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Rainvierre · **12-14-2016, 05:22 PM**

Hello FFXIV Roleplayers!

I'm fairly new to FFXIV and would like to have a Seeker Miqo'te character (due to aesthetic reasons). While the Seeker Miqo'tes lore is interesting, the tribe convention doesn't really suit my taste. So, I decided to establish a backstory for my Miqo'te. Roughly, he is the sole survivor from an attack to his tribe, and later was adopted by Lalafell lady and decided to take her surname. I do have a couple of questions regarding to this.

Are the tribes of Seeker Miqo'tes one very large pack? Or is a tribe composed of smaller packs which travel separately? Because having an entire tribe, say, Antelope tribe, getting annihilated doesn't seem too be lore friendlyÂ Dazed

.

Is it plausable for a Seeker Miqo'te to be adopted by a Lalafell? Would it be possible for a Lalafell to travel to the area of the Seeker Miqo'te? Or perhaps vice versa or somewhere in the middle?

Feedback and suggestions to my character backstory would also be greatly appreciated! Thanks FFXIV Roleplay!Â Big Grin

Kilieit · **12-14-2016, 05:33 PM**

The only thing I'll be sure to say is that lalafells don't really have surnames! Siblings sometimes share a syllable or two of a name (like the "Coco" siblings in the THM story), but the second name is based on the first; it's not familial.

So my lalafell, Caidenden Caiden... her "surname" is Caiden because her first name is Caidenden, not because she's from a long line of people called Caiden.

Otherwise you'd end up with a LOT of lalafell with exactly the same name and no way to differentiate between individuals beyond a "Sr/Jr" suffix. xD

Something you could work with instead is an "epithet" - lots of NPCs have them, like Aymeric the Blue and Karasu Redbeak and all that. These NPCs have surnames as well (Aymeric de Borel, Karasu Kanshi) which usually tell you something about where they're from or who raised them, but the epithet tells you something about what they do or what they've chosen to be like.

Rainvierre · **12-14-2016, 05:44 PM**

(12-14-2016, 05:33 PM)Kilieit Wrote: The only thing I'll be sure to say is that lalafells don't really have surnames! Siblings sometimes share a syllable or two of a name (like the "Coco" siblings in the THM story), but the second name is based on the first; it's not familial.

So my lalafell, Caidenden Caiden... her "surname" is Caiden because her first name is Caidenden, not because she's from a long line of people called Caiden.

Otherwise you'd end up with a LOT of lalafell with exactly the same name and no way to differentiate between individuals beyond a "Sr/Jr" suffix. xD

Ahhh, you're right. I nearly forgot about that. I guess it wouldn't make sense for a Lalafell to pass down a surname. Hyur parents it is then. Thanks though!

EDIT: Unless my Miqo'te adapted Lalafell's naming convention out of respect for his adoptive mother? Say, Z'khuva Hakuva? While his adoptive mother's name is Ninimu Nimu...?

Kilieit · **12-14-2016, 05:47 PM**

AH I ninja-edited my post, sorry! xD;; Read up if you wanna keep the Lalafell parentage, it's still possible!

Faye · **12-14-2016, 05:57 PM**

I'm unsure of the actual lore, but I think most people accept the headcanon that Seeker tribes have different sects. With the amount of Seeker RPers (which is already pretty conflicting with the Seeker lore, since they're supposed to be small in numbers) and each tribe only having a few Nunh's at most, things get confusing otherwise when you have two dozen Nunh RPers from one tribe. Not to mention, things would get pretty incestuous otherwise, and just make RP backstories difficult.

As for being adopted by Lalafell, it's possible (though you'd have to ask yourself why she would be adopting a Miqo'te, particularly in a society where mixed race relations seemed to be frowned upon) and plenty of people do it, but because so many people do it, it's become something of a cliche in the RP community.

Rainvierre · **12-14-2016, 05:59 PM**

(12-14-2016, 05:47 PM)Kilieit Wrote: AH I ninja-edited my post, sorry! xD;; Read up if you wanna keep the Lalafell parentage, it's still possible!

Interesting. So, a gladiator Mi'qote with the name "Z'khuva Kenshi (swordsman in Japanese (or something similar)), which is(was) raised by a Lalafell, makes sense? :O

(12-14-2016, 05:57 PM)Faye Wrote: I'm unsure of the actual lore, but I think most people accept the headcanon that Seeker tribes have different sects. With the amount of Seeker RPers (which is already pretty conflicting with the Seeker lore, since they're supposed to be small in numbers) and each tribe only having a few Nunh's at most, things get confusing otherwise when you have two dozen Nunh RPers from one tribe. Not to mention, things would get pretty incestuous otherwise, and just make RP backstories difficult.

