Expanding on what Valence said (doing a lot of that this thread! xD) that the colonialist themes aren't that strong in the text - Louisoix is more or less universally heralded as a hero both in-universe and in meta, the two people who I was referring to in that comment are relatively happy with their lot in life (or at least, the problems they have aren't related to their adoptive-Sharlayan-ness), and I don't think it's ever actually explicitly addressed in the text apart from a few "mutter murmer Sharlayan isolationists" that there's any resentment on the Eorzeans' parts towards Sharlayans? So it's something you could explore if you wanted to - one interpretation of the facts - but it's definitely not at the forefront of what you'd be dealing with on the character, unlike "everyone hates Garleans". ;D
Also, gimme like, 15 minutes and I'll transcribe a few useful bits from the lore book about Sharlayan (and Thavnair, if I can find it). I'll edit it into this post.
Lore book entries (incomplete in places but I'm typing by hand):
Also, gimme like, 15 minutes and I'll transcribe a few useful bits from the lore book about Sharlayan (and Thavnair, if I can find it). I'll edit it into this post.
Lore book entries (incomplete in places but I'm typing by hand):
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Sharlayan
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OverviewFlag
When Thaliak poured the waters of knowledge into His river, the spiral shell became their keeper - such is the legend wherein the nautilus came to symbolise wisdom. In addition, men have believed that mollusks lived forever from time immemorial. It is to capture the essence of these meanings that Sharlayan's flag bears a green spiral shell emblazoned upon a field of silver.
Motto
Knowledge Seeks No Man
Government
When Sharlayan had but few inhabitants, all adults came together in the Ecclesia to speak their mind upon decisions of nation. As their numbers grew, they have come to elect to the Forum those officials who they feel best represent the will of the people. The speaker of the Forum serves as the head of state, but his power is greatly restricted by law.
Religion
The people of Sharlayan came together in the pursuit of knowledge. The city itself was raisde to aid in this endeavour, and in the process Thaliak was named the guardian deity. However, the choice had less to do with pious worship than the creeds of the Sharlayans. Thus, little importance is placed upon religious rites, and many pray to others among the Twelve.
Industries
Aetherial Technology: Through long years of studying aether and magic, Sharlayan scholars have mastered the secrets of traversing the Lifestream through aetherytes. Indeed, by building and maintaining Eorzea's Aethernet, they have secured a steady source of foreign currency. [Transcriber's Note: In-game lore suggests this is done via Ul'dah's Syndicate.]
Publishing: With scholars and Archons penning discourse upon discourse, it is no surprise that the city has a robust publishing industry. These learned treatises are prized by Eorzean academics and artisans, who willingly pay great sums to learn of Sharlayan's latest findings.
Education: Starting with the prestigious Studium, Sharlayan has numerous famed academies that accept students from all nations. In times past, Eorzean pupils eagerly flocked to Sharlayan's settlement in the Dravanian hinterlands from all corners of the realm. There, they studied a multitude of subjects from different fields - though it seems that instructors reserved certain wisdom for those of Sharlayan citizenship alone.
Beliefs
For greater purposes, Sharlayans seek to gather the knowledge of the world, and preserve it for posterity in the pages of the Bibliotheca Historica. They covet the unknown and unexplored, and put great value upon education - in part as a gathering of like-minded fellows. They also abhor bloodshed, find war barbaric, and would never dream of allowing their wisdom to be used for martial purposes. As such, they guard closely all knowledge they deem dangerous.
Diet
As one might expect, food is oft taken as an object of study, and Sharlayan is rumoured to hold countless tomes detailing fare from all over the world. However, the delicacies they create are for strictly academic purposes - and not for anything as base as eating. The every-day fare of the city is good for the body, but otherwise quite bland. Accordingly, many groans can be heard from foreign students come meal time.
When Thaliak poured the waters of knowledge into His river, the spiral shell became their keeper - such is the legend wherein the nautilus came to symbolise wisdom. In addition, men have believed that mollusks lived forever from time immemorial. It is to capture the essence of these meanings that Sharlayan's flag bears a green spiral shell emblazoned upon a field of silver.
