#Aerslaent

[keykidpilipili]

Hehehehehehehe dawntrail benchmark works on my computer! HROTHGAL TIME!

[mimble-sparklepudding]

2. Roevember - Roots.

Hailing from Aerslaent in the Northern Empty, a group of Roegadyn left many, many years prior to the Sea Wolves arriving on Vylbrand aboard the Galadion. Crossing over to the continent of Aldenard, they settled in the mountains, where their descendants—the Hellsguard—reside to this day.

[ffxivxd]

After the sailor Nyunkrepf Nyunkrepfsyn saved many from the rising waters of the Sixth Umbral Calamity, he chose not to return to Aerslaent and instead go to the Northern Empty. Scholars surmise that he feared his refugees would be sold into slavery by his piratical brethren.

[dariusult]

FFXIV Write Day 14- Telling

It was just before sunrise, which came early in Gyr Abania, the stars still shining faintly overhead as the sky took on a greenish-blue hue, with tinges of orange beginning to threaten the horizon beyond the distant peaks of Abalathia's Spine. The usual dusty browns of the high-elevation countryside were coated with a delicate layer of frost that shimmered in the growing light.

The faint crunching of gravel underfoot was the only sound that signaled Darius's passage through the dark mountain paths, seeming somehow even darker than at night juxtaposed against the brightening sky. The young soldier walked in silence, each breath leaving silvery clouds drifting slowly in his wake. His gait was unsteady, his now solitary eye having difficulty finding the path in the gloom. The right side of his face was still mostly covered by bandages, and the cold was making the wounds underneath ache fiercely. The stolen civilian clothes he was wearing didn't do much to insulate him from the cold, but the sun would be rising soon and hopefully driving the chill of the Ala Mhigan night away with it.

"Just a little further..." The Hyur said in an attempt to spur himself onward. He was meeting with another member of his unit, a grizzled old Sea Wolf by the name of Ahldshayn Eyrnzant. Ahldshayn was from the distant island nation of Aerslaent, a land that had not fallen to Garlean occupation, but Ahldshayn had been apprehended while committing acts of piracy in Garlean-controlled seas. So he had apparently been given a choice, either enlist in the legion that had captured him, or face the standard punishment for piracy: death. Not really much of a choice at all, to be honest. Ahldshayn had been planning to desert for some time, but he hadn't enacted his plan because he needed a second set of hands. The Sea Wolf had told Darius as much when the Hyur was convalescing from his brush with death and mourning the unit's loss of its commanding officer, Wulfric pyr Peregrinus.

Darius may not have enlisted with particularly strong feelings of patriotism, but losing his eye and the man who had been more like a father to him than his actual father had killed and buried any possible feelings of loyalty the young soldier had towards his home nation. The Emperor obviously wouldn't care what happened to Darius; so why would Darius ever consider laying his life down for the Emperor? Ahldshayn had talked Darius into deserting, and taught him a few valuable lessons in the process: if you're going to be escaping from somewhere, whether it's a gaol or the army, prepare a cache beforehand in a secured location so you're not carrying supplies during your initial escape. The two had carefully snuck supplies out to a small set of ruins during patrols, and the time had finally come to make good on their escape. The plan was to both leave at separate times from separate directions, then meet at the cache and flee south into Eorzea proper.

As Darius approached the cache, he increased his pace, eager to get underway. Ahldshayn had decided that Darius would leave first, he was the amateur so him slipping out first meant that his odds of success would be better. Ahldshayn would come later, and in the meantime Darius's job was to prepare the supplies to be moved, so they'd be able to head out immediately once Ahldshayn arrived. As he slipped between the rocks leading into a small set of stone walls, the Hyur could feel his nerves trying to get the better of him, making his stomach turn. He couldn't falter here. This was it, his bid for freedom was about to begin. He stepped through into the small walled area and where there should've been a big a meticulously horded stockpile of supplies and materiel were some empty crates and a scraggly piece of paper- was that a note?

Darius slowly picked up the piece of paper and turned it over. There, in a scratchy hand, was written a message:

Everything's ready, lad. There's just one final part of the plan left: the distraction. Sorry about this, consider it your final lesson.

The Hyur didn't have much time to process what exactly the message meant, a loud hissing noise sounded overhead and a bright light rose into the sky as what looked like a solitary red star rose back the way Darius had come, leaving a trail of thick white smoke behind it as it climbed into the sky. A signal flare? After the flare came the shouting—angry shouting. Darius knew a pursuit force when he heard one. The Hyur balled the paper up and threw it to the ground, he needed to leave now. He rushed out of the ruins and turned to look back the way he had come just in time for a bullet to go whizzing by his head. A small force of armed legionnaires was already hot on his heels.

