Have there ever been any non-hyur Ascians? (Might be spoilers inside.)

[Lium]

Was just curious since a lot of players play the non-human races (myself included currently), and we know who the WoL really is. But I never see any non-human representation among the Ascians. Particularly the fragmented members of the Convocation.

It seems Azem can be anything but even they are canonically human.

[Cleretic]

Yes, one. Travanchet, a black-masked Ascian in Limsa's 1.0 storyline who got a reappearance in Alexander, was a Wildwood Elezen. Also if you count them, Emet-Selch masqueraded as a Garlean and Fandaniel was once an Allagan (who are a different race known for being Tall As Hell), but I get why you wouldn't.

Which basically says that they're mostly hyur by choice. Take whatever reading you want on that, charitable or otherwise.

[Zero-ELEC]

Actually, there's a non-zero % chance that Fandaniel/Amon was an elezen, given the ears.

[Anonymoose]

Yes, one. Travanchet, a black-masked Ascian in Limsa's 1.0 storyline

The Encyclopaedia threw Corguevais, another Elezen from 1.0's Ul'dah, under the "black-mask" tier bus, as well. It may have been the intent all along, though, because I've heard tale that not every shadow that should have been disabled in 1.0 actually was disabled.

Which basically says that they're mostly hyur by choice. Take whatever reading you want on that, charitable or otherwise.

Generous (More Likely) Theory: If they're all the bland bread loaf race, they'll always look believable and fit right into cutscenes. (Remember Asahi going eye-to-eye with a Lalafell?)

Ungenerous (But Funnier) Theory: Hyur most resemble the Ancients (aside from Garleans, arguably) so if you took that form you were less likely to trigger yet another rant from one of the Originals. You're all proud of the work you've done to tweak this new bunnyboi up for some subversive havoc-wreaking and Emet-Selch just walks away shaking his head, "... <mumble mumble> malformed creatures <mumble> pitiful, disturbing, depressing..."

[Theodric]

Given that the Sundered races exist as a direct consequence of a deliberate act of genocide, eugenics and racial replacement being inflicted upon the Ancients then I imagine that the Ascians were rather keen on embracing something that somewhat resembled their former selves but that would also allow them to move relatively unhindered through the remnants of Etheirys. Midlanders, then, generally fit those requirements on both fronts.

We also know that Lahabrea, at least, never felt quite right in any of his hosts which is understandable - personally as a gay guy I wouldn't be comfortable with the idea of having my mind, memories, body or sexuality being forcibly changed to suit the whims of someone else which would be more than enough reason for me to oppose both the Sundering and Rejoinings alike depending on which loomed overhead as a threat.

Yet that's just me as an individual. In the context of the story, the Sundered only exist as a direct result of Venat's horrific actions and so the Ancients never 'had to' roll over and die out for the sake of anyone's precious (or not so precious) original character do not steal.

[Cleretic]

Generous (More Likely) Theory: If they're all the bland bread loaf race, they'll always look believable and fit right into cutscenes. (Remember Asahi going eye-to-eye with a Lalafell?)

Ungenerous (But Funnier) Theory: Hyur most resemble the Ancients (aside from Garleans, arguably) so if you took that form you were less likely to trigger yet another rant from one of the Originals. You're all proud of the work you've done to tweak this new bunnyboi up for some subversive havoc-wreaking and Emet-Selch just walks away shaking his head, "... <mumble mumble> malformed creatures <mumble> pitiful, disturbing, depressing..."

Yeah, these were kind of the two kicking around in my mind, albeit probably with less generous phrasing. At least, in-universe.

Out-of-universe I think the devs just made that Ascian Roundtable scene because a cabal of identical robed figures in a circle of chairs is a pretty solid look for a 'villain group' (works like a dream for Kingdom Hearts, after all), and then had to reckon with the consequences. Turns out that doesn't quite work so well when the setting has multiple races with highly diverse body types that the rest of the game otherwise does represent.

[Yuella]

Given that the Sundered races exist as a direct consequence of a deliberate act of genocide, eugenics and racial replacement being inflicted upon the Ancients then I imagine that the Ascians were rather keen on embracing something that somewhat resembled their former selves but that would also allow them to move relatively unhindered through the remnants of Etheirys. Midlanders, then, generally fit those requirements on both fronts.

We also know that Lahabrea, at least, never felt quite right in any of his hosts which is understandable - personally as a gay guy I wouldn't be comfortable with the idea of having my mind, memories, body or sexuality being forcibly changed to suit the whims of someone else which would be more than enough reason for me to oppose both the Sundering and Rejoinings alike depending on which loomed overhead as a threat.

Yet that's just me as an individual. In the context of the story, the Sundered only exist as a direct result of Venat's horrific actions and so the Ancients never 'had to' roll over and die out for the sake of anyone's precious (or not so precious) original character do not steal.

Justified action to save existence. And those ancients were planning to commit their own genocide by sacrificing new sentient lives to revive their comrades who VOLUNTARILY gave up their lives to summon Zodiark.

[Cilia]

Justified action to save existence. And those ancients were planning to commit their own genocide by sacrificing new sentient lives to revive their comrades who VOLUNTARILY gave up their lives to summon Zodiark.

Protip: recognize bait and do not feed.

[Cleretic]

FF14 Lore Enjoyers Have A Normal Conversation About Ascians Challenge: Impossible

I was going to call that quite easily possible, and happens quite often in other parts of the internet... but then I remembered that one of my favorite characters in FFXIV is Emmerololth, because I find the story behind/around her entirely off-screen death both exceedingly fascinating and very funny in the context of the greater world.

So I might have to reckon with the fact that I don't think it's even possible to have a normal conversation about the Ascians lore-wise, you just have to pick one of, like, eighteen different flavors of 'not normal'.