As for being adopted by Lalafell, it's possible (though you'd have to ask yourself why she would be adopting a Miqo'te, particularly in a society where mixed race relations seemed to be frowned upon) and plenty of people do it, but because so many people do it, it's become something of a cliche in the RP community.

I guess many people like Miqo'tes because they're cat people. And people like cats. And why adoption is a cliche in the RP community, is I guess because protagonists in pop culture are usually orphans or adopted. Or perhaps they can't think of a good name for a character of a given race and decided to have their character raised by another race? Or perhaps they like the aesthetics of the race but the lore isn't their thing, and I completely understand them (imagine being a Seeker female staying faithful to the lore, you'll be one of 10-50 females in the sect who mated with that one Nunh once or twice).

And the reason why the Lalafell would adopt a Miqo'te is because of sympathy over knowing that my Miqo'tes sect got completely wiped out when I was still an infant, would that be lore friendly though? I chose Lalafell because they seem to be the "kindest" looking race out of the bunch.

Kilieit · **12-14-2016, 06:04 PM**

I'd go with an English-language epithet, because "Japanese" names in the world of FFXIV tend to come from, like...

[Image: d2407328d4.jpg]

...waaayyy over that way, and lalafells tend to come from...

[Image: 0cee39729e.jpg]

...one of those places. So something like "Z'khuba Swordswinger", or Sharpsword, Swiftsword, Redblade, Silverblade...

Rainvierre · **12-14-2016, 06:27 PM**

(12-14-2016, 06:04 PM)Kilieit Wrote: I'd go with an English-language epithet, because "Japanese" names in the world of FFXIV tend to come from, like...

...waaayyy over that way, and lalafells tend to come from...

...one of those places. So something like "Z'khuba Swordswinger", or Sharpsword, Swiftsword, Redblade, Silverblade...

Ahh, thanks for the map! Looks like it makes sense geographically for a Lalafell to adopt a Seeker, since most Plainsfolk and Seekers are situated around Limsa Lominsa.

Sounsyy · **12-14-2016, 07:44 PM**

Before hopping in to your questions, I wanted to start off by saying welcome to Eorzea and the RPC! And also that finding various lore bits and putting them all together can be pretty difficult, so until I have the index up and running, I'm still passing out my start kit of lore that will hopefully be helpful in filling in some of the blanks starting out!

Eorzean Lore Starter Kit
-Racial Lore Compilation
-Class/Job Lore Compilation
-Hydaelyn Geography Lore
-Settlements in Eorzea Pre-Calamity
-Eorzean City-states' Political Structures Lore
-Eorzean Units of Time and Measurement Lore

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(12-14-2016, 05:22 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: While the Seeker Miqo'tes lore is interesting, the tribe convention doesn't really suit my taste. So, I decided to establish a backstory for my Miqo'te. Roughly, he is the sole survivor from an attack to his tribe, and later was adopted by Lalafell lady and decided to take her surname.

Tribal lore isn't to everyone's taste, but fortunately, it's not to every in-world Miqo'te's taste either. So, one alternative that I can suggest is that you make your Miqo'te unaffiliated with any tribe. We see this more commonly in the cities themselves, as most tribal Miqo'te prefer to isolate themselves from the other races.

1.0 Character Creation Wrote:Miqo'te are known to be very territorial, and many individuals tend to lead solitary lifestyles, particularly males. The few Miqo'te who have made the transition to life in Eorzean society are predominantly female.

This way, you could start your story wherever you wanted and at any point in your character's life. Whether they choose to maintain their tribal name and designation "Z'khuva" for example is then up to them, which can then be explored further into interesting character development. Why do they keep this name or don't? That said, it's completely feasible for a sect of a Miqo'te tribe to get wiped out by either a rival Miqo'te tribe or beastmen. The lone survivor then coming to a nearby city only to be adopted.

Kilieit already covered the bit about surnames. Lalafell of royal lineage do have family names, such as "Ul" and "Sil" which can be found between the fore and surname. "Nanamo Ul Namo" for example. But we only see this in royalty.