"Damn it!" Darius cursed to himself as he turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. He had no idea where the hell he was going but he needed to get away as fast as possible. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, dodging behind the ruins of old buildings and doing everything he could to block the line of sight of his pursuers. He ran, and ran, and ran, and his legs were screaming at him to stop, but it wasn't as if he could simply surrender and explain himself, the gunfire had proven the legionnaires chasing him weren't interested in taking him alive. Deserters would be shot. That had always been the rule.

The crack of distant gunfire and the hail of bullets flying past him spurred him onward, hurrying along a narrow path with a sheer cliff on one side and an impassable rock face on the other. Despite his entire being focusing on escaping with his life, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A white square far below, slowly moving down the river. The Hyur stopped and stared down for a moment, it was a sail. A small boat was heading down the river towards the sea, and on the boat was standing Ahldshayn, staring up at the cliff and Darius. The Sea Wolf waved and laughed, a hoarse, unpleasant cackle that Darius could hear from all the way up on the cliff. "NOTHIN' PERSONAL, LAD!"

Darius's expression hardened, this had been the plan all along. Ahldshayn wasn't looking for an accomplice to escape with, he'd been looking for a stooge to set the garrison after as a distraction while he made his own escape. He turned to keep running but took one last look at Ahldshayn before he left, vowing that he'd get that treacherous bastard back for this.

He'd just have to escape first.

[astrum2112]

This is my FFXIV character, Ank! She's an Archer/Bard living in Limsa Lominsa and working as a liaison between The Scions of the Seventh Dawn and The Maelstrom, and currently holds the rank of Second Storm Lieutenant. In her off-time she does small jobs for the Adventurer's guild, plays music, and on weekends frequents The Helix Nebula, an LGBT+ nightclub in the Lavender Beds.

More info under the cut cause I'm a big ol nerd and I love her <3

Her full name is Ankaswys Doenfystwyn (pron. Ankh-as-vys Doen-fist-vyn) which means Anchor Sister, daughter of Thunder Fist in her native tongue. Ank is a Roegadyn of the Sea Wolves clan, from Aerslaent, who traveled by boat to Aldenard at the same time she transitioned. Her marksmanship skills made it easy to find work aboard ships in The Northern Empty, but preferring bows over firearms led her to seek out the Quiver's Hold in Gridania.

I'm still kinda new to the game, only been playing for 2-ish weeks and I haven't committed to subscribing yet but I'm really enjoying it so far and I'm looking forward to interacting more with the community!

[isayoldbean]

Spinning off 2 from the WoL culture and geography questions - you've mentioned before that Beef is originally from Aerslaent, but can't return there. Where does she consider "home" these days and why? Does any part of her still long to return there after everything that happened?

this is actually a very interesting question for me to tackle, because i feel like beef struggles with the themes of finding a home quite a bit even now

i guess the short version is... probably limsa is the closest thing to home for her now. it was founded by sea wolves fleeing aerslaent, so there are some common cultural roots that she finds comforting. plus it's a piratical seafaring nation with a fishing guild, as well as the two combat guilds she feels most closely aligned with (marauders and thieves), and also the premiere dining establishment in all of eorzea, all of which are things she feels drawn to.

that being said, in a way she still feels rootless, like home is still somewhere out there just out of reach. maybe it's what comes of being the traveler--feeling like home is always elsewhere.

i'm not sure how she'd feel about the prospect of going back to aerslaent tbh. on the one hand she probably still doesn't really Remember much of anything about her homeland, for good or for bad, but on the other hand she probably at least has her suspicions about certain things. either way i think going there would be very... enlightening for her. (i want her to go there so bad it would be so bad for her please she needs to suffer some more)

[ffxivnature]

Introduction to Nature

The word "nature" is often used to refer to all life on Hydaelyn, governed by laws, elements, and phenomena of the physical world. Influential as they are, the Spoken races are but one tiny facet of the greater whole of life itself. Nature encapsules Hydaelyn's geology and wildlife, including the living and nonliving parts of the world that influence life. Plants, animals, the land, the weather, and so on are all subjects of nature.

The natural sciences refers to study of the natural world. Aetherology, alchemy, physics, biology, geology, geoscience, ecology, and many more fields of study are all considered natural sciences. I must offer a preemptive apology to any Sharlayan readers, for the contents of my journal will explore many of these topics -- perhaps in not the most systematic approach.

