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Contents 1 Locations 1.1 Balamb Garden 1.2 Fire Cavern 1.3 Balamb 1.4 Dollet 1.5 Timber 1.6 Galbadia Garden 1.7 Deling 1.8 Winhill 1.9 Tomb of the Unknown King 1.10 D District Prison 1.11 Missile Base 1.12 Trabia Garden 1.13 Shumi Village 1.14 Edea's Orphanage 1.15 Cactuar Island 1.16 Esthar 1.17 Lunar Gate 1.18 Sorceress Memorial 1.19 Tear's Point 1.20 Fisherman's Horizon 1.21 Deep Sea Research Centre 1.22 Centra

The world of Final Fantasy VIII is relatively large and lush. One continent, Galbadia, is slightly more arid, while another, Trabia, is rather icier.

Technology flourishes in an era where advancement is almost at its prime. The demographics of the world have no set province with an advantage over the other as they all appear to have access to the same types of facilities - apart from the mysterious and xenophobic Esthar.

The world is comprised of five main continents, with a large expanse of ocean separating them all. There are also a number of islands.

Common forms of transport are motor vehicles, trains. Airships are not utilised by the general public, nor is the common Chocobo (who is actually seen to be quite a rare sight).

Politically, the largest players would be Galbadia and Esthar. However, since the Sorceress War, when Esthar attempted to conquer the globe, they have retreated. No one is known to have visited or left Esthar in years.

Since the war, the Galbadian Empire (lead from Deling City, renamed for the new president) has worked on taking over their continent. They have controlled Timber for years - leading to a very active Timber Liberation front - and, as the game begins, have begun to attack nearby Dollet.

Locations

Balamb Garden

^{Balamb Garden}

Balamb Garden is mercenary military facility that specialises in training young people to become warriors-for-hire known as SeeD. It also functions as an orphanage; following the Sorceress War nearly two decades before, many children were left without parents.

SeeDs are not just warriors; they are elite agents, able to facilitate a variety of objectives. To this end, the students are trained in a variety of arts, including weapon speciality, magic, political diplomacy and skills which will allow them to blend in to a variety of situations.

The Garden is a self sufficient facility housing its own vehicle garage, cafeteria, library, training facility, medical centre, dormitories and other like facilities. It also houses a Quad, where events such as the Garden Festival take place each year.

The Garden has even been known to be able to fend of assailants with its high walls and strong metallic façades - a practical defence fortress. This is due to the fact Balamb Garden is fashioned from an old Centra shelter. When certain controls are activated, the garden is capable of drawing its outer wings into itself. These controls can be accessed from the D-Level of the Garden, and although Headmaster Cid wasn't sure of their purpose, access to this area of the Garden is prohibited to all.

Headmaster Cid is the overseer and creator of the Garden, who guides his students with kindness, compassion and a fierce sense of determination. The Garden Faculty, who are tall, ominous-looking figures who are speculated to be of the Shumi Tribe, assist in keeping the school under control whilst Garden Master NORG rules from the dark clutches of the underbelly of the Garden as the facility's financier and primary shareholder.

Fire Cavern

The natural lava cavern to the east of Balamb Garden has often been a place to test the endurance of SeeD Candidates looking to enter into the ranks of SeeD Cadets.

The heat is almost unbearable within the cave, and it is said that the Guardian Force Ifrit houses himself within the fiery maw of the deepest pits of the cavern.

Balamb

The quiet ocean town of Balamb is the home to many of the parents of the students of Balamb Garden. Being located on a remote island in the middle of nowhere, the town is afforded a tranquility that can really not be found anywhere else. Due to its isolation and proximity to Balamb Garden, it is rare that the township ever gets caught up in the political games played by the larger nations of the world. The sea breeze calms the nerves and rusts anything metalic that is exposed to it for too long. As a result, most of the town is made of an alabaster like substance that it toned white and decorated with swiring patterns of blue that is almost reflective of those seen on the facade of Balamb Garden. A train line connects Balamb to the main continent, whilst the small port also afford the visit of sea travellers from time to time.

Dollet

Dollet is a small dukedom run by a governing political faction that is known most commonly for the old communication tower that sits upon the hill above the town. This communication tower is significant in the fact that it is the only means of broadcasting over the air and thus was the main reason for the invasion of Dollet by the Galbadian army. The dukedom is quite prosperous in that it has so far managed to avoid any strict dealings with the larger Galbadia aside from this invasion that was eventually quelled. Dollet is fashioned in the renaissence style of the 1600s with cobbled streets and fine architecture housing the many stores and cafes that line the streets.

Timber

Timber is the town that lost a war and is now under Galbadian occupation. Named for the lush vegetation and forests that once surrounded the location, Timber is now a docile place where people hide in the darkness, waiting for the town to be liberated. It is home to many small anti-Galbadian factions, none of which are incredibly active. The Timber Owls would have to stand out as being the most prominent, where they plan to purge Timber of all the remaining stationed Galbadian soldiers to give the city something to hope for. Trains play the major transportation role with tracks layed almost everywhere. The town is also home to a renowned newspaper called Timber Maniacs that it is rumoured that Laguna Loire once authored for.

