So, about the new theme, "Dragonsong"...

SPOILERIFIC IF YOU'RE NEW OR HAVENT CAUGHT UP! I don't know how to make the tags.

It's here, naturally, if you haven't seen it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtuwltmTp9I

Anyone else realize this song is about Lady Iceheart?

Although the true meaning behind it only Ferne can answer (given the fact he co-wrote the lyrics for it), so take anything I say with a grain of salt, but personally I disagree it's about Iceheart (although it's clear in the video she will play a major role in the 3.0 story). Instead, I believe the song is actually Hydaelyn lamenting the turn of events with the

fact the Warrior of Light (Her chosen) lost Her Blessing due to Midgardsormr's meddling, their resulting fall from grace due to the assassination of Nanamo and being framed for the crime, and Raubahn's despair over losing her, leaving Ul'dah without a legal ruler (as Nanamo was the last of her royal line), with the end result of the Eorzean Alliance bickering among themselves distracting them from the true evil, that is, the Ascians and their ongoing quest to rebirth Zodiark, which threatens Hydaelyn and everyone who dwells on the planet.

Additionally, the words also at the same time align with the central theme of Heavensward, the Dragonsong War and the resentment both sides in the conflict have towards each other, regardless of each other taking the moral high ground.

But as I said only Ferne knows the true meaning behind it so until he pops in on the Lore forum with information about it take my guesses and assumptions as just my own opinion which may not necessarily be correct. ;)

Well it talks about lovers, I'm assuming it's talking about Shiva and the dragons being together at one point, that there was some kind of harmony. It then talks about that fire dying, then it talks about a fallout. Then it talks about someone sacrificing themselves for peace, then it talks about people betraying that then it and causing strife, lamenting that people would choose war for petty or stupid reasons over happiness, and that people would rather throw their lives away then try to understand. Which creates a cycle of violence. IMO nothing in this is about Hydaelyn. It sounds like it's talking about the true history of Ishgard and Dravania.

Most interesting thread in days!

I suspect its probably referencing several things. Shiva is the obvious one. It could also be talking about a bond between dragon and man in general. We don't know what started the war and we cant be sure what came before. Perhaps the ancient Ishgardians once were allied with the Dragons and it was a betrayal most Ishgardians don't even remember that triggered the war. The lyrics make me strongly suspect the Ascians had a hand in the origins of the conflict.

I think it is not about Iceheart, but about Shiva and what happened 1000 years ago as the war started.

Let's assume it's not about Iceheart. It's at least about Shiva, and at least about the true history of Ishgard and Dravania then. It's certainly about Shiva and her lover, I'm assuming ascian involvement here caused the schism, since we know the ascians are manipulating the SUPER POPE of ishgard, which is why they say the throne lies empty. Taken from Reddit, these are the lyrics.

Children of the land do you hear
Echoes of truths that once rang clear
Two souls intertwined
One true love they did find
Bringing land and heavens near
But flames that burn full bright, soon fell dark
Memories dimmed by shadowed hearts
In the waxing gloom did wane the lover's moon
Watching as their worlds drift apart
One soul's cry
A passion dwelling within
Sacrifice, a final plea to her kin
Yet this bond of hope, by treachery was broke
Scattering her words to the wind
Swelling over long,
seas of blood, are a song
And death an afterthought
To those who fight for naught
A throne, lying empty
A reign, incomplete
Alone, for eternity
A pain, without cease
Children of the land, answer this
Why must you turn to empty bliss
Tell me why break trust, why turn the past to dust
Seeking solace in the abyss
Tell me why create, a circle none can break
Why must you let go, the life you were bestowed
This I fear I'll never know
Never know

After listening to it, watching the video and thinking about Answers and the other songs I think this is my prose:

It's Hydaelyn trying to telling us (Children [...] land), cause we lost her blessing (Echoes [...] clear), about the story of Saint Shiva (land) and her dragon lover (heaven) taking us and all Eorzea to the actual tragic situation (swelling [...] pain) asking and realising herself that she'll never understand human behaviour. Though I think as well it's purposely made to connect all the actual stories going on that are leading us to the Dragonsong War.

I see it as a song of comfort. Kind of like a mother to her child when they're feeling sad because of a loss and the child is wondering why it all happened. We were betrayed and went through a tough time and loss which we are trying to make sense of still so I feel we are being told this story to kind of comfort us.

The children of the land are all people
Because the echoes once rang clear they don't now which implies people are trying to hide or bury the truth.

The lovers are quite clearly in reference to Shiva and her dragon lover, a bond that was intended to help bring peace to Ishgard by
bringing the children of the land (people) and the children of the heavens (dragons) together.

But, naturally, there are douchebags (those with shadowed hearts) that just can't let people be happy so they have to do douchy things.
Because of this, there was a lot of turmoil in the relationship and pressure from both sides (they saw their worlds drift apart)

In the next few lines, we have Shiva (her) making a plea with Ishgard to approve of her decision and stop killing the dragons, (if we can find love, certainly we can at least learn not to hate each other, right?)

But when she tried to deliver this message to whomever she was going to, she was betrayed by someone she trusted and branded a heathen.

The next verse pretty much describes the war between the dragons and Ishgard when I assume Shiva was killed for her "trechery". Now the next I am kind of grasping at air for but...

What if Shiva was a member of royalty or nobility in Ishgard and her heathen status brought down the ruling house and it was usurped by the church-- the current head of power in Ishgard?
This makes the Empty Throne line make sense without hinting that the singer knows of Ascians' influence.

The reign of the king of Ishgard would then have been incomplete, he and his kin may have been banished from Ishgard thus perhaps founding the Heretic faction and perhaps even being the relatives of Iceheart.

The last verse, I think, is not aimed at us, the warrior of light, but humans in general warning them not to repeat the mistakes they made in the past which seems to be happening in Ul'dah. The singer then admits, like some mothers have to, that they don't have all the answers and there are some things that even she doesn't understand-- human nature and why some people give into greed and treachery.

Those are my thoughts.