Chapter Contents: 1. Hydaelyn 1.1. The Land 1.2. The Sea 1.3. The Sky 1.4. The Energy 2. Life on Hydaelyn 2.1. Umbral Calamities 2.2. Spoken Distribution 2.3. Natural Resources & Land Use 3. Notes

1. Hydaelyn

Our star is a vast and blue world covered by oceans, featuring several large landmasses and countless smaller ones. Cartographers have yet to fully map out the entirety of our star, but there is a wealth of knowledge available for what has been discovered thus far.

Almost all of Hydaelyn's water is contained within her oceans, with the remainder of the surface being land. This water sustains all life on our star through Hydaelyn's dynamic atmosphere, forming clouds and moving fresh water through a cycle of rain and evaporation.

1.1. The Land

Hydaelyn's lands only cover part of the surface of the star, as it has been observed that the oceans prove to be much larger than many continents. The land surface includes many islands around the star, but most of the land surface is taken by five known major continents.

The westernmost of these three continents, Aldenard, and its surrounding islands such as Vylbrand comprise the realm of Eorzea.

The easternmost continent of Othard, the island of Koshu, and other smaller neighboring islands are known as the Far East.

The southern half of the continent of Ilsabard, combined with Thavnair and a few other surrounding islands, make up the Near East.

To the south of the Three Great Continents lies the continent of Meracydia, a desolate wasteland that seldom makes contact with its neighbors to the north.

To the west of Aldenard and east of Ilsabard lies the recently-discovered continent known as Tural or the New World.

1.2. The Sea

It could be argued that Hydaelyn possesses one "world ocean," but for the sake of navigation, cartographers across the star have designated the boundaries of different oceans according to the continents that frame them. These oceans include:

The Indigo Deep separating southern Aldenard and the New World.

The Northern Empty, bordering the northern coast of Aldenard, the western coast of Ilsabard, and wholly surrounding Old Sharlayan and Aerslaent.

The waters of Blindfrost, to the north of Othard and east of Ilsabard.

The Glass Ocean to Othard's southeast and to the west of the New World.

Among the smaller bodies of water bordering these oceans are:

The Indigo Deep to the west of Vylbrand, combined with the seas immediately surrounding Aldenard, are known as the Five Seas.

The Bloodbrine Sea separates the south of Old Sharlayan from Aldenard.

The Rhotano Sea to the south of Vylbrand and southwest of Aldenard proper.

The Sea of Ash to Aldenard's southeast.

The Sea of Jade to the east between Aldenard and some of the southern coast of Ilsabard.

The Bounty separates Thavnair from the eastern half of Ilsabard's southern coastline.

The Sirensong Sea is located to the south of the Bounty.

The Drown also separates The Sirensong Sea from the Sea of Ash.

The Ruby Sea separates mainland Othard from the island of Koshu.

1.3. The Sky

Throughout history, Hydaelyn had two moons within its orbit.

The "Silver Moon", more commonly referred to as simply "the moon" can be seen in the sky on clear nights. The moon is a relatively large, terrestrial, natural satellite of our star, and was once the larger of two moons that traversed the night sky. No longer in Hydaelyn's orbit is the "Lesser Moon" of Dalamud, which was actually a construct of the Allagan Empire and remained in the sky until its descent and subsequent destruction during the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

The gravitational attraction between Hydaelyn and the Silver Moon causes lunar tides on Hydaelyn. The same effect on the Moon has led to its tidal locking: its rotation period is the same as the time it takes to orbit Hydaelyn. As a result, it always presents the same face to the star.

Hydaelyn's atmosphere has no definite boundary, gradually becoming thinner with altitude and fading into outer space. Atmospheric circulation drives the weather and climate through redistribution of aetheric energy.

Places close to oceans typically have colder summers and warmer winters, due to the fact that oceans can store large amounts of heat. The wind transports the cold or the heat of the ocean to the land.

Water vapor rises from the oceans and is transported by circulatory winds in the atmosphere. When atmospheric conditions permit an uplift of warm, humid air, this water condenses and falls to the surface as rainfall or snow. Most of the water then flows to lower elevations by rivers and is returned to the oceans or deposited into lakes. This water cycle is vital for supporting life on land and is a primary factor in the erosion of surface features over time.

