Exploring Eorzea's Existing Lore

[Hasrat]

The lorebook information actually makes it sound like this could be the case.

It would be pretty great if we could get to visit a place like that - really nice caves instead of dark and dingy ones. They can be amazingly beautiful.

I mean, arguably, creating something of a Duskwight city shouldn't be a huge challenge. Just take something like Kugane and replace the skybox with cave background or something. Some might find it a stretch of disbelief to accept such a large cave as to house an entire city, but eh, it could still be presented well (c'mon, if we're not all already thinking it, just rip off some ideas from Menzoberranzan). Seems to me the greater challenge would be creating surrounding areas of similar interest. Given everything we know and interactions to date, seems reasonable to expect any such city to be largely self sustaining, so I can't imagine much in the way of wide avenues and tunnels branching out (except maybe to some degree for inter-city transport?).

Every area presented thus far provides "settlements" and such in surroundings, with scattered aetherytes around for our convenience. But I do struggle a bit to imagine what they could do for that in the Underdark. Which leaves you with potentially something like Kugane, a grand city in a location (Hingashi) that you don't really get to explore.

In summation, while I'm sure there may be solutions to these problems, personal opinion is presently that a Duskwight city/civilization seems perfectly feasible, it's justifying the surroundings (or lack thereof) that provides a greater stumbling block.

[Jaywalker]

Seems to me the greater challenge would be creating surrounding areas of similar interest. Given everything we know and interactions to date, seems reasonable to expect any such city to be largely self sustaining, so I can't imagine much in the way of wide avenues and tunnels branching out (except maybe to some degree for inter-city transport?).

I actually think there's a ton of potential with an underdark type setting, some even foreshadowed a bit! Substitute plants with insane fungus/mushroom/etc. forests (I remember reading that Duskwight cuisines uses mushrooms a lot IIRC?), use fauna that has insane lack of pigment and/or eyes similar to cave fish, geode aesthetics, bioluminescent lighting potentially for rule of fantasy, underground lakes and rivers, volcanic activity, could go on! And architecturally could do so much with intricate stonework and building cities into the surrounding caverns. Maybe since there's similar French influence could draw from Rococo vibes or something. Fun juxtaposition between the darkness and spookiness of caves and something very delicate and beautiful.

I'm sure there are folks who wouldn't be interested in this kind of take, but idk I'd love to see something that really experimented and pushed the concept.

Also Hell's Lid is technically subterranean area precedent, so logistically would be doable in Eorzea.