Why do Au Ra females have boobs?

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Originally Posted by Niwashi

Well, they certainly have something that looks like hair. It doesn't necessarily follow that it is hair.

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This has probably come up before, but Au Ra have an appearance modification category called "scales," which can toggle on or off bits of scale including eyebrows for males (and also some sort of black line thing around the eye--no idea what it is).

Without any official confirmation, I wouldn't place much significance on this. A likelier explanation is that they wanted to change things up with a "scales" category when keeping "facial features" would have been more appropriate.

Yet there is little fun in lore if everything is explicitly laid out. These SE designers have been known to put a in a little something, a hint of paprika, to spice up the speculation stew. Sometimes, if a loose thread is visible, it is worthwhile to tug to see if it unravels a curtain obscuring hidden gems.

Female Au Ra have boobs, because they need them to look attractive enough for other races. As far as you know, male Au Ra are extremly large compared to female ones.

So, the only (and less harmfull) way is to reproduce with other races (except Roes).

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Originally Posted by Caitlyn

So, the only (and less harmfull) way is to reproduce with other races (except Roes).

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And Elezen ( since we are talking with theorys, using possible biological interpretrations. Then it shouldnt be harmfull
ortherwise the race couldnt even exist )

xD

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Originally Posted by Caitlyn

Female Au Ra have boobs, because they need them to look attractive enough for other races. As far as you know, male Au Ra are extremly large compared to female ones.

So, the only (and less harmfull) way is to reproduce with other races (except Roes).

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Except for the fact that some of the Xaela lore in the naming conventions specifically says they mate with those of their race... (and that certain tribes are so isolated that they have no contact with other sentient beings for generations...so yeah)

No, its just they "fit" together they way they should (whatever way that happens to be). Trying to mate with another race may or may not work since their "equipment" isn't made for those pairings.

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Originally Posted by Nanaho

Au Ra ARENT lizards.. they're more akin to demon folk... why do people keep insisting they're lizards or dragons? read lore.

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I've actually never been able to find lore linking to Auri genealogy, the best I've seen is from people arguing in game saying they're descendants of saint Shiva which seems really silly.

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Originally Posted by Crescents

I've actually never been able to find lore linking to Auri genealogy, the best I've seen is from people arguing in game saying they're descendants of saint Shiva which seems really silly.

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Especially considering they aren't native to Dravania, but Othard (possibly Doma), and that the game actually mentions that Hraes and Shiva didn't literally mate, AND the fact that Ishgardians are only kinda prejudiced against them (you'd think they'd have records on them if they were literal half-dragons born of their distant past, and thus would be more violently disposed towards any that came). "Silly" is definitely a good word it!

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Originally Posted by Hinoto-no-Ryuji

Especially considering they aren't native to Dravania, but Othard (possibly Doma), and that the game actually mentions that Hraes and Shiva didn't literally mate, AND the fact that Ishgardians are only kinda prejudiced against them (you'd think they'd have records on them if they were literal half-dragons born of their distant past, and thus would be more violently disposed towards any that came). "Silly" is definitely a good word it!

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Most of that speculation happened before Heavensward, before we knew most of that sort of thing, to be fair.

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Originally Posted by Nici

It's nice to come across and read an intelligent answer like this instead of the regular "Becasue BOOBIES!" hahaha.

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I can maybe add to the "intelligent" answer. Someone in the game asked about how they hear with their horns, since they don't have ears. I pointed out that most animals use a bone to hear things, humans do, its just the bond we use isnt visible, the Au ra's is though.

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Originally Posted by DE-Roxas

Because its kinda like a curse, not a born like that race :)
They were turned into Au Ra by some force, if i remember correctly.

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Well, except we have direct references in the naming conventions thread to them being born in the traditional manner. Where are you getting this theory from?

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Originally Posted by DE-Roxas

but if i remember correctly there was something about the origins of the race being a curse. Could be wrong though or some conspiracy.

