Au Ra physiology and other lore.

[Cilia]

And yet, [someone fighting after being dismembered] has happened in real life. Except the guy did eventually die from his wounds, because this was WWII and not Eorzea.

I'm not saying that it's impossible, just improbable. Endorphins and adrenaline could have easily kept him going.

Anything is possible, if you wanna follow Ancient Aliens logic.

[Vejjiegirl]

If you wanna follow Ancient Aliens logic.

[Viridiana]

I'm not saying that it's impossible, just improbable. Endorphins and adrenaline could have easily kept him going.

Maybe I just want an excuse to talk about people doing crazy stuff that seems like it should just be fantasy.

[Kytrin]

I'm not saying that it's impossible, just improbable. Endorphins and adrenaline could have easily kept him going.

Anything is possible, if you wanna follow Ancient Aliens logic.

Perhaps a bit less improbable than you're thinking. I distinctly recall there was some pretty extreme rage from Raubahn when the Sultana was assassinated, and I'm halfway convinced he was in love with her as well. Combined with the fact he's a boss level gladiator and you have quasi decent odds of it going down like that. Of course, I was still screaming at my character to phoenix down Nanamo and be done with it, but that's a whole OTHER thing... :P

[Niwashi]

Oh, pretty active thread and I'm a bit behind on it, but:

We don't know, but what we do know is nomadic cultures function in a certain way that doesn't match up with Xaela culture.

You keep claiming that "nomadic cultures" function a certain way, but in fact hunter gatherers are very different from herdsmen and both of those are very different from traders, but all of those can be nomadic. And there could be a wide range of cultural differences even within one of those basic types.

Assassination isn't something generally used to take out enemy troops, mainly heads of power. Chances are if they were so aware of the constant threat of stealth, all they'd need is enough men to box in the assassin and deal with her, because she more than likely isn't strong enough to overpower the male if there's a Speed vs Strength dynamic with the sexes.

Tribal warfare rarely involves "troops". It sounds like you're thinking in terms of organized armies. Warfare among the Xaela could just involve small raiding parties using hit and run tactics, taking advantage of stealth and surprise to steal livestock or supplies from their enemies.

Plus considering the way the Auri horns function in enhancing hearing and special recognition capabilities, it'd be pretty difficult to sneak up one one, much less many. Stealth doesn't work offensively with the Au Ra due to their horns.

Acute hearing would be an advantage certainly, but it would still depend on what other noises are around. If the Xaela raise livestock, then there would likely be plenty of noise from them to hide the noise of an approaching enemy. And someone with acute hearing would also have an advantage in learning stealth, perhaps enough so to sneak up on someone else who also has good hearing.

Well if we are going to use real world examples then well the males are kind of well crap for the steppe. The females have a more Mongolian/Native america build. And Steppe nomads in Eurasia generally were all about being small mobile killing machines vs big bruisers. They made significant use cavalry, there's a reason why you don't have people like the Rock as Jockeys.

Xaela men are hardly "big bruisers". Sure they're tall and that gives them more overall mass, but they're also fairly slender. Their musculature is more clearly defined than the women's, but it looks more like the lithe muscles of a gymnast than the bulky ones of a body builder.

[Niwashi]

Introducing more "tough female" models might help, but then again it might not. Considering they've already done so with the female Highlanders and Roegadyn and people aren't playing them much, signs are not favorable.

It wasn't just that people wanted a tough female. It was that they wanted the new dragon-based race to be tough. We can be a reasonably tough looking ordinary woman, but add in anything the least bit exotic and it has to switch back to the waifish moe look. I think that's kind of what annoyed some people.

[Cilia]

Perhaps a bit less improbable than you're thinking. I distinctly recall there was some pretty extreme rage from Raubahn when the Sultana was assassinated, and I'm halfway convinced he was in love with her as well. Combined with the fact he's a boss level gladiator and you have quasi decent odds of it going down like that. Of course, I was still screaming at my character to phoenix down Nanamo and be done with it, but that's a whole OTHER thing... :P

Well, maybe. Raubahn was certainly enraged enough for adrenaline to keep him going, and I acknowledge that. I also concur that he loved Nanamo, though whether he was in love with her was another matter; I always got a more father / daughter feel from their relationship than that of lovers. (On the other hand, a more romantic relationship lends credence to my theory about Dragonsong further hinting at cyclical history.) He was also probably in peak physical condition, which would definitely help.

