Elezen

The Elezen are a race from Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV. They are the race that has lived in Eorzea the longest and co-exist peacefully with the other races. They are similar to the Elvaan of Final Fantasy XI. Among the Elezen, the Wildwood/Forester tribe live in the forest but also adapt to urban life, and are excellent archers due to their keen eyesight. The Duskwight/Shader Elezen live in caves, and see the Wildwood as traitors. Duskwight have excellent hearing and are skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and many act as thieves.

Noble and Refined
The Elezen are a traditionally nomadic people who in former times claimed sole dominion over Eorzea, their presence predating that of the other races. Believing this prominence to be ordained by the gods, they came to develop an esteemed sense of honor and pride.

Their characteristically tall, slim physiques and elongated limbs are part of a successful adaptation to the land’s various environments. Indeed, it is said that their highly sensitive ears can discern the squeak of a field mouse at a distance of up to several malms.

The Elezen perceived the immigration of the Hyur as tantamount to invasion, and as a result the two share a past plagued by warfare. At present, however, they can be seen coexisting peacefully, the exception being the reclusive Duskwight Elezen.

The Elezen can lay claim to being the oldest of Eorzea's native sentient races - various city-states over multiple Astral Eras have been founded by them, and there is substantial evidence to suggest that the ancient, mighty Allagan Empire may have been substantially driven by the Elezen's distant forebears. In modern times, while a few Elezen can be found all across Eorzea, their greatest populations are in Gridania and Ishgard. Gridania is where the greatest number of them can be found, and they were instrumental in its founding and are responsible for many of the traditions of its greatest institutions, such as the Archer's and Conjurer's Guilds. Their long attachment to the Black Shroud and understanding of the elementals who truly rule that forest mean that they will be a crucial part of Gridania, as long as it endures.

Wildwood Elezen
For eons, the Wildwood Elezen have lived in the safety of Eorzea's lush forests. They possess an incredibly keen sense of sight — a contributing factor in their unparalleled expertise as archers. With the formation of the realm’s governments, many Wildwood ventured forth from the forests, drawn either to the exhilarating cosmopolitanism of the urban centers or the simple nomadism of the plains.

Ironically, the other great population of "Wildwood" Elezen is to be found in Ishgard. However, long decades of ceaseless warfare with the Dravanian Horde, the intensity of the faith of the Church of Halone, and most recently the years of bitter cold and snow have made the Elezen of Ishgard quite distinct culturally from their other Wildwood cousins.

Duskwight Elezen
The Duskwight Elezen have spent centuries in the peace and seclusion of Eorzea's caves and caverns. They have developed an acute sense of hearing, capable of detecting the faintest of sounds. This natural gift, and the uncanny awareness it grants, has proven advantageous in the field of hand-to-hand combat. Many of the reclusive Duskwight resort to robbery and pillaging to survive, earning them the scorn of their woodland relatives.