Amaurotine
- See also: Amaurot
The Amaurotine or ancients are the original, unsundered inhabitants of Etheirys, with its capital at Amaurot.[1]
History
Physical Features
Amaurotines are approximately three times the height of a Hyur, much taller than all the Eorzean races, implicitly because of the difference in aetheric density compared to the modern-day races of mankind. In-game models appear to mostly use facial features belonging to Hyur and Elezen, but the reason for this is unknown. The eye colors (in the rare times an Amaurotine is seen without a mask) are also notably more vibrant, likely as a visual shorthand to express their aetheric density.
Available information also tells us that like modern mankind, the lives of the Amaurotine are not infinite, though the exact bounds and conditions of maintenance are still somewhat unclear. Children are "born" but it's not known if Amaurotines experience pregnancy, if two parents of opposing sex are required for it to happen, or if there are limitations on who can birth a child as there are for modern mankind. Children age into adults, and adults show visual signs of aging.[2] Death, or "returning to the star" as the Amaurotine prefer to describe it, is implied to be a predominantly voluntary action that is chosen by Amaurotine who have lived their lives to the fullest.[3] Outside of this choice, premature death does seem to be possible if caused by injury[4], and possibly if the Amaurotine fails to fulfill its basic needs.[5]
Unique Abilities
Creation Magicks
(section coming soon)
Soul Sight
(section coming soon)[6]
Soul Merging
(section coming soon)[7]
Culture
Clothing
Amaurotines all traditionally wore identical robes and half-masks, as expressions of personal identity were considered rude and unseemly. The color of the robe an Amaurotine wears also had significance related to their societal role. Specifically,[8] white robes are meant to indicate that the individual wearing them is capable of serving as a "neutral advisor" who can assist other Amaurotine with conflict resolution. [9] It is yet unclear how an Amaurotine earns these robes, outside of being a member of the Convocation of Fourteen.
Nomenclature
Though little consistency is found, most Amaurotine are named in ancient Greek or Latin after figures from real-world mythology and legend, such as heroes, philosophers, or gods/demi-gods.
Notable Amaurotine
References
- ↑ Interaction dialogue from Eloquent Amaurotine (x18.9, y26.8 The Macarenses Angle/The Tempest) "Oh, do you hail from another city originally? Even so, surely you must know you stand in Amaurot, the intellectual utopia that flourishes at the heart of our world.From the Capitol where our preeminent minds gather to carry out the duties of governance, to the Akadaemia Anyder where devotees of knowledge strive to solve the greatest unsolved mysteries of our era, to the smaller but no less valuable institutions─Amaurot has all that you will ever need and so very much more."
- ↑ Editor's Note:for example, the differences in "youthful" appearance between Themis, Hephaistos, and Keyward Lahabrea during the Pandaemonium questlines
- ↑ Cutscene Dialogue from Main Scenario (Endwalker) Quest "Ponder, Warrant, Cherish, Welcome"
HERMES: "No, what troubles me--what I struggle to come to terms with--is the very fact that Fandaniel is stepping down. Does this not mean he will return to the star?"
EMET-SELCH: "Of his own volition, yes. Like so many others have before him."
METEION: "Return to the star? Does that mean...die?"
HYTHELODAEUS: "Well now, that's not a word I hear often...Is that what you say here in Elpis? Mankind is the life of Etheirys. Each of us a drop of blood flowing through its veins, bearing sustenance. In our finite time upon it, 'tis our duty to make it a better place, that all who can call it home now and in future may abide in happiness. To that end, we have dedicated ourselves to the pursuit of enlightened creation. And by our efforts did we transform this once-untamed wilderness into the peaceful paradise which you enjoy today. To return to the star whence we came is a privilege afforded to we who have so loved and nurtured it. A choice embraced by those who have lived their lives to the fullest, in service to our world. And when they depart on this journey, it is beautiful, always."
EMET-SELCH: "The fourteen are no exception. 'Tis believed no occasion is more felicitous than the fulfillment of one's duty. Our office becomes our lives, and to retire is to return, or so the majority of us hold. Some few have elected to eschew custom." - ↑ Editor Note: A prime example of 'involuntary' death being the execution of Athena, but Amaurotine's care for self-preservation is another point of evidence, and the slew of Amaurotines being killed by monsters during the Final Days should also be somewhat self-evident of this fact
- ↑ Character Interaction text from Euanthe, Elpis (x23.3, y23.6), "Between you and me, Hermes's eating habits are atrocious. We may not be reliant upon food to the extent that our smaller creations are, but our diets eventually catch up with us. If we don't consume the requisite balance of nutrients, we grow weak and lethargic. Yet Hermes consumes candied apples as if they were a staple..." What Euanthe means by "catch up with" is not elaborated on.
- ↑ Cutscene Dialogue from Main Scenario (Endwalker) Quest "In Search of Hermes" HYTHELODAEUS: "As you know, Emet-Selch and I can discern the color of souls. By the same token, we can also see aether quite keenly, and from great distances."
- ↑ Cutscene Dialogue from Chronicles of a New Era - Pandaemonium quest "Truth Imperfect"
ATHENA: "Give me your hand, Lahabrea, and we shall know one another more deeply than ever before."
THEMIS: "Impossible... You bonded your souls?"
LAHABREA: "Aye. That the boundaries between us would cease to be... She offered me everything, to be understood." [...]
ATHENA: "I am become thee, memory and mind..."
LAHABREA: "...And I, thee."
ATHENA'S VOICE:"...Can you feel it? Athena's Voice: My heart... All that I am."
LAHABREA: "Yes. As if it were my own..." - ↑ Editor's note: At this time, this is the only color that we know of, but it's not unreasonable to wonder if this will change as more content is released.
- ↑ Cutscene Dialogue during Chronicles of a New Era - Pandaemonium quest "Masks of the Father":
THEMIS: "[Venat], too, now dons the white robes of an advisor."