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T'shina · **08-23-2015, 08:03 PM**

I was thinking about it the other day and I was wondering... how do the Au Ra take care of their scales? Obviously it would have a different care method than their skin as they are both fairly different in texture and more. So I was looking at references of things I had seen in books and other games of where it was mentioned for how they were cared for.
Looking at the Qunari in Dragon Age, their horns get itchy and so they use a balm to help with that.

Then I have read the Dragon Riders of Pern where young dragons and old will complain of an itchy body due to flaking and the stretching of their skin/scales so they have to be rubbed down with oil to help with the itchiness.

My husband informed me that lizards often will roll in dirt or sand to clean themselves rather in water. This helps with the oil secreted from the scales and to get rid of it.

So, obviously there is a theme that if these things aren't taken care of, they get itchy. So I can easily come to the conclusion that itchy scales are the result of a growing Au Ra and/or poor care. I can also come to the conclusion that these scales have to be taken care of in a different way.

So my question is. What do you think?

É´á´˜á´„ · **08-23-2015, 09:07 PM**

Interesting piece of speculation.

I haven't encountered any mention of it in-game, but my Au Ra is stuck on another server at Level 1, so...

Since the horns are, as I understand it, sensory organs, I wonder if they aren't hand-cleaned (gently) with something akin to a dry shampoo. Seems like it might be a preferred method to remove excess oils and dead/dry scales. Perhaps there are also tools, something like a soft netting or akin to a loofah, that could aid in hand-cleaning. I imaging the Raen might employ these more frequently than the Xaela, though I'm just a neophyte with lore.

Kaiz · **08-23-2015, 09:56 PM**

I expect Au Ra molt. One of the Xaela tribes fashions clothing/armor with the scales, and I doubt they just arbitrarily pry them off for kicks.

Aaron · **08-23-2015, 10:31 PM**

(08-23-2015, 09:56 PM)Kaiz Wrote: I expect Au Ra molt. One of the Xaela tribes fashions clothing/armor with the scales, and I doubt they just arbitrarily pry them off for kicks.

PPRRRYYYYYIIIIIIIIING OOFFFFFF MY SCAAAALLLLLLEEEESSSSÂ

THIS ARMOOOORRRR NEVER FAAIIILLLLLLLLSSSSSS

Volk · **08-23-2015, 10:53 PM**

It puts the lotion on its skin or else it turns au ra again

Cailean Lockwood · **08-24-2015, 04:29 AM**

My own character, Vachir, was in a tribe that wandered the mountainside of Northern Othard where there's harsh cold (in my head canon), so I'd imagine he didn't really bathe a whole lot while growing up, but only when passing the occasional water hole and hot springs.

So he never really did any care about his scales or horns other than the occasional washing with water. Oils, cremes, lotions and ointments, or whatever, was never something available to him, so I'd guess his scales feel rough.

However, since he's come to Eorzea, these things are suddenly available to him. And he even bathes alot more, most of the time to cool down as he is usually hanging out in Thanalan, but he is also a hunter and a mercenary, so he gets messy alot... and then there's the thing about bathing in the blood of his enemies, and the Eorzean public aren't all that happy about such barbaric behaviour, so he bathes after that as well.

I don't think he has yet to try any ointments on his scales or horns yet though. He just discovered soap, so there's still a whole world of wellness that he has yet to explore.

Kai Motokawa · **08-24-2015, 05:49 AM**

My headcannon is that the Au Ra use tiny little toothbrushes to clean their horns, with something like Shampoo, maybe just some water if it's a wash-and-go kind of day. But when it's cold.. Horn-Mittens!

As for Scales, Again, tiny little toothbrushes to get those hard to reach places. I think of them kind of like teeth and flossing. A nice loofah will take of them, but a tiny toothbrush will get down in the nitty-gritty.

Considering the horns are used to hear, I'd say they're soft and delicate, but not to the point where you can sneeze on one and it'll pop. I feel taking care of your scales and horns would be akin to shaving.. It's a pain in the ass, but pays off in the long run!

(Please do no get laser scale removal! That might hurt..)

myahele · **08-24-2015, 09:47 AM**

I think a nice glistening scale/horn is look favourably within Auri culture, just like having good good skin, hair and nails are viewed highly in most of our real-life culture.

How they care for them is the question. I think they probably use using to get rid of dead/molting scales like a hard bristle brush or pumice and then apply lotion, oil or whatever that makes things shiny

The upkeep of scales/horns might be more common amongst the Raen due to living in Doma and being in positions of authority whereas only a select few Xaela tribes can or capable of caring for their scales

Gegenji · **08-24-2015, 09:50 AM**

"For Ya Au Ra" Horn Creme sound like something Verad would see. It might maybe possibly keep your horns and scales from flaking and we're 70% sure it isn't just butter!

Aaron · **08-24-2015, 10:24 AM**

(08-24-2015, 09:50 AM)Gegenji Wrote: "For Ya Au Ra" Horn Creme sound like something Verad would see. It might maybe possibly keep your horns and scales from flaking and we're 70% sure it isn't just butter!

No no no you're supposed to be 100% sure it is butter.

In very very very almost non existent text on the bottle.

Desitjant · **08-24-2015, 07:33 PM**

[quote pid=206923 dateline=1440409795]
Considering the horns are used to hear, I'd say they're soft and delicate, but not to the point where you can sneeze on one and it'll pop. I feel taking care of your scales and horns would be akin to shaving.. It's a pain in the ass, but pays off in the long run!

(Please do no get laser scale removal! That might hurt..)
[/quote]

Actually, harder organic materials typically result in better sound conduction; that's how bone-conduction headsets work. Vibrations are carried along the cheekbone, bypassing the ear and stimulating the auditory nerves. This company makes some fun ones, if the tech interests you:
http://www.aftershokz.com/pages/technology

Incidentally, teeth also conduct soundÂ very well, but mouth-phones aren't quite as commercially viable.

At any rate, I think that Au Ra horns might not be all that different from those you'd find among the animal kingdom, which you would typically care for with certain oils or waxes.

D'aito Kuji · **08-25-2015, 01:48 PM**

(08-24-2015, 05:49 AM)Kai Motokawa Wrote: My headcannon is that the Au Ra use tiny little toothbrushes...Â

I LOVE this! Â I kind of like the image in my head of these fierce and intimidating looking people being fastidious like this.

Care for Au Ra Scales/Horns

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes