Icons of the Twelve

[Andaeron]

So here's a thought I had randomly the other day: We have general descriptions of the Twelve and how they are depicted (Halone: "She is most often depicted as a relentless warrioress armed with a bronze greatshield."), but anwhere is it mentioned what RACE they are depicted as?

The only official artwork I've seen is the Twin Adder poster that depicts Nophica (although she looks nothing like a farmer and is holding a bow and spear instead of a scythe, though that would be expected of a military recruitment poster), and in that poster she is a Hyur (or at least seems to be).

So do each of the races/cultures depict them differently? Do certain races tend to identify with one or more over the others, leading to a mixed pantheon? Are they all assumed to be Hyur, like Nophica. Although there is an extensive familial relationship, if there's anything that studying Greek and Egyptian mythology has taught me, it's that pantheons be all sorts of inexplicable weird.

PS: As a side note, I've seen Moose and Catapult post logs from 1.0 quests, and I was wondering where I could find those. I found Capault's old beta forum post, but the logs were incomplete. Thanks!

[Catapult]

Ah the Twelve. What you're talking about reminds me of this guy...

...and the fact that he probably looked nothing like that. History has ways of playing with imagery, creating icons (eikons) of what we hold as our faith.

While I can't easily comment on the depictions as different races see them (we have seen so little), I can comment on their dominance between different parts of the community. Some parts will hold a specific deity dearer than the others. For example, the blacksmiths and armorers tend to venerate Byregot, the Builder, while the Weavers will venerate Nymeia, the Spinner. In this case, they do so in connection with their profession, but in others race can play a significant role - the Miqo'te are split into two clans that tend to venerate the goddesses of the the sun and moon respectively.

For the most part, Eorzeans are respectful of those who follow one of the Twelve different than their own... unless you're in Ishgard where the Fury is EVERYTHING!

[Urthdigger]

Something else to note is that each of the nations has a deity they revere more than others:

Sharlayan: Thaliak
Ishgard: Halone
Ala Mhigo: Rhalgr
Gridania: Nophica
Ul'dah: Nald'Thal
Limsa Lominsa: Llymlaen
Nym: Oschon

And then there's the ones mentioned above:

DoL: (Nophica, yes she's revered by two folks)
DoH: Byregot
Keepers of the Moon: Menphina
Seekers of the Sun: Azeyma

Using this, we can see what people are most likely to have depictions of a given god. I would imagine that, given the open trade in both goods and information across Eorzea, the accepted depiction of any god is likely to match the representation from the people that revere them. The exception being for Oschon, Althyk, and Nymeia, all of whom don't have existing people who revere them in any great capacity.

[Andaeron]

Catapult, I read an article online that proposed a theory that during the Renaissance, Pope Alexander VI (Roderigo Borgia) commissioned a ton of paintings of Christ in the image of his son and general, Cesare. After watching some documentaries about the Borgias, learning about them in art history, and playing Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, I believe that is exactly the kind of thing he would have done. But that's exactly what I am pondering. I understand how the worship can be focused in various groups and societies (similar to ancient Greece), but the races of the Twelve never seem touched upon. Now, since no official source mentions their race, and the only official artwork we have of any of them shows Nophica as a human-like race (possibly Hyur), I would conclude that their race is a matter of non-significance- that is, the Twelve aren't of ANY race and are simple the Twelve.

And as I write this and consult the GE wiki, this possibility looms more greatly in my mind than before. What if the Twelve are members of an earlier race of demigods/godlike beings, like Tolkien's Maiar, or the Zilart in XI, or even the Precursors from Assassin's Creed? There may have actually been more than the Twelve originally, which would explain the missing relationships in the pantheon. We know that they "left" sometime around the First Umbral Era. But that then raises the question of where they went. For them to remain in active worship in Eorzea through every Astral and Umbral era, even with massive sociopolitical upheaval in each era, they had to leave their mark pretty heavily. So- and at this point I am really just brainstorming- what if they ascended to pure aetherial forms; still able to influence the land but no longer bound to it. So perhaps throughout time they have appeared on occasion in various forms, possibly as various races as the occasion calls. This would also explain their elemental influence, as they are now aetheric energy.

[Urthdigger]

Well, what we do know is that they are a lot like primals, except more powerful. It also takes a LOT more aether to summon them, so much that to do so would risk irreparable damage to the planet.

[Catapult]

Well, what if the Twelve were ascians?

/extreme fringe theory

[Andaeron]

I would actually buy that. If the Ascians were a race that existed in Eorzea before the wandering tribes, and there had been a rift in their society, then perhaps the Twelve simply ascended to an aetherial form, leaving the rest of the Ascians behind. Feeling slighted or cheated by not being able to do the same, they seek the destabilization of the aetheric field via manipulation of the peoples of the world, leading the constant ebb and flow of astral and umbral eras.

[Mjollnir]

Well, what if the Twelve were ascians?

/extreme fringe theory

Time for one of these!

[VargasVermillion]

Well, what we do know is that they are a lot like primals, except more powerful. It also takes a LOT more aether to summon them, so much that to do so would risk irreparable damage to the planet.

Not as strong as Bahamut, the attempt by the twelve to reseal him failed.

[VargasVermillion]

Also there was a theory posed on this forum somewhere that the twelve could be allagans but who knows.