Kam'lanaut, Hero of the Masses

Kam'lanaut (830-).

Archduke of Jeuno. In the year 855, Kam'lanaut and his brother were picked up by a fishing boat and taken to Jeuno. There are no solid facts regarding their lives before they arrived in Jeuno; however, Kam'lanaut claims that he was the pupil of a sage deep in the mountains, where he and his brother Eald'narche studied the knowledge of the ancients until the sage's death. According to his story, they then gained passage on a merchant's vessel to Windurst, the capital of learning. However, they met with rough weather, and the ship capsized, leaving them adrift.

At the time, Jeuno was teeming with young people yearning for the opportunity to make a quick fortune, so Kam'lanaut and his brother did not attract attention--despite their unusual appearance.

Kam'lanaut began introducing the ancient art of crystal synthesis to the masses in the streets, making him a household name in Jeuno. This new art looked like some kind of magic trick, but miraculously produced genuine results. In addition, Kam'lanaut did not use synthesis for merely his own benefit, but liberally taught his methods to all who were willing to learn. Soon, Jeuno was filled with Kam'lanaut's followers.

Crystal synthesis resulted in a rapid industrial revolution, which loaded Jeuno's banks with gil and made Kam'lanaut an object of veneration for the masses. As a result, there were nearly no objections the following year when Kam'lanaut was selected as Jeuno's representative with immense financial backing

However, his first move as representative greatly disappointed the populace. Kam'lanaut began working together with San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst for technological development. In particular, he gave the other nations the secrets of crystal synthesis, resulting in the Jeunoans feeling a sense of betrayal. An angry crowd rallied in the Ru'Lude Gardens* until Kam'lanaut emerged undaunted and explained that sharing the secrets of wealth was a simple method to ensure the safety of Jeuno. Kam'lanaut went on to explain that he was planning the construction of a residential tower high enough to reach the skies as a solution to the city's housing problems. The townspeople listened and were stunned into silence. When the construction was finished, skilled craftsmen began gathering in Jeuno from all across Vana'diel, and became a driving force in the city's development.

In the year 859, a historical assembly was held with the San d'Orian king, the Bastokan president, and a representative from Windurst's Parliament of Patriarchs. They expressed their thankfulness to Kam'lanaut and with their joint signatures, recognized Jeuno as a duchy, with Kam'lanaut as the archduke. In reality, however, the craftsmen already viewed Jeuno as a greater economic power than the three other major nations, and the nations' leaders likely decided to work in unity to act as a restraint on Jeuno's power, even while granting a certain amount of authority to Kam'lanaut.

In the year 862, the Shadow Lord rose to power, and his beastman armies began invading the lands of Vana'diel. Kam'lanaut's response was as quick as if he had foreseen the war. He immediately dispatched a group of trusted men in his inner circle, including Nag'molada, to persuade the leaders of the three major nations to meet him for a conference in the Ru'Lude Gardens. There, he arranged for the unification of the nations' armies against the beastman forces.

In the twelfth month of 862, he unfolded a bold strategy to lure the bulk of the beastman forces to the area around Jeuno. Kam'lanaut personally stood at the forefront of battle. By the first month of the following year, the beastmen were retreating, and the allied forces were finally able to launch a counteroffensive.

After the defeat of the Shadow Lord, friendly relations between the nations continued, resulting in currency unification across continents, the establishment of airship routes, and the initiation of Conquest, among several other cooperative measures. Kam'lanaut lent an immeasurable contribution to reconstruction and development after the war.

Kam'lanaut's vigor and the quality of his plans are expected to continue unchanged through the current age, just as his physical appearance has uncannily remained the same for over fifty years.

*Ru'Lude Gardens The grounds of Kam'lanaut's grand estates, the Ru'Lude Gardens were named by the archduke himself and opened to the population as a place of respite in times of peace. Unfortunately, during the Crystal War, the gardens, the estate, and the bridge on which they were built were all destroyed by boulders thrown by gigas. After the war was over, the Ru'Lude Gardens were reconstructed on the roof of the residential tower on an even grander scale for all the people of Vana'diel to enjoy.

Illustration by Mitsuhiro Arita

Source

• Vana'diel Tribune