Garlond Ironworks questions

[RyuDragnier]

ROFL now that you mention it, Garlean females really are rare, aren't they?

[Cleretic]

ROFL now that you mention it, Garlean females really are rare, aren't they?

It's not quite as bad as you'd think, it's roughly a two-to-one split (I counted ten prominent male Garleans and five female but am also certain I missed some). It might be notable that the ladies were front-loaded while the men were back-loaded, though; they were at about three each in Heavensward. The reason for those probably come from the fact that once they started actually exploring the Empire, the prominent women were usually the people for which we explored how they treated occupied nations and people; Fordola, Yotsuyu, Misija, Gaius' adopted daughter. Make of that choice what you will, but it definitely explains why the numbers come out how they do.

It hardly seems to be a deliberate decision, and it's definitely not as bad as certain other neglected character types or groups dominated by certain designs in the game ('Scions Recruit Someone Who's Not Well-Read, Fair-Skinned And With White/Blond Hair' Challenge, Impossible). I think you could make an explanation for it if you wanted; the Garlean Empire definitely seems kinda chauvinist, and our contact points are mostly military so we're seeing less women because they get promoted less. But really, I don't think it's that deliberate, complicated, or even that bad a situation.

[Vyrerus]

We've been shown Lucia, Livia, the Soranus Sisters(Annia and Julia or w/e), Severa, Nael Deus Darnus, and Vergilia van Corculum. 7 notable ladies, all warriors, all combatants. All MSQ'd up.

I suppose there were a few lady Garleans in the level 83 sidequests. But MSQ wise no Garlean Moms allowed!

[Cleretic]

We've been shown Lucia, Livia, the Soranus Sisters(Annia and Julia or w/e), Severa, Nael Deus Darnus, and Vergilia van Corculum. 7 notable ladies, all warriors, all combatants. All MSQ'd up.

I suppose there were a few lady Garleans in the level 83 sidequests. But MSQ wise no Garlean Moms allowed!

I knew I missed some! It was the Soranus sisters. So yeah, it's actually not a far stretch away from equal. (My men were Cid, Gaius, Varis, Regula, Zenos, Maxima, Gabranth, Varros, Jullus and Quintus; I don't count Emet because he wouldn't count himself.)

And yeah, no Garlean moms, but... honestly we've got very few moms at all. It's F'lhaminn, Ameliance, Moenbryda's mom, and that's kinda it. If I had to pinpoint a reason for that, it's probably because the game's character creator is kinda bad at depicting that general age range for women, it's hard for them to make a female character who plausibly looks like she could be old enough to have a kid who has some level of agency without being a grandma. Men they generally do fine with; Count Fortemps, Gaius, Fourchenault, they're all plausibly in the Dad Age Range. But women... yeah, not really; Ameliance seems to be aging a lot better than her husband, while F'lhaminn looks rather older than her actual age of 37. Looks great when you leapfrog that age range entirely and we get someone like Drusilla, though.

[Vyrerus]

It's F'lhaminn, Ameliance, Moenbryda's mom, and that's kinda it.

There's also Matoya, Nashu(technically due to Gigi), Julyanne Manderville, the Sahagin Queens, the mom who dies in Thavnair EW, Tiamat, Tiomann, Countess Ystride de Caulignont(Rielle's mom), Temulun, the Dotharl that's mentioned to be pregnant(has a name I'm sure, just my recall IS limited), Fordola's Mum in the Echo flashbacks, Yotsuyu's mum(Doman), and a few more I think. (Oh yeah! Yugiri's mom(and dad))

Now, they're not all MSQ nor fully fleshed out. But there is a veritable cornucopia of not-Garlean Moms.

[SannaR]

You mean Eula Darnus. Bradamante (I know it's a spear but it is named after the real Nael's betrothed). Geva Storke the Leather worker's guild master is a mother. If we count side minor characters there's Averil's mother in the Heavensward weaver quest. Then there is Elaisse Poole, Handeloup de Daimbaux and Leofard's adoptive mother Raimille.

Edit Handeloup who still looks baby faced imo is a dad. Just wanted to clarify. Parents in general just don't exist really. Until Pandeamonium I had all sorts of ways my brain went with questions on how Ancients reproduced. Like were they like Asari where there isn't a concept of mother and father, or did they also know how to clone, are they like some aquatic life that produced asexually? So, yes until Eric went all I hate my dad and Themis was all I'm just not close at all to mine (which I read as that being more so the norm then not) I did wonder about family structures and the like.

[Cleretic]

There's also Matoya, Nashu(technically due to Gigi), Julyanne Manderville, the Sahagin Queens, the mom who dies in Thavnair EW, Tiamat, Tiomann, Countess Ystride de Caulignont(Rielle's mom), Temulun, the Dotharl that's mentioned to be pregnant(has a name I'm sure, just my recall IS limited), Fordola's Mum in the Echo flashbacks, Yotsuyu's mum(Doman), and a few more I think. (Oh yeah! Yugiri's mom(and dad))

Now, they're not all MSQ nor fully fleshed out. But there is a veritable cornucopia of not-Garlean Moms.

I'm gonna be honest, very few of them are remotely major characters, a couple of them aren't even remotely human, and a good amount of them do enter what I'd call the 'Grandma Zone'.

Fair point that there's a good amount of them, but I'd also note that the characters you listed are ALSO very skewed; they're all midlander hyur, au ra, or literal dragons, with one single elezen, roegadyn or miqo'te each as an exception (I do not count Nashu, for multiple reasons). Nevermind the Garlean moms, we've got more dragon moms than we do moms for more than half the races in the game! I think, if this representation is truly what's important to you, that this evidence calls for much wider Mom Diversity across the board!

[Vyrerus]

You heard Cleretic, SE. WE NEED MOAR MOMS OF EVERY TYPE!