ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Fastitocalon-F</title> <meta content="Mark Patraw" name=Author> <meta content="Images of, and information about, a "Fastitocalon-F" figurine based on the monster that appears in Squaresoft's 1999 Final Fantasy VIII Sony Playstation video game, modeled by Mark Patraw." name=Description> <meta content="Fastitocalon-F,Focalor,Final Fantasy VIII,Square-Enix,fish,monster,creature,fan art,figurine,miniature,sculpture,model,toy,Mark Patraw." name="Keywords"> </head> <body text=black link=teal background="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_bg3_zpsc3107731.jpg~original" bgproperties=fixed> <br> <br> <table width=85% align=center cellpadding=10 border=10 bgcolor=fcfcfa bordercolor=teal> <tr> <td> <center> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_logo_zpse14c988e.jpg~original"> <br> <br> <br> <br> <font size="7"><b><i>Fastitocalon-F</font></i></b> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_fastitocalon_f_rotate_zpspc1u8ata.gif~original" border=5> <br> <EMBED src="FF8_boss.mid" width="0" height="0" autostart="true" loop="true" hidden="true"></center> <br> <p align=left> Colorful, fish-like monsters that can be randomly encountered (usually three-at-a-time) in Squaresoft and Electronic Art's <i>Final Fantasy VIII</i> Sony Playstation (1999) and Microsoft Windows (2000) roleplaying video game. Contrary to their appearance, Fastitocalons live on dry land, not in the water. They can be observed rapidly tunneling through beach sand, or other fine debris, with only their large dorsal fins visible above the ground (given this behavior, it's not surprising that the locals often refer to Fastitocalons as "Land Sharks"). When the creature is struck, the fish suddenly erupts from its sandy habitat and takes to the skies to attack. Yes, folks, defying all logic and reason, not only does this flamboyant critter not live in an aquatic environment, but it can also fly! While aloft, the Fastitocalon-F effortlessly "swims" through thin air and charges at its prey to deliver painful slaps with its spined fins or bites with its sharp teeth. <br> <br> The original Japanese name for this creature was Õ0©0«0í0ë0 ("Fokaroru", which romanizes as "Focalor"). Duke Focalor is the forty-first of seventy-two demons catalogued in the Lesser Key of Solomon, a 17<sup>th</sup> century grimoire. That infernal fellow was said to have power over the winds and seas, but looked like a man with griffin wings, not a fish (and, curiously enough, that particular fallen angel actually had aspirations to return to Heaven, but, after waiting a period of 1,000 years, Focalor was ultimately denied redemption). Fastitocalon, on the other hand, is another title for the sea monster Aspidochelone (Greek for "Asp Turtle"). Said legendary creature was so gigantic that its back was often perceived as an island by passing sailors--a case of mistaken identity that often proved fatal when the malicious beast dragged both men and anchored ship(s) beneath the waves to drown. Some writers claim that Fastitocalon is actually one of Satan's many forms--perhaps that's why Square gave their interpretation of the creature a fiery color scheme, to suggest the burning flames of Hell. Aspidochelone/Fastitocalon is usually described as being either an enormous whale, turtle, or fish, so, while the <i>FF8</i> monster is nowhere near the right size, at least it's in the ballpark anatomically. <br> <br> As it turns out, in the game, this specimen is actually a "fake" (hence the "F" suffix to its name); the true Fastitocalon is a larger (although still a dwarf compared to its namesake), and nastier, armored fish. To be honest, before doing research for this project, I had always just assumed that they were masculine and feminine variations of the same organism (I figured that the "F" was simply an abbreviation for "female"). Given real world examples of mimicry, it does make sense that a smaller species of fish might evolve so that the most visible part of its anatomy closely resembles that of a more dangerous creature in order to deter potential predators. Unfortunately for adventurers, unless you pay careful attention to their distinctive cries (the larger variety has a deeper roar), it's impossible to tell which creature lurks beneath the sparkling sands, the real deal or the imposter, until the organism reveals itself, as both species share identical dorsal projections. So, before you go down to the shore and start poking those colorful, meandering fins with your gunblade, you might want to think twice, as you might end up disturbing a shark instead of a guppy . . . <br> <br> Square's official artwork of the Fastitocalon (left) and Fastitocalon-F (right): <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_fastitocalon_f_art_zps2c1b0ca3.jpg~original"></p> Below are some screenshots depicting three of the player characters (Squall, Selphie, and Zell) facing off against a trio of Fastitocalons. <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_fastitocalon_f_battle_zps626bef0e.jpg~original"</p> <br> <br> <table align=center width=90% border=3 cellpadding=8 bordercolor=darkblue> <tr> <td colspan=2 bgcolor=500c60> <center><font color=white size=5><b>Fastitocalon-F Game Statistics</b></font></center> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige width=40%> <font color=darkblue>Encounter Locations</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0 width=60%> <li>Balamb (Alcauld Plains and Rinaul Coast) <li>Trabia (Thor Peninsula, Heath Peninsula, Hawkwind Plains, and Winter Island) <li>Galbadia (Shenand Hill, Winhill Bluffs, Humphrey Archipelago, Dingo Desert, Great Plains of Galbadia, Gotland Peninsula, Yaulny Canyon, Hasberry Plains, Roshfall Forest, Mandy Beach, Lanker Plains, Nanchucket Island, Holy Glory Cape, and Longhorn Island) <li>Centra (Lenown Plains, Cape of Good Hope, Yorn Mountains, Serengetti Plains, and Centra Crater) <li>Esthar (Grandidi Forest, Millefeulle Archipelago, and Talle Mountains) <li>Ultimecia's Castle [Grand Hall (Lower Chandelier Room) and Waterway (left)] <br> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Scan Description</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> A fish that swims in the ground. Only the fin can be seen. One theory says that it may be a shark. <br> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Ability Points (AP)</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 3 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Experience Points (EXP)<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 15 / 510 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Hit Points (HP)<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 215 / 9,200 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Strength<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 6 / 110 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Vitality<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 40 / 73 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Magic<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 36 / 181 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Spirit<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 58 / 78 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Speed<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 3 / 20 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Evasion<br><font size=-1><i>(Level 1 / Level 100)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> 5 / 15 </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Attacks</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> <li>Underground Bash (physical strike, 1 target)</li> <li>Pop Out (rises from sand, defenses decrease)</li> <li>Flying Bash (physical strike, 1 target)</li> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Elemental Weakness</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> <li>2.5x damage from Earth while submerged in sand</li> <li>2x damage from Lightning</li> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Elemental Resistance/Affinity</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> <li>Immune to Earth while airborne</li> <li>20% resistance to Fire</li> <li>Absorbs all damage from Water</li> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Status Effect Immunity</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> <li>Can't be put to Sleep <li>Can't be Floated (the fish is already levitating after all!) </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Draw Magic</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> <li>Blizzard, Sleep, Scan (Level 1-19) <li>Blizzara, Sleep, Scan (Level 20-29) <li>Blizzaga, Sleep, Water (Level 30+) </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Triple Triad Card Drop/Steal</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> Fastitocalon-F (common) </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Item Steal<br><font size=-1><i>(50% probability to succeed at stealing from this enemy.)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> Fish Fin </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Item Drops<br><font size=-1><i>(Items listed most common to rarest, 75% probability of getting an item drop from this enemy.)