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[HellbirdIV]

Hello forumites, long time no see. I was just discussing ME lore with a friend and the subject shifted to asari sex (Doesn't it always?), specifically, the Ardat-Yakshi.

 

I quoted the Codex, mentioned that Ardat-Yakshi can serve in the military, and then got to thinking about how the whole 'Ardat-Yakshi spectrum' works.

 

 

Contrary to popular belief, Ardat-Yakshi are neither extremely rare (around one per cent of asari dwell on the AY spectrum), nor are they all murderers. Most cultivate and discard countless exploitative or abusive relationships during their legally marginal lives. Despite rumors of Ardat-Yakshi syndicates, by nature Ardat-Yakshi are incapable of long-term cooperation.

 

Direct quote from the in-game Codex on the topic. 1% of the total population on a galactic scale is a lot of asari, which means it kind of becomes significant when considering ME as a roleplaying setting (which is how this all got started). The Codex entry says that most AY's do not kill, but instead perpetuate 'exploitative or abusive' relationships, which seems to imply that they can shag all they like without leaving behind a trail of bodies, but that there might be something 'wrong' with said shagging.

 

Firstly, I'm wondering if there was ever any corroborating comments on this from the magic lore people? Something to clarify this rather vague sentiment. Secondly, if no such concrete lore exists, what's your theory? As I read it, it seems to imply that the sex somehow harms the other party and empowers the AY, same as Morinth's outright predatory behaviour, just less extreme - but there's really not a lot to back that up besides "it kinda sounds like that's the case".

 

Maybe this has something to do with the theory that Liara is on the AY spectrum, too.. The more time she spends with Shepard, the more cold and ruthless she becomes. And the dumber Shep becomes. *ahem*

[Dantriges]

It seems that the Ardat Yakshi are incapable of normal mind meld, so it still hurts. Could be that very mild cases can have normal mind meld but it´s not a satisfying experience. Perhaps because the AY sets the other person´s mind on fire if she isn´t careful. Probably not very enjoyable if you have to concentrate on not harming your partner during intercourse.

[Vanilka]

I don't remember anything being said about the less dangerous Ardat-Yakshi. Not by NPCs anyway. If I recall correctly from Samara's dialogues, she talks about AYs as nothing but killers. But she also tells us that there are currently only two AYs and both are her daughters, if I'm not mistaken, which then... uhh... works differently in ME3. In ME3, AYs aren't really explained beyond the fact they make excellent and terrifying Reaper forces. The codex is the best we have, as far as I know.

 

Anyway, if I remember the codex correctly, it also says that some of the asari carrying the Ardat-Yakshi gene to some extent abstain and can be part of normal society. I can't seem to be able to find the entry, though, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong. I also always remember Falere: "I don't need a monastery to honour my own code!" Personally, I don't really believe in some sort of "evil gene", I just believe that some AYs would abuse it and some wouldn't, some wouldn't care about hurting others and some very much would.

 

The codex entry you've posted definitely seems to suggest that intercourse with an AY doesn't necessarily have to be deadly. Interesting. Maybe they can control it to some extent?

 

There's always one thing I've wondered about when it comes to the asari, Ardat-Yakshi in particular. Can they just have sex as, you know, just the physical thing without the mind-melding business? That would seem safer than risking injuring or killing your partner. Although I guess that if the mind-meld is something that happens naturally, then tough luck.

[Dantriges]

Asari reproduction is a topic full of questions.

 

Could be that AY only derive pleasure from mind meld if they do this their way. Like a sadist having vanilla sex or so without their special kind of foreplay. At best i could be like having sex and concentrating on doing it right instead of enjoying it. Considering that they link minds, nervous systems or something like that it could be that mind melding with an AY focused on not setting your neurons onfire would be something like that:

"Am I doing it right, hon?"

"Yes..."

"Am I doing it right, hon?"

"Oh come on, you f*** my brains out!"

"If I do that, it would kill you."

"Now you ruined the mood."

