the lore of eorzea

Literally what's in the title; lore, theories and headcanon for FFXIV.

[kirei-sakura-no-ki]

I love that they still mention Niellefresne in 2.0 - he was honestly one of my favorite characters from 1.0 and I was very sad how that ended. But something that always bothered me, as you can see in the second picture.

“My Nielle, who sleeps even now - looking for all the world as if that cursed blade had taken his young life mere moment’s ago… not years. Ye gods, I could almost bear it if he were truly gone… but here he lingers.”

I always thought he died, but it seems that might not be true. He might just be stuck in a slumber due to a curse?! If that’s true will he somehow come back? Why would they talk about him off and on (I think he’d been mentioned at some point before as well)  if there wasn’t a chance of that - and for her to say that. If they brought Nielle back I would be so happy~! :)

[scholarofnym]

Niellefresne ‘died’ in 1562, about fifteen years ago; but his body hasn’t decomposed in all that time. 

The exact details are fuzzy, but during the 1.0 Ul’dah storyline, he stole a magical dagger called ‘Heartstrike’ from Lolorito in order to resurrect Ascilia/Minfilia’s father Warburton to extract from him vital information regarding the Garlean Empire. But when the ritual was about to begin, Nielle discovered that Warburton’s body had mysteriously vanished; and at that moment he was stabbed by a hooded (and curiously, left-handed) assassin. And it was then that he dropped Heartstrike, and the gem on its hilt shattered, triggering the blade’s supposed ability to restore the dead to life. It’s heavily implied, if not outright stated, that it was Lolorito who had him murdered.

But after the Adventurer’s final Echo vision in ‘Calamity Cometh’ ends, there’s still more to the story; F’lhaminn, Niellefresne, and his brother Colbernoux all come into play during the 1.0 Goldsmith quests, shedding even more light on the drama unfolding in Ul’dah.

So to answer your question, he is essentially in an eternal sleep; neither alive nor dead. Never waking but never decaying.

1.0 Ul’dah storyline: Complete video playlist

1.0 Goldsmith Questline: She Walks in Beauty: (Cutscenes) (Complete dialogue script)

F’lhaminn’s Flower: (Cutscenes) (Complete dialogue script)

Struck Through the Heart: (Cutscenes) (Complete dialogue script)

[scholarofnym]

Bringing this back, since Niellefresne’s plot is FINALLY going to become relevant again in 4.0!

[winterdeepelegy]

Today’s cutscene cap harvest - In which a certain rogue waxes poetic:

-The adventurer successfully defeated the familiars summoned by Urianger, only to be approached afterward by Thancred, claiming to be a bard and offering to tell about the prophet.  Instead of speaking at all about the prophet, he told a tale of the great flood, and the purpose of the prophet’s words.

[scholarofnym]

This marks both the very first mention of the Sixth Umbral Calamity, and the first (indirect) mention of the War of the Magi.

And on a slightly obvious note, Thancred recognizes you if you began the story in Ul’dah. There’s two other similar quests in Gridania and Limsa Lominsa that involve confronting Urianger and speaking with a member of the Circle of Knowing. (Papalymo actually appears without Yda!!!)

[brattygrymblade]

More than about 1500 years ago in the Eorzean calendar, three great mage capitals thrived: The Mhachi, the Nymians, and the Amdapori.

The start of the 5th Astral Era began with a rediscovery of magic, and a great mage Shatotto discovering a way to utilise the Aether surrounding them instead of their internal Aether to cast magic. Hence, the first Black Mage was born(This Shatotto also called down Meteor and used the starshards from that to create the Stardust Rod). The Mhachi primarily resided around northwest of Mor Dhona, around the Yafaem Saltmoor.

In the city of Amdapor lived the bastions of White Mages. The White Magic relied on the balance with the environment to provide succor - a comfort, a relief, in response to the development of Black Magic that utilised the Aether around them.

The Nymians lived on Vylbrand, and while they were a small maritime nation, they were considered superb tacticians. It has been said that,“A single scholar can fully support a party of marauders.”

Initially the three Mage nations lived in Harmony but everything changed when the firenation Mhachi attacked. 

