Racial relationships

[Gegenji]

There is absolutely no actual lore about this that I've found, but I just find it interesting what shifting one's primary sense from sight to sound might actually do to what a culture could find appealing.

 

That's actually a really neat way to look at it, I like it! :lol:

[Zyrusticae]

By the same token, you could point out that Miqo'te are supposed to have a stronger, more catlike sense of smell, and as such they would likely have more emphasis placed on smells, particularly for tracking and hunting prey, than humans would. While humans may be predisposed to telling people they "look good" as a standard compliment, Miqo'te would be far more predisposed to telling people they "smell good". No special scented soaps or perfumes required (in fact, I would venture a guess that Miqo'te would really not enjoy those things even in small amounts because they'd overpower their sense of smell).

 

Funny thing, that Miqo'te running around Mor Dhona looking for her carbuncle likes to sniff around. Makes sense, really. If you have a strong sense of smell, why not use it?

[TheLastCandle]

 

I have a headcanon that, Duskwights, being able to hear so incredibly well, have sound replacing sight as their 'primary sense'. That said, a lot of their lives are dominated by it the way ours is often dominated by visuals, and this includes what they consider 'attractive' insofar as relationship material.

 

Thus, they might find interest in someone that has a nice sounding voice, over anyone that necessarily 'looks pretty'. They may be drawn to those who can sing well, who speak well, who aren't loud, and don't have terribly obnoxious laughs, odd breathing habits, or snore. I like to imagine loud snoring might be a terrible turn off. Maybe they like the rhythm to the way someone walks when they can hear them moving along the stones, maybe they find rhythm in speech to be particularly pleasing. They also might find some interest in ears more than other races, similar to how people can be drawn to 'pretty eyes'.

 

There is absolutely no actual lore about this that I've found, but I just find it interesting what shifting one's primary sense from sight to sound might actually do to what a culture could find appealing.

 

In my headcanon, this is true of both Wildwoods and Duskwights. After all, they are the Elezen's most prominent feature. (INB4 "LOL BUT GIRAFFE NECKS.") It stands to reason that certain shapes and sizes might be more or less attractive to certain members of the race. That's my thought, anyway.

 

Also, am I mistaken or was there a lore tidbit somewhere that suggested a sort of 'code language' among the Duskwights involving taps on the cavern walls, the echoes of which would reach their fellow cave-dwelling brethren? If not, chalk that up to another headcanon for me. :tonberry:

[Dasair]

Thanks, Gegenji. uvu

 

 

In my headcanon, this is true of both Wildwoods and Duskwights. After all, they are the Elezen's most prominent feature. (INB4 "LOL BUT GIRAFFE NECKS.") It stands to reason that certain shapes and sizes might be more or less attractive to certain members of the race. That's my thought, anyway.

 

Also, am I mistaken or was there a lore tidbit somewhere that suggested a sort of 'code language' among the Duskwights involving taps on the cavern walls, the echoes of which would reach their fellow cave-dwelling brethren? If not, chalk that up to another headcanon for me. :tonberry:

 

 

Yesss. I like this! I can totally get on board with this too. I appreciate that you can actually give them different ear shapes and sizes, and furthermore, if you really pay attention to them, ears are freakin weird. Like. Everyone's ears are different, so I can definitely see this being a thing insofar as attraction is concerned.

 

As for the code language, I wouldn't doubt it. That certainly aligns with my own headcanons quite well; I figure that Duskwights could probably pick up on a LOT of cave sounds because of them bouncing off walls, insomuch as they don't even really need to see so much in caves as long as they can hear them. I also imagine that homes themselves (especially in caves) of Duskwights are designed specifically with acoustics in mind, to reflect how nicely sound reverberates through the dwelling, as opposed to how nice a home looks. Of course function is a factor, but sound traveling through a place nicely, I think, also has a huge impact on 'home design'. Thus, you might get a lot of strange, almost operahouse-esque kind of rounded things, or those somewhat like theatres, where a lot of rooms are rounded and shaped oddly in comparison to.. basically all other dwellings.

