Regula van Hydrus (potential spoilers until the end of Heavensward)

[Arixtotle]

That's why the Garleans are only based on the Roman Empire. For the most part they are very similar, having highly advanced technology compared to their enemies and a love of conquest. However in the same breath they are not Romans - they have their own naming conventions, conscription policies, etc - that differ from those of the Romans. "Garleans = Romans" is not a fair assessment. It's more like "Garleans = ~Romans."

While the miqo'te tribes are the only ones with strict gender roles in the game, that doesn't mean there aren't societal perceptions of male and female behavior. As we know very little about Garlean society outside of their military, I don't think it's unfair to say van Hydrus carries himself in a typically masculine manner. (Such distinctions are largely unimportant in the military anyway.)

I didn't say they were the Romans. You're the one saying that since they're based on the Romans we can imply Roman social rules for how to "act male" and "act female". I said IF they had Roman social rules then there would not be females in their military. And that is the truth. We cannot say that the gender roles of Garlemald are those of the Romans since they already violate those Roman gender roles.

I would say in most of Eorzea there isn't societal perceptions of male and female behavior honestly. As for Garlemald, all we see is their military where there definitely is no "acting male" or "acting female". See Livia and Lucia. You could say Livia and especially Lucia also carry themselves in a "traditionally masculine" manner.

Having a feminine name is not evidence that van Hydrus is a woman. In spite of the feminine name, everyone refers to him as a man and he has a clearly masculine voice and bearing. He has a male voice actor in every language. If van Hydrus were a woman they probably(?) would have gotten a woman to do him and modulated the voice to make it a surprise. They... didn't.

Voice changer? Maybe. I'm not going to believe he has or is using one until the helmet comes off, though. Despite their grand magitek achievements, we don't know if they have voice changers, and I'm not going to base an argument on the assumption they do or believe any argument that assumes as much.

I disagree on the probably. I think they would have male voices to keep it a surprise. Same with male pronouns. Watch the story be that she wasn't allowed to join the military so therefore is hiding as a man ala Mulan.

My point in all of this is that I think they chose a feminine name for a reason and I REALLY hope it comes into play. Could be that Regula is female, could be that there's a section of Garlemald that uses opposite gender names, could be that Regula is transgender, it could even be that the names are given to them and they're not born with them and Regula got forced to take their name. We don't really know and I hope we find out.

Exceptions prove the rule.

I've always hated that saying because it's completely false. Exceptions don't prove rules. They disprove them.

[saber_alter]

AS FOR REGULA, this entire conversation so far has been based on their name. Those saying Regula is often a female name are correct. Those saying Regula has used a masculine-sounding voice thus far are in my opinion also correct. For one thing, the masculinity and femininity of names isn't any more absolute than gender norms and stereotypes. I don't think we've seen Garlean helmets used to disguise voices before, but they do have radio and we've never seen a helmet with orange LEDs in it, either, so... debate away!

don't forget, your character and alisae (legacy and newcomers alike) were genuinely suprised that nael was a girl when the helmet flew off, meaning his voice prior to that was distinctly male. so his helmet is either designed to have a voice alterer in it...or nael kept his voice in the genderswap :x

[Cilia]

I didn't say they were the Romans. You're the one saying that since they're based on the Romans we can imply Roman social rules for how to "act male" and "act female". I said IF they had Roman social rules then there would not be females in their military. And that is the truth. We cannot say that the gender roles of Garlemald are those of the Romans since they already violate those Roman gender roles.

I would say in most of Eorzea there isn't societal perceptions of male and female behavior honestly. As for Garlemald, all we see is their military where there definitely is no "acting male" or "acting female". See Livia and Lucia. You could say Livia and especially Lucia also carry themselves in a "traditionally masculine" manner.

Point is, just because there is very little in the way of society-enforced gender roles that we see (outside of the miqo'te tribes) that doesn't mean there's no behavior viewed as typically masculine or feminine. In fact, there is some evidence (however slight) to the contrary: instead of "Children's Day" we have "Little Ladies' Day," remember?

