Miqo'te Male/Female Relations and Views on Marriage

[Terrini]

The Coeurlclaws end up more tribal because they operate outside of Gridania's laws to follow their 'traditional' hunting practices. Any miqo'te outlawed for this practice gather under the "Coeurlclaw" banner, bound by being like-minded. The less seen familial units of the Keepers probably have adapted their hunting practices to fit with Gridania's laws, so they hunt in moderation, and they are likely 'tamer' and gravitate less to the physical arts and more to the arcane or crafts. As that wonderful article linked above pointed out, Keeper mating rituals are likely more closely related to that of birds and females choose males that impress them, and that's not necessarily physical prowess, and more likely artistic.

But even a 'family unit' is subjective if there is a high likelihood that the males roam from Keeper village to Keeper village... Monogamy is unlikely with the numbers as was pointed out...

[RickiFake02]

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.

I also don't think that the Couerlclaws are anywhere near the typical Keeper organization. They are headed by a male, which is odd, and they are basically a group of outlaws, not an actual family unit of any kind. They're essentially just like the Redbelly group, only all Keepers.

[Velox]

I also don't think that the Couerlclaws are anywhere near the typical Keeper organization. They are headed by a male, which is odd, and they are basically a group of outlaws, not an actual family unit of any kind. They're essentially just like the Redbelly group, only all Keepers.

The problem I have with all this is that we have few actual examples of Keeper activity in-game to base things off of, and the examples we DO have completely violate the Lore. I'm starting to believe that SE decided to just forgo the established Lore completely and decided to model Keepers and Seekers to have roughly the same social structure. If they would have made the Coeurlclaw King a female, things would have made a lot more sense. As it stands now, there are no differences between Keepers and Seekers outside of physical appearance.

[RickiFake02]

The problem I have with all this is that we have few actual examples of Keeper activity in-game to base things off of, and the examples we DO have completely violate the Lore. I'm starting to believe that SE decided to just forgo the established Lore completely and decided to model Keepers and Seekers to have roughly the same social structure. If they would have made the Coeurlclaw King a female, things would have made a lot more sense. As it stands now, there are no differences between Keepers and Seekers outside of physical appearance.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm simply unwilling to base my thoughts on Keeper society on one group of outlaws. We simply don't have any "normal" Keeper groups in game currently. At least with the Seekers there's the U tribe. But I feel like basing all Keepers off the Couerlclaws would be like basing all Seekers on the Dancers in Ul'dah.

[Velox]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm simply unwilling to base my thoughts on Keeper society on one group of outlaws. We simply don't have any "normal" Keeper groups in game currently. At least with the Seekers there's the U tribe. But I feel like basing all Keepers off the Couerlclaws would be like basing all Seekers on the Dancers in Ul'dah.

You may be right. Hopefully there will be a time when SE decides to implement a standard Keeper culture. I've always been more of "seeing is believing" person who prefers physical evidence to draw conclusions from. Unfortunately, the current evidence points at them dismissing the established lore in favor of something more streamlined. That's where I stand currently (personal opinion).

[Autumnfire]

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?

I've been thinking about this, too. I actually messed up the lore with my name by accident. I'm a keeper of the moon, but I have a seeker of the sun name. I've been trying to think of how this could be feasible...

[Nialle]

You could be a mixed-race child -- it's canon for those to exist in Eorzea.
I believe there are a couple miqote NPCs that have mixed features/names around, as well.

[erkhardt]

I will make a mixed Miqo'te child. They are so smexy! ;P

[Terrini]

My RP group also has characters from a Keeper/Seeker union. They are all racially Keepers, but one of them has a Seeker name because her grandmother was a Seeker and she has a name in honor of that.

[Siwy]

I gotta correct you here Terr. Wari is an eclipsed, with both keeper and seeker parents and is spec'd as a Seeker for purpose of the character creation. She also has mostly Seekers in her part of the tribe. There is a Keeper branch, but it isn't explored as much. I think you were thinking of Nimba'li here.