Xaela clans

I would just like to take a moment to mention that the Xaela faction of the new, dragonesque Au Ra race in Final Fantasy XIV are based around 15^th century Mongolians, and as such Square-Enix decided this meant they were a bunch of piss drinkers, shit collectors, lesbian separatists, chess nerds, nudist colonies, drunk vegans, Cthulhu worshippers and bestiality cults.

In other words, possibly the best fantasy incarnation of medieval Mongolia, ever.

Also these guys:

Ugund – When members of this tribe die, their heads are removed from their bodies and placed in a jar of fermented goat milk. Once the liquid has been drunk by the head (in other words, evaporated), the head is then buried under an anthill so that the tiny workers can carry the spirit to the afterlife. The journey is thought to be a terrible one, the road filled with ghosts of the damned, so ensuring the spirit is drunk helps ease the journey.

Your move, Ant-Man.

Photo credit.

Portraying Himalayan Culture in the 21st Century

This is how the people of Nepal are represented in the entertainment industry in 2014. No longer the helpful Sherpas and overly friendly Billy Fish-types, in Far Cry 4 they are now completely disempowered. But it’s okay, because Ubisoft’s developer diaries state that they wanted an “authentic” experience (Everyone speaks Hindi, no other Nepalese language appears in the game), and that they respect Himalayan culture (Pre-order today and get the yak farmer mission!), and that the cover of the game (pictured above) is totally fine because, you know, unlike the other Far Cry games where the white protagonist on some kind of frat party trip accidentally saves indigenous cultures, this protagonist is Nepalese born and raised (He speaks English in a strong American accent, and spent most of his life in the USA). Ubisoft are blaming the victim, releasing a statement claiming the accusations of racism make them “uncomfortable”. They were also quick to point out that the villain in the funky pink suit, Pagan Min, is not Caucasian. He is in fact mixed-race from Hong Kong. I suppose in their eyes, this makes a blonde haired man declaring himself King of a fictional Himalayan country a la The Man Who Would Be King totally not racist.

All this said Far Cry 4 looks absolutely stunning, and at least in visuals and geography seems to be a very accurate and very beautiful rendition of the Himalayas. At the moment it is yet to be released, so perhaps they will change the cover or retcon in some more acceptable details, so I will update my impressions of the game once I’ve had a chance to play. There is also currently a petition underway regarding the use of Hindi in the game.