48 réponses à ce sujet

[Iakus]

Okay, speculation time.

Hornless qunari are supposed to be a genetic anomaly. But they are regarded as something special among them.  Lacking horns apparantly makes them look scary.

I find this odd.  Horns are a natural weapon.  One would think having pronounced signs of self-defense capability would be intimidating.  Wolves and other canines snarl to show their teeth.  Cats arch their backs to look bigger.  Bison lower their horns.  Personally, I found the Arishok's highly prominent horns more intimidating than Sten's countenance (though I suppose the cookies might have contributed.

Now, granted Qunari are a fictional race in a fictional world, so nature may not play a role in this, but I did find myself wondering about this, then I recalled that entry in World of Thedas:  The Qunari have been praacticing selective breeding for thousands of years, so we have no way of knowing what they originally looked like.

Hmmmm....

Perhaps hornless Qunari are a genetic throwback to the original kossith race?  maybe they are a reminder of something they used to be, even if tehy don't remember what that is, exactly?  I mean, few even among the most scholarly know that word "kossith" anymore, and likely don't want to remember what they were before achieving the certainty of the Qun.  But perhaps their hornless bretheren trigger some sense of that.  That they were once something other than what they are now.  And that makes them special, and a little dangerous.

Thoughts?

[What a Succulent Ass]

It could probably just be considered a natural aversion, like human aversion to defects and disfigurement, or hyper-realistic dolls and animation.

[DarkKnightHolmes]

That's because Bioware writers wanted Sten to be even more badass than he already was.

[Maria Caliban]

Let me change that:

[quote]Mary Kirby wrote...

Many of the hornless Qunari wind up in the Ben Hassrath, so culturally, Qunari associate not having horns with being imposing or scary. Saarebas have their horns cut as a warning, "This guy is dangerous." It's also the reason Tal Vashoth often cut off their own horns -- they think it makes them look tougher.

Modifié par Maria Caliban, 03 août 2013 - 12:14 .

[What a Succulent Ass]

Maria Caliban wrote...

iakus wrote...

Lacking horns apparantly makes them look scary.

Mages have their horns cut off. The Qunari associate being hornless with being walking artillery.

It's the other way about, isn't it? Saarebas have their horns cut off to communicate that they are dangerous. The association is already there, the mutilation just capitalises on it.

[Potato Cat]

This is more of a personal headcanon, but I always imagine Koslun as being hornless. It would explain why the Qunari view the hornless ones as being special.

[mousestalker]

Judging from the fanfic, most people prefer their Qunari horny.

[Maria Caliban]

Random Jerkface wrote...

It's the other way about, isn't it? Saarebas have their horns cut off to communicate that they are dangerous. The association is already there, the mutilation just capitalises on it.

Correct. I dug up the dev quote and altered my post.

Thank you for catching that.

[Iakus]

Random Jerkface wrote...

It could probably just be considered a natural aversion, like human aversion to defects and disfigurement, or hyper-realistic dolls and animation.

It could be, but I have the impression that it's more than that.  As Maria's quote of Mary Kirby shows, it seems to be more of an intimidation kind of aversion than an uncanny valley thing.  Being hornless is a sign of being tough and dangerous.

What I'm curious about is where did this association come from? 

Modifié par iakus, 03 août 2013 - 12:34 .

[AresKeith]

iakus wrote...

Random Jerkface wrote...

It could probably just be considered a natural aversion, like human aversion to defects and disfigurement, or hyper-realistic dolls and animation.

It could be, but I have the impression that it's more than that.  As Maria's quote of Mary Kirby shows, it seems to be more of an intimidation kind of aversion than an uncanny valley thing.  Being hornless is a sign of being tough and dangerous.

What I'm curious about is where did this association come from? 

My guess is that the hornless fight better because they don't have horns to use as weapons

[Fast Jimmy]

The better question to ask is... are there any hornless Qunari females? And do they have an aversion to wearing pirate pants?

[RohnanJon]

Perhaps a hornless kossith is intimidating because their race think of them as having evolved past the need for horns. As if they have some physical strength or intelectual superiority that renders defences such as horns obslete. This is just a thought though.

[andy6915]

I figured that it meant they were special because it meant they could move through human lands much easier because they look more like other races without the horns and thus will get less flak and/or fear. Being hornless makes them the "eyes and ears of the Arishok" as Sten described his unit, because they can mingle in non-Qun lands easier. Not having horns determines their "role" to be in the Barrasad (eyes and ears unit).

I've always wondered, is the white skin natural? If so then Sten must have painted himself a more human color to help with the blending in thing hornless ones are supposed to do outside their territory. If not, then I guess the white skin is the body paint then.

