(04-07-2016, 04:47 PM)Rising Wrote: I am new to the FF setting, having never played any of the other FF games, and only very limited time in XIV.
While all Final Fantasy titles share common themes, the lore for each game is unique to each title (for the most part). So the lore behind moogles in this game will not match the lore behind moogles in FFXII for instance. So you don't need to be familiar with previous games to enjoy the one you're playing! ^^ The common threads are just there as fan service to its predecessors.
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(04-07-2016, 04:47 PM)Rising Wrote: I like to do my research so my first iteration of a character is accurate and I don't have retcon anything. I've had some trouble finding much detail on the Au Ra. I've found the wiki's and they seem rather... lean on details... unless I'm missing something?
I'd recommend checking out the Race Lore Masterpost, which contains lore on the origins, customs, naming conventions, and racial traits of the six races. There's a tab specifically for Au Ra!
Unfortunately, FFXIV's lore is spread out of various mediums, tidbits, and places across the game and out of it. Some NPCs are unreliable, others go missing. So compiling an all-encompassing overview of this game's lore is very difficult to do. But if you have any questions about the game's lore feel free to ask in our shiny new Lore Forums section and we'll be sure to get it answered!
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(04-07-2016, 04:47 PM)Rising Wrote: So, I'm wondering if there's any stigma with such a friendship? Does it completely fly in the face of lore?
Most often, Raen and Xaela avoid contact with each other. There doesn't seem to be any explicit hostility between the two clans, just that they purposefully avoid each other and have carved out largely different territories across Othard. This also can vary from tribe to tribe as some tribes, such as the Malaguld Xaela, are known to accept Raen into their tribe.
Malaguld Wrote:One of the only tribes that accepts people of the Raen--those that have been exiled, or those who have fled persecution--into their circle.
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(04-07-2016, 04:47 PM)Rising Wrote: How does class/job fit into characterization?
This is entirely up to you! Some people decide to play class and jobs, others abandon the limitation altogether. In short, "classes" are Eorzean-specific professions which are taught in guilds across Eorzea. However, while the armoury system that makes a weapon = class, in the lore, it's not always that simple. A prime example is the Gladiators' Guild, which teaches its hopefuls how to fight with a sword and shield for sport in an arena called the Bloodsands. But not everyone who uses a sword is a Gladiator. In fact, only someone who fights on the Bloodsands is a Gladiator, and not all of them use swords! So it can kind of get confusing.
"Jobs," on the other hand, are professions that are no longer (for whatever reason) widely used across Eorzea. Some of these professions are ancient, some lost and forgotten, others forbidden, many just dwindled away from disuse. Most often, these jobs have or require the use of a soulstone, an item which houses the memories and souls of previous owners that helps guide the new user to understanding said memories and the abilities of the job. It can be complicated to wiggle some jobs into your character, while others its not so difficult. Being an Au Ra from Othard makes having known most of these jobs pretty impractical, but not impossible that there's a Far Eastern version that is similar to said jobs.
It's all in how you want to play it. Do the Othardians have swordsmen? Yes, definitely. Do they likely have gladiators in the Eorzean sense? Not likely. etc etc
For class/job lore, I think these links should help:
-Class/Job Lore Compilation
-Soulstone Lore
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(04-07-2016, 04:47 PM)Rising Wrote: Any common mistakes I should avoid with either the world or the Au Ra specifically? For me to know my character, I need to know where she came from, what her past is. Any info on their homeland would be helpful.
There's another recent thread that asked some similar questions. What's important to remember is that Au Ra, particularly Raen, are but recent immigrants to Eorzea for the most part. They originate from the Far Eastern continent of Othard, which was invaded by the Garlean Empire roughly 50 years ago and submitted completely to the Empire 25 years ago. So most characters originating from there would have grown up under Imperial rule.
Recently, within the past year or so, Garlemald's first emperor fell ill and died, sparking the War of Succession for a new Emperor. Attempting to capitalize on the distracted imperials, Doma, a province along Othard's eastern coastline just below the northeastern mountains and valleys in which the Raen make their home, rebelled. However, they were betrayed by the shinobi and to set an example for the other provinces, Garlemald razed the city-state. This has displaced many of the Raen Au Ra who originate from Doma and the lands/islands surrounding. Many of those displaced refugees have come halfway around the world to Eorzea in search of a land free from the Empire.
Xaela, on the other hand, are largely nomadic. They live in tribes ruled by khans and inhabit the other regions of Othard, such as the Azim Steppes to the west, the northern mountain ranges, the coastline and islands to the southeast, and the far south deserts. Each tribe has its own ideologies and customs. While these Xaela are incredibly rare as far west as Eorzea, there are historical notes of small Xaela groups or tribes coming to Eorzea in the past.
Here's some more links you might find helpful!
-Hydaelyn Geography Lore
-Othardian Geography Lore
-Doma Lore
-Garlemald's Occupation of Othard
Hope this helps! ^^ Lemme know if you have more questions!
