Au Ra physiology and other lore.

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Originally Posted by Dynza

Their necks are fairly thin in their artwork as compared to their in-game models. They overall fit in better proportions both in artwork and in-game model-wise than the elezen do. Though the elezen by design were intentionally structured to resemble to "longness" and slender appearance of the Elvaan. That said, I think they might be able to buff up, or better define the broadness of the au ra male's upper torso. I would certainly like to see additional hairstyles on them, including ones that add more horns like one hairstyle currently does.

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It's not so much the neck itself, but the more exaggerated trapezius muscles that make them look alot stronger up there than the other races, similar to the Roe. That's the muscle group that's more pronounced in the artwork, thats nearly non-existent in the model. So while both versions have long necks and muscles, the in-game model immediately looks much weaker.

In the artwork, the Au Ra don't look just massive in muscle like the Roe, but very well defined. And oddly enough missing that one detail kind of makes their whole upper body look weak.

It was said that we can make females look close to Succubi. That the customization will be varied, so who know if females can be nearly as tall

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Originally Posted by myahele

It was said that we can make females look close to Succubi. That the customization will be varied, so who know if females can be nearly as tall

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I doubt it. I believe they meant that the available options for their looks will vary from very cute to a bit more intimidating. They'll probably still have the same build and height.

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Originally Posted by Edellis

It's not so much the neck itself, but the more exaggerated trapezius muscles that make them look alot stronger up there than the other races, similar to the Roe. That's the muscle group that's more pronounced in the artwork, thats nearly non-existent in the model. So while both versions have long necks and muscles, the in-game model immediately looks much weaker.

In the artwork, the Au Ra don't look just massive in muscle like the Roe, but very well defined. And oddly enough missing that one detail kind of makes their whole upper body look weak.

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I don't think they look weak in terms of modeling, but I do understand your point and what you're talking about. I think we'll see some options come the benchmark, but bear in mind that once that benchmark is released, we may not see too many additional changes to the models beyond hairstyles. They do have to take into account of modeling armor to make it stretch and fit their body type, as well as a host of others.

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Originally Posted by QuietGlasses

I doubt it. I believe they meant that the available options for their looks will vary from very cute to a bit more intimidating. They'll probably still have the same build and height.

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This is something Yoshida specifically said at the presentation. That you can design the au ra females to closely resemble that of a succubus. Whether he was implying the actual succubus models isn't completely clear, but the example was just to show how varied you can make your au ra.

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Originally Posted by QuietGlasses

I doubt it. I believe they meant that the available options for their looks will vary from very cute to a bit more intimidating. They'll probably still have the same build and height.

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Then I'd never play as an Au Ra for more than a week - if at all... Let's just hope that it's more than just a mere facial option and actual body frames.

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Originally Posted by PotatoSalad

Then I'd never play as an Au Ra for more than a week - if at all... Let's just hope that it's more than just a mere facial option and actual body frames.

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You are setting yourself up for disappointment.

But I suppose we'll see next month when the benchmark is released.

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Originally Posted by QuietGlasses

You are setting yourself up for disappointment.

But I suppose we'll see next month when the benchmark is released.

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and you're cutting yourself too short too early!

Let's hold on to hope! /psych

I don't think we're on the same page here. I like Au Ra as they are. I'm not bothered by the differences between males and females.

Though, more variety is nice. But I still think making a female Au Ra resemble a succubus was referring to faces. Do not get your hopes up for body type variance.

They used the terms succubus and beastal. I think they meant they can have a more draconic appearance like some of the males have.

I don't think they meant they literally physically look like the ingame succubi.

Physically I don't think they will be much difference body type wise. I think the customisation is more the cosmetic in features like scales, eyes and horns.

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Originally Posted by QuietGlasses

I don't think we're on the same page here. I like Au Ra as they are. I'm not bothered by the differences between males and females.

Though, more variety is nice. But I still think making a female Au Ra resemble a succubus was referring to faces. Do not get your hopes up for body type variance.

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Of course, but to be extra specific, players do have some control over some proportions. Players can adjust the height of their characters in addition, female characters can their bust line adjusted. Now, whether or not they've improved their character creation technology to allow players to adjust 'broad-ness' of male busts/chests is up in the air. I don't expect it, but it could be rectify the issues some players male have with the male designs.

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Originally Posted by Dynza

Of course, but to be extra specific, players do have some control over some proportions. Players can adjust the height of their characters in addition, female characters can their bust line adjusted. Now, whether or not they've improved their character creation technology to allow players to adjust 'broad-ness' of male busts/chests is up in the air. I don't expect it, but it could be rectify the issues some players male have with the male designs.

