Viera lore: non-existant?

Au ra got a ton of lore throughout Stormblood
Hrothgar is about to get a huge lore dump in 5.3 and already got a lot in patch 5.2
Viera on the other hand seem to be the ones who will get no kind of lore going into the future. There's no way we're getting a Golmore Jungle zone after we already got Ratika in the First.

What do you think they will do? Put all their lore in the new lore book?

What we got from the Dramaturge is just very very basic physical details and how they live. There's no real in game representation of it.
PS. Viis don't really count, their whole lore is wrapped around the Ronkan culture. Ronkan pyramids, Ronkan magics all over their forest, Ronkan fashion, architecture, etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Amnmaat

Au ra got a ton of lore throughout Stormblood
Hrothgar is about to get a huge lore dump in 5.3 and already got a lot in patch 5.2
Viera on the other hand seem to be the ones who will get no kind of lore going into the future. There's no way we're getting a Golmore Jungle zone after we already got Ratika in the First.

What do you think they will do? Put all their lore in the new lore book?

What we got from the Dramaturge is just very very basic physical details and how they live. There's no real in game representation of it.
PS. Viis don't really count, their whole lore is wrapped around the Ronkan culture. Ronkan pyramids, Ronkan magics all over their forest, Ronkan fashion, architecture, etc.

---

My bet is we will go to their jungle in the next expansion, and probs will learn there? who knows

I mean, keep in mind they were made playable in an expansion that isn't even set in the same world as them so there's few opportunities to interact with any.

Au Ra were lacking like this before we went to Othard in Stormblood, and Hrothgar before we went to Bozja in Save the Queen. Viera will need us to see their forests for a further lore deepdive, whenever that ends up being. And they don't only live in Golmore; sure it may be too similar to Rak'tika, but the Skatay Range is an option too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeanneOrnitier

I mean, keep in mind they were made playable in an expansion that isn't even set in the same world as them so there's few opportunities to interact with any.

Au Ra were lacking like this before we went to Othard in Stormblood, and Hrothgar before we went to Bozja in Save the Queen. Viera will need us to see their forests for a further lore deepdive, whenever that ends up being. And they don't only live in Golmore; sure it may be too similar to Rak'tika, but the Skatay Range is an option too.

---

Hrothgar's getting Bozja and all of that, in Shadowbringers.
But yes, I totally forgot about the forest at Skatay, that's the only option. Yoshida can be quoted as saying "I don't like making the same environment twice, I find it boring." There's 0% chance he will make Golmore jungle, with Ratika being in the game.

I fully expect there to be Viera lore in the next lorebook, but lore for playable races on the whole is something I'd like to see more of. Let's visit the Southern Isles to see the OG lalfell living in hobbit holes, let's see some Duskwight Elezen communities, or some Hellsguard Roe volcanic regions.

Regarding the Viis as you mentioned; the Ronkan thing is the major difference, but from what we know the Viera of the Source at least live in similar communities. Forest dwelling (and protecting) female tribes, with male Viera living separately as slightly more militant protectors. Definitely enough of a starting point for a deeper dive, I hope.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hazmick

I fully expect there to be Viera lore in the next lorebook, but lore for playable races on the whole is something I'd like to see more of. Let's visit the Southern Isles to see the OG lalfell living in hobbit holes, let's see some Duskwight Elezen communities, or some Hellsguard Roe volcanic regions.

Regarding the Viis as you mentioned; the Ronkan thing is the major difference, but from what we know the Viera of the Source at least live in similar communities. Forest dwelling (and protecting) female tribes, with male Viera living separately as slightly more militant protectors. Definitely enough of a starting point for a deeper dive, I hope.

---

But that's the problem with all the First's races, their race portrayal is as basic and as shallow as it comes. The devs did the Viis very dirty, they were an afterthought in the story; you get to their village and any lore we get out of them is "we defend ronka, we lived 200 years, come friend of ronka open the pyramids. thank you for fulfilling ronka's prophecy."

We learn barely 1% about the Viis themselves. With Au ra we learned so much about them in Stormblood, a whole lot about Hrothgar in 5.2, and will learn a whole lot in 5.3.