Motto
Knowledge Seeks No Man
Government
When Sharlayan had but few inhabitants, all adults came together in the Ecclesia to speak their mind upon decisions of nation. As their numbers grew, they have come to elect to the Forum those officials who they feel best represent the will of the people. The speaker of the Forum serves as the head of state, but his power is greatly restricted by law.
Religion
The people of Sharlayan came together in the pursuit of knowledge. The city itself was raisde to aid in this endeavour, and in the process Thaliak was named the guardian deity. However, the choice had less to do with pious worship than the creeds of the Sharlayans. Thus, little importance is placed upon religious rites, and many pray to others among the Twelve.
Industries
Aetherial Technology: Through long years of studying aether and magic, Sharlayan scholars have mastered the secrets of traversing the Lifestream through aetherytes. Indeed, by building and maintaining Eorzea's Aethernet, they have secured a steady source of foreign currency. [Transcriber's Note: In-game lore suggests this is done via Ul'dah's Syndicate.]
Publishing: With scholars and Archons penning discourse upon discourse, it is no surprise that the city has a robust publishing industry. These learned treatises are prized by Eorzean academics and artisans, who willingly pay great sums to learn of Sharlayan's latest findings.
Education: Starting with the prestigious Studium, Sharlayan has numerous famed academies that accept students from all nations. In times past, Eorzean pupils eagerly flocked to Sharlayan's settlement in the Dravanian hinterlands from all corners of the realm. There, they studied a multitude of subjects from different fields - though it seems that instructors reserved certain wisdom for those of Sharlayan citizenship alone.
Beliefs
For greater purposes, Sharlayans seek to gather the knowledge of the world, and preserve it for posterity in the pages of the Bibliotheca Historica. They covet the unknown and unexplored, and put great value upon education - in part as a gathering of like-minded fellows. They also abhor bloodshed, find war barbaric, and would never dream of allowing their wisdom to be used for martial purposes. As such, they guard closely all knowledge they deem dangerous.
Diet
As one might expect, food is oft taken as an object of study, and Sharlayan is rumoured to hold countless tomes detailing fare from all over the world. However, the delicacies they create are for strictly academic purposes - and not for anything as base as eating. The every-day fare of the city is good for the body, but otherwise quite bland. Accordingly, many groans can be heard from foreign students come meal time.
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History[Transcriber's note: This section is really long, so excuse me only transcribing the very last section of it, which is the part within living memory.]
Pleas Unanswered
The Dravanian hinterlands [colony, which was founded in 1311, and was one of Eorzea's 6 city-states] attracted students from all across Eorzea and grew as a beacon of knowledge and wisdom. Yet this was not to last. In 1557, tidings that Garlemald had captured Ala Mhigo reached the city. To the Sharlayans, the Empire was a threat to their very way of life. They had spent an age stubbornly resisting all war, and the imperial invasion of Ilsabard and Othard was a bane to the values they had held since Nyunkrepf [the Roegadyn founder]'s time. Sharlayan sent ambassadors to Garlemald with entreaties to stop their advance. They even strove mightily to parlay a peace, but all these pleas fell on deaf ears, and the envoys returned home empty-handed.
In the wake of the failed negotiation, Fourchenault Leveilleur [Louisoix's firstborn, and the twins' father] and the faction he lead within the Forum elected to forsake their colony. Following five years of elaborate and painstaking preparation, the plan to evacuate the settlement's entire population to the northern archipelago of their homeland was put into motion. In 1562, the city of Sharlayan became a maze of empty streets and buildings in the space of a single evening. [This is the location you can visit in-game in the Dravanian Hinterlands].
Pleas Unanswered
The Dravanian hinterlands [colony, which was founded in 1311, and was one of Eorzea's 6 city-states] attracted students from all across Eorzea and grew as a beacon of knowledge and wisdom. Yet this was not to last. In 1557, tidings that Garlemald had captured Ala Mhigo reached the city. To the Sharlayans, the Empire was a threat to their very way of life. They had spent an age stubbornly resisting all war, and the imperial invasion of Ilsabard and Othard was a bane to the values they had held since Nyunkrepf [the Roegadyn founder]'s time. Sharlayan sent ambassadors to Garlemald with entreaties to stop their advance. They even strove mightily to parlay a peace, but all these pleas fell on deaf ears, and the envoys returned home empty-handed.
