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Ratatoskr was a great wyrm in Final Fantasy XIV, one of the first brood. One of the seven wyrms born of Midgardsormr, she was slain a thousand years ago.

History[]

Early in the Sixth Astral Era, several tribes who followed Halone arrived in Coerthas in search of "The Promised Land." Being the dominion of dragons, they feuded with the natives until Saint Shiva's love for Hraesvelgr inspired a time of peace. The Ascians helped destroy that peace two centuries later by revealing to King Thordan the power of a great wyrm's eyes. The King invited Ratatoskr to speak to them on behalf of the dragons, and she expressed their desire to peacefully coexist. However, when the King asked her about her brood-brother Nidhogg, she truthfully answered that he did not believe mankind capable of protecting the world and felt that only the seven great wyrms could accomplish that task.

Seeing that Nidhogg held them in such contempt, and fearing the dragons would seek to supplant them, Thordan and his Knights Twelve betrayed and murdered Ratatoskr, ripping out her eyes to consume them for their power. Nidhogg attempted to avenge her and though Thordan and four of the knights were slain. As a consequence, Nidhogg's eyes were gouged out. Nidhogg told Hraesvelgr of the Knights' treachery, received his brood-brother's eye, and continued his campaign of vengeance against the descendants of Thordan and his Knights Twelve: the Holy See of Ishgard until the events of Heavensward, where the Warrior of Light and Scions of the Seventh Dawn laid him low.

As Ishgardian citizens are ultimately descended from the Knights Twelve, including the lowborn, an element of Ratatoskr's power in them could be activated by dragon blood. Many heretics opposed to Holy See doctrine would consume dragon blood to transform into humanoid dragons, such as aevis, syrictae, or diresaurs, and side with the Dravanian Horde.

Etymology[]

In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carry slanderous messages between the eagle Hræsvelgr, perched atop Yggdrasil, and the wyrm Níðhöggr, who dwells beneath one of the three roots of the tree.

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