Highlander Lore

[GenericMagus]

Hello, I'm having difficulty finding Lore on the Highlander.
As I play a female Highlander, I'm extremely interested in finding out more about the lore behind my race, what history they have and how they came to be in modern Eorzea.

Lore from the lore book would be very helpful too!

[Anonymoose]

One of the things that always seemed to be implied by Version 1.0, but rarely explicitly supported, was that some clans branched directly from others, and rather recently. For example, the Hellsguard all but surely branch from the Sea Wolves and recently adapted to the volcanic Farreach. Highlanders seemed to be Midlanders that stayed in the harsh mountain regions after the Sixth Umbral Calamity's floods receded, becoming stronger and bulkier where the air in thin and life is hard (ignoring that when this happens IRL, people tend to get shorter, too). This was contradicted in ARR, though; it is said that Highlanders domesticated the common sheep during the Age of Endless Frost - over a thousand years before.

So let's stick to confirmed facts!

The Highlander tribes of Gyr Abania have long been a violent lot. This, and the influence of northern dialects a la the Roegadyn, gave rise to their present naming conventions (see sticky). Remnants of ancient spiritual traditions remain the form of wooden talismans (often woven into their underclothes) and tattoos (sacred as they are intimidating). The brute, tribal aesthetic can also be seen their food; simple (but impressive) dishes such as large aldgoat steaks, well-seared but never overcooked. There were also some mentions tooth-filing and eyebrow-shaving as means of seeming more intimidating in combat, though these have gone unmentioned for a while.

They arrived in Gyr Abania following the floods of the Sixth Umbral Calamity (following a comet that many believed to be a sign from Rhalgr), putting the Highlanders in a prime position for history to record them as the first peoples to re-enter Eorzea after the waters receded. (This also being why they're called high-landers; the builders of mountain strongholds.) For over a thousand years, these mountain tribes warred over what little arable land existed. It was Anshelm Cotter, a tactical genius, who finally united what tribes didn't scatter before his advance (1100).

Ala Mhigan history, if relevant to your highlander:

Thus united, Ala Mhigo was raised mainly by Highlanders. Seeing as it was right on the land bridge leading into Ilsabard, they made sure that Ala Mhigo was a mighty bastion capable of repelling foreign invasion. Their military might being one of the few things they could export led to Ala Mhigan sellsword companies springing up in nearly every city-state to be used in their conflicts against one another. Unfortunately, Ul'dah's trade empire (with many ships) considerably undermined their ability to charge tolls on traders coming through the secure land bridge (1190).

Hoping to claim fertile land by conquest, King Manfred attempted to conquest the Black Shroud (1468), almost crushing the Gridanian forces before being driven back by a fledgling alliance of Eorzean city-states rallied by Ishgard, knowing that should Gridania fall the Ala Mhigans would be at their gates (and the already had the Dragonsong War to contend with). This would come to be known as the Autumn War (1469).

In the austerity that came after the wars, dissatisfaction with the crown swelled. The Fists of Rhalgr - the monks - gained considerable political influence. To forestall the erosion of the monarchy, the Fists were declared the state religion and given great influence. For at time this enmeshing of religion and state indeed led to stability, but King Theodoric would try to sever their influence (1546). He would declare himself above Rhalgr, ordained by the Destroyer's master, Nymeia. But this was simple pretense; when they Fists of Rhalgr protested, he brutally crushed them; all in temple, be they priest or refugee, burned (1552).

Growing paranoid, Theodoric's rule became more and more tyrannic. The executions began with rival claimants to the throne and moved ever downwards towards even smallfolk of any noteworthy wealth. His fears were only confirmed when even the queen turned against him, a conspiracy betrayed by a single noble. The brutality spurred the people to action, overthrowing their leader in a "popular revolution" defied not even by the king's own guard, the Corpse Brigade.

Unfortunately for the people, the rising tensions and violence had been encouraged from the shadows; gentle manipulations by spies of the Garlean Empire loyal to Gaius van Baelsar. As soon as Theodoric had been slain, the Imperial army sprung their trap, taking the city without a great battle or siege. Any who did not surrender or join the Resistance fled.

