Lack of lore on the Raen Au Ra

Hello everyone. I've been trying to come to terms with the fact that the Raen just don't seem to have an identity in FFXIV.

Sweeping statements like this necessitate some sort of backup, so allow me to explain.

We are introduced to the Raen and the Xaela in Heavensward, but the most we get out of the Raen is Yugiri. However, she is known as a Doman, rather than as an Auri. Her looks would be rather striking in Eorzea, seeing as the Auri are rather rare here than in other continents, but I do not immediately recall anyone ever making any such comments about her being an Auri, much less a Raen.

The only significant lore we get is through the ninja quests which involve Princess Yuki and her subjects, which I did enjoy quite a bit. However, we still didn't get much recognition of them being Raen, but rather as being Doman/Far Eastern.

Going into Stormblood, we finally get something about the Raen with Sui-no-Sato, even being described as a village of Raen. This was akin to desert for me, as I finally found a place where I thought we'd get much more knowledge about Raen culture and their way of life. Unfortunately, what we did get to know was rather scant in comparison to the veritable love letter to the Xaela that was the Azim Steppe.

We are also made aware that there is a population of Raen in Sharlayan through Mikoto in the Ivalice raid series.

Ironically, as we move into Shadowbringers, we actually get a wealth of lore on the First's equivalent of Raen in the kingdom of Voeburt, which I adored. It felt quite right for the Raen (even though the royal family of that fallen kingdom apparently had the scales of the Xaela), and I eagerly snatched up all the Voerburtite sets relevant to my Raen character.

Further on into the patch content, we are introduced to a new population of Raen in the Sorrow of Werlyt questline, with names that are much more similar to their First counterparts and that they aren't as confined to the Far East as they were previously portrayed as being.

Part 2, because my original post was too long:

With all that being summarized (forgive me if I've neglected or forgot to mention other pertinent information), I will gather what we do know about the Raen on the source:

- The Raen left the Azim Steppe in antiquity for unknown reasons, but they value solitude and tranquility, which is naturally something the Steppe does not offer.

- The Raen have a tendency to live in secluded communities made up of (seemingly exclusively, in the Far East) mostly Raen and prefer their solitude.

- Some Raen decided to formally join the major states and essentially discard any identity they had prior.

- The Raen have a respect for hierarchy and nobility, as seen through their monarchical states they live in.

- They are very spiritual (but of what religion, other than a general belief in kami, in the Far East?).

- They have a strong tradition of ninja clans and families.

- They live in secluded villages in the mountain valleys of eastern Othard.

- There's a population of Raen who live in Werlyt on Ilsabard, so presumably, there are more Raen elsehwere.

Other than these nuggets of lore...what else?

One of the most detrimental things to their identity as a race is that the writers of FFXIV have essentially just plopped them in with any local culture and adopting that culture, making them, at best, an aesthetic choice, rather than a thoughtfully written race/species with their own unique traditions and beliefs (one and the same, really).

I don't want to sound harsh, but it feels as though the Raen were just the palette swap of the Xaela and only exist because of the two clan race system we have in the game.

As of yet, the Raen that we see on the Source don't have their own unique naming conventions, even. It's very discouraging for roleplaying a Raen character when you barely have any reference for your own character's race, which, at least for myself, takes me out of the experience of being something 'other'.

I hope everyone is able to see where I'm coming from and can help contribute to this quandary of mine and the Raens'.

Same goes for Keepers of the Moon and Duskweight Elezen. However, the Raen do have their own naming convention, just because it uses Japanese just like Hingashi does it's not less of a naming convention.

And a small pet peeve of mine: Auri is the adjective, not the Plural. Plural is Au Ra as well.

Auri is the adjective, not plural. The plural of Au Ra is Au Ra ^^. And "doman" is the nationality, Yugiri is still an Au Ra.

You can actually bypass the limit in your posts just by editing it.

Both Xaela and Raen have their origins in the Azim Steppe. But in fact, the Azim Steppe belongs to the 51(?) Xaela clans. Raens are spread over the world, integrated (or adapted) within the culture of Doma and Kugane. There is no REAL (big) hometown or country for Raen only, but that may count for Lalafells as well. The only Raen-only area is that small bubble underwater (Sui No Sato).

