Miqo'te Lore

I kinda like the lore surrounding the Miqo'te in this game like the whole "Tia" and "Nun" thing going with the Seeker of the Sun tribes and how the Keepers of the Moon don't follow those rules but I've been wondering something from some time now and wanted to share it with you guys and maybe hearing what the people on the lore forum think.

Is it me or the Miqo'te females are really open minded when it comes to sex partners? I say this because since ver. 1.0 they seemed to portrait them like the do enjoy mocking people with this, like when you choose a Miqo'te as a partner in some of the story line quest she says multiple times that "she would love to share a bed with you" even if your character is a woman and she also says other quirky comments and it seems that they continue this on 2.0 with some NPC dialogues.

Maybe I'm thinking too much but its also funny in how almost every dancer in the game is a Miqo'te aside from the ones in the quest in Costa del Sol or how there is FATE there where you have to escort a female Miqo'te to her "client" in the beach and so on.
It is also possible that they like to play with people and mock them due to their "cat nature" or that they like the attention since there is supposed to be a really "low population" of Miqot'es in Erozea.

Probably I'm thinking things too much but just wanted to hear what you guys think. :)

well cats are quite libral so I guess thats one of the trait they added from actual IRL cats. as for population I would say the its mostly cats on player base be it male or female cat.

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Originally Posted by RedAntares

Is it me or the Miqo'te females are really open minded when it comes to sex partners?

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I get the same impression too. I suppose there's a very heavy boundary between sexual play and breeding for them otherwise it seems to say a lot about Miqo'te men of the Sunseeker tribes if females are supposedly not impressed by anyone who is not a Nunh but dabble with the other races frequently. :rolleyes: Another explanation might be that these more frisky Miqo'te don't belong to any particular clan and don't subscribe to their values and so are given some leeway in how they act.

Actually, anyone care to check the distribution of whether it's mostly Moonkeeper or Sunseeker that work at Costa Del Sol and others in the cities that engage in risqué behavior? It would be interesting if they all turned out to be a majority of one or the other!

I've thought about how Miqo'te pair up with other races quite a bit, being that my character is a hyur, and my husband's is a sunseeker male, even though we don't RP our characters are 'together.'

I've always assumed that their choice in who they breed with is entirely seperate to who they choose to love or just have fun with, at least with sun seekers. I guess this makes sense with the females, they wouldn't really want to claim a nunh when the whole point is that the strongest male/s are meant to be the breeding stock for the tribe. But what about the males? It seems that becoming a nunh is a pretty big deal, I guess nunh doesnt automatically mean leader, but it certainly comes with respect. I can only think of two nunh NPCs, the one who runs his own settlement out in thanalan, and the coeurl king (I assume he's a nunh) who is, well..a king. The females are obviously open to pairing up with other races, but how do the males feel? They already have a lot of females who they can be with, and if they're a tia, seems becoming a nunh would be a big priority for the respect and status. Would they be interested in other races? Would the females dislike it if their males looked elsewhere? We don't really know too much or have many examples of male miqo'te in game.

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Originally Posted by Artamie

Actually, anyone care to check the distribution of whether it's mostly Moonkeeper or Sunseeker that work at Costa Del Sol and others in the cities that engage in risqué behavior?

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Oh! That would be interesting to investigate, I'm gonna see how the distribution is next time I play. :D It also seems that Moonkeepers are really rare since they are supposed to be concentrated on the Black Shroud and only come out at night but gonna be fun to see how many Moonseekers I can find.

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Originally Posted by Dijana

Would the females dislike it if their males looked elsewhere?

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I think that male Miqo'tes are really proud individuals and would do whatever it takes to become a Nunh and since according to lore they like to be alone most of time, it might be difficult for them to come closer to females of other races but there might be some cases where they might mate or fall in love with other females outside their race/tribe.

I haven't noticed this propensity as much in 2.0, but I must admit that I don't notice the incidental dialogue of NPCs that we have now very much. As far as the Moon Keepers of Gridania go, they seem more career-minded as with most other denizens of The Shroud. There is a fair skinned Moon Keeper in the Archer Guild quest line who, though more laid back than the others, is clearly focused on her role as a teacher. There is also a drow-toned Moon Keeper in the Wood Wailers who you will encounter in a side quest chain when the main story takes you to Coerthas. She is singularly devoted to Ixali extermination and said to be a harsh leader. And so, though I cannot say this with certainty, anecdotal evidence points to Moon Keepers being less... prone to sowing their wild oats.