Galbadia Garden

Counter part to Balamb Garden, Galbadia Garden teaches its students the art of war before enlisting them into the Galbadian military as soldiers. The facility is held to a much more strict and tighter schedule with little room for pleasure. This facility holds machinery that can advance the abilities of the soldiers that use them. For example, motorcycles and mobile air units. It was at first run by headmaster Marlene before he was ousted by Sorceress Edea.

Deling

Deiling stands as the capital of Galbadia and the home of its President, Vinzer Deiling. It is a large lively town that is designed with wide streets in mind for parades and entertainment. Small piano bars can be found among the streets, one of which Julia Heartilly used to play at before she became famous for her song Eyes on Me. As the capital, the city holds large architectural achievements such as the large gate that can be closed to confine intruders.

Winhill

A small Galbadian settlement that is too far away from the main front to be concerned with war and fighting. Winhill exists as a small farming community whose main trade is flowers, and is often known to be the place where one can spot a stray Chocobo or two. It is in this small town that Laguna Loire was nursed back to health by Raine after an incident on the Centra continent, and it is where he first met Elone.

Tomb of the Unknown King

Not many people know, or understand who this tomb belongs to. However, one common point of interest that has been found is that the ancient stone seems to turn the unwary traveller around in circles. It has been known to be a place where treasure hunters go and never return. It is also where the Guardian Force, Brothers, is rumoured to be found.

D District Prison

The desert prison sitting out in the middle of an expansive waste of sand is where all those that defy Vinzer Deiling are sent. It is a secured facility with torture chambers and small pod like cells that slowly cave in the mind of those most claustrophobic. The actual facility can be set to drill into the sand and become an underground facilty where the highest point remains above ground, or as a standing tower. Switching between the two has often thrwated the attempted escape of prisoners that may have escaped their cells and evaded the guards.

Missile Base

A high tech facility housing explosive warheads that ensure that Galbadia hold control over the world. The targetting system of the missiles is so accurate, it would be difficult to deter them once activated.

Trabia Garden

Located to the north of the eastern continent, Trabia Garden could possibly be considered to be as remote as Balamb Garden. Specialising more in creative genius, the facility tends to produce students of a more creative, than academic nature. This unfortunately could be the reason as to why it could potentially be seen as the weakest of the three Gardens, and perhaps the easiest to eliminate should the need arise.

Shumi Village

Lying deep within the crux of the earth, Shumi Village is the home of the wise Shumi Tribe. Void of natural light, the caves are lit instead by stunning gems. The Shumi are known to be expert artisans and it is rumored that they played a hand in the design of all three Garden facilities.

Edea's Orphanage

Resting on the continent below the ruined Centra island, Edea's Orphanage was once a place where lost children could live with an amazing matron that was both wise and kind. Surrounded by flowering fields and verdant grass, the orphanage was once a beautiful place, until it was deserted. Now it is but a shadow of what it used to be; unoccupied and empty with only the memories remaining.

Cactuar Island

A small remote island being home to the cactus like monster known as the Cactuar. It is also said that on this desert island, one may be lucky enough to encounter the Jumbo Cactuar.

Esthar

Esthar is the largest city in the whole of the known world. Unfortunately it is also the most remote as it uses it's technical flair to hide itself away from the rest of the world with the use of expertly crafted mirrors that refract the light of the sun to make it appear as though there is nothing in the middle of a wasteland, when in actual fact Esthar stretches out for miles and miles as large skyscrapers broken up by translucent motor ways that weave their way through most of the continent.

Lunar Gate

The Lunar Gate is the access to the Moon Base. Large tube like projectiles shoot in a similar fashion to a pistol, small pods into space within the blink of an eye.

Sorceress Memorial

The Sorceress Memorial is a highly regarded facility that is capable of containing a Sorceress so that she can not use her powers for her own gain. It was designed by Professor Odine with the help of Laguna Loire in order to rid Esthar of Sorceress Adel's tyranny.

Tear's Point

Tear's Point is a large alter with hundreds of statues set around it fashioned in the shape of a Sorceress and is ode to their power. It was designed to be the station of the crystal pillar housed in the Lunatic Pandora which has the power to attract the Lunar Cry to its location.

Fisherman's Horizon

A small remote fishing and salvage community comprising of pacifists that also happen to be extremely talented at repairing gadgetry and also had a firm hand in the development of the Gardens, once upon a time. The residents lounge in the comfort of natural resources, as solar panels that line the interior of the city act as a source of energy for all those that reside within. The community is linked through the teachings of Mayor Dobe, and they will refuse to have part in any war. They live in the middle of an old train line that once ran from the Galbadian continent to the Esthan one. This train line is no longer in use, and now leads to the Great Salt Lake of the Esthan continent.

Deep Sea Research Centre

Ruins of a once prosperous deep ocean research centre can be found if one travels by sea to the south-west of the Galbadian continet. Not much is know about the research that was once conducted here as the ruins remain locked and uninhabitable.

Centra

A large, baron continent located in the south of the world map. Centra was once a prosperous civilisation until it was destroyed by the natural phenomenon, the Lunar Cry around 90 years ago. Its only remaining features are Edea's Orphanage and the Centra Ruins, the temple of the GF Odin.

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