The Temple Knights of Ishgard

[Anonymoose]

I don't really recall anything saying the Azure Dragoon is the leader, just the strongest.

Alberic
The leader of the dragoons is known as the Azure Dragoon, and is chosen by the Eye <...>

Alberic
In [Estinien's] absence, Heustienne has stepped up to lead the Order of the Knights Dragoon.

Wait.....what? The current city-states didn't even exist during the War of the Magi. Are you saying Maelstrom, etc. weren't used in the Autumn War?

Correct; the "Grand Companies of old" were re-established in Patch 1.18 (Year 1572) to meet the threat of the Calamity.

For thousands of years, Eorzea has been victim to a catastrophic cycle of destruction and rebirth that periodically envelops the realm and threatens all who live upon her soil; each time faced with a tragedy seemingly worse than the last, however, the peoples of Eorzea have found some way to persevere. One method, seemingly going back hundreds of generations, has been the establishment of comprehensive command centers which combine the military, economic and technological resources of a city-state in order to better prepare it for the coming doom. These are the Grand Companies of Eorzea.

The last recorded of emergence of the Grand Companies was nearly 1,500 years ago, at the end of the Fifth Astral Era and the arrival of the great deluge which triggered the dark period known as the Sixth Umbral Era. It was through these companies that the then warring city-states were able to put aside their bitter differences and join together to form an alliance and ensure the realm survived.

With the recent attacks by the Garlean Empire seen as an imminent threat to the realm, there have been scattered talks of restoring the Grand Companies to their former glory, but conflicting agendas on all sides have slowed progress. That is, until the appearance of an adventurer who set in motion the wheels of hope.

Before this, cities were mostly just protected by their various militant factions (Gods' Quiver, Wailing Barracks, Brass Blades, etc.) - the same ones that, when organized, put so many sellswords out of work that it gave rise to adventuring and guilds in the first place. For example, before The Maelstrom swallowed the entire structure of Limsa Lominsa, the captain of the crew that won the Trident was just the Admiral, not the Chief Admiral. And whoever was admiral headed the Thalassocratic Navy, then known as The Knights of the Barracuda.

The Archons and the future Warrior of Light were responsible for convincing the city-states to do bring back the big names (Maelstrom, Flames, Adders).

[Belhi]

In [Estinien's] absence, Heustienne has stepped up to lead the Order of the Knights Dragoon.

When does this quote happen?

Does it happen after the MSQ and does it change if you've finished the DRG job quests since Heustienne didn't and couldn't really return to Ishgard afterward.

[Daralii]

In [Estinien's] absence, Heustienne has stepped up to lead the Order of the Knights Dragoon.

When does this quote happen?

Does it happen after the MSQ and does it change if you've finished the DRG job quests since Heustienne didn't and couldn't really return to Ishgard afterward.

She did return at the urging of her father, pledging that she wouldn't let the blood consume her. She's pretty much inherited Estinien's struggle with the Eye.

I like Heustienne. I hope she's still involved later on.

[Kallera]

She did return at the urging of her father, pledging that she wouldn't let the blood consume her. She's pretty much inherited Estinien's struggle with the Eye.

I like Heustienne. I hope she's still involved later on.

The first time i've heard of this name and all i can come up with is Estinien in drag. (Its the name...)

Please tell me she is not Estinien in drag...

[Daralii]

The first time i've heard of this name and all i can come up with is Estinien in drag. (Its the name...)

Please tell me she is not Estinien in drag...

Female elezen, blonde, silver Drachen Mail. She was in the 2.0 and 3.0 dragoon stories.

[Zohar_Lahar]

Before this, cities were mostly just protected by their various militant factions (Gods' Quiver, Wailing Barracks, Brass Blades, etc.) - the same ones that, when organized, put so many sellswords out of work that it gave rise to adventuring and guilds in the first place. For example, before The Maelstrom swallowed the entire structure of Limsa Lominsa, the captain of the crew that won the Trident was just the Admiral, not the Chief Admiral. And whoever was admiral headed the Thalassocratic Navy, then known as The Knights of the Barracuda.

The Archons and the future Warrior of Light were responsible for convincing the city-states to do bring back the big names (Maelstrom, Flames, Adders).

So Maelstrom was originally founded by Nym?

[Anonymoose]

When does this quote happen?

It's part of the Hey, buddy, how's it going? optional dialogue with Alberic between

Estinien making his re-appearance after re-mastering his control over the Eye's influence and the finale of the DRG storyline.

So Maelstrom was originally founded by Nym?

You know, I never really put much thought into it, but yeah, I guess that's a pretty fair assumption, right? You can see a slightly different version of the Twin Adder symbol in some Gelmorran ruins (even in Version 1.0), so there's that. Makes sense that each city would have inherited its company from an old city in the same area.

Unless... Maelstrom is known in Japanese as the 黒渦団 (Kurouzu-dan; Black Vortex Company). Void mages confirmed! (Not really.)

I'll add that to the list of Potentially Interesting Unknowns and we'll see if maybe we can convince the Powers that Be to open up about it.