Well, to be fair we don’t have concrete statement of who started the war, but what evidence we do have points to the Mhachi as the instigators.

As the war progressed, what Surito Carito and Alka Zolka in the SCH questline tell us, was that some Nymian seafaring traders got shipwrecked and landed on a desert island inhabited by a tribe of Lalafells. The seafarers got assitance from this tribe to set them afloat once more, but not before gifting them an ampoule as a gift (why are a lot of images for a googe image search of ampoule a lightbulb)

This looks about right.

So the seafaring Nymians went back to the City of Nym and then had the vial put on display in the royal hall. Slowly however a taint had spread throughout the city of Nym, and one by one the Nymians fell into a curse, transforming into the Tonberries we know of today. Through Surito Carito and Alka Zolka’s research, we find that the ampoule contained a voidsent, which was then finally cleansed through the 50-60 scholar questline.

With the Nymians out of the picture, the Mhachi turned their full attention to the Amdapori, continued their assault on the White Mage capital. From what we know, the Mhachi were proficient with summoning/utilising Voidsent, and thus had sent their voidsent to assault the City of Amdapor. At some point in time, the Mhachi grew desperate and summoned what E-Sumi-yan had described as a “King among demons”, Diabolos.

Lets pretend that diremite is a voidsent, okay?

This is why in the Lost City of Amdapor Hard Mode, corpses of Amdapori and Mhachi are shown wearing the AF gear.

In the chaos, the White Mages seemingly had abused their own power and thus the Elementals grew disappointed and angry at man’s actions, and their rage gave form to Oha-sok, akin to an elemental primal. It was this collective rage of the Elementals that ushered in a Great Flood that caused the Sixth Umbral Era.

BUT WAIT!

Turns out the Mhachi somehow got wind of the Great Flood and had prepared a means to try and survive it. The had created the Void Ark, to be powered by the Voidsent to weather it out.

This does mean that some Mhachi survived somehow, as it is speculated by Surito Carito that the remnants of the Mhachi ended up founding the nation of Belah'dia, which then separated into Sil'dih and Ul'dah.

Many thanks to Anwyll/Anonymoose of Gamerescape and FFXIV official forums, and to @folkenface for proofreading <3

Also thanks to Y’mir Tia (BLM), Roxy Migurudia (SCH), and the random Roe and Au’Ra for providing the roles of MRD and WHM respectively. This does not likely accurately depict what races actually were those nations however, as far as we know.

[saerdha-deactivated20181209]

I feel like I have read somewhere that it was the Amdapori that initially attack Mhach to try and curtail the powers of the black mages there… I’ll have to poke around and see if I can find it.

[scholarofnym]

More than a thousand years past, a great calamity was visited upon this world. Across the sky, a terrible blackness spread till no light could be seen, and then descended, seeping into the very hearts of men. Thus was he sorely afflicted, and his ways perverted. Chaos was in all places all at once, and myriad creation was destroyed. Avarice reigned supreme, and civilization was thrown into a lawless struggle for wealth and power─the mighty taking as they saw fit with complete disregard for nature and fellow man alike. Evil begat evil and ripened unchecked, taking on the sickly sweetness of rot, near to bursting and rank with the promise of decay. It was then that the Twelve, grieved by the corruption and sin that had gripped their creation, decided to purge the world of its evils with a cleansing deluge, proclaiming: “Behold the power of pure water!” And thus began the sixth of the Umbral Eras. There is a moral in this story for those wise enough to find it. You see, it was we mortals who brought the great flood upon ourselves and our world, having left the gods no recourse. And so if our faults ushered in an Umbral Era in the past, then our strengths can prevent the coming of another in the future.

The very first in-game mention of the Sixth Umbral Calamity; the War of the Magi and the three city-states which participated in it are only indirectly implied.

[tinolqa]

It occurs to me now- are people aware of the Ashcrown Consortium? Like, what it is, what it does, etc?

[mirkemenagerie]

I don’t think most people are, unfortunately, as it rarely gets mentioned in ARR. =/ Welp, guess this is a call to drop some lore bombs! This is what I’ve got, if you want to add to this @tinolqa?