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Like Hinoto, from where are youu getting this? Where did you found this info?

OK, if this is going to drag on I'm going to get serious about this. I memorably discussed how sexual relations between Au Ra are possible despite the difference in their stature, so no worries.

From a physiological standpoint, Au Ra females have developed breasts likely for the main reason human females are speculated to have developed breasts: to garner male attention even when they aren't currently capable of producing offspring. Permanently developed breasts are a unique trait among humans; no other mammal has this trait. The only other known hypothesis for why this is the case is that it helps nursing infants attach to the nipple. (Despite what some people may believe, larger breasts do not indicate a female is capable of producing or storing more milk. That has nothing to do with the amount of mammary glands females have, which is largely the same regardless of breast size; the visibly developed breast of a human female is, largely, fat and connective tissue.) Of course, whether evolution is a thing on Hydaelyn remains to be seen, so all of this scientific conjecture could be invalid. I think I remember from somewhere that Hydaelyn (the current planet) is about 10,000 years old - that's not enough time for evolution to produce major changes in organisms.

Nothing about Auri origins themselves have been divulged, beyond their creation myth alludes to a Dawn Father and Dusk Mother that the Raen and Xaela believe themselves to be respectively descended from. Furthermore, despite the fact that they have scales and horns cranial projections, Au Ra are not related to dragons, demons, or reptiles in any way (that we know of). They are implicitly mammals like the rest of the playable races, so they likely reproduce and take care of (nurse) their young in the same manner.

From a design standpoint, it's primarily to help people identify with the characters. People empathize easily with humanoid characters (hence why robots with humanoid shapes are easily sympathized with), and visibly developed breasts are part of the human female form.

P.S. Sorry for trying to be a "moment killer," so to speak, but it's kind of an inane question. Plus I like providing infodumps.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

Of course, whether evolution is a thing on Hydaelyn remains to be seen, so all of this scientific conjecture could be invalid. I think I remember from somewhere that Hydaelyn (the current planet) is about 10,000 years old - that's not enough time for evolution to produce major changes in organisms

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I think is the age of man what began 10 thousand years ago. But not the birth of the planet.

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Originally Posted by Frederick22

I think is the age of man what began 10 thousand years ago. But not the birth of the planet.

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Beside the point, isn't it?

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Originally Posted by Frederick22

I think is the age of man what began 10 thousand years ago. But not the birth of the planet.

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Hydaelyn was created approximately 20,000 years ago allegedly. However, there's evidences of fossils which some scholars debate must've taken a thousand thousand (aka a million) years to form. So, yeah, I personally imagine Hydaelyn as being millions of years old like any good planet should be, but the smallfolk aren't exactly keen on the science.

Why do Au Ra have head hair? What is the purpose of the tail on a Mi'qote? These have no function and exist for purely aesthetic reasons. Same goes for the enlarged busts of the female characters in the game.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

From a physiological standpoint, Au Ra females have developed breasts likely for the main reason human females are speculated to have developed breasts: to garner male attention even when they aren't currently capable of producing offspring. Permanently developed breasts are a unique trait among humans; no other mammal has this trait.

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Where do people come up with this stuff? Not all men have an interest in female breasts. And I'm pretty sure most every species of mammal is capable of developing enlarged mammary glands. Apes, bovines, cats, dogs, etc.

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Originally Posted by Laraul

Not all men have an interest in female breasts. And I'm pretty sure most every species of mammal is capable of developing enlarged mammary glands. Apes, bovines, cats, dogs, etc.

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Not all, but developed breasts are an indicator of female fertility, biologically speaking. (They develop during puberty, after all.) Thus, a female with visibly developed breasts is at least capable of producing offspring, even if they can't do so at this exact moment, and males will pay attention to her as a potential candidate for mating. (Yes, I am being cold and scientific about this. When such a question is asked, it requires that kind of attitude to be taken seriously.)

