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Zac Evans · **12-26-2013, 03:10 AM**

(12-26-2013, 02:44 AM)ansemaru Wrote: Is that actually in the lore, or is that just Zac trying to be a special snowflake?

Lore from the official website and several wikis.

Zac Evans · **12-26-2013, 03:42 AM**

(12-26-2013, 03:07 AM)Faye Wrote: I didn't really get Midlanders being more intelligent than any race from any of the lore. If anything, I figured Elezen and Lalafell would be the more scholarly races.

Granted Elezen do have higher intelligence stat-wise in game-Midlander Hyur and Lalafell being tied for second-but I'm looking at it from the lore pages from pre-release. Which...is looking really bad for me because I'll be damned if I can find them, I can only find the references off of several wikis that for all I know may have been cut 'n pasted from a rambling mad mans blog. Although these guys (http://ffxivrealm.com/wiki/hyur/)Â posted sources and have a very thorough page in my opinion.Â

But from what I can gather is that during the three great migration which brought the Hyur to Eorzea, they brought with them sophisticated technology. what constitutes sophisticated tech? Don't ask me, could be indoor plumbing for all I know, and it's crap compared to Garlean Magitek and Allagan everything. And this next part is speculation, but I take it that Elezen are more wise than intelligent due to an enlongated life span. Now don't get me wrong, Coerthas has a huge library devoted to astrology and the like but the feel of it overall is that of a massive record storehouse that uses the more mystical aspects of the science of astrology to try and foretell the future paired with logs on dragons and dravians. A purely single-minded pursuit instead of a treasure trove of earthly knowledge.

ansemaru · **12-26-2013, 01:19 PM**

But I don't think that much can be chalked up to Elezen having longer lifespans. They aren't Lord of the Rings elves, and don't live for centuries on end, so the comparative difference in lifespan between them and Hyur isn't so huge. If anything, it's probably only a few decades at most, and for that matter something that is probably only the case with Wildwoods- most Duskwights don't share their living conditions, and likely have a higher rate of dying at around the same age as everyone else.

If you can't find lore sources on anything official, you might be basing your assumption on fanon rather than canon. Seems like that's a running issue around here lately.

Here's the thing about "intelligence". The way you're talking about it, you seem to be thinking about availability of knowledge by way of study or research, rather than an inherent mental quality. And that's not something intrinsic to anybody based on race. It's something that comes from one's circumstances, the availability of material to learn from, etc. And for centuries, Eorzean culture has been a melting pot of influences from all five of the major non-beastman, non-Garlean races. They developed concurrently, share a history, and share resources like research and knowledge. So the comparative intelligence of any individual in Eorzea is more to do with their access to higher learning, rather than their brain being naturally better at knowledge. Midlanders aren't all going to be super-geniuses as a flavor thing- you may note that there are numerous Midlander NPCs in the game, none of which who are portrayed as more intelligent than anybody else. Hell, look at the figures of authority in the most "intellectual" guilds and professions: the Thaumaturges' Guild is run by a group of Dunesfolk Lalafell, the Arcanist guildmaster is a Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te and his deputy is a Sea Wolf Roegadyn. The Scholar questline involves a fairly intellectual Plainsfolk Lalafell (and another Lalafell scholar in the backstory). Even in the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, the members of the organization that are shown to be more focused on learning and intellectual subjects are not the Midlanders. We've got a couple of wise and mysterious Elezen, and of course Papalymo, who is a Plainsfolk! I don't think anybody, looking at Thancred and Minfilia, would go "ah, yes, the stereotype for Midlander Hyur like these two is that they're SUPER-GENIUSES".

Ninian Lune'ciel · **12-26-2013, 03:15 PM**

(12-23-2013, 08:23 PM)Jomoru Wrote: What especially baffles me is, that for once a game company decided not to use "generic fantasy human" as the players only option to play something human like. Highlanders have Lore, Lore that stands out. Lore that makes them special.

I think what you might be missing a larger point, Jomoru. Not necessarily having a strong sense of racial lore, or 'culture' as you might call it, doesn't mean Midlanders are somehow inferior.

To take a real example, the United States, at least in my opinion, doesn't have the same types of strong and traditional traits you might find in European or Asian cultures. It is a result of the way the individual is seen in the lens of society that, like the Midlanders, American culture is less unified in comparison.

It isn't that Midlanders do not have any culture. They just have a different structure from the other races.

Blade · **12-26-2013, 03:41 PM**

If I recall correctly (don't know if its been mentioned earlier, skimmed a bunch of the posts), Midlanders are somewhat considered different from the other races in the shape of their ears, which makes sense, because to the eyes of Elezen, Lalafell, and Miqo'te, Hyur are actually in the minority for ear size. People just often tend to forget about that, but I believe in the original 1.0 race description they pointed it out.