The Ashcrown Consortium Founder: Shanga Meshanga & Troxia Chairman: Shanga Meshanga Purpose: Crystal Regulation, Trade, and the maintenance of trade relations between the Beast Tribes and the City-states.

“I assume you are familiar with crystals—the elementally charged clusters of concentrated aether which craftsmen employ in synthesis? Then you will doubtless have gleaned on your travels that crystals can be difficult to procure, especially in the vicinity of the city-states, where demand is greatest. This shortage is what forces most guilds to purchase the bulk of their crystals from beast tribes who seem, for whatever reason, to possess them in abundance. And that is where a certain trading organization known as the Ashcrown Consortium comes in. the Consortium works as an intermediary between tribe and guild—supplier and buyer. Of late, however, their agents have reported that more and more beast tribes have begun to refuse all trade. Now, if this trend were to continue, it would not be long before the market price of crystals started to rise, forcing crafters to offset material costs by increasing the prices of their products…or risk going out of business altogether. Lest you wonder why such monetary matters need concern you, I should explain that the Ashcrown Consortium shares a similar goal to that cherished by all who walk the Path of the Twelve—namely, peace in Eorzea.” -Minfilia

“For decades, the Ashcrown Consortium has seen to the realm’s crystal trade, ensuring that matters run smoothly. By acting as intermediaries between the beast tribes and the guilds, we have been quite successful in preventing a number of…shall we say, unsavory incidents between the two parties.” -Yoyoka

“I am Shanga Meshanga, one of the Consortium’s two Chief Interlocutors. My associate here is— Troxia of the Grove. You look surprised, my friend. Did you not expect a Sylph to be one of our leaders? Well, you need not apologize, for you are not the first, nor will you be the last. While many know of the Ashcrown Consortium, very few realize that it was the Sylphs who founded the business, many, many years ago. Now, the network they so painstakingly built encompasses all the city-states in Eorzea. If it were not for the Sylphs’ pioneering efforts, the free peoples of Eorzea may never have succeeded in establishing trade relationships with the other beast tribes.” -Shanga Meshanga

“…the head offices of the Ashcrown Consortium - Eorzea’s greatest purveyor of all things crystal! I have the pleasure of being Shanga Meshanga, chairman and president of said consortium. Our dear Sylvie has told us all about your efforts to build trust and goodwill between Eorzeans and the five beast tribes. An admirable aim, and one I share. The beastmen may be fearsome of appearance and eccentric in character, but are they truly so different from you and I? This is why I founded the consortium. In purchasing crystals from amiable tribes in return for vital resources they require, I aim to aid them in becoming self-sufficient. In this way I hope to foster a lasting friendship between our peoples. It has not hurt that this arrangement has proved quite profitable, as well. It goes without saying that few in the Sultanate share my fondness for beastmen… and so I keep up appearances as a common trader. I would ask that you keep all that I have told you in the closest of confidence.” -Shanga Meshanga

“Whether they are gods or not is a debate for another time. What we do know for certain is the tribes have stopped selling their crystals to us because they believe the primals need them. And, as you have seen, the whole situation has created a great deal of unwanted tension. Now, if the Empire would only leave Silvertear Falls, then perhaps there would be sufficient crystals for all parties… Ah, but when was the last time the Garleans ever did anything to benefit Eorzea?” -Nananoby

((As a sidenote, my Thavnairian fishermonger, Razia, trades with the amiable beast tribes as well and cares about their customs and relations to the races of man.))

[tinolqa]

Rarely mentioned after 1.0 by comparison, yes, but still mentioned, as there is still one noteworthy (but frequently unplayed) questline where the Ashcrown Consortium plays a role. 

I speak of course of the series of quests unlocked by reaching maximum friendship with the initial five beast tribes through their daily quests- a daunting task that frequently takes months to complete, even with the addition of a doubled daily allotment of quests to undertake. And since you’ve already added Shanga Meshanga’s dialogue from said questline to the post, I fear that anything I add is more useful in terms of interpretation and synthesis as opposed to actual new information. I dare say you rather completely took the wind out of the sails of my original post, though I’m more than glad to see someone else with an interest in said information and making it available to others.

