So... Au Ra really don't "fit" into the story well, as playable characters

[Terin]

What I mean is... well, they just really "appear out of nowhere". It almost feels like they ought to have a separate story-line, where they become a "Warrior of Light" completely independently of the original 2.0 storyline. To be honest, I still think they should create a new starter-area for the new Jobs (not sure where; outskirts of Coerthas or Mor Dhona?), but the Au Ra are really just tricky.

I mean, they don't make sense as level 1 character, but they ALSO don't make sense as race-changed level 50's, because the story constantly references your many accomplishments -- most of which occur before the Au Ra even could have appeared. Not to mention the whole "Why does Yugiri need to cover her face if you're an Au Ra standing in front of her?" thing.

As cool as they look (not perfect, by any means, but I like them), it's just really hard to "get into" playing as one, because you basically have to create an entirely separate canon in your head, to justify them being playable.

[Yamimarik]

Thanks to the ambiguity of where the Warrior of Light actually comes from, it is very much plausible and canon for Auri to be and "fit" into the story as a playable character. It has never been canonically summarized that the player is actually from Eorzea, on the contrary, it is many times hinted at you hail from lands unknown, and many NPC's will address you as a foreigner to any of the nations.

Just because it doesn't fit your "specific head canon" doesn't make it not plausible as a whole for the entire game and story.

[Kaedan]

Thanks to the ambiguity of where the Warrior of Light actually comes from, it is very much plausible and canon for Auri to be and "fit" into the story as a playable character. It has never been canonically summarized that the player is actually from Eorzea, on the contrary, it is many times hinted at you hail from lands unknown, and many NPC's will address you as a foreigner to any of the nations.

I agree with this guy.

Yes, it might be a little strange in your head if you race-changed at level 50 into one, but race-changing at all is going to do that. For someone starting a new character, there's nothing wrong with it at all. At the beginning of the game, they reference you as "not being from around here", and generally you are treated as a foreigner... although they're generally polite and use the term "adventurer" instead.

And Yugiri is a ninja after all... they are known for hiding their faces.

[Ashkendor]

it is many times hinted at you hail from lands unknown, and many NPC's will address you as a foreigner to any of the nations.

I seem to remember the opening cutscene for brand-new characters saying outright that you come from "a distant land".

As far as race changing, I just sort of tend to shrug and handwave that one. Race changing is a gameplay mechanic that exists for the convenience and happiness of players on a level outside that of the game's storyline. It's easier for me to assume that either 1) Fantasia has no real canon effects and exists only as such a mechanic or 2) if Fantasia IS canon, it adjusts how people see you in both the past and the present. I race changed from a female Miqo'te to a male Au Ra, which should be a jarring change for NPC's but of course they don't notice a thing. It seems like as far as they are concerned I was always eight feet tall and covered in scales rather than a five foot nothing catgirl (or even the catboy I started as).

[Yamimarik]

I seem to remember the opening cutscene for brand-new characters saying outright that you come from "a distant land".

You're probably right lol, it's just been so long since I've seen (or payed attention) to that cut-scene haha!

[saber_alter]

What everyone else is saying.

your not coming from eorzea, your coming from somewhere else entirely. some of us coming from orthard, or one of the farther out xaela tribes is hardly suprising.

[Zumi]

I mean, they don't make sense as level 1 character, but they ALSO don't make sense as race-changed level 50's, because the story constantly references your many accomplishments -- most of which occur before the Au Ra even could have appeared. Not to mention the whole "Why does Yugiri need to cover her face if you're an Au Ra standing in front of her?" thing.

Basically its explained as you drank a magic potion and turned into one. It is why you still have your legacy tattoo as an Au Ra. So all your accomplishments are stuff you actually did.

[myahele]

Yeah, our PCs race doesn't matter too much in this game and we're all "not from Eorzea"

If anything, the Au Ra have always been known to the Eorzeans, but have never been seen too much outside of Othard.

I'm sure there'll be more lore-related quests (moogle?) shedding light to the Au Ra and their life in Eorzea. At the very least the job npc for Dark Knight is an Xaela Au Ra.

Can't really say I'm too surprised though. There were lore reason why there weren't female roegadyns, highlanders and male Miqo'te in 1.0. In 2.0 the female highlanders/roes npcs are everywhere; whereas the male miqo'te npcs hold true to their lore.

Still, it's kinda disappointing that Yugiri and her fellow Domans made a big deal about her race, only to have the rest of the world not comment

[Fendred]

I think it has more to do with the writing done in the FFXIV:ARR 2.0 storyline. The Yugiri kept her face covered and said her appearance may disturb others, suggesting that her race is so rare as to be mistaken as some kind of monster or demon in Eorzea. I have no idea where she came to that conclusion, but I'm willing to bet they didn't have the complete look for the race down at that time. As a result they needed some excuse to hide the face and so introduced the problematic dialogue into the game.

As others have stated, there is no reason that other, more informed au ra managed to make the trip to Eorzea prior to Yugiri, who is a displaced freedom fighter and had to learn about Eorzea on the fly. Most of the information from the Empire would characterize Eorzeans as barbarians. I doubt Yugiri would believe those claims given the Empire's views of her people, but it isn't unreasonable to expect that it colored her impressions somewhat.

[saber_alter]

-snip-

He actually does shed some light on the xaela.

To prove a point, he talks about the hostility ishgard showed them when they initially came to coerthas. when they were first attacked, they showed mercy to them and let the ishgardians go, only to be attacked again with a fury that only halone would know. To ishgard, Au ri were no better than dravinians.