1.4. The Energy

Aether is the energy that permeates all of existence. All life on Hydaelyn depends on the flow of aether. When creatures die, the aether within them dissipates into the surrounding landscape, eventually returning to the Aetherial Sea. As creatures age, the density of their aether thins over time.

Living things consume food to obtain nutrients and aether. The body converts some of that energy into aether, sustaining life on multiple fronts.

Aether can be divided into six elements -- Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, Ice and Earth. These elements govern existence on a fundamental level. For example, areas that are more "Fire-aspected" will have hotter and drier climates than those that are Water or Ice-aspected. This will also affect the flora and fauna of an area as well, affecting how a being can navigate the world, with Wind-aspected creatures being able to soar through the skies, or Earth-aspected beings having scales, like the scalekin.

In addition to these elements, there are also two poles: Astral and Umbral. The Astral is aligned with Darkness, stirring movement and action. Meanwhile, the Umbral is aligned with Light, invoking peace and stillness. Applied to the six elements, Astral and Umbral aether will change how it manifests. Astral Fire exhibits high volatility, where as Umbral Fire will generally affect dryness.

Naturally, some elements exist in a naturally Astral state, while others exist in a naturally Umbral state, creating balance between the six elements. Elements in the naturally Astral state are Earth, Lightning and Water. The naturally Umbral elements are Fire, Wind and Ice.

2. Life on Hydaelyn

According to Eorzean theology, the world was created by the Twelve, a pantheon of twelve gods and goddesses each pair representing one of the six elements. Where the advent of the other gods shaped the lands, seas, and skies, it was the goddess Nophica who filled the world with life. Since then, Hydaelyn's life has greatly diversified over time, allowing the natural world to have different biomes, which are inhabited by comparatively similar plants and animals.

Hydaelyn provides liquid water and sufficient energy for living creatures to sustain a metabolism. Plants and other organisms take up nutrients and aether from water, soils and the atmosphere. These nutrients and energies are constantly recycled between different species.

Extreme weather, such as tropical cyclones, occurs over most of Hydaelyn's surface and has a large impact on life in those areas. Many places are subject to earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, droughts, wildfires, and other disasters. In the past, natural disasters such as these have grown to unfathomable scales in events known as Umbral Calamities.

2.1. Umbral Calamities

A Calamity is a cataclysmic event in which the balance of the world is tilted too far in favor of one element of aether -- usually as a result of conflict among Spoken races. These events are extremely rare and our star has gone very long periods of time between these Calamities. The destruction wrought by them can be seen even to this day.

The First Umbral Calamity, also known as the Calamity of Wind, is agreed upon by scholars and biologists alike to be the beginning of recorded history on Hydaelyn. According to popular Eorzean creation myth, preceding this Era was the Age of the Twelve, when gods and goddesses were said to walk the land. When the Twelve were finally finished creating the world, their departure from the realm is said to be the cause of this Calamity.

The Second Umbral Calamity was the Calamity of Lightning. After years and years of violent warfare among the young races of Hydaelyn, the scales tipped, and the land fought back. It is thought that the world was consumed by roiling black clouds from which violent lightning struck the earth constantly and without mercy. The surviving people of the world escaped the lightning by fleeing underground, where they prayed to their gods for mercy amidst terrible famine and plagues in their confined settlements. Modern theologists suggest that these people exhibited early stages of modern magic.

Much like the Second Umbral Calamity, the Third Umbral Calamity was the result of war and violence. The sun swelled in the sky and scorched the surface of Hydaelyn black, extinguishing all life on the surface and reducing every city to ash. This event was so monumental that it is one of the most prominent features in geological records today. Each Calamity has lingering evidence in nature, but the Calamity of Fire still proves to be the easiest to locate in the layers of canyon walls today.

The Fourth Umbral Calamity was the Calamity of Earth. The Allagan Empire harnessed massive amounts of energy from the lesser moon, Dalamud, sundering their empire and sending it deep into the earth. Earthquakes rippled across Hydaelyn and almost every town or city was devoured by the land. None were spared from damage.

Tribal legend and local folklore speak of a seemingly endless winter that brought with it bitter cold, raging snowstorms and giant rivers of ice. Without the ability to grow crops much of the population either perished, or were forced to flee to the north and it's more temperate climates. This is hypothesized to be the Fifth Umbral Calamity, also known as the Calamity of Ice.

The Sixth Umbral Calamity, also known as the Great Flood or the Calamity of Water, was an all-consuming tidal wave that destroyed anything it touched, and consumed most of Eorzea at the end of the Fifth Astral Era. It was caused as the result of the land's aether reserves being severely depleted from the "War of the Magi", causing the elemental balance to be thrown heavily towards the element of Water. This Calamity is of particular interest to me, as it was the Great Flood that caused the Elementals to distrust the Spoken people of the Black Shroud.

