http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/
Check the "World" section:
- City-States (all three have new information)
- Map
WORLD MAP
The Mapping of Eorzea
The vast realm of Eorzea, comprising the continent of Aldenard and its outlying islands, has seen the rise of a civilization with peoples as diverse as its environs. Throughout its history, the landscape has played home to a number of city-states—the tenuous relations among them fluctuating between friendly and hostile.
The pantheon of the Twelve is followed devoutly by most, and doctrine holds that the past wars of the realm were the wars of the heavens, with the gods and goddesses laying their favor with nations to champion them. In this way, war spread throughout the realm, discouraging unity and peace.
As a result, years passed without the lay of the land and its borders ever being mapped in their entirety. It was not until some 70 years ago, when an intrepid soul set out to wander the land, at great peril to himself, that the first map of Eorzea was completed.
Since then, the original rendering has been amended and improved by others, and the form it takes today is used by adventurers across the realm as an indispensable guide on their travels.
In One Are Twelve
A map is as precise
As the malms walked in her making,
Yet I fear these feet
Have but far too few between them
May she serve faithfully
Any who would employ her for good,
And shun all who would fill
Her borders with blood
Twelve see the steps taken
By those who heed her humble guidance
Ensure her legacy endures
—Roddard Ironheart, Year 1506 of the 6th Astral Era
CITY-STATES
Ul'dah
"Everyone here is after something—fame, notoriety, power, money. Me? I'll have the whole bloody lot."
—self-made Lalafell and former Syndicate Member, Cicidoa Sosodoa
The bustling commercial hub of Ul'dah sits amid the desolate desert landscape of southern Aldenard. The city is organized strategically around the dome-shaped citadel at its center. Its towering fortifications and protective outer walls are visible for malms in all directions, and serve as a stark deterrent to would-be besiegers.
Visitors from every corner of Eorzea come to Ul'dah to partake of the city's famed recreation, most notably the fighting arenas and gambling halls. Ul'dahn culture is known for its affluence, and the wealth of the nation comes in large part from its abundant mineral resources and prestigious clothcrafting industry.
Historically, it is the sultan who claims sovereignty over Ul'dah, but true power is wielded by the Syndicate, an elite group of six of the most influential and richest members of society. Nald'thal is the patron deity of the city, and two great halls, devoted to his two aspects, can be found in the eastern and western sections of the city.
Limsa Lominsa
Gridania
Each tree, each shrub, each leaf, each blade of grass—we treat them as our own sons and daughters. And for that we are loved by this wood.
—master conjurer and prophet, O-Guna-Por
In the eastern reaches of the Aldenard landmass, home to vast, dense woodlands and coursing rivers, lies the forest nation of Gridania. The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures, so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment.
The Gridanian emphasis on natural harmony has led to its preeminence among Eorzea's city-states in trades such as forestry, agriculture, carpentry, and leatherworking. Gridania is also home to the Wood Wailers, a militant band of polearm-wielding sentries charged with the protection of their homeland.
The favored goddess of the citizenry is Nophica, the Matron, but great faith is also placed in the wisdom of the Seedseers—young oracles who guide the nation based on the will of the forest's elementals.
LIMSA LOMINSA LANDMARKS
The Mizzenmast
Built around the remnants of the Galadion—a legendary battleship whose grounding off the shores of Vylbrand marked the humble beginnings of Limsa Lominsa—the towering Mizzenmast stands at the center of all that goes on in the city-state.
The bottom level is a veritable citadel, fortified with yalm-thick stone walls dotted with arrow loops and murder holes to fend off invaders in the event of an attack. On the middle levels can be found both a bustling pub and a cozy inn, while the uppermost levels comprise the offices of high-ranking thalassocratic officials, including the city-state's leader—the Admiral.
Limsa Lominsa's airship landing is also located near the top of the tower, allowing for the safe disembarkation and boarding of passengers without the need for pilots to contend with the treacherous air currents swirling in the bay below.
The Octant
This grand outdoor plaza situated below the Mizzenmast earned its name for the resemblance it bears to the revolutionary nautical instrument invented by maritime scientist and "father of modern navigation," Jovanni Gnonno.
During daylight hours, the round resounds with the cries of mountebanks, the songs of bards, and the laughter of children marveling at the many talents of mummers' troupes. Yet come nightfall, the plaza assumes quite another aspect. Bedraped by the soft light of the moon, its steps become a private theater for lovers seeking to gaze upon the timeless drama of the heavens.
Pharos Polaris
Erected over decades out of bright white chalk mined from nearby cliffs, this colossal lighthouse is a beacon for sailors braving the night seas, her light providing safe passage through the perilous shallows of Galadion Bay.
Few, save the candlekeeps who maintain a constant vigil over the flames, know anything about the pale blue light which emanates from atop the spire. Some say it comes from the maw of an arcane bomb, locked in a cage and tormented until its anger burns bright. Others say the keeps themselves are powerful mages who use their thaumaturgies to capture the rays of the sun each day, only to release them again at night.
Hawkers' Alley
Amidst the pungent aromas of smoke and spice, merchants from the four corners of Eorzea and beyond gather in this corner of the city-state, peddling their tramontane wares to all who would buy, while providing a lifeline for those crafters hailing from the faraway nations of Gridania and Ul'dah.