 

Physical sex: Some people here think that they have a birth canal which would only resemble a vagina but is not made for sexual endeavours. Considering that the asari have no penis it seems plausible. Perhaps some asari derive pleasure from doing it like this but that particular orifice is probably not built for that. More like "oh you like physical sex? Kinky."  

[Vanilka]

And here we have another example of "How the hell do the asari work?", exhibition B. I've never understood how or why an asari should ever be able to accommodate a human male. Because, well, they don't have males. But I guess it could work as you suggested, Dantriges. I prefer not to think about the reproduction as such because reproducing by joining minds is still something I have trouble wrapping my head around. (Not to even mention hilarious things like, "So did I just have some asari sex with Liara in front of my boyfriend or what?" Never mind. Probably a different thing. Probably. Yeah.) But since it's well established in all three games and it's a very present part of the lore, I'd rather not question it anyway.

 

You could be right that it very possibly would not be the same for them without the mind-melding.

[Monica21]

And here we have another example of "How the hell do the asari work?", exhibition B. I've never understood how or why an asari should ever be able to accommodate a human male. Because, well, they don't have males. But I guess it could work as you suggested, Dantriges. I prefer not to think about the reproduction as such because reproducing by joining minds is still something I have trouble wrapping my head around. (Not to even mention hilarious things like, "So did I just have some asari sex with Liara in front of my boyfriend or what?" Never mind. Probably a different thing. Probably. Yeah.) But since it's well established in all three games and it's a very present part of the lore, I'd rather not question it anyway.

 

You could be right that it very possibly would not be the same for them without the mind-melding.

 

Seriously though. I don't know how it works. While kind of sweet, Liara's goodbye in ME3 just made me wonder if I'd just gotten her pregnant.

[Vanilka]

Seriously though. I don't know how it works. While kind of sweet, Liara's goodbye in ME3 just made me wonder if I'd just gotten her pregnant.

 

Hey, somebody needs to preserve Shepard's genes in case she/he doesn't make it. Then we'll get the result of that as a companion in MEA, I'm telling you. (Oops, forgot Liara could die at the end of ME3. There goes my amazing theory.)

[Vanilka]

Another thought: If it were mostly mind-melding that's fun, why get naked? To make your alien darling happy? Would they understand the concept? Liara does seem to enjoy the... physical thing quite a bit in ME3's bed scene, though. Okay, I don't know, I give up.

[Dantriges]

Getting naked? Improving the connection perhaps.

 

 

During melding, the eyes of the asari initiating the meld dilate as she consciously attunes her nervous system to her partner's, sending and receiving electrical impulses directly through the skin.

 

Liara is kinky.   Ah well, could be that Liara enjoys the fondling etc because it´s part of their reproductive process and their skin is very sensitive in that regard.

[Monica21]

Hey, somebody needs to preserve Shepard's genes in case she/he doesn't make it. Then we'll get the result of that as a companion in MEA, I'm telling you. (Oops, forgot Liara could die at the end of ME3. There goes my amazing theory.)

 

Canon be damned. Liara's daughter as a squadmate in Andromeda! (Just kidding.)

[Vanilka]

Getting naked? Improving the connection perhaps.

 

Liara is kinky.   Ah well, could be that Liara enjoys the fondling etc because it´s part of their reproductive process and their skin is very sensitive in that regard.

 

Hm, good point. That makes sense, I guess.

 

(looks around and whispers) Fanservice. (cough)

[HellbirdIV]

Well this quickly turned... oh wait.

 

the subject shifted to asari sex (Doesn't it always?)

 

****** called it!

 

When it comes to physical sex it seems asari have that quite fine. It's no different to all the things that humans do during sex that aren't actually plug-A into hole-B, I figure. They obviously have a hole down there (which Bioware was kind enough to show us on the Banshee model.. *shudders*) and it seems to have sexual connotations even to asari beyond being the place babies pop out. "Azure", anyone? The big question is why, when it seems like that would just make childbirth harder if there's a lot of nerve-endings down there when there doesn't need to be...

