(05-18-2013, 12:14 AM)allgivenover Wrote: They are a separate race. They have distinct traits shared among the population that is not found in Seekers
That's not how the term race is used in the game. In fact, it's technically not valid to use it that way even in real life. 'Race' as categorisation for peoples of different regions who have developed physical features suited to their environment dates back to a time when that was thought to indicate being of different species. In reality, all humans are the same sub-species and the differences are all minor clinal variations.
It follows that, given that at least some Eorzean races can crossbreed, they have to be the same genus. Chances are, they're the same species. That means Clans of a single race have to be the same sub-species, given how similar they are. They even breed true so readily that cross-Clan traits are being added to the character creator suggesting characters can have ancestors from another Clan going back generations. The difference between Clans are no greater in magnitude than the differences between some groups of real world humans.
Therefore, calling Clans races just doesn't hold up in any sense, and the writers of FFXIV are smart enough to know that.
Yes, that text was referring specifically to Keeper males. That's because it was in a larger piece talking exclusively about Keepers. It doesn't mean that 'race' isn't referring to Miqo'te as a whole, just that it's discussing a Miqo'te trait in the cultural context of Keepers. A low birth rate for males is exactly why the nuhn system is in place; few males means the opportunity for multiple female partners anyway, so powerful males try to get as many as possible. They set up the precedent that the strongest male gets all the mates, and over generations it becomes formalised. It becomes the accepted state, so that other males can decide to pursue other lifestyles instead of just fighting to become nuhn until winning or dying.