For the Drahn (Au Ra of the First) its even worse. I dont expect a hometown for the Drahn, because the flood of light destroyed 90% of the planet. I kinda wished, that the Drahn would look a bit different to their Au Ra counterparts (having different horns, claws, small wings, longer tails, etc). Same goes for Lalafells and Dwars as well (and the other races of course).

I assume, Xaela stay in the Azim Steppe to keep their traditions alive, while Raen gave them up to explore the world outside of it. I kinda hope to see more Raen in Sharlayan, which would make the Xaela a more traditional/wild tribe, while the Raen would be more intellectual/open minded.

To be honest here, there is not much information about the Au Ra in the enzyklopedia books, especially for Raen. Xaela got a bigger part in the books, because of the description of every clan.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RicaRuin

And a small pet peeve of mine: Auri is the adjective, not the Plural. Plural is Au Ra as well.

---

Damn, too slow xD

On the Source, having Raen in your service was seen as a boon in the Age of Blood so many of them got scooped up by established sub-cultures around Hingashi and have since assimilated completely into those cultures; Sui-no-Sato is probably the closest we can get to an authentically Raen culture for now.

The Raen naming convention is Edo-period Traditional Japanese names. It's not even just Japanese names, it's names specific to the Edo Period.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yuurei94

- They are very spiritual (but of what religion, other than a general belief in kami, in the Far East?)

---

Worship of the kami is a religion in itself, not a vague spirituality in addition to something else. Specifically it is an import of Japanese Shinto, or something close enough to it that perhaps the writers don't see a need to go into further detail.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

You can actually bypass the limit in your posts just by editing it.

---

Thank you for letting me know.

Quote:

---

Both Xaela and Raen have their origins in the Azim Steppe. But in fact, the Azim Steppe belongs to the 51(?) Xaela clans. Raens are spread over the world, integrated (or adapted) within the culture of Doma and Kugane. There is no REAL (big) hometown or country for Raen only, but that may count for Lalafells as well. The only Raen-only area is that small bubble underwater (Sui No Sato).

---

This is one of the important points I was referring to. A lack of community and consanguineous identity really makes the Raen bereft of, well, an identity of their own. It seems in most cases that their identity is someone else's.

As I mentioned earlier, there are isolated Raen communities in the mountains of Othard, so perhaps these settlements may have their own unique culture.

Quote:

---

For the Drahn (Au Ra of the First) its even worse. I dont expect a hometown for the Drahn, because the flood of light destroyed 90% of the planet.

---

I was referring to Voeburt, before the Flood of Light. The First's equivalent of Xaela seem to be most populous in the Rak'tika Greatwood.

Quote:

---

I assume, Xaela stay in the Azim Steppe to keep their traditions alive, while Raen gave them up to explore the world outside of it. I kinda hope to see more Raen in Sharlayan, which would make the Xaela a more traditional/wild tribe, while the Raen would be more intellectual/open minded.

---

This runs counter as to how they are described by their in-game blurb:

Quote:

---

Unlike their sister clan, the Xaela, who bloody the land with their endless tribal conflict, the Raen have embraced a life of tranquility and solitude, long abandoning the nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors to settle the deep valleys of Othard's mountainous eastern reaches. Only on rare occasions will one emerge from the valley mists to seek adventure in realms afar.

---

Quote:

---

To be honest here, there is not much information about the Au Ra in the enzyklopedia books, especially for Raen. Xaela got a bigger part in the books, because of the description of every clan.

---

I hate to say it, but it is particularly lazy and careless to completely fill so much lore on one clan and severely neglect the other. It makes playing them feel rather shallow and imbeds a sense of not belonging to the world one is playing in. I've tried playing Duskwights and Keepers of the Moon, who have more lore and the Keepers even having their own naming system and smidgens of clan culture observable in the Black Shroud and some of the class/job quests, and they've felt more represented than the Raen.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

On the Source, having Raen in your service was seen as a boon in the Age of Blood so many of them got scooped up by established sub-cultures around Hingashi and have since assimilated completely into those cultures; Sui-no-Sato is probably the closest we can get to an authentically Raen culture for now.

---

Yes, I remember reading this as well, and that's how they got their reputation as excellent swordsmen. I suspect that these Raen's descendants are the ones we see in places like Hingashi and the open settlements of Doma.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MilkieTea

The Raen naming convention is Edo-period Traditional Japanese names. It's not even just Japanese names, it's names specific to the Edo Period.

