Estinien

Estinien

Title

Azure Dragoon

Gender

Male ♂

Age

32

Race

Elezen (Wildwood)

Job

Dragoon

Zone

Coerthas Western Highlands (31.5,11.7)

Organization

Ishgard
The Scions of the Seventh Dawn

Services

Trust NPC
Duty Support NPC
Quest NPC

Patch

2.0

Voiced by (JP)

Kenji Hamada

Voiced by (EN)

Robert Vernon

Voiced by (FR)

Guildin Tissier

Voiced by (DE)

Michael Pink

"'Tis not for praise that we fight."

— In-game description

Estinien "Wyrmblood" Varlineau is an Elezen in Coerthas Western Highlands.

Lore

Estinien Wyrmblood is the current Azure Dragoon, and mightiest hero of Ishgard. Bearer of the Eye of Nidhogg—an ancient relic plucked from the great wyrm, he wields the power of dragons. Long absent from his post, he has returned to Ishgard to drive back the ancient enemy of his people.
Ever since Nidhogg razed his village, murdering his parents and younger brother, Estinien devoted himself wholly to the pursuit of revenge. Orphaned at the age of twelve, he was raised by Alberic, the then-current Azure Dragoon. However, Estinien's relationship with his foster father was complicated—while he respected him greatly as a soldier, he could not help but resent him for failing to protect his village.
As of his thirty-second year, Estinien has no hobbies, and he concerns himself only with honing his skills (and occasionally eating anything passably delicious) that he might one day exact his retribution. It was with this single-minded dedication that he overcame every trial set before him and earned the title of Azure Dragoon.
As leader of the Knights Dragoon, he is expected to attend various social functions. However, he detests the trappings of high society and has refused on every occasion. For a time, he continued to receive formal invitations as a social courtesy, but that is no longer the case. His disregard for keeping up appearances is perhaps best exemplified by his wild, unkempt hair, which he is content to ignore.

Drachen Armor: A dragoon's armor. They say that in Ishgard, the value of a thing is measured in rumors. By that reckoning, the smithing secrets of drachen armor is valuable indeed. Some say the tint of the mythril comes from being cooked in dragon blood. Others whisper that the suit is unnaturally light, that drowning knights who should have been dragged under by its weight sped to shore like eels...

Gae Bolg: A spear only granted to those elected by the Holy See to serve Ishgard as a dragoon. Chosen for its light weight and great strength, the dragon bone used to craft the spear is reaped from fields of battle by the kin of the glorious dead. No outlander shall know how such a material is worked, but some say that the bone is kept supple in smoking vats of dragon blood.The Holy See bestowed the legendary spear Gae Bolg upon Estinien after he was awarded the title of Azure Dragoon.

— Encyclopædia Eorzea vol 1

Scion of the Seventh Dawn
Dragoon

One of Ishgard's most capable knights, Estinien─called “Wyrmblood” by many─once led his order as the renowned Azure Dragoon.

Estinien's origins are humble, having been born to a family of sheepherders in the eastern highlands of Coerthas. However, the course of his pastoral life was forever changed when his village of Ferndale was razed by the great wyrm Nidhogg─an attack which claimed the lives of his parents and his brother.

Bereft of home and family, the orphan of twelve summers was taken in by Alberic, then holder of the title of Azure Dragoon. The two proceeded to forge a complicated relationship. A martial instructor, an adoptive father, and a flawed knight─one who failed to protect his family. To the young Estinien, Alberic was all these things and more.

When his training was complete, Estinien joined the Temple Knights. So focused was he on the fight against the Dravanian Horde that he scarcely remembered the names of his companions. His sole friendship was with Aymeric de Borel, a knight of similar age who shared Estinien's passion for the cause. Estinien's prowess saw him rise through the ranks, first becoming a dragoon, and later inheriting the title of Azure Dragoon once held by his foster father.

Like all Azure Dragoons, Estinien would carry with him the Eye of Nidhogg─a relic torn from the wyrm's head over a thousand years ago. Though the Eye conferred power to the bearer, it rendered them vulnerable to Nidhogg's influence, and his undying hatred threatened to consume Estinien's very soul. Only through constant vigilance and strength of will did Estinien maintain a grip on his sanity─though there were occasions when he came perilously close to succumbing to Nidhogg's rancor.

In the midst of the Dragonsong War, Estinien offered to accompany the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud Leveilleur in their quest to convince the Dravanians to renounce their thousand-year campaign of vengeance. Though he did not believe they would succeed, Estinien nevertheless agreed to eschew violence─unless circumstances forced his hand. They were later joined by Ysayle, leader of the heretics, who similarly believed peace an unlikely prospect, but one still worth pursuing in earnest.

