Au Ra, what are they?

[Theodric]

A weight/muscularity slider (ranging from athletic to muscular) for all races, plus an expanded option of faces (between 6 - 8) would be much welcome. I'd rather they added that first, before other races. I do want to see Viera, as you describe them, and then perhaps after that a beast race of some manner or other, however I'm more eager for expanded options at this point in time. If Garleans happen to be the third playable hyuran race, so much the better.

I doubt they'll ever add Garleans as a playable race. As much as I'd love that to happen I can't see them doing it with their inability to wield Aether unless they somehow manage to get around that by having a Garlean Warrior of Light being some sort of exception. All they really need to do is add a 'Third Eye' glamour as well as some of the gear used by the likes of Livia, Gaius, Regula and Nero. Combined with some facial tweaks for Hyur it'd be fairly easy to portray a Garlean that way.

[Ashkendor]

Meh, this doesn't surprise me. While a LOT better than many examples, FFXIV devs still seem to labor under the impression that the game should be tailored for heterosexual male tastes regardless of the fact that the game has a substantial female playerbase. Manly men are fine. Even bishonen are fine. But cutesy Uke-type boys? No way - that might trigger a precious male subscriber! Ditto for no girly outfits for men (plenty of manly clothes for women, of course - no bruising of delicate male sensibilities there!).

Can we keep this stuff on tumblr? Seriously. Your claim that there's no "girly outfits" for men is pretty ridiculous, too. Just look at the Coliseum set and most of our caster gear. If you want something more recently added, how about the Uraeus Skirt? Do females get a greater number of feminine choices than males do? Yes. That doesn't change the fact that males still have some available.

I doubt they'll ever add Garleans as a playable race. As much as I'd love that to happen I can't see them doing it with their inability to wield Aether unless they somehow manage to get around that by having a Garlean Warrior of Light being some sort of exception. All they really need to do is add a 'Third Eye' glamour as well as some of the gear used by the likes of Livia, Gaius, Regula and Nero. Combined with some facial tweaks for Hyur it'd be fairly easy to portray a Garlean that way.

I kinda feel like it'd be some kind of weird lore cop-out if a pureblood Garlean could even be a WoL.

[WyrahFhurrst]

I kinda feel like it'd be some kind of weird lore cop-out if a pureblood Garlean could even be a WoL.

I wouldn't say that. Being a Warrior of Light is about being chosen by the planet itself, which means she can probably make up the rules as she chooses. A Garlean WoL could happen just as soon as she chooses to make it happen.

[Atoli]

I wouldn't say that. Being a Warrior of Light is about being chosen by the planet itself, which means she can probably make up the rules as she chooses. A Garlean WoL could happen just as soon as she chooses to make it happen.

I think we don't even know why Garleans are unable to use magic (something to do with that third eye), so declaring that Hydaelyn can just make up the rules as she pleases is probably going a bit far.
We've seen enough things that were way beyond her control already, and that's not even counting the calamities happening. She couldn't even protect her chosen WoL from Midgardsomr's interference.
All you'd need is an equally strong being behind the Garleans inability to weave aether and Hydaelyn couldn't do anything at all.

@thread topic:
It's all been said already (that they are meant to be demonic looking), but I still like to imagine that they are a dragon x human lovechild (don't worry about the logistics of that, they reproduce asexually...which probably still holds true for Au Ra to this day, since that size difference is nothing to laugh at either^^°)

[Hinoto-no-Ryuji]

It's all been said already (that they are meant to be demonic looking), but I still like to imagine that they are a dragon x human lovechild (don't worry about the logistics of that, they reproduce asexually...which probably still holds true for Au Ra to this day, since that size difference is nothing to laugh at either^^°)

Aside from the dragon connection having been refuted, we actually have evidence of regular sexual reproduction - breeding practices are directly mentioned in the little summaries of the Xaela Goro and Borlaaq tribes, so size difference or not, they breed as any other race of man does.

[Atoli]

Aside from the dragon connection having been refuted

I know that, which is why I said I still like to imagine it was that way. Also because it makes a lot more sense than crushing poor little Auri ladies to death xD

[Ashkendor]

I know that, which is why I said I still like to imagine it was that way. Also because it makes a lot more sense than crushing poor little Auri ladies to death xD

I'll have you know that my hulking dragonman is more than capable of being gentle with his little waifu.

She is Xaela and she is scary and she would probably slap the ever-living crap out of him if he wasn't. xD