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Gippal is a character in Final Fantasy X-2, the second installment in the beloved X-series. Because he only appears in the sequel, there is quite a bit of information from the first game that is relevant to his character. Below, you will find brief summaries of important terms, facts, politics, and figures.

Definitions, Terms, and General Information
Political Groups, Factions, and Syndicates

Spira: The home world of both games in the Final Fantasy X series. Diverse groups of human and humanoid races populate the planet. The land is also varied, ranging from sunny beaches to snowy mountain peaks.

Sin: An entity that appeared at the end of the Machina War between Bevelle and Zanarkand. It brought with it a thousand years of chaos and destruction that halted the advancement of Spira's civilization. It was believed that only Summoners could defeat Sin through the Final Summoning. Sin reappeared every ten years after such an action.

Fayth: Spiritual beings that are drawn from the living by mystical means and imprisoned in statues. The ever dreaming fayth awaken to the call of a summoner's heart, unlocking the awesome power of the aeons.

Aeons: Sacred beasts that answer the call of summoners and aid them in battle.

The Eternal Calm: Taking it's name from the ten year periods of peace in-between Sin's rage, the Eternal Calm was brought by Yuna and her Guardians after the final defeat of Sin.

Yevon: A belief system that once formed the foundation of daily life in Spira. Reminscent of the Middle Ages, a majority of Spirans adhered strictly to the Yevon religious texts, or "teachings", which banned use of machina, and encouraged total trust in the church. Four maesters formed the leadership of the organization, though the High Maester was, for all intensive purposes, the true hand behind the power.

Machina: Mechanical devices studied and built by the Al Bhed people. They were considered illegal and heathen for one-thousand years, but after the defeat of Sin became more commonly accepted. Their name was changed to "machine" by The Machine Faction so as to avoid any negative religious connotations.

The Farplane: The final resting place of the dead. The lost are sent to the Farplane by Summoners through their sacred dance, The Sending.

Pyreflies: A type of matter that drifts throughout Spira. Despite a lack of physical form, they are known to react with thoughts and memories to preserve them as illusions. They remain one of Spira's biggest mysteries.

Summoners: Individuals who open their hearts to the fayth and are able to summon and command sacred beasts known as aeons. Summoners made a pilgrimage to Zanarkand every ten years to destroy Sin with the Final Summoning. In the process, they would lose their lives.

Guardians: A task force of friends and allies who were charged with protecting summoners. They stood ready at all times to give their lives for the summoner.

Blitzball: Spira's favorite sport. Played in underwater domes, it's a mix of soccer and water polo, with goals and a traditional scoring system.

Sphere Break: A new game in Spira that's just catching on in Luca. The player must acquire coins in a fast-paced, complicated system vaguely resembling Bantumi.

The Crusaders: A military group that called on Spira's youth to stand against the menace of Sin.

Al Bhed: A race of people who were shunned by most Spirans for one-thousand years because of their belief that machinas and progress were the future. Al Bheds are known for their desert dwelling nature, as well as spicy food, technical power, light hair, swirled green eyes, and radical fashion sense. They appear to be an extremely tight society, and it isn't much wonder that they lasted one-thosusand years of persecution. Their Home was originally found on Bikanel Island, though they spread out after Sin's defeat and began business and homes elsewhere. Gippal, is a member of this group of people, and Rikku's father, Cid, is typically considered the leader.

New Yevon: A political organization built upon the temples and teachings of Yevon. It was founded by Trema, a pioneer in the search for Spira's true history. New Yevon has often been accused of hoarding spheres important to Spira's history; however, it serves as a pillar of support to those overwhelmed by the rapidly changing Spira. It could be equated with a more Conservative party, beloved by older generations. Praetor Baralai is the current leader, and the capitol is located at Bevelle.

The Youth League: A group formed to oppose the New Yevon party. Considered radical and hot-headed, their ranks are made almost entirely of young, angry citizens. Violence is not unheard of among the league, and often times is encouraged. It is led by Mevyn Nooj, and their headquarters can temporarily be found at Mushroom Rock Road, though there are plans to build a larger, better facility at Kilika. Many members of the group are former Crusaders, including Nooj.

The Machine Faction: A group of young Al Bhed devoted to the study of machina. Their fierce determination distinguishes them even among their own race. Instead of utilizing ancient machina, the group focuses on building its own. The term "machina" was changed to "machine" by this very organization so as to avoid negative, pre-Calm connotations. Stationed at Djose Temple (once home to the fitting Lightning Aeon Ixion), Gippal leads the group and is working toward building an 'ultimate weapon'.

The Crimson Squad: An elite fighting force established by Maester Kinoc in an attempt to regiment the Crusaders.

Sphere Hunters: Adventurers who scour Spira for spheres. Sphere hunting became popular after the defeat of Sin by a group called The Seekers, who strove to teach the people of Spira their history. There appear to be two large, rival groups at the forefront of this profession: The LeBlanc Syndicate led by LeBlanc and stationed in Guadosalam, and the airship based Gullwings, whose technical leader may be Brother, but is oftentimes Yuna.

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