Kyatai

Very cool, Oskar... Great work up and society!

I could definitely see the Duskwight vision being more tuned to catching changes in lighting, rather than picking out details or color or somesuch. Certainly they haven't progressed to the point where vision is completely abandoned, so they're not exactly like, oh, the blind cave salamanders or fish or whathaveyou. Makes me wish the lore had them developing echolocation. That would be hilariously awesome. ... omg... that would be great... LOL! talk about a unique character trait! :surprise:

Hm... you do have a point. I was actually thinking of those albino fish and bats and such too- but guess I wasn't thinking of them being entirely closed off from light, being sentients that would need light for reading, writing and cooking, etc. BUT... calls to question if DW actually have poorer eyesight than Hyur. I mean... if your light is limited, you'd have to cluster by candlelight, fires, torches, etc... and eyestrain might be significant. Adaptations would seem logical over time... But which? Personally, I'd -definitely- see them as photophobic. I can imagine my DW wearing a hood or some such all the time in the desert to shade her eyes. If there was a headdress such as in GW2 that looked like a blindfold, or one of those eye-veil things that the Miraluka wore, I'd see her wearing them. I'm actually ok with the eyesight being weaker in light... but still seems that they'd be more sensitive to glimmers of light in the dark than others, mainly because they don't purely exist in the abyssmal dark.

This I feel is because they don't want the races to overlap with the different senses I guess. I have to agree it doesn't make much sense to me. Meh. the Keepers can still have the best nightvision... they're hunters, afterall. DW would just be conditioned to see in limited light of caves. 'Course can't think too hard on this, b/c logically they'd have lighter skin too (less sunlight) not darker. but i see no issue with grades of abilities... with the best being those mentioned in lore. But that's just my take. I mean... no one's mentioned the other senses... touch and taste. When used with Echo, touch could be quite cool- delving into a bit of psychometry. And taste... perhaps very valuable to detect poisons by both smell and taste (as smell and taste are cognitively linked, I'd think Miqo would be very good at this). Now regarding stamina, strength, mind, etc... those seem fairly straightforward... Hm.

Great suggestions Freelance. Reminds me of my time in Vanguard RPing a psionicist. Yes, lore-wise, I could read minds, but I set up certain constraints to my character and ensured any 'deep reads' had the full consent of my RP partners. It was a challenge- but a fun one. Similarly, with some 'work arounds' and self-limiting adjustments (maybe) that we add into our RP, I see no reason we couldn't fully utilize the 'superpowers' mentioned in lore and remain true to our characters w/o metagaming. I can see how expanding and using our various racial attributes would be an awesome addition to Adventure RP. Like... I know Antimony wears glasses, so her eyesight would not be as great as other Miqo'te (though she's a Seeker, I can see it still being better than a Hyur's), but still quite good... over long distances maybe. That seems logical based on her Miqo'te genetics... and the fact that as WE grow older, the older eye has more difficulty seeing up close, but not from afar. Likewise, my DW will have great hearing- but whereas that might be great for hunting and so on, it would be HORRIBLE in busy marketplaces and taverns. I kinda RPed this in Ph3- her covering her ears and becoming more disgruntled and annoyed- both at the claustrophobia of the crowded tavern with non-DW... and the noise. I can see her figuring out a way to diminish her natural hearing when she must be in situations like that, so as to not make her ears and nose bleed and head explode with the noise and over-stimulation. haha (one thing of note... I find it odd that DW don't have great eyesight, given that they are accustomed to the darkness of caves. It seems logical to me that they have great nightvision, but not necessarily acuity in day or over long distances)

