<<Veteran Explorer>>
Sounsyy Mirke
Sightseeing Logs
A Realm Reborn
Heavensward
Sounsyy Mirke
Sightseeing Logs
A Realm Reborn
Sightseeing Vista #001 Wrote:Barracuda Piers
These docks provide safe mooring for the Thalassocratic Navy's principal squadrons, also know as the Crimson Fleet. To prevent sabotage, admittance to the area is forbidden to the general citizenry; however, on clear days, one may catch a glimpse of the armada flagship, the Triumph, from atop one of Limsa Lominsa's myriad spans.
Sightseeing Vista #002 Wrote:The Astalicia
Registered as a trade vessel hailing from foreign waters, this battle-scarred warship captained by the lord of the region's underworld, One-eyed Hyllfyr, serves as a gathering place for brigands, cutthroats, and the purveyors of sundry other breeds of villainy. It is here that the city-state's many pirates crews find new recruits to join their ranks.
Sightseeing Vista #003 Wrote:Seasong Grotto
"I am the waves that bear, I am the winds that guide.
I am the evening stars, I am the morning sky.
I am born of the sea, and there shall I die."
Nestled within a shallow cavern situated to the south of Summerford Farms sits an ancient monolith upon which is carved this, the Sailors' Requiem.
Sightseeing Vista #004 Wrote:The Skylift
Once an endless expanse of flat, rocky meadows, lower La Noscea is now severed atwain by a sheer cliff known as the Descent. To maintain overland trade routes from the easterly outposts of Aleport and Bronze Lake, Lominsan engineers created the Skylift - a tower of wooden scaffolding outfitted with pulleys, winches, and lighter-than-air balloons.
Sightseeing Vista #005 Wrote:La Thagran Eastroad
When the Galadion fell victim to the Navigator's fury and ran aground on the southern shores of Vylbrand 700 years ago, it was her two helmsmen, Jean De Nevelle and Guy La Thagran, who were tasked with exploring the newfound island - the former heading east, the latter, west. To this day, their routes still serve as La Noscea's two main thoroughfares.
Sightseeing Vista #006 Wrote:The Salt Strand
When struck by a fallen shard from Dalamud's outer shell, a massive amount of concentrated aether was released from just below the surface of the Rhotano Sea, immediately fusing with and crystallizing the towering found of salt water which was expelled during the impact. City-state-funded exploratory forays into the inner crater have all yet to return...
Sightseeing Vista #007 Wrote:Red Rooster Stead
The farmers on the Red Rooster Stead will rarely shy from testing their agricultural acumen on exotic crops or untested growing methods, and take pride in their willingness to sacrifice a harvest if it means a better yield an autumn hence. The plantation's name is said to be taken from the bloody cock fights held after nightfall by the gamekeeps.
Sightseeing Vista #008 Wrote:Brewer's Beacon
This relatively new lighthouse was built soon after the Calamity claimed Swiftperch Tower to ensure safe passage for trade vessels carrying shipments of dark stouts and blonde barleywines out of Aleport. In addition, the candlekeeps also keep watch for increasingly frequent rogue tidal waves caused by the stirrings of the Lord of the Whorl.
Sightseeing Vista #009 Wrote:The Leatherworker's Guild
Crafters for the realm-famous Atelier Fen-Yll, the Leatherworkers' Guild boasts the finest tawers and tanners in all Eorzea. In recent years, the workshop has come to be known for its Geva patterns, which outline methods of working and cutting hides, pelts, skins, and furs in a way that honors the Elementals within by minimizing waste.
Sightseeing Vista #010 Wrote:Apkallu Falls
Named after a failed attempt by an ambitious Gridanian merchant to hatch and breed apkallus in the linn, Apkallu Falls is most remembered for serving as a place of medittion for the late Louisoix Levellieur, Circle of Knowing Archon and hero of Eorzea.
Sightseeing Vista #011 Wrote:Bentbranch Meadows
Once Moogle's Gift Mounts was established and its rookery stocked with Ishgard's finest birds, it was not long before an entire settlement had grown up around the stables. The trademark balloon tethered to the main building is actually an Ixali war vessel claimed by the chocokeepers after it became tangled in a nearby tree and was abandoned by its riders.
Sightseeing Vista #012 Wrote:The Sanctum of the Twelve
This sky-scraping ivory cathedral was built following the Age of Endless Frost - a dark period in which the realm was overrun with famine and disease - to serve as a place of refuge and respite for all who sought succor. Soon after, however, it fell into ruin and was all but forgotten... until the advent of the Seventh Umbral Era saw need for its rise once again.
Sightseeing Vista #013 Wrote:Little Solace
Little is the solace granted to those sylphs who would voice their opposition to the summoning of the Lord of Levin. Little is the solace bequeathed upon those who would abandon their homes in the Sylphlands and shun their frenzied brethren. Thus, it is only through fraternity that those sylphs may ultimately find solace, however little it may be.
Sightseeing Vista #014 Wrote:Royal Promenade
In times when the sultan had sole rule over the city-state, the Promenade would serve as an ersatz waiting chamber for those petitioners who sought audience with His Resplendence in the Fragrant Chamber. Now, with power in the hands of the Syndicate, the round is empty, save for the occasional tryst betwixt young nobles.
Sightseeing Vista #015 Wrote:The Gold Court
A large atrium in the heart of Ul'dah, the Gold Court's opulence and scale make it a popular meeting place for the city's elite. The plaza was once reserved for the sultan's private balls, but has since been opened to the public due to a lack of funds to maintain the majestic hanging fountain at her center.
Sightseeing Vista #016 Wrote:The Jewel of the Desert
The commercial hub of Ul'dah is organized strategically around the dome-shaped citadel at its center. Its towering fortifications and protective outer walls bedighted with myriad glass panes and colorful mosaics are visible for malms in all directions, and serve as a stark deterrent to would-be besiegers.