---

Do we know that this is exclusive to the Raen? The humans of Doma and Hingashi also have many archaic Japanese names.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Iscah

Worship of the kami is a religion in itself, not a vague spirituality in addition to something else. Specifically it is an import of Japanese Shinto, or something close enough to it that perhaps the writers don't see a need to go into further detail.

---

I'm very familiar with Shinto and have a personal copy of the Kojiki myself, so there isn't a need to explain it. The kami in Othard are very vague, with only some primals having equivalents to the Amatsukami and other divinities from Japanese mythology.

It's not that Raen have a lack of lore, it's just that they assimilate completely into hyur culture wherever they go. It's even in their bio:

Quote:

---

"The Raen now make their homes in central Othard and the surrounding islands, where they have forged strong relations with the Hyur and other races, adapting readily to new cultures."

"The Raen coexist peacefully with other races to ensure the safety of their own land"

"The Raen, however, having assimilated to Far Eastern culture, have adopted the common tongue of the Hyur."

---

I don't feel like they're similar to Moon Keepers or Duskwight since we know those two clans have their own culture. Original Raen culture is most likely close to current Xaela culture since they came from the same place. I also don't believe we can look to Sui-no-Sato for answers since those Raen seem to have assimilated Doman culture through the Kojin as those are their only contacts to the outside world as well as the people that made their underwater lifestyle even possible. Underwater Raen architecture resembles more closely nearby Doma and Hingashi than the Azim Steppe, they have Far-Eastern names and dress, and they have a belief in the kami.

As far as the Ilsabardan Au Ra go, we don't know too much about them except that according to an elderly local, they are not native to the region and "arrived over time".

What I would like to know though, is if the Raen have some sort of subculture unique to them despite being in say, Kugane. At least some sort of set of quirks that sets them apart other than their appearance. There are cultures of refugees in our world who have abandoned their original cultures for those of their new home, but unlike in FFXIV, we're all one species and can also blend together. As far as we know, except for one specific legend, modern Au Ra and Hyur do not intermarry or have children together, which would be a barrier to complete assimilation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yuurei94

I was referring to Voeburt, before the Flood of Light. The First's equivalent of Xaela seem to be most populous in the Rak'tika Greatwood.

---

The dark-scaled Drahn of the Greatwood are all members of the Night's Blessed and are extremely recent arrivals. If you notice, the Night's Blessed also have a lot of what we would describe on the Source as Duskwights. I think it's a style choice since they're supposed to represent the night. What I did notice that has actual connections to pre-Flood First, is that the dark-scaled Drahn seem to be Voeburt's nobility.

Quote:

---

I hate to say it, but it is particularly lazy and careless to completely fill so much lore on one clan and severely neglect the other. It makes playing them feel rather shallow and imbeds a sense of not belonging to the world one is playing in. I've tried playing Duskwights and Keepers of the Moon, who have more lore and the Keepers even having their own naming system and smidgens of clan culture observable in the Black Shroud and some of the class/job quests, and they've felt more represented than the Raen.

---

I think it's less lazy and more of a stylistic choice. They still belong to the world and in Hingashi many of the clans are ruled by Raen. Even the governor of Kugane is a Raen.

Quote:

---

Do we know that this is exclusive to the Raen? The humans of Doma and Hingashi also have many archaic Japanese names.

---

This is not unique to the Raen and the other races of the Far-East also have archaic Japanese names. Before Stormblood though, when the Raen were released, refugee Raen from Doma were the only ones to make it to Eorzea so that's why that is their specific naming conventions in the lore forums and in the game.

If I recall, the Raen were "forced out" of the Steppe by the Xaela for wanting something other than a nomadic and war-centric life, which is what led to a large bulk of the Raen population leaving to form Sui-no-Sato and the rest spreading throughout the Far East to become the eventual warriors of the various warlords throughout the Age of Blood. Their assimilation and adoption of other cultures filled the void left from that exodus--which seems to be a strong component of Raen temperament and "culture." Unlike the Xaela, who thrive on sticking to the principles of the Steppe and nothing but, the Raen are far more malleable and capable of adjusting to differing people if it means a place in the world.

