Sharlayan: Game Text vs. Roddard Ironheart [MYSTERY SOLVED]

A little while ago, we brought up what seemed to be a pretty big contradiction: If every mention of Sharlayan refers to it as and island nation, why do we clearly see it as a land-locked city-state in Dravania on the Roddard Ironheart map of Eorzea? Who made the mistake here!? Did you really think that after all this attention to detail, SE would slip up on something this big for this long? OF COURSE it was we, the players, who were missing something.

Read on: The Lore Train: Is Sharlayan an Island, or What?

(Yes, I'll make sure to get a new Lore Train home-thread going soon)

Ok, so the city-state broke up in the same year as the Battle of Silvertear Skies.

This suggests, in combination with Y'shtola's references to the Sharlayan council in 1562, that the break-down would have occured after Silvertear and the Starshower, not before.

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Originally Posted by Catapult

This suggests, in combination with Y'shtola's references to the Sharlayan council in 1562, that the break-down would have occured after Silvertear and the Starshower, not before.

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It's tough to say.

The progression I see making the most sense so far is that Garlemald takes Ala Mhigo (1557), Sharlayan enters diplomatic talks, and, in 1562, the 1.0 Intros happen AS the Empire is moving on Silvertear CAUSING the peace talks to fall through. I think that in the V1.0 intros, we see the soon-to-be Circle of Knowing investigating on behalf of the Council as Garlemald is moving on Silvertear - and as they learn that the threat against Eorzea is far greater than the Empire's advance just as the Battle of Silvertear Skies happens. This brings us right back around to our theory that the starshower was the break of the seal - but instead of relying on unstable evidence ("the starshower is the primal explosion"), we have something a little more solid (Hydaelyn reaching out in response to the broken seal because she, like the Circle of Knowing, has deduced the Ascian plot).

Any flaws in this logic so far? Now that we know Ascians were behind the primals, Baderon may very well have meant 1557 as the year the Sahagin started getting agitated - they were antsy about the Imperial advance and getting riled up to rebel against the coming threat of genocide, possibly egged on by the Paragons even 5 years before their plan to break the seal succeeded... which might even tie into my fringe theory about Midgardsormr and the sea serpent being still-enslaved by Allag tech... Hmmm... <lights pipe> Need more information...

The Sharlayan bit fits, but...
...one fringe theory at a time. I'm not prepared to buy the idea of Midgardsormr being imprisoned until I see some form of Allagan relic to facilitate it (their techniques all seemed to use some form of construct) and a mecanism that saw the enslavement-seal broken. From what we know so far, Midgardsormr just appeared out of no where.
Unless you're implying ascians again...

Edit: Oh, and it would rely upon Midgardsormr (and the sea serpent) being primals, which they kinda aren't...

The question I'd ask is as Catapult said if Midgarsormr was sealed, was it in the sky? It appears above the Agrias in the Battle of Silvertear Falls and is coming straight down. If it had been sealed in Mor Dhona there would have been a bit more Lore (I assume) told about it, such as merchants from Ul'dah traveling to Ishgard and chancing upon a huge seal. If it's sealed in the sky, then what the heck is above the clouds and does the Crystal Tower reach it?

But I agree Anonymoose, that's a good concept about Sharlayans coming to Eorzea to found Sharlayan from Sharlayan. You might have just answered the question we've had for Ferne for him with a very easy response.

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Originally Posted by NoloeTazier

But I agree Anonymoose, that's a good concept about Sharlayans coming to Eorzea to found Sharlayan from Sharlayan. You might have just answered the question we've had for Ferne for him with a very easy response.

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Just to clear some things up :)

Our Lore Train articles on GE are comprised of nothing but the facts. This "concept" (as stated in the article) is the factual information that was provided to us by Fernehalwes himself.

Additionally- we now have a Lore Crafting column for Gamer Escape which plays with some theories and possibilities- that column is not always 100% factual.

TLDR:
The Lore Train- Facts
Lore Crafting- Observations, Theories and Speculation

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

(Yes, I'll make sure to get a new Lore Train home-thread going soon)

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Get on it!

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Originally Posted by Catapult

From what we know so far, Midgardsormr just appeared out of no where.

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Most of the text I've read says he rose from deep beneath the lake, as if he was slumbering there - similar to how the sea serpent supposedly slumbered with Seal Rock until it's mysterious rise/appearance.

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Originally Posted by Catapult

I'm not prepared to buy the idea of Midgardsormr being imprisoned (enslaved / under external control) until I see some form of Allagan relic to facilitate it

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TO THE COIL WITH YOU.

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Originally Posted by Catapult

Oh, and it would rely upon Midgardsormr (and the sea serpent) being primals

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It would rely only on them both being some form of dragon. (Re: TO THE COIL WITH YOU.)

Ok, ok, I'll go to the coil...

(...as soon as I can get a party together.)