Few things: Eva- have you thought of torquing your Clan name idea (aka Flowstone Clan) into a French-esque translation? Coulanchute d'pier is kinda... long and unwieldy, (a smush-blend and abbreviation of the literal coulant chutes de pierres (flowing stone falls or coulant chute de pierre (flowing stone waterfall)) but... well this is how I look at language: It evolves. Over time, it is tainted and altered based on external influences (other languages, new technologies, new discoveries, cultural differences, interacting with other clans, ... laziness... hehe) So... I'm not suggesting a literal french translation, but maybe a bit of influence, since that is lore-appropriate in naming. I also suggest this because, it sounds like your clan might have been one of the more reclusive and 'pure' clans mentioned (with the exception of Meg's more primal one *grins*). C'lanchu d'pierre? C'lanchu d'pier? ... something...? IDK... just a thought. hehe Second... LS's weren't possible for 5 years after the Calamity, right? Quite a short time to develop a tradition/culture around any adaptation you might have to make to communicate (aka Teardrop's idea), but if coupled with the overall distrust of 'uplander technologies that could be used to spy on us' as Rogier mentioned... might be cool. As in, initial distrust of linkpearls for the reasons he mentioned, then 'validated' by the Calamity- perhaps even making the DW able to 'recover' faster than the upworlders afterwards? Especially in addition to the chance that maybe more DW communities were more unaffected by the scourge of Balamut being underground. Saving earthquakes and the like, of course... So... maybe the traditional root is there, the local adaptations... then the recovery is: a necessity to connect to more DW after Calamity to maybe... IDK... bind together to take advantage of the situation? Or create a stronger community in the face of continued prejudices- despite the world being weakened overall and kinda... NEEDING... everyone to pitch in and help with recovery? *lots of thoughts beating about and I fear I'm not making sense- lol* Just thinking binding together in a DW LS might serve a variety of purposes, depending on the DW character. Exploitation, building an army, simple connections/support, plotting, history acquisition & tradition recovery, Clan bonding... etc AND... as part of Chiané's history, she'll be proficient in 'tinkering'- being one of those people that take things apart to figure out how they work, then try to put them back together and make them better. So... if the more suspicious DW or the community,.. she could work with others to alter the linkpearls to be more private and less risky if they fall into the wrong hands. And yes... I love this discussion too! :love::love::love: haha Yssen posted as I was writing... I agree... and yeah, I think a reaver and raider aspect is totally logical. I mean, I don't think the tradition would be to get caught much *grins* which makes them so annoying to the rest of Eorzea for being thieves and scourges of society. I can see an elite branch training to be such. Especially if they are more along the lines of Meg's clan archetype. I suspect any coming out of HIS clan would be truly terrifying indeed! Oh... and I think coming up with Clan names and a bit of history of that Clan is very cool (just got done working on my Miqo's... haha) and linking it to our wiki pages... Esp for those of us that will be scholars and Clan/DW history gatherers. Which, in the wake of Balamut and the overall anarchy and chaos following his arrival, I think would be VERY VERY desirable. I mean- I see DW as holding their histories and 'identities' as sacred. Even if they don't follow the traditions or whatever they came from... just having it... knowing it... gives one a sense of belonging.

This. +1 Agreed. I apologized for my misunderstanding that (apparently) started all this shit on the last post of page 5 I think? and even went so far as to comment on the validity of the scent/eye/stamina/etc comments brought up, offering a few thoughts myself. I will say I take offense to my comment about the 'nose like hounds' discussion being 'boring' because 1.) that was the very thing I apologized for, as I thought it was a physical description (and therefore a joke (aka 'omg guys- can we talk about ANYTHING but sex here?! Here... lets talk noses!')) and 2.) it is therefore irrelevant to being constantly brought up as part of an effort to make a point. Especially one filled with such vitrol that had, up until then, been a very calm and mature discourse. Razamir, your contributions have not been offensive, IMHO. No reason to apologize, though thank you for doing so. So. Back to the discussion at hand... This thread has become a mix of discussing both the biological and cultural aspects of what it might mean to play a Miqo'te. I agree that perhaps we should either split the conversation here, or simply make a post with a summary of thoughts regarding both biological and cultural on separate threads and let 'er rip. I think discussions like this are great for the overall development of a well-rounded and dynamic Miqo'te. +1 the Community at large