Eorzea is a pretty egalitarian place, but that doesn't mean there's no "male" or "female" identity. Even if the women are warriors and fight frequently (a traditionally masculine activity), there's no reason they can't identify as female and vice versa.

I disagree on the probably. I think they would have male voices to keep it a surprise. Same with male pronouns. Watch the story be that she wasn't allowed to join the military so therefore is hiding as a man ala Mulan.

My point in all of this is that I think they chose a feminine name for a reason and I REALLY hope it comes into play. Could be that Regula is female, could be that there's a section of Garlemald that uses opposite gender names, could be that Regula is transgender, it could even be that the names are given to them and they're not born with them and Regula got forced to take their name. We don't really know and I hope we find out.

... but remember, if you want to use that kind of logic anything is possible.

If I say he's a sentient zombie like Hab, you can't disprove it! Therefore, he must be one such zombie!

I've always hated that saying because it's completely false. Exceptions don't prove rules. They disprove them.

If the rule didn't exist there couldn't possibly be an exception to it, right?

[VargasVermillion]

There isn't a lorewise reason for garleans to hide their gender, same thing with nael as some people thought that he was female all along but why? we already know garleans care little for gender in regards to military so this wouldn't be a big reveal which is the only reason you would conceal such info.

[dragoelete]

There isn't a lorewise reason for garleans to hide their gender, same thing with nael as some people thought that he was female all along but why? we already know garleans care little for gender in regards to military so this wouldn't be a big reveal which is the only reason you would conceal such info.

yes but so far we have never seen a female legatus therefore it could be that they hide there gender in order to be able to have the hope of reaching that point.

[Lukha]

everyone refers to him as a man

Who referred to her/him as a man in-game? I don't recall anyone doing so, but even if someone explicitly said 'him', it wouldn't really count if it weren't someone in a position to have seen Regula out of the armor.

[Cilia]

Who referred to her/him as a man in-game? I don't recall anyone doing so, but even if someone explicitly said 'him', it wouldn't really count if it weren't someone in a position to have seen Regula out of the armor.

I can't recall when van Hydrus was first mentioned (totes props to anyone who points that out so I can go review it), but it was at some point prior to "Difference of Opinion" (post-Bismarck) and as I recall established that the VIth was off conquering Othard prior to 3.0. While no cutscene I can find explicitly refers to van Hydrus as male, the Quest Log for "Close Encounters of the VIth Kind" consistently does so, and there's no reason to distrust the Quest Log (except parts of the DRK 30-50 entries, which aren't technically untrue).

EDIT
And you're right; there's no way to know without seeing Regula out of the armor. What information we have right now points to Regula being a man, though, and until there's anything pointing the contrary (except a feminine name) I won't believe otherwise.

[Cooperal]

We're talking about the new Legatus introduced in Heavensward.

Read what you're quoting from man. He mentioned that another Garlean had surprised us by removing their helmet before and I can't think who. Other than him having an inaccurate interpretation of Nael.

[dragoelete]

I can't recall when van Hydrus was first mentioned (totes props to anyone who points that out so I can go review it), but it was at some point prior to "Difference of Opinion" (post-Bismarck) and as I recall established that the VIth was off conquering Othard prior to 3.0. While no cutscene I can find explicitly refers to van Hydrus as male, the Quest Log for "Close Encounters of the VIth Kind" consistently does so, and there's no reason to distrust the Quest Log (except parts of the DRK 30-50 entries, which aren't technically untrue).

EDIT
And you're right; there's no way to know without seeing Regula out of the armor. What information we have right now points to Regula being a man, though, and until there's anything pointing the contrary (except a feminine name) I won't believe otherwise.

actually quest log cant be trusted with stuff like this as it is basically the chars journal/diary therefore it is from your point of view.

[Cilia]

actually quest log cant be trusted with stuff like this as it is basically the chars journal/diary therefore it is from your point of view.

Semantics!