In a way? Yeah. Raen are just a "palette swap" for the Au Ra in that they largely just become part of whatever culture that they're born into, but that's largely just because the Raen have actually become more like the Hyur in their tendency to spread throughout the world and adapt. It was their main method of survival post-Steppe. The Xaela get more focused lore because they stubbornly stuck to their guns and decided to keep the bulk of ancient Auri culture. That doesn't mean certain Raen families haven't kept the old traditions alive from their tribal days on the Steppe, or may even still hold some reverence and worship of the Dawn Father. It's just more homogenized or perhaps practiced more privately.

This also isn't accounting for the Raen who did decide to stay on the Steppe, as part of the Malaguld, or who have since decided to return to their old roots by joining up current day. But if you're looking for Raen culture? You do have to look at Xaela culture more closely, too, and perhaps extrapolate the concept of what Raen tribes may have been like. If they were anything like the Xaela (which is why they do get so much more lore in the encyclopedia in comparison), then they were wildly different from one another in scope of tradition and custom.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gerel

If I recall, the Raen were "forced out" of the Steppe by the Xaela for wanting something other than a nomadic and war-centric life, which is what led to a large bulk of the Raen population leaving to form Sui-no-Sato and the rest spreading throughout the Far East to become the eventual warriors of the various warlords throughout the Age of Blood. Their assimilation and adoption of other cultures filled the void left from that exodus--which seems to be a strong component of Raen temperament and "culture." Unlike the Xaela, who thrive on sticking to the principles of the Steppe and nothing but, the Raen are far more malleable and capable of adjusting to differing people if it means a place in the world.

---

From what I understand, the ancestors of the people of Sui-no-Sato were very much a minority within the larger Raen population. According to the lore book, the Raen diaspora merged with the dominant hyur culture of Yanxia by hiring themselves out as samurai and settling into positions of authority and only a few of them didn't want the life of conflict and set out to live under the ocean. The ancestors of those people didn't go straight from the steppe to the sea.

Considering how Raen are even today known for their martial prowess, I'd say that the original exodus was as a result of war rather than an ideological difference.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MikkoAkure

From what I understand, the ancestors of the people of Sui-no-Sato were very much a minority within the larger Raen population. According to the lore book, the Raen diaspora merged with the dominant hyur culture of Yanxia by hiring themselves out as samurai and settling into positions of authority and only a few of them didn't want the life of conflict and set out to live under the ocean. The ancestors of those people didn't go straight from the steppe to the sea.

Considering how Raen are even today known for their martial prowess, I'd say that the original exodus was as a result of war rather than an ideological difference.

---

It's why I put quotation marks around "forced out," admittedly! The go-to answer for the Xaela for any sort of disapproval is largely: "okay, we hear you, but now we're going to hit you." The Raen likely wanted something different for life on the Steppe, which is what led to the ultimate schism that resulted in the forced departure by the Xaela--who were pretty adamant about keeping things "as they'd always been."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yuurei94

I'm very familiar with Shinto and have a personal copy of the Kojiki myself, so there isn't a need to explain it. The kami in Othard are very vague, with only some primals having equivalents to the Amatsukami and other divinities from Japanese mythology.

---

So how was I supposed to know that from you asking "what religion, other than a general belief in kami" the Raen might follow – implying that kami worship doesn't qualify as a religion in itself and there should be something else in addition to it?

And no, I don't think it needs describing in great detail in the game itself, especially if what we know of it has a clear real-world analogue. It's a Japanese religion in a Japanese setting, so assume they are alike unless details are clearly incompatible.

It's something that might get a page in the lorebook (I haven't read volume 2 yet; not sure if it does) but it doesn't necessarily need time dedicated to it in the game unless it's a plot point. They haven't gone into the religions of the Twelve in much more detail than we've heard of the kami, either.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gerel

If I recall, the Raen were "forced out" of the Steppe by the Xaela for wanting something other than a nomadic and war-centric life...

---

That bugs me as a history, because how does that tie in with them being visually different to the Xaela? It's not like every individual who departed is going to suddenly develop different-coloured scales to their ancestors "just because".

The thing that bugs me most is that aside from acknowledging that the Raen once believed themselves descendants of Azim, the Xaela on the steppe make absolutely no reference to the clan whatsoever.

It could just be that none of them even remember the when/why of the divide between the two clans (Particularly given that much of Xaela history has been lost to the ages due to them having no written language), but it still feels awkward.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Iscah

That bugs me as a history, because how does that tie in with them being visually different to the Xaela? It's not like every individual who departed is going to suddenly develop different-coloured scales to their ancestors "just because".