Sightseeing Vista #017 Wrote:The Ruins of Sil'dih
The city-states of Ul'dah and Sil'dih coexisted for generations until 400 years ago when bad blood festering betwixt the two sultanates culminated in the War of the Sisters - leaving Sil'dih a smoldering pile of rubble to be claimed by the shifting desert sands. The subsequent relocation of Ul'dah placed the city-state nearly directly above her fallen sibling.
Sightseeing Vista #018 Wrote:The Lonely Giant
Local legend claims the Lonely Giant is everything from the ghost of a Sil'dihn sultan, to the prototype for a new model of Garlean machina. Ul'dahn scholars, however, simply believe him a Coerthan goobbue who lost his bearings during the chaos of the Calamity, and after a long journey through the Black Shroud, died of exhaustion upon reaching Thanalan.
Sightseeing Vista #019 Wrote:The Invisible City
Buried under nearly a malm of solid rock, if it not for a gaping rent torn open by the Calamity, these ancient ruins may have gone undiscovered for another thousand summers. Scholars sent to Highbridge to study the site are currently of a mind that the structures are not a city, but in fact the tomb of one Lalafuto IV, famed sultan of Belah'dia.
Sightseeing Vista #020 Wrote:Highbridge
After the Calamity rent eastern Thanalan asunder, one of the first projects commissioned by the Syndicate was the construction of a bridge to span the newly formed chasm and restore the trade route with lands transpontine. The city which has sprung up along its edges is populated almost solely by scholars investigating the nearby ruins of the Invisible City.
Sightseeing Vista #021 Wrote:Woad Whisper Canyon
Little more than a shallow valley but five years past, Woad Whisper Canyon was carved into a gaping gorge in a matter of moons after the Calamity drained Bronze Lake and dramatically altered the course of the Nym River. On hot days, laborers from both Summerford Farms and the Skylift will oft take respite in the cool mists of the falls... if not met by bandits.
Sightseeing Vista #022 Wrote:Summerford Farms
When Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn rose to Admrial, one of her first decrees included the clearing of large swathes of land for new Lominsan settlements. Summerford Farms and its expansive orange groves is one of those locations - its name is derived from the man-made crossings required when late spring runoff from Mt. O'Ghomoro causes the Rogue River to swell.
Sightseeing Vista #023 Wrote:The Grey Fleet
Sitting high atop Widow Cliffs on the southeastern coast of Vylbrand, the Gray Fleet was built to harness the constant southerly winds funneled down through the Strait of Merlthor, and use them to power the many mills which grind the region's wheat and full its wool.
Sightseeing Vista #024 Wrote:Hidden Falls
Sheltered on three sides by towering cliffs, Hidden Falls can be found several score yalms upstream from where the Agelyss River empties into the Strait of Merlthor. Taken by its beauty, Ul'dahn plutocrat Gegeruju was quick to purchase the land and construct a stage upon which private performances for the magnate's favored clients are held.
Sightseeing Vista #025 Wrote:Gullperch Tower
One of three beacons built along the La Noscean coast in the Sixth Astral Era, Gullperch Tower is the easternmost - warning ships navigating the Strait of Merlthor of its deadly shallows, while also serving as a watchtower for pirate and Sahagin raids on Bloodshore.
Sightseeing Vista #026 Wrote:The Navigator
Carved centuries past by a famous Roegadyn sculptor, this massive stone effigy located in the center of Aleport's lower plaza serves as hallowed ground upon which sailors might offer solemn prayers to the watcher of the seas before embarking on their journeys across the untamed deep.
Sightseeing Vista #027 Wrote:The Ship Graveyard
For centuries, ships wrecked off the shores of southern Vylbrand have been carried upon currents to this quiet inlet - a timeless reminder of the Deep's boundless wrath. So many are the wooden corpses which populate this watery lichyard, it is said that for every hull visible above the waves, a score more slumber beneath.
Sightseeing Vista #028 Wrote:Camp Skull Valley
Now a strategic outpost for the Maelstrom, Camp Skull Valley was once but a circle of tents occupied by a meager Yellowjacket unit charged with surveilling the area for kobold incursions. Those beastmen foolish enough to venture down from O'Ghomoro were slaughtered and beheaded - their skulls put on display as a warning for others.
Sightseeing Vista #029 Wrote:Tidegate
Taking advantage of the chaos left in the Calamity's wake, a large force of Sahagin rose from the seas and laid claim to Halfstone, a distant Lominsan settlement on the far-western edge of La Noscea. To prevent further swells of the beastmen forces, a massive wall was erected between the enemy-occupied lowlands and the allied Skull Valley.
Sightseeing Vista #030 Wrote:Camp Bronze Lake
The formation of great underwater fissures during the Calamity saw the nearly half of the water comprising Bronze Lake vanish in the span of a single night. The result was the uncovering of ancient Nymian ruins submerged for thousands of years - most notably, the Wanderer's Palace, a temple dedicated to the god Oschon.
Sightseeing Vista #031 Wrote:Thalaos
Though there is no proof to support the claim, rumor has these sun-bleached remains of a long-dead denizen of the deep are those of the legendary twin sea serpents believed to have been unleashed by the Navigator, Llymlaen, at the dawn of eras to fill the empty seas (the other being Perykos).
Sightseeing Vista #032 Wrote:Jijiroon's Trading Post
Located on the western banks of Bronze Lake, Jijiroon's Trading Post is one of two makeshift markets peddling baubles and trinkets to those brave enough to venture that deep into kobold lands. The other is Memeroon's trading post, run by Jijiroon's estranged sibling, to whom the stubborn Qiqirn merchant hasn't spoken in twenty summers.
