Races and Places- Limsa Lominsa

Limsa Lominsa

Well, since the bombshell that Square Enix dropped about there being another Final Fantasy MMORPG due next year, we’ve been informed of a considerable amount of in-game information. Right now, I’m going to take a look at the races and places of Eorzea.

Final Fantasy XIV is set in a world known as Hydaelyn, in the land of Eorzea. There are three major City-States of Eorzea, and while we only have a bit of information on each of them, they seem to all be spiritual successors to the Cities of FFXI. Their names are; Ul’dah, Limsa Lominsa, and Gridania. Here’s the official description, and my thoughts about seaside state of Limsa Lominsa.

Final Fantasy XIV.com: “On the southern coast of the island of Vylbrand, under the shadow of ancient cliffs worn by the relentless onslaught of the Rhotano Sea, lies the marine city of Limsa Lominsa. Said to be blessed by the goddess of navigation, Llymlaen, the city is spread out over countless tiny islands, each connected by brilliant ivory bridges. It is this that has earned her the name the “Navigator’s Veil” from traveling bards who have witnessed the city’s beauty from afar.

Legend holds that Limsa Lominsa was founded shortly after the remnants of a giant armada fled it’s homeland following a crushing defeat. Llymlaen is said to have taken pity on the plight of these brave sailors, and guided them to the shallows of a rocky bay where their ships were grounded upon the sharp rocks. With no home to return to, the sailors chose to settle in this newly-found land, and used the remnants of their vessels to begin construction of a city.

However, the sailors never forgot their nautical backgrounds, and once a new fleet was in order, they would take to the waters again. It was only a matter of time before their influence had spread and they ruled the five seas of Eorzea. Thus the Limsan thalassocracy was born.

Remnants of this legend live on even today in the nations ruling party, whose members still address their leader as Admiral.

While fishing and shipbuilding are prominent, a majority of the city’s wealth comes from the shipping industry, with over half of the city’s population being employed in logistics. To maintain shipping routes, the thalassocracy employs a powerful navy known as the Knights of the Barracuda, who Patrol the Eorzean seas, ensuring safe passage for all those who do business with the nation.

However, even in the waters nearby the city, pirate bands run rampant, reaving and pillaging, leading neighbouring nations to suspect that the Knights of the Barracuda and the local bandits are in some way working together to profit off of unwary traders.”

Well, I’ll start things off by clarifying something that I got caught on when first reading through that. A thalassocracy is a state or empire, which resides in primarily maritime regions. Learn something new everyday, eh?

So far, I’m impressed with Square Enix. The main thing I noticed is just how many times they set themselves up for a Limsa Lominsa quest or mission in that story. To me it looks like we’ll be dealing with everything from corrupted Knights of the Barracuda, to shipping goods from one place to another. I also would wager that at least one mission for Limsa Lominsa would be delving into it’s roots, and exploring the story of the stranded Armada. I’m sure there will be twists and turns as that plot unfolds.

As for how it relates to Final Fantasy XI, when I first heard of the name I thought it would be a spiritual successor of San d’Oria. It looks as though it’s going to be quite different however. It almost reminds me of Jeuno, with it’s role in shipping and transporting goods being comparative to Jeuno’s airship industry. I'll deffinetly be pondering this one over, and updating this post.

-Lieven