 

In addition to cave code, I like to imagine that, above ground, Duskwights might have a sound range that surpasses other races in hearing. Somewhat like dog whistles, I figure that there are sounds they can hear that most others can't, which helps groups of them communicate and organize on the surface, without others necessarily hearing the calls. Likewise, they might be terribly aggrivated by something no one else can hear, which may or may not be terribly amusing in some scenarios.

 

That said, on the flip side, I also figure that their hearing is yet another reason why they don't like the surface too much. I like to imagine they all talk to each other in something more like whispers; a normal talking voice to us would be like a shout to them. (Granted, this only makes them more shady to the unknowing surface dweller; why is that group of Duskwights over there is huddled around whispering? What are they planning?)

 

To a Duskwight, everything above ground to them is likely terribly loud and strange sounding, and people talk to each other via the equivalence of screaming. It's likely very disconcerting. Nevermind cities. Those must be absolute hell, considering all the people, all the noise, how is anyone supposed to get anywhere without being deafened or at least without a severe migrane? How do people even live like that? Thus they avoid the crap out of them (most of the time) which accounts for that little lore tidbit of them just not liking cities at all.

 

Hi, this is all a little bit of a tangent infosar as relationships are concerned, but I have way too many sound related headcanons for Duskwights. *lays down*

 

By the same token, you could point out that Miqo'te are supposed to have a stronger, more catlike sense of smell, and as such they would likely have more emphasis placed on smells, particularly for tracking and hunting prey, than humans would. While humans may be predisposed to telling people they "look good" as a standard compliment, Miqo'te would be far more predisposed to telling people they "smell good". No special scented soaps or perfumes required (in fact, I would venture a guess that Miqo'te would really not enjoy those things even in small amounts because they'd overpower their sense of smell).

 

Funny thing, that Miqo'te running around Mor Dhona looking for her carbuncle likes to sniff around. Makes sense, really. If you have a strong sense of smell, why not use it?

 

Yep! I'd agree with this too. I think the Miqote's strongest sense, according to lore is their sense of smell, right? So likewise, I would imagine this to play quite a role with many of them too, which opens up interesting avenues for those characters as well.

 

I am just totally a sucker for emphasizing the non-human or 'different from human' aspects of characters and races that aren't actually human. Because it's super neat to imagine what life must be like for them.

[K'nahli]

While humans may be predisposed to telling people they "look good" as a standard compliment, Miqo'te would be far more predisposed to telling people they "smell good". No special scented soaps or perfumes required (in fact, I would venture a guess that Miqo'te would really not enjoy those things even in small amounts because they'd overpower their sense of smell).

 

I'm having trouble understanding this notion really. Why would smell necessarily replace sight just because it was their dominant sense? In fact, to use a possible counter-argument, in the case of tribal miqo'te who typically value strength rather highly for the sake of procreation, being able to tell that someone is physically fit by simply looking at them would seem like something of more importance(and by extension, attractive) to them than seeing some scrawny hunter/huntress who happened to have a unique and pleasant scent nonetheless.

[Gegenji]

While humans may be predisposed to telling people they "look good" as a standard compliment, Miqo'te would be far more predisposed to telling people they "smell good". No special scented soaps or perfumes required (in fact, I would venture a guess that Miqo'te would really not enjoy those things even in small amounts because they'd overpower their sense of smell).

 

I'm having trouble understanding this notion really. Why would smell necessarily replace sight just because it was their dominant sense? In fact, to use a possible counter-argument, in the case of tribal miqo'te who typically value strength rather highly for the sake of procreation, being able to tell that someone is physically fit by simply looking at them would seem like something of more importance(and by extension, attractive) to them than seeing some scrawny hunter/huntress who happened to have a unique and pleasant scent nonetheless.

 

I don't think that it would fully replace sight, just like an Elezen might ignore the rest of the package if they have a nice voice. It might just weigh more on their choice than it would on a "normal" person. Perhaps a good looking guy might not seem so if he has an odd odor about him - whether natural or due to a penchant of slapping on some cheap, abrasive-smelling cologne. It's not a straight game-ender, but it might hinder the chance for the relationship some.

