State Ages

While Im aware there is no real pin point in time we can say each of the city states was founded, I was idly curious as to the rough times the current city states was founded, if anyone has any real idea.

Gridania seems to be the youngest, born of Gelmorra some five hundred years past.

Sil'Dih was founded at the same as Ul'Dah and by accounts was smaller.

Ishgard, and I have no real evidence to prop this, seems to be the oldest by thefurther dating of events attributed to the city, aka the dravanian war length.

I thought Limsa would be the youngest since Merlwyb was the one who banded all the pirate groups together under the same flag... though I may have missed something.

Im not well versed with Limsa, but that does sound familar but there are tales of pirates from the city going back awhile such as Mistbeard, it could well be the youngest but Merlwyb seems to of organised it into a working city more then founded it.

All I know for sure is that all the listed ones (Ul'dah, Sil'dih, Gelmorra, Gridania, and Ishgarud) all originate in the 6th Astral Era at various points. Even Ishgaurd being in a 1000 year long war would still only put the war starting between 600 and 700, 6th AE.

But I'm willing to bet that Limsa is likely the youngest as it started as more of a "Pirate Hideout" before it was made an actual city. The Rouge quest says that there was alot of unrest in it's early days until "The Code" was written. And that "The Code" Governed Limsa long before the Thalassocracy did. So it seems to suggest that Limsa as an actual city state is fairly recent compared to say Gelmora and Belah'dia who's founding can betraced back just after the end of the 6th Umbral Era.

Ah yeah, that makes sense; I wonder when the city was founded then...

Squeenix please add pointless lore books that I can spend hours reading in-game instead of doing more useful things, like Skyrim, thanks.

Here are the ones I remember...

c.500 The Dragonsong War is said to have begun around this time, making Ishgard roughly this old, perhaps.

c.777 Native Belah'dians rise to fight off Hyur attempting to colonize Thanalan.

c.877 Limsa Lominsa is raised using the wreckage of the Galadion

c.977 Belah'dia falls upon a debate of succession, Sil'dih and Ul'dah rise in its place.

c.1027 Gelmorrans begin developing methods to commune with the Elementals via aetherial manipulation (magick)

c.1077 Gridania is founded after communication with the Elementals succeeds.

c. 1177 Sil'dih falls

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Here are the ones I remember...

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That's a lot of sevens.

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Originally Posted by NoloeTazier

An Eorzean Timeline.
Sixth Astral Era

Dates are current to Sixth Astral calendar years.
~ denotes around the time of.

233 --- Lewphon of Sharlayan writes "The Five Ages - An Eorzean Chronology." Possible Archon?
~572 ---

• Hyur begin to migrate to Eorzea in three great migratory waves.
• Founding fathers of Ishgard encounter Nidhogg. Haldrath takes up his slain sire's lance and thrusts it into Nidhogg's eye, the first Dragoon is born.

~872 ---

• Limsa Lomina is founded.
• Lalafuto III reigned as Sultan of Belah'dia. His death was thought to be assassination but he apparently fled the city-state to be with his paramour.

~972 --- The Sultan Sworn founded, sworn to the Sultan of Ul'dah. Three swords were forged for the 3 Paladins who founded the Sultan Sworn, Curtana was created.
1022 --- The Ixali settle in Twelveswood calling it "Tinolqa" or "Blessed Forest" in the common tongue. They build houses in the trees and can fly. They worship Garuda.
~1022~1072 --- Gridania is founded along with the teachings of Conjury with the help from the Elementals. It was believed to have taken 5 decades of living with the Elementals to receive permission.

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http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...imeline-Reborn

There's Ishgard (assuming it was founded the same year as Nidhogg's attack), Limsa and Gridania. I'm guessing Ul'dah/Sil'dah and Gelmorra were founded between 200-500 6AE.

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Originally Posted by treuhavik

That's a lot of sevens.


http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...imeline-Reborn

There's Ishgard (assuming it was founded the same year as Nidhogg's attack), Limsa and Gridania. I'm guessing Ul'dah/Sil'dah and Gelmorra were founded between 200-500 6AE.

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Ul'dah/Sil'dah would have to of been founded after Belah'dia was dissolved so on that timescale would only be in the ballpark between 872-972 of the sixth AE.