 

But, swinging it back around to Ardat-Yakshi;

 

Anyway, if I remember the codex correctly, it also says that some of the asari carrying the Ardat-Yakshi gene to some extent abstain and can be part of normal society.

 

Indeed, to the extent that they can be part of the military, as I mentioned in my first post. It's a side-dialogue thing that you listen in on at the Hospital on the Citadel, where the PTSD-suffering asari commando mentions wanting a relationship with a fellow commando, who couldn't because she had "a condition". That commando was later turned into a Banshee... and Banshees can only be created from AYs. Sad story, but it does shed some light on asari culture and the treatment of AYs not being as extreme as Samara implies it to be.

[Vanilka]

Well this quickly turned... oh wait.
 
****** called it!

I... have no excuse for myself. 
 

Indeed, to the extent that they can be part of the military, as I mentioned in my first post. It's a side-dialogue thing that you listen in on at the Hospital on the Citadel, where the PTSD-suffering asari commando mentions wanting a relationship with a fellow commando, who couldn't because she had "a condition". That commando was later turned into a Banshee... and Banshees can only be created from AYs. Sad story, but it does shed some light on asari culture and the treatment of AYs not being as extreme as Samara implies it to be.

It's strange because they have the monastery which is just a better prison for these people. I think it's Tali, if I'm not mistaken, that mentions that her people might do even worse. Worse for what? From what we've seen, these AYs could be just young girls and they're already treated like criminals just for having a genetic condition. They're cut off the rest of the world, not allowed to use the extranet or watch movies, they get up at five or so every morning and have the whole day programmed for them, etc. That seems pretty rough for something you've never asked for and never intended to be. I'm not really sure how it's decided which AYs go to the monastery and which don't. (I mean, sure, their case has to be lethal probably.) But do you have to kill somebody to get there? Did Rila and Falere? (And would it be their fault if they didn't know?) Do we know how they get diagnosed?
 
The codex also says:
 

As a disproportionately wealthy species, asari employ their economic reach and media ownership to hide the AY pathology from the galactic community, placing most Ardat-Yakshi in monitored work programs or seclusion. Only the most aggressive cases are sentenced to sanitaria and prisons or to the execution lists of justicars.

 

It's hard to say how harsh they really are with these guys. Seems like very small part of them do manage to live a relatively free life, but it's still a big social stigma to carry and "most Ardat-Yakshi", according to the codex, are still treated as if already guilty of what they possibly might do one day. (Or did they all harm or kill at some point in their lives? I guess we'll never know.)

 

I don't know how I feel about it. To me it sort of feels like locking up a person who has AIDS because you don't trust them that they won't intentionally infect another person, you know what I mean? (I know this comparison might not be perfect, but still.) Well, I know I sure as hell wouldn't want to be one. Morinth was a monster, but I guess I've never really blamed her for just running and wanting to live without this weighting her down like Samara did, seeing how things are. Killing people is, of course, another matter entirely.

[Valipour]

Seems like it was intentionally modelled on psychopathy in RL. Approximately 1% of the normal human population are pyschopaths, but potentially account for up to 25% of all prisoners. Being a psychopath makes you far more likely to be violent, a serial killer, or another kind of criminal relying on manipulation of others to get what the want; BUT most psychopaths are none of those things. It's been suggested, for example, that a disproportionate number of business leaders and CEOs are psychopaths - their inability to process normal emotions or empathise with others gives them immense drive and ruthlessness, and better leadership abilities. For this reason, it's thought that there might be an evolutionary advantage to the human 'herd' having psychopaths in it - ie they can use a useful societal function if it's harnessed in the right way - and not, for example, in murdering other poeple.

 

Makes you wonder what else they could have done with the AY - could have been really interesting!

[N172]

Considering that the asari have no penis it seems plausible.

While the game does not say anything specific about it, it is indicated that azure serves their pleasure as well as the pleasure of their partner, at least as long as the partner is from any of the human-alike races and regardless of gender.