You've Got Five Minutes
Welcome to Deadly Scream, Cherri's one page tribute to Zalera, The Death Seraph from Final Fantasy XII. Zalera is an Esper of creepy ways, so creepy that in fact he took a shamaness and grafted her to him. This shrine was done for Amassment's One Page, One Month of 2015. I decided to pick Zalera because it's my favorite Esper and I'm playing Final Fantasy XII. I hope you enjoy reading what I have to say about Zalera!
♥ Cherri. Part of Little Jelly
Amassment . Final Heaven
Emotion . Continuum
Zalera is a side quest but spoilers are still possible.
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII is set in the world of Ivalice. It’s currently trapped in war between Archades and Rozzaria empires, Dalmasca is stuck in the middle. Princess Ashelia B’Nargin Dalmasca, like many of her people, has suffered greatly due to the Archadian Empire. Through a sick plot of the Empire a band of rag tag misfits come together to restore Dalmasca to its former glory and stick it to the Empire.
The Espers are actually a small plot point in the game. Belias, the Gigas is a protector of Raithwall's Tomb. Raithwall is the ancestor for the Lady Ashe. Very few of the Espers you get are storyline related. It's a shame, I was really hoping for more of plot with them due to Belias being bested by Raithwall and placed as a protector in his tomb. The Espers even had a war of their own, the Scions of Darkness raged a war upon the Scions of Light, unfortunately there is not much known about the war. Getting all the Espers does shed some light on the war but not a lot.
The Death Seraph
Heretic scion who wrapped the world in dark energies, seeking to take the souls of all living things unto himself. Created in opposition to Emet-Selch, Angel of Truth, and scion of light. Originally tasked with the judging of men upon their deaths, his soul was tainted by the curses of those who raged against the heavens, and seizing one of the gods' servants, a shamaness, as a hostage, he rebelled against his creators. Even now, in defeat, he clutches the shamaness to him in his right arm, and with the aid of her death-wail does he summon the soul of darkness to do his bidding." Clan Primer Bio
Zalera is an optional Esper that you can obtain on the second trip to Barheim Passage. He is death based and represents the Gemini Zodiac. He holds no weight upon the story (unlike Vincent from Final Fantasy VII, who if you get you get more info about Sephiroth). But that is generally how it goes with optional things, just mostly fun to get and collect.
Other Appearences
Zalera has also been in other games and not just the ones that take place in Ivalice. Though Zalera keeps the same appearence with minor changes. This section will probably have spoilers.
In Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Zalera is classified as a Non-Elemental Ranged Rank III summon. He has been changed to a Holy summon but does not heal like Utima does. Instead Zalera harnesses the power of light. Chaos or Exodus must be obtained on the Ring of Pacts before Zalera's node can be reached. Zalera is fought at the Paramina Rift in Mission 74: Dance of the Dead. Defeating him earns Basch his Quickening, Apocalypse Shield. Basch is a paladin and a twin, so this connection makes a lot of sense.
In Final Fantasy Tactics Zalera is one of the Lucavi and posses Messem Elmdore as a host for most of the game. Known as the Angel of Death and a demon that must be fought. In the fight he is accompanied by two Ultima Demons named Celia and Lettie. He will also call on several undead units to help him.
As for Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimore of the Rift Zalera appears as a Scion. He can be summoned by anyone equipping the Earrings of the Dead when the Smash Gauge turns orange. When summoned he uses Dark-elemental damage to all foes and inflicts both Sleep and Doom. During the mission to recruit Montblanc, Zalera calls them the Reaper's Ring. The earrings are obtained by completing the quest The Last Step, the final quest in the step sequence.
In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Zalera appears as a Summonstone bought from a Moogle Shop in the northwestern continent for 120 KP. When equipped, his Condemnation will activate once the enemy has 9999 BRV and instantly inflicts Break status on them.
Barheim Passage
The first time you are in Barheim Passage, you cannot get Zalera. You can try but the mobs will kill you before you can. Zalera is level 40 and so the mobs are about that level, so it’s best to come back later. There are a couple of hunts to do to make getting to Zalera easier later on as well; the Flowering Cactoid and the Nidhogg. They both have quest items in the Dalmasca Eastersand to help a patient and get the Barheim Key. It doesn’t matter how well you do giving items to Dantro’s Wife but the better you do the better extra items you get since you get the key no matter who the patient is.