In laymen’s terms, the significance of this dialogue is that there is a business, based out of Ul’dah and run by Ul’dahns (a city, which one must note, has made the entrance of beastmen illegal- in the course of the aforementioned quest, your Amalj’aa ally is very nearly killed trying to reach you in the city, and your friend among the Sylphs must take on the appearance of a hyur to avoid detection). It was a presence in 1.0 in the main story quest, and survived the Calamity as an organization that does not shun the beast tribes, but engages in trade with them in a way that is mutually beneficial to both beastmen and citydwelling spoken. The Ashcrown Consortium trades for crystals, which are in perpetually high demand, and in return provides much-needed goods to beast tribes which by and large cannot trade with the city-states thanks to the suspicion and prejudice held against them. Which provides more stability for the lifestyles of said beastmen, making them less likely to be hostile towards the city-states over resources or land and less likely to summon primals- and making sure that there are less crystals in the hands of those who would use them for summoning, to take a more cynical look at it. As Shanga Meshanga mentions, this is hardly smiled upon in Ul’dah, and so it comes as little surprise that a business that does business by dealing with the beast tribes is on the down-low overall, even though they provide a vital service and are in a way on the cutting edge of Eorzean society in terms of tolerance and social permissiveness.

In the context of the questline in which they most recently appear, the Ashcrown Consortium has played a role in exposing a particularly heinous act of mass murder committed against the sylphs by a wealthy Ul’dahn merchant looking to profit off of unscrupulous necromantic alchemy and the collective fear and disregard the Eorzean people have for the lives of beastmen- the scheme surrounding which is the focal point of the culmination of the beast tribe quests.

[mirkemenagerie]

The mass murder of Sylphs in Ul’dah, as well as the upturning of several other beastmen gravesights does go largely unmentioned, unfortunately. Again, I think that its mainly because of the requirements for this questline to unlock, but I think the beast tribes relations to the Eorzean city-states is an important aspect of many RPer’s character’s lives that few capitalize on. Any character over the age of 20(ish~) has been alive in a time period where the Beastmen and the Five Races lived harmoniously within the city-states. Sadly, ARR only rarely hints to this important history.

“’Beast tribe’ is a designation of Garlean origin, given to those races the Empire deems detestable. Equivalent to an earmarking for extermination, the label is attached on account of association with primals—beatific beings who, amid certain circles, command godlike reverence. In stark contrast, the primals are held in highest hatred by the Garleans, who, besides calling them by the derogatory denomination eikon, have sought to suppress with startling single-mindedness any species suspected to summon them. It was approximately [fifteen] years ago that the last of the beastmen was driven out from Ul’dah. Faced with an impending imperial invasion, the Syndicate passed a policy to purge the sultanate of all beastmen, who found themselves unceremoniously banished by the bevy. Overnight, the sight of sylvan crystal merchants and goblin junk dealers alike up and vanished from the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. Despite the decree’s dubiousness, it was warmly welcomed by the majority of merchants, who regarded reduced rivalry with relish.

Such is the acuteness of their aversion, they went so far as to petition the Immortal Flames for the expeditious eradication of all goblins roaming the region. Sultanate decree distinctly dictates that no goblins are to set foot on Ul’dahn soil. Naught, however, is stipulated of their presence outside her walls. And now two factions stand opposed: those who desire the decimation of goblins versus those who believe it would best behoove the nation to leave them in peace. I, for one, envy not in the least the Immortal Flames’ prickly position.” -Havak Alvak, Of Beasts and Branding

“Recent years have seen the Amalj’aa threat grow gradually to pose a perennial problem for Ul’dah alongside the advancing Garlean Empire. Bad blood has boiled between us and the lizardmen for generations, born of an ongoing dispute over demesne. Hostility on the Amalj’aa’s part would peak pronouncedly in the wake of the tragedy at Mythril Pit T-3, a trend academics ascribe to the appearance of Ifrit.” -Havak Alvak, Ifrit Rising

“Throughout history, your kind has repaid our gestures of goodwill with naught but acts of injustice. How are we to take your utterances as true?” -Amalj’aa Configurator

“Seems there was a village, Lassae Village, what turned cloak and joined the lizards. And these Lassae census ledgers contain lists of all the traitors’ names.” -Halstein

