The Study of Mithra

Basic Description and Biology

The Mithra are a predominantly female race of hunters who live alongside the Tarutaru in Windurst. They are easily identified by their characteristic ears, which give them spectacular hearing ability, and their long tails, which result in an unparalleled sense of balance. They are known for their energy, curiosity, and their penchant for causing playful mischief. The Mithra enjoy a friendly relationship with the Tarutaru, and this attitude of mutual cooperation has made Windurst a nation of peace and prosperity.

The picture SE gives us is of Mithra is they are very-much large intelligent cats. The tails of the Mithra give them an excellent sense of balance and their quick feline reflexes give them high dexterity and agility. Due to their tribal hunter culture they have low charisma. Like all cats, they have unbelievable energy and curiosity. They are also the only race able to eat raw fish and love to eat fish dishes. They are presented as meowing, and making cat-like vocalizations and their emotes involve the body language of their tails and ears. These are all things to keep in mind when playing a mithra.

These cat-like people live alongside the Tarutaru in Windurst and in the small town of Kazham in the Outlands primarily though they are seen to live in every nation most likely due to the fact their natural curiosity leads many to leave their homes and explore. Though they live in a nation they still retain much of their tribal culture and view themselves as still holding honor to their Chieftainess and tribe.

As is usual in RP some precedents seem to slip in as to how mithra are played and viewed by others. Often they are portrayed as having a animal-like ability to sense things besides having sharp senses. Besides being playful they are often portrayed as flirtatious. Often they are viewed as a sexy race and men of all races find them intriguing and attractive.

Racial Origins

One of the races known as the "Children of Altana" it is said that after the Goddess created them Promathia cursed them with the racial trait of envy. Historically they were one of the first races able to hold their own against the Beastmen and form tribes.

Their homeland of Gha Naboh, with its capital City of Yhoh, is located on the continent of Olzhirya to the far south (according to Lehko Habhoka, the Vana'diel Tribune and the Sin Hunters) and has yet to be seen in game. From the homeland they ventured out establishing populations on various Islands including Elshimo, where Khazam is.

The Mithra in the Middlelands are presented as coming both from the homeland and from Elshimo. The first groups that came and settled in Windurst thought was from Elshimo and are considered deserters/traitors by those native there still by many to this day. However, since Cheiftainess Jakoh Wahcandalo has opened Kazham to trade and there has been contact with adventurers presumably this stigma has begun to fade and will continue to do so.

Tribal Culture

Mithra are tribal peoples but seem to create large civilizations up of these tribes in a republic fashion holding councils and electing their officials. Some hereditary tradition is seen in those that hold office though. For instance the Mihgo family was said to hold the position of Chieftainess in Kazham until challenged. These challenges are done as sanctioned duals and the winner is recognized as the new unquestioned Cheiftainess. Their leaders therefore must be strong proven warriors as well as wise.

The power structure is as follows:

National Chieftainess

The National chieftainess is elected from among the various tribes living in a nation or Island. She has final say and decision in the tribal council for the nation. For instance Jakoh Wahcandalo is Chieftainess of Elshimo Island. This position is purely elected and not hereditary.

Council of Tribes

Each Chieftainess of a tribe in a nation sits on a council. They make all decisions that affect every tribe and elect one of their own to be their leader.

Tribal Chieftainesses

It is not disclosed how many mithra tribes there are but they are made of several families. This position, unlike the national one, often is passed along in a family line though it can be challenged at anytime even by an outsider which is the way that Jakoh Wahcandalo became the Chieftainess of the Kazham Tribe.

Living Habits and Lifestyle

Mithra culture, as presented by SE, seems more like that of the Native Americans tribes than other real life tribal cultures (items like totem poles, gear and the like follow this theme) and like them they accord honor and prestige to its warriors.

They also have a profound reverence for nature and though hunters they respect the life of the creatures they hunt. The mithra hunt, fish, raise livestock, plant and gather with this view in line offering homage and thanks to the spirits of nature (avatars) in thanks for these things.

The more purely tribal mithra are in lifestyle the more pride they have in preserving the purity or their culture. Mithra taking on positions and jobs that are not traditional are often looked down on (ie the Windurstian Mithra look down on the Sybil Guards and many Kazhamian mithra are disdainful of the Windurstian mithra).

