Races and Places- Hyur

One of the next races we come across is the Hyur. Obvious sucessors to Humes in Final Fantasy Xi, Hyurs are the closest looking race to Humans that you can find in Final Fantasy XIV. In fact, it would be hard to find an major difference between the two. With the majority of players on fan sites already indicating that they are most interested in this race, let’s take a look at what the official description says about them.

Final Fantasy XIV.com: “Boasting the largest population in Eorzea, the Hyur came from neighbouring continents and islands in three great migratory waves. With them they brought a sophisticated technology and complex ethos tempered by the breadth of the outside world. They rapidly became a driving force behind cultural progress, and are now widely attributed with spearheading advances in Eorzean civilization.

One of the Hyur’s greatest strengths is the staggering variety of languages and social institutions they exhibit. This is said to account for their firm conviction in individual freedoms, though it also results in a relative lack of solidarity and group cohesion.

Two distinct groups now exist among the Hyur – Highlanders, denizens of mountainous areas, and Midlanders, who reside in lower elevations.”

Well, looks like it’s a good thing that the majority of prospective players so far would want to play as this race, seeing as how it will be the most abundant race in accordance to the game’s storyline. We also can see a throwback to Final Fantasy XI in how the Hyur are adept in technological growth and advancement. Another thing that reminds me of FFXI is how it’s mentioned that the Hyur exhibit a wide variety of skills. I might even interpret this as how the Humes were somewhat of a jack of all trades in terms of base skill sets. This could be hinting at another similarity between Humes and the Hyur.

Once again we are presented with two distinct groups within one race. The Hyur are divided between those who reside in higher elevation and those who reside in lower elevation. They’re named Highlanders and Midlanders, respectively. I’m not sure how to interpret this in terms of in-game qualities. Perhaps one is average folk, and one is immortal from the clan MacLeod and is locked in a battle of immortals in which there can only be one?

If you’ve been keeping up with my coverage with the other Races, you’ll know that I’ve got a theory about City States. So far we’ve yet to see any mention of a specific City State being home to a specific race. I’m entertaining the theory that its possible there is no home for any specific race. Again this information supports the later side. Let’s finish reviewing races before we jump to any conclusions though. Next up is the Roegadyn, the Galka on Jenny Craig.

-Lieven