There is also the Miqo'te in the Arcanist line who seems entirely focused on her craft, but I do not recall if she was a Sun Seeker or a Moon Keeper. Then again, most Arcanist NPCs you meet seem to be more focused on academics and arcane secrets than on socializing and fraternizing.

The Sun Seekers of Ul'dah are a whole other story. I kind of wonder if the Sun Seekers living there and at Costa del Sol are the libertine ones while those who live a tribal lifestyle or are dedicated to a guild are more staid. I lack the data to say for certain. There's a lot in 1.0 that would indicate that Ul'dah Miqo'te are very libertine, but it could be that in different locations and in different situations we are seeing different segments of the Miqo'te population. There are many Sun Seekers in Ul'dah. And many of them are dancers. There is a lot of innuendo from NPCs that either they do put out on occasion or that prostitution is happening. This is never said outright, likely for content ratings reasons.

The Tribal/City split with the Sun Seekers interests me very much, as they seem to have stark cultural differences.

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Originally Posted by Dijana

I can only think of two nunh NPCs, the one who runs his own settlement out in thanalan, and the coeurl king (I assume he's a nunh) who is, well..a king.

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Actually, the Coeurl poachers out in the Black Shroud are Keepers of the Moon, so he wouldn't even be a nunh, since that's a Seeker of the Sun thing... though on the other hand it's rather unique on its own since the Keepers of the Moon are rather matriarchal in general.

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Originally Posted by Saikou

The Tribal/City split with the Sun Seekers interests me very much, as they seem to have stark cultural differences.

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Yeah, it's really interesting, it would be nice if they released more info on the lore of the races in the future but as you said, it seems that the Moonkeepers are more focused on their tasks rather than fooling around with other races, while the Sunseekers are more laid back and cheerful.

Another thing that caught my attention is that it's possible that not all the Sunseekers live in groups ruled by a Nunh and some of them prefer the city life and since Ulda'h is a city where you can't do anything without money it would be common for them to fall into prostitution for a quick buck or even to survive since it seems that life in the city is kinda harsh at the moment with all the refugees coming from other places thanks to the calamity.

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Originally Posted by Reinhart

Actually, the Coeurl poachers out in the Black Shroud are Keepers of the Moon, so he wouldn't even be a nunh, since that's a Seeker of the Sun thing... though on the other hand it's rather unique on its own since the Keepers of the Moon are rather matriarchal in general.

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Good point,I had a mindblank on that. I kind of just was trying to think of any nunh's and he came to mind since he was the obvious leader there, which is odd for moonkeepers so I just assumed without thinking.

I'm leaning towards Sunseeker tribes having individual power structures and cultures besides the blanket Tia/Nunh division. Some may be "rural tribes" and some may be "city tribes". Ferne said that nunh does not necessary mean a leadership position, but the nunh of the U tride is very obviously in charge of the tribe. With two Sharlayan npcs being from the Y tribe, I wonder if that tribe is more associated with Sharlayan. It would be interesting to do a tribal survey to see if there are certain cities that certain tribes are associated.

There does not seem to be much on the keepers, besides their reputation as archers and that like the Duskwright to a lesser degree many seem to exist on the fringes of Gridanian society. I remember there being Moonkeeper NPCs in Ul'dah in 1.0 but I don't recall seeing any now. Keeper npcs in the storylines seem to be fairly rare compared to other races and tribes. I'd love to know more considering I am one. :-) Hopefully there will be quests with them in future patches or Ferne will have some time to let us know more.

Perhaps the U tribe represents a matrilineal society. At the very least, it represents one where the females seem to retain the power of sexual selection in a way that most human tribes do not.

Closest literary example that comes to mind is Heinlein's `The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress`; in the lunar society, women called all the shots sexually when it came to choosing or rejecting partners. Males were more passive, though they still held an active role in society and government.