“As one example, did you know that in the war against Sil’dih, Ul’dahn and Amalj’aa warriors fought side by side? Likely you did not. And neither did I, until I encountered a faded passage in an ancient text burried deep in our archives.” -Cocobuki

“One used to be able to find sylphs in all of Eorzea’s city-states, and none would pay them any mind.” -Nonoru

“Aye, and them Qiqirn be protectin’ Limsa from the Sahagin. Long as them fishbacks have ratboys enough t’ fill their bellies, they won’t think of eatin’ no proper men! Gah hah hah hah!” -Walker

“I seen the way you been glarin’ at the ratboys on deck. Well, let me warn you: lay a hand on ‘em, and their prickly hide’ll be the last thing your meaty digits ever touch. Qiqirn have their place on a ship, as does a helmsman or a cook. Them sniffers they got can tell when trouble’s brewin’, and them claw o’ theirs’ll rip clean through a fishback’s fins. That, and they make for decent fare when a ship’s larder’s spent. Heheheh.” -Ighii Moui

“My name is Bango Zango, junior archivist with the world-renown Brugaire Consortium. When I was littl- Er, when I was young, I dreamed of opening a store which employed only kobolds. Kobolds are quick and they have sharp minds, and they used to be friendly to us here in Limsa. I say ‘used to’ because in the past few years they’ve changed… It seems my dream will never come true.” -Bango Zango

“I was most pleased to discover the attitude of acceptance towards beastman traders here in Limsa Lominsa. My fellow Ul’dahn merchants openly despise such savage peddlers, you see, but I believe there are opportunities being missed. The Mamool Ja, for example, are a hardy race that hail from the lands to the west, and their skill at arms is their primary export. A quality source of mercenaries, if you ask me. The bulging packs of the goblins? They often contain naught of value, but it is worth sifting through the junk for that one rare treasure. And the Qiqirn? Look no further should you wish to trade for ore or gemstones.” -Dodozan

“When I was young, the [Sahagin] were more of a nuisance than an actual threat―the most we dealt with being the occasional cut net or stolen buoy. Now, they’re attacking the pullers themselves, putting everyone on edge. Some of my sailmates have even given up the profession out of fear for their lives.” -Sisipu

[xxxxxx---xxxx]

Mmm, lore. So much lore.

[tinolqa]

Oh.

Bismarck isn’t the Vanu term for their own primal, it’s the name imposed on it by Eorzeans because he matches the description of the whale from Sea Wolf mythology.

The Manukmanai is the proper Vanu name for the primal.

[astoriahollow-deactivated202102]

Final Fantasy XIV : Lore Facts II

Did you know? Senõr Sabotender at the Golden Saucer is actually a Lalafell in a costume. At specific intervals (a notable one is at the Monster Toss game) he will stop and perform a Lalafell-specific emote.

Did you know? The English localisation team can’t decide what a goat, sheep or antelope is on Hydaelyn. In several places, they refer to antelope as “goats” and aldgoats as “sheep”.

Did you know? Yoshida’s avatar - The Wandering Minstrel - mentioned Voor Sian Siran as far back as Legacy, in the quest to obtain a Goobbue whistle. Voor Sian Siran is a location in the Sea of Clouds, also referred to as “the floating lakes”.

[abalathian]

I forget where i read it, but i’m pretty sure someone mistook the “Voor Sian Siran” in the SoC for the real Voor Sian Siran mentioned in certain legends…

OH nvm i found it- it’s from the sightseeing log:

SO it might be the legendary paradise of Voor Sian Siran, but we should take this with a grain of salt. 

EDIT: note to self- never add comments on a post from your phone. You will make 100 mistakes…

[scholarofnym]

Episode 8 of Duty Commenced began a special lore segment entitled the ‘Lore Lowdown,’ the first installment featuring the infamous Republican Monetarist Lolorito Nanarito. (Misspelled in the powerpoint)

[wingstriker]

Pterygotus

The Thaliak River is a shining symbol of the Dravanian hinterlands—the great mother who blesses the land with the gift of water.

But where the gentle and generous mother brings life, the cruel and merciless father—an oversized crustacean who rules over the Thaliak with an iron claw— brings only death.