However, the Markets of Limsa Lominsa are not limited to the cluttered confines of this narrow boulevard. On several of the lesser islands speckled about the bay can be found neighborhoods such as the Frippers Ward and the Leechers Ward—homes to guilds and workshops of innumerable trades.
It is within these wards that many adventurers have chosen to set up retainer-run stalls, selling everything from the assorted spoils of their exploits to the fruits of their craft-du-jour.
LIMSA LOMINSA GUILDS
The choice of a guild can prove the defining moment in an adventurer's budding career, and Limsa Lominsa offers a wide variety of unique options, many of which include businesses and organizations that constitute the backbone of the coastal city's government and economy.
Naldiq & Vymelli's
Founded by legendary cannonwright Theor Naldiq and renowned shipwright Bryce Vymelli, this well-respected establishment's forges have provided the steel plating and weaponry of nearly every ship to have braved the Navigator's briny demesne.
However, the recent upturn in adventurer activity has led the company to expand their repertoire to include basic blades and armor, and latterly to open their doors to aspiring crafters through the creation of both a Blacksmiths' and Armorers' Guild.
Your body is no different from a ship. It is a vessel, and your soul the captain. The captain must know her vessel if she is to provide it with ample protection.
—Forgemaster H'naanza Esi
Live your life in the forges, you're bound to get burned. But let the flames temper your soul, and your will shall become as hard as steel.
—Adept Blacksmith, Mimidoa Nanadoa
Coral Tower
Official headquarters for Limsa Lominsa's Knights of the Barracuda, the Coral Tower provides everything necessary for an officer to hone his skills while preparing for his next assignment, from a spacious firing range, to a fully-equipped barracks where weapons can be cleaned and repaired.
In an attempt to assist the Thalassocratic Navy's recruitment of skilled marksmen, and prevent those with promise from being beguiled into joining a pirate crew, the city-state has loosened enlistment regulations and opened the facilities' doors to almost anyone, using the name Musketeers' Guild to entice willing youths.
The man who wields a musket is only half the man who wields a blade? Hah! So says the man with a bullet in his belly.
—Knights of the Barracuda, Commodore Reyner Hansred
The Bismarck
The Bismarck—forever titillating the tongues of travelers, and assuaging the appetites of adventurers—where gourmands from around the globe gather to dine on delectable dishes, to sup on sumptuous soups, to indulge their innermost cravings.
Pass through the gates of Eorzea's premiere culinary establishment and be greeted with a bountiful array of exotic delights from beyond the boundless seas. Watch and be amazed as grand battles unfold in the kitchens over fire and flame, pitting experienced masters against budding young chefs, eager to divest their mentors of their most secret recipes. Give in to the forbidden desires of your polished palate and join our goodly guild to begin the climb up gilded steps to gustatory greatness!
Want a place in our cook'ouse, now do ye? Then first prove ye can not only taste with yer yapper, but with yer eyes, yer ears, an' yer 'eart!
—Culinarians' Guild Guildmaster, Lyngsath Doesfalksyn
The Astalicia
Tethered to a solitary pier, far from the watchful eyes of the Knights of the Barracuda, rests a towering galleon registered with Mealvaan's Gate as a trade vessel hailing from foreign waters. The fact that is, in actuality, a battle-scarred warship captained by the undisputed lord of the region's underworld, One-Eyed Hyllfyr, is one the city-state's worst kept secrets.
Serving as the gathering place for brigands, cutthroats, assassins, petty thieves, and the purveyors of sundry other breeds of villainy, the ship's captain has branded her the "Marauders' Guild," and it is here that the city-state's many pirate crews find new recruits to join ranks... as well as a few wide-eyed adventurers from whom to suck the marrow.
When choosing a weapon, there are those who would turn their noses up at the axe, believing it too brutish for their delicate sensibilities. Pah! I say to them. I've never known a cloven head to complain.
—Carvallain de Gorgagne, Captain of the Misery, and leader of the Kraken's Arms
Fisherman's Bottom
For centuries, casting nets has been the favorite method of catching fish in the seas off Vylbrand. Because of this, those who work the nets to make a living have come to be called "pullers," and over the years, several independent crews of pullers have united to form small businesses of their own. These businesses can all be found in a district of Limsa Lominsa known as Fisherman's Bottom.
One of the largest organizations based there, Wawalago's Pullers—whose activities include everything from the buying and selling of fish, bait, and tackle, to the maintenance of the local fisheries (the Barrel), and the upkeep of the area's several lighthouses—has taken the name of "Fishermen's Guild," with the laudable aim of offering instruction to aspiring fishermen and women.
O what will it be, served up by the sea
When I cast out the net that my ma made me?
Though the knots that she knit
Are too big for the fish
I'd wager they'd catch me a fine lady!
—Wawalago Momolago, Founder of Wawalago's Pullers
The Drowning Wench
Once a run-down alehouse frequented by sailors, thieves and worse, the Drowning Wench underwent a defining change when pub proprietor and former sellsword Baderon Tenfingers declared the bar and the inn above it the Adventurers' Guild.
While still a popular venue for a pirate to drink away his ill-gotten gains, the majority of the pub's custom now consists of eager adventurers fresh off the ferries, seeking the quickest path to fame and fortune.
Me da once said, if me ma 'erself was ever t' stand 'twixt 'im and a life o' 'venturin', 'e'd straightways up an' drown th' wench.
—Drowning Wench Proprietor, Baderon Tenfingers
ALPHA / BETA DIFFERENCES
Alpha Test
Beta Test