:love: Great work- both of you! *stalks*

Hey Rei and welcome! I can totally empathize with you regarding the weariness in running into fading/dying/dead or just... uninspiring RP and RP communities. Really sucks the life out of you when you spend time bringing a character to life in your mind and then... .... nothing. So far, everyone here has been awesome and I have great hopes of an awesome IG experience. The community seems mature and even when we disagree, it seems to be handled well. I look forward to meeting your IG... and hopefully getting into some spectacular RP with ya! ;-) (BTW, your artwork is beautiful. Really, really incredible and full of emotion. I hope you get your wrist fixed soon and can resume doing what you love so much... and treating us to the results! )

awesome post- very helpful! Thanks!

haha... I already seem to be acquiring several pearls on both servers... *hopes I can keep it straight* Definitely want one here... and Coalition...

*giggles* nice, Torn!

Wow. :love: Excellent work! I look forward to more (and yes, I wish the neck wasn't so long in Elezen too. Throws everything off. )

*snip* Wow. Ok, I'll ignore the flames because it is obvious I misunderstood what you meant by "noses like hounds." I thought you meant physically- which seemed odd to me, (didn't recall that from Char Creation, but then again, supposedly the ears and tails of Keepers and Seekers are supposed to be different too, and I never noticed that in the CC either) but was like *shrug* okay... And therefore wasn't exactly sure how that could be Metagamed or... anything... so clearly I missed a large part of the point of your post, and for that I apologize. Of course reading it -now- it is clear. I have no idea how I misunderstood before, but whatever. I -really am- into the exploring the entirety of a culture- but societal structure is, as Desmond mentioned- very much shaped by interpersonal interactions. Which... yes... often involves sex. Doesn't mean I get off on it. Just means it (apparently) shapes the Seeker culture in significant ways. Now... YES. Going into the physical enhancements of the Miqo'te IS a valid and interesting aspect to discuss. I totally agree and support this, and frankly think that is cool too. I think exploring that aspect in RP would be awesome. I recall reading about the enhancements once before somewhere, but I don't recall where. All I could recall was the evolution of the iris shape based on sun exposure (and the aforementioned ear/tail shape). Seems to me that based on the feline attributes, sharper eyesight (esp Keepers at night), increased running endurance (and maybe stride?) would be logical. Enhanced sense of smell? That is a more caninid attribute- but not unheard of since Keepers are supposed to have more wolfish tails, so why not? Would make them great trackers... though I am unsure exactly what the biological benefit of a more wolfish tail would be. Typically tail structure forms to assist balance (or in the case of some monkeys an extra hand). Not sure why the difference in tails between Keepers and Seekers- unless it just has to do with their environment (desert vs forest) and maybe the temperatures.... As far as the others (strength, hearing, etc) also very valid avenues of discussion and these would also play a huge role in total development of what it 'is' to be Miqo'te. Oh. Regarding the Patrilineal vs Matrilineal focus- My interpretation was that the bloodline was followed through via the male line (which is demonstrated to be 'stronger' physically) in Seekers, but not necessarily making it relevant as the seat of Leadership. Perhaps this is because, traditionally, Seekers live in a harsher environment of the Sargolii, where the ability to protect/fight is a necessity whereas the leadership is more 'cerebral' and led by those that have lived the longest and seen/experienced the most? Which... is actually something I was toying with- having the Leadership be both Elder female and males. Since in my created tribe, former Nuhn were not necessarily killed or run off. Anyway... honestly fiddling with our human 'structures' and tweaking them a bit to not be literally like 'us' but a shade of... *shrugs*