Unless we miraculously stumble upon the Skatay range Viera will get no real in game representation of the race in terms of lore and culture. The Viis and Ratika was a huge mistake, they were added as a gimmick without substance. I just hope Yoshida reverses his stance on creating the same design theme again and we get to visit both Golmore and Skatay or one or the other in 6.0; even if it's just through the relic quest like they're doing for Hrothgar.

Without in game representation the Viera lose a lot of value. I can go to Thanalan, immediately lalafel/miqo'te society is there, Limsa there's the Roegadyn/miqo'te, Black shroud there's the Elezen, Gyr Abana there's Highlander/Roe, Othard there's Au ra. Now Bozja there's Hrothgar.

The Viis are very superficial, an intro cutscene of them shooting an arrow at you don't really show you much. I walk into Azim steppe and their culture and lore was well explored. At Ratika you didn't learn anything about Viera, you just learned what Ronka wanted.

The Viera are transplanted pretty wholesale from FFXII. I get the impression the devs weren't all that bothered about actually making them, they only exist because fans really wanted them.

There's a whole segment of the most recent patch delving into Viis history, including a look at a historical hero of theirs, that provides pretty valuable insight into the nature of the Echo.

For the Viera, I wouldn't be surprised if we started getting more of their lore as we head into Othard, maybe as soon as one of the Save The Queen chapters given Fran's position at the head of Lente's Tears. We also got the beginnings of a look at Orbonne and its lead-in quests. They definitely haven't been as fleshed out at the Au Ra, but they're way more fleshed out than the Au Ra were at this point after they were released. All the Au Ra really had midway through Heavensward was Sidurgu's references to Ishgardian bigotry and Yugiri talking a bit about her home in Doma (which was more Doman lore than Au Ra lore anyway).

Just look at moonkeeper lore, it's basically the same. :T
Just replace moon powers face paint with talking to trees, tack on a longer lifespan, and add even more cooties.

Au Ra only got their fleshed out Lore 2 years after they were implemented. So Viera will still have to wait.


(Yeah, I think Keeper and Duskwight are off much worse...)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zeylos

My bet is we will go to their jungle in the next expansion, and probs will learn there? who knows

---

I think that's unlikely, being as we've already been there to visit the Monastery, and that whole area seems to be involved in the relic questline. Valnain, which is where the IVth legion are based, is on the coast of Golmore and I'd be surprised if a future part of the questline didn't see us pushing back the IVth's assault through Southern Rabanastre and South-West Golmore. If that's the case, I can see some Viera involvement.

1. Those bringing up the "lesser" clan example are be disingenuous. They have always covered only 1 clan; this has been a standard: Seawolf, not Hellsguard, Xaela not Raen, Seeker of the Sun not Moonkeeper. That's why I don't talk about clans, they will never cover both clans, it's always 1.

2. Those that bring up that Au ra had nothing to speak of in Heavensward; yes, but please take into account what I stated a few times: There's 0 chance that we'll get Golmore Jungle/Skatay forest when we got a forest with Viera just now called the Ratika Greatwood. Viera is the only race that's mirrored 1 : 1 in the Sour and in the First in terms of environment. Lalafel are in a mountain, Ronso in the desert, and the rest of the races everywhere. Viis and Viera on the other hand occupy basically the same environment. I just fear Viera is doomed to never have an Azim Steppe or a Bozja Citadel like Hrothgar is getting in 5.3. That puts it as the only race without a place to go back to to learn about themselves.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Amnmaat

1. Those bringing up the "lesser" clan example are be disingenuous. They have always covered only 1 clan; this has been a standard: Seawolf, not Hellsguard, Xaela not Raen, Seeker of the Sun not Moonkeeper. That's why I don't talk about clans, they will never cover both clans, it's always 1.

---

Did you miss the entire underwater part of Ruby Sea with the secret raen village? Granted, that’s not where 99% of all raen come from, but it was 100% raen with a unique culture and quest line with their own dungeon. The rest of the raen assimilated to hyur culture in Doma and Hingashi so there’s not really much to speak of there.