Another hypothesis for why human females have permanently developed breasts is Prison School's "boobs are just fake asses" stance. In honesty, though, there's no clear scientific reason to explain it.

While all mammals are capable of producing milk to nurse their offspring, humans are the only species that have permanently enlarged breasts. The breasts of other mammals do enlarge during pregnancy and while nursing, but otherwise they are not much different from a male in that regard. A human female, on the other hand, has enlarged breasts her entire adult life.

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Originally Posted by Rocl

Hydaelyn was created approximately 20,000 years ago allegedly. However, there's evidences of fossils which some scholars debate must've taken a thousand thousand (aka a million) years to form. So, yeah, I personally imagine Hydaelyn as being millions of years old like any good planet should be, but the smallfolk aren't exactly keen on the science.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

Beside the point, isn't it?

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I dont wanna ahead so much of the original thread so.
If you both remembed the game of man after the 1st umbral era, once its said that the gold left, right?
Before that is waa called the age of gods, but that doesnt mean that man did not existed already, did they lived with the gods?

But yea, despite that I agreed. Female auras are girls, and well..there is really more to say? xd

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Originally Posted by DE-Roxas

As I said, dont quite remember & could be wrong. Just heared that somewhere, thought worth mentioning tho
But i think we will learn alot more about their origins and the other clans (hinted at the life letter Q&A) in Doma as soon as we get there, someday, maybe

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i cant rem when it was stated but it one of the 2.0 -2.5 cut scenes the domans said that doma was destroyed and that was why they came here so i don't know if we will even be going to doma. i beleive they said it was because they tried to rebel against the garleans and they destroyed it in order to make an example of them.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

Not all, but developed breasts are an indicator of female fertility, biologically speaking. (They develop during puberty, after all.) Thus, a female with visibly developed breasts is at least capable of producing offspring, even if they can't do so at this exact moment, and males will pay attention to her as a potential candidate for mating. (Yes, I am being cold and scientific about this. When such a question is asked, it requires that kind of attitude to be taken seriously.)

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While it is true that many animals develop unique shapes specifically for the purpose of attracting mates (though, oddly, in most cases it's the male that has them, not the female), there's another theory I read about regarding the origins of the human shape that I found interesting, as well. The theory was that early humans developed the ability to evade predators by moving into deep water where the predators were reluctant to follow. With the enlarged, fatty breasts high on the chest, nursing mothers could continue to nurse even while hiding in this way. The theory was also an explanation as to why humans have so little body hair; like many mammals that spend a great deal of time in the water, extra body hair was superfluous.

Of course, none of this necessarily applies to Eorzean races. Evolution may or may not even be a thing in FFXIV, and the shapes of the various races may well boil down to "Haeydalyn created them that way".

This is a weird question. They have hair, they have non-scaly skin... they're basically just regular folk with horns and a few other minor differences. They're certainly mammals, from a biological perspective. Their relation to dragons seems significantly more distant than their relation to Hyume(ans). If they have regular skin and regular hair, it would be weirder if they DIDN'T have breasts.

One might more reasonably ask, "why don't Lalafell have breasts?" They're mammalian, too, and probably nurse their young... yet the females seem to lack the facilities necessary to do so. Where are their milk glands, if there's no room for them on their chests?

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Originally Posted by LineageRazor

While it is true that many animals develop unique shapes specifically for the purpose of attracting mates (though, oddly, in most cases it's the male that has them, not the female), there's another theory I read about regarding the origins of the human shape that I found interesting, as well. ... The theory was also an explanation as to why humans have so little body hair; like many mammals that spend a great deal of time in the water, extra body hair was superfluous.

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I don't mean to debate the reason itself as to why women have visibly developed breasts. The point is there's no clear reason, and thus there doesn't need to be a clear or logical reason why Au Ra have breasts by extension. (Plus the original question was posed on the assumption that Au Ra are reptiles / scalekin... which is not true.)