Anyways, there is something to be said about being 'one among many,' and being a Midlander as being 'baseline.' Yeah, the lore surrounding them is pretty blank and they are just the 'dime a dozen' race, but that in and of itself is something unique. You don't really stick out. But maybe that works for your character, in order to slip by unnoticed, not draw attention to yourself. I can see some roleplayers approaching it from that angle.

Personally, I've always had my main character be a Hume/Hyur in FFXI/FFXIV. It sort of requires you to go that extra mile to make them unique, but I also think it gives you a cool vantage point ICly to learn about the lore of the other races from player characters, without really having strict lore for your character to adhere to yourself. Midlander thus, for me, seems more free to do what you want with it.

FreelanceWizard · **12-26-2013, 04:31 PM**

I like to turn the hyur lore on its head and view it as an opportunity. Hyur don't have a defining cultural heritage. However, I see that as an opportunity to play someone who's likely open to a variety of cultures, socially adaptable, and -- if not already worldly -- open to learning about the traditions and world around him or her. Sure, hyur can be boring or a dime a dozen, but their diverse heritage and lack of a defining culture can make for some interesting adventurer concepts.

Asgarn · **12-26-2013, 04:49 PM**

Apologies if I'm spewing back up an old reply. A mixture of skimming over replies and a memory of a goldfish mean it's likely I won't remember, anyhow. But... Am I mistaken in thinking there are Midlander Hyur in Ishgard? Sure, the Elezen pretty much run the show there, but this does not mean that the Midlanders are without their culture and lore there.

What with Midlanders being the most wide-spread and populace of the races lorewise (before you jump on me saying "ERRYBODY R MIQO'TE!"), this really eliminates the need for official statements of their lore and origin because, to be quite honest, there would be more than one sub-race of Midlanders. Or do the Arabic and the Europeans have the same culture?

So, to sum up that paragraph in a less confusing way... They are too widespread as a race to come together under one, definite culture. There are many within the Midlander race and this, in my opinion, should be embraced. Smile

Foot note: I don't think any of that made sense. Well... I KNEW WHAT I WAS SAYING!Â Moogle

Ashscarred · **12-26-2013, 05:16 PM**

While I rarely play human characters, I very much approve of the lack of strong defining cultural trades within them.

First, it wouldn't make sense for a people so populace and spread out.Â

Second, because it allows you more freedom. Mid landers are only as boring as you make them.

On the subject of cultural lore in general, the other races really don't have it any better. The fantasy genre tends to treat the whole idea of culture, particularly for non-humans, as a handful of traits and taglines.Â

Take every shred of info we have about my fav race, the Roegadyn and you have only the barest, faint outline of a culture.

As a midlander you could literally create your own culture, easily make said culture richer than anything the other races have been given, and do it all without any real break in lore.

ansemaru · **12-26-2013, 05:24 PM**

(12-26-2013, 04:49 PM)Asgarn Wrote: Apologies if I'm spewing back up an old reply. A mixture of skimming over replies and a memory of a goldfish mean it's likely I won't remember, anyhow. But... Am I mistaken in thinking there are Midlander Hyur in Ishgard? Sure, the Elezen pretty much run the show there, but this does not mean that the Midlanders are without their culture and lore there.

What with Midlanders being the most wide-spread and populace of the races lorewise (before you jump on me saying "ERRYBODY R MIQO'TE!"), this really eliminates the need for official statements of their lore and origin because, to be quite honest, there would be more than one sub-race of Midlanders. Or do the Arabic and the Europeans have the same culture?

So, to sum up that paragraph in a less confusing way... They are too widespread as a race to come together under one, definite culture. There are many within the Midlander race and this, in my opinion, should be embraced.

Foot note: I don't think any of that made sense. Well... I KNEW WHAT I WAS SAYING!Â

There are Ishgardian Midlanders, yes. And they definitely seem to conform to Ishgardian culture, from what we see. There are also Gridanian Midlanders, Limsa Lominsan Midlanders, and Ul'dahn Midlanders. Garlean Midlanders. There are more or less Midlanders in every region of Hydaelyn, and they seem to generally conform to their regional culture more than anybody else. Though it's also fairly apparent that Lalafell and Roegadyn generally fit in with their regional culture more than displaying cultural traits that are race-specific- that appears to be a tendency displayed in Miqo'te, Highlanders, and some Elezen. Though Wildwood Elezen culture is, in a way, the culture that defines Gridania and Ishgard. It's. It's complicated.

The point is, I get what you're saying. There is no monolithic Midlander culture in the way that there is for, say, Wildwoods or Highlanders or Seekers. They're the people who embrace and make up the cultures of many regions.

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Why are there any Midlanders?

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