Dream Zanarkand & The Fayth
An installment in the "The Real Story of Spira" chapter of Ultimania Omega. This contains two sections titled "Dream Zanarkand" and "The Fayth."
Dream Zanarkand
Two Zanarkands
In the main story, "Zanarkand" can be broadly divided into two: Dream Zanarkand and the Zanarkand that existed 1000 years ago, now turned into ruins. The former was created based on the latter, so these two are very similar and easily confused.
While Bevelle once enjoyed the benefits of machina civilization the most, the temples today claim that it was Zanarkand. For the temples, it's inconvenient to acknowledge that Bevelle, where the main temple is located, used machina weapons and may have sparked the Machina War. This distortion of Zanarkand's past blurs the line between dream and reality.
Characteristics of Dream Zanarkand
Dream Zanarkand is a city created by the summoner Yevon in an attempt to preserve his homeland forever, but it is not a perfect reproduction of the real city. As the word "Dream" suggests, it is a glorified version of his homeland, an ideal world. Since Yu Yevon’s goal is to reproduce and perpetuate the "good" memories of the entire city, bitter memories related to the destruction of Zanarkand are excluded from the dream world. For example, summoners and aeons, which were common 1000 years ago, do not exist in the dream world, and other nations like Bevelle are unknown. The former was the main force in the Machina War, while the latter might have led to the downfall of Zanarkand due to friction with other nations.
Hymn of the Fayth and the Prayer of Yevon
The "Hymn of the Fayth" and the "Prayer of Yevon” have been passed down to both the dream world and the real Spira. If you rearrange the lyrics, you can see that the Hymn of the Fayth originated 1000 years ago as a song praising Yu Yevon. In present-day Spira, it became a song of resistance against the Yevon Temple, and eventually its origin was twisted and incorporated into the temple's teachings, becoming a "song to soothe the soul." Meanwhile, the Prayer of Yevon was merely one of the customs of the citizens of Zanarkand 1000 years ago. In the present-day Spira, it was adopted by the Yevon Temple, just like the Hymn of the Fayth; in the dream world, it became a ritual for victory in blitzball
(There is an included chart of how to decipher the Hymn of Fayth lyrics. The explanation can be found here.)
How Dream Zanarkand Works
The dreams of the Fayth of Mt. Gagazet, who were once citizens of Zanarkand, were drawn out and summoned by Yu Yevon to create Dream Zanarkand. In other words, Dream Zanarkand can be said to be a massive pyreform, itself. Since it's summoned using the same principle as aeons, Dream Zanarkand exists somewhere in Spira. However, its location is unknown, and living humans cannot physically enter it.
The driving force behind the creation of Dream Zanarkand is the dreams of the former citizens of Zanarkand, but not everything and everyone there necessarily existed in the past. What Yu Yevon created is like a city simulator that automatically functions and maintains an ideal state. Therefore, Tidus and Jecht cannot be said to be simple reproductions of real people from the past. Tidus was born from his parents, and in the ten years that have passed in Spira, Tidus has also grown by ten years. Taking all of this into consideration, it seems that the sense of time in Dream Zanarkand is basically the same as in real Spira.
(There is a screenshot of the Fayth of Bahamut speaking to Tidus in the vision of Dream Zanarkand with the subtitles reading: “The people… What, they’re all dreams? Me, too?” The caption reads: “The entirety of Dream Zanarkand, including its inhabitants, are made of pyreflies.”)
—Living in the Dream World—
Dream Zanarkand, being made of pyreflies, cannot be visited or lived in by those with physical bodies. Tidus could live there because he was summoned as a pyreform along with Zanarkand. Auron was also able to remain there because he lost his physical body and had a body made of pyreflies as an unsent. Sin and the Fayth can freely visit the dream world. This is because Sin’s body is made of pyreflies, and the Fayth are just souls without a body. For them, Dream Zanarkand is a perfect, fun-filled world.
(There is a screenshot of Tidus and Auron talking with the subtitles reading: "Auron: Don’t make that face. Being dead has its advantages." The caption reads: "Without the powers of Sin to know the whereabouts of Dream Zanarkand and to travel freely, it is impossible even for those made of pyreflies to visit there.")
How Dream Zanarkand Gets Fixed
Despite its 1000-year history, Dream Zanarkand shows no signs of progress (in fact, when Tidus sees a visions of Zanarkand from 1000 years ago, he mistakes it for his hometown). This is because the dream world maintains a moderately comfortable environment, so there is no need for progress. Since there are no other nations, there is no outside novelty coming in. Another reason is since there is only the population of one city, development is limited.
