Lore Help Wanted

[sparklemuffin]

Now that the game is finally taking off, and I'm starting to plan for the future, there's one thing I realize I know almost nothing about: final fantasy lore.

 

I never played any of the games before this one ( an hour of Crystal Chronicles years ago doesn't count because I don't remember anything ).

 

Where do I start? I know there's a wiki full of game history. I know there's lore scattered all throughout the game. But if I want to learn enough to keep my title of 'heavy roleplayer', where do I begin with the lore?

[Gideon Aryeh]

Now that the game is finally taking off, and I'm starting to plan for the future, there's one thing I realize I know almost nothing about: final fantasy lore.

 

I never played any of the games before this one ( an hour of Crystal Chronicles years ago doesn't count because I don't remember anything ).

 

Where do I start? I know there's a wiki full of game history. I know there's lore scattered all throughout the game. But if I want to learn enough to keep my title of 'heavy roleplayer', where do I begin with the lore?

 

Check the Gamer's escape link in my sig its an excellent excellent site. I also recommend asking Merri, Yeldir Malfusor and Mtoto Wamoto any questions you have, they know their stuff and are really thorough.

[LandStander]

An amazing 1.0 summary. Most of it is great as the first half of it really focuses on the Empire and the main antagonist in 1.0

 

http://gamerescape.com/2013/08/21/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-white-raven/

 

This has general information, but most can be found on the wiki

 

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=657017

 

And since servers are down right now I am sure there are lots of people (myself included) that will help you with any additional questions to keep us busy.

[Alexia Woodley]

Each numbered entry ( I through XIV ) actually have entirely different worlds and stories. As such, entering this game with no knowledge of previous numbered entries won't really put you at too great a disadvantage

 

There are various recurring themes, including Crystals, Chocobos, characters named "Cid", the summons/eidolons/primals (Ifrit/Bahamut) etc- but you will catch on with those real quick

 

A couple of good links though are:

 

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_Wiki (For general FF knowledge)

 

http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Eorzea (For all your FFXIV needs, someone linked above )

 

Welcome to the world

 

(Edited coz I put the wrong FFXIV Wiki )

[Fates Skein]

Personally, I would recommend starting with this: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=1615

 

It has a comprehensive look at what happened in FFXIV 1.0 and is a good place to start.  Covers the major historical high points of the last 20 years or so and goes over some of the things you'll be seeing/hearing about in game a lot.

 

Otherwise, looking at the wiki entries for your particular race/subrace (Keeper of the Moon is a subrace of miqo'te, for instance) is a pretty good place to go.

 

Feel free to post questions on the boards, too, everyone has been VERY friendly and helpful since I got here.

[sparklemuffin]

Excellent, thank you all of you! I'm going to read these links and come back with any questions. I want to get both of my characters fully fleshed out before the end of early access.

---

I've only gotten to link two of the list so far, and I'm doing some research, but a few questions have already come to mind.

 

Are there any places in particular a Duskwight Elezen would be born? Do they avoid Gridania and accumulate in any particular location or are they more or less scattered all over Eorzea as long as there are caves to be found?

 

What kind of homes to Duskwights live in? Do they literally have caves or is it more like an underground, carved-out home? Are there any examples?

 

Do seers exist? When I made Selaine, I planned to have her be a seer, accosted with visions that come at the expense of her health. Would it be stretching lore to have that be true?

[Yeldir Melfusor]

I heard my name, on the wind.

 

Are there any places in particular a Duskwight Elezen would be born? Do they avoid Gridania and accumulate in any particular location or are they more or less scattered all over Eorzea as long as there are caves to be found?

 

What kind of homes to Duskwights live in? Do they literally have caves or is it more like an underground, carved-out home? Are there any examples?

 

Do seers exist? When I made Selaine, I planned to have her be a seer, accosted with visions that come at the expense of her health. Would it be stretching lore to have that be true?

 

Duskwight births mostly take place "off camera", among the clans, in the caves, wherever those are. They are not an accessible part of the game at this time, but it is assumed that most Duskwights came from these undefined locations. You can really write whatever you want within that parameter.

 

Gridania is largely the stomping grounds of the Wildwood, as many of them have settled in with the other races for a somewhat less wandering way of being, and racial enmity still exists between them, although it is not so severe that a Duskwight cannot journey through lands where they have settled, such as Gridania.

 

As for the caves themselves, absolutely nothing is written regarding them. Official flavor lore depicts the Duskwight as ekeing out a living trying to survive, after the great split from the Wildwood, following the Hyur-Elezen wars. When those wars took place isn't entirely clear, but it was probably before the rise and fall of the Allaghan empire. (If it were after, it would mean Allag was predominantly Elezen, which would contradict their "nomadic origins" canon.) This, coupled with the fact that they've been breeding apart from the Wildwood for so long that they have developed markedly different racial traits, indicates that this split happened a long time ago. Probably before the fourth and fifth eras.