I'm not so much focusing on the mating process as the entire culture. *shrugs* The OP began discussing it, but it has evolved from there. It's a lot to read- so understandable if you have not read it all. As to your comments... not sure exactly what to say. Metagamers/Godmodders will use whatever niche they can find to do their dirty work. Frankly, just because I'll play a Seeker female doesn't mean I'm going to be every Miqo'te male's whore. And... if I were to RP that aspect of the culture with another, it would not be with a douchebag that would threaten to 'stop RPing with me' if I refuse. Because honestly, THAT is not why I RP anyway. There is FAR more to RP than ERP... and far more to the Seeker culture than mating (as you have mentioned). But.. talking of nose sizes is stupid, self-limiting and boring. Talking/developing culture ideas to set the Miqo'te apart from being "humans with kitty ears and tails" using what stated lore we have, is not.

Few things here: Race is being used here for Species- if we are calling the different 'character types' "Races" and lore supports this, then the progeny would be sexually viable. Race is simply based on physical appearance more than genetic- aka Africans, Asians, Caucasians, Latinos, Native Americans, etc. Mix those up, who cares? Children can still reproduce. Species are genetically different- and would produce sterile progeny- or no progeny at all. Tigers can't reproduce with goats. But a tiger and a lion- though they might have the same genetic Family, Phyla, etc down to Genus, but except, Species... might produce a kitten, but it WOULD be sterile. So... if it comes out that a Hyur/Miqo pairing CAN produce a half-breed that is not sterile per lore, then we know for certain that we're talking Race, not Species. Now... will a Keeper/Seeker pairing produce viable young? I don't see why they shouldn't. Yes, there are physical differences, but not the core genetic. Here, I think we're talking more along the lines of Breeds vs Species. Rather like a tabby and a persian having a kitten or something. This would likewise go along the same lines as a Mid/High, Wild/Dusk, Dune/Plains. Another great discussion going on re: Miqo'te (overall) is Calli's biological focused one, Isis. It started off from a very biological focus but has expanded to several different discussions as well- including social and cultural aspects.Calli's Thread Ok... so that said, i have a similar, but different question... How would intertribal mixing work among Miqo'te? What I mean is: A Viper clan mating with a Wolf clan. What would tribal identity... might the child have? Granted, this would likely be an outcast... Unless some Clan has a tradition of "adding certain qualities to the gene pool" by incorporating females from other tribes into their tribe. Now... if you go from a purely anthropological view and compare the Seekers to a patrilineal line, I'd say that any intertribal mixing would produce children that carry the traditionally accepted "line". That is: If a Condor Nuhn produces a child with a Viper female, the child would be Condor. What are your thoughts?

I just got done working on my Seeker's bio and I have to say that this thread in its entirety was helpful... though was not literally used. (which I think was the point) In my character's tribe (T' (Condor) which I have not seen anyone else claim as yet- but regardless, it is one of many 'Septs' of the Condor, so not the 'rule' of all Condor Miqo'te): * The Tribe is 'led' by a Council of the Elder (non-breeding) females, with the Prime Elder being the present Nuhn's mother. They DO have an overall role in the direction of the Clan and in the worthiness of the present Nuhn. Sure, the Prime might be favored toward her son, but I also envision both would be taken into consideration when deciding on Nuhn. * The role of Nuhn is less of a leader role, and more of a service and protector role. His overall job is not only to impregnate the females, but also to protect his 'assets' and the Sept as a whole. I do not see him as being any more elevated in the society as any other, his job is simply specialized. * The role of Tia is not an 'lower' status than Nuhn- it is simply the status of those males that are either too young, lacking the genetic qualities favored by the community, too old, perhaps defeated challengers/former Nuhn that choose/permitted to stay or simply just uninterested in the role. These would also serve as protectors of the tribe- but perhaps seen as more 'expendable' than the Nuhn- though the Nuhn (being the most 'powerful' male) would also be in the thick of it. * The battle for the title of Nuhn is a physical one.The outcome of the defeated is in the hands of the victor. Upon the 'choosing' of a new Nuhn, the Prime Elder is demoted to simply Elder, and the new Nuhn's mother is elevated. If the former Nuhn is killed, the Prime no longer has a role in the tribe at all, and typically heads out into the desert to meet Azeyma. * The Nuhn has the right of access to breed with the tribe females, but not the right to demand it (aka 'tribal supported rape.') Females have a say- so if a Nuhn is accused of forcing himself on a female, the Elders will see to it he is removed. One way or another. The only hold back might be not having a suitable Nuhn to install in his place.

