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imsoemokthx · **03-14-2015, 03:18 PM**

Hey, I was sent here by a friend who says I might be able to find out more this way, so I'm hoping you guys can help!

Okay. Here's the deal:
I want to RP a Ishgardian Astrologian Miqo.
Is that something I can do?

Discuss.

Gone. · **03-14-2015, 03:22 PM**

Probably, but your background would likely have to include a great deal of systematic racism.

V'aleera/Intaki did a pretty good job with her Ishgardian Miqo. Be sure to ask her for help!

Khadan · **03-14-2015, 03:23 PM**

Well you CAN do anything you want. HOWEVER I would say that since Miqo'te canonically hate the cold and due to Ishgard being a 70/30 Elezen/Hyur split by the look of Coerthas' population, that a Miqo'te living in Ishgard, let alone being an Astrologian, would be exceedingly rare.

However with Heavensward coming up, who knows?

Edricane · **03-14-2015, 03:24 PM**

I don't believe so. I think it's only Elezen and Hyur, the minority being Hyur. Though, I won't say for sure because we won't know until we actually get into Ishgard.

Seriphyn · **03-14-2015, 03:41 PM**

As I am wont to say, why Miqo'te? If the character is from Ishgard, why not play a race native to Ishgard? It would be like playing an African Knight in Scandinavia (considering Seekers in particular prefer the warmth versus the climate of Ishgard, not an amiss comparison in my biased opinion)
Of course, it's not impossible becaus it's not a law of physics. It would be considered strange in-universe, and this strangeness should be embraced into the backstory to make it more convincing.

Sounsyy · **03-14-2015, 03:46 PM**

Despite the overwhelmingly prevalent opinion that just because the game only shows 1 or 2 races in a given city-state that that means no other races live there period, this sentiment has fortunately time and again been proven false. Ishgard is no different.

While the two most prevalent races of Ishgard are Elezen (Wildwood and Duskwight) and Hyur (Midlander), at about a 70/30 split, there are Ishgardian Miqo'te. Meet K'leytai, an Ishgardian Knight stationed at Camp Riversmeet, an area which will become accessible again in Heavensward. It's probably extremely rare to see an Ishgardian Miqo'te, (given that lore actually states Miqo'te as a whole are supposed to be extremely rare across all Eorzea) but they do exist!

Merri · **03-14-2015, 04:37 PM**

Something else to keep in mind, it appears as though the Machinist "guildmaster" is a male Miqo'te, and his workshop is in Ishgard. We don't know when he arrived, but we do know Ishgard has had airships for some time. It's very possible that this machinist could be part of the reason for that, though it's obviously all speculation until we get in there to see for ourselves.

Food for thought.

V'aleera · **03-14-2015, 05:24 PM**

Being an Ishgardian Miqo'te is easy. Ishgard has existed for 1000 years and has been closed off to outsiders for just the past twenty. Find somewhere inside that 980 year gap and say your character's parents/ancestors immigrated and their family has lived there ever since.

So once you've established how your Miqo'te came to be in Ishgard, you then need to figure out where they fit socially. More likely than not that place is at or near the bottom. Nobility is for the Elezen almost exclusively (I'm sure there are a few Hyur nobles running around somewhere). Outsider races likely get to wallow around with the peasants and tradesmen.

There definitely do appear to be some avenues for advancement, the military being the most obvious example. An immigrant family could probably aspire to become fairly respected at the trades, or become merchants.

The reason I bring any of that up is that being an astrologian would almost certainly require a formal education. You should consider how it was your character was able to acquire the funds and social standing to be able to partake of this education. Was their father a knight of some accomplishment? Was their mother a skilled seamstress employed by a noblewoman? Things like that.

And as has been mentioned earlier in the thread, once you've figured out all of the above, you'll need to account for a significant dose of racism and classism that would inevitably be directed at your character throughout their lifetime.

myahele · **03-14-2015, 10:02 PM**

It's certainly possible. Ishgard exhisted for 1000 years and unlike Gridania should have at least a neutral relationship with whatever tribes are around.

