Final Fantasy VII History and Geography Section
Midgar
Midgar is the main city of the world in Final Fantasy VII. It was built by the Shinra Inc. Migdar is a wonder of modern construction. The city itself is built on a series of 8 Plates supported by pillars. Power is provided to the citizens by the Mako Reactors. The city above is a place of wonder. But the slums below are a living horror. In the slums, pollution makes it impossible to grow pure food or have clean water.
Midgar is run by Shinra Inc. Shinra has its own army, science division, space program. The corporation is a country unto itself. With Shinra's fortune, it runs the world.
Recently, an entire Plate and slum area were destroyed when an anti-Shinra group called AVALANCHE was discovered to have their headquarters there.
Wutai
Wutai has recently become a tourist trap for those who wish go relax from Midgar's fast paced way of life. Godo is the leader of this area. He is a ninja, and the last opponent one must face when climbing the Pagoda of the Five Gods. Godo gave in to the Shinra long ago. Wutai and Shinra had been fighting a long war. This war left many children orphaned and many women widowed. In order to perserve his way of life, Godo surrendered. His daughter Yuffie has never forgiven him for not standing up to the Shinra.
In Wutai, there is the Pagoda to the Five Gods. One who successfully climbs it and defeats the opponents stationed on each floor will recieve the power of the Water God, Leviathan.
SOLDIER
SOLDIER is Shinra's elite fighting force. The members of SOLDIER are infused with Mako in order to make them stronger, and to give them a better command of Materia. It is extremely hard to make it to the ranks of SOLDIER. In Final Fantasy VII, only three people are known to have made it to the top of this fighting force, to have been SOLDIER--First Class. They are Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth.
Cetra (The Ancients)
The Cetra, or the Ancients as they are now more commonly known, are a dead (or at least dying) race. The Cetra "speak to the Planet, unlock the Planet, and then return to the Promised Land...A land of supreme happiness." The Cetra have the ability to read the Lifestream and aid the Planet. However, only two Ancients are alive: Aeris and Sephiroth. Aeris is a true descendant of the Cetra; Sephiroth is not.
The destruction of the Cetra began 2000 years ago when a "calamity from the sky" came and injured the Planet. This calamity caused a wound that only time and immense amounts of energy would heal. The Cetra at Knowlespole (now called Icicle Inn) did a Planet-reading. Then, something happened. All of the Cetra's dead mothers and brothers appeared, spectres of their past. The Planet convinced the Cetra to leave Knowlespole. As they prepared to depart from their beloved homeland, the calamity appeared. He approached the Cetra as a friend, decieved them, and finally infected them with a horrible virus. The Cetra were driven insane by this virus and transformed into monsters. Then, the calamity moved on to other Cetra clans until all were infected.
Eventually, the calamity was confined by a few surviving Cetra. The Planet has not healed itself, but rather, has created WEAPON to protect itself from the calamity. WEAPON sleeps now that the calamity is confinded, but the Planet has not healed itself.
Jenova
The calamity from the sky. Jenova was responsible for the destruction of the Cetra. Confinded and trapped in the geological strata of 2000 years ago, Jenova was found by Shinra scientists. Proffessor Gast mistook Jenova for an Ancient, and began the Jenova Project (for more info, read "The Jenova Project" in the Shinra Library section).
Sephiroth was infused with Jenova cells before birth. The cells give him power, but at a high cost.
Jenova was housed in the Shinra Building in Midgar, but now Sephiroth has it...