Sightseeing Vista #033 Wrote:The Floating City of Nym
Suspended high above the foothills of Mt. O'Ghomoro is the Floating City of Nym - central hub of a lost civilization which prospered on Vylbrand during the Fifth Astral Era. The accepted theory was to how the city was torn from the realm involves the over-aspecting of corrupted wind crystals - a phenomenon witnessed late in the Sixth Astral Era.
Sightseeing Vista #034 Wrote:Camp Overlook
Manned by the "meanest shite-kickin' unit in the whole damn Maelstrom," Camp Overlook serves as the base of operations for the Red Swallows - a privateer levy tasked with the surveillance of kobold activity in outer La Noscea and along the slopes of Mt. O'Ghomoro.
Sightseeing Vista #035 Wrote:U'Ghamaro Mines
The brilliant rainbow-colored hues that permeate the otherwise bistre slopes of O'Ghomoro are a result of the endless flow of toxic slumgullion streaming forth from the labyrinthine warrens that make up U'Ghamaro Mines. As more kobolds arrive on the surface each day, there is a scramble to construct new forges to accommodate them.
Sightseeing Vista #036 Wrote:The Hermit's Hovel
While few have ever seen the lord of this humble hideaway which rests precariously on the edge of an unscalable precipice - let alone obtained his permission for entering the premises - that has not stopped travelers from taking full advantage of the respite the location offers, whether it be a dip in the steaming pools, or a few bells' slumber on the soft goosefeather bed.
Sightseeing Vista #037 Wrote:The Carline Canopy
Nestled cozily within the inn known as the Roost lies the relaxing Calrine Canopy, a haven for those seeking a respite from travel's travails or questing's quandaries. Figaga's Gift, the towering waterwheel found outside the cafe, powers the saws and lathes of the Carpenters' Guild, and is widely considered Gridania's grandest architectural achievement.
Sightseeing Vista #038 Wrote:The Lancers' Guild
Founded by legendary Wood Wailer captain Mistalle, the Lancers' Guild doubles as a headquarters for those who keep the peace within Gridania, and the greater peace without. It is to these "Wailing Barracks" that people come with matters whose resolution requires a polearm's edge, and justice meted out to those who have wronged the forest or forestborn.
Sightseeing Vista #039 Wrote:The Bannock
Built around the stump of a fallen heavenspillar, the Bannock serves as training grounds for Order of the Twin Adder initiates. There are several theories regarding the origin of the area's name, some claiming it is taken from the hard tack issued to Grand Company recruits, others that it is derived from the training stump's resemblance to those selfsame rations.
Sightseeing Vista #040 Wrote:Haukke Manor
Long frowned upon by the people of Gridania as a symbol of excess, the Seedseers would finally submit to pressure from the citizenry, selling the deed to the manor to Lady Amandine of House Dartancours. The word "Haukke" is of ancient Padjali origin and means, "to speak without words."
Sightseeing Vista #041 Wrote:The Guardian Tree
Having seen over a thousand summers, the Guardian Tree is purportedly the oldest arbor in all the Black Shroud, and home to the Great One - an elder Elemental who watches and presides over the forest's denizens. The fruit borne by the tree resembles a plum and is sought after across the Three Continents for its curative properties.
Sightseeing Vista #042 Wrote:Rainbow Bridge
When struck by the rare sunbeams which happen to penetrate the thick canopy of the Black Shroud, the veil of fine mist created by one of the East Vein's myriad cataracts projects a brilliant rainbow which appears to connect the river's east and west banks. The grotto hidden behind the veil houses of the forest's most sacred locations - the Lifemend Stump.
Sightseeing Vista #043 Wrote:The Seedbed
Illuminated in the soft glow of countless moonspores, the Seedbed is an ancient arbor-turned-nursery used by the sylphs to grow and incubate their offspring, also known as podlings.
Sightseeing Vista #044 Wrote:Buscarron's Druthers
The Druthers is run by a disenfranchised ex-sentry-turned-tavernkeep and welcomes all manner of folk, from upstanding to unsavory, so long as they follow Buscarron Strongarm's simple rules of etiquette: sit down, forget your worries, and savor your ale.
Sightseeing Vista #045 Wrote:South Shroud Landing
Constructed by Highwind Skyways to serve as a landing for cargo airships, this location was quickly abandoned when the imperial presence in the area became too large to ignore. Now the site is used as a makeshift market where bandits and poachers peddle their ill-gotten wares far from the eyes of the law.
Sightseeing Vista #046 Wrote:Urth's Gift
Ancient writings tell that in exchange for her lifeblood, Lady Urth was able to seal the dark divinity Odin in a crystalline prison beneath a bubbling wellspring. To honor her sacrifice, the land upon which she drew her last breath still bears her name.
Sightseeing Vista #047 Wrote:Quarrymill
Once a deal had been struck between the Gelmorrans and the Elementals allowing their return to the forest surface, the Elezen began unearthing large quantities of boulders to build the foundations of their new city, Gridania. The waterwheels of Quarrymill were raised to power the hammers which rendered the massive stones into workable blocks.
Sightseeing Vista #048 Wrote:Ixali Logging Grounds
The Ixal have never taken well their banishment from the Black Shroud, and to this day continue to fell the hoary sentinels growing on the forest's outskirts. To heavy to drag back to their settlements in Natalan or faraway Xelphatol, the ill-gotten lumber is tied to balloons buoyed with Ixali airstones and flown to the beast tribe's homeland under the cover of night.
Sightseeing Vista #049 Wrote:Fallen Neurolink
Coined by the learned men of Garlond Ironworks, these massive rings were used to dampen spiritual energies, preventing the focusing of power required to wield magicks. No less than five, each measuring hundreds of yalms across, were required to keep Bahamut silent for two full eras... but even then they proved insufficient.
Sightseeing Vista #050 Wrote:Alder Springs
Once a vast grove of giant alders, the flames of the Calamity reduced the area to a charred graveyard, leaving nothing of the ancient holt but its name.
