Atomos (Test Server)

Based on the nature of Atomos Server (see above), it is highly likely Atomos Server went online with the Original PS2 Beta servers. All of those Beta servers were named after early FF main villains. Atomos, a Summon, would be out of place. Many articles from March 2002, the text of which appears in Japanese, English, German, et al, states there are 3 active servers: Chaos, Zande, Kefka. Chaos and Zande were the only 2 Beta servers active at the time (Golbez and Xdeath having been consolidated into Zande in early February 2002). It seems unlikely that the information would be wrong (confusing the number of servers with such a low number, 2 vs. 3) as would the use of the name Kefka (as opposed to saying the 3rd server was named after one of the 2 consolidated servers), leading to the question of where this 3rd name came from. The 3 servers' names were always listed in the same order, with Kefka last. Since this was an article published in official gaming websites in various countries, it would seem to imply the name came from an official source with the company. Given it is known there were only 2 active servers at the time, and the inference some sort of proto-Atomos was being used to serve as the testing server for the Original Beta, therefore, it is logical to presume Kefka was the name of the Test Server for Beta. That name would fit the naming conventions of the Beta servers. When the official servers were named after Summons, it would logically follow to rename the Test Server after a Summon.

Evidence confirming the name change from Kefka to Atomos can be found in the change of the internet address for the Vana'diel Wind Livecam. The original address for Vana'diel Wind from early 2002 until sometime after April 2003 was http://kefka.playonline.com/ffxi_op.asf . Sometime in 2003, it changed to http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/download/wind/index.html , which remains its current address. The 4/10/03 preview of Zilart content was held on Vana'diel Livecam, on the test server. The test server was called Atomos, but used an address with the name Kefka in it. All of this indicates a link between Kefka and Atomos.

It is possible though, that Kefka Server was deactivated at the end of the JP PS2 Beta and replaced with Atomos Server, however, it appears more likely the server merely underwent a name change as it would seem unlikely the test server would be taken down for a few weeks (as changes and revisions would need to be tested in advance of the launch, especially to try and make the launch go smoothly).

It is possible Atomos Server was the original server used for Alpha testing FFXI by the Square Development Team back in 2001 before opening up the Beta, but the date listed is when the server became accessible to the public, at least in some fashion.

While Atomos is normally closed off to players, a few have managed to create characters by using a (since patched) method of picking Atomos. It was revealed that Atomos is a carbon copy of the production servers, albeit an empty version. A while after arriving on Atomos, these characters were noticed and placed in Mordion Gaol. Original thread on BG, missing some pictures

The Ballista Royale Semi-Final matches were also held on Atomos Server. Participants were given explicit instructions not to leave the Jeuno area, though at least one participant disregarded this and managed to snap pictures of an extremely rare NM.

Atomos

Final Fantasy I: Soul of Chaos:
Atomos appears as a boss in the Lifespring Grotto of the optional dungeon line "Soul of Chaos" in the Game Boy Advance and PSP versions of FFI. Its appearance is identical to FFV's Atomos.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years:
Atomos [JP] / Atmos [EN]
Atomos appears as a mandatory boss in the final dungeon of The After Years, the Depths. Its appearance is identical to FFV's Atomos.

Final Fantasy V:
Atomos first appears as a boss in FFV. It is a dark purple, living gate, with a rounded form and a bluish wormhole in it. Atomos, located atop the Barrier Tower in World 2, would slowly suck players into its "Wormhole", causing them to vanish from battle.

Final Fantasy IX:
Atomos first appears as a Summon in Final Fantasy IX. Atomos is a Gravity-element Summon. It appears as a towering, rectangular purple frame for a living gate. It appears to be made from a purple, spiky, bony substance, lined with teeth on the edge and having two spiky protrusions on the sides of the top edge. It has two tusks curved upward on its lower lips and four tusks curved upward on its upper lips. On the roof of its mouth are the bottoms of three trellises. Its mouth extends into a black oblivion, deeper than it appears from the side. Its eyed are glowing amber-colored jewels. Lightning from its mouth forms a black, red, and brown sphere surrounded in violet-colored flames which grow larger and suck rocks and enemies up from the surface of the planet and then explode in a burst of energy. In the spell's animation, Atomos arises from a small island with a pine forest inhabited by white birds and some mountains located high in the sky. This depiction of being on a remote island may explain why Atomos Server is the testing server for staff only and bears a thematic resemblance to Mordion Gaol, a detention zone isolated from the rest of Vana'diel and whose form is simply several cells floating in black space. Atomos is located within the Amethyst gemstone and can be summoned when tutor and family friend Dr. Tot gives Garnet several gems with Eidolons.

Final Fantasy XI:
In the Wings of the Goddess expansion, Cavernous Maws are identical to the classic Atomos look. Additionally, Atomos appears as a boss in a late Wings of the Goddess Mission, where it is summoned by a Cait Sith.

Final Fantasy XII:
Atomos is a rank III mark involved in the hunt "Trouble in the Hills". In FFXII, Atomos loses its cavernous maw appearance for the first time, becoming a Slaven, with only a head and two huge legs. Its body is covered in purple crystals, the purple being its only resemblance with previous incarnations of Atomos.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings:
Atomos makes its second summoned beast appearance as the rank II earth-element flying esper in Revenant Wings. It resembles a purple, six-winged lobster with pincers that appear to be suited for punching. Its in-game description is "Noble spirit of earth."