Hahaha... I agree with you, Zyru. Just like in all things, there MUST be a happy medium. Strict totalitarian thinking is illogical- especially when discussing humans and human societies. There is always a mix of things because we are complex organisms. Nature DOES affect an aspect of personal development, just as Nurture does. My dismissive comment there was more along the lines of "don't want to get into that discussion here" rather than "I don't believe Nature plays a role." I tend to write a lot and try VERY hard to self-edit. That was... one such attempt. But in rereading, I can see how my comment "THAT is what shapes who/what we are" was misleading... because, frankly... it is. And yes, very informative.

Very interesting background culture you've established, Eva- a spin off of Oskar's ideas or not. I love it As far as my ideas, cultures and so on for Chiané- I'll have to get back to you on that. Am presently focused on my Miqo (how she cut ahead of my DW, I dunno. I attribute it to, once again, the DW has been kicked aside... *sighs* I suspect Chiané will make her displeasure known soon... *coughs*) I've very excited about this discussion and seeing how others are envisioning playing their characters (and willingness to play them as true to lore/form as possible). Conflict is good in story development- I'm glad we're all ok with not wanting to sit about singing Kumbayah and ignoring strife that is lore-supported. Keep it coming

Ahhh *bows* thank you! You guys are awesome

Ahhh you guys are awesome! I knew I could count on you Thanks! And thanks for the map on top of the location, CJ! That makes it even better to visualize. hehe So.. having never played XI nor been in 1.0 or Altepa Desert... what kind of landscape are we talking about? Barren-esque like along Route 66 in New Mexico (aka dirt, dirt, few tumbleweeds and skulls, far off mesas...) or sloping picturesque like Four Corners area/Navajo lands (mountains, caves, multi-shaded sands)... or rough and tumble with Saguaro ala Mesa, AZ? OR... desert with islands of greenry and mountains like Tucson? OOOoorrr just more of the same coming out of Ul'dah IG? lol *trying to visualize for character concept for my Miqo*

Where exactly is the Sagolii Desert anyway? I cannot find it on the map I have of Eorzea...