Sightseeing Vista #051 Wrote:Castrum Marinum
Situated atop the roiling Rhotano Sea between Aldenard and the eastern coast of Vylbrand, Castrum Marinum serves as the southernmost outpost for the Garlean Empire's XIVth Legion. The cohort stationed on this man-made floating island is primarily tasked with the resupplying of imperial army cohorts deployed in the La Noscea and Thanalan theaters.
Sightseeing Vista #052 Wrote:Vesper Bay
A bustling port city strategically situated on the western coast of Thanalan and maintained using funds generously provided by Syndicate chairman Lolorito, Vesper Bay serves as a gateway in and out of sultanate-controlled lands. The colossal bronze statue in the main plaza is said to be an exact likeness of said chairman (when viewed from afar).
Sightseeing Vista #053 Wrote:Black Brush Station
A marvel of modern innovation, the steam engine has transformed the mining industry, increasing efficiency and profits thrice over. It has also led to the transformation of what was once a thinly manned aetheryte outpost into a thriving crossroads of labor and commerce - a new pillar to support the thriving Ul'dahn economy.
Sightseeing Vista #054 Wrote:Gate of Nald
One of three main portals accessible by the general populace, the Gate of Nald is wide enough for two fully burdened chocobo carriages to enter abreast and still leave room for the flanking gateguards. Her Resplendence, Nanamo Ul Namo, has commanded that the portcullis remain open night and day, so as to welcome all who would partake of Ul'dah's wonders.
Sightseeing Vista #055 Wrote:The Burning Wall
Once an unscalable precipice severing eastern Thanalan from the Grand Wake, the Burning Wall earned its name for the deep red glow it would emit each evening as the sun set. Toppled by the Calamity, that cliff no longer exists, in its place a queer forest of crystalline sentinels and malformed creatures shunned by Nature herself.
Sightseeing Vista #056 Wrote:The Golden Bazaar
Once a waypoint for traders making the journey between Gridania and Ul'dah, the rise of settlements such as Camp Drybone and Highbridge have all but rendered the once prospering hamlet a ghost town. Rumors of mythril deposits in the nearby mountains and treasure in the ruins of the Invisible City, however, may work to rekindle this dying ember.
Sightseeing Vista #057 Wrote:Thal's Respite
Overseer of wealth in the afterlife, proper obeisance to the Trader, Thal is required for those who wish to take belongings accumulated in this world to the hereafter. Thal's Respite is oft used by stout devotees of the Order of Nald'thal as a place of fasting and prayer, but its distance from Ul'dah prevents all but the most affluent from making the journey.
Sightseeing Vista #058 Wrote:Nald's Reflection
Overseer of wealth and commerce upon the corporeal plane, it is believed that through fervent worship of the Trader Nald, one will reap immeasurable fortune in one's living years. Prince and pauper alike once made pilgrimages to this remote place of prayer in search of prosperity... until, that is, the Milvaneth Sacrarium opened a new (toll-based) temple within Ul'dah.
Sightseeing Vista #059 Wrote:Zahar'ak
Loosely translated as "land of perseverance," Zahar'ak is a forward stronghold for the Amalj'aa host based in Zanr'ak. The beast tribe believes the scorched plains of Thanalan to be hallowed ground blessed by the cleansing flames of their primal deity, Ifrit, and as such are intent on driving from the land all whom they deem invaders.
Sightseeing Vista #060 Wrote:The Sagolii Desert
According to the Sons of Saint Coinach, the Sagolii Desert was once a verdant sea of lush plains capable of sustaining great civilizations, as is evidenced by the ruins recently discovered in the area. How such a place devolved into a lifeless desert remains a mystery, but recent disaster tells us an ancient Calamity is the likely culprit.
Sightseeing Vista #061 Wrote:The Sunken Temple of Qarn
Most scholars of ancient Belah'dian civilization claim this twisting labyrinth of complex chambers to be a place of worship dedicated to the sun goddess, Azeyma. Recent diggings, however, have uncovered older chambers buried beneath the new containing relics not of the Sixth Astral Era, suggesting that the temple may have been built by a different people.
Sightseeing Vista #062 Wrote:Minotaur Malm
Local legend has that long ago, a young goatherd leading his pack to water at Forgotten Springs was set upon and chased a full malm through these caves by a minotaur. There has yet to be a second sighting of the creature, but the stories are enough to frighten away most who would consider passage through this trading post used by the Seventy-Seven Caravans.
Sightseeing Vista #063 Wrote:East Watchtower
To power their legions of war machina, the Garleans require a steady supply of the aether-based fuel known as ceruleum. Bluefog housing the largest deposit in Eorzea, the Empire has begun their own mining operation but a stone's throw from the allied refineries, heightening tensions in the area and prompting the construction of two watchtowers.
Sightseeing Vista #064 Wrote:Ceruleum Pipeline
Even before airships and engines were commonplace in Eorzea, Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern recognized the potential value of ceruleum and laid claim to nearly all of the untapped deposits in northern Thanalan. In an ironic twist, for many years before the Garlean invasion, the Concern's biggest customer was, in fact, the imperial army.
Sightseeing Vista #065 Wrote:Bluefog
Though abundant on the northern continent of Ilsabard, only a handful of ceruleum deposits have ever been discovered on Aldenard, the largest being buried under the Sea of Spires in northern Thanalan. Ceruleum is a highly unstable substance and will begin to evaporate when in contact with air, resulting in the bluish haze from which this area earns its name.
Sightseeing Vista #066 Wrote:Raubahn's Push
In the final days of the Sixth Astral Era, the ceruleum fields of northern Thanalan proved to be one of the most hotly contested areas in all Eorzea, with the Empire amassing a giant host outside of Bluefog to seize control of the local fuel refineries. Though outnumbered three to one, Raubahn and his army succeeded in "pushing" back the enemy.