The great glutton will pounce on anything that moves, and chop up his prey with his tail pincers faster than you can say “ouch.” If you don’t keep an eye on that tail of his, you’ll be feeding the fishes in bite-sized chunks. 

Gigantopithecus

Time and again, the residents of Idyllshire have come under attack from a huge, hairy beastkin—imagine if you crossed a Roegadyn with an opo-opo, and had it row a ten-tonze galley for a twelvemoon.

I scoured the Sharlayan annals for a record of such a monster, and finally found it—it’s a gigantopithecus, a fierce beast native to the tropical jungles of the Cieldalaes.

It was brought here as a youngling by a Sharlayan scholar, who raised it in a specially constructed glasshouse in some vain attempt to research its ecology. But when the exodus came, the callow whelp didn’t think of taking his pet with him. Now it falls to the Clan to pick up the pieces.

Slipkinx Steeljoints

Have you heard of the Illuminati? They’re a secretive fraternity of goblin scholars who are particularly active in this area, engaging in experiments that run the gamut from the unusual to the downright unnatural.

Slipkinx Steeljoints’s studies fall towards the latter end of the spectrum. He’s a notorious scoundrel who thinks nothing of slaughtering innocents to test the effectiveness of his experimental weaponry.

The brute dresses himself in a suit of mechanical armor that is nigh on impenetrable, and sets about passersby with technologically enhanced gusto. Honestly, these scholars are completely incorrigible.

Stolas

You’ll never guess who put the bounty on Stolas’s head—it was sent by a Sharlayan astrologian, all the way from his homeland across the seas.

He lived here before the exodus, conducting his scholarly experiments. In one such trial, he used his magicks to bind an owl to him as a familiar. The test succeeded, but by some quirk of fate, the owl gained a prodigious intelligence, outstripping even that of its master.

But when the exodus came, the owl revolted. It attacked its master, stole a tome of forbidden knowledge, and escaped into the hinterlands. It seems the tome contains secrets of such cataclysmic power that, for the safety of the realm, this owl cannot be suffered to live.

The Pale Rider

Another request sent by a Sharlayan scholar from the safety of his homeland. The fellow’s uncovered an ancient prophecy, saying that in the end of days, a deathly knight will rise from the grave and bring death and destruction to Dravania atop an ashen steed.

If the scholar is right, and this “end of days” does indeed refer to the Seventh Umbral Calamity, then this supernatural horseman should already be among us, but I don’t see any death and destruction around here. Well, no more than normal, anyway…

Honestly, I think it’s all a pile of chocobo plop. There was an adventurer passed through the other day, said she’d seen a headless horseman out in the hinterlands when she was hunting for treasure…but believe you me, you can trust those looters as far as you can throw them!

[tinolqa]

Like knowing your geography? Can’t read Eorzean script on the fly? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Here’s a properly labeled version of the big map of Aldenard, so you can now comprehend where things like the Carteneau Flats and Xelphatol are in relation to everything else.

[faerie-apples]

Vista Records - Dravanian Hinterlands [Sharlayan]

[de-fortemps-blog]

(This is the latest in-game version of the text - it may have varied between patches.)

“……”

[scholarofnym]

A very important levequest has been edited thus I must notify the lore community.

[tinolqa]

Admittedly I didn’t know until I looked it up, but so many of the names of major boss dragons in FFXIV are taken from notorious monsters in FFXI! Like. Pretty much all of them, other than Midgardsormr and a couple who are named for FFXII enemies (Twintania, Giruveganus)

Anantaboga, Biasts, Koschei, and Vishap were all dragons (specifically the type whose model is used for the XIV incarnation of Anantaboga and the Valefor enemies in Labyrinth of the Ancients- though the model in question is now a type of voidsent, rather than a dragon, and most of the dragons named for this category use different models.)

Seps was a type of puk- though the puks in FFXI looked like the dragonflies in FFXIV, rather than the puks we have now.

Naul, Isgebind, and Nidhogg were wyrms.

Aiatar and Gorynich were wyverns.

(Svara, Chudo-Yudo, Maracco, and Safat are not names taken from FFXI.)

[scholarofnym]

Twintania first appeared as a Demon of the Rift in V.

