Final Fantasy XVI The Rising Tide Full Story

At the Hideaway, Clive receives a letter instructing him that the Leviathan’s Dominant is in need of assistance. Although the sender was hesitant to request an outlaw's help, the Dame assured them he would be helpful. It instructs him to head to the Veil in Northreach and to meet with a person named Leyla.

Unsure of what to do, Clive gathers Jill and Joshua to discuss the letter. Deciding that it is unlikely that this is a trap, the three head off to meet Leyla and gather more information. Arriving at the Veil, they quickly locate Layla who tells them to head to the north of town where they will find a tent. Inside this tent is someone who can provide the group with the information they seek.

Upon reaching the tent, the group is introduced to Shula. She greets the party and tells them she is a tributary of Mysidia, a final haven of the motes of water. Joshua recognizes the name and tells Clive that the group is recognizable for their sapphire eyes and silvery hair. They are also believed to be the group that spawned the Dominant of water. However, according to Joshua’s notes, the tribe had vanished some time ago.

Shula chuckles at this remark and states that besides the combined efforts of the church and state her people are still very much alive. They have lived in secrecy for over a century, bidding their time. She tells Clive that her Dominant has been trapped this past century for the crime of using his gifts, she wishes to see him freed. Although Clive is hesitant at first, he agrees to free the Dominant, as all people should be given a choice.

Shula takes the group to her village, passing through a powerful glamor spell that has kept her people hidden for the past century. Upon reaching the village, Joshua notices how lush and livid the environment is, noting that it is like being transported to a mythical land. After exploring the city, Shula explains the nature of her people and what befell Waljas, their water Dominant.

She tells them Waljas is not a man, he was imprisoned when he was still an infant. Born to her great grandfather, Waljas showed his power as a Dominant from birth. The elders of the community sought to use his powers for their gain but the Eikon within Waljas noticed their betrayal and summoned a wave large enough to wipe their civilization off the map. The town was forced to seal the child inside a surge or face destruction.

Sensing Clive’s confusion, Shula offers to take the group to where the child is held so that they may see his torturous state. Along the way, she explains that she has taken the task of caring for the boys’ resting place. She does this to show the boy that not all of her people wish this pain and suffering upon him.

When they reach Waljas, they see that he has been stuck in a primed state for the past century. Joshua remarks that he recalls the feeling of his first priming. Although he was old enough to understand what was happening to his body he was still filled with terror. He can only imagine what this poor child was experiencing when the Eikon took control of his body.

Feeling sympathy for the boy, Clive tells Shula that he can help the boy. He explains that he has the power to remove Eikons from Dominants. However, even when he does so, a small piece of the Dominant will remain, and it may lash out in violence. Even with the risk, the group decides that they must try to free the boy by any means necessary.

Clive successfully absorbs the Eikon's power, but something goes wrong in the process. He soon realizes that the young boy is not just terrified but also filled with rage for the pain and suffering inflicted upon him. Joshua comes to the realization that not only has the boy been trapped in time for this duration, but he has also been conscious.

They demand that Shula stop the spell and release the boy from this hell, but she is unable to. She takes them back to her village to further explain the story behind the boys’ suffering. She shows them a tapestry showcasing the history of her people and how they came to settle here.

After years of persecution from the church, the remaining people of Shula’s village fled north in search of safety. As they did so, they discovered two things. The first being instructions on how to form their own Mothercrystal. To do so, they planned to enrage Waljas’s Eikon and siphon the Aether from his body.

Their second discovery was the ability to stop time itself. Shula explains that her ancestors found an old witch living atop the nearby mountain. She was a bearer who was forced to use her abilities to find a spell to stop time. Although she was successful in this task, it came too late to help her masters.

As punishment, she was banished to die alone on the uninhabited island that Shula's people later found. They cared for the woman and in exchange, she taught them her magic. Shula tells the group that to stop the spell they must go to the old temple and destroy the conduit that channels the old witch's spell and keeps the baby trapped in time. Seeing little other options, the group heads north through the forest to find the temple.

After battling their way through the forest, the group arrives at the temple. As they approach, Clive notices that the wildlife closest to the temple has become trapped in the spell, forcing them to become stuck in time with the child Dominant. Shula states that this is just one of her people's many sins before inviting the group to join her in the temple.

The group eventually reaches the Vare, the source of the spell's influence. As they approach, Jill and Clive comment that the Aether here feels somehow familiar. They realize that they are feeling their shared bond with Shiva, the goddess of ice. This means that the Dominant who activated this spell must have found a way to endure after all of these years. Jill assumes that this Dominant must have shared her Aether with something in the same way that she does with Torgal.

As she says this, a figure with a sword made of ice appears and prevents them from reaching the Vare. After an arduous battle, the group defeats the Timekeeper. However, this only weakens the spell. Shula tries to use her magical abilities to stop the spell, but the Vare releases too much Aether for her to handle. Luckily, Clive and Jill step in and help her to absorb the Aether.

Once the spell is completed, time is restored to its natural order and Levithan is freed. However, Ultima senses his fragment is now free and whips the child into a ferocious anger, sending it on a rampage towards the village. Although Shula is distraught, Clive tells her not to worry. This is not the first time he has stopped a god from claiming its prize.

Clive makes his way to the beach and tells the child that this is not how he wants this to end. He asks the child for forgiveness before becoming Ifrit and initiating his attack. After defeating Leviathan, Clive finds the infant Dominant floating gently down to the shore.

Shula spots them in the distance and runs over to cradle the baby. She weeps tears of joy and tells Clive she doesn’t know how to thank him. He tells her not to worry, she should occupy her thoughts with the newborn.

Back at the village, Shula promises to give Waljas the life he deserves. She plans to stay by his side and raise the boy like her own. Before the group makes their exit, Clive tells Shula that she may call on him for anything she or the boys need. Having made a new set of allies, the group heads back to the Hideaway to prepare for their confrontation with Ultima.