While nothing is set in stone yet, you briefly see a miqo'te male in Ishagard-Foundation section in what looks like a machinist AF gear. Â @ :50[youtube]Y0jb2UpF8G0[/youtube]

Marisa · **03-14-2015, 11:40 PM**

I do it. People are often caught off guard by it, sometimes want to know how it happened, but so far nobody has told me I'm wrong. Although I have to agree that being an Astrologian would require some careful explaining. That's a highly educated position, and education is very rare in Eorzea. Unless your character comes from a prominent family, you're more limited to fighting or farming, with not much in the way of book-learning. In fact, even though most people decide their characters are exempt from this, technically almost none of us should be able to read or write.Â

It's also worth pointing out that Keepers of the Moon typically worship Mephina, who's shrine is in Coerthas. That has to show some connection, I think.

V'aleera · **03-15-2015, 12:40 AM**

A somewhat stronger connection with Keepers over Seekers would make a lot of sense for Ishgard, and yet the only Miqo'te NPC has a Seeker name. It's kind of funny.

On the issue of education, I'm sure it can be made to work. It's just important to note that reaching the desired position should take longer and be considerably harder than it would for a native Elezen or Hyur.

Vysce the Lad · **03-17-2015, 04:45 AM**

You could always play the genius card. I mean, don't go over-board with it, but considering miqo'te aren't really fans of the cold (and probably are repelled by the Ishgardians view of the world) you could ask yourself this. Why would the Ishgardians let your character join? What about your character would be unique enough to where the could not turn your character away?

I mean, judging from the MSQ, the Astrologians are not a club where you can just show up and get in. Ishgard hates outsiders too. However, something about your character, a possible discovery everyone over-looked or just a high level of skill, would probably make the astroslogians of Ishgard think, "Woah... we could improve if we added this person to our team!"

ArmachiA · **03-17-2015, 04:54 AM**

There's really no lore saying this isn't possible, and considering that Ishguard only closed it's doors 20 years ago, it's absolutely possible Miqote immigrated there - since we all know Miqote just didn't show up 20 years ago.

I say roll with it. It's one of those grey areas but, as Sounssy pointed out, there is evidence to support it so we can deduce it's probably fine.

Ardent Ghost · **03-17-2015, 05:32 PM**

I agree with all of the sentiments posted regarding it being possible. I believe that an Ishgardian Miqo'te is completely possible. Ishgard didn't close its gates recently (considering how old Ishgard is), and while xenophobia is prevalent now, its not implied that it was always as bad as it is today. I always just assumed that refugees and misplaced vagrants just kind of found themselves in Ishgard's lower caste depending on certain situations. That being said, they would not have an easy life, I would imagine.

Personally, Black Sun Vanguard's history is made up of various refugees having involvement, and a few Miqo'te have a place in it. I don't see it being a stretch that a Miqo'te would have settled in Coerthas somehow prior to it being iced over (seeing as it wasn't always a cold wasteland) and sticking around because they feel loyal to Ishguard. I know that one of our miqo'te members was orphaned in Coerthas and taken into Ishgard as such.Â

It could also be suggested that some higher ranking houses might be into some shady exotic stuff, so there's that too. (Its implied somewhere in game, don't give me that look.)

Its not hard to find loop holes or things that are possible and plausible if done correctly. For example, one of my characters is an Ishgardian Duskwight. His family / clan lived in some of the caves in Coerthas and were tragically caught in the crossfire when a small brood of dragons were cornered in the very same caves by an Ishgardian strike unit. As one of the survivors, he was taken to an (lower caste) orphanage in Ishgard and dropped off there. Has had a rough life because of it and is basically just getting by as a blacksmith, but it works and I haven't come across any resistance for it. The Ishgardians may be very xenophobic and very standoffish, but I don't think they're all completely heartless. c:

On the subject of the Miqo'te being an Astrologian, however, I pretty much agree with everything thats been said. Possible, but would not have been easy.

V'aleera · **03-17-2015, 06:04 PM**

(03-17-2015, 04:45 AM)Vysce the Lad Wrote: Why would the Ishgardians let your character join?

I'm going to have to very, very strongly suggest against making a character that has been "let in" to Ishgard in the present era (IE the past twenty years of Ishgardian isolation). The lore is extremely clear that NOBODY gets into Ishgard if they are not Ishgardian themselves. Even Ishgardians themselves appear to be under pretty strict rules regarding entering and leaving the city.

Now, if you're talking about an outsider joining the astrologians at the Observatorium in Coerthas specifically, that may be plausible. But still kinda iffy.

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