Hydaelyn—a vibrant planet blessed by the light of the Crystal. Amid azure seas, encompassing the westernmost of the Three Great Continents, there lies a realm embraced by gods and forged by heroes. Her name…Eorzea. Eorzean history charts the rise of a succession of great civilizations, each enjoying an age of peace─the Astral Eras. To date, all have proven ephemeral.
In the year 1572 of the Sixth and most recent Astral Era, the northern empire of Garlemald amassed a great army at the heart of Eorzea, seeking dominion over all. Rising in desperate resistance, the forces of the Eorzean Alliance met their would-be conquerors in the field. Yet even as the battle raged, the lesser moon, Dalamud, was plucked from the heavens through imperial machination. From its core emerged the elder primal Bahamut, who unleashed his fury upon the realm. The devastation brought Eorzea to its knees, and the era to its end. Yet every end marks a new beginning.
Five years have come and gone. The light of life still shines upon Eorzea. Man labors tirelessly to raise himself from the Calamity’s ruin. The realm is forever changed, a stranger to him once more. Yet heedless of what lies ahead, he shall press on, spurred by the promise of peace and prosperity. Amid this period of great change, an adventurer arrives in Eorzea… one whose tale is yet unwritten. May they ever walk in the light of the Crystal.
On a windswept isle in the southwestern corner of the realm, amidst the roiling waves of the Rhotano Sea, lies the maritime city-state of Limsa Lominsa. To this haven for bandits and brigands, cutthroats and curs, seekers of both freedom and fortune, comes a lone adventurer. Lone, yet not alone, for the hero’s arrival has drawn the gaze of the nation’s patron deity Llymlaen. What realm-shaking fate has She descried in the churning waters of this mortal’s future? Through peril and hardship, discovery and triumph, may the Navigator guide this brave soul on their life’s voyage… Till sea swallows all.
The Black Shroud—the ancient forest close to the heart of Eorzea. Beneath the boughs of its towering trees lies the woodland city-state of Gridania. Once a sanctuary from the world beyond the Hedge, even the mighty elementals, eternal guardians of the forest, could not forestall the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era. However, the goddess Nophica was never one to forsake Her children, and today She welcomes another brave soul… one who may yet play a telling role in the tale of this great realm. May the Matron take them to Her Bosom, that they may never want. And in their heart sow serenity, purity, and sanctity.
Deep in the sunbaked south, surrounded by the shifting sands of an endless desert, she rises. A solitary rose amidst the dust and rock. A symbol of defiance. Her name: Ul’dah. Even with the coming of the Seventh Umbral Era, hope springs eternal for the mongers and merchants who vie for lost fortunes in this bustling oasis. As the Twin Faces of Nald’thal maintain their vigil over all that has been and shall be, the present proffers a brave soul… One whose arrival could mark the beginning of a new era of prosperity for the realm. May the Traders nurture our fortunes as They kindle the flames which burn within us all. For by fire are we reborn.