Again, even if you want to argue that they are, it's probably a design choice stemming from how humanoid shapes are easier to identify and sympathize with. Even though Warcraft's draenei are blue-skinned people with horns and ungulate legs, they still have a basic human shape (and yes, the females have boobs) despite coming from a different world altogether. A human form is just easier to identify with... regardless of whether or not it makes sense. (Compare a race of aliens from Star Trek: Starfleet Command whose name I forget, but they had three arms, three legs, three sexes, and breathed methane. Not so easy to relate to, eh?)

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Originally Posted by Zadocfish

This is a weird question. They have hair, they have non-scaly skin... they're basically just regular folk with horns and a few other minor differences. They're certainly mammals, from a biological perspective. Their relation to dragons seems significantly more distant than their relation to Hyume(ans). If they have regular skin and regular hair, it would be weirder if they DIDN'T have breasts.

One might more reasonably ask, "why don't Lalafell have breasts?" They're mammalian, too, and probably nurse their young... yet the females seem to lack the facilities necessary to do so. Where are their milk glands, if there's no room for them on their chests?

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This comes back to the visibly developed breasts of human females being mostly fat and connective tissue. (And for the love of Hydaelyn, Au Ra are NOT related to dragons in any discernable way despite what appearances might suggest!) The mammary glands that produce milk are beneath the breasts, believe it or not, not inside of them. Humans are also the only mammals who display permanently enlarged breasts in females; the mammary glands and breasts of other mammals do enlarge during pregnancy and while nursing, but otherwise females remain similar to the males of their species in that respect.

Saying "Well they're mammals, obviously they'd have boobs!" isn't enough. (As much as I wish it were.)

As for why female lalafell appear to lack a significant bust? Well, aside from the "attracts attention" hypothesis, the only other leading hypothesis on why human females have permanently developed breasts is that it helps infants suckle. Seeing as lalafell faces are kind of flat, I doubt it would be an issue for them. (Design-wise lalafell are supposed to evoke young children regardless of how physically mature the lalafell in question actually is, so it makes sense from that angle as well.)

Blame the Allagans!

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Originally Posted by CGMidlander

Blame the Allagans!

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From the fishing log description of aetherochemical compound #123...

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Unlike anything else on Eorzea, compound #123 is thought to be another of the Allagan Empire's failed chimerical creations. The creature seems to be harmless enough, feeding only on the tiny water lice which inhabit Azys Lla's aetherochemical pools. Its outer hide, however, has given many a naturalist pause as it bears a texture almost identical to that of a Lalafell's skin.

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:eek:

Now, from what i've read, in both my Encyclopedia Eorzea, and heard, the main thing (i don't recall a live letter saying they were demon-kin) that i've gathered are as follows:

- The Dawn Father and the Dusk Mother "created" the Au'ra to fight their battles.
- Scholars are still arguing if they are draconic or Void-sent in base origin. (i simply do not recall anything said either way, but i don't watch every Live Letter and i didn't watch the fan fests)
- They essentially started out to kill each other because the Dawn Father and Dusk mother were arguing (i'm putting it lightly)
- Why do they have breasts? I would assume it is because, as a few have said: attraction. in this case, i'd go back to old ways of describing women. "Birthing Hips". they were considered attractive because they gave an ease of birth. well endowed women were considered good choices because big breasts = plenty of milk for the babies. (untrue, but that's how people's minds worked) if we want to go that route (and given generally how i would assume they are mammalian in nature) then they show that they are females capable of feeding a child on the go, because i'm not sure baby bottles are a thing in Eorzea. at least i've never seen one.

Alternately, you could say that they have them because "Fantasy Female". either way, it's a design choice to simply show that they are female would be my guess.

Well I don't know how the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother created them but mammalian glands aren't necessarily exclusive to mammals. A little wiki search turns out a theory how the glands to be in its current form from the proto mammal like reptillians called Synapsid. Modern mammals just happen to make extensive use of it. Given Au'ra have body structure like all races so can they have more use for it.

