Esoteric Weapons

[Aura_Shurifon]

A little bit of Lore about the esoteric gear/weapon would be much appreciated.
But design wise, the WHM staff is incredible ! (omg ! harpy boobs on it !! ;p)

[Frederick22]

This what I think of it.
As everybody knows the AF are relics, ancient tradicional gears/weapons, used by generations. Also withouth changing the actual gear. The AF Dragoon is a good expample, 1000 years ans still the same gear and weapon. White Mages/ Black Mages too, etc

This is just a theory, but I would think that the AF2 is what a modern day Dragoon, Paladin, White/Black Mage would use. I mean after thousand of years later, with modern crafts, what would be the way to make better and much advanced AF gear? That is the AF2

[WyrahFhurrst]

I actually think some of the AF2s are each from different cultures, especially the Paladin and White Mage sets. PLD and WHM look like they're from Zenith, with similar iconography and styles. the SMN set looks like it's probably later in Allagan history than the first AF. SCH may very well be a fashion design from earlier in Nymian history, as Surito Carito is still wearing the AF1, which would have been contemporary for his time. AST set is clearly still in use, and so is DRK and MCH, so nothing much there. DRG could very well be a new invention to assist in dragon hunting. MNK seems to appear even more Eastern than than the Near East, but not so far as Doma (not sure where it would geographically be then, since Xaela are all in what would fit that zone). NIN's probably newer or older Doman styling. WAR and BLM... are either something new, or something so old we should probably forget they existed...

[Zohar_Lahar]

SMN looks like Sharlayan mixed with Rydia and Yuna outfits.

[Reinhart]

Actually, there's a smidgen of Lore for them if you talk to Seika, aka the upgrade Au Ra in Idyllshire.

Seika: Lots of folk that're fond of the ancient combat arts have taken to wearing traditional equipment, right? Thing is, it's not always in the best condition. I can help with that.
Seika: The materials I'll need to do so aren't easy to come by, though, as they're all made by the Illuminati. Then again, you do seem the resourceful sort...

It kinda ties into the old mythology job-specific gear, too.

Rowena: In recent years, folk've begun takin' a renewed interest in antiquity.
Rowena: In the case o' the adventurin' crowd, this interest takes the form of ancient combat arts along with the equipment used in 'em.
Rowena: To cater to the demand for the latter, I've engaged master artisans to recreate vintage armor usin' modern-day techniques. If you fancy such gear, you can get 'em right here at the House of Splendors.

Eginolf: Vintage equipment's fallen out of favor of late. Though we still deal in them, at Rowena's behest, they're now bespoke items. She won't have valuable shelf space being taken up by wares that don't sell, you see.

[Nalien]

Sadly I doubt we'll get anything, I'm still waiting for my lore on the Primal Focus weapons...

[saber_alter]

DRG could very well be a new invention to assist in dragon hunting. MNK seems to appear even more Eastern than than the Near East, but not so far as Doma (not sure where it would geographically be then, since Xaela are all in what would fit that zone). NIN's probably newer or older Doman styling. WAR and BLM... are either something new, or something so old we should probably forget they existed...

i think drg is an older offshoot of the drachen set. a set phased out for homogeneity but was once given to distinguished dragoons. (for instance, the wind-up kain uses the dragonlancer set). monk is probably an older design, from when the fist of rhalgr was just starting out. WAR is without a doubt old, it's less armored than the af1, blm idk. Gothic lo-err-Goetia was probably all the rage when blackmages were common place :3

[Jonnycbad]

Wasn't Thordan the first Dragoon? He was wearing a grey or silver Drachen set in the flashback. I kinda think Estinien's blackened drachen armor is Thordan's that has just been blackened from battling dragonsn(from dragon breath scorching it, and dried blood which makes things black over time due to the iron in the blood which oxidizes). Dragonlancer is maybe a prototype which was lost/forgotten, while drachen was the more mass produced one. Drachen makes more sense from a functional standpoint however. The spines and spikes allow a dragoon, diving from the sky, to remain latched on to a flying dragon(the spikes pierce the scales) because if it was smooth armor, the dragoon would roll off the wyvern's back when it bucks. Also the dragonlancer gear appears more light and less armored, and his a superfluous tail thing which probably does nothing functionally.

[Daralii]

I wouldn't be too surprised if the dragonslayer set's from the prior conflict between men and dragons, before Shiva and Hraesvalgr's pact.

[Nalien]

Wasn't Thordan the first Dragoon?

Haldrath was the first Azure Dragoon, whether he was the first Dragoon is questionable though, I suppose. Given the Thordan we see, I expect Thordan to have been more of a Paladin/Dark Knight than Dragoon, though.

I kinda think Estinien's blackened drachen armor is Thordan's that has just been blackened from battling dragonsn(from dragon breath scorching it, and dried blood which makes things black over time due to the iron in the blood which oxidizes).

Nope;

At the end of Heavensward we see Haldraths body, and he is still wearing the same silver Drachen set we see in the Echo flashback.

Plenty of Dragoons actually wear the Drachen armor, it doesn't actually seem to be anything special at this point. Fairly sure a NPC in the Heavensward Dragoon quests is wearing it, and there are a few FATEs in Western Coerthas Highlands that have a Dragoon wearing the set IIRC.