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Indeed. All decisions and judgements should be best withheld until next month's Benchmark! :D But speculation is juicy and keeps it all alive!

As many of you no doubt noticed (here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okyp...ature=youtu.be) , au ra males have scales going down their back right in center of their bodies in the same location as the spine. As many of you also noticed, au ra males don't have scales on their chests or stomachs. Neither of these are features are unsurprising, as one look at any dragon or lizard should quickly tell you why.

Most dragons are quadrupeds, or four-legged. They walk like dogs and cats and other four-legged animals meaning their bellies are near to the ground and their backs exposed to all manner of elements, so for a dragon, a natural evolutionary pattern is to have their scales be much harder on their backs than on their stomachs, so that their scales can protect themselves. Likewise, this makes sense on au ra - who perhaps descend from dragons - to share this same feature. And from an evolutionary standpoint, humans/humanoids went through a similar process of where they did not originally walk on two legs or erect.

So now many of you might be wondering, will the au ra females have a similar scale pattern on their backs? The answer is probably yes. As I mentioned in my original post, au ra scale patterns are symmetrical across the sexes. They have scales on their necks, shoulders, forearms, lower legs, ankles and feet; the patterns may differ depending on the gender, but the locations remain the same regardless of the sex. So if males have a scale pattern on their backs, it is a good bet that the females also have them in the same spot.

But there's a good bet that the pattern on an au ra female will be different from the au ra males. Sexual dimorphism, yo.

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to pop in and give a tiny update on the Au Ra. I'm still not allowed to reveal a lot (under punishment of defenestration...and we're on the 18th floor), but here are three things I can tell you:

1. What is the official pronunciation of Au Ra again?
Those of you who've already seen the Fan Fes videos will probably already know, but it's always good to have something in writing somewhere, just in case. Despite the similarity in spelling Au Ra does not sound like "aura." The official pronunciation is Au=Ow (as in "ou"ch) Ra=Raw (as in WWE sushi).

2. Hyur is Hyuran. Lalafell is Lalafellin. What on Earth Hydaelyn is the adjectival form of Au Ra?
This one's a little special. Instead of just tacking an 'n' to the end of Ra, the term takes on a slight metamorphosis. Au Ra -> Auri (pronounced Ow-ree, rhymes with Maori). Example: "An Auri warrior can eat a whole turkey in a single sitting."

3. When are we going to get a naming guide!? I need to start thinking of what I'm going to call the new character I roll in June!
The naming rules for both clans have been finalized and work is being done fleshing out the lore behind it all. Things will be somewhat similar to what was done with the Hyur (drawing from historic names) but the with the regional and linguistic roots being completely different. Surnames will also feature a special set of rules that can be followed to the T, or slightly modified if a player wants to be adventurous.

I will be adding a detailed (sticky) explanation right here to the forums once Yoshi-P has given me the green light...which hopefully will be sooner than later!

Until then!

Thanks Fern!

EDIT: If you don't mind Fern, I'm going to put(copy) your post on the opening post as I think the information is valuable enough that it needs to be in there. It's already pretty crowded in here and I think having this in the opening post until the official, official naming post comes up will help convey the info better. Especially since your dev blog posts will get buried later on.

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

I will be adding a detailed (sticky) explanation right here to the forums once Yoshi-P has given me the green light...which hopefully will be sooner than later!

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As much as I love all the naming convention threads. . .it really seems like the forum is sticky-heavy. I mean, even with my browser maximized I can only see two non-sticky threads within the Lore section before scrolling down. I think maybe it's time for some reorganization?

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Originally Posted by Viridiana

As much as I love all the naming convention threads. . .it really seems like the forum is sticky-heavy. I mean, even with my browser maximized I can only see two non-sticky threads within the Lore section before scrolling down. I think maybe it's time for some reorganization?

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This is an excellent idea. I'm chatting with Bayohne now about how we might consolidate the other naming stickies into one. The Au Ra thread would remain separate until we thought that everyone had enough time to check it out.

Thanks for the feedback!

The adjective for Au Ra is "Au Ri"....this really answers quite alot

Legends say that the sword of Odin belonged to an "au ri warrior" so that means that the Au Ra existed during Allagan Empire's peak and as such essentially debunks that Shiva's the progenitor of Au Ra

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

This is an excellent idea. I'm chatting with Bayohne now about how we might consolidate the other naming stickies into one. The Au Ra thread would remain separate until we thought that everyone had enough time to check it out.

Thanks for the feedback!