Finally, the Seventh Umbral Calamity was an unaspected calamity, where all of the elements had been tipped towards the Astral, or Darkness. It was the result of the Garlean Empire's "Project Meteor". The intent of the project was to bring the lesser moon Dalamud down onto Eorzea in an attempt to purge the land of primals once and for all, even if it meant untold destruction. For the rest of the star, this marked the disappearance of the second moon after thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years of prior history observing the two moons when they once shared the night sky.

2.2. Spoken Distribution

Since the dawn of Hydaelyn, the Spoken races of our star have since been migrating and, with the advent of agriculture in the First Astral Era, increasingly settling Hydaelyn's land. Distribution and density of Spoken population varies greatly around the world and from continent to continent. Furthermore, Spoken have increasingly converged into urban areas since the Fifth Astral Era.

Hydaelyn has been subject to extensive Spoken settlement, and mankind has developed diverse societies and cultures. Most of Hydaelyn's land has been territorially claimed by sovereign states separated by political borders. In Eorzea, three city-states have united to form the Eorzean Alliance, with the later addition of Ishgard following the end of the Dragonsong War.

2.3. Natural Resources & Land Use

Hydaelyn has resources that have been exploited by Spoken. Those termed non-renewable resources are only replenished over geological timescales. Large deposits of fuels are obtained from Hydaelyn's crust, including coal and ceruleum.

Nature itself produces many useful products for Spoken people, including food, wood, medicine, air, and the recycling of organic waste. Ecosystems on land depend upon topsoil and fresh water, and the oceans depend on dissolved nutrients washed down from the land.

3. Notes

With all of this prior information established as context, I will be taking a much narrower approach to studying life itself. Every flower, every landscape, every mineral that captures my imagination will find a place in these pages.

With my notes, I hope to also capture the imagination of whoever reads what I've learned. I am no master, but there is no shame in discussion from student to student.

Twelve's blessings upon you.

Kielo Brönugras

[thereluctantoracle]

hello, welcome to my FFXIV roleplaying / gpose / inspiration blog that I should tend to more. call me Myco or Ali or my characters' name(s), whatever suits ya.

currently active RP characters:

Nish'a Tibariah: Druidic mage from Aerslaent, naturalist based in Labyrinthos, poet, Sharlayan's weirdest little guy (and the reluctant oracle himself). (https://tibariah.crd.co/)

Alaric Kilgannon: Dalmascan troublemaker, magitek mechanic, rising star in professional wrestling, all around flirty dad. (https://alaric.crd.co/)

[pr1ncesspopstar]

Old, but Precious - FFXIV Write 2023 - Day 20: Hamper

Ao3

-

Her hands slicked over the grain of the dark oak, along with a wave of oil and liquid wax. Her work table, hands, and even arms were covered in a copious amount of the stuff. A complete mess, but one she was happy to endure to give the wood the luster it deserved, and the waterproof quality it would need if it ever wished to see the sea like its sister vessels. With a fresh coat covering it, the wood brightened to reveal vibrant shades of brown and red, as lively as the trees she’s hewed and cut to make these boards. It almost seemed to flourish under the light let in by the stained glass windows of Halditar’s new workshop.

“Hald? Where are you?” She heard a voice call from beyond the metal and wood walls. She grabbed a wet cloth and cleaned away as much of the sealant from her hands as she could get.

“In here, G’raha! The shed!” she called, still using her old name for the decrepit building, before she tidied it up. She was still getting used to owning a home, her house half finished and ill suited for herself, much less guests. That didn’t seem to deter anyone, though. 

“Hope you don’t mind the sudden viiiii…-!” G’raha froze in his tracks as he pushed through the door, jaw dropping as he was the first to take in the ‘personal project’ she’d been keeping under wraps. Behind him, Tataru and Krile gasped, all their eyes sparkling in awe at the gorgeous byrding ship she’d constructed, missing only its deck, the planks waiting to be put into place.

“Halditar! Did you make this all by yourself?” Krile was flabbergasted. Unsurprising since a ship of this size usually required three people minimum to get it done some quick.

“Following someone’s old instruction, aye,” she said with a nod. “With some of my own artistic decisions thrown in, you could say.”

