The magical Tantas are beings that appear early in the story of the Forspoken. They take on the role of villains that Frey Holland must defeat if he wants to return to New York. However, a closer look at the history of the Tantas reveals that these characters go a step further than the usual Final Fantasy style villains.

The starting point of the entire history of the Tantas in the Forspoken is the realization that these powerful sorceresses were not “divine” women as Atia’s devout worshippers believe them to be. To delve deeper into the true history of the female caste known as the Tantas, a discussion of the history and ending of the Forspoken is important to a full understanding of the Forspoken.

Forspoken’s First Tanta Wasn’t a God

Frey only finds a few notes from Atia’s early days, and only six volumes of the original Tantas are available in the locked labyrinth of the Forspoken. However, from these few excerpts from her story, it is clear that the first Tanta was merely a warrior with magical talents, not the divine being her title holders were known for in the 39th century. She made a name for herself by defeating Redda (not to be confused with Reddig) and a powerful demon summoned by this warlike nation known as Susurus.

After a six-day battle with Susurus, she was unable to defeat the demon completely, only to seal it away, but the first Tanta was still given the title of Tanta for her achievement in saving her people. It is difficult to say exactly how many others, apart from this first woman, have earned the title of Tanta and inherited the characteristic magical abilities of the Four Spoken. The historical archives only explain the fact that this distant ancestor of the Tanta family seems to have disappeared, and that the four new women who currently hold the title are the only ones of note in almost four thousand years.

Explaining The Four Tantas’ Roles in Forspoken Before the Break

Though it is not immediately clear from Frey and Kahu’s relationship or Kahu’s instructions about Tanta’s history from his point of view, the four were women who ruled Atia, a once entirely benevolent people. They each dedicated themselves to the task of not only setting their own empire apart, but propelling all of Atia into the future. Thereafter, once a year, all four gathered on Shipal to discuss ways to better improve Atia and continue to work together for the benefit of its people.

Each Tanta’s mission in Forspoken can be categorized into the four different pillars they each represent. Shira, as the Tanta of War, built an army to repel invaders like Redig. Prav enforced legal orders and carried out punishments that were considered so fair that not a single criminal protested his sentence. Oras dedicated himself to the pursuit of knowledge, gathering scholars from all over the world to teach the children of Atia. Finally, Sinta is something of a Connector, and her role as the Tanta of Love encourages her people and fellow Tantas to be kind to them.

What Happened to Forspoken’s Tantas After the Break

Things take a dark turn as these Tanta stories approach the beginning of the Fourspoken. This leads to a war with a group of foreign invaders known as the Reddigs. The reasons for this war seem to be lost to time, but documents from the era of this battle provide a chronology of events in which the Reddigs were repelled just a few months after their first attack. However, after being repelled, the Reddigs managed to free the monster Susurus, who had previously been summoned to this land by Redda and sealed away by the first Tanta.

To stop the demon Susurus, the four Tantas of the 39th century challenged this monster in the form of four magical handcuffs. This ultimately drove them mad, forcing them to warp the Pillars by culling those who were not strong enough as warriors, harshly judging people for crimes they did not commit, and turning all knowledge inward to hoard for themselves. It was the complete opposite of what these women represented before, and in the process completely warped the realm of Assia in the Forspoken through their downfall.

But their wit and kindness were not the only things the Tanta family lost at the start of the invasion. Cinta, considered one of the strongest and kindest of these powerful women, seems to have lost the most. In the three short years between the wars with Redig, Cinta discovered how to open her Torana to other realms and met a man in New York City whom she calls a brave hero. When Susurrus corrupted her, she was forced to abandon her daughter, Frey Holland, protagonist of The Forspoken, and transform into a dragon-like symbol of destruction that attacks everything and everyone.

The Isolated Villains Prodded into Attacking Frey

As the events of the Fourspoken begin with 21-year-old Frey Holland, the entire Tanta tribe has isolated themselves, partly to protect their people from his own madness. However, when Frey appears and begins traveling freely throughout Atia in the Fourspoken, the remaining Tantas are forced to track her down and confront this invader. Unfortunately for Tantus and Frey, the urge to fight is not of their own making, but rather a by-product of Susurus’s instigation.

The Age of the Four Tantas ends with Frey, fuelled by the demon in his wrist, pursuing them and killing as many as he can. It is a tragic ending, as these merciful overseers are forced to give up any hope of having a family of their own, sacrificing their own sanity and ultimately their own lives in a final attempt to end the curse on both Redd and Redd in order to fend off Redig. Of course, with its former ruler now assuming power and command, Forspoken ends on a hopeful note for the future, perhaps another game in what could become an incredible series.