Qiqirn
“These rat-featured beastmen are similar to the race of goblins in that they lack a true homeland and are known to gravitate towards the merchant profession. Where Qiqirn differ from their nomadic counterparts, however, is also one of the race's defining traits: an ability to integrate themselves into foreign communities.
— Encyclopaedia Eorzea Volume 1
- See also: Qitari Daily Quests and Beastmen
Physical Characteristics
With an average lifespan of around twenty-five years, the comparatively brief existence of a Qiqirn is balanced by a rapid development in maturity - The bewhiskered beastmen are considered full-grown adults by the age of five. They are also known for large litters, commonly birthing anywhere from five to ten young at a time. Qiqirn rarely exceed the height of most ten-year-old Hyur, but their nimble fingers see them excel at coin-counting merchants or street performers, and even the occasional pickpocket. On The First, they are known as the Qitari.
Diet
Much like the rats to which they are often compared, Qiqirn are famous for chewing on anything remotely edible - no matter how repulsive or bizarre. And despite what their size might suggest, the diminutive beastmen routinely consume extraordinary amounts of food. This seemingly insatiable appetite often leads to conflicts over provisions, as well as a wariness amongst market stall and tavern owners towards Qiqirn who may devour meals for which their purses cannot pay.
Leadership
In most instances, the Qiqirn have no form of self-government, content to adhere to the prevailing laws of their adopted community. And while outlaw camps of Qiqirn do exist in the wilds of Thanalan and Gyr Abania, they are governed much the same as any bandit group: by the simple rules of greed and self-interest.
Society and Culture
With their natural inclination to live among other races, the Qiqirn are a familiar sight in cities and settlements across Eorzea. In Limsa Lominsa in particular, many of the beastmen have become a fixture of the native populace by taking up work as traders and sailors. Amongst seafaring folk, the Qiqirn's inexplicable sense for impending disaster has proven so accurate that it has become a loosely rhyming saying. "When the ratman scatters, ye'd best batten down the hatches!". And though recorded instances are rare and of dubious veracity, there's a long-standing agreement that should the crew run aground and their stores of food be depleted, then the short-lived Qiqirn will be the first to be sacrificed to the cooking pot. These examples may seem indicative of poor treatment, but they are also evidence of how long and how completely the beastmen have been accepted as a part of local culture and custom.
The desert city of Ul'dah was also once a haven to a great number of Qiqirn, but following an edict passed by the sultanate some twenty summers ago, they were banished from the city alongside their fellow beastmen. Deprived of home and livelihood, these cast-out Qiqirn eventually turned to banditry in the wilds of Thanalan. A community of Qiqirn also exist in the mountain ranges of Gyr Abania.
Primary Industry
Trade
Naturally gifted at numbers, Qiqirn seem able to calculate complex sums with little difficulty - A trait which often gains the beastmen employment as trade merchants and accountants. Some business owners however, look unfavourably upon the relatively frequent turnover of employees, citing the Qiqirn's short life as a liability when it comes to the stability of an enterprise. [1]
Notable Qiqirn
Gallery
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume I, page 264