She patted the sturdy hull of her project, whose steel rivets gleamed with the fine polish she laid upon every one. The only thing that had not been her own were the words that guided her through the process. The gathering and crafting of the prices she needed, that had all been her. An effort that seemed to pay off as G’raha and Tataru were drawn in to study the roegadyn sailing vessel, cooing in awe. Halditar couldn’t help but straighten herself up with a bit of pride to hear such admiration of the vessel when it wasn’t even done yet.

“This is incredible, Halditar! It’s a merchant-style vessel, right?” G’raha asked. He leaned over the edge of the bow, having climbed in when neither of them were looking. His tail swished with excitement, pupils rounded to more resemble a hyur’s in scholarly glee.

“Yup. It was loved by raiders, too. Could store more food and stolen goods, even a few people below the main deck. There are old tales of raiding parties that would ride on these ships for months, stopped only by the ice floes too hard for their ship to crack through. Or when the ale ran dry.” She said and ran finger ran over the wave patterns carved and painted around the oar holes, in blue and green as vibrant as the sea. Stuffy scholars could say all they wanted of old roe culture being that of practicality and dour, but anyone worth their salt knew a vessel without paint or color was one without a soul.

Red was most common. The color strength, a warning to all and challenge to some. Some like black and dark blue to hide the shadow of their ship as they sailed through the night. Yellows and purples invited wealth and custom eyes to merchant ships. Halditar mixed Aerslaent and Limsan sensibilities, leaving most of the wood bare and natural while painting only the etches and carvings she laid upon the wood. Forget-me-nots and roses seemed embedded into the wood, growing from the grain with the soft red and blues she used to decorate their petals. Abstract coiled designs detailed in gold with hints of things hidden within by the occasional pop of color. Fish and beast bounding between the geometric shapes like they ran through the thicker, all towards the figurehead, her masterpiece.

“Oh, Halditar. She’s beautiful.” Tataru said, utterly breathless as she stared up at the keel. Halditar could only nod in agreement, a tinge of nostalgia and sadness running through her anytime she laid eyes on the piece that had taken her the most time and mistakes to her right.

“Yeah, she really is.” Halditar ran her hand over the solid wood curls painted golden she’d destroyed so much scrap wood over to get right. To have a woman on the figurehead of a ship like this was unheard of. Usually it was that of a dragon or basilisk. But that didn’t matter to the Warrior of Light, and she could not think of anyone more worthy, nor any figurehead safer than this one, to guide her ship.

Most of her features came from Halditar’s memory, and inspiration from the tale of the woman whose very being commanded thunder, and lust for battle summoned a storm that lasted a week as she slaughtered a nest of beasts that sought heedless death. Though her face was fierce with that wild mane, her expression was tranquil. Wrapped in a white warrior’s tunic, the ax held at her front melted into the hull. Most impressive of all was the paint work Halditar had done on the face. It depicted a jagged line across her wood grain skin with the use of mother-of-pearl, an ethereal wound that celebrated her scar. An aurora of purple and blue and yellow that danced in the sunlight. And lest Halditar forgot, the gold diadem over her forehead, set with a smoky topaz that glinted with the force of an entire storm in its carved form. 

“Who is she based on?” Tataru’s voice was soft as she asked.

“Doendrache, my mother.” Halditar said. “She had her own boats. Lots of them, since she was so rough and frequent with her travels they often got destroyed. I thought it’d be a nice way to let her see more of the sea.”

The others were quiet, staring at the figurehead with a new sense of awe and appreciation. G’raha was the first to break the silence.

“It’s a lovely tribute. Will you name the vessel after her?”

“Inspired by her, at the very least. I’m fond of the name ‘Stormscourge’. It won’t hold a candle to something like Merlwyb’s beastly boat, but it’s the sailors within that count.”

“You must tell us when you’re done with her. I’d love the opportunity to go sailing on a piece of modern history and art like this…” Krile ran her hand over the rivets and wood grain. The feeling of excitement and chatter that hung in the air was palpable, and only made Halditar even more eager to see her project complete, a purpose now in mind.

“I promise it.”

-

The green bottle shattered on impact against the polish wood railing. Frothy bubbles of ale spilling down and over the side, followed by an excited set of cheers. The neck of the glass was still in hand, she pointed it forward toward the La Noesca ocean horizon.

“See her off, boys!” She decreed. The silken sail unfurled, and caught the wind between its threads, the boat lurching forward before smoothly creating and skimming over the waves. The only problem came from Wedge, Biggs, Hoary Boulder, and Coultenet, who insisted on helping with mast duty. Or rather, struggle with it as the wind and ropes did their damndest to make the men struggle, more than once almost sending one of them dragging across the deck until they tied everything in place.