Estinien traveled with the others to the Churning Mists, where they sought an audience with Hraesvelgr, brother of Nidhogg. From the great wyrm they learned the truth of the Dragonsong War: that it was King Thordan of ancient Ishgard who drew first blood when he and his knights murdered the great wyrm Ratatoskr, and subsequently devoured her eyes so that they might claim her power for themselves. Yet in spite of this truth, the fact remained that Nidhogg was intent upon the destruction of Ishgard, and if he could not be persuaded to yield, they had but one recourse. In the end, the Azure Dragoon succeeded in hunting down and slaying his archenemy, presumably ending the thousand-year war.

Upon their return to the capital, Estinien and his companions discovered that Archbishop Thordan VII had plotted to wield the power of a primal to transform himself into an eternal god-king and bless the world with his twisted idea of harmony. They pursued the archbishop to Azys Lla, where they put an end to his machinations once and for all. However, in the wake of the battle, Estinien succumbed to the all-consuming hatred within Nidhogg's two eyes, transforming into a vessel for the wyrm's shade that would marshal his forces for a final assault on Ishgard. Following his defeat on the Steps of Faith, Estinien regained partial control and urged Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light to kill him, but instead the two tore the eyes from his body, casting out Nidhogg's shade and saving the dragoon's life.

With his homeland entering an age of peace, Estinien renounced his title of Azure Dragoon and set off on a journey of his own. Even during these wanderings, though, he stayed abreast of the Scions' activities, and participated in both the liberation of Ala Mhigo and sabotage efforts within Garlemald. In time, he gave in to the relentless solicitations of Tataru and Krile, officially becoming a Scion and working tirelessly with his comrades to deliver the world from the calamity known as the Final Days.

Following his long journey from archnemesis of dragons to their friend and brother, Estinien renamed his lance Nidhogg after his fallen foe. Though he is still a lone wolf at heart, he travels more often with others than before─such as to the isle of Thavnair, where he has forged a new friendship with Vrtra, another of the first brood.

— The Unending Codex § Estinien

A Realm Reborn

When Estinien heard that Nidhogg was beginning to stir once again, he took the Eye of Nidhogg and fled to draw the Dragon's attention away from the city. To assist with recapturing the Eye, Alberic Bale requested the assistance of the Lancer's Guild, which sent the Warrior of Light. Estinien watched the Warrior of Light from a distance, eventually confronting them. However, after engaging with them, the Eye of Nidhogg blessed the Warrior with the powers of the dragon. Shocked that the Eye would choose another Azure Dragoon, he fled, telling the Warrior of Light that their paths would cross again.

After some time, Estinien reached out to Alberic, expressing a desire to parley. He explained the reasoning behind stealing the Eye, and what happened with the Eye when he met with the Warrior of Light. He and Alberic decide to train the Warrior, sending them to gather the pieces of the Drachen Armor. When the Warrior of Light returned, they joined with Estinien on his mission to slay Nidhogg.

When Estinien was ready to confront Nidhogg, the Eye showed him a surreal vision; his mentor Alberic as the Azure Dragoon doing battle with Nidhogg in Ferndale. When Alberic attacked, he was overwhelmed by Nidhogg's rage. Fearing for his life, he gave up the power of the Azure Dragoon, which kept him from being able to fend off the remaining Dragons, who razed Ferndale to the ground. The only person Alberic was able to save was Estinien.

This sent Estinien into a rage, and caused him to challenge his former mentor. The Warrior of Light fought in his stead. When Estinien was defeated, he became consumed by Nidhogg's Wrath. In the moment before he struck, the Warrior of Light channeled the spirit of Haldrath and drove the wrath from Estinien. When the dust settled, Estinien had fled.

Some time later, Estinien would join Aymeric de Borel in meeting with the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud Leveilleur and asking for their assistance in warding off Vishap and the Dravanian Horde. He would also fight the Dragons that appeared on The Steps of Faith, and would swear vengeance on Lady Iceheart for her part in destroying part of Daniffen's Collar.

Heavensward

Estinien later joined the Warrior of Light in his search for Lady Iceheart, and went along with the group to parley with Hraesvelgr. Though he and Ysayle disagreed on many things, he slowly found himself doubting the holy sanctity of his mission of vengeance. After meeting with Hraesvelgr and learning the truth of the start of the Dragonsong War, he and the rest of the group concluded that the only way to end the war was to slay Nidhogg and his horde.

The group headed to Nidhogg's lair, The Aery, where Estinien used the power of the wyrm's own eye against him. He drove his spear into Nidhogg, finally slaying him. This however, brought no sense of joy or accomplishment to the Dragoon, for he had realized that he and his mortal enemy were one and the same; broken souls hellbent on revenge for the death of their families. His armor stained in the Dragon's blood, he took the eye from the Dragon, which turned out to be Hraesvelgr's eye, and returned it. This however, left the question of where Nidhogg's other eye was unanswered.

