Verstael Besithia is Prompto’s “parent”. (for lack of a better word)

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Even though in the game he’s referred to as his father by Ardyn, and Verstael even refers to him as his son (as does Ardyn), I wouldn’t go as far as to call Verstael Prompto’s Dad.

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Prompto is a clone of Verstael Besithia. This is discovered during Episode Prompto.

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Not too much information is given about Verstael in the game. In the main game he is only seen once. We only see him in the cutscene between Chapter 2 and 3.

A genius, Verstael quickly rose through the ranks of the Niflheim Military and went on to become the leading authority in Magiteknology. Verstael is the Chief Researcher of the Magitek Infantry.

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In Episode Prompto we finally meet him face to face. His screen time in Episode Prompto is short though, and most of the information we receive about him is through audio recordings strewn about the facilities.

Episode Prompto also sees the death of Verstael. Prompto shoots him after their encounter since he is turning. When we come across Verstael in the episode he has been infected with the plasmodia and is becoming daemonified.

In Episode Ardyn, Verstael is younger. His facial model is closer to older Prompto’s model. In Episode Ardyn the similarities are very apparent.

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Outfit Details:

Verstael wears the same clothing in Episode Ardyn, Episode Prompto, and the main game.

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The main game takes place in 756 M.E, Episode Ardyn takes place in 721 M.E. So Verstael aged 35 years between Episode Ardyn and the main game.

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In Episode Ardyn it is revealed he is the one that found and freed Ardyn from imprisonment on Angelgard.

Verstael has taken great interest in Ardyn since he has the ability to house the scourge inside of him and not succumb to it, regenerate his cells, and the ability to daemonify others. His plans are to use Ardyn’s abilities to help defeat the Lucian Army.

While never explained fully in the game or any of the dlcs, it seems Ardyn is the one who introduced the idea of using the plasmodia as fuel in the Magitek Cores. (this audio can be heard on the Audio Files page) This leads Versteal down the path of eventually using infected humans, and ultimately cloning himself.

Verstael while at first seeming to have some misgivings about the entire process, eventually sets all that aside for his duty to the Empire.

As you find more audio clips in Episode Prompto it is apparent that Verstael is slowly losing his sanity. The last audio clip you find before fighting Barbarus reveals that Versteal plans to infect himself with the plasmodia, and then upload his consciousness into a vessel to rival the Gods.

Besithia’s Research Journals in Episode Ardyn

There are nine research journals of Besithia’s to find in Episode Ardyn. Three of them discuss the scourge, and Ardyn. The rest talk about daemons, the Astrals, the Wavebreaker, and the Messengers.

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XDA-1002: Immortalis

Immortalis is Verstael’s “Final Form”. After his death and sublimation, his consciousness is uploaded into Immortalis so he can achieve “ascension to an existence beyond divinity”

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You can find the blueprints for Immortalis on a counter in the room where you confront Verstael. It is the “new model” Aranea is referring and has come to stop.

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When Prompto first kills Verstael, the miasma he emits after death begins transfer to Immortalis (you can see this part at the end of the video “Confronting Verstael” above) After the fight with Unit SAS-0822: Barbarus, the transfer completes and Immortalis activates.

Verstael’s consciousness is now inside Immortalis and Prompto must kill Verstael again to prevent him from wrecking havoc with his “Godslayer” weapon.

Details:

Immortalis is a huge mechanical weapon that resembles a worm. It is Verstael’s ultimate feat. It’s head, and the seven appendages around the core in the middle of it’s head, rotate around. It can also fire projectiles. It moves by way of rotating bands along it’s body, pushing it along. The drill bit like heads are also used to help push it along and to help it burrow through the ground.

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The miasma seeping off the machine is visible on the tips of the appendages.

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It chases Prompto and Aranea through the tundra, while Prompto takes it down with a gatling gun on the back of a snowmobile that Aranea is driving.

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Verstael is able to speak while inside of Immortalis, showing that he has truly become the “ghost in the machine”

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With the death of Immortalis, Verstael is no more, both his body and mind exhausted.