“Now I see why most ships have some kind of aetheric pulley system… I was almost flung off the side!” Wedge panted as he tied a last knot in place. Rewarding with a firm pat on the back, Halditar shoved a pint in his hands as thanks for his help.

“This girl isn’t like one of your fancy airships. She works best with things done the old-fashioned way. Just be grateful I’m not having you row.” She barked a laugh and rose, looking across the ship. All the scions and a few plus were present, eager to enjoy the sea breeze and air that flowed through the small get-together. Ale and food flowed free as water, the chatter a cacophony of joy.

“Quite the impressive get together you’ve managed.” A strong voice spoke from behind. Merlwyb had been the most eager to set foot on the vessel. Even asking Halditar for the blessing to be the first to steer the ship’s course with the steering oar. Halditar’s would have been a fool to deny the Lominsa Admiral the right, and her ship the best possible first navigator she’d likely ever know. “I’m glad I made the time to come.”

“I’m just glad to know my boat’s first trip won’t be her last with you at the oar. And to have you here, of course.” The Warrior of Light joked, bringing the sea woman her own drink. Both clunked their tin tankards together, letting the foam slosh over the sides onto the floor before chugging. A wintery, orange sweet blend with the perfect hints of mint and rosemary to warm the stomach and heart.

“I was told you made this boat by hand yourself. Is that true?” The admiral asked, sharp tongue softening with alcohol, sweetening the tongue. Sharing ale was a special thing for not just their kind, but just them. For while the Warrior of Light belonged to Immortal Flames, many nights Halditar and Merlwyb shared words over drinks. A connection neither asks for nor could explain an origin, but nurtured. They were thick as thieves.

“The calluses on my hands don’t lie.” That wasn’t saying much as battle-prone Halditar had calluses since well before Eorzea, but a new few certainly arose from this project. “Plus, I know the exact amount of boards, gallons of paint, and pounds of metal poured into this boat, so I think that’s worth something.”

“It wouldn’t be your baby if you didn’t know her better than yourself.” Merlwyb agreed. Before anymore could be said, a voice shouted from the front of the ship. The start of an old shanty, rough with spliced Garlean.

“I always thought Biggs might be a lightweight.” Halditar chuckled and rose to her feet. With a snap, the nice dress for a day of hosting on the sea became that of a bard. She called, “Stop butchering that poor song, mate! I’ll show you how it’s really done, with a jig in your step to boot!”

The ship was already beautiful, with history and art and care woven into every part. But only upon that eve sailing the seas around Vylbrand did it gain what all ships of repute truly needed to matter alongside the few that sailed them: a soul and story. Tales and memories passed on by others by words into oblivion, and things etched into its wood that would remain likely longer than any of them. 

[unsanctitude]

i want my roe to be from aerslaent so bad because 1) i like the wol not being from eorzea at all and 2) they are vikings and i lovev ikings..if you look at the world map the boats around there are all longships

the issue is that there is so little info on that place it is actually very hard to come up with a backstory for her now oops

the roe that became sea wolves left aerslaent to escape from tyrants so its actually very interesting to wonder what happened after all of those years to the remaining population. i was scared the islands are now uninhabited but i feel like the troll card confirms that roe still live there ?

[caranraw]

Aerslaent, the Arras, and the Ryakgyr peninsula

Is there one particular place (or time!) that your WoL would love to visit and hasn't had the opportunity to do so yet?

[keykidpilipili]

Me: Hmm I wonder if I should have Eyristyr on a hiatus for 7.0 to help their family in Aerslaent... I mean the devs have said nothing about the status of the place post Final Days.

Endwalker: Here are Moenbryda's parents visiting your island and telling the wol they should go on a vacation.

Me: .... Please do not make me regret this.

[rhotdornn]

[ Aerslaent AHOY! ]

After a decisively long wait, it is finally here.

With the spread of the Aerslaentean Roegadyn community, the next milestone in our society has been achieved--our very own, custom-made carrd!

It is my most genuine hope that any and all may network through it, learn more of the Firstland from it, or just get connected with other, fellow Roegadyn--regardless if they’re from Aerslaent or not! That’s more or less what our Fellowship is for, after all.

Of course, the Discord, CWLS and else are open to any and all who wish to join and learn more, if not expand, on the Firstland lore themselves, whether canon or fan-canon.

https://aerslaent.carrd.co/

Signal boosts are appreciated, of course!

