Defense of Ishgard

The defense of Ishgard is a pivotal battle in the Dragonsong War in Final Fantasy XIV, which occurred after the great wyrm Nidhogg roared, causing many dragons, including Midgardsormr to rise and "join the chorus". These dragons united to launch an assault on Ishgard to recover an artifact known as the Eye of Nidhogg. However, the Eorzean Alliance sent forces to bolster the highlands outside Ishgard, and repulsed the invasion.

The battle is part of the climax of the 2.x storyline and, along with the Keeper of the Lake dungeon and Ul'dahn Revolution, leads into the Heavensward expansion. Players participate through numerous quests and the Steps of Faith trial, which were released in Patch 2.55, Before the Fall Part 2.

Prelude
An unknown amount of time prior to the events of the Main Scenario Quests, the Ishgardian army recovered the Eye of Nidhogg from the Dravanian Horde. The Eye was a source of Nidhogg's power, and it could be used to create Azure Dragoons, so the theft was a huge blow to the Horde in an otherwise stalemated war.

Both sides suffered heavy losses in the years before the battle: the devastation after the Battle of Carteneau wrought sufficient environment damage on Coerthas to plunge the region into an eternal winter, and the Battle of Silvertear Skies ended in the apparent death of the Wyrmking, Midgardsormr.

After Operation Archon, primal summonings become commonplace, and a faction of Ishgardian heretics, the Harriers, succeed in summoning their saint, Shiva, into the body of their leader, Ysayle, the Lady Iceheart, to use against the Holy See. Though the Scions of the Seventh Dawn intervene and strike down Shiva, who calls for "her brothers" to "rise and join in the chorus", astrologians note that the stars predicted the rebirth of Midgardsormr, who could potentially lead a force against Ishgard. As such, the Scions investigate the Keeper of the Lake, which contained the wreckage of the Agrius and the corpse of Midgardsormr from the Battle of Silvertear Skies. Inside, the Warrior of Light discovers Midgardsormr had been awakened by the roar of a great wyrm, who is calling for an assault on Ishgard.

Though the Temple Knights' envoy to the Scions, Lucia, is at first convinced that her country can defend itself, she realizes that Coerthas will fall to the Dravanians when Nidhogg's massive host takes flight over the region. For the first time in centuries, Ishgard is forced to call for aid from outside factions: the Grand Companies of Eorzea.

Battle in the Central Highlands
Nidhogg's host, led by his second-in-command, Vishap, lands in the Coerthas Central Highlands and quickly overruns the defenses in the area. Despite heavy casualties, however, Camp Dragonhead does not fall, and the host is not able to continue north to the Gates of Judgement, which lead to the Steps of Faith, a bridge into Ishgard proper. The Steps of Faith contain four arcane barriers known as Daniffen's Collar that, if destroyed, out allow dragons to fly into the city and destroy it.

Recognizing that Camp Dragonhead must not fall, Ser Aymeric, Lord Commander of the Temple Knights, petitions the Scions for an armed intervention. However, before Alphinaud Leveilleur and the Warrior of Light can aid in the defense efforts, a band of Harriers led by Ysayle massacre the forces defending the Gates of Judgement and destroy the first barrier, allowing Vishap to land on the Steps of Faith, behind the Ishgardian front lines.

Seeing an opportunity to ally Ishgard with the other Eorzean city-states, Alphinaud proposes that the Grand Companies of Eorzea send troops to drive back the Horde. Though he argues that the Garlean Empire could use a ruined Coerthas as a jumping-off point for an invasion of the rest of Eorzea, the Alliance is not able to commit more than nominal numbers to the war effort. They do, however, agree to withdraw the Immortal Flames from Ul'dah and allow the Brass Blades full control of the city, so that they can send more forces to Ishgard.

Defense of the Steps of Faith
Dismayed at the lackluster response from the Alliance, the Scions deploy the Warrior of Light and the Crystal Braves; however, the Braves and Temple Knights suffer heavy losses in the defense of Whitebrim Front and Providence Point. Though many Free Companies in Mor Dhona send adventurers to Coerthas, they suffer heavy losses before even arriving in Camp Dragonhead and are not useful in the defense of the city.

In addition, Vishap and an army of dragons fly through the Sea of Clouds onto the Steps of Faith and begin to destroy what is left of Daniffen's Collar. The Warrior of Light's party and a division of dragoons led by Estinien succeed on holding off Vishap by using the cannons and dragonkillers positioned along the bridge. (If the player party fails to slay Vishap in time, he will destroy the Arc of the Worthy, the gate leading into Ishgard, thus opening the city to the Dravanian Horde.)

With the death of Vishap, the Dravanian Horde flees the Highlands, and Estinien swears to exact revenge on Nidhogg, who was not present during the battle.

Aftermath
The Grand Companies agreed to victory celebrations in Ul'dah, where Ishgard would be inducted into the Eorzean Alliance and Nanamo Ul Namo and Raubahn Aldynn would announce their plans for the future of the Ul'dahn government. However, the Monetarists and Crystal Braves used the fete to overthrow the Royalists. The Scions were forced to isolate themselves from politics in Ul'dah and Mor Dhona and flee to Coerthas, where they would join the Holy See in fighting the Dravanian Horde in the Dragonsong War.

Though Ishgard still stood after the battle, they suffered heavy losses and failed to put down the rising chorus that had been initiated with Nidhogg's cry, allowing the Dravanians to regroup and plan their next attack. Moreover, the Harriers retained the ability to summon Shiva and use Ysayle's magic against the Holy See.