Midgardsormr (Final Fantasy XIV)

Midgardsormr is the father of dragons in Final Fantasy XIV. A legendary being, Midgardsormr fathered the first brood, the first dragons in the Source. Also known as a guardian deity of Silvertear Falls, he led the Dravanian Horde to battle against the Garlean Empire's airship fleet in the Battle of Silvertear Skies, an event that put the dragon in a slumber for 20 years.
He first appeared during the opening CG of Version 1.0. This footage is reused during a flashback narration from Gaius van Baelsar in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Midgardsormr becomes more directly involved in the first expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, and remains an important ally throughout the second expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood. Midgardsormr's connection with Omega alludes to the link between Omega and Shinryu since the two superbosses' debut in Final Fantasy V.
Midgardsormr has appeared in the Final Fantasy series as a recurring summon, enemy, and a boss, but Final Fantasy XIV marks the first time he becomes a character.
==History==
===Early life===
Midgardsormr was a denizen on a distant planet, the Dragonstar, that came to be at war with the inhabitants of the planet Alphatron, the Omicrons. As Midgardsormr was the strongest Dragonstar denizen, Alphatron's forces dispatched their superweapon, Omega, to neutralize him. Though Midgardsormr defeated Omega, he could not completely destroy it. Realizing that Omega's regenerative abilities would eventually give it the upper hand, Midgardsormr grabbed his last seven eggs and fled his dying homeworld with Omega in pursuit, with his fellow dragons decrying him as a coward for escaping. After a long journey through the cold void of space, the weakened Midgardsormr landed on Hydaelyn, where he made a pact with the mothercrystal and hatched his seven children, reviving the dragon race in the new star.
Some say Midgardsormr came into being around the time Silvertear Falls were created and was charged by Althyk and Nymeia of the Twelve to oversee the waters and magick. Upon his arrival to the planet, Midgardsormr brought with him seven eggs from which the first brood hatched. His children parted ways, Bahamut and Tiamat making home to Meracydia while Hraesvelgr, Nidhogg, and Ratatoskr took residence in Eorzea. Azdaja would become the caretaker of Vrtra's egg, later hatching after Midgardsormr entered a deep slumber under Silvertear Falls. Vrtra would also found the island nation of Thavnair in the Near East in Ilsabard.
===Final Fantasy XIV (version 1.0)===
In the year 1562 of the Sixth Astral Era, Gaius van Baelsar mobilized the airship fleet of the XIVth Imperial Legion to seize Mor Dhona as part of his initial campaign to conquer Eorzea for the Empire. This stirred the Wyrmking from his quiescence beneath the lake of Silvertear Falls and called forth the Dravanian Horde to repel the invaders. As he entwined around the Agrius to cripple the flagship, the vessel's ceruleum tanks exploded, killing Midgardsormr. The explosion released a seal holding immense stores of aether beneath the lake, draining it from the area, transforming Silvertear Falls from a pristine landscape lush with freshwater and vegetation to a near barren wasteland, hosting a manner of terrible beasts drawn to the corruption.
For the next fifteen years Midgardsormr's corpse remained entwined with the wreckage of the Agrius in Lake Silvertear, a landmark known as the Keeper of the Lake.
===Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn===
As the Umbral Calamity and the Seventh Umbral Era came to pass, the Keeper remained a silent testimony to the Battle of Silvertear Skies. Five years after Dalamud's fall, Ishgard's Astrologians began to see portents in the heavens: the Dragonstar flared, considered an omen of Midgardsormr's resurrection. This prompted Ser Aymeric de Borel of Ishgard's Temple Knights to begin negotiations with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn to request the Keeper of the Lake be monitored.
When word of a dragon's roar spread, Aymeric's lieutenant, Lucia goe Junius, requested that the site be investigated. With the aid of Doman surveyors the Warrior of Light took a boat out to the wreckage, fighting through lake creatures, dragons, and imperial troops from Castrum Centri to reach the top of the Agrius. As they approached the Wyrmking's head, Midgardsormr's spirit awakened and attacked the party.
Once the spectral dragon was defeated, Midgardsormr gave the Warrior of Light reprieve to state the purpose of coming to his resting place. Midgardsormr had been awoken by the roar of one of his seven children, Nidhogg, who waged war with the Dravanian Horde on the people of Ishgard. Upon seeing the Warrior was chosen by the mothercrystal, Midgardsormr sealed away their Blessing of Light by dimming the six elemental crystals. Midgardsormr bound himself to the adventurer to create a new covenant to observe their right to be the Warrior of Light. Taking the form of a diminutive dragonet, regaining his former appearance in time, Midgardsormr declared his intent to "watch...listen...and wait", intending to test Hydaelyn's champion's worth.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward===
During her conversation with the Warrior of Light, Midgardsormr appeared before Ysayle Dangoulain, much to her surprise. He explained that while their goals aligned, their paths differed, and revealed she, too, possessed the Echo, to which Ysayle admitted. Midgardsormr appeared after one of the crystals regained its light, surprised the adventurer was regaining the Blessing of Light.
