Unusually, the Vermilion Bird Crystal deploys its own Primus l'Cie to face off against Nimbus, Zhuyu Voghfau Byot.

Milites soon after annihilates the Lorican Alliance and steals the Black Tortoise Crystal.Р”Р„s the joint Rubrumite- Concordian forces reclaim Togoreth from the empire, Milites deploys Nimbus, a White Tiger Primus l'Cie. The appearance of a l'Cie among Militesi ranks surprises everyone, as l'Cie are known to only take orders from the Crystal. The empire deploys Qun'mi Tru'e, a White Tiger Secundus l'Cie, to Akademeia, but she is repelled by Agito Cadets who would become known as Class Zero. The empire's citizens come to believe this as well, and hail the marshal as their savior. Rumors spread the light of the White Tiger Crystal is fading and the empire wants to siphon power from the other Crystals. The empire begins its campaign to claim the Crystals of Orience, and on 842 turn their focus on the Vermilion Bird Crystal of the Dominion of Rubrum. Qun'mi Tru'e, a White Tiger Secundus l'Cie.Р”В¬id discovered a way to subjugate the Crystal, and thus enslave its l'Cie. Imperial scientists discovered they can use a modified C-Engine to extract energy from the Crystal and artificially enhance a trooper's physical capabilities. In Milites, however, scientists developed teknology to extract energy from the White Tiger Crystal and harness it to mass-produce guns, magitek armor, and other armaments. In other nations, only those chosen by their respective Crystal have access to its power. When Marshal Cid Aulstyne seized reins of power, one of his first orders was absorbing the peristylium into the imperial government. As the power of all four Crystals was waning, on Ventusmens IV in the year 359, the four nations ordered a ceasefire and began preparations for a peace treaty. As the struggle continued, each nation's Crystal began deteriorating even more rapidly due to the replenishment of weapons, armor, and magic and through the creation of l'Cie. With the help of its l'Cie, the empire escaped the plight. With the alliance approaching from the north, and the imperial fleet in shambles, Militesi territory was vulnerable. The empire lost more than half of its magitek armors in the clash between the Lorican king and a Vermilion Bird l'Cie in Iscah. What became known as the Great Orience War began as a border dispute between the Dominion of Rubrum dominion and the Militesi Empire. Fearing the weakening of the Crystals to be permanent, each nation sought to annihilate the others. The waning of the Crystals' power drove the four state leaders to expedite their war efforts, even if extracting energy from the Crystals exacerbated their deterioration. Steeled and strengthened through centuries of war, each Crystal-State had developed formidable fighting forces convincing each head-of-state of the possibility of unifying Orience under one banner. As a result, magitek armor could be mass-produced. The imperial government installed high-output C-Engines throughout the state to extract energy from the Crystal that distributed the energy to smaller C-Engines, which then used that energy to generate power for the various imperial arms factories.

Thanks to their C-Engine, the empire was ahead of the alliance in regard to Crystal energy extraction, and imperial researchers introduced a weapon superior to their tanks and dreadnoughts: magitek armor. The Black Paladins were driven out of imperial lands, but the knights' Crystal-imbued Arms of Agito saved the alliance army from total destruction at the hands of the l'Cie.Р”Р„fter suffering defeat the empire hastened its development of new weapons. Alliance knights pursued the fleeing imperial troops into their homeland, but did not anticipate their encounter with a White Tiger l'Cie. The armies clashed in the sandy region of Berith, and with their new equipment the Loricans overwhelmed the empire. The Arms of Agito could fell the formerly invincible imperial war machines, and once enough knightly orders had been outfitted, Lorica declared war on Milites on 301. The alliance poured its efforts into combating the Crystal-powered imperial weapons and devised a means of imbuing arms and armor with the Black Tortoise Crystal's energy. In 218 the imperial forces penetrated the Lorican heartland before the Black Tortoise l'Cie stifled their advance and brought about an armistice. Paradis made his formal declaration of empire and soon annexed Cetme. He subjugated Azurr and out of the ashes rose the new city of Ingram in the north, the capital chosen to house the White Peristylium. Paradis studied Crystal-driven technology, leading to the invention of firearms. JР“В¶rg Paradis was a lowly lord in Azurr who encountered a White Tiger l'Cie in 174, three years before he was to crown himself Emperor of Milites.

Depiction of the White Tiger from the opening of Type-0

Tiger knight empire war armor