(09-01-2015, 10:44 AM)Oli! Wrote: I guess my question at this point becomes, how so?The crux of your argument appears to rely on absence of evidence (IE "We don't -know- anything. Maybe those are Ishgardians, maybe they're adventurers; maybe they're the Twelve hiding in bodies made of chocolate! We don't know!").
I (and others) on the other hand have presented numerous examples of evidence backing our claim:
-They are commanding presences protecting Ishgardian territory; Ishgardians have never shown a proclivity pre-ARR to rely on anyone's strength but their own.
-Ishgard has been demonstrated to have residents and subjects beyond Hyur/Elezen such as the Roe chef.
-Other races have existed in the region for a thousand years before Ishgard shut its gates.
-Other races have been present as citizens in every single Eorzean city-state (including Ala Mhigo).
-Ishgardian society is centered around xenophobia, classism, and religion; not racism (beyond the racism inherent in high nobility).
It is perfectly acceptable for that evidence not to satisfy you, and it is perfectly acceptable for you to demand more evidence. But you can not say that your argument, which has significantly less grounding in evidence, exists on an equal plane as the counter-argument which is possessed of a great deal more evidence.
And none of that even touches the practical argument: ignoring all evidence to the contrary, what distinct purpose is served by accepting that only Elezen and Hyur exist as citizens within Ishgard? Conversely, what harm is done by accepting that many races exist as citizens within Ishgard (if in significantly smaller numbers)?
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