Cid: Oh, shut up and help me remodel the Forgotten Capital page!
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The city was the primary capital of the ancient Cetra civilization, but after the Calamity from the Skies struck the Planet nearly wiping out the Cetra, the few survivors gradually assimilated into human culture and the city has been an abandoned ruin for a long time.
Many of the remaining houses still contain furniture and artifacts indicating the area appears just as it did when it was abandoned long ago. The city contains a machine, which allows one to communicate with the Planet, and an underground section with several crystal buildings surrounding an altar. The city's inhabitants incorporated nature into their buildings, many having roofs made up from conch shells and other organic materials. The area's general layout invokes an aquatic motif; many of the buildings have a shell-like appearance and the ground resembles the sea floor. Within the 'upper city' there are several crystals that when touched give off a flash and cause the current main character to explain they heard something they didn't understand. Below the ground level is a hidden "castle" with medieval-style towers connected to the surface with a staircase made of light. This area holds a spring and an altar.
Cloud Strife and his party enter the Forgotten Capital in search of Aeris, the last of the Cetra line. She has left the party to summon Holy, through which she believes she can defeat the cataclysm of Meteor. The party finds the place eerily silent. They spend the night, but are awoken in the middle of the night by a strange sound.
As they investigate, they find a path down into the city's underground section where they find Aeris praying to summon Holy. Cloud comes forward and being controlled by Sephiroth, almost kills her. He breaks the control and steps away; but Sephiroth himself (or rather, a piece of Jenova made into Sephiroth's image under the latter's control) swoops down from the ceiling and kills Aeris.
Cloud, in a tearful rage, demands to know why Aeris had to be murdered. "Sephiroth" only laughs off his "clone's" emotion, and flies off, dropping a body piece that becomes Jenova∙LIFE for the party to fight. They defeat the creature and the party pay their last respects to Aeris and lay her body to rest and continue on their journey, badly shaken.
Concept art of the Forgotten Capital, in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Bugenhagen comes with the party much later, after Meteor has been summoned. They come to find out just what Aeris was trying to do before Sephiroth cut her down. They need the Key to the Ancients to work the dormant machines inside the city.
The key is found at the Bottom of the Sea using the submarine. When the key is used, the scene of Aeris's death is replayed. At this point Bugenhagen realizes Holy has already been summoned and that Sephiroth is blocking it. He must be killed in order to save the Planet.
The party's planning is cut short when the Diamond Weapon begins its advance toward Midgar, the party racing to stop it.
Following Meteorfall, the remaining members of the player party return to the Forgotten City to pay their respects to Aerith. Following this the group parted ways to find their places in the world.
Two years later, Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo use the Forgotten Capital as their base, bringing Tseng and Elena there to torture them, and later the Geostigma-infected children. Cloud goes to rescue the children, but is defeated because of the effects of Geostigma.
Vincent arrives in time to save Cloud and Marlene from the three remnants. Kadaj's true motives of luring the children to the location is revealed when he infuses the city's lake with negative Lifestream which turns the children into his mindless pawns.
The theme that plays in Forgotten Capital in Final Fantasy VII is "Listen to the Cries of the Planet" (星の声が聞こえる,Hoshi no Koe ga Kikoeru?). During the Jenova∙LIFE battle and during the events preceding it and the events after the battle, "Aerith's Theme" plays.
The Forgotten Capital makes a cameo appearance in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, where it appears as part of the background in Final Fantasy VII's FMS events.
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Concept art of spiral room.
Concept art of the house with the fish.
Concept art of a house.
Concept art of a house.
Scene at the lake.
Village grounds.
Inside one of the homes.
Inside one of the homes.
Path to waterfall room.
Waterfall display.
Structure leading to caves.
The Water Altar.
Waterfall room.
Left pathway.
Close-up of the Water Altar.
Close-up of the Water Altar.
Close-up of the Water Altar.
The Cetra "castle".
The Water Alter in an FMV.
Forgotten Capital seen in Advent Children.
Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz at the Capital lake.
Children gathered at Forgotten Capital.