:love: I would join the Midnight Sanctuary LS as well. And... I absolutely love this discussion. I had EVERY intent on working on my characters' bios tonight- but got caught up in Calli's Miqo'te thread and this one. haha Both... very awesome, very good discussions on the two types of "races" looks like I'm gunna be playing. I'm getting excited. I can't wait to work with you all on this! Lastly... not to derail the subject at hand, regarding LeCard's (and Freelance Wizard's) comments about the correlation of race in the US to Wildwood vs Duskwright, few things: IRL- I also live in the Southern US... In addition to being a Military brat and traveling RN... And it is my observation that through my travels not only living in the South, but all over the US, that though racism does exist (some very blatant)... it is absolutely NOT isolated to the South. In fact, I found much more of it in the Midwest and North than the South. The South just gets more attention and are more demonized due to history. But also makes us far more sensitive to NOT being racist. And in this, I'm talking specifically of "white vs black." As an anthropologist, I find the topic of division based on skin color to be absolutely ludicrous. One's skin color has absolutely nothing to do with the mental capabilities of a person. Genetics DOES have a 'say' in this, and in physical abilities and so on- but face it, folks... Earth is made up of mutts. ESPECIALLY in America. It is my belief that if the pot was not continued to be stirred by those wishing to continue to place a dividing line between skin shades, that people just wouldn't care anymore before long. I mean, really... culture is what divides us, not skin color. That is seen clearly in lightskinned 'African Americans', 'Latino Americians' and 'Native Americans' and ... and 'Caucasian Americans' who were raised as a member of another racial culture. You are who your culture/family raised you to be. Skin color is simply an evolutionary adaptation to the amount of cloud cover of our ancestors. And... we are all slowly becoming a shade of brown. Tl;dr- Dividing folks based on skin color is asinine. SO! Relevance to this discussion: Considering that in the US had a variety of 'desegregation' episodes with the most recent being the African Americans in the 1960's, I have to correlate my beliefs and observations to Eorzea. Today, 40 years later, there are still lingering 'senses' of feelings of racism threaded throughout, but it is not always 'black vs white' or 'white vs black'. It is not always blatant- in fact, it is rarely so anymore. There are pockets of pure hatred on either side, but those pockets tend to keep to the background and only rear their ugly heads at times of duress/perceived duress. There is legislation that passively favors one over the other. There are jobs/opportunities that are offered (or removed) based on skin color... but it is typically subtle for fear of reprecussions. Now... will Eorzea be similiar? One ponders. In Gridania, I see the racism to be more overt. More violent and insulting. But heck- the Wildwood seem pretty racist and resistant against ANYONE that is not 'one of them'- DW or not. I mean... granted... my DW starting city -was- Gridania on Balmung Beta... but I also started a Miqo there, and she got the same treatment. So here? yeah... oppression is likely. Torches and pitchforks if you don't behave EXACTLY as told. And... I wager skin tone would play a huge role in this as well. If an Elezen could 'pass' as Wildwood (much like a lightskinned African American during the '60's and even back to the time of the Civil War), they would be treated better. Given more opportunities. Perhaps the 'truth of their birth' being ignored (until such time as it was more beneficial/profitable to bring it up and 'knock them down a notch'). Which, IMHO, could give creedence to Eva's character's experiences. In Ul'Dah, I sense a more cosmopolitan and globally accepting attitude. No one seemed to care one way or the other what 'race' you were... And oppression here would likely be met negatively. Or at the very most, be subtle- perhaps in the form of pricing of goods. Cannot speak for Limsa... So it is not inconceivable that similar feelings might exist in Eorzea as do on Earth... or even less so. I mean, we're talking segregation and hostilities between Wildwood and Duskwright taking place hundreds of years ago- not mere 40. But we're also talking about recent wars/calamities drawing us all together again... and perhaps stirring the pot again and old resentments/traditional hatreds resurfacing. Especially as Elezen are said to live a bit longer than Hyur, so the 'hundreds of years ago' separation might not be as 'distant' as it might be for a Hyur. Now... if the pot was continued to be stirred by the DW's (WW are traitors, betrayed our Elezen cultures, weakened themselves to cater to the Hyur, etc) and the WW (DW are arrogant, cowardly, thieves, backstabbers, etc), then we could see hostilities now. But I seriously doubt outright prejudice would be tolerated... well, not in Ul'dah anyway. (I really can NOT speak to Gridania as I did not spend ANY time there in Beta past L2...) I suppose the only lingering global 'prejudice' might merely be based on stereotype: all DW are thieves and backstabbers. So... post went on longer than I planned. Apologies. Oh... but wanted to add: no one should ever feel uncomfortable RPing racism or prejudice or whatever against my DW. If it is in your character's nature and RP to do so, do it. IC is IC, OOC is OOC. I will not color my OOC opinion of you based on your IC character's behaviour. In fact... well Ok I might be lying. I might actually like you MORE for causing a bit of conflict and challenge into my RP. haha

