(04-22-2015, 11:12 PM)Goodfellow Wrote: 1) Sharlayan: Astrologians aren't Ishgardian! Who knew? I know very little of Sharlayan's history beyond a vague idea of where the island is and that it is, more or less, the academic center of Eorzea, possibly Hydaelyn and the homeland of the Archons.
Sharlayan is a city-state located on the Northern Isles in the Bloodbrine Sea. It is not technically a part of Eorzea. At some point during the 6th Astral Era, Sharlayan emissaries colonized a region of northern Eorzea, west of Dravania to build an "Eorzean" Sharlayan city-state to further study the Eorzeans. Hence why there's an island Sharlayan and an inland Sharlayan that you see on the Eorzean Map. This second, Eorzean Sharlayan was abandoned shortly following the Fall of Ala Mhigo 20 years ago after peace negotiations with the Garlean Empire failed.
More details about Sharlayan can be read in this very informative Tales from the Calamity.
Also, I'll link the original post detailing the lore behind Astrologian jobs being Sharlayan and not Ishgardian... here.
(04-22-2015, 11:12 PM)Goodfellow Wrote: 2) Astrology: What's an astrologian without an understanding of the stars in the sky? What's the cosmology of FFXIV? We all know a little about different planes/dimensions, namely the Void, Thal's Realm, etc., and we know that Hydaelyn is referred to not just as a "world", but as a "planet" as well. That being said, what do we know about the universe? I assume Hydaelyn is in a solar system of some sort, but is it Ptolemaic (concentric spheres, geocentric) or Copernican (the modern conception, heliocentric)? Furthermore, are all the stars in the sky other stars with their own planets and corresponding systems?
There are other planets and moons out there. Likely an entire solar system, but there is very little lore on it. The sun is Azeyma, the moon is Menphina. The former... lesser moon, which orbited Menphina was Dalamud or "Menphina's Hound." There was lore from 1.0 stating it was believed that the Red Moon got its name because the Hound was Menphina's divine protector, and that it would bathe the heavens red if an entity tried to harm Menphina. We know now, obviously, that Dalamud was not a real moon.
As far as astrology goes... that's honestly about all the lore we have. There are stars that have names and constellations per lore, but we don't know what their names are or what significance they might have. Hopefully lore will be addressed in Heavensward detailing these things specifically.
We do know that much of what Eorzea knows of astrology is from an Ishgardian named Adaunel the Younger, who lived some 300 years ago.
Quote:#69 - The Observatorium
Three hundred years ago, Ishgardian astrologian Adaunel the Younger convinced the Holy See that he could predict the comings and goings of the Dravanian Horde by studying the movements of the heavens, and thus secured funding for the construction of the First Dicasterial Observatorium of Aetherial and Astrological Phenomena and its grand astroscope.
Quote:Star Globe
A spherical map of the heavens based off of legendary Ishgardian astrologian Adaunel the Younger's lifetime of findings.
I'm sure we'll learn much more about him in Heavensward as well. Hopefully.
(04-22-2015, 11:12 PM)Goodfellow Wrote: 2b) On that subject, what do we know about the Eorzean Zodiac? Do we know specific constellations or the names of individual stars or planets?
Like above, we don't know any constellations or such. Besides the fabled "Dragon Star" discovered by Adaunel the Younger 300 years ago, we don't really have many names for other celestial bodies yet.
As for the Eorzean Zodiac... I'll refer you to this older thread on the topic:
The Zodiac and Lalafell
Not entirely conclusive, but it may help until actual lore is presented. Hope this helps! ^^ But it's honestly one of those- just gotta wait for Heavensward -things. There's currently not much in the way of lore on any of this stuff yet. I've been looking. =x