You can learn the nitty-gritty about Autumn War, the Fists of Rhalgr, and the fall of Ala Mhigo from Erik at the Pugilists' Guild.

The fall of Ala Mhigo caused a massive flood of Highlander refugees into the Black Shroud and Thanalan; moreso the latter, as the Elementals can be rather picky about who is allowed to stay, and where. Version 1.0 lampshaded the lack of female Highlanders (this being why Yda and Minfilia look like Midlanders) by saying that many of the daughters of Ala Mhigo stayed behind to fight in the Resistance, being no less skilled at arms.

As has ever been the case, many make their way as sellswords (and now adventurers), but thanks to the recent and radical distribution caused by the fall of Ala Mhigo, you can find a few Highlanders doing just about anything, just about anywhere to get by.

[Sounsyy]

Anonymoose did an excellent job of summarizing Highlander (and Ala Mhigan history) lore above. I figured I'd drop in to provide source text for Moose's summary. Lore specific to the Highlanders from the lore book and in game can be found below. If you're wanting your Highlander to be from Ala Mhigo and are curious to know more about Ala Mhigo's history and how the refugees have come to be treated in Eorzea, I have a similarly structured Ala Mhigan Lore Compilation that I'm currently in the process of adding to/editing with lore book information. Still, should give you a good idea of things.

The Hyur are said to have first traveled to Eorzea from her surrounding continents and islands. Some one thousand years and three great migratory waves later, they are now the most populous of all the civilized races. They exhibit a relatively modest physique, both in height and build, and are known for their peculiarly short, rounded ears. Hyur are well suited for traveling long distances by foot, a trait thought to account for their swift proliferation. Their espousal of an eclectic variety of languages and traditions is a legacy of their diverse heritage - as is their resulting lack of cultural identity.

The Hyur of Eorzea comprises two clans: the Midlanders, who settled in the realm's low-lying regions, and the Highlanders, who claimed the high mountains as their home. This does not, however, represent the entirety of the Hyuran people. Outside of Eorzea, Hyur can be found in Ilsabard in the north, Othard to the east, and even as far as the New World, their manifold clans and houses as innumerous as the stars in the night sky.

Descendants of a people who followed the stars to the mountains of Gyr Abania in the wake of the Sixth Umbral Calamity, the Highlanders founded the city-state of Ala Mhigo, a bastion of military might until its fall to the Garlean invasion two decades agone. Many stayed behind, and now live a toilsome life under the yoke of their imperial masters, while those that fled their homeland now live as refugees in Eorzea. Their numbers are greatest in the Shroud and greater in Thanalan, where their presence has resulted in no small degree of social strife. Among the refugees are those who have put their considerable martial talents to use as sellswords and gladiators.

The Highlander name comes from the clan's history of dominion over the mountains of Gyr Abania. Compared to their Midlander brethren, the Highlanders are noticeably larger in build and musculature. Following the fall of their ancestral homeland of Ala Mhigo, many have sought refuge in the bustling mercantile nation of Ul'dah.

The Highlanders were the first of the Hyur to reach Eorzea. Their name derives from their long tradition of building strongholds in the mountains. Compared to their Midland brethren, the Highlanders are noticeably larger in build. They adhere to the doctrine of the Twelve, and are devout followers of Rhalgr, the Destroyer. Ancient Highlander practices of tattooing and tooth filing are very much alive today. Of late, Highlanders have become an increasingly rare sight in Eorzea, their number represented almost exclusively by those who fled Ala Mhigo after its fall, and now work in other city-states as mercenaries and sellswords.

Highlanders are noticeably taller and more muscular than Midlanders, with full-grown men reaching towering heights of nigh eighty ilms. Some posit that the impressive Highlander physique is the fruit of countless generations spent residing in harsh, unforgiving mountain climes, where the air is thin and each day a struggle for survival. Though some discount this theory, none can deny that the physical prowess of the Highlanders greatly outstrips that of their Midlander cousins.