[ffxivxd]

While the old Roegadyn tongue lives on in the northern reaches of Aerslaent and the Abalathian Hinterlands, the Roegadyn of Limsa Lominsa learned the common tongue. This was born out of necessity from being adventurers and sell-swords.

[clockworkdragonffxiv]

Not sure if the rest of you do this, but I kind of sometimes turn my characters’ retainers into supporting characters.  Like one of Zakuro’s is her estranged sister Sayuri.  I was tinkering around and didn’t really like the eye color of one of Kriss’s retainers, and next thing I knew I had overhauled them into Kriss’s parents and two of her sisters (Kriss is the youngest of seven daughters).

For reference, Kriss hails from Aerslaent.  While the canon tells us literally nothing what it’s like, from my supposition and basing on how the map depicts a Viking-esque longship in that region, in my head Aeslaent’s environment is much like the islands and cultures of the North Sea (Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands) and the Northern Empty is the North Sea.  So kind of this mix of northern Gaelic and Scandanavian, a bit like the Hebrides or the Isle of Skye, and just as rain-soaked and storm-battered.

Okay so I’m really just tinkering around with the character creator and want to show off because I had fun making these little people only I can see. :p

Also, it’s really friggin’ hard getting screenshots of retainers. >:(

So from top to bottom we have:

Ryssuwil: The Old Bear of the Mountain and Kriss’s father.  A titan of a man whose rages literally shake the earth around him, he rarely speaks more than he needs to and more than a few think his only words are “[disapproving grunt]”, “[grudgingly approving grunt]”, and “[intimidating growl].”  Preferring to live out in the woods and mountains of his island and caring little for most people, his tempestuous romance with the sea witch Syggswys gave him seven daughters, all of which he typically refers to as simply “girl.”

Syggswys: The Storm Witch and Kriss’s mother.  A dangerous and wild woman who is technically not a pirate, her strange branch of conjurery and geomancy focuses on the waves and storms that plague the region.  Her magic can see a ship through a hurricane or navigate a reef, or likewise hide them from the kraken and sea serpents indigenous to the Northern Empty.  It can just as easily hex or bring down maladies upon a man who offends her, making her an object of fear and respect among the locals.  Having no small talent for rolling the bones and reading omens such as birds, stars and animal entrails, she comes ashore only when the portents tell her is right, which only contributes to the complex - and often stormy - relationship with Ryssuwil and the seven daughters she’s born him.

Iyrngeim: The Grey Siren and Kriss’s eldest sister.  A proud woman who prefers civilization far more than either of her parents, Iyrngeim makes her living as a skald, a local variety of bard, at the local jarl’s court.  While she does posses some small talent for magic, she prefers music and the finer things.  She thinks of her youngest sister as hotblooded and far too much like her father with Kriss’s berserker ways and affinity for animals.

Skoeflona: The Golden Oak and Kriss’s youngest sister.  Somehow not inheriting either of her parents’ proclivity for bloodsoaked carnage and violence (note that their entire courtship was a whirlwind of fire and blood), she serves as a wandering healer and conjurer.  A kindly and sweet tempered woman that Kriss is fiercely protective of, she has been seen tending to wounded animals as much as humans.  Some stories put her command of magic as rivaling that of her mother’s, while others claim she can speak to wild beasts.  Most of these are probably just superstitious locals.  

[hyrthyml-isil]

[Hyrthyml Isil Remastered]

Among the first batch of parchments rolling off fresh from the press, comes the new, and improved, charted record of the elusive waters of Hyrthyml Isil, and all of the islands belonging to its reach. Replete with details of flora, fauna and the whereabouts of certain protective wards, this detailed script will prove useful to any and all that wish to brave the wilderness of the lands and tides heretofore thought vanished to the waves of Aerslaent.

Exclusively available to the patrons of the Embassy, may this depiction serve to safeguard your and yours to the promised, lost haven. Reprinting and acts of sharing are strictly prohibited.

Fair winds and clear skies, The Hyrtfyr Embassy

We’ve come a long way, and not necessarily in a poor fashion. Looking back on the original, first rendition of the map…

…one can not help but feel nostalgic–and proud. The new iteration of the map remains true to the original source material, expands on existing regions, and is enriched with new, and more complex areas whose lore is yet to come.

The new map offers more to those keen to look deeper within, especially when depth of field is concerned, as well as the level of the sea, and things of such nature–though it may warrant a deeper zoom-in, regardless.