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(12-14-2016, 05:22 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: Are the tribes of Seeker Miqo'tes one very large pack? Or is a tribe composed of smaller packs which travel separately? Because having an entire tribe, say, Antelope tribe, getting annihilated doesn't seem too be lore friendly

They were some three-thousand years ago during the early migrations of Miqo'te to the continent from the Near East (and Meracydia). However, over the years, the twenty-six original tribes have spread out across Eorzea with larger tribes branching out into many smaller sects.

Fernehalwes Wrote:When the Seekers of the Sun came to Eorzea from their homelands, there were only 26 tribes. Since that time, there have been some males who, instead of defeating their tribe's nunh and becoming a breeding male by normal means, opt to leave the tribe and form their own. However, it is rare for female Seekers of the Sun to follow these males, so these newly formed tribes almost always die out.

This does not mean that it doesn't happen. If a male leaves to form his own tribe, he will replace the letter from his original tribe (for example, the "Y" in Y'shtola) with a new one. Since the 26 letters of the Eorzean alphabet are already taken, the new tribal prefix will be often be two letters (Ma -> Ma'shtola) which are of the tribe-forming male's choosing (and all people in his tribe will use that same prefix). His last name will be Nunh, as he is now the new breeding male (as designated by himself) of his new tribe.

There are tia within the 26 existing tribes who, instead of defeating an existing nunh, prove their worth to the tribe by extending its hunting grounds. These tia will venture out into the world and claim territory of their own (by either finding somewhere unoccupied, or taking an area by force from another tribe). If they can maintain it for an extended period of time, then they become the nunh of that area, while still remaining a member of their original tribe.

This actually happens quite often. And is far more accepted than merely leaving the tribe to make one's own (which, ultimately makes that person an outcast). This is why you will almost never see Seekers of the Sun with tribal letters beyond the original 26 (like the Ma'shtola I mentioned earlier). There are simply not that many, and those that do exist, rarely admit it, for fear of ostracism.

So you would be correct in that killing off the whole of the Antelope tribe would be pretty unlikely, though killing off a smaller sect or territory of the Antelope tribe is more common in roleplayer backstories.

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(12-14-2016, 05:22 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: Is it plausable for a Seeker Miqo'te to be adopted by a Lalafell? Would it be possible for a Lalafell to travel to the area of the Seeker Miqo'te? Or perhaps vice versa or somewhere in the middle?

Seeker Miqo'te Population Distribution across Eorzea (ARR):
[Image: kVK62B7.png]

Lalafell Population Distribution across Eorzea (ARR):
[Image: 1ESNj0y.png]

As you can see, there's a lot of overlap. While in maybe as few as 100 years ago, the races and city-states were nearly always at each other's throats, old alliances, the dying out of tribal lifestyle (not just of the Miqo'te) led to many of the races congregating within the city-states and setting aside their differences to reach common goals. While not all of this animosity has dispersed from their cultures, it's possible to see almost any race within any Eorzean city-state, even if it's just a minority.

All you need to do is figure out where you'd like to have your Miqo'te and Lalafell meet. As shown above, Seekers inhabit nearly every region in Eorzea (even Gridania), though they are most populous in Limsa Lominsa and the Sagolii Desert. Whereas the distribution of Lalafell is mostly found to the south and east. Most Plainsfolk inhabit Limsa Lominsa (and Gridania), while Dunesfolk are found primarily in Ul'dah, to the north of the Sagolii Desert.

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(12-14-2016, 05:57 PM)Faye Wrote: As for being adopted by Lalafell, it's possible (though you'd have to ask yourself why she would be adopting a Miqo'te, particularly in a society where mixed race relations seemed to be frowned upon) and plenty of people do it, but because so many people do it, it's become something of a cliche in the RP community.

Mixed relationships are highly taboo in Eorzean society, but that's not to say adoption is limited by such restrictions. Citing the Miqo'te Songstress of Ul'dah adopting a young Minfilia and the Elezen timbermaster and Lalafellin botanist taking care of the many orphaned children in Gridania.

Besides, Lalafell (as a whole or generalization) might be one of the few exceptions to the race stigma:

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:While placing great importance on familial bonds, the Lalafell are by no means exclusionary. This is manifest in the cordial relations they enjoy with their fellow races, and the success they have achieved as a race of traders and merchants Though their singularly business-minded nature can lead to them being perceived as greedy and calculating, few can find in their hearts to entirely dislike the Lalafell, with their inherently bright and jovial nature. As such, examples of Lalafell being persecuted by other races are few and far between.

