Drake's Fang

Fictional record. This page describes a mine from a fictional setting, not a real place. Information is based on the cited canon, with adaptations and interpretation distinguished where necessary. It is kept separate from the real MineArchive corpus — see Fictional.

Setting	Final Fantasy XVI
Location	Enclosed within the hollow of an ageless mountain range in the Dhalmekian Republic, one of Valisthea's five nations (alongside the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed and the Iron Kingdom).
Commodity	Crystal
Type	Mineral
Worked	Excavated for centuries before the story's present day; no specific founding date given. – Destroyed in the year 878, five years before the game's main present-day events.
Extent	A vast hollow within an 'ageless mountain', its citrine crystal fingers reaching inward toward the barrow's heart -- unlike Valisthea's four other Mothercrystals, which jut up from open ground.
Status	Researched

Overview

One of Valisthea's five Mothercrystals and the Dhalmekian Republic's principal source of national wealth, excavated for centuries from within a hollow mountain until it was destroyed in the year 878 -- an act that crippled the Republic's military power and forced its early withdrawal from war with the Holy Empire of Sanbreque.

History

Drake's Fang is one of Valisthea's five remaining Mothercrystals -- towering, glassy formations that are each a nation's primary source of crystal, the material that lets ordinary people without innate magical talent cast magicks. Unlike its four sister crystals, which rise from open ground to loom over the landscape, Drake's Fang is unique in being entirely enclosed within the hollow of an ageless mountain in the Dhalmekian Republic, its crystal structure reaching inward toward the barrow's heart. Centuries of excavation there showered the Dhalmeks with substantial fortune, making the site a symbol of the Republic's prosperity. Security at the mine was originally the responsibility of a private army, the Men of the Rock, employed by the Dhalmekian parliament -- until Hugo Kupka, Dominant of the Eikon Titan and the Republic's Permanent Economic Advisor, seized personal control of the Mothercrystal, at which point the bulk of that force was co-opted to serve him alone. Late in the story, the player character Clive Rosfield reaches Drake's Fang -- referred to in walkthrough material as 'Drake's Fang Mines' -- on the outskirts of Kupka's own Castle Dazbog, and descends through crystal mine passages now overrun with Orcish soldiers and beastmen loyal to the Kingdom of Waloed, during the main quest 'Into the Darkness'. Kupka is stated to have built his own palace within the excavated mountain; Clive's assault is driven partly by a wish to avenge those slain at Kupka's order when an earlier Branded hideout was sacked. The quest ends in a confrontation with Kupka, who transforms into the Eikon Titan for a final battle. Drake's Fang was destroyed in the year 878, five years before the game's present day, in an event known as the Fall of Drake's Fang (see Disasters, below) -- officially attributed to the rebel leader Cid the Outlaw and his associates, though the Dhalmeks' own contemporary rumour instead pointed to the Waloeder orcs whose presence in the mine the game itself later depicts first-hand. Whichever account is correct, the loss of their Mothercrystal and the Dominant who commanded it forced the Dhalmekian Republic to sue for peace in its war against Sanbreque.

Workings

A vast hollow excavated inward from the flank of an ageless mountain, its crystal structure reaching toward the barrow's heart; guarded historically by the Men of the Rock private army, and, by the time of the story's climax there, overrun by Orcish soldiers and monsters loyal to the Kingdom of Waloed.

Closure

Destroyed in the year 878 in the event known as the Fall of Drake's Fang -- officially blamed on Cid the Outlaw, though rumours of the time instead implicated Waloeder orcs.

What became of it

Destroyed; no longer functions as a source of crystal for the Dhalmekian Republic. Its ruined hollow is the site of the game's own climactic 'Into the Darkness' story sequence and Kupka/Titan boss encounter.

Disasters & major incidents

The Fall of Drake's Fang
878 (five years before the main story's present day) · Other
Drake's Fang, the Dhalmekian Republic's Mothercrystal, was destroyed in 878; its Dominant, Hugo Kupka, disappeared and was presumed dead in the same attack, and the Republic's resulting military collapse forced it to sue for peace in its war with the Holy Empire of Sanbreque.

Recorded claims

Each claim is marked with its basis — explicit canon, MineArchive inference, adaptation only, or fandom interpretation — and attached to the source(s) below. Where tellings disagree, both are kept.

Unlike Valisthea's four other Mothercrystals, which jut from open ground to tower over the landscape, Drake's Fang is completely enclosed within the hollow of an ageless mountain, its citrine crystal reaching inward toward the barrow's heart. (explicit canon) ¹
Security was originally the responsibility of the Men of the Rock, a private army employed by the Dhalmekian parliament; Hugo Kupka, on becoming Dominant of Titan and the Republic's Permanent Economic Advisor, seized personal control of the Mothercrystal, and the bulk of that force was co-opted to serve him alone from then on. (explicit canon) ²
Drake's Fang's own dedicated 'Fall' record states plainly that it was destroyed by Cid the Outlaw and his associates in 878. The main Drake's Fang record instead hedges: 'while it is widely reported to have been destroyed by Cid the Outlaw... rumours also abound of orcs -- subjects of the Kingdom of Waloed -- having been sighted there at the time.' Cid the Outlaw's own database entry separately credits him with destroying a different Mothercrystal, Drake's Head in Sanbreque, in 873 -- confirming this would be a second, later act by the same figure rather than a mix-up between the two events. (explicit canon, disputed) ^1,3,4
During the main story quest 'Into the Darkness', Clive Rosfield descends into Drake's Fang, fighting through Orcish soldiers of the Kingdom of Waloed before confronting Hugo Kupka, who transforms into the Eikon Titan for the quest's climactic battle. (explicit canon) ⁵
Walkthrough material for the 'Into the Darkness' quest refers to the location as 'Drake's Fang Mines', situated on the outskirts of Kupka's own Castle Dazbog; Kupka is stated to have built his palace within the excavated mountain, and Clive's assault is motivated partly by a wish to avenge those slain at Kupka's request when an earlier Branded hideout was sacked. (explicit canon) ⁵

Sources

(interpretation) Drake's Fang — Gamer Guides
(interpretation) The Men of the Rock — Gamer Guides
(interpretation) The Fall of Drake's Fang — Gamer Guides
(interpretation) Cid the Outlaw — Gamer Guides
(interpretation) FF16 - Into the Darkness Main Quest Walkthrough — Gamer Guides
(interpretation) The Mothercrystals — Gamer Guides

Record created: 30 August 2026 · Last researched: 30 August 2026