Ishgard is one of the major city-states in Final Fantasy 14 that plays a big role in the Heavensward expansion. It is the home of the Machinist, Dark Knight, and Astrologian Guilds, and located in the cold climate of Coerthas. It is unique for its theocracy, strict traditions, and turbulent relationship with dragons.
The history of Ishgard is rooted in the Elezen race. They once lived throughout Eorzea as its original inhabitants until Hyur began to migrate and push them to corners of the land. A large group decided to settle in Coerthas and eventually built Ishgard. However, they immediately began to have conflicts with creatures that already lived in the lands, leading to a long and bloody history.
The Early History of Ishgard
Devote followers of Halone traveled through Coerthas, believing there was a promised land for them. However, when these Elezen tribes first came to settle in Coethas, they and the Dravanian dragons had their first battles. A story spread of Saint Shiva, an Elezen women who sacrificed herself out of love for a dragon named Hraesvelgr. For a while, this inspired the Elezen and dragons to have peace with each other. This peace lasted for 200 years before Ascians visited the first King Thordan of Ishgard and told him the source of dragon powers come from their eyes.
With a thirst for power, Thordan invited a dragon of the First Brood named Ratatoskr to speak on behalf of her people. She expressed dragons want to live peacefully with mankind, but Thordan asked about her brother Nidhogg, and she admitted he thought men to be too weak to protect the world - that only the First Brood could look after the planet. This instilled some fear in Thordan and his Knights Twelve, so they murdered Ratatoskr and ate her eyes.
Nidhogg was furious by mankind's betrayal and tried to avenge his sister, managing to kill four knights before his eyes were gouged out. He retreated and visited Hraesvelgr, then convinced him to offer up his eye so Nidhogg could continue to wage war. This began the Dragonsong War. Those descendants of the Knights Twelve, which include lowborn, are known to still have some of Ratatoskr's power in them from when the knights ate her eyes hundreds of years ago.
How Ishgard's History Got Twisted
How the Dragonsong War started through Thordan's betrayal was a fact that got lost in history, partly because of Thordan's son Haldrath. Rather than become the next king, he became the first Azure Dragoon to protect the people of Ishgard from the aftermath of his father's crimes. This is what made room for Ishgard's theocracy, and the Ishgardian Orthodox Church decided to make-up Thordan's life to make it appear as though it was the dragons that started the Dragonsong War, not mankind.
A large part of covering up history was demonizing Shiva and anyone else who had sympathy for dragons. The fake story about Thordan the church spread was that Nidhogg attacked mankind for no reason while they were in search of the promised land. The lie continues by glorifying Thordan with a tale that he battled the dragon for seven days and lost half of his knights. They also spread the lie that Thordan was pushed into a chasm by his own men, who were somehow enthralled by Nidhogg. These lies were taken as truth for a long time in Ishgard, with the church higher-ups being the only people who knew the truth.
The Dragonsong War
Due to the Dragonsong war, Ishgard excluded itself from much of Eorzea's other wars and battles. Its war lasted for a millennium, with Nidhogg sleeping and awakening at seven different periods to attack Ishgard. While the dragon horde could completely destroy Ishgard if they wanted to, they attacked more with the goal of making their enemy suffer.
In the Sixth Astral Era, during Nidhogg's seventh assault on Ishgard, he and his horde destroyed a village called Ferndale. The Azure Dragoon at the time, Alberic Bale, was powerless to stop the dragons because he gave up his title for fear of the dragon's eye taking control of his mind. The only survivor of the village was Estinien Wyrmblood, and he became the next Azure Dragoon under Alberic's training. Nidhogg's last awakening happens in 1572, around the same time Coerthas has fallen into an eternal winter due to the events of the Seventh Calamity. What happens next is available for players to see in the Heavensward expansion of Final Fantasy 14.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