[Branson Thorne]

While humans may be predisposed to telling people they "look good" as a standard compliment, Miqo'te would be far more predisposed to telling people they "smell good". No special scented soaps or perfumes required (in fact, I would venture a guess that Miqo'te would really not enjoy those things even in small amounts because they'd overpower their sense of smell).

 

I'm having trouble understanding this notion really. Why would smell necessarily replace sight just because it was their dominant sense? In fact, to use a possible counter-argument, in the case of tribal miqo'te who typically value strength rather highly for the sake of procreation, being able to tell that someone is physically fit by simply looking at them would seem like something of more importance(and by extension, attractive) to them than seeing some scrawny hunter/huntress who happened to have a unique and pleasant scent nonetheless.

 

I actually agree with the scent thing. We rely on what on what our dominant sense is.

 

For instanc: Humans rely more on sight then smell. So we associate with our eyes. If I tell you that you look beautiful, it's more of a personal compliment then if I'd had said you smell good.

 

Miqo'te on the other hand, have more a sense of smell, I feel like it's the opposite for them. Being told you smell good, is perceived a higher compliment then you look good.

 

Again, in an Rp situation you can do whatever you like.

[C'kayah Polaali]

I can see bringing the sense of smell more into RP with a Miqo'te (I do this with C'kayah quite a bit - an argument could be made for the fact that he pursued his last mate largely because she smelled so damn good), but I've never seen anything suggesting that smell was the dominant sense for Miqo'te.

[Kinono]

I've never seen anything suggesting that smell was the dominant sense for Miqo'te.

 

Would love to see someone emote a miqo'te sniffing someone with their mouth gaping open. Gotta work that vomeronasal organ, yo.

[Renata Turner]

Eorla, not really ever having been around Elezen/Lala/Roe races, finds it hard to not see the Lalafell as child-like, and feels an almost maternal instinct to protect and nurture them.

 

Her first experience with an Elezen was when she sat down in the Carline Canopy and wound up in the lap of an Elezen male (OOC render delay strikes again), who was not happy and made no bones about roundly scolding her for such an egregious offense. However, most Elezen women she's encountered have been very kind and helpful, for which she is thankful.

 

Roe women intimidate her, because she is very short (for a Highlander). But she does find the Roe males to be handsome. Where she's from, the bigger the man, the more protected a woman and any children would be, so naturally she is drawn to Roe and Highlander men.

[Michikyou]

I'm a little jarred by the notion that nunh's are SO busy with procreation that they don't have time for anything else, even if they were trying to compete with modern-day China *amused*

 

...unless people are assuming that the pregnancy period in Seeker's is exceptionally shorter to humans, which we have no reason to believe is the case.

 

 

 

As for the discussion about whether or not challenges happen 'that' frequently, I kind of imagine that tias would generally have the same respect for nunh's that females would. After all, they have proven themselves and strength is one of those seemingly, near-universally, respected traits among the tribal kin.

 

I have difficulty imagining a scenario like:

 

"Look, I know you beat me last week... but I really think that these past seven days have really made you significantly weaker and I deserve the position more than you now. So let's do this"

 

haha, I actually think that based on the small text you see in game that breeding for Nunh's is scheduled and not overtly romanticized at all. The U' tribe is a great place to see this.

---

 

However - I am all for the fact that inter-racial tensions are a thing. My favorite roleplays revolve around not even racial - but sometimes cultural views on things.

 

The other night I saw a Dusk and a Wildwood elezen arguing over political stations in Gridania. One of the -best- roleplays I have seen to this date. I was even worried if they were mad OOC but was assured otherwise.

 

When people take the lore for how it is, roleplay it out and act on that I grin. Its a fantastic world setting and I think that playing out the aspects of society and their hostility is a great way to bring light on that. Even in reality not everyone likes each other.

 

heck, look at the 'look what you did to meeee' rivalries between Scotland and England, and the 'I have no idea why they dont like each other' relationships between Canada and America, or New Zealand and Australia.