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Yeah changing the thread to only 1 with 5 posts each one for each race less sticky, thank you!

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to pop in and give a tiny update on the Au Ra. I'm still not allowed to reveal a lot (under punishment of defenestration...and we're on the 18th floor)...

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Thank you for using the word defenestrate in a sentence... XD it made my day (or night) hahaha!

Also, thanks for the Au Ra tips ^^

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

H"An Auri warrior can eat a whole turkey in a single sitting."

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Wait, shouldn't that be "a whole dodo"? . . . or is this the shocking reveal that in far-away Doma their neophyte adventurers hone their skills against delicious, delicious turkeys?

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

This is an excellent idea. I'm chatting with Bayohne now about how we might consolidate the other naming stickies into one. The Au Ra thread would remain separate until we thought that everyone had enough time to check it out.

Thanks for the feedback!

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Perhaps it's time for the lore compendium to move from a sticky to a wiki? Given the vast amount of information there is to navigate the wiki format may be more accessible.

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Originally Posted by Xanthe

Perhaps it's time for the lore compendium to move from a sticky to a wiki? Given the vast amount of information there is to navigate the wiki format may be more accessible.

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i like this idea a wiki written by the devs to give us all the lore possible :D (also make it available in game >:O ) please <3

Dear S-E,

Give us some options for putting plating/coating on Au Ra horns. Brass, gold, bronze, silver. All about the horns. Shiny horns for days. Glittering scales that make all the fleshy races jealous.

Fancy us up, yo.

Brass.

Think about it.

The clarification about Au Ra -> Auri certainly brings to light one tidbit in the Minion Guide for the Wind-Up Odin minion.

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Many have pondered why a dark divinity with roots in northern mythology would wield a blade with a decidedly Far Eastern name. A popular theory is that Odin acquired the blade upon slaying an Auri warrior who was the first ever to notch his theretofore unsullied plate.

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Which reinforces that the Au Ra are from Othard... and quite debunks the 'descendants of Shiva' wild theory that's running around, since that would have taken place at least 4 millennium and 3 ages before the Dragonsong War even started.

...Though unrelated to the above, I'm also wondering if earrings are going to hang from the horns or such.

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

I'm still not allowed to reveal a lot (under punishment of defenestration...and we're on the 18th floor)

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No need to worry about that, Ahrimans can float.

Here, just in case you guys missed it...
http://static2.finalfantasyxiv.com/a...PaQ4_544eE.jpg
Earrings on horns. Issue solved.

Now it's time for wild speculation on what the names will be! We have zero evidence, but we do have some bits of info that might help. Let's see how wrong or right we are.

Here's what we know:
1. Auri names are historical names, meaning popular names dating back several hundred years or so.
2. Auri last names have some special rules.
3. Auri hail from Othard a continent in the east.
4. Doma, a fallen kingdom in the east, draped in Far Eastern elements.

Initially, some would speculate that the Auri would adopt Doman naming elements and while this sounds plausible (we managed to eek out some ideas about how Doman names are created), I disagree with this. Partially because Doma may not be the only kingdom on Othard. Lore from Yoshimitsu's relic reborn questline points to ninjutsu - and other Far Eastern elements - came from an island east of Othard. Finally, auri as a race may predate the founding of Doma, given that we know that legends speak of them dating as far back as four thousand years ago. As an aside, I'm sure the other mortal races are at least that old as well.

So let's take a brief look at Doman naming schemes. Thanks to a few players we know that Doman names are tri-syllabic (Yu-Gi-Ri, O-Bo-Ro, Tsu-Ba-Me) or three Japanese characters long. We also know that their last names are based on meanings from their first names, Yugiri's name relates towards swamps, and moisture leading credence to the last name, Mistwalker. Knowing this, it does seem like Auri names could follow Doman naming schemes - at the very least, the last names follow special rules that Fern hinted at. But based on some of the evidence above, I'm going to disagree with the idea that Auri names are based on Doman names. I'm no Japanese scholar, but I don't think historical Japanese names went out of style, and if they did, I believe the more ancient ones were substantially longer than three characters or three syllables. I'm probably completely wrong, though, so feel free to correct me if you know better.


The other possibility that I can think of for Auri names is that they're based on current dragon names that we know of (Midgardsormr, Nidhogg, Isgebind, Cuco Feda, etc). These names tend to veer toward Slavic and Nordic names. And there are some historical names from this period that I'm aware of (Beowulf, Sigurd, Brynhildr, Helga). The problem with these names is that they can veer very close with Roegadyn Sea Wolf names due to their historical proximity with each other. Though, I can't think of how the last names might be structured.

