Sylph (Final Fantasy XIV)

The sylphs are a plant-like race inhabiting the Black Shroud in Final Fantasy XIV. Most notably, they are worshippers of Ramuh.

Profile[]

Appearance and physiology[]

Sylphs are small in stature and float. They are plant-like in appearance, with leafy heads and torso and twig-like limbs. Some sylphs use leaves as masks. Sylphs that have not been tempered, or "touched" by Ramuh, are green while those that have been touched are purple.

The sylphs get their nourishment through photosynthesis and do not need to eat or drink, though sap can be intoxicating to them similar to how alcohol inebriates a man.

Sylphs are a dual-gendered species whose names reflect their gender. Neither gender falls into what the other races would would label as "male" or "female". Sylphs grow from seeds known as "podlings" formed from the flowers that grow on the heads of adult sylphs. Sylphs whose flowers bloom at specific times during the pollinating seasons produce podlings and their forenames end in ~xio. Sylphs whose flowers bloom at irregular times throughout the seasonal cycle cannot produce podlings and have forenames ending in ~xia. As they do not need to expend their physical and spiritual energies forming a seed, the ~xia sylphs tend to be more adept at wielding magicks.^[1]

Behavior[]

The sylphs, to a lesser degree, behave like the moogles and the pixies of the First. They are curious about mortal behavior and often enjoy seeing them to mundane things, like dancing. They do not use names and often refer to themselves and others in demonstrative terms. For example, they refer to themselves as "this one" and others as "<adjective> one". Second, and sometimes third, person pronouns, as well as names in most contexts, are replaced with similar constructions using adjectives, such as "walking one" for any individual of the player-character races, or "trusted one", "cheerful one", or "nasty ones" for individuals of those descriptions.

Society[]

Prior to the Garlean invasion of Eorzea, the sylphs maintained friendly relationships with outsiders. As the Garleans invaded, views soured and many sylphs became wary of man. Some sylphs were so afraid they summoned Ramuh to defend them. This led to a divide in sylph society, as Ramuh tempers those who summoned him inadvertently, and those who summoned him sought other sylphs to enthrall. The unenthralled sylphs fled to Little Solace while the enthralled ones remain deep within Larkscale, only venturing out to trap and enthrall the untouched.

Frixio is the grand elder of the sylphs and represents them to other races, though the appellation is a result of them being the wisest. There does not appear to be hierarchy or other chain of command, and sylphs are not required to obey Frixio.

The sylphs are one of two tribes from A Realm Reborn not to make an appearance in the First, the other tribe being the Ixal.

History[]

Gridanian leadership maintained #diplomatic relationships and were more sensitive to the Shroud's tribes' circumstances than the other Eorzean city-states were towards their neighboring tribes. When the threat of Garlean invasion grew, the Gridanians sent officials and representatives of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn to put the sylphs at ease and keep them informed of events. Upon arriving at Little Solace, they learned that Frixio was missing, having been kidnapped and taken to the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak. The Warrior of Light rescued Frixio.

After the Garleans were repelled, the touched sylphs—who were unnerved by the chaos—summoned Ramuh to protect them. While Ramuh and the touched sylphs did not show inclination to expand their territory, the presence of a primal was still dangerous to the ecosystem. The Scions of the Seventh Dawn members attempted to diplomatically assure the primal they would be respectful of the sylphs and not do them any harm, which culminated in Ramuh testing the Warrior of Light's resolve. Ramuh's defeat satisfied the primal and he departed the world.

A group of sylphs, with the help of the Warrior of Light and Voyce, worked to stop a touched-sylph plot to kidnap a group of exceptionally powerful sylph podlings and temper them.

In Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, Frixio was the sylph representative who attended the meeting to establish the Grand Company of Eorzea.

In Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Frixio traveled to Old Sharlayan to summon a benevolent version of Ramuh, whose essence was used to fuel the Ragnarok for its journey.

Citations[]