Burmecians: The race we will never get.

[Pimsan20]

I always assumed they would be tied to Meracydia somehow, given its association with dragons (and by extension possible dragoons), invasions, summons being used as weapons of war, and finally the place becoming a wasteland when Burmecians are known to be able to survive in the desert. It's even mentioned that Meracydia is home to several different, but mostly unknown races so they could pretty much decide to have anything living out there.

But we can't be sure if those races survive since Meracydia are hostile.

[Rithy255]

Ironic I play a cat girl on my main (and on my alt this character), but I would like a races that weren't just "human but with cat ears, horns, hunny ears, tall human, pony ear human, short human" Hrothgar is the only real race that stands out as different from that formular. I wish there was more playable races like that.

[Chasingstars]

I guess if we were to get a Meracydia people it would either be Burmecians, the tree-like people who worshipped Sephirot, or the centaur-like people who worshipped Zurvan. With likelyhood that two of those three become allied society. Personally I want the plant/tree people, but even I know that is unlikely as getting centaurs.

[Aidorouge]

But we can't be sure if those races survive since Meracydia are hostile.

Presumably Emet-Selch has a line in Endwalker where he asks us if we're aware of the "present state" of Meracydia, suggesting that things have changed noticeably over there since the Allagan invasion.

Interestingly, it's during a quest called "You're Not Alone". While not exactly a nod to the FF9 song, this same quest also has him mention the New World, and while he was specifically talking about the golden cities, that didn't stop the writers from dropping a big old FF9 reference in the later-half of the expansion via Alexandria.

Being a rat people, Burmecians could be one of the races out there that has managed to survive by going underground or just generally being more hearty than the rest, and them being hostile still fits given that the whole reason they split into two and Cleyra came to be in FF9 is because one side became fascinated with war while the other abhorred it. Would not be the first time we meet a race and they're divided between hostile and friendly factions.

Another detail is that Meracydia is supposedly where a great deal of Miqo'te originated from, but most were taken away and displaced during the Allagan invasion. The idea that a rat people grew and flourished in the huge absence of a cat people is an amusing thought even if ancient Miqo'te and Burmecians weren't enemies (as presumably Bahamut had put an end to most squabbles back then until Allagan showed up.)

[Empyr]

Hrothgar are very beefy, so a lithe alternative for a beast race would be great. That being said though, the devs should absolutely expand the customization for current races first. I wouldn't expect any news for a new race in 9.0 either, unless square absolutely needs the marketing point.

[MikkoAkure]

Another detail is that Meracydia is supposedly where a great deal of Miqo'te originated from, but most were taken away and displaced during the Allagan invasion. The idea that a rat people grew and flourished in the huge absence of a cat people is an amusing thought even if ancient Miqo'te and Burmecians weren't enemies (as presumably Bahamut had put an end to most squabbles back then until Allagan showed up.)

I feel like this is one of those common lore “facts” that keeps getting passed around but doesn’t seem to exist in the text in or out of game.

Some Miqo’te must have lived in Meracydia at one time or another by some item descriptions, but other playable races did too if we go by the Sophia adds and Tiamat’s mention of “man” traveling to and settling Meracydia.

But in regards to Miqo’te being moved around by the Allagans, they were moved out of Eorzea by them, not Meracydia. And they are said to have returned to Eorzea later on during the Ice Calamity.

I don’t think we have anything concrete about Meracydian Miqo’te other than a couple of item descriptions and wild speculation and nothing at all linking Meracydian Miqo’te specifically to Allag.

[Benevolent1]

I would love the Burmecians to be added to FFXIV, though I'm not optimistic it will ever happen.

That being said, they could just use the Qiqirn race as a base model and then adjust as needed.

(Not sure if these pictures worked, so I tried it two ways...)

https://ffxiv-german-lore.fandom.com/de/wiki/Qiqirn


https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Qiqirn_Meateater