In the wake of the failed negotiation, Fourchenault Leveilleur [Louisoix's firstborn, and the twins' father] and the faction he lead within the Forum elected to forsake their colony. Following five years of elaborate and painstaking preparation, the plan to evacuate the settlement's entire population to the northern archipelago of their homeland was put into motion. In 1562, the city of Sharlayan became a maze of empty streets and buildings in the space of a single evening. [This is the location you can visit in-game in the Dravanian Hinterlands].
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Organisations[Transcriber's note: Skipping the character profiles here. They are for Fourchenault Leveilleur, Sevestre Albright, and Matoya. If you want any of them, lmk.]
The Forum
In his wisdom, Nyunkrepf saw that each citizen of Sharlayan be allowed a voice in the matters of their community. By around the 150th year of the Sixth Astral Era, however, the city had expanded considerably. In the Ecclesia, too many voices clamoured in debate, and reaching consensus on anything, no matter how small, seemed to take an age. Though it was clear a new system was needed, the Sharlayans clung adamantly to their tradition, changing it as little as possible. This met with failure, and in 201 [over 200 years since the founding] they decide upon a new form of governance. Now, the nation would be led by the Forum, a body of ninety-nine members. Each Sharlayan of age would cast a vote to elect members from amongst his peers. In its early days, the Forum met in a public square, from which its present name is taken.
Archons
Sharlayan does not bestow the title of Archon upon each and every wise man. Indeed, it is said that only those who have demonstrated an exceptional knowledge ot their respective subjects and made a great contribution to their fields are selected and certified. Apparently, there are more benefits attached to the position than one might suspect, not least of which being free access to forbidden tomes.
The Forum
In his wisdom, Nyunkrepf saw that each citizen of Sharlayan be allowed a voice in the matters of their community. By around the 150th year of the Sixth Astral Era, however, the city had expanded considerably. In the Ecclesia, too many voices clamoured in debate, and reaching consensus on anything, no matter how small, seemed to take an age. Though it was clear a new system was needed, the Sharlayans clung adamantly to their tradition, changing it as little as possible. This met with failure, and in 201 [over 200 years since the founding] they decide upon a new form of governance. Now, the nation would be led by the Forum, a body of ninety-nine members. Each Sharlayan of age would cast a vote to elect members from amongst his peers. In its early days, the Forum met in a public square, from which its present name is taken.
Archons
Sharlayan does not bestow the title of Archon upon each and every wise man. Indeed, it is said that only those who have demonstrated an exceptional knowledge ot their respective subjects and made a great contribution to their fields are selected and certified. Apparently, there are more benefits attached to the position than one might suspect, not least of which being free access to forbidden tomes.
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ThavnairTo the south of Ilsabard lies a great sea known as the Bounty. The abundance of sea life combined with its central location in relation to the Three Great Continents has historically seen civilisations on the islands of the Bounty thrive, even during the calamitous Umbral Eras.
The most prominent of those civilisations would have to be that of Radz-at-Han, located on Thavnair - the Bounty's largest landmass. An ancient city-state with a history stretching back thousands of years, Radz-at-Han is best known as the birthplace of modern alchemy. It is interesting to note that, despite having a very limited outward military presence, the city-state has succeeded in forging a non-interference treaty with the Garlean Empire, ensuring their independence while mightier nations fall about them, and as thus, Radz-at-Han remains an active hub for trade between Eorzea. However, it has been noted by some that the treaty was only formed so that Garlemald could obtain items from Eorzea via Thavnair, as official trade between the regions was frozen after the Empire's failed invasion twenty years past.
The most prominent of those civilisations would have to be that of Radz-at-Han, located on Thavnair - the Bounty's largest landmass. An ancient city-state with a history stretching back thousands of years, Radz-at-Han is best known as the birthplace of modern alchemy. It is interesting to note that, despite having a very limited outward military presence, the city-state has succeeded in forging a non-interference treaty with the Garlean Empire, ensuring their independence while mightier nations fall about them, and as thus, Radz-at-Han remains an active hub for trade between Eorzea. However, it has been noted by some that the treaty was only formed so that Garlemald could obtain items from Eorzea via Thavnair, as official trade between the regions was frozen after the Empire's failed invasion twenty years past.
![[Image: tUzrT.png]](https://puu.sh/tUzrT.png)
