CG Midlander

[radhaz]

I seem to remember that we have access to "warrens of the past" somewhere in the dialogue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren

[Anonymoose]

Good news!

I was finally able to come up with a text string that led me to the complete Prelive Report that disappeared from the official XIV sources; the one that substantiates the links to Greece and concretely confirms a few things one might regard as possibly ambiguous.

Here's an abridged version I just made for my own use.

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The name of the planet is Hydaelyn; though, most would not use this word itself, for to understand the concept of a planet, one must first know of other worlds, and most on Hydaelyn do not.

The game takes place in the realm of Eorzea, one of three continents* that make up one larger super-continent (land mass); specifically, Eorzea consists of the main continent of Aldenard and its surrounding islands (the largest of which being Vylbrand, home to the city-state of Limsa Lominsa). Aldenard is connected to the other two continents via a land bridge in the north-east which will eventually lead to Garlean Imperial territory.

Eorzea contains several independently governed city-states like those found in ancient Greece. Like the Greek cities they are based on, those of Eorzea have a long history of war and alliances. The few that have lasted longest are the thalassocracy of Limsa Lominsa, the commercial sultanate of Ul’dah, and the forest city-state of Gridania, which some users have commented reminds them of an ancient Japanese polis.

However, the powerful and aggressive Garlean Empire has begun their slow advance on the city-states, making the current situation in Eorzea similar to the months before the Persian Empire marched on Greece.

Limsa Lominsa
Limsa Lominsa is a sprawling port city ruled by pirates and brigands. After the appearance of the legendary island “Swallowtail Roam,” a battle begins brewing over a treasure found there, and the player gets caught up in the action. Into whose hands will the treasure fall?

Gridania
The player angers the forest and travels to Gridania to remove his woodsin. There the player gets caught up in the story of a boy named Khrimm who insists elementals─beings thought to rule the wood─and sets out to find the truth. Will his findings overturn the beliefs of all Gridanians?

Ul’dah
The player is caught up in a terrible accident during a city-wide parade. One of the people who perish in this accident was carrying a terrible warning to Ul’dah. To learn of this warning, there are those who would seek forbidden magicks to allow them to speak with the dead...

Ishgard
The Knights of Ishgard are fighting a holy war with an ancient race of dragons, and are currently refusing contact with those they call ‘unbelievers.’ These defenders of the mountain realm appear in several different quest line

* Though the word continent is frequently used to describe Eorzea, this may be a bit of a misnomer. "Continent" generally only refers to a continuous land mass. In this case, the true continent would be Aldenard. Some have also pointed out that a more literal translation of the Japanese text would have referred to Eorzea as a "cultural sphere." It may be best to refer to Aldenard as the continent, to Vylbrand as an island off the coast of this continent, and to Eorzea as a "Realm" made up of Aldenard and its surrounding islands, including that of Vylbrand, which all (generally) share a common language, religion, world-view, and tradition of sovereign city-states, that will ally in mutual interest.

[JGwinters]

The game takes place in the realm of Eorzea, one of three continents that make up one larger super-continent (land mass); specifically, Eorzea consists of the main continent of Aldenard and its surrounding islands (the largest of which being Vylbrand, home to the city-state of Limsa Lominsa). Aldenard is connected to the other two continents via a land bridge in the north-east which will eventually lead to Garlean Imperial territory.

I'd just like to fix this, because translation errors proliferating like this is kinda annoying. :P Eorzea is not a continent, it's a cultural region (I believe the exact Japanese word used was 'cultural sphere'). Since the original report appears to be gone I can't prove this from the same source, but the Japanese clearly stated it, and I think even the other versions had it translated right. It's just the English one that screwed up. There's a thread concerning the continent/region thing where I think I might have quoted some of it if you need more.

Figured you'd have caught it, but apparently not? In the bit above you're identifying Eorzea as two things, a region consisting of a continent and its surrounding islands as well as a continent by itself. The continent is Aldenard as the quote says. :P The remaining two continents were identified with the ARR site, being Ilsabard and Othard.

[Anonymoose]

I'd just like to fix this

I actually have a little footnote in my version based on you pointing that out previously XD

Technically, I think you're right. Aldenard is the content (giant land mass discounting localized islands), Vylbrand is an island in the Aldernard...ian... region, and Eorzea is the "realm" that encompasses everything in that area. I think that's the term I'd use, "realm." However, practically, I don't think it makes much difference, as English tends to be pretty liberal with the word "Continent." Just look at Asia!

Still, though - at the end of the day, I like the term "Realm." Eorzea is a realm that includes the continent of Aldenard and adjacent island Vylbrand.

[JGwinters]

I actually have a little footnote in my version based on you pointing that out previously XD

Technically, I think you're right. Aldenard is the content (giant land mass discounting localized islands), Vylbrand is an island in the Aldernard...ian... region, and Eorzea is the "realm" that encompasses everything in that area. I think that's the term I'd use, "realm." However, practically, I don't think it makes much difference, as English tends to be pretty liberal with the word "Continent." Just look at Asia!

Still, though - at the end of the day, I like the term "Realm." Eorzea is a realm that includes the continent of Aldenard and adjacent island Vylbrand.

Hmm. I agree with you that the definition of a continent is pretty fuzzy at least for some. They were merrily mixing up cultural regions and continental plates with it when I gave up. Makes me wonder if the education in the US (most likely country of origin for forum posters afaik) is really that abysmal, this is very basic stuff. I don't agree that it doesn't matter though, no matter what your definition of a continent is, you're bound to be confused if you hear that 'the continent FF14's set on is called Aldenard' while at the same time hearing 'the continent FF14's set on is called Eorzea'. Whatever definition you use for continent, you're likely to use the same definition for both of those instances.

But glad to hear the famous lorebuff isn't likely to spread that mistranslation.

[Anonymoose]

Makes me wonder if the education in the US (most likely country of origin for forum posters afaik) is really that abysmal, this is very basic stuff.

Now that you mention it, I'm not sure if we ever did go into the nuances of the definition of continent aside from, "It means land mass, it only includes islands in a general sense when we talk about the big seven, and the difference between Greenland and Australia is arbitrary but might as well be gospel by this point."

Let us consider this confusion with a familiar real-world example - Japan. Is it part of Asia - or is it an island off of the coast of the continent of Asia in the subregion considered East Asia? These lines are quite blurry at times... but no, I shan't be spreading misinformation :P

I'll actually add that little footnote to the above post! Perhaps together we can secure a proper terminology before this thread is through! ^^

[Catapult]

I'll give you a better example and it is a time-worn debate:

"Are the Brittish Isles part of Europe?"

/argument

[Mjollnir]

I'll give you a better example and it is a time-worn debate:

"Are the Brittish Isles part of Europe?"

/argument

Sorry, do you mean the British Isles, the United Kingdom, or Great Britain?

[Catapult]

Sorry, do you mean the British Isles, the United Kingdom, or Great Britain?

Well played, sir, well played. I see you understand.

[Catapult]

This has been bugging me for a while, since I haven't been able to find a real-world comparison for Gridania's quasi-system of government... until I thought of one last night. What do you guys think of this comparison?

In the pre-kings history of Jewish society, God was the monarch and considered the supreme ruler. Offending God was considered life-threatening. God's law was administed by the priests of the clan of Levi. On occasion, when things got out of hand, God would send a judge to resolve a particular problem and restore order.

Now:
Replace "God" with "the elementals";
Replace "priests" with "conjurers";
Replace "the clan of Levi" with "padjali heritage"; and
Replace "a judge" with "one beckoned by the Wood".

Anyone care to nit-pick?