Valerian equipment, throw-away reference or actual place?

Before even hitting DRG 60, I spent weeks farming for the Valerian dragoon set, since Tactics Ogre is one of my favorite games and I was overjoyed that FFXIV was making a nod to it with the Valerian gear. Then it got me thinking: there is some (slight) lore justification for (almost) every gear set in the game. (the weapons from the Gugal Library being actual pieces from Eorzean history, for example) Is there actually a way that the Kingdom of Valeria exists (or, rather, existed) in Hydaelin?

Or am I just trying to see the Shroud for the Treants? :(

I doubt it. Yoshida himself preaty much said it was fan service and a nod to one of his personal favorite games.

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Originally Posted by Kaiser-Ace

I doubt it. Yoshida himself preaty much said it was fan service and a nod to one of his personal favorite games.

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Who knows, they might even be made of...Valerian steel! :cool:

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Naoki Yoshida's team used it to give a little nod to how great ASOIAF without being in-world inconsistent. XIV even used the "proper" spelling of the real word.

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This one, at least, is not a Martin reference.

Valeria is the setting of the first Tactics Ogre game, from which the gear designs were taken. It also predates A Song of Ice and Fire by nearly a full year (not counting development time), so that wasn't a Martin reference either.

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Originally Posted by Fenral

This one, at least, is not a Martin reference.

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Whoooa - the OP got completely re-written somewhere between my eyes and brainmeats. That'll teach me to skim while cooking... I'm just gonna go right ahead and delete my post, I might as well have just guessed what the thread was about when replying, lmao.

I'm uh... I'm also gonna go check out what Tactics Ogre is... </smokebomb; exits thread left>

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Originally Posted by Kallera

Who knows, they might even be made of...Valerian steel! :cool:

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"Valyrian steel" was GRRM's way of working into the setting a certain real-life example of lost technology that mankind has never been able to reverse-engineer and reproduce authentically, namely Damascus steel, once prized for it's extreme durability and flexibility, as well as the distinct pattern in the metal that resulted from the forging process. (Not to mention the sheer improbability of third-century blacksmiths stumbling upon a reliable method of manufacturing carbon nanotubes in anything, let alone swords.)

Damascus steel swords were forged from ingots of a particular variety of patterned-steel that had been produced in India since the sixth century BC, and is now commonly known as "Wootz steel." Martin simply bypassed all that necessary historical and etymological background by naming it after a lost city that existed in the setting already.

"But wait, isn't Wootz..."

Though in true RPG fashion it looks nothing like actual patterned steel, in addition to the impossibility of finding "naturally occurring" nuggets of the stuff anywhere, we do, in fact, have gear made (indirectly) out of Valyrian steel.

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Originally Posted by Kaiser-Ace

I doubt it. Yoshida himself preaty much said it was fan service and a nod to one of his personal favorite games.

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I figured :C still wanted some official confirmation of "yeah, it exists...SOMEWHERE, please look forward to it!" or darksteelfoil-hat it.

And Moose, check out Tactics Ogre (let us cling together is the PSP remake)! it's one of my favorite games for the lore and setting <3

This gear set is a reference to me, actually.

It's possible. Isn't there an NPC in Eastern La Noscea that mentions Dalmasca? Granted, they might not be referring to the exact same places but they may be referring to a Valerian or a Dalmasca. Much like how there's a Doma in FF14 and a Doma in FF6 but they're completely different places.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

It's possible. Isn't there an NPC in Eastern La Noscea that mentions Dalmasca? Granted, they might not be referring to the exact same places but they may be referring to a Valerian or a Dalmasca. Much like how there's a Doma in FF14 and a Doma in FF6 but they're completely different places.

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I has this thought after my original post as well. It's verry possible that a city/nation of the same name exists somewhere on The Planet Hydaelyn and is simply far enough away from Eorzea to where we have little to no contact

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Originally Posted by Theodric

Isn't there an NPC in Eastern La Noscea that mentions Dalmasca?

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<smokebombs back in, reads that several times to be sure>

There are a couple of references to Dalmasca as an Othardian state. You're correct, it's where the hermit Drest was conscripted from after it fell to the Empire. It seems Livia sas Junius had something big to do with the battles there; in German they call her "Die Hexe von Dalmasca." (The Curse of Dalmasca?)