The Highlanders are a clan of Hyur whose name derives from their long tradition of building strongholds in the mountains. Long years at high altitudes endowed them with a stamina that lent itself well to physical activity, and both the men and women are trained in the arts of combat from childhood, which accounts for their thick musculature. They are truly beautiful physical specimens─from a purely scientific point of view, of course.

Like Midlanders, Highlander names have their origins in words of the common tongue. One difference of note is the prevalence of violent-sounding surnames, rooted in epithets and monikers earned on the battlefields of war-torn Gyr Abania. Given names display the influence of Northern dialects, often bearing more than a passing resemblance to those of the Roegadyn Sea Wolf clan. "Bastard son of a Sea Wolf" is an insult often hurled at Highlanders in tavern brawls, not infrequently with painful consequences for the fool who uttered it.

Some Midlanders like to joke that because Highlander names have a very Roegadyn feel to them (in addition to highlanders being very large and muscular), that the clan is somehow “less Hyuran.” Many an alehouse brawl has broken out as a result of a Midlander in his cups uttering such quips as ‘Your mother was a Sea Wolf ’ in the presence of a Highlander. Needless to say, most of these quarrels do not end well for the instigator.

Q: Why don't male Highlanders have eyebrows?

MCKF: There is a reason. Highlanders are a very violent group of people. Their clan is always warring amongst each other and against the Midlanders as well back in their homelands. They like battle. They fight and the women fight and their children fight, because that's their culture. When you have this culture of everybody being able to fight, it's all about getting the one-up on your opponent. Everyone's good with a sword or a club or whatever, so you need something extra. Everyone expects their opponent to have eyebrows. So if someone goes into battle and your opponent doesn't have eyebrows, it psychs you out and your head gets chopped off. Different tribes have their different rituals but one of those rituals is shaving off the eyebrows to put fear into your opponent.

Q: So they do have eyebrows, they just shave them off?

MCKF: Yeah, it's not a genetic thing. They shave them off or they give themselves scars or pull out their teeth. Things like that to make them look more imposing.

Smallfolk tell of how many young daughters were left behind in Ala Mhigo to fight. Turns out most of them Highlander girls swing as word as well as any adult. I'd dearly love to see for myself. The Miqo'te known as the Hellfire Phoenix was a sight to behold, that's for sure, but they say all them Highlanders are possessed of the same fury.

Sheep were domesticated by the Highlanders during the Age of Endless Frost. They spent countless years breeding the beastkin in an effort to produce animals that yielded a greater quantity of wool. The result is a species which now seems more fleece than flesh. Wild sheep can be seen grazing the grassy regions of La Noscea and Coerthas.

With a spiritual tradition dating back to times of yore, Highlanders are known to sport wood-carved talismans woven into their underclothes, and votive tattoos adorning their bodies. While some find Highlander aesthetic sensibilities crude, one cannot deny their uniqueness and the manner in which they evoke unadulterated strength of nature. Such ruggedness can also been seen in their preferred fare - Highlanders often dine on simple yet impressive dishes such as massive aldgoat steaks, seared perfectly to seal the natural juices. Overcooking is taboo in Highlander kitchens, to the degree that some consider them raw meat eaters.

A traditional dish of the Highland Hyur consisting of a thick cut of aldgoat chuck charred over an open flame.

[GenericMagus]

Thanks for the lore ^^
Wow, I knew the Highlanders were violent, but they seem to be the most violent race in Eorzea, possibly even more so than the Garleans o.0
I'm surprised at how my backstory my race has in FFXIV.

[FinalWolf]

WE WAZ KANGZ N SHEIT

[Bloody]

"Oh, you want to call me mum a Sea Wolf do ye? HOW 'BOUT I KNOCK A FEW OF YER TEETH INT' YER GULLET!"

[Eul]

We're born with roids

[Bloody]

Eul, do you mean Natural Enhancements?

[Eul]

Eul, do you mean Natural Enhancements?

Or our dad/mom are Roegadyn, idk