Quote Originally Posted by MikkoAkure View Post
All the races came into existence at the same time (apparently).

Elezen were the first to repopulate Eorzea after the latest calamity (to reflect the old 1.0 lore where they were the original natives), but none of the existing civilizations in the world pre-date the calamity that was less than 1600 years ago. The Elezen were seemingly the main race on the continent until the Hyur began to show up and kick them out.

Sharlayan is the oldest existing country in the world. Right after the calamity they made a direct democracy out in the middle of nowhere and no one ever bothered them again.

Ishgard became a thing a little over 300 years later after Hyur immigrating from Ilsabard pushed some Elezen out from central Aldenard (main continent of Eorzea).

300 years after that, other Elezen moved into the Black Shroud because of Hyur immigrants. But all of the ruins around Gridania as well as Gridania itself exist from the time when Hyur and Elezen held hands to build cities together. Before that, no one wanted to live in the Black Shroud since the elementals make it extremely difficult to live there so it was more of a last resort situation.


When it comes to FFXIV, throw out literally everything you know about elves because the Elezen have nothing to do with fantasy elves from any other media except for FFXI, which are the ones they're based on. FFXI Elvaan were even bad at archery and only good at making castles, being French, and killing dragons, which remains in Ishgardian Elezen.

Some Elezen live in the forest and shoot bows, but Gridanian Hyur do too and they built the city together. Gridanian Hyur might be even more traditionally elf-like in that only they get to be blessed by the elementals to become Padjal and only the Hyur have Welsh names.

Most FFXIV background stuff seems to put less importance on your race and more on your country of origin anyway.
Shroud lore is so interesting I wish they did more quest chains focused on it.