Still, the body can only lose so much blood before oxygen deprivation cuts in, and with that large open wound he'd be constantly losing blood every second he went medically unattended to. He never got any medical attention on screen, and his rage seemed to have at least calmed for at least a few moments when he freed us and told us to flee.

Not saying Raubahn fighting in the condition he was in was impossible, just a little improbable. Even with adrenaline and endorphins, the human body has limits.

And no, you can't use Phoenix Down for plotline death! Didn't Aerith teach you anything?!

Anyway, stop derailing the thread with a bad supporting argument!

You keep claiming that "nomadic cultures" function a certain way, but in fact hunter gatherers are very different from herdsmen and both of those are very different from traders, but all of those can be nomadic. And there could be a wide range of cultural differences even within one of those basic types.

Thing is, the official site does say the Xaela "roam the vast western steppe [of Othard] in close-knit tribes hunting, gathering, and warring as their ancestors have for countless generations" and that they "bloody the land with their endless tribal conflict." We don't know the specifics, but it's outright stated they're hunter-gatherers, and it's not hard to infer that they're kinda violent overall.

Popular theory is that this means they're the Mongolians or Huns of Hydaelyn, but we don't know that yet.

It wasn't just that people wanted a tough female. It was that they wanted the new dragon-based race to be tough. We can be a reasonably tough looking ordinary woman, but add in anything the least bit exotic and it has to switch back to the waifish moe look. I think that's kind of what annoyed some people.

Valid point, but aside from artwork stating "race_dragon" (which has their waifish look on it) and Yugiri (the first real hint at their in-universe existence, who was pretty damn waifish from the outset) there was nothing to suggest Au Ra were based on dragons, or that they'd be big and tough-looking. Hell we still don't know they're related to dragons, something the official website gladly points out. (Maybe they're the result of Allagan genetic experimentation? )

I actually thought Yugiri was something like a Burmecian from IX at first. Am I dumb?

Anyway, I do understand the disappointment (I do wish the Auri women were a bit tougher looking), but well... loud German chanting.

It's an in-joke.

[Kaiser-Ace]

Perhaps a bit less improbable than you're thinking. I distinctly recall there was some pretty extreme rage from Raubahn when the Sultana was assassinated, and I'm halfway convinced he was in love with her as well. Combined with the fact he's a boss level gladiator and you have quasi decent odds of it going down like that. Of course, I was still screaming at my character to phoenix down Nanamo and be done with it, but that's a whole OTHER thing... :P

He was definitely in a berserker state (When extreme rage causes adrenaline to completely over whelm the frontal lobe of the brain) and it has been recorded of people in this state being in a medical state of death and still fighting. (Like still fighting long after they've bleed to death)

As far as Raubahn's relationship with Nanamo, I see it as a Father-Daughter relationship since he seems to be in his late 40s to early 50s and she's barley in her 20s. So how would you react if not only you were told that your daughter had been murdered, but the little shit that told you started bad mouthing her afterwards? And that's why Adaledji is dead, his mouth wrote a check that his ass couldn't cash.

Ilberd only cut off his arm, but then the shock was immediately overwhelmed by a SECOND berserker state (Albeit more controlled) as he fought Illbard to avenge Nanamo. (As for me, I'm not 100% sure she's dead. there has been one other person put into a death like sleep that still hasn't woke up 20 years later after all)

[Isklexi]

it has been recorded of people in this state being in a medical state of death and still fighting. (Like still fighting long after they've bleed to death)

[Citation Needed]
I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that. Aside from reflexes governed by the spinal column, all motor functions are handled by the brain. Clinical death (cessation of blood circulation & breathing) would result in passing out within a few seconds followed by brain death 20-40 seconds later.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_death

Humans can take a lot of punishment and keep running off adrenaline for a while, but clinical death is a very specific condition that would make any activity other than twitching/gasping impossible.

[Kaiser-Ace]

[Citation Needed]
I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that. Aside from reflexes governed by the spinal column, all motor functions are handled by the brain. Clinical death (cessation of blood circulation & breathing) would result in passing out within a few seconds followed by brain death 20-40 seconds later.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_death

Humans can take a lot of punishment and keep running off adrenaline for a while, but clinical death is a very specific condition that would make any activity other than twitching/gasping impossible.

It has been recorded but it's not classified as a normal occurrence. The main documented cases occurred in World War 1 and World War 2. Remember, just because it was documented as happening doesn't mean it was not a freak occurrence. One of those exception to the rule kinda things.