The Dotharl massacre of the Hotgo is only timed as "recent." Mide and Dayan were in Dravania and summoned Alexander what was it... three years ago? Their exact reasoning for summoning Alexander wasn't elaborated upon, to my knowledge, beyond the same reason the goblins gave (making a perfect world - the vision of what "perfect" meant was different though). Of course they didn't actually summon Alexander, but... time travel is confusing.

Hmm... well, those aren't gunblades of the same type the Empire uses. Those are emphasis on the gunblade; the Imperial version emphasizes the gunblade. Still, there are probably gunblade designs in the Codex.

While the Dotharl's massacre of the Hotgo is terrible, remember that they are Xaela; strength is the way of the Steppe. It's cultural thing.
Quote Originally Posted by LystAP View Post
Three years could be recent, but so could ten. It's unknown at the moment.

Mide and Dayan wanted to create a place that they could call home, and travel the world seeking knowledge - I recall this being mentioned in the Alexander quest chain - a home that could move with them, which makes sense considering the nomadic nature of the Xaela. They strove for the perfect world shared by the goblins, an ideal which was twisted by the Illuminati.

And there is a different from strength and wholesale slaughter. Other tribes have been attacked and defeated, but there are survivors - such as the Kahkol and the Qerel. The Dotharl do not appear to be a tribe that murders non-combatants, although that may be SE overemphasizing the tribe's positive aspects. It's just unknown at this point, although I'm hope that SE may mention it, considering the note of the massacre is just below the Dotharl's bit on the naming convention. It's the big elephant in the room when interacting with the Dotharl, especially in light of Magnai/Sadu's little ongoing comedy.

I'd like to point out that the Dotharl tribe is the -only- tribe mentioned in the lore as committing to the total massacre of another tribe. This is not common in the Steppes.

"Adarkim: The largest of the Xaela tribes. While not the most skilled at battle, they overwhelm with numbers, taking losses in stride, knowing that a future victory over a weaker tribe will replenish their ranks."

"Avagnar: Though defeated and absorbed by the Adarkim, several of the proud tribe's members still secretly use its ancestral name, knowing that it could mean death if they are discovered."

"Jhungid: The second largest Xaela tribe. Mortal enemies with the Kharlu, the Jungid will spend the greater part of the year subjugating smaller tribes to swell their own ranks in preparation for an annual battle with the Kharlu--the winner gaining control over a large part of the eastern coastlands."

"Kharlu: The third largest Xaela tribe. Mortal enemies with the Jungid, the Kharlu will spend the greater part of the year subjugating smaller tribes to swell their own ranks in preparation for an annual battle with the Jungid--the winner gaining control over a large part of the eastern coastlands."

"Dotharl: An extremely violent tribe with members who revel in massacre and are taught from a young age not to fear death. While they are quick to attack other tribes, mortality rates are high, ensuring that their numbers never grow too high."

"Hotgo: A tribe recently massacred by the Dotharl. The only members surviving are those who left the tribe to travel on their own and were not present during the killing. The Hotgo were known for their vibrant face paints which members would constantly change depending on their current mood."

"Kahkol: A tribe made up of orphans and refugees from tribes defeated or destroyed. Many choose to combine the name of their old tribe with Kahkol."

Source: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post3039574


If you click the link to the source I used, you will notice that there are plenty of tribes that are not even known for fighting. But more importantly, those that are, tend to do it for slaves, resources, territory and/or dominance. This can also be confirmed in-game via the quests and Fates of Azim Steppes.

Even in the Nadaam, a tribe could lose without having every warrior killed in battle, and they certainly do not send every man, woman and child into battle. The Hotgo were totally massacred. It is made clear that the Dotharl killed every man, woman and child who was there. Only Hotgo who were away form the tribe survived. If there were any Hotgo left from the massacre, they would have joined the Kahkol. The Dotharl spared no one.

Then you have tribes like the Mol. Everyone thinks they are weak; even some members of their own tribe. Yet, they are not massacred. They survive, and even have land and resources. They live on the Steppes unlike some tribes that survive by avoiding the Steppes to favor places other tribes don't want to go.

My point is, war is common for the Xaela, but total massacre is not. Massacre is a Dotharl thing. But you wouldn't know it by meeting them in-game. So, what's the deal?

The whole basis for my argument is that I see a lot of people hand-waving what the Dotharl did as "the way of the Steppes". However, if it were, why don't we see more of it? Why is it only noted to happen to the Hotgo? I think there is a bigger story there - one I hope will be revealed.