Aiden Belmonte
Chronicles of the Warrior of Light
Age: 25 [At the Start of AAR]
Main Job: Black Mage
Chocobo: Fynn
The following contains Main Story Quest spoilers for Final Fantasy XIV, readers' discretion is advised
Before the Fall
Aiden Belmonte is the adopted son of Gelther Belmonte, the wealthy Hyur owner of the Belmonte Mining Company located in Center Thanalan just outside Horizon; he hopes that Aiden will one day inherit his mining company. Gelther is usually hard on Aiden, pushing him to be aggressive and cold like himself; these were qualities Gelther thought Aiden would need to be an effective business owner. His adoptive mother, Lysa, on the other hand, was always warm and kind to Aiden, quietly encouraging him to pursue his own dreams. Since Aiden was a child, he was plagued by strange visions of a young Hyur woman. As he grew older, this woman seemed to play a major role during the war with Garlemald and it was then Aiden realized these visions might be important.
In the hours before Dalamund fell, Aiden's father was killed and his mother severely crippled from Garlemald's invading forces when they ransacked their home during the chaos. Aiden's visions of the Hyur woman intensified after the fall of Dalamund, and in one of Aiden's visions, he saw her in Ul'dah; he knew he had to travel to Ul'dah to learn more about this mysterious woman in his visions, but his mother's deteriorating condition forced him to stay put and take care of her, not that he minded.
Over the course of the next five years following the fall of Dalamund, Lysa's condition worsened and, on her death bed, she pleaded to Aiden to follow his heart, she knew the siren's song of adventure was calling to him. She directed him to find an aether imbued staff in his father's private collection. In the following days, Lysa succumbed to her injuries brought on by the Garleans and, with just the aether staff and the clothes on his back, he made his way to the City State of Ul'dah. Little did he know of the incredible adventures that awaited him through those gates.
A Realm Reborn
Upon arriving in Ul'dah, Aiden is introduced to the proprietress of the Quicksand, Momodi, who also works in the Ul'dah branch of the Adventurer's Guild; he also becomes acquainted with the Thaumaturge's Guild. Aiden quickly learns he has a natural talent for the arcane arts and rises through the ranks of the Thaumaturge's Guild and Adventurer's Guild respectively.
Due to his trustworthy nature, he is tasked with finding Lilira, who he is told is someone of great importance and later learns is actually Nanamo Ul Namo in disguise. It's at the foot of the Sultantree where he not only finds her, but a mysterious man named Thancred and they quickly are attacked by a Voidsent, the first of many Aiden will encounter on his journey, unbeknownst to him. After his battle with the voidsent, Aiden's visions flare up and he is greeted by a large crystal that identifies itself as Hydaelyn, informing him that he is a Warrior of Light, tasked with protecting Eorzea from the encroaching darkness. Thancred, after observing Aiden for an extended period of time, invites him to the Waking Sands where he is introduced to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and learns his visions, as well as his ability to combat the mind controlling powers of the Primals, is a gift called the Echo, bestowed upon Hydaelyn's chosen ones.
With this gift, Aiden assists the Scions with defeating the Primal threat, which catches the attention of the Garlean Empire, especially of Gaius van Baelsar, a legatus of the Empire. Seeing Aiden as a threat to their plans to conquer Eorzea, Gaius plots to destroy Aiden and his fellow Scions.
After facing the Ixal Primal deity, Garuda, Gaius appears, taking the life force of Garuda and the other primals into a massive weapon he calls Ultima Weapon. Seeing how this weapon is a huge threat to the freedom of Eorzea, Aiden and his Scion comrades seek out a way to destroy the weapon and stop Gaius.
All the while, Aiden and his comrades find out there is a traitor in their midst when Minfilia is kidnapped and brought to Castrum Merdianum in hopes the Empire can learn more about the Echo. Upon rescuing her, the Empire is joined by a member of the Ascians, a group that worships the deity of darkness Zodiark, who goes by Lahabrea, who is then revealed to actually be Thancred. Demoralized by this realization of Thancred's sudden betrayal, the Scions flee the Castrum to regroup. In their research, they learn Thancred didn't actually betray them, he's actually possessed by Lahabrea, as the Ascians are seemingly immortal beings that possess the ability to take over host's bodies in order to obtain immortality.
Finally, Aiden confronts Gaius van Baelsar in the Praetorium and defeats him along with Ultima Weapon, however, Lahabrea appears and challenges Aiden to battle. Aiden defeats him single handedly, destroying the crystal Lahabrea was using to possess Thancred. With the Praetorium collapsing, Aiden and Thancred barely escape with their lives.
After the battle, Aiden is reunited with the leaders of the city states and his Scion comrades and in their small talk of how he reminds them of the Warrior of Light they once knew five years ago, he learns the Hyur woman in his visions is this Warrior of Light named Aelina Blacke; she unfortunately died during the Battle of Carteneau.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the following months, the nation of Doma is attacked and their refugees find themselves in Vesper Bay, seeking refuge. Aiden assists in helping them seek asylum in Mor Dhona. All the while, the Scions are trying to get to the bottom of the Ascians supposed immortality. Enter Moenbryda, hailing from Sharlayan. She helps them craft a way to trap the souls of the Ascians. Unfortunately, when they are tasked with doing so, Moenbryda sacrifices herself, however her sacrifice ensures the destruction of an Ascian, proving that they can truly be defeated.
Aiden also assists in the exploration of the mysterious Allagan Crystal Tower and meets G'raha Tia, a historian and student of Baldesion. Upon exploring the Crystal Tower, Aiden learns that G'raha is the distant ancestor of Allag royalty, and chooses to stay locked inside the Crystal Tower in order to prevent its powers from being misused by anyone.
After this escapade, Nanamo Ul Namo invites the Scions to a feast where she intends to disband the Ul'dahn royal line and the Syndicate. She brings in Aiden for a private chat when she is poisoned; Aiden and his Scion comrades are the prime suspects.
He and Alphinaud are the only ones to flee Ul'dah. They go to Coerthas, where they approach Haurchefant Greystone, who grants them asylum to Ishgard, who hasn't opened their gates to outsiders in decades.