[Spoilers] Lore of the Steppes

[LystAP]

I came into this expansion expecting a focus on Ala Mhigo and Doma. I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer amount of Xaela lore crammed into the expansion, alongside a distinct Raen culture.

Anyone counted the number of Xaela tribes that showed up in the in-game Steppes? Will SE try to account for more tribes as Stormblood continues on? With the Yols we earn having a place as the Alliance air forces, I can see vast possibilities:

Alongside the Magnai and Sadu shipping. The Mol are adorable, the Oronir arrogant but impressive, and the Dotharl fearsome, yet noble? (except the part where they murdered the greater part of an entire tribe).

[Cilia]

While I was pleased to go to my race / clan's homeland, it felt... weird the whole time. I don't think anyone acknowledged me as a Xaela, except perhaps for Hien just before Bardam's Mettle and the buuz meat merchant in Reunion in very throwaway lines. One would think they'd acknowledge kinship, but nope... you're "not of the Steppe," an "outsider," "traveler" etc. just like everyone else. (Granted I did not expect to have my specific tribe acknowledged, but kinship seems like a pretty big thing to overlook. Even for tribal nomads.)

The Mol struck me as a reasonable people, if a little quirky due to their consultation of the elder gods before doing anything. (Totes amused the leader, Temulun Khatun, had my old given name.) The Oronir felt like arrogant jerks the whole time, while the Dotharl were... well they didn't seem bloodthirsty, just proud and fierce.

I have to start putting things like "The Xaela are a warrior race!" into macros for things like Dark Arts Bloodspillers now though. No bets on who goes Super Xaela first.

[LystAP]

While I was pleased to go to my race / clan's homeland, it felt... weird the whole time. I don't think anyone acknowledged me as a Xaela, except perhaps for Hien just before Bardam's Mettle and the buuz meat merchant in Reunion in very throwaway lines. One would think they'd acknowledge kinship, but nope... you're "not of the Steppe," an "outsider," "traveler" etc. just like everyone else. (Granted I did not expect to have my specific tribe acknowledged, but kinship seems like a pretty big thing to overlook. Even for tribal nomads.)

The Mol struck me as a reasonable people, if a little quirky due to their consultation of the elder gods before doing anything. (Totes amused the leader, Temulun Khatun, had my old given name.) The Oronir felt like arrogant jerks the whole time, while the Dotharl were... well they didn't seem bloodthirsty, just proud and fierce.

I have to start putting things like "The Xaela are a warrior race!" into macros for things like Dark Arts Bloodspillers now though. No bets on who goes Super Xaela first.

Hoping to see more mention of the Hotgo, Mide's (the main girl of the Alexander raid chain) tribe that the Dotharl massacred. As you said, the Dotharl seem way too 'reasonable' for the description in the lorebook and naming thread; those descriptions seem to imply they murdered every man, woman and child they could get their hands on.

With Mide Hotgo's role in Alexander the Creator - the Heavensward 8-man raid, I hope there will be a tie-in during Stormblood as with the Coils during Heavensward. It was a Xaela that designed Alexander, and the one that created the Enigma Codex that the goblins borrowed. I hope we will learn more about them as the expansion goes on.

[Hinoto-no-Ryuji]

It could just be that the Dotharl can be both vicious and bloodthirsty enough to massacre other tribes as well as reasonable in their dealings with them, depending on the specific time or situation. Mass murderers don't need to be axe-crazy all the time, after all.

Anyways, I greatly enjoyed the lore of the Steppes (even if certain non-Xaela characters introduced in that segment fell a bit flat for me) and my time spent there, and while Yanxia is probably my favorite zone so far, the Steppes is the only one I'm itching to go back and complete all the various side quests in. Lots of little details tucked away, and heaps more lore integrated into the experience than expected. I had my Encyclopedia open to the page with the 51 tribes next to me the whole time, looking one up each time it was mentioned. It's always nice to see lore expressed organically in the game itself.

[LystAP]

It could just be that the Dotharl can be both vicious and bloodthirsty enough to massacre other tribes as well as reasonable in their dealings with them, depending on the specific time or situation. Mass murderers don't need to be axe-crazy all the time, after all.

Anyways, I greatly enjoyed the lore of the Steppes (even if certain non-Xaela characters introduced in that segment fell a bit flat for me) and my time spent there, and while Yanxia is probably my favorite zone so far, the Steppes is the only one I'm itching to go back and complete all the various side quests in. Lots of little details tucked away, and heaps more lore integrated into the experience than expected. I had my Encyclopedia open to the page with the 51 tribes next to me the whole time, looking one up each time it was mentioned. It's always nice to see lore expressed organically in the game itself.

Do not forget the FATEs, such as Dataqi Chronicles. Those also show off some tribal lore, and you get a neat Dataqi standard at the end of it.

[Daralii]

Hoping to see more mention of the Hotgo, Mide's (the main girl of the Alexander raid chain) tribe that the Dotharl massacred. As you said, the Dotharl seem way too 'reasonable' for the description in the lorebook and naming thread; those descriptions seem to imply they murdered every man, woman and child they could get their hands on.

With Mide Hotgo's role in Alexander the Creator - the Heavensward 8-man raid, I hope there will be a tie-in during Stormblood as with the Coils during Heavensward. It was a Xaela that designed Alexander, and the one that created the Enigma Codex that the goblins borrowed. I hope we will learn more about them as the expansion goes on.

There's supposed to be a crystal at the bottom of the House of the Crooked Coin that has part of Nhaama's essence, and I'm wondering if that could be connected to the Codex somehow.

[KageTokage]

I feel that if we have to return the steppe in the post 4.0 MSQ, it's almost certainly going to involve the House of the Crooked Coin. Something just feels really off about it, especially that eerie purple haze coming up from its depths which makes me think it might be connected to the void somehow.

I'm also curious about what they have planned for Adkiragh back in Idyllshire, because his new dialogue makes it pretty clear that he has/had some issues back home on the steppe.

[LystAP]

There's supposed to be a crystal at the bottom of the House of the Crooked Coin that has part of Nhaama's essence, and I'm wondering if that could be connected to the Codex somehow.

One of the quests says that it's where Xaela go to commit suicide to become one with Nhaama again. I had to do a double take when I realized what I've helped that Dotharl do.

[KageTokage]

i was under the impression that was strictly a Dotharl thing, as they believe it's the only way to escape from their cycle of reincarnation.

[LystAP]

i was under the impression that was strictly a Dotharl thing, as they believe it's the only way to escape from their cycle of reincarnation.

It could be. It could also be a more universal belief. The crystal inside is weird, and looks a little Allagan in shape. Maybe it's a actual piece of the moon, whom is you-know-who's prison.

That said, I also look forward to Magnai's perpetual search for his Nhaama.