[RohnanJon]

I thought that Kossith skin was just meant to have a metallic hue. I think Sten was more bronze and the rest were more silver. I could have this completely wrong however, It might have had something to do with the graphics of DAO that gave sten his colour. He was supposed to have horns I think but they would have gotten in the way of him wearing headgear.

[Maria Caliban]

I assume that, like humans, Qunari come in different shades.

[Iakus]

Maria Caliban wrote...

I assume that, like humans, Qunari come in different shades.

Well, the wiki says they have metallic colored skin, including bronze, gold and silver.  Don't knwo where that is cited, thoguh.

[Boycott Bioware]

I always prefer hornless Qunari, because there is no reason for them to have horns

Being hornless is the peak of evolution

[Fredward]

Maria Caliban wrote...

Let me change that:

Mary Kirby wrote...

Many of the hornless Qunari wind up in the Ben Hassrath, so culturally, Qunari associate not having horns with being imposing or scary. Saarebas have their horns cut as a warning, "This guy is dangerous." It's also the reason Tal Vashoth often cut off their own horns -- they think it makes them look tougher.

Just out of curiousity, do you have an actual quote collection?



And ya'll are over thinking it. Beyond the connection with Saarebas anything that's so obviously different is going to be treated differently or with aversion. It's human nature... er, Qunari nature too apparently.

Modifié par Foopydoopydoo, 03 août 2013 - 06:25 .

[Kalas Magnus]

Maria Caliban wrote...

Let me change that:

Mary Kirby wrote...

Many of the hornless Qunari wind up in the Ben Hassrath, so culturally, Qunari associate not having horns with being imposing or scary. Saarebas have their horns cut as a warning, "This guy is dangerous." It's also the reason Tal Vashoth often cut off their own horns -- they think it makes them look tougher.

weird.

you'd think having long horns would be desirable for a male. 

Modifié par Kalas Magnus, 03 août 2013 - 06:33 .

[Catroi]

here i'm gona explain to you all why we have hornless qunari:

Bioware haz no money/time left at the end of DA:O's development
Bioware decides to finish stuff cheapely/quickly
Bioware reskins a human model and calls it a Qunari
Here is Sten.

There are no other reasons and Sten's look doesnt make sence in the lore but we have to suspend our disbelief and consider him a Qunari instead of a tall guy.
It would have been easier if BW just admitted it in the first place instead of creating a convulted canon by saying that Sten's look was totally that of a hornless qunari.
If they'd just come open about it and said "yeah we didnt have time to make him like we wanted to" it's have been so much easier for certain people to deal with it.

[Kalas Magnus]

Catroi wrote...

here i'm gona explain to you all why we have hornless qunari:

Bioware haz no money/time left at the end of DA:O's development
Bioware decides to finish stuff cheapely/quickly
Bioware reskins a human model and calls it a Qunari
Here is Sten.

There are no other reasons and Sten's look doesnt make sence in the lore but we have to suspend our disbelief and consider him a Qunari instead of a tall guy.
It would have been easier if BW just admitted it in the first place instead of creating a convulted canon by saying that Sten's look was totally that of a hornless qunari.
If they'd just come open about it and said "yeah we didnt have time to make him like we wanted to" it's have been so much easier for certain people to deal with it.

yep. gotta agree with you.

he is also not silver and wears a shirt. 

[snackrat]

Qunari were always supposed to have horns, but because Sten was a party member it would necessitate having an extra model for all helms in-game to accomdate them, so they were removed.
Come DAE, they were added again, and the Tal-Vashoth and role lines were handwaves.

That said, the role regarding qunari born hornless is actually not that they are SCARY, but the opposite - they make better diplomats, negotiators, and leaders in foreign lands because they aren't as scary and monstrous in the eyes of the humans/etc there. Those born without horns are destined for greatness in that they get these important roles rather than staying in Seheron making bread or something.

[Fredward]

EDIT: Beaten to it.

^ They actually said Sten had horns but it didn't work with helmets so they removed them (his horns, not the helmets). Someone with a quote collection would be handy right about now.

Also genetic mutation is not THAT weird.

Modifié par Foopydoopydoo, 03 août 2013 - 07:44 .

[Catroi]

Foopydoopydoo wrote...


Also genetic mutation is not THAT weird.

you can use all the lore that you want but THIS is not genetic mutation and is scientificaly impossible, it's like saying that a woman giving birth to a dog is genetic mutation.
Mutations don't change your species as far as I know

[Maria Caliban]

Foopydoopydoo wrote...

Just out of curiousity, do you have an actual quote collection?

Yes, though I am haphazard about adding to it.

Catroi wrote...
Mutations don't change your species as far as I know

Um, much of evolution is dependent on genetic mutation.

Modifié par Maria Caliban, 03 août 2013 - 09:17 .