Thread: Highlander Eyebrows - 7.0 Graphics

Originally Posted by Risough

The only explanation I'm aware we've officially gotten is a quote that allegedly came from a 2014 lore panel:

I say allegedly because I have often found this quote cited but I've yet to see any footage of Koji Fox saying this himself. I pulled the quote from this thread on the official lore forums. I've also found the post where the question may have originally been posed but was unable to find it in the recording of the lore panel linked at the end of the thread. I also didn't hear it in the subsequent lorecast interview with MCKF linked later in the thread. If anyone can find footage of this quote I'd be interested to see it.

Thanks for digging that up! Sometimes these things enter a sort of community consciousness but no one really remembers where it was originally said so it's nice to see the source, even if 'incomplete'.

It's a little interesting that apparently the men, the women, and the children all fight and try to one up each other and freak each other out, but for some reason only the men go so far as to shave their eyebrows?

Not having eyebrows is a somewhat of a trope to indicate someone being a bit brutish so I guess I can see what they were going for, but compared to 2014 the game has changed quite a lot in terms of freedom of character expression and not every male highlander wants to be a violent brute.

Originally Posted by Yencat

Thanks for digging that up! Sometimes these things enter a sort of community consciousness but no one really remembers where it was originally said so it's nice to see the source, even if 'incomplete'.

It's a little interesting that apparently the men, the women, and the children all fight and try to one up each other and freak each other out, but for some reason only the men go so far as to shave their eyebrows?

Not having eyebrows is a somewhat of a trope to indicate someone being a bit brutish so I guess I can see what they were going for, but compared to 2014 the game has changed quite a lot in terms of freedom of character expression and not every male highlander wants to be a violent brute.

That's why I thought it'd be worth digging up; the lack of eyebrows has been around since 1.0 if I remember right but this is the first time we got an explanation for it. Like Rueby mentioned, it feels like they had the design held over from the character creator in 1.0 and needed an explanation in lieu of having to adjust the customization options.

I like what you mentioned about the men being the only ones that had their brows yoinked for intimidation purposes. The way the tactic is described sounds like the practices are specific to each tribe too, so its odd for players to be locked to a specific tribe's traditions. We aren't forced to have scars or remove teeth. This also has to be a Gyr Abanian thing. I have a hard time imagining Dickon at The Last Stand trying to scare away all of his customers, for example. It really does feel like playing into the brute trope you described and that just doesn't fit every highlander guy.