After arriving at Azys Lla, Midgardsormr directed the Warrior of Light to see his imprisoned daughter, Tiamat. The Warrior learned the Ascians were responsible for both the creation and imprisonment of the elder primal made in Bahamut's image, and that the Allagans had sealed many other ancient primals. Midgardsormr sensed that the adventurer had regained the Blessing of Light after speaking with Tiamat; he recognized them as worthy of being Hydaelyn's champion and offered his aid to the hero by taking them to the Aetherochemical Research Facility.
After King Thordan's fall, Midgardsormr witnessed Nidhogg's spirit take over Estinien Wyrmblood's body, watching his offspring fly off with profound sadness. Midgardsormr took the Warrior of Light to Ishgard, seeing Aymeric de Borel's resolve for peace between their races while warning the Ishgardians that Nidhogg had consumed Estinien and would prepare a renewed conflict with those loyal to his wayward spawn. Vowing to remember Aymeric's vow, Midgardsormr flew off.
As Nidhogg's shade prepared his Final Chorus to destroy Ishgard, Aymeric, Alphinaud Leveilleur, and the Warrior of Light pleaded with Hraesvelgr to aid them against his broodbrother. Midgardsormr reasoned with Hraesvelgr, who relented and arranged a trial for the three to prove their worth.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood===
Midgardsormr reawakened as the Warrior of Light aided Garlond Ironworks' investigation into Omega's whereabouts. Midgardsormr was linked by fate to Omega, who likewise originated from another star. Midgardsormr conversed with a chocobo-like entity called Alpha, who had escaped from the mysterious portal under pursuit by a ghostly serpent. He further explained that the portal led to the Interdimensional Rift. Midgardsormr continued to provide insight into Omega's motivations and actions to the Warrior of Light and the Ironworks staff. Omega was confused by Midgardsormr's willingness to aid the mortals.
At the end of the Sigmascape, Omega, confused and agitated by the Warrior of Light's defiant strength, tried to determine their potential by imprisoning them in a seal, threatening to kill them if they did not break free. Midgardsormr drew upon his own power to temporarily assume his elder form and crush the prison, freeing the Warrior of Light. He warned Omega that if it wished to see the adventurer's true power, it had to do it by staying on its course and study the test results. His energy spent, Midgardsormr dissipated as he returned to his sleep to recover.
After the Warrior of Light defeated Chaos in Alphascape, Omega revealed the history between it and Midgardsormr as it recreated the past version of the dragon from its memories, when he was still at the peak of his power. Omega admitted he had failed to defeat Midgardsormr, but used an imperfect recreation of the great wyrm as an attempt to analyze the Warrior's ability to exceed their limits. After Omega's defeat, the Interdimensional Rift collapsed. From the depths of sleep, Midgardsormr contacted his son, Hraesvelgr, to rescue the party still trapped within, the first and only time he had requested assistance from any of his children.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers===
Midgardsormr regained his strength and original body two centuries into the alternate timeline following the Eighth Umbral Calamity. Having witnessed Garlond Ironworks' descendants strive towards a future they would never see, he vowed to protect the ravaged world as they rebuilt civilization into a new Astral Era. However, the Warrior of Light's deeds in the First averted this catastrophe and the calamity never came to pass.
===Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker===
Though still sleeping and recovering from Omega, Midgardsormr consented to Vrtra's request to deliver some of his scales to Sharlayan for the construction of the Ragnarok, a ship that could travel through space.
The Scions of the Seventh Dawn encountered a reconstructed memory of Midgardsormr's home world at Ultima Thule, where the dragons who could not escape the planet as he did wasted away in despair awaiting death. Estinien informed them that Midgardsormr had succeeded and their kind yet lived on another world in peace with the star's inhabitants, bringing hope to the shades.When the Warrior walked alone towards Meteion's nest, after their companions had sacrificed themselves to enable their progress, Midgardsormr's voice emanated from one of the shades of the Warrior's past.
==Characteristics==
===Appearance===
Midgardsormr is a colossal serpentine dragon, large enough to entwine the Garlean dreadnaught Agrius and outright destroy lesser airships with energy attacks from his mouth. His corpse remains entwined with the dreadnaught and by the time the Agrius is explored the carcass is in advanced stages of decay.