Well, I can try to shed some light on behavior, if nothing else.

Depending on tribe size, there are only a very small number of breeding males. The rest of the dudes, however few there are, don't really get to copulate. And since there's all those females for just a couple males...you see where this is going. The gals need to get their fix from somewhere, so it might as well be someone who's just as deprived as you, or willing to give you something (money, etc.) for your time. *shrug*

Another thing to consider is that there may be a a bit of pride to be a Miqo'te mother. As a Seeker, you were chosen by a male. Not just a male, but the male. The male is the best in the tribe at doing what he does, and he chose you. And your children get to take his name as their surname (assuming they are females). What an honor! All the ladies at the hunting camps will be so jealous!

You know how teenagers and soccer moms gush over attractive celebrities getting together? Same deal.

Keepers are a little tougher to reason. However, as a Keeper, you're in charge. You might decide to pass along your station as head of the household one day, and you're looking for a prospective candidate. You're not going to let some other House move in on you, so take up motherhood as a symbol that you and your stock mean to stick around.

I dunno. Some things to think about.

It seems to me that mating between the Nunh and the females of a Sunseeker tribe is more based on ritual than anything. There's nothing personal between the Nunh and any one female, but if you want the best possible kids then hopping in the sack with the Nunh is the way to go. It's one of the most basic survival instincts that's ingrained in living organisms: if you want your offspring to live, then you'll go for the best mate to ensure that. Outside of that, it seems they don't particularly care who they have sex with. The only thing I think they'd avoid is actually having kids with anyone outside of the Nunh, but that would most likely apply only to those who still remain in their tribe. If they're outside of the tribe (ie, living in Ul'Dah or some other city/settlement) then all bets are off, I'd imagine.

Talking to a lot of NPCs in the U Tribe, it was really interesting to read some of the incidental dialogue. In particular, there were some female Sunseekers gossiping about when they were next due for bedding by the Nunh. They used a term for it which is escaping my mind, I'll have to go back to the zone and find the text again.

I found this really interesting; copulating is scheduled between the female and Nunh. Is it based on her fertility cycle? Are there any other criteria? Does the Nunh have a secretary to keep track of his appointments?

As a Tia for the L Tribe, I look forward to seeing areas of settlement/camps of other Tribes in Eorzea. Go Vipers!

It seems the U are the only ones with an obvious structure and hunting grounds right now, whilst in Limsa and Ul'dah, members of the other tribes are indeed present, though they do not seem to congregate together and instead blend with the rest of the city.

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Originally Posted by RedAntares

I kinda like the lore surrounding the Miqo'te in this game like the whole "Tia" and "Nun" thing going with the Seeker ...

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Hi, where do you found thoes lore of different races?
i try to search in this forum and info website, still kinda lack of
since i love RP i would like to understand more about the difference between keeper of the moon and seeker of the sun, especially their traditions and cultures

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Originally Posted by Misutoraru

Hi, where do you found thoes lore of different races?
i try to search in this forum and info website, still kinda lack of
since i love RP i would like to understand more about the difference between keeper of the moon and seeker of the sun, especially their traditions and cultures

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The naming conventions thread goes into it a little.

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Originally Posted by Kyan

It seems the U are the only ones with an obvious structure and hunting grounds right now, whilst in Limsa and Ul'dah, members of the other tribes are indeed present, though they do not seem to congregate together and instead blend with the rest of the city.

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Say, fellow cat, I have a small impression.
I have impression that certain tribes are more present in certain city-states. Also when you look at the one settlement of the U tribe you realize it is FAR too small in comparison to how many miqo'te of the U tribe are around the cities. I'm trying a census to know where each tribe is more prevalent, however.

Given their culture, it's not really surprising that the Seekers of the Sun tend to be a little promiscuous when they're separated from their tribe. They're probably conditioned or have natural instincts towards attracting males/mates/their Nunh, and I think that they show signs of that even when not living the tribal life is a little detail that makes their race more charming.

Also, I think we should take out-of-game lore details with a grain of salt. It was said that the Nunh isn't necessarily the tribe's leader, but the U clearly treat it as the boss position, and the "matriarchal" Keepers of the Moon of the Coeurlclaws are very affectionate towards their "king", if you listen to the random dialogue bubbles during the events.

