Races

[MikkoAkure]

Also where each race comes from differs.

One thing to keep in mind here is that the game's setting is 12,000 years of history that has world-spanning wars and calamities that drive population migration all over the place. While there were events which created bridges between continents to allow for migration, it's not as though boats weren't invented until 6AE so any population of people could have traveled anywhere from the Sundering to the modern age.


Hyur can be found anywhere in the world and adapt well. In the 6th Astral Era, the only Hyur "native" to Eorzea were the Hyuran descendants of Mhach and Amdapor who set up in Gyr Abania. Then multiple waves of Hyuran migrations from Ilsabard and displaced existing Elezen populations, forcing the Elezen into Coerthas and the Black Shroud and coming into conflict with Lalafell in Thanalan.

Elezen can be found in both Aldenard and Ilsabard so their "origin" is unclear, but like I said before they could be from anywhere. On the First and in 1.0, they seem to be truly native to Aldenard/Norvrandt so take that as you will.

Lalafell homeland was stated to be the South Seas Isles on a few occasions for all Lalafell. In 1.0 the Dunesfolk were said to be from "desert isles" but in the ARR continuity they seem to be descendants of Lalafell who migrated to Yafaem from the South Seas Isles and then to Thanalan after the fall of Mhach. Other Lalafell migrated from the South Seas Isles to Vylbrand in the 5th Astral Era to form Nym and some Nymians then returned to the South Seas Isles after the calamity only to arrive back in Vylbrand after Limsa Lominsa was established. Not sure what Wedge's deal is, being a Garlean Lalafell. Presumably the Lalafell have some presence in Ilsabard that we've yet to see.

Roegadyn "homeland" seems to be Aerslaent in the far north and that's where Lominsan Roegadyn came from, but we also know there's Roegadyn living in Ilsabard, Othard, and the mountains of Aldenard. Like the Hyur, Roegadyn seem to do a lot of traveling around and settling everywhere with the notable exception of Tural.

Miqo'te are an interesting case. "Recent" history and what most people know about has them migrating to Eorzea from Ilsabard during the 5th Umbral Era when the sea froze over and they seem to have already been separated into two different clans by that time (Keeper surnames are from prominent families that crossed the ice while Seekers had 26 tribes they assigned Eorzean letters to after coming). They also have lived in Meracydia but Koji says they've lived in both places at different times and migrate around just as all the other races have. During the 3rd Astral Era, Miqo'te lived in Eorzea itself but faced persecution there and were pushed out to Ilsabard by Allag.

Au Ra are the only race that seems to have a definitive "we're exactly from here" sorta thing going on, and that's the Azim Steppe. Both playable Au Ra clans hail from the steppe and the Raen left to migrate elsewhere. It seems to be a common misconception that Raen are from the sea, but the underwater Raen are a teeny tiny splinter group who decided to adopt pascifist ideals and hide away from everyone else by going underwater after befriending the Kojin. The vast majority of Raen migrated from the steppe and lived in petty kingdoms in Doma, Hingashi, and Nagxia. One group under a Raen khan migrated to Corvos in the Near East and from there invaded Thavnair while some other Raen split off from that group while still at Corvos to go invade southern Ilsabard and establish Werlyt (but gave leadership back to the Hyur).

Viera and Hrothgar had a whole "we're exactly from here" sorta thing going on, with Hrothgar even being in the same place since at least the 2nd Astral Era, but their presence in Tural seems to throw a wrench in everything. I'm sure they're both just there to give the devs an excuse to have more NPCs of the newer races but until a new EE comes out, their existence is a bit of a headscratcher.