The Monk is one of the many physical DPS jobs you can unlock in Final Fantasy XIV.
And unlike the other classes, instead of relying on a weapon, the monk’s primary method of dealing damage happens to be their own two fists.
But in a world of magic and all kinds of sci-fi doohickeys, how do these monks keep up with sheer physical power?
Well, during the Sixth Umbral Calamity, a great flood destroyed many lands, forcing people to flee for safety. Some survivors followed the light of a meteor that led them to the highlands of Gyr Abania. Believing that Rhalgr, the Destroyer, had saved them, they began to worship him and founded a religious group called the Fist of Rhalgr.
The followers built a temple where they trained their bodies and minds to become closer to their god through meditation and training; they discovered special centers of energy within their bodies, known as chakras. They learned how to control this inner energy and use it to increase their strength and fighting power. This led to the creation of a unique martial art that allowed them to turn their life energy into powerful attacks.
The lore of the Monks in Final Fantasy XIV
As time passed, the Fist of Rhalgr grew stronger and became a powerful military force. Its warriors were skilled fighters who followed strict training and spiritual practices. The group also formed a close relationship with the royal family of Ala Mhigo, which helped increase its influence in the region.
However, the order’s growing power worried King Theodoric, who was also known as the Mad King at the time. He feared that the Fist of Rhalgr had become too influential and might threaten his rule. To remove this threat, he ordered the Temple of the Fist to be burned down during the Sixth Astral Era.
The destruction of the temple marked a tragic end for the order’s main center of worship and training. Many warrior monks were scattered, and their teachings were lost or passed down in secret. What had once been a powerful religious and military organization was reduced to scattered survivors, and its traditions slowly faded away.
The lodestone for Monk reads:
“Though now under Garlean rule, the city-state of Ala Mhigo once boasted the greatest military might of all Eorzea. Among its standing armies were the monks—ascetic warriors as dreaded by foes on the field of battle as the city-state’s great pikemen. The monks comprised an order known as the Fist of Rhalgr, and it was to this god—the Destroyer—that they devoted their lives of worship. By mastering seats of power within the body known as chakra, they are capable of performing extraordinary physical feats. “
