Any mention of pregnancy or birthgiving in-game? Are we even sure we are mammals?

[Blue]

Silly question, I know. I have seen plenty of pregnant roleplayers since I've started roleplaying but...

 

The lack of nipples on my characters has induced me to think... are we completely sure we are mammals? I'm not that far into the game story (I've stopped at the end of A Realm Awoken), but I do not reckon ever meeting an NPC that mentions being/having been pregnant nor of giving birth. Sure, there are kids around, but do we have the lore to 100% affirm that they do not come from eggs or some other kind of reproduction system?

 

And if we are mammals in-game, how do women feed their babies without nipples?

 

EDIT: My question was answered and the topic was profusely explored and discussed, so I think it can end here. I am sorry if I have hurt someone's sensibility, some answers seemed to be a little passive-aggressive, or written by people who perhaps took the matter a little more seriously than the funny question it really meant to be.

 

I did not mean to doubt people who RPd mammal pregnancy nor to say that anything that doesn't have a firm statement in the lore can be twisted in nonsense theories, and I apology if I gave that impression. I really just thought it was funny to point out the overall lack of NPCs pointing out births and related details.

 

I'll go back to lurk in my shady corner waiting for the next interesting thread to pop. Thanks for reading and participating!

[Faye]

Pretty sure there are just aren't nipples because they thought it might be kinda raunchy to render them, and it's common for anime (which has a heavy inspiration on the FF franchise) characters not to have nipples. I think it's a stylistic choice rather than referencing the races not being mammals. Also, there's nothing depicting women as being nipple-less, to my knowledge.

[Delilah Scythewood]

Faye summed it up pretty nicely.

[Lillini]

I'm also pretty sure there's a lack of them visually because it might be inappropriate or something. But on the subject, I've been wondering...what would Eorzeans use as contraception? I was thinking of some sort of "potion" contraception, but is there actually any lore about it?

[Blue]

There are plenty of herbs that have contraceptive effects, were used in the past and are at the basis of the pill we take today. Mae probably knows better, as she worked as an herbalist of sort, but I think it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for me to guess that such properties can also be found in common herbs used for cooking both in Real Life and Eorzea.

 

As for lack of something depicting females as nipple-less.. the hempen camise and other bra-type of clothing leave very little to imagination, especially on some models like Miqo'te and Highlander.

[Gwen]

My lala and her friends joke around that rubbing noses together is how they reproduce. This just makes me want to believe in that theory even more :geek:

[Dogberry]

My lala and her friends joke around that rubbing noses together is how they reproduce. This just makes me want to believe in that theory even more :geek:

 

LIKE IN DAVID THE GNOME?! OMG AND HIS FOX SWIFT OH MAN DAVID THE GNOME WAS SO COOL!

[Ilwe'ran]

I believe that showing nipples also augment the PEGI age rating in some countries so I think the decision is pretty much linked to this .

[Kage]

I believe that showing nipples also augment the PEGI age rating in some countries so I think the decision is pretty much linked to this .

I was going to say something similar to this.

 

I think bras etc are considered ok under some ratings (such as Teen).

 

I'm pretty sure showing nipples would push it past the Teen rating that FFXIV has.

[Elyscia]

RE: Contraceptives;

 

In olden times, they also created thin leathers that would cover the entire male anatomy (balls and all!) and it was a washable, re-usable condom.

 

Or, sheep intestines. You know, like that thin thing they wrap sausages in? But, sheep intestines.

 

To note: the material latex is in this game.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_condoms

[Blue]

I have the impression a lot of people are taking my question as "why didn't they give us nipples?". I'm not, I know why they're not there.

 

I just wonder if, along with the decision to not put nipples on our characters, SE didn't also think "let's support this with lore and say they don't really need nipples because they do not breast-feed their babies.". Nothing was said in this regard, as we pretty much give for granted that the races of Eorzea are mammals, but can we really? Sure, nothing was said about Eorzeans laying eggs, but nothing was said of them being mammals either (since, again, there is a lack of mention of this among the NPCs to my knowledge.

 

I should've thought of this question for the lore panel...