</i></font></font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> <li>Fish Fin (Level 1-19) <li>Fish Fin, Water Crystal (Level 20-29) <li>Fish Fin, Water Crystal (Level 30+) </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=beige> <font color=darkblue>Devour</font> </td> <td bgcolor=bcc8b0> <li>Tastes okay . . . (Level 1-19) <font size=-1><i>[Recover 50% HP]</i></font> <li>Tastes okay . . . (Level 20-29) <font size=-1><i>[Recover 50% HP]</i></font> <li>Tastes okay . . . (Level 30+) <font size=-1><i>[Recover 50% HP]</i></font> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=500c60 colspan=2> <font color=white>NOTE: The power of most <i>Final Fantasy VIII</i> monsters changes in direct proportion to the average of your party member's experience levels. For example, if Squall, Selphie, and Zell are at levels 18, 14, and 16, respectively, then the Fastitocalon-F's level would be the average of those three values, 16, plus-or-minus a random 20% bonus/penalty (level 19 or 13), and its stats would fluctuate accordingly. So, in other words, the game's creatures scale-up with your party (which I think is a great idea)--as such, there aren't any "weak", low-level monsters in this game, because they grow stronger right along with you. Thus, a party generally cannot become vastly more powerful than their opponents, or vice versa, which helps to balance the game's difficulty.</font> </td> </tr> </table> <br> <br> <p align=left>Here are the fin patterns that I drew by hand in ink. Some of the designs went through several modifications until I had something that I was satisfied with. All of the fins are made from 2-ply notebook paper with cardboard spines glued onto their surfaces. From previous experience, I knew that fabricating seven fins was going to be tedious work, so that's why I began with them (whenever you have a job to accomplish, I recommend doing the part that you like the least first, if at all possible, to get it out of the way). During the process, I also took a couple of not-so-fun snow shoveling breaks to avoid getting burned out on fin construction. <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_fastitocalon_f_fab1_zps9e198dd5.jpg~original" border=3></p> Pictured below are the finished fins. As there isn't an actual body yet, they're obviously not attached to one another at this point, but I took a shot of them orientated correctly, between my fingers, to give myself an idea of how the finished fish would probably look. <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_fastitocalon_f_fab2_zps4fddaa6b.jpg~original"></p> During the next work session, I constructed the body, attached the fins in three phases, and built up progressively more detail in the features as I went along. <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_fastitocalon_f_fab3_zpsc50e5933.jpg~original"></p> Finally, here is the finished product. It took several hours, but I think that this is one of the nicest-looking paint jobs that I've ever done. <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_fastitocalon_f_zpsd000ebf0.jpg~original" border=3."></p> <br> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=darkblue>Materials:</font></b> <br> Cardboard from a cereal box, newsprint, lined white notebook paper, white glue, acrylic paint, and gloss nail polish.</p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=darkblue>Dimensions:</b></font> <br> 9.5 cm (3.7") wide x 4.2 cm (1.7") long x 11.5 cm (4.5") high.</p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=darkblue>Time:</font></b> <br> Three days. I made all of the fins on December 21<sup>st</sup>, finished modeling the fish on the 25<sup>th</sup>, and painted/sealed the figure on the 29<sup>th</sup>.</p> <br> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap005/FF8_groupshot_123014_zps570c3baf.jpg~original" border=3."></p> <br> <hr width=85% size=3 color=darkblue> <br> <br> <center><font size=+1 color=darkblue><b>REFERENCES:</b><br></font></center> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Fastitocalon-F">Final Fantasy Wiki</a> Fastitocalon-F article. </li> <br><li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gamefaqs.com">GameFAQs.com</a> various <i>Final Fantasy VIII</i> game guides. </li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspidochelone">Aspidochelone</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_8"><i>Final Fantasy VIII</i></a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demons_in_the_Ars_Goetia#Duke_Focalor">List of Demons in the Ars Goetia</a> articles. </li> <br> <br> <br> <p align=center><a href="square_artwork.html"><font size="5">&laquo; Return to my Square-Enix Video Game Fan Art Gallery Index Page</a></font> <br> <br> <br> <font size="2"><i>This is a nonprofit web site. <br> <br> Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted here belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Square-Enix. <br> <br> The repeating background pattern consists of crossed gunblades (the weapon of choice for <i>FF8</i> characters Squall and Seifer). <br> <br> The midi music playing is the boss battle theme from "Final Fantasy VIII".</i></p> <br> </td> </tr> </table> </body> <br> <br> </html>
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