When the truth of the origin of the war was brought to Aymeric and he was subsequently jailed for interrogating Archbishop Thordan VII, Estinien joined the Warrior of Light in charging The Vault to rescue him. When Thordan escaped to Azys Lla, Estinien suggested using the power of Nidhogg's eye to power an aetheric ram and break the barrier surrounding the floating island.

Following the defeat of Thordan, Estinien claims both eyes, saying he intends to destroy them or put them out of reach of man and dragon alike. In this moment, covered in the blood of Nidhogg and holding both of his eyes, Nidhogg's shade of vengeance is able to take hold, and possesses the Dragoon. The shade swore vengeance and flew off.

Later, Estinien, under the control of Nidhogg, appeared at the peace conference and struck a near-lethal blow on Vidofnir, scorning her for siding with the Elezens and declaring war on them, as the "final chorus" of his song was just beginning. Turning back into a wyrm, he ascended into the skies and made for Ishgard.

Following the brutal assault on Ishgard and a battle with the Warrior of Light, Estinien was able to reclaim some small amount of control of his body and stopped himself from continuing his assault. He grabbed his own throat, determined to end his and Nidhogg's life, asking the Warrior to kill him. Instead, the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud attempted to prise the Eyes off of his armor. Eventually they succeeded, and Estinien was taken to an infirmary.

Estinien rested for a time, thanking his new and old friends alike for what they did for him. Late in the night he took his weapon Gae Bolg and left the city following Aymeric's ceremony, relinquishing his title as Azure Dragoon. He took flowers to Azys Lla in memory of Ysayle, and to Sohr Khai, laying them in honor of Ratatoskr as acknowledgement for what his people did to start the war, and the part he played in its end.

Hraesvelgr was nearby and thanked him for this gesture. He tells Estinien that Ratatoskr would gladly welcome it. Hraesvelgr told Estinien of the history of the Dragoon and how the Dragons used to bear these warriors into battle on their backs. So strong was Ratatoskr's love for those brave knights, she would bless the armor they wore with her power. He led Estinien to the ruins of a barracks, wherein there was a chest, almost pristine in condition, unlike everything around it. Inside, a brand-new set of azure platemail. Hraesvelgr explained that the armor went unworn, and longed for a master-a true Dragoon. He told Estinien that his lance is still needed, and implored him to wear the armor. Fully suited in the armor, Estinien dubbed it Iceheart in honor of Ysayle, thanked Hraesvelgr for helping him find new purpose, and left the ruins.

Stormblood

With the power of Nidhogg inextricably woven into him, Estinien was able to sense the flare of the power of the Eyes that created Shinryu. He tracked the wyrm, which led him to Castrum Abania. He destroyed the main cannon there, and later would use his spear to destroy what remained of the Eyes, ensuring they may never be used again.

Estinien would later run into the Warrior of Light again, and gain their assistance in finding a Dragon on the Azim Steppe who had become enraged. Rather than slay the Dragon, Estinien meant to save it, as he had since become an intermediary between the men and Dragon of Ishgard. It turned out that the Dragon, Faunehm had spent much time resisting the grip of Nidhogg's song, but had lost its sanity in the process. Estinien enlisted the help of a young whelpling, Orn Khai, to aid in bringing the Dragon back to her senses. The effect was temporary, but it proved Faunehm could be saved. After an intense battle, the pair weakened the Dragon enough that Vedrfolnir's great roar freed Faunehm of her madness, and she recognized her broodmate and child once again. The young whelpling dubbed Estinien the Crimson Dragoon.

Estinien also fought in the Ghimlyt Dark against the Garlean Empire. When the Warrior of Light clashed with Elidibus in the body of Zenos yae Galvus and was incapacitated by the Crystal Exarch's call, Estinien managed to reach the pair just before the Ascian struck a fatal blow and drove him off. He helped Aymeric carry the Warrior of Light to the chirurgeons, then left to study Garlemald after learning of their chemical weapon there, Black Rose.

Shadowbringers

At one of the production facilities for Black Rose, Estinien ran into Gaius van Baelsar, the now deposed Legatus who was also on a mission to stop the Empire and slay every last Ascian. They worked together on the investigation of Black Rose and tracked down other manufactories, eventually arriving at the royal palace. There they witnessed Zenos slaying his father, Emperor Varis. In a rage, Gaius attacked Zenos but neither were a match for the crown prince. He rebuffed them both and escaped as several soldiers poured into the room, assuming Gaius was the one to blame for the death of their Emperor. The pair escape after disabling the Arch Ultima and go their seperate ways. Estinien reported his findings to the remaining Scions and the Warrior of Light.