Final Fantasy XIII
Atomos is a Pulse fal'Cie that digs underground tunnels along the Mah'habara Subterra. Its appearance is akin to a spherical boulder with a spinning radius of glowing orange spikes. The fal'Cie also serves as a transport for whomever can stop it, possessing a partially hollow interior. However, stopping it is no mean feat- it requires a great force; in the case of the heroes, a number of Juggernauts team up to halt Atomos. The datalog describes it as such:
Atomos toils endlessly beneath the surface of Gran Pulse, ever extending the world's network of snaking, subterranean passages. Common speculation purports that the fal'Cie's goal is excavation of habitable underground environments, but the truth of the matter is shrouded in mystery. What is known is that Atomos's digging often exposes deposits of valuable mineral resources. For this reason, the human inhabitants of Gran Pulse long ago established mining operations in Mah'habara.

Final Fantasy: Unlimited:
Atomos is one of the summons available to Kaze. It is a flat, red eye with three spikes on each eyelid. Kaze summons Atomos using this Soil Charge Triad:

• The fury that levels everything to the ground, Storm Blue!
• The essence that erases all color, Ash Gray!
• The spirit that drops into infinite darkness, Silent Black!

Moves:

"G-Force 199"- deals damage to all enemies based on a certain % of their HP, with that % determined by a number of factors. Its attack strength is related to the number of Amethysts in the player's inventory. (FFIX)

"Uppercut"- deals damage to surrounding enemies (Revenant Wings)

"Drain"- absorbs HP from one enemy and converts it to own HP (Revenant Wings)

Kefka

Kefka Palazzo is the main villain in Final Fantasy VI. He is one of the top generals in the Empire (the others were Celes Chere and Leo Christophe). He is most well-known for his insanity. He was a sane, competent general until he underwent augmentation to gain the ability to use magic. The process was only experimental then, and it was a success, but had unintended side effects on Kefka's sanity. After the procedure, he began laughing maniacally and dressing himself in clown-like regalia. He goes on to commit deplorable acts and eventually becomes the ruler of the world.

He has no hesitation to commit war crimes against enemies of the Empire (unlike General Leo or Celes), poisoning the water of the city of Doma, killing all but one of its inhabitants. He complains when he was sent out on various missions by Emperor Gestahl. Eventually, when he defies orders, he eventually is imprisoned (specifically for provoking a war with the Espers, who responded by ravaging the Imperial capital, Vector). Kefka eventually kills General Leo, the honorable general in the Empire. Kefka eventually storms a peace summit between the Imperial delegation, Terra, the Returners, and the Espers, turning the Espers into Magicite. Kefka's goal is to obtain power by any means necessary.

The pinnacle of the Empire's attempt to achieve world domination involves finding the statues of the Goddesses and obtaining their power (they are the source of all magic in the world). Emperor Gestahl goes along and has Kefka accompany him despite his previous treachery and tendency to murder fellow generals. The three petrified Goddesses have a constant current of energy flowing between them in equal balance. Kefka shifts the statues, changing the length of the energy flow between the Goddesses, causing the surface of the planet to be reconfigured and the climate to dramatically change in a short period of time, transforming the world from the World of Balance into the World of Ruin. The World of Ruin is far less green, more barren, with grasslands and forests being replaced with wastelands as the dominant ecosystem. Emperor Gestahl wants to rule the world intact, but Kefka just wants to throw everything into chaos and rule that chaos. Kefka inherits the source of magic, becoming all-powerful. Kefka rules over the ruined world with terror from atop his tower, a castle atop a pillar, assembled from junk and scrap metal, most of which came from Vector. Any village that displeases Kefka has the Light of Judgment turned on them.

However, despite being all-powerful, he is still insane and definitely not all-knowing. He uses the power of magic to transform himself into a giant, multi-winged being. Despite having the power of magic, which made the Goddesses divine, at his disposal, he falls easily to the heroes, being one of the weakest final bosses in the Final Fantasy serie. Many of his lines ring hollow, like desiring to create "a monument to non-existence" yet doing nothing but destroying a few towns in his one year as world dictator (compared to the Dark Cloud from Final Fantasy III and Neo-Exdeath from Final Fantasy V, both of which wanted to return the world to the Void, the non-existence before creation, Kefka just wanted to wreck things). The heroes slay Kefka and the three Goddesses (Demon, Fiend, and Goddess). When Kefka is killed, all magic disappears from the world, including all Magicite, Espers, and the magical forces holding Kefka's Tower intact.

When he ruins the world, he releases many ancient monsters which had been slumbering dormant in the earth. The most notable are: the 8 Dragons, Deathgaze, Humbaba, the Sandworms, Wrexsoul, the Behemoth King. This also grants access to many ancient Magicite, the remains of Espers who fell in the War of the Magi 1000 years prior.

Atomos is the Greek word for "indivisible" (what we get the word 'atom' from). It is evidently linked to Atomos' Gravity-element properties, which reduce a target's HP by some fraction/percentage. Thus, Atomos tries to reduce HP down to its atomic property: 1HP (which it will get to... eventually).