Final Fantasy XI fans take heart -- today Square Enix finally unveiled the first significant screenshots of its upcoming expansion Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan. While the previous trickle of screens showcased bright green fields and misty pirate ships, these new screens reveal much more detail about what's in store for FFXI players.

One of the new areas announced today is called the Mamool Ja Savagelands, an area hostile to the Near Eastern Aht Urhgan Empire, itself more clearly defined as an ongoing concern rather than the treasure-filled ruin the game's title suggests. The inhabitants -- the Mamool Ja (which translates to "brethren of the shining scale") -- are divided into four biologically distinguishable classes, comprised of warriors, aquatics, sages and knights. The Mamool Ja, interestingly, are republicans, ruled by four overlords, one representing each class. The recent hostilities towards the empire of Aht Urhgan point back to the emergence of one of the four overlords known as the Autarch.