On a smaller scale, we see a moon keeper poacher base and their lore is covered in the archer quests and postmoogle quest. Highlander hyur get half of an entire expansion. We never go to the lalafell homeland, but plainsfolk are assimilated into the culture of Limsa Lominsa and we learn about their past in Nym with Scholar quests. Dunesfolk similarly are the culture of Ul’dah and we learn about their past in Sil’dih and Mcach.

The only old clans that fit your description of not being covered at length and having their own areas are duskwights and hellsguard.

Ok sounds good. Now what do we do about people on page 1 saying that the Viera situation is ok because Duskwight and Hellsguard doesn't get a location to explore its lore in? Some are using a clan to say why it's ok that Viera don't get a location of their on in the future. And the problem is they can't get a location; as I explained..Ratika and Golmore are mirror images of each other; there's really 0 chance we'll go there. Skatay forest without Golmore jungle would feel weird in my opinion, they'd be represented together in the same zone I believe. Skatay at least has a chance, but Golmore jungle and the Rava being so prominent to the ongoing liberation of that region of Dalmasca it would be really really strange to skip Golmore (Fran's homeland) and go to Skatay only.

It's funny though, they most likely did this on purpose to not have to cover Viera on the first, that's really the only explanation. Ratika could've easily just been the Ronso's lair (they started the Ronkan kingdom anyway).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MikkoAkure

Did you miss the entire underwater part of Ruby Sea with the secret raen village? Granted, that’s not where 99% of all raen come from, but it was 100% raen with a unique culture and quest line with their own dungeon. The rest of the raen assimilated to hyur culture in Doma and Hingashi so there’s not really much to speak of there.

On a smaller scale, we see a moon keeper poacher base and their lore is covered in the archer quests and postmoogle quest. Highlander hyur get half of an entire expansion. We never go to the lalafell homeland, but plainsfolk are assimilated into the culture of Limsa Lominsa and we learn about their past in Nym with Scholar quests. Dunesfolk similarly are the culture of Ul’dah and we learn about their past in Sil’dih and Mcach.

The only old clans that fit your description of not being covered at length and having their own areas are duskwights and hellsguard.

---

That moonkeeper base is just full of grey sunseekers. They don't follow moonkeeper cultural norms and shouldn't be counted as representation. >:[

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Amnmaat

. Now what do we do about people on page 1 saying that the Viera situation is ok because Duskwight and Hellsguard doesn't get a location to explore its lore in? Some are using a clan to say why it's ok that Viera don't get a location of their on in the future. .

---

Nobody was saying that. People were just saying that it sucks that Viera have such little lore, and it also sucks that they're not the only race.

There's always a chance for us to visit some Viera villages in a future expansion, especially with Viera and Hrothgar both playing a part in anti-Imperial resistances. Our current relic series will absolutely shower us with some Hrothgar lore, so perhaps we could get some future content like this which focuses on viera, perhaps we get a dungeon in golmore or skatay, perhaps we get another raid series that takes us to some relevant locations.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hazmick

Nobody was saying that. People were just saying that it sucks that Viera have such little lore, and it also sucks that they're not the only race.

There's always a chance for us to visit some Viera villages in a future expansion, especially with Viera and Hrothgar both playing a part in anti-Imperial resistances. Our current relic series will absolutely shower us with some Hrothgar lore, so perhaps we could get some future content like this which focuses on viera, perhaps we get a dungeon in golmore or skatay, perhaps we get another raid series that takes us to some relevant locations.

---

That's where some were saying.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RicaRuin

(Yeah, I think Keeper and Duskwight are off much worse...)

---

Please re-read my statement where I laid out why Viera is the only race in this situation. I explained how there's almost always 1 clan within the race that gets no locations to explore, but that the race itself still gets a location; ie Seawolf but not Hellsguard, Wildwood but not Duskwight. Viera are literally the only race without a place to explore their lore in, as it stands right now. And it looks to be that way considering we just got Rak'tika. If we look at past expansions they strive to not bring forth an environment that existed in past expansions; Golmore/Skatay would have similar environments and village locations to Viis. It was a big mistake to make half of Ratika a Viera settlement as it mirrors 1:1 the Viera situation in the First, the only race who's mirrored exactly the same way in both worlds. Thus it's very unlikely we'll ever get to explore Viera lore, specially in a location we can visit to see it for ourselves.