Once you get the key just hang on the left side of the screen running through the Eastersand until you get to the door. The path is from the South Bank Village (orange save point area Dalmasca Eastersand) to The Banks of the Nebra to Murmering Defile. Feel free to explore. But to get to Zalera the path is Zeviah Subterrae to East-West Bypass to Zeviah Span to West Annex to Terminus No. 7 Adjunct to Terminus No.7. As you travel through the newly found area the monsters get stronger and the spawn rate increases (West Annex is when this happens). Now be careful if you have the Bloodwing hunt active, I had it active and it made it difficult. I got through it though with a lot of reassurance from my sister. She normally does this part and makes it look so easy. I also did not have a quest member, though if you want to wait until Reddas joins to get Espers/Hunts; it’s a pretty grand idea.
Now that you are at Zalera or at least the save point, please note that the battle is TIMED. You have FIVE minutes to drop Zalera or you get teleported out and must try again. My suggestion: Use your quickenings! Start with the three party members do them, switch out one character that is not targeting and use their quickening, repeat. Hopefully Zalera will fall, if not pop an ether/elixir or if you think you can beat him down like a regular fight than do so. Using quickening will freeze the timer. If you do fight without quickenings watch out for Prime Lv Death, it will kill any party mamber that has a prime level.
Once Zalera is down, you can run and save it. The area past Zalera is the Garamsythe Waterway, easy way to get to the Orthos and White Mousse hunts if they are also active. And you can teach Zalera to a character for 25 LP. I generally give Zalera to Fran since they are my favorites. Might not be the best strategically but that's not my style.
Swift Death and Slow Death
Barheim is attached to Garamsythe, Zalera and Cuchulainn could have more in common with each other than one would think. While Zalera is representing Gemini and Death, Cuchulainn represents Scorpio and Poison. It's their elements that are smiliar and they both (more often that not) lead to one dying. One just kills faster than the other. Zalera was tasked to judge the souls of men and was cursed and Cuchulainn task was to take in all the world's impurities, these tasks currupted both of them and caused them to rage war upon the Scions of Light. They took in a lot of negativity and it destroyed them.
I find it interesting that a task they were created for ended up destroying them. As usual the Gods didn't understand or know how much impurities were in the world or the hearts of men. This is something that constantly upsets me about game gods. The creators of the worlds don't know what they created. Horrible plot device that is overused.
It really bums me out that you don't get to see the Scions of Light. But I assume the opposites to Zalera and Cuchulainn have similiar jobs but take the the purities and postivities, judging the souls and not being cursed. Just to balance it out.
Symbology
Gemini is the zodiac that Zalera is associated with. Zalera is shown with two much like the Gemini is often shown with. The only other one is Mateus and that's Pisces with two fish. I like that it's incorperated. Gemini is also connected with the Tarot card The Lovers, which I believe suits Zalera as well. I mean he did kidnap a shamaness and grafted her into him. I also believe that Zalera and Emet-Selch (Scion of Light) are similar to Polydueces and Castor, the Gemini constellation. The mortal and immortal twins, with Zalera being the mortal one in terms of him being casted out/down.
Violet is Zalera's color. I feel that this is what Zalera was like before the curses twisted him and what the shamaness may have been before as well. Violet inspires unconditional and selfless love, devoid of ego, encouraging sensitivity and compassion. However, too much of the color purple can promote or aggravate depression in some. It is one color that should be used extremely carefully and in small amounts by those who are vulnerable to these depressed states. This would explain a bit more about Zalera. The negativity just crushes the soul. Too much of a good thing, you know.
Death is his element. Zalera is the Death Seraph, also know as the Angel of Death. The grim reaper if you will. More often than not Death is shown as a skeleton or a dark figure. He is a skeleton but his shamaness is what brings people to death with her wailing. So with a twisted death they make a good team.
Sources: The Color Purple, Color Purple Meaning
Time's Up
Below are links other Final Fantasy XII shrines. I'm more than willing to link/affiliate with any Final Fantasy shrine.
If you'd like to link Deadly Scream or affiliate/link exchange drop me a line. Links should point back to http://one.piratesboard.net/zalera and please don't direct link the buttons.
