shadow lord (final fantasy xi)

(from the Final Fantasy Wikia)

The Shadow Lord is the primary antagonist in Final Fantasy XI, and plays a supporting role in the Rise of the Zilart expansion pack storyline.

A decade before the Crystal War, the three nations of Vana'diel launched an expedition to investigate civilizations. The expedition included Ulrich, a powerful Hume swordsman, his friend Raogrimm, the Galkan Talekeeper and keeper of the race's memories, and Cornelia, a beautiful Hume female warrior.

The expedition through the Northlands was going as planned until a rift began forming between Ulrich and Raogrimm. The Galka was advocating peace with the Beastmen, a thought Ulrich did not agree with. Also, Raogrimm had proven to be the better warrior of the two, despite Ulrich's prowess with his blade. Then there was Cornelia; the Hume female and the Galka had developed a secret affection for one another, and Ulrich was green with envy.

The day finally came when Ulrich could no longer control his jealousy. The Hume surprised Raogrimm, pulling his sword and moving to kill him. Cornelia, faithful to the end, stepped in front of Ulrich's blade and Ulrich ran her through. Raogrimm took Cornelia's dead body in his arms and let out a mighty roar as the pain of losing the one he loved washed over him.

Ulrich hid the truth of what happened when he returned home from his expedition. The rage and sadness of the betrayal, however, resonated through the world and into the memory of the Magicite Crystals.

Thirty years after the event, as you find pieces of Magicite Crystals hidden throughout Vana'diel, you catch the first glimpse of the horrid betrayal: the event which ignited Raogrimm's hatred and allowed him to resurrect himself as the Shadow Lord.

Twenty years before the dawn of the Age of Adventurers, a terrifying demon emerged from the frozen heights of Xarcabard. Nobody knew where this demon came from, and none of the nations were prepared for his wrath. This kindred demon united the beastmen of Vana'diel against the five races of Altana in a war referred to nowadays as the Crystal War, or the Great War of 20 years ago.

This demon was called the Shadow Lord.

At the conclusion of the Crystal War, an elite squad of warriors fought through Castle Zvahl Baileys and cornered the Shadow Lord in his throne room. There the mighty demon was defeated... or so the world thought.

In the the Age of Adventurers, the dark spirit of the Shadow Lord began to stir once more. Motivated by this great force, the beastmen of Vana'diel set in motion a plot to revive their revered leader. Before this plot could envelop the world in a second Great War, a young adventurer joined forces with veterans of the original war to foil the sinister plot. In the end, the Shadow Lord did rise again, but the adventurer was there waiting. An epic battle ensued, and at the end of the battle only the adventurer is left standing.

The Shadow Lord then reveals his true identity: he is Raogrimm, the former Galka Talekeeper consumed by the torment and pain of generations of his people.

In this final defeat, the Shadow Lord believes he can rest peacefully.

Defeating the Shadow Lord will grant the player the rare Rank 6.