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Originally Posted by Celvantis

Ul'dah/Sil'dah would have to of been founded after Belah'dia was dissolved so on that timescale would only be in the ballpark between 872-972 of the sixth AE.

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Ah, my mistake. I think I was more focused on placing Gelmorra, trying to trace Ishgard's founders.

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Originally Posted by treuhavik

That's a lot of sevens.

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If the Seventh Umbral Era never came, the current year would be 1577.

When someone in ARR says "five hundred years ago," I just drop it back to circa 1077,

Also, it took me a while to piece it all back together, as I'm sure it did Noloe as well; he has the right of it. Ishgard's war against the dragons began 1000 (circa 572 or 577, if you will :p) years past when it is said that Halone appeared before Thordan and bid he lead his people to the promised land to found Ishgard. They'd only set about building a bridge when Nidhogg attacked the soon-to-be Ishgardians for the first time. Their history states that Thordan took up his spear in defense, but one of his own men shoved him into a crevasse, enthralled by the wyrm. Thordan's son, Haldrath, took up his father's arm and fought Nidhogg himself, prizing out the dragon's eye and initiating the Founding Wars, the first battles of the longer Dragonsong War. Though the power of the dragon was to be feared and hated, Haldrath overcame its influence and showed the people that its power could be used against their enemies, becoming the first Azure Dragoon (leader of all other dragoons, chosen by the Eye).

So Ishgard's founding and the Dragonsong War do, indeed, coincide roughly around 500 6AE.

I thought that maybe you just really liked the number seven. Haha. It's funny that it was the seventh umbral era that caused the shift as well.

Anyway, cool stuff on Ishgard. I didn't realize the attack happened while they were building the bridge. Now it makes even more sense to me that this was their first "mistake" from the Dravanian perspective. I wonder what Ishgard's building now...

I'd really like to find out where Halone appeared to Thordan and his men also. I'm pretty much settled on Gelmorra as their former nation, but my mind would welcome the confirmation.

Keep in mind the elezen are both the sole native people, and originally nomadic in culture.
They may well of been a nomadic group unattached to the Gelmorra that merely settled in one place founded on a myth.

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Originally Posted by Celvantis

Keep in mind the elezen are both the sole native people, and originally nomadic in culture.
They may well of been a nomadic group unattached to the Gelmorra that merely settled in one place founded on a myth.

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Oh, no, I realize they could've been anywhere on Eorzea. It's just that Gelmorra makes the most since, as, I assume, it was where the majority of the Elezen population lived at the time.

Halone is no myth either, she's as real as those primal weapons we use. If they say she appeared to them, then I'm willing to bet she actually did (or they summoned her).

What was it that destroyed Gelmorra anyway? It could've been that all of this, Elezen faction division/Thordan's chat with Halone, happened around the same time.

I don't belive Halone literally appeared, and walked them over. I'm of the idea they used her idea, such as holy men talking in her name and making such claims as she wants this, or that or was even a idea added to the founding story years after to solidify a theocratic state.

Gelmorra wasnt destroyed but abandoned as it outlived its usefulness. Once the pact with the elementals was made it was no longer needed to live underground. The Duskwights seemed to of stayed abit longer and been abit resentful but all in all, they merely left it.

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Originally Posted by Celvantis

I don't belive Halone literally appeared, and walked them over. I'm of the idea they used her idea, such as holy men talking in her name and making such claims as she wants this, or that or was even a idea added to the founding story years after to solidify a theocratic state.

Gelmorra wasnt destroyed but abandoned as it outlived its usefulness. Once the pact with the elementals was made it was no longer needed to live underground. The Duskwights seemed to of stayed abit longer and been abit resentful but all in all, they merely left it.

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Perhaps it was an Ascian claiming to be Halone that led Thordan's people to Abalathia's Spine.

I believe it's mentioned somewhere (or maybe just a long ago speculation thread) that the Elezen who did not want to make peace with the Hyur (who had recently came to Eorzea) left Gelmorra and later founded Ishgard. Funny thing about mountains and cold, people can start having visions due to the cold or lack of oxygen.