As a minion, his spirit takes the form of a small dragonet with a cream-colored underbelly, a dark green back, and two fin-like ears.
As the Warrior of Light's mount, Midgardsormr transforms into an adolescent dragon (grown enough to be ridden by a humanoid) with dark green skin, his signature fin-like "ears", and a spiked tail. A sequence of metallic plates lines his spine with a carriage seat at his upper back with reins attached to the head.
The Alphascape replica of Midgardsormr, fought within the Interdimensional Rift, shows that when he was younger, Midgardsormr had golden scales, and his head had long and curved fins, a fiery mane, and glowing eyes.
===Personality===
Midgardsormr is patient and enigmatic. He speaks in a slow, deliberate monotone and uses archaic speech patterns. While the original Japanese dialogue unquestionably portrays him as an ally, the English localization characterizes him more ambiguously through the use of Dravanian dialect developed specifically for the English release.
Midgardsormr discretely travels with the Warrior of Light, observing their deeds and accomplishments throughout their adventures in Ishgard. Midgardsormr is impressed when the Warrior regains their Blessing of the Light, convinced that they are the Light Mother's chosen. The Father of Dragonkind becomes more involved in the Dragonsong War, agreeing in the Warrior of Light's efforts to end it. He will not fight, but lends his wings as he believes in the prospect of peace between the dragons and Ishgard. Though Midgardsormr is saddened upon witnessing Nidhogg's wrath, he concludes that his son was replaced with a vengeful shade and the war could only end with Nidhogg's death. Midgardsormr appears before Hraesvelgr and convinces him to stand with the Warrior of Light and Ishgard against Nidhogg.
As the sire to the first brood, Midgardsormr cares deeply for his children and laments on the tragic fate that befell most of them: Bahamut's death and "resurrection" as a primal, Tiamat's sorrowful imprisonment by the Allagans, and Ratatoskr's murder to Nidhogg's endless hate. He is, however, too proud to request assistance or favors from his children, only doing so after centuries on Etheirys to save Cid and the Warrior of Light from Omega's collapsing Interdimensional Rift.
Upon learning of Omega's reactivation, Midgardsormr becomes furious that his ancient enemy still lingers, and aids the Warrior of Light and Garlond Ironworks in their investigation. After the Crystal Tower's departure through timespace into the First, he finds amusement in Omega's deteriorated state.
===Abilities===
Being an ancient dragon, Midgardsormr is powerful, able to channel blasts of blue aetheric energy. His energy beams ravaged Garlean airships while damaging the hull of the Agrius. Even after the Agrius exploded, seemingly claiming Midgardsormr's life, his spirit remains dormant as the Keeper of the Lake and can manifest as a ghostly dragon with an enormous deal of the power he displayed in life, up to and including raising two dead dragons back to the living in his arena.
Perhaps his most notable ability is to seal away the mothercrystal's Blessing of Light, draining the crystals of their power and forcing the Warrior of Light to act without Hydaelyn's protection. Midgardsormr can even ignore his own death, manifesting as an infant dragon to keep watch over the Warrior.
==Gameplay==
In A Realm Reborn, Midgardsormr's spirit is fought as the final boss of ; in Patch 6.2, this battle received a sprout-friendly mechanical overhaul.
He becomes a minion upon completion of this encounter, resembling the wyverns summoned by Dragoons in Final Fantasy XI. Unlike other minions that perch on the player, Midgardsormr doesn't respond to the /beckon command and will not perch on request.
In Heavensward, Midgardsormr becomes a flying mount at the completion of the quest .
In Stormblood, the minion version of Midgardsormr acts as an NPC ally during the solo instanced battles before the Deltascape and Sigmascape raids. He does not attack enemies, but will cast Cure on the player and their other allies if their HP falls below half. A past version of Midgardsormr is fought as the boss of and its Savage difficulty; this version of Midgardsormr is made from Omega's memory and represents Midgardsormr's power when he was still in his prime.
==Voice==
Midgardsormr is voiced by Allan Corduner in the English version.
He is voiced by Taketora in the Japanese version.
==Gallery==
XIV Midgardsormr - Opening.png|From 1.0 opening movie.
XIV Midgardsormr - Reincarnated.png|Midgardsormr reborn.
FFXIV WoL Midgardsormr Mount.png|The Warrior of Light riding on Midgardsormr in his mount form.
XIV Midgardsormr - Alphascape 2.0.png|Midgardsormr in his youth, recreated from Omega's memories.
==Etymology==
==Citations==
pt-br:Midgardsormr (Final Fantasy XIV)
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy XIV
Category:Deities
Category:Dragons