies to the apex of the Meso Terminal. Returning to Living Memory, the Scions, Wuk Lamat, and Sphene ascend the terminal, defeating its security and Endless summoned by Calyx to impede them. They reached his memory core, where Calyx activated the neo-regulators and enthralled their wearers. He then began a summoning ritual of a primal with their amplified fears of death, the resulting entity being a manifestation of death itself—Necron. Alphinaud gave Wuk Lamat and Sphene warding scales to protect them against tempering. The group defeated Necron, only for it to rise again due to sustaining itself on those fears of death. Calyx began a transfer from his memory unit to escape, while Sphene used the opportunity to ease the enthralled's fears of death, weakening Necron and allowing them to vanquish it, and the Warrior destroyed the memory unit as the transfer completed, seemingly killing Calyx.
Some weeks later, Oblivion discovered that memories of deceased Alexandrians were not deleted as previously believed, but stored in the Meso Terminal. With the citizens' approval, the Alexandrian government began a program to restore the memories of the willing. The Warrior, Sphene, Krile, G'raha, and later Wuk Lamat journeyed across Tural with government official Gossan to Living Memory to reactivate the terminals, allowing the people to properly remember and mourn their dead.
Locations
- Meso Terminal: The central hub of Living Memory, that serves as the main terminal and allows Living Memory to function. The four sub-terminals are directly connected to it.
- Canal Town: Southwestern area of Living Memory, maintained by the Hydro Terminal. The area has several canals, that can be traversed with gondolas.
- Yesterland: Southeastern area of Living Memory, maintained by the Geo Terminal. The area serves as an amusement park with carousels, ferris wheels and other activities. A replica of Alexandria castle is also found here.
- Asule Volcano: Northeastern area of Living Memory, maintained by the Pyro Terminal. The area has a large, artificial volcano and is surrounded by artificial lava. A museum depicting the history of the Milalla is located within the volcano. It also has a battle arena for gladiatorial matches.
- Windspath Gardens: Northwestern area of Living Memory, maintained by the Aero Terminal. The area has several botanical gardens for preserved vegetation as well as animals, serving as place of study for the Endless.
Places of interest
Activities
Musical themes
- "Bygone Serenity": Living Memory's field theme during the patch 7.0 main scenario and after completing the patch 7.3 main scenario.
- "Echoes of Memory": Living Memory's field theme after the patch 7.0 main scenario and before completing the patch 7.3 main scenario.
- "Faerie Battle": Battle theme during the FATEs "Mascot March", "Mascot Mayhem", and "Mascot Murder".
- "The Promise of Tomorrow": Living Memory's field theme after completing the main scenario quest A Terminal Invitation and before completing Blades in Waiting.