Quote Originally Posted by Jaywalker View Post
Thought your whole reply was interesting to read, this is one bit I'm wondering about though. I thought Wildwood/Duskwight were racial subtypes in the same way that Midlanders/Highlanders are, with Ishgard/Gridania being separated by nation with some racial majorities but not being exclusive? Similar to how Ala Mhigo has a majority Highlander population but there are Ala Mhigan Midlanders too and all.
The Wildwood/Duskwight division is a strictly Gridanian/Black Shroud thing.
Due to the Elementals not liking people messing with their forest, it used to be the case that nearly everyone who lived in the Black Shroud resided in the underground city of Gelmorra. Eventually they learned to communicate with the Elementals and most moved above ground and founded Gridania. Some of the Elezen wanted to stay in Gelmorra though - they became the Duskwights, while those who created Gridania became the Wildwood.
Before they moved out of Gelmorra the Duskwight/Wildwood split simply did not exist.

By the time Gridania was created and Gelmorra mostly abandoned, the city of Ishgard had already existed for a good while, with plenty of Elezen living there who hadn't gone through the same split that happend in Gridania.

It is similar with the Roegadyn in the Far East. They are a different group from the Seawolves (who originated up in the north before moving to Limsa Lominsa) and from the Hellsguard (who are native to mountain villages around Gyr Abania)