Loporrit

Eorzean myth tells of a curious wanderer known as Namingway, descended from an unknown people that traveled to the realm from the moon. The Loporrits appear to have much in common with that being of legend, though questions regarding their current whereabouts─and much else besides─remain unanswered.

Online description

Loporrits [ˈlɒp.ə.rɪt] are a race of arcane beings in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker who were created by Hydaelyn after she sealed Zodiark. Ever since the sundering of Etheirys, the Loporrits have been tasked with preparing mankind's possible future of escaping their star before the coming of the Final Days.

Profile[]

The Loporrits are diminutive with round pointy rabbit ears and blue cloudy eyes, much like that of those who serve as vessels for Hydaelyn, like Minfilia Warde. They dress in white and blue robes, with a brown sash tied with a moon buckle, and matching brown gloves and boots. While most Loporrits have white fur, Livingway has brown fur and different colored clothing, and Counselingway has ash fur and wears darker clothes.

Loporrits have no biological sex, though they have adopted gendered traits and signifiers after finding it a charming quirk of the people of Etheirys.^[1]

Loporrits tend to speak with enthusiasm and clear honesty, such as when explaining their duty and their dedication to helping the living on Etheirys. This can result in speaking of serious topics (such as death and a massive exodus of mankind) with a pleasant cadence, as they try to come off as agreeable as possible to calm any uncertainties or anxieties that mortals may have. Loporrits are expressive, fluttering their ears and bouncing in place when speaking. Their understanding of mankind is quite literal, as everything they have been told is through Hydaelyn and, much later, Old Sharlayan textbooks and samples.

Loporrits adore carrots, and through years of perfecting their food sources for the people of Etheirys, have created a whole variety of different carrots for diverse purposes, such as boosting intellectual capacity, physical strength, and improving one's luck.

Their naming conventions work similar to that of the Hummingway from Final Fantasy IV, of whom the Loporrits are based on, where the suffix -way is added to a verb serving as the Loporrit's primary job and purpose. The Loporrits named themselves after Etheirysian features that they wish to emulate, such as 'Guidingway' and 'Growingway'. There exists only one known Loporrit who deviates from this naming convention, named 'Goingmyway'^[2], though due to their isolation to the rest of Bestway Burrows, it is likely they are the one exception.

History[]

Before Final Fantasy XIV[]

After the sundering of Etheirys and the sealing of Zodiark, Hydaelyn created the Loporrits to serve as guides and stewards for the people on the sundered star in case the seal holding Zodiark at bay was ever broken. She instructed the Loporrits to begin creating an ark for mortals to board, and to use the moon as a starship to carry them to another star to establish a new life—much like how Midgardsormr would carry the first brood from the dying Dragonstar. With only the knowledge of the ancients from before the Final Days, the Loporrits began creating a massive structure to house the gigantic people, studying whatever knowledge Hydaelyn granted them.

Many years later, when Sharlayans were studying the aetherial sea, humans came into contact with Hydaelyn, who told them of the moon and the Loporrits' mission. The Forum of Sharlayan began sharing information of the planet with the Loporrits to better equip them with knowledge of modern times. This included sending books and pictures detailing information regarding the world, food, clothing, housing, and other features necessary to sustain life. While many Loporrits were not literate, they took the knowledge the Sharlayans gave them and began to fit Bestway Burrows with an even better standard of living. To build the facility, wait between deliveries, and keep up regular maintenance, the Loporrits would periodically hibernate, rising to perform mandatory tasks before another era of sleeping.

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker[]

After the rogue Ascian Fandaniel took control of the will-less Zodiark, the Warrior of Light confronted the elder primal. Fandaniel finished himself and Zodiark off, ending Zodiark's protection of Etheirys. The Loporrits only became aware of this once Argos brought the Warrior of Light to Bestway Burrows, alongside their companions in the the Scions of the Seventh Dawn: Thancred Waters, Urianger Augurelt, and Y'shtola Rhul. Announcing that the Final Days would follow soon, the Loporrits began finishing preparations while showing the newly arrived mortals around.

While their enthusiasm was duly noted, the Scions told them of how the people of Etheirys could not be so easily understood by gleaning textbooks, but by experiencing the complexities and mundanity of everyday life—for example, they explained that people prefer to cook their food in a variety of ways, rather than sustain on required nutrients via a simplified carrot meal. After the Loporrits tried their best to keep the Scions on the moon, Urianger explained that though none of them doubted the Loporrits' earnest work, in its current form the shelter did not suit the people of Etheirys. He agreed to stay with them as his fellow Scions returned to Etheirys to confront the coming Final Days and look for a way to avert them.

Urianger later brought the excited Loporrits to Etheirys upon their wish to experience the world for themselves after listening Urianger's stories of the people beneath the moon. They took to Sharlayan and its people, following around those working in Labyrinthos by providing guidance and comfort. After the Scions earned the Forum's permission to travel to Ultima Thule, the Loporrits took control of the starship Ragnarok to fly them to the corners of the universe and confront Meteion.

After defeating the Endsinger and saving Etheirys from the Final Days, many Loporrits remained in Old Sharlayan, continuing to help out the citizens and learn more about them.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail[]

The Loporrits will participate in Cosmic Exploration.

Behind the scenes[]

Loporrits are based on the Hummingways from Final Fantasy IV, being a race of small humanoid rabbits that live on the moon. They most closely resemble the Hummingways' design from the 3D remake. Some of the Loporrits' names, such as Puddingway and Cheatingway, come from names that Namingway changes his name to in his sidequest in the 3D version. Loporrits also resemble moogles as they appear in Final Fantasy XII.

Loporrits will occasionally hum a melodic tune, the same chiptune that the Hummingways would make in Final Fantasy IV. The Warrior of Light can hum the tune upon meeting Guidingway, though their effort is criticized. A Loporrit named Dreamingway discovers their ability to hum while searching for their dream^[3] and introduces it to the rest of the Loporrits.

The Loporrits were alluded to in the Namingway minion, which comes coupled with Encyclopædia Eorzea: The World of Final Fantasy XIV. The minion's description states "it is whispered that this cheerful vagrant is the sole surviving member of a tribe hailing from none other than the moon". There was also an Ala Mhigan spy who went by the codename Hummingway while infiltrating the XIVth Imperial Legion of Garlemald before being killed by Nero, a reference that likely led to the race's renaming.

Since the release of Endwalker, Loporrits have become a regular fixture of seasonal events and will appear if the player has cleared the MSQ Endwalker.

Both Hummingways and Loporrits originate from the Japanese folklore of the "moon rabbit". [view · edit · purge]Moon rabbit, a legend that interprets the markings on the moon as a rabbit grinding a mortar and pestle, in some interpretations the rabbit is using them to mix medicines. One legend says that the rabbit came to arrive in the moon when it threw itself into a fire to feed a starving man, and the man revived it and took it to the heavens to honor it for its generosity.

Citations[]