Furthermore, this lack of change is also due to constant adjustments by Yu Yevon. To continue being Yu Yevon's homeland, Dream Zanarkand must not change from its state 1000 years ago, and the presence of dissatisfied individuals or anyone questioning the current situation is not allowed to exist. Therefore, when someone appears who feels stuck or questions the status quo, Yu Yevon "resets" them and manipulates the memories of the inhabitants. Dream Zanarkand is a world of terrifying harmony and stagnation under the control of Yu Yevon playing God.
—Dream Zanarkand after Tidus go to Spira—
When Jecht's Sin came to Dream Zanarkand to pick up Tidus, large-scale destruction occurred, especially around the stadium. This was because Sin's attack instinct acted automatically when it approached the city, but from Yu Yevon’s point of view, it was undoubtedly unacceptable that Sin, who should be protecting his dream, was destroying it.
Therefore, after Tidus and Auron disappeared, significant "corrections" were made to Dream Zanarkand, and the heavily damaged urban areas were miraculously rebuilt. It is possible that in the process of reparations, it was modified as though Tidus and Auron never existed there.
(There is a screenshot of Dream Zanarkand being destroyed by Sin. The caption reads: "It is not clear in the game, but Dream Zanarkand, which was destroyed at the beginning of the story, has been repaired after Tidus and Auron go to Spira."
The Fayth
Existence of the Fayth
Fayth are souls who provide the "dreams (feelings)" that serve as the raw material to summon aeons. The process of "summoning" performed by summoners is to materialize and manifest the dreams of the Fayth sealed within the Fayth statue through the summoner's mind or spirit.
The technique of creating Fayth, now known as the "Secret Art of Yevon," was originally possessed by Zanarkand, the city of summoners. However, after the fall of Zanarkand, Bevelle (and by extension the Yevon Temple), which held spiritual hegemony over all of Spira, now possess the knowledge of this art.
The Fayth who supposedly "sacrificed themselves to fight Sin" were created by the Yevon Temple after Sin's appearance, meaning within the last 1000 years. However, among the Fayth enshrined in various temples, many have existed for 1000 years. They were originally kept by Zanarkand for use in battle, but were taken away by the Temple and scattered throughout the land. Furthermore, while their own dreams are being summoned, Fayth cannot voluntarily stop dreaming—meaning, the summoning cannot be stopped.
How the Final Summoning Works
The Final Summoning is called the power of bonds because it requires a strong bond between the summoner and someone they are deeply connected to when becoming a Fayth, and this bond is also essential at the time of its activation. Simply calling forth the Final Aeon alone cannot defeat Sin, nor does the summoner die. To defeat Sin, the summoner must first, by their own will and by relying on the bond with the Fayth of the Final Aeon, mentally become one with the Fayth. Only after this stage can the Final Aeon unleash the power to defeat Sin (=the Final Summoning is activated).
When the Final Summoning is activated, the Sin covering Yu Yevon is decomposed simultaneously, and the Final Aeon is taken over by Yu Yevon and transformed into the next Sin. A summoner who has merged with the Fayth mentally cannot withstand this "transformation" and loses their life. Also, the Fayth, having exhausted their power as Fayth, are taken over by Yu Yevon, and the statue that housed the Fayth is also lost.
Fayth and the Dream World
All Fayth share a consciousness, whether they were created in Zanarkand 1000 years ago, were made by the Yevon Temple after Sin appeared, or were among the countless others overlapping the walls of Mount Gagazet. And they all shared the common desire for the survival of Dream Zanarkand.
When Fayth are not being summoned, they often go out to play in Dream Zanarkand. During this time, they mingle among the inhabitants of the dream world (including the young boy of the Bahamut Fayth). As it is for Yu Yevon, Dream Zanarkand is a paradise for Fayth, where they find eternal joy. Therefore, the current situation of Spira, which allows Dream Zanarkand to continue, is convenient for both Yevon and the Fayth.
—Changes in the Fayth—
The transformation of Jecht, an inhabitant of Dream Zanarkand, into Sin came as quite a shock to the Fayth. It meant that an inhabitant of their idyllic and eternal world was suffering at the center of Spira's tragedy. This raised issues for the Fayth, who were previously indifferent to Spira's current state, prompting them to move towards ending their dream, even if it meant their own annihilation.
(There is a screenshot of the three Fayth of the Magus Sisters in the Remiem Temple with the subtitles reading: "Why couldn't we see to stop the dreaming?" A caption reads: "Tidus and company hear from the mouths of the Fayth directly their regrets for not questioning the situation at hand.")