Later, when Lunar Bahamut appeared, Estinien fought alongside the Scions and the Warrior of Light at Paglth'an to defeat it, then officially joined the Scions in order to help them forestall the Final Days.

Endwalker

Estinien joined the Scions on their journey across The Northern Empty to Sharlayan where they sought to find tomes or information that could possibly indicate what form the Final Days could come in. He, alongside Thancred, Urianger and the Warrior of Light, traveled to Radz-at-Han, where they met with the Alchemists of Thavnair and devised a method to resist the tempering effect of the towers. Estinien's spear was studied due to the blood of Nidhogg that had become intertwined with it, and from there, the Hannish alchemists were able to create a Warding Scale by using various alchemic gems and the scale of a Dragon.

When Nidhana was captured by Fandaniel, Estinien joined the Scions and the Warrior of Light in the charge on The Tower of Zot, helping to defeat the Primal versions of the Magus Sisters and defeat all the tempered Garleans within. Upon reaching the top, the party found a generator. After short deliberation, Estinien destroyed it, assuming this would cause the tower to collapse. He was proven right, and everyone imprisoned in the tower, along with the Scions, washed up on the shore.

Following their victory in Thavnair, the Eorzean Alliance sought to take the fight to Garlemald, taking out the Telophoroi and liberating the trapped civilians. At the meeting in the Ala Mhigan Quarter, Estinien was surprised to learn that his old mentor Alberic was one of the acting delegates to Ishgard. upon arriving in Garlemald, Estinien fought alongside the Scions, later joining with Thancred and his scouting team at the base of the Ist Imperial Legion. Once the tempered soldiers had been taken care of, he and the rest of the Scions attacked The Tower of Babil, defeating Anima, thereby destroying all the towers across Eorzea.

When the Warrior of Light returned from Mare Lamentorum, Estinien visited their room the night before their next mission, and expressed his gratitude for everything the Warrior of Light had done for them, then leapt from the window. When the Final Days came upon the land, Estinien joined in the hunt for the Blasphemies, protecting the people of Thavnair alongside Vrtra.

When the Warrior of Light returned from Elpis and explained everything they had learned, Estinien joined in persuading the Sharlayans in turning over the Ragnarok. Once the ship was in their possession and modified to travel further than ever before, the Scions sought to talk to Hydaelyn one last time. Estinien traveled alongside his friends into the Aetherial Sea to reach the Mothercrystal. Estinien helped fight through the aether of foes past, and thanked Haurchefant for the blessing he bestowed upon them. When they finally reached Hydaelyn, he was put to the test alongside his comrades, and proved himself worthy. He, alongside his allies, was returned to the surface, and boarded the Ragnarok for Ultima Thule.

In Ultima Thule, he encountered the shades of the homeworld of the Dragons, who felt nothing but despair at the fate of their world. To help his allies, he beseeched the Dragons, telling them they had made home on Eorzea and were thriving. In overcoming their despair, they were obliterated by the despair of Meteion's Dynamis all around them. Estinien gave his life to create a way forward, his final hope that they would succeed in saving their world.

When the Scions were resurrected by the Warrior of Light, Estinien joined them in moving through The Dead Ends, helping to defeat Ra-La. When confronting Meteion herself however, he and the other Scions were quickly overwhelmed. In an act of self-sacrifice, the Warrior of Light activated their beacon, teleporting everyone back to the Ragnarok. When the Warrior of Light returned, he celebrated alongside the other Scions.

After all was said and done, and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn "officially" disbanded, he initially intended to roam the planet, training and honing his skills. He was invited to serve as a guard for Vrtra and train the other members of the Radiant Host, and was allowed to stay within Radz-at-Han.

Miscellaneous

Estinien grew up in a village of Ferndale.

He dislikes bureaucracy .

Duty Support and Trust

Duty SupportTrust

Portrait	Portrait (Tall)	Appearance	Class/Job	Availability
	-		Dragoon	Sohm Al The Aery
			Dragoon	The Tower of Zot The Tower of Babil Vanaspati The Aitiascope The Mothercrystal The Dead Ends Alzadaal's Legacy The Fell Court of Troia Lapis Manalis The Lunar Subterrane Everkeep

Click here to edit this section.

As a Trust avatar, Estinien has a starting level of 81 and is only available in level 81 or higher dungeons. He adopts the dragoon DPS job.

Portrait	Portrait (Tall)	Appearance	Unlock
			Default
			Default
			Level 90
			Level 100

Trivia

The Dragoon questline was broadly the same during Legacy with Estinien serving the same role even then.

Gallery

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  Heavensward Appearance
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  Post-Dragonsong War Appearance
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  Stormblood Appearance
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