 

So the Duskwight have been living in caves, stealing food, for over five thousand years? Yeaaahhhh, okay...

 

You can therefore write any kind of home you want. Maybe you come from a bandit clan who really hasn't put down roots anywhere, and really has been preying on unwary travelers. You can also write an underground city with a rich and specific history. A Duskwight city's history could go back remarkably far, as they could have missed many of the more calamitous effects of astra->umbral era flips. You might also check out the Duskwight clans on the wiki, and choose to base your character on existing player-written content, or start your own. I'll be getting Yeldir's up there pretty soon, and he comes from a clan that has been settled for as long as they can remember. If anybody doesn't like that, just point em' to the Hyur Migration and Allaghan empire timelimes.

 

As for an afflicted seer, there is little written concerning the biology of the Elezen, or their relationship with the gods or aether, in a way that distinguishes them strongly from other races. You can once again write as you please. There is so little solid data about the Elezen that you have a good deal of freedom in your writing. Go nuts.

[sparklemuffin]

I heard my name, on the wind.  

 

Are there any places in particular a Duskwight Elezen would be born? Do they avoid Gridania and accumulate in any particular location or are they more or less scattered all over Eorzea as long as there are caves to be found?

 

What kind of homes to Duskwights live in? Do they literally have caves or is it more like an underground, carved-out home? Are there any examples?

 

Do seers exist? When I made Selaine, I planned to have her be a seer, accosted with visions that come at the expense of her health. Would it be stretching lore to have that be true?

 

Duskwight births mostly take place "off camera", among the clans, in the caves, wherever those are.  They are not an accessible part of the game at this time, but it is assumed that most Duskwights came from these undefined locations.  You can really write whatever you want within that parameter.

 

Gridania is largely the stomping grounds of the Wildwood, as many of them have settled in with the other races for a somewhat less wandering way of being, and racial enmity still exists between them, although it is not so severe that a Duskwight cannot journey through lands where they have settled, such as Gridania.  

 

As for the caves themselves, absolutely nothing is written regarding them.  Official flavor lore depicts the Duskwight as ekeing out a living trying to survive, after the great split from the Wildwood, following the Hyur-Elezen wars.  When those wars took place isn't entirely clear, but it was probably before the rise and fall of the Allaghan empire.  (If it were after, it would mean Allag was predominantly Elezen, which would contradict their "nomadic origins" canon.)  This, coupled with the fact that they've been breeding apart from the Wildwood for so long that they have developed markedly different racial traits, indicates that this split happened a long time ago.  Probably before the fourth and fifth eras.

 

So the Duskwight have been living in caves, stealing food, for over five thousand years?  Yeaaahhhh, okay...  

 

You can therefore write any kind of home you want.  Maybe you come from a bandit clan who really hasn't put down roots anywhere, and really has been preying on unwary travelers.  You can also write an underground city with a rich and specific history.  A Duskwight city's history could go back remarkably far, as they could have missed many of the more calamitous effects of astra->umbral era flips.   You might also check out the Duskwight clans on the wiki, and choose to base your character on existing player-written content, or start your own.  I'll be getting Yeldir's up there pretty soon, and he comes from a clan that has been settled for as long as they can remember.  If anybody doesn't like that, just point em' to the Hyur Migration and Allaghan empire timelimes.

 

As for an afflicted seer, there is little written concerning the biology of the Elezen, or their relationship with the gods or aether, in a way that distinguishes them strongly from other races.  You can once again write as you please.  There is so little solid data about the Elezen that you have a good deal of freedom in your writing.  Go nuts.

This helps me out a lot, thank you! Right now I know what I want for Selaine as a character, I just need to settle her history. I like the idea of her coming from a small clan. I really wish I could have a friend or a family member for her before hand, but I still don't know many people or enough of the lore to ask.

 

I've been reading on the history leading up to the new era and I'm having so much trouble keeping track of all the names. I had no idea that the lore for these games was so well thought-out!

[Coral Ferrinas]

If I could help, I have a Lore Collection of Final Fantasy XIV. 

 

I assumed you are creating a lore of your own character, that you might want to start out some place remote than big cities. My lore collection contains more information on Gridanian settlement, but I'll will continue to add entries as soon as I can.

[Asyria]

I say, start playing!

It's surprising the amount of lore you can actually discover in-game, from the NPC's.

[Magellan]

Completely off-topic; I LOVE the look of your Ele, sparkles =)