All that said, the interracial stigma is one of those things that is very underplayed by the community at large. Even though there are also many reasons why one might not want to.

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(12-14-2016, 05:59 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: Interesting. So, a gladiator Mi'qote with the name "Z'khuva Kenshi (swordsman in Japanese (or something similar)), which is(was) raised by a Lalafell, makes sense?

Like Kilieit mentioned, Japanese(-sounding) names belong to residents of the Far Eastern continent of Othard, and even more specifically to residents of the Yanxia region (Othard's eastern coastline and islands). While we know there are Lalafell who live in Yanxia and Othard on a broader scale, having a Japanese(-sounding) surname or epithet would imply residence in this region on the part of the adoptive Lalafell or on your character, the Miqo'te. If this is something you want to do, by all means, just know that it would require a bit more backstory-ing on your part. Like above, why would an Eorzean tribal Miqo'te have a Far Eastern surname?

If you do toe the epithet road, perhaps try to make an Eorzean-inspired one? Or, do like my own character does, who is a Miqo'te with a Hyuran bastardization of her original Miqo'te name, stick to the spirit of the naming conventions but alter them in a way that makes sense with their own backstory. (Back when I created my RP character, naming conventions had not yet been released.) In brief, my character's mother belonged to a tribal sect (seafaring Raptors) but eventually left the tribe to raise her child (my character) away from her people for story reasons. She ultimately settled in Ala Mhigo and changed her child's name to sound more Hyuran so as not to stand out as drastically in the Highlander-dominated region. Thus my character grew up without a tribal name and away from a tribal lifestyle.

Anyroad, I hope this helps! ^^ Feel free to ask more questions!

Charity322 · **12-14-2016, 11:53 PM**

(12-14-2016, 05:44 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: Ahhh, you're right. I nearly forgot about that. I guess it wouldn't make sense for a Lalafell to pass down a surname. Hyur parents it is then. Thanks though!

Hyur parents would make more sense, as the Highlander Hyur tend to hang around the same areas of Thanalan and it's easy to imagine say someone from Little Ala Mhigo picking up an orphaned kitten.

Although, if it's just the tribal lifestyle you don't like then you could always try a Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te.

Valence · **12-15-2016, 04:21 AM**

Keepers as well as Seekers are broken down in two kinds, tribals and city dwellers. The tribal style is just different is all, but it's still tribal nonetheless. Naming conventions are, however, very different.

Granted, the difference between city Keepers and wild keepers is less significant on the family structure since Keepers family model tends to fit in both cases, unlike a Seeker tribe. It's more significant for their way of life.

Faye · **12-15-2016, 06:04 AM**

(12-14-2016, 05:59 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: And people like cats. And why adoption is a cliche in the RP community, is I guess because protagonists in pop culture are usually orphans or adopted. Or perhaps they can't think of a good name for a character of a given race and decided to have their character raised by another race? Or perhaps they like the aesthetics of the race but the lore isn't their thing, and I completely understand them (imagine being a Seeker female staying faithful to the lore, you'll be one of 10-50 females in the sect who mated with that one Nunh once or twice).

The latter is really the only reason it's become a cliche. People roll a Miqo'te without looking at the lore or naming conventions and have to find a way to explain it, or decide to play a Miqo'te because they like how they look but don't want to have to incorporate the lore into their story. And as for the last statement, that's not really the case. Plenty of people role-play Seekers (female and male both) who were raised within their tribes. Characters can choose to leave their tribe, be exiled, or spend some time away for personal pursuits (look at basically every Seeker NPC in the game outside the U tribe quests), potentially before ever mating with a Nunh.

(12-14-2016, 05:59 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: And the reason why the Lalafell would adopt a Miqo'te is because of sympathy over knowing that my Miqo'tes sect got completely wiped out when I was still an infant, would that be lore friendly though? I chose Lalafell because they seem to be the "kindest" looking race out of the bunch.

Looks can be deceiving! Smile

There are plenty of sweet and kind lalafell NPC's, but also plenty of mean and nasty ones.

Rainvierre · **12-15-2016, 07:01 AM**

Show Content

(12-14-2016, 05:22 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: While the Seeker Miqo'tes lore is interesting, the tribe convention doesn't really suit my taste. So, I decided to establish a backstory for my Miqo'te. Roughly, he is the sole survivor from an attack to his tribe, and later was adopted by Lalafell lady and decided to take her surname.