[Warren Castille]

There's no proof women don't have nipples.

 

Edit: On that note, there's no proof that we have reproductive organs of any variety. I hereby posit that we just will children into existence in a meditative trance atop the highest mountains, because there is no evidence to the contrary.

[allgivenover]

Wow.

 

I suppose we should also question the existence of Roegadyn and Miqo'te children since we do not actually see them in game. Perhaps they sprout fully formed from the forhead of the father. It's about as reasonable a conclusion as the five races not being mammals because males do not have visual nipples - nevermind those large breasts on the female models!

[Warren Castille]

Wow.

 

I suppose we should also question the existence of Roegadyn and Miqo'te children since we do not actually see them in game. Perhaps they sprout fully formed from the forhead of the father. It's about as reasonable a conclusion as the five races not being mammals because males do not have visual nipples - nevermind those large breasts on the female models!

 

Chickens have large breasts and reproduce by laying eggs. Ergo, miqo'te are chickens.

 

Wait.

[Kage]

You know those spots in your garden?

 

Lalafell are grown from them. *nod*

 

I'm pretty sure that all races are the same and that they are in fact mammals. They just don't go into detail because it's assumed. Ifrit calls the player "man" and stuff.

[Shizuka]

I feel like there's an NPC set in the Hawthorn Hut where (despite the patient's clothed status) it looks like a female is on a bed and in labor with a healer assisting. It's been a long time since I've done any quests in the area, but I don't remember them saying ANYTHING about what's going on, so all we have to go by is her position and the comments of the third NPC complaining about how long it's taking.

 

Any other healing would probably have her laying down, not partially sitting up with her knees up and the pelvic region relatively open, on top of the fact that it's unlikely that most healing would take so long that a third would complain of the time. So why it's not explicitly stated that this is what's going on, it does LOOK like it could be....but then, maybe she's just about to lay an egg. Who knows?

[Elyscia]

I feel like there's an NPC set in the Hawthorn Hut where (despite the patient's clothed status) it looks like a female is on a bed and in labor with a healer assisting. It's been a long time since I've done any quests in the area, but I don't remember them saying ANYTHING about what's going on, so all we have to go by is her position and the comments of the third NPC complaining about how long it's taking.

 

Any other healing would probably have her laying down, not partially sitting up with her knees up and the pelvic region relatively open, on top of the fact that it's unlikely that most healing would take so long that a third would complain of the time. So why it's not explicitly stated that this is what's going on, it does LOOK like it could be....but then, maybe she's just about to lay an egg. Who knows?

She's about to poop the bed, that's all.

 

Constipation, man.

[allgivenover]

Wow.

 

I suppose we should also question the existence of Roegadyn and Miqo'te children since we do not actually see them in game. Perhaps they sprout fully formed from the forhead of the father. It's about as reasonable a conclusion as the five races not being mammals because males do not have visual nipples - nevermind those large breasts on the female models!

 

Chickens have large breasts and reproduce by laying eggs. Ergo, miqo'te are chickens.

 

Wait.

 

Chicken breast != mammal breasts.

 

I know we are hardly being serious though.

[Warren Castille]

Wow.

 

I suppose we should also question the existence of Roegadyn and Miqo'te children since we do not actually see them in game. Perhaps they sprout fully formed from the forhead of the father. It's about as reasonable a conclusion as the five races not being mammals because males do not have visual nipples - nevermind those large breasts on the female models!

 

Chickens have large breasts and reproduce by laying eggs. Ergo, miqo'te are chickens.

 

Wait.

 

Chicken breast != mammal breasts.

 

I know we are hardly being serious though.

 

Don't inject your real-world logic into my fantasy game! Until SE tells us for sure whether or not chickens aren't actually miqo'te breasts, we can't tell if anyone's children aren't eggs.

 

..right?

[Dogberry]

Guys, help, I'm still geeking out about David the Gnome.

[Warren Castille]

Guys, help, I'm still geeking out about David the Gnome.

 

Until SE specifically tells us gnomes don't exist, it's entirely possible David the Gnome is canon to Eorzea.

 

I just blew your mind.

