Miqo'te Male/Female Relations and Views on Marriage

[Mercurias]

In terms of the actual game, we simply have such a vast number of people playing their miqo'te that the initial description of the female/male ratio sort of already fly out the window. It's normally, I believe, supposed to be something like one male born for every ten females. I've honestly seen that one lampshaded by some in the roleplaying community on Balmung, and I've also seen one RP FC actually put a recruiting ban on Miqo'te because they're so populous.

From what I can discern, many Seeker men of a strictly tribal mindset would consider the concept of monogamous marriage to be limiting or, even beyond that, a threat to their genetic legacy. In slight contrast, I've seen Seeker women roleplayed under the opinion that marriage would be selfish from a tribal point of view because it forcibly ties two people together, which can limit a person's independence.

I've seen more Keepers amicable to the idea, both male and female, largely because the men aren't raised to compete so rigorously. In a lot of ways, they just do what they're told, and if a female decides to keep one and nobody minds, then who would care?

Again, this is all from a strictly tribal point of view. The land of Eorzea is, and has been, changing greatly in recent years. New ideas are spreading like wildfire, and one's race is slowly beginning to have less and less impact on one's place in the world than one's other merits. Not only that, but there is nothing stating that one's character is required to be chained down by her or his tribal roots. A difference of opinion might well be one of the reasons your character left home to begin with, or your character could even have just been born in a city and exposed to different types of lifestyles from childhood on.

And there isn't any clear cut rule stating that a nunh is required to father children with 50 different women, or for a Keeper to never have a child with the same male. I would honestly be completely shocked if monogamous love didn't just sort of happen now and again.

I roleplay a Seeker male, and he is of the opinion that marriage is 1) weird and 2) something he can intellectually respect and understand. He is a tia, a non-breeder, and he doesn't ever plan on being a father. He has fallen in love with a single person, and having done so was actually an interesting plot point in its own right because he openly admitted that it wasn't how he was raised and it bothered the heck out of him.

Had the relationship not gone down in flames and tears, who knows if it would have gone there or not. Part of the actual fun of the romance from a roleplay perspective WAS that he and his partner had to have a lot of talks about how they fit together and whether or not they were comfortable with it, as well as sort of what love means in general and why it exists at all.

Had they not ended the relationship, maybe it could've eventually gotten to the point of marriage. I and the other player hadn't ever mapped that out.

...To end this post, since it got way long, I'll basically summarize by saying that it would seem to me that a Keeper would have an easier time with it than a Seeker, but that every person is different, and that includes their personal beliefs as well. There are no hard or fast limits in lore that would corner you into saying "My character would behave or believe thusly". Only tendencies.

[Risvertasashi]

They seem to hang on to some aspects of it since we don't see Keeper Males in Gridania though presumably there are some living there alongside their female relatives. They may adapt to day living but, Moon bless them, they're keeping their males cloistered - just because they're living in the city now doesn't mean they're going to abandon all sense of moral decency, damn it.

Tangential to the topic of this thread but I would really like to see some Miqo'te younglings, either Seeker or Keeper. Keeper children may understandably stay hidden away with their fathers until the girls mature but it's slightly strange to me that there aren't any Seeker kids at all in Forgotten Springs.

It struck me that all the children in the current events are still just using existing models...

I'm sure we'll get more lore/in game content on Miqo'te sooner or later... but I really hope it will be sooner. First expansion doesn't seem like it will go that direction... but maybe it will surprise us.

...To end this post, since it got way long, I'll basically summarize by saying that it would seem to me that a Keeper would have an easier time with it than a Seeker, but that every person is different, and that includes their personal beliefs as well. There are no hard or fast limits in lore that would corner you into saying "My character would behave or believe thusly". Only tendencies.

Just a kind random tangent but... even outside of FFXIV, I wish more RP communities got this.

[Fluttersnipe]

May be some relevance in this thread I found.

http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=2961

[myahele]

That was a very interesting read!

I can agree with it for the most part. I had no idea that Keeper males were nomadic. i am guessing they aren't kept in a tribe against their will and forced to breed. I can see keeper males going from tribe to tribe and having sex with whoever is interested and staying for however long they want and go to the next tribe.

It makes sense, if they are strong enough to travel between settlements and not die (Eoraea is quite a dangerous world) then they are worthy.

[Grayve]

That was an interesting read... I'll stick to my hyur, but still very neat!

[Fluttersnipe]

Just remember to take it with a grain of salt, since the guy had to fill in a lot of blanks himself. But it was actually interesting and well written.

[Junah]

That thread reminded me of something I had thought of a while ago: you'd think there would be a ton more Keeper-Seeker hybrids, since what would stop a non-breeding Seeker from abandoning his clan to try his luck with the female Keepers? And wouldn't the Keepers welcome him with open...arms?

Maybe cultural mores prevent this?

[myahele]

I think it has to do more the fact each tribe is very isolated/ hidden from each other. The tribe in the forgotten spring was recently re-discovered. I'd imagine it'll be difficult for a Seeker male to find the settlement of Keepers. I somehow doubt they actively do that.

That and it also seem that many Seeker males end up being adventurers/ warriors, which is ironic since Keeper males are the nomadic types.

[RickiFake02]

That was a very interesting read!

I can agree with it for the most part. I had no idea that Keeper males were nomadic. i am guessing they aren't kept in a tribe against their will and forced to breed. I can see keeper males going from tribe to tribe and having sex with whoever is interested and staying for however long they want and go to the next tribe.

It makes sense, if they are strong enough to travel between settlements and not die (Eoraea is quite a dangerous world) then they are worthy.

Except that Keepers don't even have tribes. They're organized in family units.

[Velox]

Except that Keepers don't even have tribes. They're organized in family units.

The terminology in the lore is contradictory to what we see in practice though. The Couerlclaws are most definitely a tribe even though they are Keepers. I think the main difference is that while both clans exist in tribes, Keepers treat each other as family while Seekers simply cohabitate.