Sightseeing Vista #067 Wrote:Abandoned Amajina Mythril Mine
The discovery of mythril in a small copper mine in Bluefog triggered the Great Rush which saw would-be prospectors flock to the Sea of Spires in search of quick and easy fortune. The veins that ran through the mountains, however, were not deep, and it was but ten summers before the mines ceased to yield the precious metal, forcing many to abandon their claims.
Sightseeing Vista #068 Wrote:The Nail
As is described in the Enchiridion, to ensure the realm of man did not drift apart from the firmament, Halone stuck the Nail through both, ever binding the two. And though assailed on all sides by great metal shards fallen from the lesser moon Dalamud's crust, the ancient peak remained standing, a testament to the land's life force.
Sightseeing Vista #069 Wrote: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.
Sightseeing Vista #070 Wrote:The Frozen Fang
In years past, the hot alpine summers would have seen this fallen Dravanian outflyers blown with maggots and reduced to bones in a matter of days. Now, in the endless winter wrought by the Calamity, the carcass rests in the permafrost under a thick blanket of snow, perfectly preserved since the day he was pierced through the heart by a ballista.
Sightseeing Vista #071 Wrote:The Holy See of Ishgard
For the past thousand years, Ishgard has waged a bloody war with the dragons of Dravania. To fend off the enemy horde, a complex web of defenses, magical and corporeal, have been added piecemeal to the city proper's outer walls, transforming her into an impenetrable bastion, while at the same time, isolating her and her people from the outside world.
Sightseeing Vista #072 Wrote:Boulder Downs
Before the Calamity, Boulder Downs was a vast sloped lea littered with moraine deposited by realm-swallowing glaciers long receded. The rain of debris that accompanied the fall of Dalamud, however, transformed the landscape into a frozen wasteland pocked with gaping impact craters and peculiar dark matter formations.
Sightseeing Vista #073 Wrote:The Fury's Gaze
A place holy to all Ishgardians, it is believed that when a man stands within this hidden grotto, the Fury Herself will reach deep into the darkest recesses of his soul and lay out his sins before him, allowing the man to repent those failings. The Monument Tower nearby was built to protect this hallowed ground from the taint of dragons and heretics.
Sightseeing Vista #074 Wrote:Snowcloak
The bitter cold which swept over the Coerthas highlands following the Calamity did not only blanket the region in snow and ice, but transformed the water of Twinpools and the Swiftrun into a mountainous flow of ice - a flow which has slowly crept through the western Coerthas highlands and now has completely engulfed Gargoyle Crossing, preventing passage.
Sightseeing Vista #075 Wrote:Camp Dragonhead
Its name taken from a rocky outcropping said to be the head of a Dravanian king turned to stone by the almighty hand of Halone, this outpost acts as the central Coerthas highland's southernmost line of defense for the Holy See, tasked with fending off Ixali raids from Natalan, skirmishes by heretic factions, and the occasional yeti scare.
Sightseeing Vista #076 Wrote:The Steel Vigil
One of four citadel watchtowers built along the Sea of Clouds, the Steel Vigil warned the Holy See of aerial attacks for centuries before being razed and gutted by the Dravanian Horde and their vile commander, Svara. Now, only the outer walls remain, leaving a bitter reminder of the dragons' destructive power.
Sightseeing Vista #077 Wrote:Castrum Centri
Castrum Centri was erected with material salvaged from the ruins of Castrum Novum - the Garlean Empire's first major outpost in Eorzea, constructed in the final year of the Sixth Astral Era by VIIth Legion legatus Nael van Darnus. It houses several ceruleum mining pits, a magitek manufactory, and the Phantom Train, used to transport ordnance to outlying castri.
Sightseeing Vista #078 Wrote:The Crystal Tower
As if somehow beckoned forth from its hypogeal prison by the events of the Calamity, this sky-scraping spire now commands the Mor Dhonan horizon. Through their research, the Sons of Saint Coinach have determined that the monolith, also known as Syrcus Tower, was constructed to collect and store the endless energies of the sun.
Sightseeing Vista #079 Wrote:Rathefrost
The fall of the Agrius into Silvertear Falls not only drained the magnificent multi-tiered lake, but instantly crystallized the majority of the region's flora - a result of mass quantities of ceruleum fuel reacting with aether released upon Midgardsormr's death. What remains is a brilliant, yet dead landscape akin to a twisted garden pocked with blooming geodes.
Sightseeing Vista #080 Wrote:The Keeper of the Lake
Maintaining a silent vigil over Silvertear Lake, the keeper is wrought from the wreckage of the imperial flagship, the Agrius, and the entangled remains of Midgardsormr. For many religious and mythological enthusiasts, it stands as proof of the existance of the gods. For most people, however, it serves as a grim reminder of the horrific power of Garlemald.
Heavensward
Sightseeing Vista #001 Wrote:Falcon's Nest
From its humble origins as a lonely cluster of barracks nestled in the mountains of western Coerthas, the village of Falcon's Nest grew and prospered until the Calamity came and the icy winter took its deathly toll. Its name derives from the falconers who reside there with their snow-white charges, defending their mountain home from the Dravanian threat.
Sightseeing Vista #002 Wrote:Camp Riversmeet
Once a key military outpost for the Ishgardian forces, this strategic location where the waters of the Swiftrun and the Coerthas flow together is home to a lone aetheryte shard, which has stood abandoned in the years since the Calamity.
Sightseeing Vista #003 Wrote:The Dreaming Dragon
What appears to be an island floating amidst the icy waters of Ashpool is said to have once been a living, breathing dragon - magicked into slumber by the Holy See until ash enveloped its body and its limbs turned nigh unto stone.
Sightseeing Vista #004 Wrote:The Dusk Vigil
The Calamity was not kind to this once-proud watchtower, from which Ser Yuhelmeric and the brave knights of House Durendaire once stood watch against the encroaching Horde. Since the walls fell and the chill took hold, it has come to be inhabited by all manner of fell beasts, and gods only know what else.