So with that said, let's hear your speculations on what the names might be. Or if you want to continue speculating on their origins, feel free. I don't have any additional information or speculation to work on right now, and I'll have to wait until SE releases HQ videos of the Au Ra video presentation or the character creation benchmark to further my study into the Auri. Plus, I have some other work to do.

So with that said, speculate (wildly) away!

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to pop in and give a tiny update on the Au Ra. I'm still not allowed to reveal a lot (under punishment of defenestration...and we're on the 18th floor), but here are three things I can tell you:

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100% unrelated -- can you finally put to rest how to officially pronounce "Miqo'te"?!

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Originally Posted by Edellis

100% unrelated -- can you finally put to rest how to officially pronounce "Miqo'te"?!

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Miko-Tay

[ミ] Mee [コ] Ko [ッテ] Tay

Deep down, i've always figured that. I just much prefer ignoring the apostrophe and saying "Mee-Kote" in my head.

Wow, I've been pronouncing both Miqo'te and Au Ra correctly this whole time. :D

Dynza, your naming theory actually pushes toward many of the traits that Highlanders use for their names, so I don't think that will be the method used for Au Ra.

I'm curious to know if Au Ra males and females will follow the same patterns, and how the black scaled tribe varies to the white scaled.

If it makes you feel better almost everyone seems to pronounce Roegadyn (roo-gah-deen) incorrectly as well :P

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Originally Posted by Ametrine

Wow, I've been pronouncing both Miqo'te and Au Ra correctly this whole time. :D

Dynza, your naming theory actually pushes toward many of the traits that Highlanders use for their names, so I don't think that will be the method used for Au Ra.

I'm curious to know if Au Ra males and females will follow the same patterns, and how the black scaled tribe varies to the white scaled.

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I'm skeptical as well. We simply don't have enough information on them yet, hence my multiple posts regarding the possible different origins. Just covering every avenue.

And like the other races and their sub-species and clans, I do suspect the two clans of Auri have different naming schemes. After all, all the other races do it, so I don't see why the Auri wouldn't, either.

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Miko-Tay

[ミ] Mee [コ] Ko [ッテ] Tay

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Whenever someone calls them "Me-coats" I want to punch them with plushy moogle fists. D:<

So, Au Ra is Owe (As in stop hitting me) but is it Raw as in meat or RA as in the Egyptian God?

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

3. When are we going to get a naming guide!? I need to start thinking of what I'm going to call the new character I roll in June!
The naming rules for both clans have been finalized and work is being done fleshing out the lore behind it all. Things will be somewhat similar to what was done with the Hyur (drawing from historic names) but the with the regional and linguistic roots being completely different. Surnames will also feature a special set of rules that can be followed to the T, or slightly modified if a player wants to be adventurous.

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This leads me to believe that instead of European names like the Hyur, or Filipino-esque names like Miqo'te we will see middle or far eastern names... Unless they go north American first Nations but I doubt that... So I think currently at least one tribe still has a possibility of Japanese style names... Arabic or Chinese or Korean are also possible but I'm still hoping Takara will be lore savvy.

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Originally Posted by Kedrah

If it makes you feel better almost everyone seems to pronounce Roegadyn (roo-gah-deen) incorrectly as well :P

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Pretty sure the oe is supposed to be the ligature œ and is pronounced [œ], not [oʊ].
And on the same subject, in the word aether, the ae = æ which is pronounced [æ], not [iː].

At least I'm pretty sure I've heard Fernehalwes say it this way?

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Originally Posted by Gwaeron

Pretty sure the oe is supposed to be the ligature œ and is pronounced [œ], not [oʊ].
And on the same subject, in the word aether, the ae = æ which is pronounced [æ], not [iː].

At least I'm pretty sure I've heard Fernehalwes say it this way?

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I'm just basing it off the katakana, which I usually use for a pronunciation guide.

ルガディン ru ga din

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Originally Posted by Fernehalwes

3. When are we going to get a naming guide!? I need to start thinking of what I'm going to call the new character I roll in June!
The naming rules for both clans have been finalized and work is being done fleshing out the lore behind it all. Things will be somewhat similar to what was done with the Hyur (drawing from historic names) but the with the regional and linguistic roots being completely different. Surnames will also feature a special set of rules that can be followed to the T, or slightly modified if a player wants to be adventurous.

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Why, this almost sounds like the two clans will have much different naming structures because they're from completely different regions of the world.

I wonder why that would be.

;)

Looking forward to that post, Ferne.

