Hyur

The Hyur are a race not originally from Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV, having migrated there and brought their technology with them. They are very similar to the humes of Final Fantasy XI and the Ivalice setting.

A Hyur midlander is the representative of the player point of view in the intro of the game as well as the image of the Final Fantasy XIV cover and advertisement, on later information regarding the game, now the Hyur takes the role of a warrior in trailers related to the Realm Reborn re-release of the game, also in the promotional illustration of Yoshitaka Amano for the 25th Anniversary of the Final Fantasy series the same hyur in warrior garments appears with other Final Fantasy heroes drawn with Amano's particular style.

Diversity in Numbers
Boasting the largest population in Eorzea, the Hyur came from neighboring continents and islands in three great migratory waves. With them they brought a sophisticated technology and complex ethos tempered by the breadth of the outside world. They rapidly became a driving force behind cultural progress, and are now widely attributed with spearheading advances in Eorzean civilization.

One of the Hyur's strengths is the staggering variety of languages and social institutions they exhibit. This is said to account for their firm conviction in individual freedoms, though it also results in a relative lack of solidarity and group cohesion.

Two distinct groups now exist among the Hyur-Highlanders, denizens of mountainous areas, and Midlanders, who reside in lower elevations.

Midlanders
The Midlander clan comprises over half of the total population of Eorzea's Hyur. They have established themselves throughout every city in the realm and lead lives as diverse as their heritage, though they are marginally more common and prominent in Gridania than elsewhere (due in part to the fact that most or all of the Padjal are born from Midlander families). Trained in letters from infancy, the Midlanders are generally more educated than many of the other races and clans.

Highlanders
The Highlanders derive their name from a long tradition of inhabiting Eorzea's mountainous regions, particularly Gyr Abania and its proud city-state of Ala Mhigo. Compared to their Midland brethren, the Highlanders are noticeably larger in build. Although Highlanders were originally common in Ala Mhigo, the state's conquest by Garlemald has driven them all across Eorzea in great waves of refugees. The largest number of them can be found in and around Ul'dah, as the refugees were attracted by tales of Ul'danian wealth - only to learn of the other side of ruthless Dunesfolk business practices. Many are now found on the streets of Ul'dah, huddled outside its walls or in the refugee camp referred to (some would say mockingly) as "Little Ala Mhigo". However, the great Highlander diaspora did not just send them to Ul'dah, and they can be found more or less everywhere across Eorzea.

Originally only male highlanders were playable, but in the A Realm Reborn version females became playable characters as well, and generally received a distinct model from the Midlander women (Midlander models having been previously used to represent Highlander women).

Naming Conventions
Hyuran names are less exotic or complex than those of the other races, using European conventions.

Starting Statistics
The following table shows the level 1 statistics for each class a Hyur can take:
 * Midlanders


 * Highlanders

"Meteor the CG Midlander"
This Midlander Hyur, who acts as a poster boy for Final Fantasy XIV, is meant to represent the player when the player's model can't be used, such as in pre-rendered CGI cutscenes. He first appeared in promotional images and the game's opening movie, but has since appeared in the "End of an Era/A New Beginning" videos and related promotional media for A Realm Reborn.

Known as "Meteor" in the recordings of the event sequences from 1.0 on the Realm Reborn Collector's Edition lore compilation disk, and more commonly as the "CG Midlander" (and dubbed "Derplander" by fans for his exaggerated facial expressions during early versions of A Realm Reborn trailers), he has his own loosely contiguous story where he is often shown alongside other characters, including a Sea Wolf Roegadyn, male and female Wildwood Elezen, a Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te, and a Plainsfolk Lalafell, though he is consistently the main focus.

Trivia

 * Despite the male CG Midlander's prominence in promotional materials, there is a second detailed CG model of a black-haired female Midlander. This model has not been used in any other media or promotional material since the game's original launch, and did not feature in the game's original opening cinematic. The only other known high-detail CG model that is otherwise unused is that of the male Plainsfolk Lalafell.