Of course, one-off examples aren't proof of anything, but they're currently the only examples of them in-game.

Gotta remember that while a Nuhn isn't nescessarily the leader, he basically has to earn that post.
U'odh earned his post by pretty much killing a god, the Company of Heroes defeated Titan without even having the protection of the Echo. He, in particular, is gigantically badass and pretty damn fitting to his post both as nuhn and as a leader

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Originally Posted by Misutoraru

Hi, where do you found thoes lore of different races?
i try to search in this forum and info website, still kinda lack of
since i love RP i would like to understand more about the difference between keeper of the moon and seeker of the sun, especially their traditions and cultures

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Hello!

Sure! Here's the link of the wiki where I found a lot of info on the lore of the Miqo'te. Hope it helps. :)

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Miqo%27te/Naming

Reading a bit more on the lore, it's seems that the "Nunh status" doesn't mean leadership! :O It also seems that in fact, it's really rare for a Nunh to become the leader of the tribe and that there could be more Nunhs depending on the size of the tribe.

It seems that I was mistaken since I though that being a Nunh meant being the leader of that tribe.

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Originally Posted by Skies

Say, fellow cat, I have a small impression.
I have impression that certain tribes are more present in certain city-states. Also when you look at the one settlement of the U tribe you realize it is FAR too small in comparison to how many miqo'te of the U tribe are around the cities. I'm trying a census to know where each tribe is more prevalent, however.

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I look forward to finding out where I belong!

One thing I'd like to know more about, though I doubt it would ever come up, is how often Sun Seeker males turn their affections toward other males.

Think about it: A nunh is specifically the best male (or small collection of males) that the tribe has to offer. They're the fastest, strongest, and smartest males that the females have access to, and the females WANT the best so that their children have the best genes working on their side. All those qualities can be obtained through a tia's hard work and dedication towards wanting to become his tribe's next nunh.

But sometimes, in that not-all-too-uncommon scenario, one or more of those qualities are impossible to achieve. You can't sell yourself the fastest if you took an arrow to the knee. You can't be the smartest if you suffered a head injury or born with a disability. Or like me: I've had health issues my whole life and that's not a reputation that the N tribe females are going to just forget.

If there's no chance for me and others like me to earn a female's attention, well...

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Originally Posted by Skies

Gotta remember that while a Nuhn isn't nescessarily the leader, he basically has to earn that post.
U'odh earned his post by pretty much killing a god, the Company of Heroes defeated Titan without even having the protection of the Echo. He, in particular, is gigantically badass and pretty damn fitting to his post both as nuhn and as a leader

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That's true, but there's still the fact that the U tribe clearly treat the position of Nunh and the position of tribal leader as one in the same. The two U Tia who were gunning for leader of the tribe did so by going after the position of Nunh, rather than U'odh specifically. They acted like the two roles were synonymous.

It just remains to be seen of treating the Nunh as the tribe leader was strictly a U thing, or if there was some mix up in our information.

I would love to learn more about the cultural structure of the Keeper's of the Moon. We are mostly only told that they are matriarchal and that males are numbered with a suffix when born because of their small numbers. Also that family names are carried down through the mother's side.

It almost seems like they would be more of a one mate type partnerships going on as the family unit is more important. I believe it also says that Keeper's live in groups of two or three families. How exactly does that work out? Is there a council of Crones that makes decisions for the families? Or is it more on an individual family bases thing?

Also, you can have multiple groups of a single tribe for the Seeker's. I know Fern posted it on the old Loadstone lore forums before they switched over. So we have our U-tribe band near Forgotten Springs, but there could be a whole other band of U-tribe with their own Nuhn that rules, living, say, closer to Drybone for instance. The 26 main tribes of Seeker's are well established and very large. You are bound to find variation of rules and practices between bands even within the same tribe given that large areas needed to sustain their numbers.

For the record, in the U Tribe home town out in the desert, there is a Miqo'te female going back and forth between flirting with a Hyur males across the stream to getting advice from another Miqo'te female.

Caught my attention when I saw it because I found it quite funny how the Hyur male was acting. lol