Show Content

1.0 Character Creation Wrote:Miqo'te are known to be very territorial, and many individuals tend to lead solitary lifestyles, particularly males. The few Miqo'te who have made the transition to life in Eorzean society are predominantly female.

Show Content

(12-14-2016, 05:22 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: Are the tribes of Seeker Miqo'tes one very large pack? Or is a tribe composed of smaller packs which travel separately? Because having an entire tribe, say, Antelope tribe, getting annihilated doesn't seem too be lore friendly

Show Content

Fernehalwes Wrote:When the Seekers of the Sun came to Eorzea from their homelands, there were only 26 tribes. Since that time, there have been some males who, instead of defeating their tribe's nunh and becoming a breeding male by normal means, opt to leave the tribe and form their own. However, it is rare for female Seekers of the Sun to follow these males, so these newly formed tribes almost always die out.

This does not mean that it doesn't happen. If a male leaves to form his own tribe, he will replace the letter from his original tribe (for example, the "Y" in Y'shtola) with a new one. Since the 26 letters of the Eorzean alphabet are already taken, the new tribal prefix will be often be two letters (Ma -> Ma'shtola) which are of the tribe-forming male's choosing (and all people in his tribe will use that same prefix). His last name will be Nunh, as he is now the new breeding male (as designated by himself) of his new tribe.

There are tia within the 26 existing tribes who, instead of defeating an existing nunh, prove their worth to the tribe by extending its hunting grounds. These tia will venture out into the world and claim territory of their own (by either finding somewhere unoccupied, or taking an area by force from another tribe). If they can maintain it for an extended period of time, then they become the nunh of that area, while still remaining a member of their original tribe.

This actually happens quite often. And is far more accepted than merely leaving the tribe to make one's own (which, ultimately makes that person an outcast). This is why you will almost never see Seekers of the Sun with tribal letters beyond the original 26 (like the Ma'shtola I mentioned earlier). There are simply not that many, and those that do exist, rarely admit it, for fear of ostracism.

Show Content

(12-14-2016, 05:22 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: Is it plausable for a Seeker Miqo'te to be adopted by a Lalafell? Would it be possible for a Lalafell to travel to the area of the Seeker Miqo'te? Or perhaps vice versa or somewhere in the middle?

Show Content

(12-14-2016, 05:57 PM)Faye Wrote: As for being adopted by Lalafell, it's possible (though you'd have to ask yourself why she would be adopting a Miqo'te, particularly in a society where mixed race relations seemed to be frowned upon) and plenty of people do it, but because so many people do it, it's become something of a cliche in the RP community.

Show Content

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:While placing great importance on familial bonds, the Lalafell are by no means exclusionary. This is manifest in the cordial relations they enjoy with their fellow races, and the success they have achieved as a race of traders and merchants Though their singularly business-minded nature can lead to them being perceived as greedy and calculating, few can find in their hearts to entirely dislike the Lalafell, with their inherently bright and jovial nature. As such, examples of Lalafell being persecuted by other races are few and far between.

Show Content

(12-14-2016, 05:59 PM)Rainvierre Wrote: Interesting. So, a gladiator Mi'qote with the name "Z'khuva Kenshi (swordsman in Japanese (or something similar)), which is(was) raised by a Lalafell, makes sense?

Show Content

First of all, thank you for the warm welcome! I'm deeply grateful for your very detailed answer, that will most definitely help me establish a background for my character. I may have some questions that I'd like to ask, so thank you very much Big Grin

.

Jana · **12-15-2016, 11:47 AM**

Keep in mind that if you do go with a Lalafell surname, they largely use the syllables and vowels from Japanese, without any of the meaning from Japanese words.

Rainvierre · **12-15-2016, 01:40 PM**

(12-15-2016, 11:47 AM)Jana Wrote: Keep in mind that if you do go with a Lalafell surname, they largely use the syllables and vowels from Japanese, without any of the meaning from Japanese words.

TheÂ Lalafell Name GeneratorÂ sometimes dishes out Japanese sounding names like "Agashi Hijagashi" or "Nodumo Hidumo", would that be lore friendly? Or does that indicate that the Lalafell came from the east, outside Eorzea, just like Kilieit said?
[Image: d2407328d4.jpg]

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