Ardyn had no interest in aiding Niflheim in its war against Lucis, but learned about the extent of the empire's influence in Eos along with its research on daemons, monstrous life forms the Starscourge eventually transforms the afflicted. Verstael showed Ardyn the frozen body of the treacherous God of Fire, Ifrit, deep in slumber at the lab after Niflheim had salvaged him from the Rock of Ravatogh.