Love and Family

Mithra do not live in traditional family units. Usually all that are seen in public are a single mithra with a child and no mention of a family unit. When their mothers are out adventuring they often leave their daughters in the charge of friends. Marriage and living in family units seem to not be traditional and practiced only by Mithra living among other races and in Quon and Mindarta owing to exposure to other racial cultures.

Since there are very few males it has been speculated by Rpers there would be a higher rate of homosexuality and acceptance of it in their culture.
Interracial relationships seem to be rather common, again owing to fewer mithra males, but not as accepted by traditional mithra living in Elshimo. Marriage of mithra to other races though has become pretty common and accepted in the Middlelands.

Mithra Males

Only females are available as playable characters as they predominate the race. Mithran men are presented as rare and thought to perhaps taking care of more mundane domestic functions among the player base. This idea has been challenged by the introduction of Lehko Hahoka in Wings of the Goddess. He is presented as a scholar and strategic genius indicating that they might be a group of intelligencia or like Lehko, are used as advisors.

In game mythology Mithra Males have been presented mostly to have remained in the homeland on the continent of Olzhirya and its surrounding islands to the far south. They are said to be seldom seen in public on the continents of Quon, Mindartia, Aradjiah and presumably Ulbuka to the west. Therefore finding a lot of them in public wouldn't be consistent with this.

The following are conventions that have developed over the years among Rpers and are not confirmed by SE:

Enclaves

It has been thought over the years that there have to be some Male Mithra in the Middle Lands since some male children had to have been born and it is doubtful that all Middlelanders would ship all of their male children to the Homeland. This has resulted in the assumption that they are kept in small, sequestered groups under guard due to their rarity.

Most likely these groups would be under the control of a tribal Cheiftainess and a male would need permission to leave one of these groups.

Since Mithra Males are said to be in minority it also has been assumed that they would be well treated in these groups and treasured rather than abused accept in rare cases.

Breeding

Since in game lore has established that traditional mithra females seem to raise their children on their own it has been speculated how they might approach breeding with their own kind. Again it has been established among roleplayers, since it is stated the females out number males, that males generally are not exclusive to one female. This has given rise to the speculations of "Breeders" or males who voluntarily breed with females who wish to have cubs but are not involved in the lives of their offspring. Kitten NPCs never mention knowing their fathers or having connections with them so this doesn't go against game lore.

Now that we see from Wings of the Goddess a male wouldn't be a second class citizen or considered inferior to females it is doubtful a male would be forced to breed.

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS DISCUSSION OF SEX WHICH SOME MAY NOT WANT TO READ.

Spoiler:

It should be noted that mithra in the middlelands most likely will have been
influenced by marriage in other cultures and therefore would be more likely to establish a romantic attachment to a male.

The Male in Disguise

Since game wise males don't run around in the open this has given rise to male mithra characters that disguise themselves as females in order to be warriors. This keeps in mind the lore and that a male mithra adventurer in the open would most likely gain a lot of attention, especially from female mithra.

Religion and Philosophy

Mithra are first and foremost worshipers of nature. Since Avatars are intractably connected to the elements and nature they often worship or present offering and homage to them. For instance the Elshimo mithra give offerings and pay homage to Ifrit.

They do seem to recognize something all encompassing being over everything but only non-tribal mithra (those that live in nations other than Windurst and Elshimo) seem to follow the church of Altana but prefer the Tarutaru form of Altanaism. Tribal Mithra in Windurst seem to equate Altana with the overall force of nature but do not give exclusive homage to her. The Mithra religion in Elshimo seems to not accept Altana and strictly rely on nature/avatar worship (a fact the San d'Orian Missionary finds disgusting when you talk to him in Kazham).

RP Tips

Being a tribal race of hunters the mithra are portrayed as being the true originators and excellers in the profession of Ranger. Other jobs they are associated with in game lore are theif and beastmaster.

A mithra's low Charisma is good to keep in mind in roleplaying since a mithra bard or beastmaster (unless using an enchanted item or food) wouldn't have as easy a time learning or as high a success rate in abilities of these jobs.

While Sfant Umra does not object to male mithra characters we wish to keep in the spirit of the game by limiting the number that we have in the LS so please speak to the council if you wish to create one.

Links

The Five Races (Official Site)

FFXI Encyclopedia: Mithra

FFXI Encyclopedia: Lehko Habhoka

FFXI Encyclopedia: Mithra NPCs

FF Wiki: Mithra