---

They were still Raen, if I recall. There WAS a time where Raen and Xaela did coexist in unison after the mythological war between Azim and Nhaama (which may just be the Xaela's take on the battle between Hydaelyn and Zodiark or a battle between Azem and some other foil), but the Raen did seem to embody the more orderly aspects of the race from the get-go. They didn't like the aimless wandering, the constant need to fight for survival, and instead seemed more interested in settling down and developing a functioning civilization. That's where the ideological schism and (most likely) war hit.

Quote:

---

The thing that bugs me most is that aside from acknowledging that the Raen once believed themselves descendants of Azim, the Xaela on the steppe make absolutely no reference to the clan whatsoever.

It could just be that none of them even remember the when/why of the divide between the two clans (Particularly given that much of Xaela history has been lost to the ages due to them having no written language), but it still feels awkward.

---

I'd say that the majority of Xaela just decided to lump them in together with everybody else as "too weak to survive the Steppe, don't care about you." They didn't seem overly concerned or interested in anybody from the outside world, barring those who frequented Reunion (and the Kha) until an outsider became Khagan. Though I do admit it's a pretty strange thing to not even bring up as a jab. I'd love if we could learn more about what the Raen were like pre-migration.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gerel

They were still Raen, if I recall. There WAS a time where Raen and Xaela did coexist in unison after the mythological war between Azim and Nhaama (which may just be the Xaela's take on the battle between Hydaelyn and Zodiark or a battle between Azem and some other foil), but the Raen did seem to embody the more orderly aspects of the race from the get-go. They didn't like the aimless wandering, the constant need to fight for survival, and instead seemed more interested in settling down and developing a functioning civilization. That's where the ideological schism and (most likely) war hit.

---

I assume (!) Azim is Bahamut, while Nhaama is Tiamat. The battle between Hydaelyn and Zodiark happend thousands of years before.
You must known, that the original Bahamut was more calm and wise. Not like the hatefull primal during the allagan war.

Its pretty hard to tell, where Au Ra have their roots. In auri lore, it is stated, that two gods (Azim, the Dawn Father and Nhaama, the Dusk Mother) created the world and quarreled over which should rule the new world, and created mortals to serve as their soldiers to wage a war by proxy. But they let their differences aside and learned to love one another. Both gods then left their creations and returned to the heavens.

It is known, that first brood dragons (Bahamut and Tiamat) alongside with their children (dragons) have their origins in Meracydia, together with other species and the Warring Triad (Sephiroth, Zurvan and Sophia). Hyur discovered Meracydia and lived in peace with the other races. Then the Allagans came and started to conquer Meracydia which ended in the death of Bahamut (and later his summon and capture as a primal) and the capture of the meracydian dragons and the Warring Triad within Azyz Lla. Not to mention with the help of the Voidsent. Meracydia is now a wasteland.

THEORY STARTS HERE:
I believe that Tiamat and Bahamut must left Meracydia somewhere after Hyur discovery and before the allagan invasion and created the Au Ra in the Azim Steppe by mixing dragon- and hyur-genes. Maybe they want to find out, if coexistence with Hyur will work or if the hyur nature affect the personality of future descendants (think about the dragon-elezen-relationship in Heavensward with Shiva and Hraesvelgr). So they gave both races (Raen from Bahamut, Xaela from Tiamat) the task to fight eachother in a war. Both Raen and Xaela followed the order of their "gods" first. But after some time, they put their differences aside. Tiamat and Bahamut watched that process and discovered, that both races can survive alone and live in peace. So they left their creations and returned to meracydia and agree with a coexistence with Hyur.

Raen and Xaela lived in peace for the most part. But the initial battle against eachother may created the tradition to fight over the throne in the Azim Steppe (Naadam, a yearly ritual to determine the ruling tribe and Khagan of the Steppe). Xaela and Raen formed dozens of clans during this time. Some were tribe-exclusive (Raen- or Xaela-exclusive) other clans have members of mixed tribes (Xaela and Raen - Malagud may be the last one of them).

