We try and explain FFXIV Dawntrail Lore. Learn everything you need to know ahead of the new Expansion.
The newest expansion for Final Fantasy XIV is right around the corner. Dawntrail promises to be the next chapter in the history of the critically acclaimed MMORPG and after Endwalker wrapped up its 10-year-long storyline, we are led to believe that Dawntrail is nothing but a cozy vacation overseas.
But after 6.55 established that we’re participating in a contest that’ll affect the future of the continent of Tural and the rest of the Source, we are not so sure about that one. So we hit the Lorebooks and listened to some NPC dialog. Here is everything we know about the New World and little tidbits that might be on to something.
FFXIV Dawntrail Lore Explained
Dawntrail is taking place in the continent we’ve previously known as the New World which is now dubbed Tural. It’s the continent to the far west of Eorzea which we have been hearing about since 1.0. There is a lore bit that explains to us that after the Calamity, the Eorzean governments hired Mamool Ja mercenaries from overseas to help with the rebuilding efforts.
Historically, Tural popped up for the first time in the year 1479 of the Sixth Astral Era were a Lominsian adventurer called Kentenramm first sailed across the Indigo Deep and discovered this 3rd continent. Previously its existence was known and forgotten but after rediscovering it Limsa Lominsa started building mercantile relationships with the Nation of Tural.
This relationship has now lasted over 80 years and brought Eorzea pleasures such as the Popoto and many other vegetables and fruits you might be familiar with from the Culunarian quest lines.
Tuliyollal, Tural and its People
The capital of Tural is Tuliyollal and it is the place where the two-headed king, the Autarch united the different tribes and communities under a common course before or after they made contact with the Eorzeans.
Blue Magic
If you have completed or started the Blue Mage questline, you might know that Blue Magic also finds its origin in the New World. The art was discovered and refined by the Whalaqee, some of whom we become familiar with alongside the eccentric Martyn.
It’s the magic art of imitating your foes and using their abilities in combat. And there is little to no doubt that we will meet some of the practitioners of the art.
Ceruleum Trouble?
In a few of the trailers, we could see large Ceruleum drilling operations in the northern parts of Tural. Ceruleum is magical fuel used to power Airship and was a driving force behind the Magitek Revolution which fueled the Garlean Warmachine. So why are they drilling Ceruleum over there?
There’s a similar facility in Eorzea, found in Northern Thanalan and we know people across the star have been making use of the substance for various machinery. This could imply that some pockets in the New World are far more advanced than we’re led to believe, after all, there is a Cyberpunk City somewhere underneath it all or someone is selling it.
In 6.55 we also learn that one of the sons of the Autarch is planning to invade Eorzea and Ilsabard now that the Garlean Empire has fallen and those drilling operations might be the first step in that planned invasion.
Solution Nine
One of the biggest surprises from the reveal of Dawntrail was the existence of Solution Nine. A facility somewhere in the New World that looks like Night City from Cyberpunk 2077. So what’s up with that?
First and foremost, it is a reference to Final Fantasy IX which featured a similar facility in its closing act. Which included messed-up experiments on a guy with a monkey tail.
There are already some theories floating around that it is a civilization from Ancient Times that tried to survive the Final Days and is now a ghost town after the sundering happened. Another theory is that the city was built in the 2nd Era which forced humanity underground due to vulcano’s darkening the skies. That era eventually came to an end after prayers introduced mankind to magic which eventually gave way to corruption.
Since the larger era around Solution Nine is called Heritage Found, we could be dealing with another ancient civilization being found. We’ve been dealing with the Allagans and their legacy for a better part of a decade now and their civilization is only half as old if Solution Nine was founded during and after the second calamity.
There have also been theories about the zone being connected to Omega, as there is a spot on the world map that seems to indicate the impact of a meteor. We only know that Omega came to the Source after chasing the Dragon Midgardsormr across the universe. But the technology in Solution Nine looks nothing like Allag or the Omnicron Society which its technology is based on.
That giant meteor crater could also be the impact zone of whatever brought the Heart of Sabik and Ultima (The Boss from Orbone Monastery) to the Source. We know from the Pandaemonium Raid Series that the Heart of Sabik was what turned Athena into the madwoman obsessed with becoming a god.
Cities of Gold
This brings us to the Cities of Gold the player character and Erenville are looking for what our good friend Emet-Selch mentioned in his final speech in Endwalker. There we know next to nothing about only that they vaguely reference the Cities of Gold from real history.
They haven’t been plundered yet and we know thanks to Emet-Selch that they’re real but we can only muse about their existence. They could be tied to Solution Nine and the Second Calamity or something entirely else. It could be a relict from a time before the Final Days or simply a treasure from a previous era. But this being Final Fantasy XIV we assume it’ll be another reference.
We’d like to believe that these Cities of Gold tie into the new Alliance Raid series dubbed Echoes of Vana’diel. There is a lot to pick from here but it could be about the Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion of Final Fantasy XI.
After all, the existence of the new Raid Series sets up the idea that the story of FFXI happened in XIV in some way shape, or form. We know that the Miqo’te, Elezen, Hrothgar, and Lalafell all share similarities and ties to their XIV counterparts. But we’ll have to wait until we find out more.
Until then, you can check out other FFXIV content such as our Recap of the Japan Fanfest, the Patch Notes of 6.55, and Everything you Need to Know about the Wew and Expanded Free Trial.