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Originally Posted by Celvantis

I don't belive Halone literally appeared, and walked them over. I'm of the idea they used her idea, such as holy men talking in her name and making such claims as she wants this, or that or was even a idea added to the founding story years after to solidify a theocratic state.

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Whether or not Halone literally spoke with them, I'd like to know where the Ishgardians originated. My guess is still Gelmorra.

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Originally Posted by Celvantis

Gelmorra wasnt destroyed but abandoned as it outlived its usefulness. Once the pact with the elementals was made it was no longer needed to live underground. The Duskwights seemed to of stayed abit longer and been abit resentful but all in all, they merely left it.

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Interesting. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by NoloeTazier

I believe it's mentioned somewhere (or maybe just a long ago speculation thread) that the Elezen who did not want to make peace with the Hyur (who had recently came to Eorzea) left Gelmorra and later founded Ishgard. Funny thing about mountains and cold, people can start having visions due to the cold or lack of oxygen.

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Hmmm. I guess it's possible that Hyur ventured into the shroud and were taken into Gelmorra, but is it probable? I mean, if Gridanians now are leery of outsiders because of their pact with the elementals, I can't imagine their attitude toward immigrants was any better before said pact.


Could it be that someone empowered by Halone came to Thordan, converted him and his men from their previous religion, and guided them to the Holy See? Maybe once conflict between the Ishgardians and Dravanians began, this 'Saint' "betrayed" the people she had led by consorting with their new-found enemy.

What if the Dravanians aren't as bad as they're made out to be...?

What if Ishgard fell under Ascian influence not long after it was founded, and their Saint remained pure thanks to a certain divine gift, defecting to the side of lesser evil to put an end to a senseless war?

Ser Alberic mentioned Thordan's people originally lived "in southern plains." Kinda vague, but might've been in Thanalan.

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Originally Posted by Celvantis

Keep in mind the elezen are both the sole native people, and originally nomadic in culture.
They may well of been a nomadic group unattached to the Gelmorra that merely settled in one place founded on a myth.

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This isn't actually correct - none of the spoken races are truly native to Eorzea, in that they all originated elsewhere in Hydaelyn and migrated to Aldenard and Vlybrand at one time or another. The elezen were the first race to arrive though, so it's easy enough to make that mistake (there is definitely evidence to suggest that the Allag Empire was elezen, or at least predominately elezen - just look at Nael van Darnus whose family was stated as having Allag ancestry, meaning that the elezen have been in Eorzea for a very long time).

But the important thing to remember is the elezen migrated to Eorzea like the other races and were not in fact, native to the realm.

...why is Nidhogg's eye so angry with Nidhogg, it would choose, arm and advise the premier Anti-Dragon Weapon?

I think Nidhogg's eye is just angry. It tries to corrupt Dragoon filling them with hate.

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Originally Posted by Wadoka

...why is Nidhogg's eye so angry with Nidhogg, it would choose, arm and advise the premier Anti-Dragon Weapon?

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The Dragoon storyline goes into this in detail. Suffice to say: it's not exactly being used for its intended purpose, and Nidhogg is not too chuffed about idiot hominids having it.

Anyway, yeah, all of the currently-extant city-states are about 600-700 years old, with the exception of Ishgard being a little bit older. Gridania and Ul'dah evolved out of somewhat older civilizations (with some growing pains), and Limsa sprang up whole-cloth after a major shipwreck stranded a bunch of Sea Wolf Roegadyn on Vylbrand.

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Originally Posted by AskaRay

I thought Limsa would be the youngest since Merlwyb was the one who banded all the pirate groups together under the same flag... though I may have missed something.

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Not quite. Limsa's been around for a while, but as a town founded by pirates and led by a large number of different administrations over the years, it's been many things over its existence. Generally, it's been seen as a haven for pirates and outlaws from the rest of Eorzea, although how true that's been has varied over the centuries. Merlwyb's just been going much, much further than previous admirals in properly "washing Limsa's face" and turning it into a proper, respectable state. The Rogue questline actually goes into a fair bit of detail about the tensions this is causing, and the questline for unlocking and doing Hullbreaker Isle also elaborates on why Certain Influential Figures are actually cooperating and do want to see Limsa's old, bloody course changed a bit.