At some point, most Raen clans decided to leave the Azim steppe to outrun the yearly "conflict" with other clans. Every clan took another route to other countries. As they still are the soldiers with their innate martial prowess, some Raen found empolyment as soldiers as swordsmen in the Far East. But many others wanted a life of tranquility and solitude settling in the valleys of Othards mountains or desired to leave any conflict behind and build a home in Sui No Sato with the help of the Kojin. Most Raen adapted the cultures of Doma and Hingashi and left their traditions and clans behind.

But not all Raen clans were that lucky. In the early years of the movement from their homeland, they were received with hatred and hostility. Especially those who traveled through garlean and ishgardian territory. The Garlean occupied Doma, so many Au Ra (Raen and Xaela) found their way to Ishgard as refugees. Unfortuneately, Au Ra were mistaken as dragons and facing a permanent conflict with the ishgardian inquisition during the dragonsong war. Needless to say, that very few Au Ra survived that (or worse). Consequently, they hide their appearance when getting in contact with new people.

Conversely, the Xaela still live mostly in the Azim Steppe and its surrounding regions, maintaining their nomadic way of life, language and traditions including the "Naadam" and "Bardams Mettle". Most Xaela will face strangers as potential enemies. As such, they are typically regarded with suspicion and hostility.


Speculations:
- It was Tiamats (Nhaamas) idea to let both races fight each other ("Naadam" and "Nhaama").
- Xaela are physically stronger and tenacious due to their nomadic lifestyle (and their race stats)
- Raen are more adaptive and intellectual due to their integration with other cultures (and their race stats)
- Raen may be more present in Sharlayan, because of their search for life of tranquility and solitude.

THEORY ENDS HERE

I feel like Endwalker is going to have to touch on exactly how all of the races came about as the events immediately after the Sundering are a big unknown but very important and it's been suggested multiple times that they came about as a side effect of it.

The whole dragon/Au Ra relationship seems fairly debunked simply for the fact that the Au Ra already had a well-established presence on the steppe during the height of the Allagan Empire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

Azim is Bahamut, while Nhaama is Tiamat.

---

That is entirely your speculation, not a fact. Most of the rest of what you wrote sounds unfamiliar as well.

If you're making up your own lore, make that clear – especially in a discussion about how much lore exists.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Iscah

That is entirely your speculation, not a fact. Most of the rest of what you wrote sounds unfamiliar as well.

If you're making up your own lore, make that clear – especially in a discussion about how much lore exists.

---

Then you missed the point entirely or didnt actually read what I wrote. I never said that all I wrote is canon. Only the 2nd and 3rd part are known from ingame material or books. Try again.

There is not much lore about Au Ra, topic closed.

But if you know better you re free to enlighten us. Tell us, who are Azim and Nhaama?

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/308500

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

Then you missed the point entirely or didnt actually read what I wrote. I never said that all I wrote is canon. Only the 2nd and 3rd part are known from ingame material or books. Try again.

There is not much lore about Au Ra. But if you know better you re free to enlighten us.

---

"Try again" at what, exactly? I correctly identified that most of what you wrote is not canon, and that you did not make it clear where you were stating actual fact (for a given value of fact when discussing a fictional world) and where you were describing things you'd just made up.

I don't know more Auri lore to enlighten you with, but that's exactly why I'm objecting to you coming into a thread where someone is asking for real lore, and instead giving them your personal fiction – without making it clear that it's fiction.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

Then you missed the point entirely or didnt actually read what I wrote. I never said that all I wrote is canon. Only the 2nd and 3rd part are known from ingame material or books. Try again.

There is not much lore about Au Ra. But if you know better you re free to enlighten us.

---

We already know both from the writers telling us outright as well as the fact that there are Au Ra on the First, that they have no relation to dragons at all. The dragons came to our world after the split had already happened and would not have been able to create Au Ra on other shards.

The tribes that fled the Garleans were Xaela, not Raen. Not all Xaela live on the steppe and the ones on the borderlands left. The Raen in Ilsabard have been there before the Garleans came. Werlyt itself was taken around the same time if not before Doma was, so it would not make sense for there to suddenly be a minority population of Raen who already have been assimilated into the local Hyuran culture and have Ilsabardan names to be refugees from a conflict happening at the same time, thousands of malms away.

Sharlayan is a city that has attracted people from all races for over 1000 years so I wouldn't put too much stock in the racial groups there. Especially since Sharlayan themselves don't take racial censuses and they seem to not consider race important at all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Iscah

"Try again" at what, exactly? I correctly identified that most of what you wrote is not canon, and that you did not make it clear where you were stating actual fact (for a given value of fact when discussing a fictional world) and where you were describing things you'd just made up.