Sightseeing Vista #005 Wrote:Gorgagne Mills
Ser Gorgagne was a proud knight and bannerman of House Durendaire, until the fateful day when the heir of that house vanished from sight while under his care, never to be seen again. Devastated by the loss of the boy and his own failing, he put aside his blade and built his farm, where he quietly lived out the rest of his days.
Sightseeing Vista #006 Wrote:Hemlock
Once a bustling village and home to the woodcutters who plied their trade in the western highlands of Coerthas, this settlement - named for the large evergreens unique to the area - was abandoned when the chill came, and remains a ghost town to this day.
Sightseeing Vista #007 Wrote:The Bed of Bones
It remains to be confirmed whether, as the tales say, yetis prefer to slumber atop makeshift bedding fashioned from the remains of their victims - in large part because prominent naturalists have been reluctant to do the fieldwork necessary to corroborate this claim.
Sightseeing Vista #008 Wrote:Loth ast Gnath
Built from a highly viscous blend of Dravanian clay and saliva, the nests of the Gnath are surprisingly stable, able to withstand the harsh elements of the Dravanian forelands. The smoke that rises from the mound-like structures is believed to be a sort of incense with a scent that, for reasons unknown, keeps would-be dragon invaders at bay.
Sightseeing Vista #009 Wrote:Anyx Minor
The shattered ruins of a once-proud city. The official stance of the Holy See is that it was a settlement of heretics, razed to the ground by Halone in an act of divine retribution, though scholars disagree on the historical accuracy of this interpretation.
Sightseeing Vista #010 Wrote:Anyx Trine
Three towers unique in that they appear to have been built to house both man and dragon, an architectural oddity which would seem to corroborate the Holy See's position that they were erected by heretic witches for themselves and their dragon consorts.
Sightseeing Vista #011 Wrote:The Hundred Throes
The rushing river has all but swallowed these ancient ruins at the base of Sohm Al, which now serve as a nest of all manner of beastkin who find sustenance in its waters, and the dragons who find sustenance in said beastkin.
Sightseeing Vista #012 Wrote:Halo
This ancient altar sits in the fiery depths of Mourn. Once adorned by statues depicting a girl and a dragon, only the latter has survived to the present age. Lift your eyes above the structure, and the base of the floating peak of Sohm Al can be seen.
Sightseeing Vista #013 Wrote:Tailfeather
Founded by hunters who came to the frontiers in hopes of snaring the wild chocobos of the forest, this settlement and those who call it home are shielded from the eyes of the dragons by the canopy of the majestic caelumtrees that rise high above it.
Sightseeing Vista #014 Wrote:Sohm Al
Of all the mighty peaks that comprise Abalathia's Spine, none rise higher than Sohm Al, the highest point in all Eorzea. It is held as a sacred land by the dragons, who are said to journey here when they feel their life slipping away. Formed not of stone but solid crystal, the massive mountain floating above the ground below is a marvelous sight to behold.
Sightseeing Vista #015 Wrote:Moghome
A settlement that sits curiously atop Sohm Al, the tallest peak in Eorzea, in the heart of the dragons' demesne. What pact might the moogles have made with the great wyrm Hraesvelgr to allow them to live here in peace?
Sightseeing Vista #016 Wrote:The Aery
Vicious aetheric storms rage in Nidhogg's lair, keeping out all those who would dare disturb the great wyrm in his slumber - be it one of years or centuries.
Sightseeing Vista #017 Wrote:Tharl Oom Khash
An ancient structure half consumed by crystal, its name means "crystal from remorse" in the tongue of dragons. From the sheer mass of crystallization, it has been posited that an entity possessed of aetheric power to rival the seven great wyrms laid down its life here...
Sightseeing Vista #018 Wrote:Zenith
A majestic fortress in Hraesvelgr's domain, watched over at the great wyrm's behest by the moogles who make their home in the Churning Mists. Though the years - a thousand of them - have taken their toll, it still stands proud and strong, stirring the heart of all who lay eyes upon it.
Sightseeing Vista #019 Wrote:The Lost Landlord
This colossus stands on an island in Greensward. Its name was bestowed by the moogles, who believe it to be a statue of the "king of the land-dwellers," though no records remain that could shed light on the identity of this individual, and whether or not he ever truly walked the realm.
Sightseeing Vista #020 Wrote:The House of Letters
The thousand-year-old ruins of a tower said to have been built by the hand of man and dragon in the days before the war. Even now, as it lies crumbling in ruin, one can still make out the letters engraved in its walls, which have led the moogles to give it the name by which it is now commonly known.
Sightseeing Vista #021 Wrote:The Rookery
As the moogles tell it, the place known as the Rookery was once a bustling skyport where wayfarers came and went on the backs of trained wyverns. These days, the buildings remain, but the only dragons in sight are the vicious minions of Nidhogg.
Sightseeing Vista #022 Wrote:Camp Cloudtop
An outpost manned by the Rose Knights of House Haillenarte, who stand watch against Dravanian incursions from atop the floating islets in the sky. Boasts the Protector, a mighty airship that would avail the Ishgardians greatly in their battle against the Horde were it ever repaired to full strength.
Sightseeing Vista #023 Wrote:The Nidifice
A nest of great migratory birds that travel with the seasons from the Near East to Eorzea and back again in search of warmer climes. IT is here that they lay their eggs, raise their young, and teach them to take to the skies before making the journey anew.
Sightseeing Vista #024 Wrote:Voor Sian Siran
A spring formed from moisture in the atmosphere accumulated and solidified by the power of water crystals. It is said that the knight who first discovered these ethereal waters shared the story with a wandering minstrel, who declared it to be the legendary paradise of Voor Sian Siran. However, this claimed has been met with some skepticism, given the minstrel's penchant for embellishment.