The first time the name ‘Nidhogg’ showed up in the Final Fantasy series was in the Japanese version of FFVII, as the enemy ‘ニーズへッグ’ romanized as ‘Nīzuheggu’. The English version of the game simply names it ‘Heg’. And in Final Fantasy X and X-2, Nidhogg shows up properly translated as another random encounter, a powerful drake-class fiend. Nidhogg in FFXII was a Rank I mark found in the Lhusu Mines in Bhujerba. He’s also a snake instead of a dragon, for some reason.

As for the other names, 'Maracco’ is Italian, ‘Safat’ is Arabic, ‘Svara’ is Sanskrit, and ‘Chudo-Yudo’ is suspiciously Plainsfolk-like.

[bladed-fragments-deactivated201]

        –✖– Dusk Vigil Journal  | FFXIV: Heavensward

[scholarofnym]

This is what Yuhelmeric used to look like before, by the way.

[aethericgeometry]

[scholarofnym]

Aye, I’ve heard the tale afore─that of the boy and the dragon. As I recall, the lad was snatched from the forest by bandits of the north before he was a man grown. Spirited him away to the mountains, they did. Yet dragons fly the northern skies, and the eyes of one such beast came to rest on our bandits and boy. It swooped down upon them from on high, wings beating and teeth gnashing. Screams of terror and blinding dusts filled the air, and as the young lad’s chocobo reared and took flight with fear, he was flung from its back, and tumbled from the narrow pass and down the mountainside. Yet the gods spared his life, and he awoke sometime later at the base of a great, rocky ledge, wounded and broken and unable to move. Hours passed, and before long the foul beasts what roam the crags caught scent of his blood and began to close in all around. It was then, as the boy was making his peace with the Twelve, that another dragon, small and feeble, came upon him. Yet instead of tearing him flesh from limb, it charred and maimed and chased off the circling beasts, saving the boy’s life. The tale ends with the dragon bearing the wounded boy on his back, and the two flying through the blue skies of the north together. A beautiful enough story for an Ul'dahn audience. But milord would do well not to regale a soul with it around these parts. For it has been branded a heresy by the archbishop in Ishgard, and his Holiness has ears even in this very wood.

The Boy and the Dragon Gay, told by the bard Penelope in the eponymous quest. (via scholarofnym)

(Dialogue taken from the LVL 54 Dark Knight quest.)

. . . Oh. Well then.

[tiergan-vashir]

For all the folks curious about the non-highlander Ala Mhigans prior to 3.0:

J’moldva the Hellfire Phoenix was a flame-haired Ala Mhigan miqo’te that originally appeared in the 1.0 Gladiator Questline Unalienable Rights when you hit level 30.  She and another gladiator named Greinfarr (now known as Bronze Bull in 2.0 - the roe who introduces all the fights in Halatali HM) were both extremely well known gladiators in their prime.  When they finally were matched up in a fight, most of the wealthy bet on Greinfarr while a huge chunk of money from the Ala Mhigan refugees naturally was bet upon J’modlva. Unfortunately, the sheer amount money bet upon Greinfarr (some folks were betting entire houses) was enough that if J’moldva won, the ensuing riot that would follow could have torn Ul’dah apart.  J’moldva threw the fight, accepting defeat in order to save the city - and had to flee to Gridania with Greinfarr’s help not long after.  Greinfarr promised J’moldva that the Coliseum would do all it could to protect the Ala Mhigans.   Since then, J’moldva has never returned to the bloodsands, as Greinfarr made her promise she wouldn’t get herself killed trying to be a gladiator again.

She and Bronze Bull also feature as your clients in 2.0 at the level 50 Blacksmithing quest.  The Moldva - “King of Ala Mhigan Fighting Fish” is named after her. The Ala Mhigan Resistance in 1.0 featured all races, roegadyn, elezen, lalafell, miqo’te, and both-types of hyur - however the leader of the group your character interacts with is a Highlander, linking back to the fact that they made up the main population of the nation.

Little Ala Mhigo in 2.0 is mostly comprised of highlander hyur with a small smattering of midlanders - but there’s at least three Hellsguard roegadyn out there who are clearly not just passing through.