I don't know more Auri lore to enlighten you with, but that's exactly why I'm objecting to you coming into a thread where someone is asking for real lore, and instead giving them your personal fiction – without making it clear that it's fiction.

---

Well, I thought when I start my text with "I believe", it would be clear, that the following is speculative. Nevermind, changed it. We dont confuse ppl, right?

Actually, there is a bit lore about Au Ra. More for Xaela than Raen. But the issue is, its spread over the place. The books doesnt provide much information and even in the game, there is not much to read.
Auri lore is like a puzzle with 100 pieces, and you re sitting here to figure it out by having 25 pieces. The rest is missing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

Well, I thought when I start my text with "I believe", it would be clear, that the following is speculative.

---

Your "I believe" wasn't until four paragraphs in, long after you led your post with a statement that was just as speculative.

But anyway. You changed it now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

Well, I thought when I start my text with "I believe", it would be clear, that the following is speculative. Nevermind, changed it. We dont confuse ppl, right?

Actually, there is a bit lore about Au Ra. More for Xaela than Raen. But the issue is, its spread over the place. The books doesnt provide much information and even in the game, there is not much to read.
Auri lore is like a puzzle with 100 pieces, and you re sitting here to figure it out by having 25 pieces. The rest is missing.

---

I think that a lit of races have that problem with Lore spread unevenly between the two Clans. Seekers get more than Keepers, but even the Miqo'te Lore could be more, maybe where the different Seeker Clans live or how exactly the matrimony of the Keepers works. Elezen have some stuff that has to be spread between Ishgard and Gridania and Duskweight are treated rather poorly. Viera have quite a lot of Lore, but only for their First counterpart. It's one of the things I'm holding my breath for with 6.x onwards, building on what we have so far. That's one of the reasons why I welcome them doing no more races, more opportunities to flesh out the ones they already have.

(And don't get me started on Lore for mixed races or Lore for mixed Clans...)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RicaRuin

I think that a lit of races have that problem with Lore spread unevenly between the two Clans. Seekers get more than Keepers, but even the Miqo'te Lore could be more, maybe where the different Seeker Clans live or how exactly the matrimony of the Keepers works. Elezen have some stuff that has to be spread between Ishgard and Gridania and Duskweight are treated rather poorly. Viera have quite a lot of Lore, but only for their First counterpart. It's one of the things I'm holding my breath for with 6.x onwards, building on what we have so far. That's one of the reasons why I welcome them doing no more races, more opportunities to flesh out the ones they already have.

(And don't get me started on Lore for mixed races or Lore for mixed Clans...)

---

I wonder if there are more than 2 clans/tribes/subspecies per race. And why there are only 2 (lorewise, not gameplay-wise). Othardian Roegadyn for example (Gosetsu Daito) are way different than regular Roegadyn. I dont know if they count as a 3rd clan/tribe/subspecies.

Dont get me wrong here, Eorzea is huge and mostly undiscovered and stuff. But we never saw a single Hrothgar all these years until Shadowbringers (in the first and later in Bozja). Hyur on the other hand are everywhere. Is there any (lorewise) explanation why some races just appear out of nowhere?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

I wonder if there are more than 2 clans/tribes/subspecies per race. And why there are only 2 (lorewise, not gameplay-wise). Othardian Roegadyn for example (Gosetsu Daito) are way different than regular Roegadyn. I dont know if they count as a 3rd clan/tribe/subspecies.

Dont get me wrong here, Eorzea is huge and mostly undiscovered and stuff. But we never saw a single Hrothgar all these years until Shadowbringers (in the first and later in Bozja). Hyur on the other hand are everywhere. Is there any (lorewise) explanation why some races just appear out of nowhere?

---

You kinda gave the answer with your own musings about gameplay and story segregation - gameplay wise, those races never existed before because they were only implemented later. Lore wise, those races have ever existed even in Eorzea, as an adventurer of these races is treated just like any other.

They lack the resources to retrospectively add NPCs of new races in older areas except for new Quests.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

I wonder if there are more than 2 clans/tribes/subspecies per race. And why there are only 2 (lorewise, not gameplay-wise). Othardian Roegadyn for example (Gosetsu Daito) are way different than regular Roegadyn. I dont know if they count as a 3rd clan/tribe/subspecies.