Sightseeing Vista #025 Wrote:Mok Oogl Island
An island whose name, in the tongue of the VAnu Vanu, translates to "a noise heard on high." On the island stands a monument engraved with a mark of moogle design, but no sign of the creatures themselves, leaving its origins clouded in mystery.
Sightseeing Vista #026 Wrote:Hall of the Fallen Plume
Among the most sacred locations of the Vanu Vanu, this is said to be the spot where a single feather from Bismarck, ruler of the clouds, fell to the surface. In recent years, the elder of the violent Vundu tribe has claimed it as his seat of power, from which he rules with an iron claw.
Sightseeing Vista #027 Wrote:Ok' Vundu Vana
Roughly translating as "high home of the Vundu," this village is home to the Vanu Vanu's aggressive Vundu tribe. Exceedingly proud, the Vundu believe that the voices of those who live highest in the skies will be heard loud and clear by the ruler of the clouds.
Sightseeing Vista #028 Wrote:Hengr's Crucible
This oddly shaped isle, floating in the eastern reaches of the Sea of Clouds, is named for the witch Hengr, a figure of Coerthan faerie tales whose cauldron its shape is said to resemble. In recent years, it has become a gathering place for the notoriously territorial toco tocos.
Sightseeing Vista #029 Wrote:The Arkhitekton
Once home to Sharlayan masters who fashioned aetherytes within its halls, this workshop is now home to the Illuminati, a nasty band of goblins who would wield the ancient technologies within for their own nefarious ends.
Sightseeing Vista #030 Wrote:The Answering Quarter
This Sharlayan settlement stretches across the western banks of the Thaliak. Home to Saint Mocianne's Arboretum and a center for education and scholarly pursuits, it hearkens back to the cities of learning that flourished in bygone times.
Sightseeing Vista #031 Wrote:The Cenotaph
A towering monolith erected in tribute to the great scholars who have passed on, leaving behind the knowledge that has shaped the realm. The names of countless men of learning are etched in the mighty stone, along with the motto of Sharlayan: "Knowledge Seeks No Man."
Sightseeing Vista #032 Wrote:The Tipped Ewer
The spot where the melted snows of Abalathia's Spine flow emerge from their source to descend down the mountain, forming the countless tributaries that come together as the mighty Thaliak River. The name is said to come from the deity whose name the river bears and the magicked pitcher from which poured the waters of knowledge.
Sightseeing Vista #033 Wrote:Great Gubal Library
A massive library constructed by the Sharlayans to house the wealth of knowledge they had amassed in their travels across the realm. Though the vast majority of the tomes that once lined its shelves were carried back to the motherland in the exodus, it is said forbidden texts still slumber in sealed-off vaults below.
Sightseeing Vista #034 Wrote:The Orn Wild
A primeval forest that stretches across the northern reaches of the Dravanian hinterlands, its rich verdure sustained by the pristine waters of the Thaliak. Nigh untouched by the hand of man, its wilds stand between those who would make their way to Sharlayan without braving a trek across the forelands.
Sightseeing Vista #035 Wrote:Saint Mocianne's Arboretum
This botanical garden built by the Sharlayans once was home to fauna and flora collected from across the realm, the study of which yielded numerous discoveries regarding our natural world. Sadly, it was abandoned in the exodus, the teeming life within left to run wild and unchecked.
Sightseeing Vista #036 Wrote:The Gration
Flagship of the VIth Legion of the Garlean Empire, of the same make as the fallen Agrius. It now lies grounded, its ceruleum engines sealed in aetheric ice by the hand of Shiva, Lady of Frost.
Sightseeing Vista #037 Wrote:The Fractal Continuum
A mighty warship converted to a museum, intended to preserve for eternity precious artifacts from the thousand-year history of the Allagan Empire. From everyday tools to advanced military technology, the objects within are a testament to the fallen civilization's surpassing might and prosperity.
Sightseeing Vista #038 Wrote:Antithesis
Home to Tiamat, greaty wyrm of Midgardsormr's first brood, who fell to and was imprisoned by the Allagans. Even now, she laments her fateful decision to summon her brood-brother Bahamut back as a primal to aid her in her struggle.
Sightseeing Vista #039 Wrote:Aetherochemical Research Facility
An ancient Allagan research facility, wherein studies in restraining dragons and mastering primals were conducted. Test subjects from failed experiments prowl its long-since-abandoned halls.
Sightseeing Vista #040 Wrote:Helix
A massive port of sorts that stands among the wastes of Azys Lla. As the guidance node tells it, it was one of the few imperial landings massive enough to house Ragnarok-class internment hulks. It would seem the docking rings that remain are but a fraction of those that stood in bygone days.
Sightseeing Vista #041 Wrote:Quarantine Block
This floating islet in a lonely corner of Azys Lla served as an isolation area for chimerical creations which failed to meet established safety parameters. Historical records indicate that the facility began its life as a research center for advanced agricultural crossbreeding.
Sightseeing Vista #042 Wrote:Recombination Labs
This Allagan research facility gave birth to countless numbers of chimerical creations. Though the guidance system is quick to assure all visitors that the good behavior of the creatures born here was - at least at one point - guaranteed, recent visitors may find themselves having doubts.
Sightseeing Vista #043 Wrote:The Pike
A monumental stone sculpture carved in the likeness of Haldrath, the first Azure Dragoon. The stonemason Percelle devoted thirty of her later years chiseling the piece, and it has stood for more than 150 years since. Even today, one cannot find a more stirring tribute to one of Ishgard's founding fathers.
Sightseeing Vista #044 Wrote:Black Iron Bridge
This testament to the skill of House Dzemael's artisans serves the main road stretching from the capital to the Dusk Vigil. Although built primarily of solid stone, the bridge was named for its suspended metal chains, wrought from black iron impervious to the blazing temperatures of a dragon's exhalation.
