Magnai the Older's Prospects of Marriage

[Keever]

Interestingly, if you talk to the Dataqi chief in their respective FATE chain after they've rescued the injured Goro tribe member, he'll clarify that the whole "marrying horses" thing is a misinterpretation on the part of outsiders, and that it's more akin to a vow of eternal friendship (So no, they're not actually into bestiality or anything like that).

The Khan of the Dataq says that, sure, but within that same FATE chain the Goro huntress refers to her horse as "my promised", and one of the Dataq says something to the effect of "their hearts belong to their horses" when mentioning that another Dataq has an unrequited crush on the Goro. So it sounds a helluvalot like a (platonic) marriage to me.

Obviously it's not bestiality, we've always known that. They draw lots to reproduce (in the spring, one of the Dataq tells us).

[Grayve]

Cirine is in love with Hien. Go back and talk to her, and its pretty clear. However, there are two options for the Sun. Sadu, and Yugire. He is looking for a warrior that is etheral as mist, after all. And Yugiri is a shadowwalker, and her last name is Mistwalker. However, he does defend Sadu when his attended started bad mouthing her for refusing to look the Sun in the eyes.

[ShanaShirayuki]

Cirina is in love with Hien. Go back and talk to her, and its pretty clear.

Just to further what Grayve is talking about, one little tidbit that's easy to miss while doing the MSQ: https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...blood/djevbmb/

[Kyran-Varlsen]

I had actually thought that Cirina and Hien would end up marrying - but for political reasons. Cirina's grandmother is the Khagan of the Mol, a tribe that technically (sort of) became dominant in the Steppes following the MSQ - in theory. In practice, they would have needed to take extra steps to cement their position. Frankly, I expected it would be harder to convince the Xaela to fly south and engage the Imperial Airforce simply because one group manage to win the Naadam. My thought was that Hien would marry Cirina and the Mol Khagan would seek the aid of the tribes to enforce her granddaughter's right to rule as Queen in Doma - which they would be honor-bound to fight for. Also, this could be tied up nicely with arranged marriages between the Mol and the Oronir or even Dotharl who would then have a connection to the Doman Royal family through Cirina and her kin.

Hien is the last of his line, so either he and Cirina would produce fertile children and the blood of the Steppes would be a part of the Doman Throne or a relative of Cirina would inherit the right to rule - and by extension whoever was married to said relative. I am sure the Oronir would jump at the chance to one day inherit the Doman Throne and strive to become rulers of a united Othard through further conquest. In either case, there is a more badass reason to march south than just "we want freedom!" ..."alright sure."

That the Xaela tribes just agreed to get involved in a fight that was not theirs without any further incentives seemed kinda cheap to me. My scenario is based in part on the the casus belli Attila the Hun claimed when he attacked the Western Roman Empire to enforce his right to marry Justa Grata Honoria, the sister of the then Western Roman Emperor who had offered him the crown and her hand in exchange for his help. Except here it would be a woman and her people attacking an empire to enforce her right to rule through marriage.

Is this at all a romantic shipping theory? No, but Cirina would still get her Hien

I mean, this is all still possible if Hien believes that an alliance with the Steppe Xaela would be vital for Doma's survival. Considering what a complete ruin Doma was reduced to following the last rebellion, marrying Cirina may be mandatory to ward off future Imperial attacks. Patch 4.05 - Return to Doman and take part in the wedding between Hien and Cirina. Also watch Magnus and Sadu grow closer. May as well call it the Shipping Patch.

[Annana]

I had actually thought that Cirina and Hien would end up marrying - but for political reasons. Cirina's grandmother is the Khagan of the Mol, a tribe that technically (sort of) became dominant in the Steppes following the MSQ

The Mol are dominant for one year, when the Nadaam begins again. Without Hien, Gosetsu, Lyse, and the WoL fighting for them, it seem unlikely that they will retain their seat of power.

Hien is the last of his line, so either he and Cirina would produce fertile children and the blood of the Steppes would be a part of the Doman Throne

From what we know of crossbreeds, they're exceedingly rare to be conceived and even less likely to survive into adulthood. Plus crossbreeds and interracial couples tend to have a lot of social stigma attached to them.

[Kyran-Varlsen]

The Mol are dominant for one year, when the Nadaam begins again. Without Hien, Gosetsu, Lyse, and the WoL fighting for them, it seem unlikely that they will retain their seat of power.

So the Nadaam is once a year? That seems like a ridiculously short amount of time in-between what are essentially small wars for a glow point on the map. If the Oronir competed every year and kept sustaining even minor losses, I imagine the clan would run out of able warriors through attrition and lose by default. Granted, they have the Buduga backing them up so losses for them might not be an issue.

But still, I am just saying that if the Mol were politically savvy they would consolidate their position while they were still in power - including the use of political marriage. As it stands, they will likely not bother competing in the next Nadaam which suits the Oronir and Dotharl just fine because it means they only have to worry about one another later. The only reason the Mol participated at all in the Nadaam was because the Gods told them to for some reason. Given the humble nature of the Mol, if Hien and Cirina do get married it will likely be for love and not for any personal advantage.

[Alleo]

Oh in the end I dont want his character to change because its nice to have someone like him in the game and I like all the different cultures of the Xaela and would not want to change them. I just believe that he wont find a woman that will put up with him if he does not change his behaviour thus he will probably stay solo for the rest of his life. Cirina seems to be in love with Hien and Yugiri is also more about "I will stay and do everything for my master". Also I am not sure if Yugiri would ever give up her job as a ninja to stay with Magnai for the rest of her life.

[Rosenoire]

Oh in the end I dont want his character to change because its nice to have someone like him in the game and I like all the different cultures of the Xaela and would not want to change them. I just believe that he wont find a woman that will put up with him if he does not change his behaviour thus he will probably stay solo for the rest of his life. Cirina seems to be in love with Hien and Yugiri is also more about "I will stay and do everything for my master". Also I am not sure if Yugiri would ever give up her job as a ninja to stay with Magnai for the rest of her life.

What I found interesting about Magnai is that when a woman rejects him, he's like, "Oh, okay. *sadface*" Cirina told him flat out that he was wrong. I can't imagine Lyse was all that diplomatic when he suggested that perhaps she was his Moon. And then there's Sadu, who publicly rejected him in a way that involved arcane fire--and when his second starts to trash-talk her, Magnai shuts him down hard. I like him because for all of his arrogance, he's clearly a romantic at heart.

I just wonder what happens if he ends up with Sadu, who is the head of her tribe. I don't see her stepping down, or the Oronir and the Dotharl joining forces.

[Vayanne]

Magnai and Sadu deserve each other. At first I shipped them as a joke but then came the scene where they attack Doma Castle. The expression he has after her exalted "With each that falls, my soul soars higher!" is interesting. Then again, the faces of male Au Ra are somewhat hard to read...
https://youtu.be/5FS6qPopzeU?t=314
It is best for Cirina if she does not become the wife of a bossy bloke with a god complex in whose eyes her tribe are a bunch of lowlifes. Sadu will know how to handle him, hopefully the two will find a way to coexist and so will their tribes, finally bringing some peace in the Steppes.

[KageTokage]

I never really got the impression that interracial couples were frowned on considering the frequency with which they're encountered.

Crossbreeds are the thing that's a taboo.