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Originally Posted by uvuvwevwevweonyetenyevweugwemu

Well I don't know how the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother created them but mammalian glands aren't necessarily exclusive to mammals.

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While that's definitely an interesting theory it's unfortunately irrelevant because Au Ra are clearly mammals, not reptiles. They have one (1) reptilian feature in their scales, and a wealth of mammalian features, not least the fact it's confirmed they can crossbreed with Hyurs who are also mammals. Plus there's like 20% chance that this Dawn Father and Dusk Mother were from a super-advanced society like the Allagans and created the Au Ra from Hyurs, thus at most making Au Ra mammal-reptile chimera and at least just making them mammals with decorative scales.

I don't want to sound too condescending but it really not that hard to figure out that the pet name of "lizard" is just that, a pet name.

So nobody's going to bring up how there's actually a sidequest in which there's direct mention of a hyur/au'ra baby being born with almost no scales in the far past?

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Originally Posted by Arakarn

So nobody's going to bring up how there's actually a sidequest in which there's direct mention of a hyur/au'ra baby being born with almost no scales in the far past?

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Uh... It WAS mentioned. In the post DIRECTLY above yours, in fact. XD

For the record it's Au Ra. Not Au'ra and not Aura. Au Ra.

Elf, Elves, Elven.
Au Ra, Au Ra, Auri.

On topic, Au Ra designs are inspired by demons and dragons, but they are lorewise related to neither. They are a spoken race that happens to have scales, horns, and a tail. Just like Miqo'te are a spoken race that happen to have cat ears and a tail. They are mammals, do not lay eggs, and can cross breed with other spoken races.

May as well ask why Miqote don't have six, given that they're cat-based. =P

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Originally Posted by Nialle

May as well ask why Miqote don't have six, given that they're cat-based. =P

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Actually that would be because that wouldn't make any sense. The closer a mammal gets to being bipedal, the more their breasts will have to be like a human's in order to more efficiently feed infants. Our ancestors used to have loads of nipples too but now we don't and the only real difference is being bipedal. Put two and two together, get four, having human-like breasts is a bipedal thing rather than a human thing.

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Originally Posted by Vidu

Hello everyone,

I know, that ofc from a design perspective the answer to this questition is "Because its more appealing!" but when I was actually on my way to my biology lectures at uni I kinda realized how stupid it is for a lizard-type race to have breasts (since, as we all know, reptiles dont breatfeed their offsprings). So now, assuming that Au Ra reproduce like reptiles - why do they have boobs?
Is there a lore reason that anyone actually thought off or did they just added it because its (probably) more appealing?

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IIRC, the Allagan were experimenting with Voidsent gene-splicing.

The maximum boob size should be increased by 30%. This would be a decent size, while still avoiding DOA volleyball epic boobness.

There\\'s been a.

Apparently the mobile site doesn't let you delete or edit posts so I apologize for the triple post.

There\\'s been a lot of comparison to other races since this began. Auri have been inspired in appearance from demon\\'s, and the closest in-game are Voidsent, but that may have also inspired origins. While not being directly descendants of Voidsent they could be similar to Miqo\\'te. I mean, out of all the playable races,

Miqo\\'te and Auri are the most beastlike and while not explicitly stated, like the fishing log quoted in a previous post, there\\'s a 3.0 dungeon where genetic splicing experiments happened. The logs there indicate that Allagans created the Ixali and hint that they also created the Miqo\\'te, which lines up with Miqo\\'te lore of them having no land origin or remembering where they came from. It\\'s likely that Auri are also products of Allagan science and their tale of their origin holds pieces of truth of that old empire playing god.

