HISTORY
The Miqo'te are descendants of a hunting people
that crossed over the frozen seas to Eorzea in search of prey during
the Age of Endless Frost, when famine gripped the land. Cleaving to
their old way of life, they have largely accepted their status as one of
Eorzea's less populous races. Fiercely territorial and proud of their
traditions, it could be said that Miqo'te are unsuited to life in the
city-states. Nevertheless, as natural-born hunters given to a nomadic
lifestyle, many Miqo'te have achieved great success as adventurers.
CLANS
The
Miqo'te are roughly divided into two clans: the diurnal Seekers of the
Sun, and the nocturnal Keepers of the Moon. The former hunt under the
light of day, while the latter prowl at night, and it is believed this
stark difference in habit arose due to unique physical differences
between the two. Furthermore, within each clan exist numerous tribes,
each with theirown unique culture, customs, and hunting methods-it can
hardly be said that all Miqo'te of the same clan share a common set of
beliefs.
DRESS
The agile Miqo'te value freedom of movement
above all else, shunning unwieldy armor that might restrict their range
of motion. Miqo'te leg wear is invariably perforated with a hole through
which the tail dangles free, allowing them to maintain their unerring
sense of balance.
IDENTITY
A common train among all Miqo'te is their fierce pride for their heritage as hunters. Seeing themselves as part of the natural world itself, they prize above all the freedom of the hunt, and do not shun death when old age and infirmity sap them of the physical talents needed to pursue their quarry to their satisfaction. To the free-willed Miqo'te, other races' way of life-- their wont to flock together with their own kind, to overrun nature to build cities, to see safety and stability in laws and alliances-- must seem quite curious indeed.
TONGUE
Despite their inheritently solitary nature, the Miqo'te adopted thee common tongue early on, born of a need to barter with other races to procure materials with which to craft their hunting tools and weapons. Remnants of the old tongue can be observe in the distinctive Miqo'te "huntspeak"-- a system of tongue-clicks and whistles used to communicate with companions while in pursuit of quarry.