Dont get me wrong here, Eorzea is huge and mostly undiscovered and stuff. But we never saw a single Hrothgar all these years until Shadowbringers (in the first and later in Bozja). Hyur on the other hand are everywhere. Is there any (lorewise) explanation why some races just appear out of nowhere?

---

A while ago, there was an interview regarding the Raen and Xaela. A question was posed on whether or not we'd learn more about them in the future, and the answer started veering into the territory of the "secret existence" of a third clan of Au Ra-- but that was quickly shushed by Yoshi-P himself before it could be finished. We don't know if it was a joke or if there were originally plans to introduce something related to expanding the clan lore.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Caitlyn

I wonder if there are more than 2 clans/tribes/subspecies per race. And why there are only 2 (lorewise, not gameplay-wise). Othardian Roegadyn for example (Gosetsu Daito) are way different than regular Roegadyn. I dont know if they count as a 3rd clan/tribe/subspecies.

Dont get me wrong here, Eorzea is huge and mostly undiscovered and stuff. But we never saw a single Hrothgar all these years until Shadowbringers (in the first and later in Bozja). Hyur on the other hand are everywhere. Is there any (lorewise) explanation why some races just appear out of nowhere?

---

There are more clans per race. I believe Koji mentioned it in some interviews, and it was also mentioned in the lorebooks and sources in-game like field records. For example, Midlander Hyur only exist in Eorzea. Hyur elsewhere are labeled "Dalmascan Hyur" or "Far-Eastern Hyur". The Roegadyn of Yanxia are "Far-Eastern Roegadyn". The same goes for Elezen. The Elezen of Ishgard are not Wildwoods or Duskwight, but a separate clan entirely.

Lalafell probably don't have more than 2 clans. Lalafell are very much isolated to Eorzea and the Southern Islands. Hrothgar also seem to just be from the former Bozjan Kingdom, and Viera aren't spread out enough to have more variations.

Honestly, I would LOVE to see more Lore explored for each Clan. I definitely fell in love with the Xaela's rich history, but I agree, every Clan deserves similar depth where possible.

To me, it almost comes across as the Raen are just "normal people-Au Ra", in contrast to the Xaela, who are all very specifically tribalistic. I'm personally not a big fan of Mikoto, and it struck me as a case similar to the Miqo'te, where an NPC was added that is essentially just "human", but given another race, just to avoid too many Hyur.

In truth, I would've suspected that the Raen would be the predominant race in the nation of Kugane (the "Japan" to Othard's "China/Mongolia"). Who knows, maybe that will be the case later on after all, given what few Raen settlements exist, all seem expressly Japanese in nature.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Terin

Honestly, I would LOVE to see more Lore explored for each Clan. I definitely fell in love with the Xaela's rich history, but I agree, every Clan deserves similar depth where possible.

To me, it almost comes across as the Raen are just "normal people-Au Ra", in contrast to the Xaela, who are all very specifically tribalistic. I'm personally not a big fan of Mikoto, and it struck me as a case similar to the Miqo'te, where an NPC was added that is essentially just "human", but given another race, just to avoid too many Hyur.

In truth, I would've suspected that the Raen would be the predominant race in the nation of Kugane (the "Japan" to Othard's "China/Mongolia"). Who knows, maybe that will be the case later on after all, given what few Raen settlements exist, all seem expressly Japanese in nature.

---

According to the lore book, only 10% of Hingashi (the country Kugane is a part of) is Raen. 15% is "Far-Eastern Roegadyn", 50% is "Far-Eastern Hyur", 25% is "Other" which probably consists of beastmen like Tengu and Namazu, considering we've seen no Far-Eastern Viera, Miqo'te, Elezen, or Lalafell.

The Japanese-esque culture in the game is most likely the local Hyur culture, that the Raen have adopted. That said, there are prominent Raen clans in Hingashi and a Raen currently rules Kugane, but there are also Hyur clans and the natives to the region are Hyur. The reason Sui-no-Sato looks how it does is because those Raen were living in Yanxia for years before they decided to split off and go underwater. If they didn't assimilate into the local Hyur culture before then, they did when they partnered with the Kojin, who also have the same Doman culture and religion.