Sightseeing Vista #045 Wrote:Dragonspit
Said to be as scalding as a wyrm's breath, Dragonspit is a colorful analogy for the hot springs nestled between the cliffs near the Slate Mountains. Local wildlife has long been attracted to the warmth of the natural thermal pools, and their numbers have only increased following the advent of the long winter. The steaming springs are also frequented by Ishgardian knights, who laud them for their supposed healing properties.
Sightseeing Vista #046 Wrote:The Slate Mountains
These mountains on the outskirts of Ishgard were valued as a mining site for slate of exceptional quality. Three years past, the knights of House Dzemael attempted to carve an Ishgardian stronghold into the cliffs, enraging the dragon Cuelebre and his followers. Remnants of the guresome battle that followed still lay scattered about the crags, unable to decay in the chilled altitude.
Sightseeing Vista #047 Wrote:Whilom River
When asked to explain the origin of its name, the local hunters usually say that while the river courses with tranquility in the present day, it once ran scarlet with the blood of the Dravanians and their foes. Those who fraternize with the dragons refute this interpretation, asserting instead that the river is symbolic of the passage of time since the sorrowful parting of paths between man and dragon.
Sightseeing Vista #048 Wrote:Loth ast Vath
Cast out from the main colony, a minority of Gnath known as the Nonmind built Loth ast Vath as a sanctuary for other exiles. The word 'vath' is derogatory in the Gnathic tongue, referring to those who can no longer link their thoughts to the Overmind. Possessed of individual personalities unlike their Onemind brothers, the Vath learn to live with each other's differing thoughts in the makeshift colony.
Sightseeing Vista #049 Wrote:The Hissing Cobbles
The remaining fragment of a forgotten highway, the Hissing Cobbles have been molded by the inexorable march of time, its neatly arranged grids of stone fading into earth and dust. The hunters of Tailfeather bitterly call it such as many a tracked quarry have escaped, startled by the hissing sound of boots grating on loose gravel.
Sightseeing Vista #050 Wrote:The Danneroad
This road leading to Anyx Trine was originally called Dran Errn, which roughly translates to "the path of dragon and man." Due to the difficult pronunciation, the road became known as the Danneroad over time, and its profound meaning was forgotten by all but the Dravanians.
Sightseeing Vista #051 Wrote:Statue of the Unsung
A solitary statue of a dragon in the southeastern corner of the Churning Mists. While it is difficult to ascertain the circumstances which led to its creation, the sculpture's foundation bears a weathered inscription in any early script which reads "along with the memory of thine heroic sapphire wings."
Sightseeing Vista #052 Wrote:Landlord Colony
The many dwellings here show evidence of extensive damage, likely the work of a furious Nidhogg following the betrayal of man. The moogles tell that the ruins were once home to teh 'lords of the lower lands,' although their history was lost in the great wyrm's wrath.
Sightseeing Vista #053 Wrote:The Old Father
The moogles consider this ancient tree to be the forbearer of all flora in the Churning Mists. They believe that the Father bore witness to a time before man and dragon descended into their millennium of bloodshed.
Sightseeing Vista #054 Wrote:Coldwind
When the Rose Knights first came to the Sea of Clouds and treated with the Zundu, they asked the chieftain what he called this islet floating northwest of Ok' Zundu, to which he responded "small island beneath which cold winds of Coerthas ever blow." For the sake of brevity, the knights simply called it Coldwind.
Sightseeing Vista #055 Wrote:The Shattered Back
The strong seasonal winds from the north have carved the crags of this floating isle into their unique shapes. The knights of Ishgard called it the Shattered Back for its ominous resemblance to the gnarled rib bones of a great beast.
Sightseeing Vista #056 Wrote:Provenance
When Ser Marielle was appointed to the Rose Knights of Camp Cloudtop, she spotted this heart-shaped island atop the deck of her airship bound for post. It reminded the knight of a place of provenance where two lovers would begin their journey together, and the island was named thus.
Sightseeing Vista #057 Wrote:The Sage's Cataract
As the Thaliak River stretches north towards the Orn Wild, it spills over this grand waterfall. In the past, students would compete to see who could swim closest to the cataract's edge without succumbing to its powerful torrents. A ban on entering the waters was eventually imposes after too many accidents.
Sightseeing Vista #058 Wrote:The Path of Knowing
This colossal bridge was once a bustling artery for researchers, students, and curators commuting to and from the Great Gubal Library. Its stone pillars suffered significant damage when the Calamity reshaped the land, causing a portion of the walkway to crumble and collapse.
Sightseeing Vista #059 Wrote:The Daggers
An area of the hinterlands where clusters of stone columns shaped like daggers protrude from the earth. The scholars of Sharlayan had long been engulfed in a heated debate over whether the name was too simple and colloquial, but a different one was never decided upon as the proposals began to exceed the columns in number.
Sightseeing Vista #060 Wrote:Centrifugal Crystal Engine
This seemingly indefatigable engine harnessed the power of the imprisoned Warring Triad to transmute the life force of chimera experiments into synthetic crystal. These manufactured shards would then be used to fuel the cultivation of the chimeras as part of research into the possibility of obtaining limitless power.
Sightseeing Vista #061 Wrote:Biomass Incubation Complex
A research facility dedicated to chimera splicing experiments. Its construction was prompted by 'imaginative requests' from the Allagan Research Council and related institutes, leading to the cultivation of all manner of living prototypes. The mutagenesis nearby serves as an annex to the complex.
Sightseeing Vista #062 Wrote:The Cathedral
A cathedral designed in a distinct Meracydian style. The architecture suggests a place of worship by a tribe of treelike beings who believed themselves 'remnants' of Sephirot. To research the link between faith and primal summoning, the Allags moved the ancient structure to Azys Lla from its original location on the southern continent.