Slightly on topic, its true that Succubi have been summoned before, evidenced by books found in the Hubal library dating back to the Magi War but Haukke manor shows they can also appear through transforming female Elezen. Considering Heavrnsward unleashed interesting lore on the connections of dragons and Elezen I\\\\'m curious what Haukke Manor implies on Elezen, Dragons and Voidsent. Or what would happen if Succubi were to breed with the playable Spoken races.

Merely because it hasn\\\\'t been shown hardly means it hasn\\\\'t occured - much like the huge absence of halfbreeds we don\\\\'t see but were told exist, if only rarely.

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Originally Posted by Kemiko

Slightly on topic, its true that Succubi have been summoned before, evidenced by books found in the Hubal library dating back to the Magi War but Haukke manor shows they can also appear through transforming female Elezen. Considering Heavrnsward unleashed interesting lore on the connections of dragons and Elezen I\\\\'m curious what Haukke Manor implies on Elezen, Dragons and Voidsent. Or what would happen if Succubi were to breed with the playable Spoken races.

Merely because it hasn\\\\'t been shown hardly means it hasn\\\\'t occured - much like the huge absence of halfbreeds we don\\\\'t see but were told exist, if only rarely.

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Succubi manifest when a Voidsent spirit inhabits a female corpse. Since there are no details on what actually occurs when a female Elezen is "transformed", I think that it's safe to assume that killing the female Elezen is part of the process (in order to create a corpse to inhabit). I think that's very likely what happened to Lady Amandine in Haukke Manor; in her insane quest for eternal youth and beauty, she allowed herself to be killed and transformed, believing that she would still be "herself" after the process. And, perhaps to some degree she was; perhaps the body's original personality continues on in the Succubus, somewhat in the style of vampires on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think it's just as likely, though, that the Voidsent she dealt with simply lied to her, and there's absolutely nothing of Lady Amandine left in her floating corpse.

As for Succubi breeding with other races... Well, given what they are, transformed and animated corpses, I guess it would depend on whether the voidsent spirit bothered to boot up the ol' reproductive system. If it were to happen, though, I doubt it would result in anything like an Au Ra - and if half-bred Voidsent really WERE in the Auri ancestry, I'd guess their creation myths would be a whole lot different than they actually are.

Also, be careful about assuming any connections between Dragons and Elezen. The only connections there are very recent (only a thousand years or so years old), and strictly limited to the inhabitants of Ishgard (with the possible exception here and there of an Elezen who migrated from Ishgard elsewhere). I'd guess that most, if not all, Gridanian Elezen don't have a scrap of dragon power in them, and would be unaffected by the Dragon's Blood potions used by the heretics to transform.

If not consumed by whatever Voidsent, perhaps a sort of fusion as Lady Amandine is later summoned and consumed by Halicarnassus when we face her in Haukke Manor Hard. After we, supposedly, had slain Amandine prior.
As far as assumptions on Elezen, I think it'd have to be better explained in lore how far the Ishgardian bloodline spreads. It's heavily implied that all Elezen in Ishgard, due to time and extended lineage, have the capability to become dragons. In the Shroud, Elezen still have nobility. Lady Amandine was of house Dartancours after all and considering Gridania is land stolen from Ixali it isn't a stretch to believe that the Elezen native to the now Gridania came from elsewhere. If Ishgard is older, it'd be the nearest predominantly Elezen locale.

The origin we were given from the Au Ra mouths were pretty absurd, even by their standards and could merely be the belief of that one clan as MSQ makes a point to show that different clans have different beliefs. It's because of their similar form to Miqo'te and the origin give lining up more to be about primals (which the allagans have involvement with evidenced by Ultima and Omega) that it seems more likely their existence is owed to the allagans. Which seems to be the theme of ffxiv.
"Allagans."

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Originally Posted by Vidu

So, you actually raise the questition though: Are they mammals?

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Sorry to stop here but as I understand it, the primary defining feature of a mammal is the mammary glands. Thus if Au Ra have breasts, they are mammals that have evolved reptilian-like phenotypes.