A very fascinating and well-thought out discussion. Great job and thanks Calli! I come from an anthropological/medical collegiate background, and though my initial thought after reading your post (besides the above), was "well then we also need a good cultural/psychological discussion to supplement"... I find that the subsequent postings have done a great job in discussing those. No, one cannot look at a species (and yes- there is a difference between species and race, though people in fantasy tend to use them interchangeably. Or ignore them to allow for the ability to have 'half' this and thats. Admittedly, I struggle with this because... well... Miqo'te are NOT Hyur who are NOT Roe.. nor Lala... etc. BUT... with the developers not definitely stating 'half'-lings are impossible, I must resign myself to using race over species. Regardless of my 'real life' instincts. Tl;dr... moving on.) or "race" of humanoid as a purely biological specimen. One simply MUST integrate the environmental & cultural aspects, traditions, religion, morals and mores and so on into the equation. For it is THAT that shapes 'who' and 'what' we are.... At least in my opinion. But this is the simple 'nature vs nurture' argument that still persists today. Even among anthropologists. (esp between evolutionary and cultural anthropologists!) But I digress. Basically- my comments would only reiterate previous posters regarding the various tribal and typical matriarchal vs patriarchal familial structures... so I won't go into my own dissertation of it. Though I admit, I find using strict human structures like this to not -quite- fit the Miqo'te idea of things. Similar, but not quite the same. I think the developers basic ideas in creating all the clans/types of 'races' was a rather simplistic "make them opposite." And left it at that. Seekers... sun... male/father focused... strength. Keepers... moon... female focused... spiritual/mental. Highlanders... strength Midlanders... intellect Dunesfolk.... gil/merchant Plainsfolk.... agriculture Wildwood... urban/forest focused Duskwright... reculsive, cave dwellers Hellsguard... volcanoes Seawolf... ocean With such basic parameters, and limited lore to expand on the above, it leaves us, the RPers and lore hounds, culture fanatics, biologists and just... creative folks to expand on them and make our characters our own. Which, to me, is both cool (I love to have wiggle room to develop interesting characters and engage other interesting characters) and annoying (I need SOME parameters so that I don't risk diverting from the realm of lore logic/possibility enough that all members of a certain RP'd "race" are similar enough to be recognizable and relatable.) Honestly... I find such discussions as Calli has set forth to be enlightening and interesting. Not necessarily as an instruction manual to RPing a 'true' tribal Miqo (because it would not be... if you were to use her discussion as such at the absence of culture, you would be RPing more of a true PRIMAL Miqo'te... and one that would likely not function well in 'modern' society. Might they exist? Sure... as she said, the spectrum of possibility is there to use and abuse as we, the RPers, see fit. The more diversity, the more interesting the RP could be.), but as a basis of maybe understanding how things BEGAN... the roots of the division, the culture, etc. People will make cultural adaptations to justify biological rules. And vice versa. And we have not even discussed the psychological adaptations that might be made to justify biological drives or cultural decisions... Lastly, discussions like this aren't a result of 'worry' or anything else- but merely a desire to dive deep into what could drive a character, a race, a clan, a species or whatever... in order to create a more in-depth, complex and intellectually stimulating character and IC interaction. It helps a character evolve from 2-D to 3-D. From flat and boring to dynamic and interesting. My 2 gil. Sorry for the rambling... haha

Thanks Lizzo! You can count on me to assist in the decorations... And Fluffy... exactly what Rock said. Don't try too hard. Don't overthink. Don't worry about how you might sound or if you look silly... just let it happen. Sure, you might mess up, look silly or whatever... happens to the best of us! Just laugh and move on. If you can, try to cover up your flub IC: "We've never met before?! Oh... I'm so sorry, I must have overheard your name..." (most RPers will take this as an honest mistake and play along) (or... if you happen to have a shifty character type) /em smirks, eying (the other character) thoughtfully. "Ah yes... well... that was unfortunate of me..." (just if you decide to go this route, keep the 'I know you' vibe on the downlow. You are trying to cover up your metagaming of seeing the "floating name" and using it IC... not making it worse! If played right, this could make for some great RP ops.) If you can't just OOC it: ((Ooops! ignore that...)) or ((I -totally- didn't just jump up and run into that wall...)) But most of all: relax and just have fun!