[Dogberry]

Guys, help, I'm still geeking out about David the Gnome.

 

Until SE specifically tells us gnomes don't exist, it's entirely possible David the Gnome is canon to Eorzea.

 

I just blew your mind.

 

LOOK AROUND YOU THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO SEE THAT SOME SAY CAN NEVER BEEEEEE THESE THINGS I KNOW IT'S TRUE AND I WILL TELL YOU SOOOOO THEY ARE THERE TO SEE IF YOU BELIIIIIIEEEEVE TROLLS AND WIZARDS AND FAIRY KINGS BIRDS THAT TALK AND FISH THAT SING AND IF YOUR HEART IS TRUE THEN YOU WILL FIND THEM TOO IN EVERY WISH AND DREAM AND HAPPY HOME YOU WILL FIND THE KINGDOM OF THE GNOOOOOOOOOOMES

[Mae]

But on the subject, I've been wondering...what would Eorzeans use as contraception? I was thinking of some sort of "potion" contraception, but is there actually any lore about it?

*cracks knuckles*

 

Oookay, first off, some terminology:

-- emmenagogue: an herb to start menstruation, and is often used for the purpose of avoiding/ridding pregnancy

-- abortifacient: an herb used solely for avoiding/ridding pregnancy [edited in note: don't go crazy on this term, please... it is what it is, the morality of the term and it's implications can be discussed somewhere else.]

 

The item description for Pennyroyal correctly identifies it as an emmenagogue.The game also correctly identifies it as being extremely toxic. Even using half of the... 'recommended dose' to start menstruation has on occasion killed women in the real world. Do what you want in-game with that knowledge, but I highly recommend that in the real world that you do NOT use it.

 

Mistletoe berries have an old reputation for being used as birth control: it wasn't kissing that you did under the mistletoe, it was bumpin' uglies while using mistletoe. Much safer than pennyroyal, but still has some risk (non-fatal, thankfully) and is typically labeled as an abortifacient. The game has a few different versions of mistletoe in it.

 

Mugwort and ginger (root) are also known emmenagogues. Can cause lightheadedness and a bit of nausea, but generally safe when use correctly.

 

Parsley... I have found a lot of folk references for parsley, but no actual medical backing. Fresh parsley is... uhhh... inserted... for twenty-four hours after copulation, and somehow prevents pregnancy, possibly in the same way Wild Carrot does (see below).

 

So, that's it for actual in-game items. There are a few more I can think of off the top of my head that don't have in-game icons/references, but their in-game existence wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

 

Ergot is a fungal infection of rye plants that has been used as an abortifacient in early/mid term and to induce labor... but it can be dangerous as it can cause the uterus to rupture. It is also known to be a hallucinogenic and cause hysteria, and a painful burning sensation in limbs.

 

Wild carrot (Queen's Anne's Lace) seeds. The game has cultivated carrots, parsnips, and parsley, I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to believe that Queen Anne's Lace would also exist. There are also terrain flowers that look a lot like these in both the Shroud and La Nosca. Anyways. Seeds are chewed or brewed into a tea and taken after copulation, and makes the uterus 'unsuitable' for egg implantation.

 

The game makes no distinction to what type of elm we're dealing with or if there is or isn't multiple types of the tree, so it is possible that Slippery Elm might exist. Works much like ergot in that it's an abortifacient in early/mid term and used to induce labor in the late term. It is also used to ease labor, and has many other common uses that makes it fairly safe (it's even in some baby food to help ease/prevent colic).

[Crisiet]

Models do actually have nipples. They're just very, very hard to see unless you're in the right lighting.

[Elyscia]

But on the subject, I've been wondering...what would Eorzeans use as contraception? I was thinking of some sort of "potion" contraception, but is there actually any lore about it?

*cracks knuckles*

 

-LORE, SWEET GLORIOUS LORE AND TERMINOLOGY AND STUFF-

You. I like you. A lot.

 

Please teach/tell me more.

 

About everything.

 

And anything.

 

[Quick Edit] Crisiet is correct. I've perved on my character's bosoms and there is a slight.. 'nippy' protrusion that you can see if you wear the hempen camise.