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Originally Posted by StarDrake

Why, this almost sounds like the two clans will have much different naming structures because they're from completely different regions of the world.

I wonder why that would be.

;)

Looking forward to that post, Ferne.

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I do not believe he was differentiating the clans, but rather saying they would not be similar to Hyuran names.

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Originally Posted by Gwaeron

Pretty sure the oe is supposed to be the ligature œ and is pronounced [œ], not [oʊ].
And on the same subject, in the word aether, the ae = æ which is pronounced [æ], not [iː].

At least I'm pretty sure I've heard Fernehalwes say it this way?

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I did get a reply at one point that the ligatures would exist in the game per lore but were left as digraphs for ease of programming. However, a lot was left vague and unspecific never really confirming or denying for any particular word. The oe combination could very well easily become an ö instead of œ. For all we know these uncommon-in-modern-English variants could extend beyond Roegadyn language and maybe Baldric Thorne is really Baldric Þorne! It is important to keep in mind that these words don't all have English roots either, as Roegadyn words are derived from Old High German.

When it comes to the pronunciation though we're in somewhat unsure waters. I'm inclined to agree with you that it's probably properly [œ], not [oʊ] (though possibly [ø]) and [æ], not [iː] among other examples that are unmentioned, but the guides have never given us IPA to my knowledge, only comparisons to other common words or other simplified examples as the differences in some of the sounds are probably too subtle for many to notice and/or most people are unfamiliar with how to actually read IPA symbols without extensive encyclopedic lookup. I'd be all for IPA versions myself though :)

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Originally Posted by Myranda

I do not believe he was differentiating the clans, but rather saying they would not be similar to Hyuran names.




I did get a reply at one point that the ligatures would exist in the game per lore but were left as digraphs for ease of programming. However, a lot was left vague and unspecific never really confirming or denying for any particular word. The oe combination could very well easily become an ö instead of œ. For all we know these uncommon-in-modern-English variants could extend beyond Roegadyn language and maybe Baldric Thorne is really Baldric Þorne! It is important to keep in mind that these words don't all have English roots either, as Roegadyn words are derived from Old High German.

When it comes to the pronunciation though we're in somewhat unsure waters. I'm inclined to agree with you that it's probably properly [œ], not [oʊ] (though possibly [ø]) and [æ], not [iː] among other examples that are unmentioned, but the guides have never given us IPA to my knowledge, only comparisons to other common words or other simplified examples as the differences in some of the sounds are probably too subtle for many to notice and/or most people are unfamiliar with how to actually read IPA symbols without extensive encyclopedic lookup. I'd be all for IPA versions myself though :)

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I'm kinda hoping they don't push too hard on certain character scripts. It's difficult enough with many players having trouble pronouncing Elezen and Roe names correctly, I'd rather they didn't start dumping more archaic characters and just make it harder for the sake of being harder. With that said, I don't mind if they want to get creative and run some Eorzean script here and there just for fun.

I'm sure everyone realizes and understands that the speech that Eorzeans speak isn't really different from modern speech. Only the words they use are considered more archaic to us versus modern speech changing the meaning of some words. I don't mind it, but I do understand some players fumbling with what some characters are saying. Baderon in 1.0 was a good example of this, Jacke in 2.0 is another example. It is an absolute joy to read their speech and dialects (it would be even more fun if they were spoken too!), but it does hurt the casual reader and player when it comes to understanding what the characters are saying and what they need to do. Imagine if all the tutorial information was written in thieves cant! Additional lettering and characters can make it difficult to type out names for joining parties or making friends lists, so let's be creative, but still keep it simple for the non-scholars out there. =)

With that said, and tying back into the au ra spelling and pronunciation, I do wonder why they went with the "Au" spelling instead of the "Ou" since you still can get the same sound without it running into similar spelling and sounding words like aura. I can only assume that the spelling is intentionally like this because the name is probably a draconic name. Which further leads me to thinking what region on earth will the auri names adopt from? There are multiple tales of dragons from various cultures and locations, both east and west.



Quick EDIT: As an FYI, (and I can't believe I have to say this), but Fern's hints at the Auri names means that the names are taking from real-world historical names that were popular during a certain time period. Much like Hyuran names in FF14 are popular historical names from 16th century. However, Fern is simply mentioning that while the Auri and Hyuran names are similar in that they are taking from historical accounts, the Auri name are from a completely different region with its own linguistic rules. Meaning that, where Hyuran names originate from from Welsh, Germanic, and Normandic regions, Auri names will originate from somewhere else on Earth. Whether that somewhere else be Egypt, Southeast Asia, or on Europe is the question.