Objective: To record and analyze events surrounding the Eighth Umbral Calamity, based on information extrapolated from statements and reports made by Cid Garlond. Following a series of decisive victories, the former imperial colonies of Doma and Ala Mhigo overthrew their provincial rulers and secured independence from Garlemald. This prompted other occupied territories to rise up against their oppressors and join forces with the Eorzean and Eastern alliances. The Garleans responded by marching the bulk of their troops to Ghimlyt on the Ala Mhigan border, where the Allied armies gathered to repel them. Though peace negotiations were attempted, the differences between the opposing sides proved to be irreconcilable, with open warfare the only viable recourse. Against expectation, the well-equipped and highly organized imperial legions failed to capitalize on their early advantage, allowing the Alliance to stage a counterattack. One possible cause for such an ineffectual display on the part of the Garlean troops is the high proportion of conscripted soldiers, who─in the words of Master Cid─lack the “conviction” required to maximize their combat capabilities. Unfortunately, I am not programmed to assess such unquantifiable variables, and this theory must therefore be dismissed as mere conjecture. I can, however, state with some degree of certainty that the arrival of the ones known as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn was a critical factor in the Garleans’ defeat. After the Empire’s withdrawal, Cid Garlond and his Ironworks colleagues─including the elusive Nero Scaeva─traveled to the Burn on the Othardian subcontinent to bolster the field generators at Seiryu’s Wall in preparation for the Garleans’ next offensive. They set about their work unaware of the events unfolding elsewhere that would change the course of history until they received the first report, which, according to Master Cid, was unusually brief: “The Garleans have deployed a powerful new weapon on the Eorzean front. We tried to contact our comrades at Rhalgr’s Reach, but received no reply.” Despite lacking several essential details, the message was entirely accurate. The reason the sender had been unable to communicate with said comrades was simple: they had been annihilated by Black Rose, a poisonous gas developed by the Garleans. This ingenious weapon halts the flow of aether within organic beings, causing near immediate cessation of respiratory functions. Being highly potent and capable of rapid dispersal across a wide area, the majority of settlements in nearby Ala Mhigo were almost entirely depopulated in the aftermath. Contemporary reports state that the damage extended far beyond Alliance-held regions such as the Black Shroud and Thanalan to several imperial territories, resulting in significant loss of life. As my present configuration is only equipped with basic audiovisual receptors, I must draw my conclusions from limited and─I am compelled to admit─unreliable sources of information. At the time of Black Rose’s deployment, I was otherwise engaged deep within O’Ghomoro and was unable to make detailed observations of the weapon’s effects. The yellow-plumed creature that was accompanying me appeared to sense something at the approximate moment that the gas was released, gazing into empty space with an expression that mortals describe as “perturbed.”

Objective: To record and analyze events surrounding the Eighth Umbral Calamity, based on information acquired from Cid Garlond. Master Garlond has made numerous attempts to initiate conversation with me despite my current vessel being no more than a simplistic automaton conceived as a plaything, lacking any oratory mechanisms with which to respond. These utterances, though made in a state of obvious intoxication, provided me with invaluable data. While the individual recordings contain a wide range of observations, many are superfluous to my investigation, so I have compiled only those I deem relevant. Black Rose wrought immeasurable destruction to organic life-forms, resulting in widespread environmental upheaval. The ambient aether ceased to flow along its normal channels and stagnated, rendering the land barren and uninhabitable. Inevitably, the wild imbalance of natural energies affected neighboring regions and, in some cases, led to sudden and unpredictable alterations in flora and fauna. Overnight, the crops on which man relied for sustenance became toxic, further increasing the death toll. In the aftermath of these unprecedented disasters, the communities formed by sentient beings fell into disarray, and all forms of societal organization, from small settlements to entire nations, were abandoned as individuals struggled desperately to avoid annihilation. It did not take long for the cascading environmental repercussions to be felt in Garlean territory. Due to the aftereffects of Black Rose, the ceruleum that once supported daily life in the Empire and powered its magitek armies failed to combust. The machines duly fell silent, bereft of the energy required to set them in motion. The creatures that escaped the initial devastation were thrust into a battle for survival. Among them, those belonging to supposedly civilized races were particularly quick to turn on their brethren in a bid to seize control of land and resources. While they attempted to justify these wanton acts of violence with a range of superficially logical explanations, it is my assessment that greed and desperation were the primary motivating factors behind their actions. Master Cid and his colleagues frequently referred to this situation as a “quagmire,” though in a figurative rather than a literal sense. Much like an actual quagmire, it threatened to pull mankind into an inescapable predicament. Correct interpretation of the audio data recorded at the time is dependent on accurate comprehension of this metaphorical expression. The mortals who found themselves in this “quagmire” were no longer governed or protected by social conventions or societal norms, instead reverting to a more primitive way of life, closer to those referred to as “beastkin.” However, certain groups of sentient beings were reluctant to accept this descent into savagery, with Garlond Ironworks being one such example.

Its members expended considerable time and effort in largely unsuccessful attempts to bring an end to the numerous conflicts that had erupted. In addition, they hunted down and reprimanded those who sought to profit from the desperation of their fellow survivors, and offered a safe haven to the exploited. While their deeds earned them the support of many like-minded individuals, the number of comrades gained paled in comparison to those lost in the days which followed. I recorded one particular incident in which a Lalafellin engineer was carried back to headquarters after being mauled by a carnivorous beast while overseeing the digging of a well. Despite the treatments administered by trained chirurgeons, his wounds were beyond healing, and his vital signs began to fade. As he lay dying, one Ironworks member in particular─a Roegadyn male considered to be the stricken Lalafell’s closest friend─refused to leave his bedside. Gripping the patient’s limp hand and whispering words of encouragement appeared to revive him for a few brief moments. Drawing on his final reserves of stamina, the diminutive engineer demanded that his counterpart live on and produce offspring to continue his legacy. To this, the larger man responded with a trembling voice, “It’s high time you started a family yourself,” though that was, regrettably, not a realistic prospect. Smiling, the Lalafell replied, “Sorry, but no one will ever compare to her...” These were his final words.

The Lalafell’s death prompted an emotional response from my feathered associate, who pressed his tear-stained cheek against the lifeless body. Some time later, once Master Cid and his colleagues had finally exhausted their supply of tears, they gathered for a lengthy discussion, their expressions growing ever more despondent as the talks continued. They eventually arrived at the conclusion that they lacked the means to restore their shattered world, with their only viable option being to entrust future generations with the knowledge that they had accumulated, in the hope that their successors may one day find a solution. This was met with some resistance, however, as many expressed disapproval at the idea of forsaking those in the present day in order to save a world they would never live to see. Unable to deny this, Master Cid simply nodded and said: “Even so, our sacrifice will not be for naught.” With that, Garlond Ironworks found what I believe to be its true purpose.