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Metaphor: ReFantaziobreaks the mold from other games in many ways, but it also stands out from other fantasy worlds with its completely unique set of races that are referred to as tribes within the game’s world.
While you’ll often find characters within Euchronia referring to the eight tribes, the truth is that there might be a couple of tribes or other denominations that sit outside these eight. So, what are all of the tribes in Metaphor: ReFantazio? How do they stand out from each other, and how do they impact the story?
Clemar
One of the most noticeably unique tribes you’ll meet early on in Metaphor: ReFantazio are the clemar. This tribe’s most recognizable traitare their horns, which are usually relatively small and curved towards their foreheads. This is not the only style you’ll see, as some characters have longer, more pronounced horns; this is rare, though. This tribe is themost commonwithin the world of Metaphor: ReFantazio, and they have quite a lot of variety within their body types, which makes them feel likethe ‘average’ tribe.
Notable clemar characters within Metaphor: Refantazio include the first party memberStrohl andthe mysteriousMore, who will help the protagonist develop his archetypes.
Because of how common clemar are, they make up a lot of the positionswithin high society and most notably, the royal family of Euchroniahave historically been clemar as well, leading to a belief within many of the tribe thatthey are the most important of the tribes.
Personality-wise, there are not too many distinct traits for the clemar thanks to just how many there are, but they tend to enjoy their freedom and enjoy leading discussions (note how Strohl is often the quickest to pipe up in tense moments), even if they don’t always consider the timing of when and where they’re speaking.
Roussainte
Besides clemar, the roussainte are the other most common tribe in Euchronia, and they are also quite easy to notice thanks to theirlong pointy ears. On top of this, the roussainte are also known for generally having anabove-average physique,with women generally being stronger than the men of their tribe.
Thanks to their build, they tend to beover-represented in the various militariesaround the kingdom and hold high-up positions within these establishments.
Note that the two most important roussainte characters in the story of Metaphor: ReFantazio;Hulkenberg and Borden, both hold military-esque positions.
Because of the many influential positions both the clemar and roussainte hold within the society we see in Metaphor: ReFantazio and their populousness, they are often referred to as the’prevailing tribes'.
Because of their inclination for physical strength, this is seen as a source of pride for the Roussainte, and self-discipline is therefore a highly revered quality. Of course, this also makes them a more naturally competitive tribe as well.
Eugief
Compared to the rest of the tribes in Metaphor: ReFantazio, the eugief are the most physically distinct, beingmuch smaller than all the others, while also having bat-like wings and large ears. They also stand out even more thanks to their comparative rarity, being one of theleast populous tribes in the game’s world. On top of this, they’re alsonocturnal, with fantastic night vision and sensitive hearing.
There is only one eugief that features heavily in Metaphor: ReFantazio being the third memberadded to the party;Heismay.The only other eugief important enough to justify sprite-artwork is the sporadically-appearing contestant for kinghoodLina, and elda-village-refugeeRussel.
The eugief are one of themost discriminated againsttribes by the masses because of their rarity, but also because they are occasionallyperceived as unnervingbecause they stand out so much from the other tribes. This means they tend to hold little status and are often quite literally pushed into the shadows. For example, Heismay was part of a secret sect of knighthood that was not public-facing.
Eugief can work as warriors because of their agility and unique physical traits, but they also commonly work in agriculture thanks to theirwarm nature. They love harmony, but they tend to be indecisive, as seen in Heismay’s bond storyline, where he is unsure where to bury his son’s remains.
Nidia
Plucked straight from a 90s shoujo anime, the nidia are notable for their slightlylarger than average eyes with large irises, and iridescent brightly-coloured hair. They are often perceived as having quite over-the-top personalities, beingsociable, confident, and known to flatter.
The two most important nidia is the fourth new party member,Junah, and the con-man,Alonzo. A testament to their low numbers, the only other nidia that is given much importance in the story isJin, one of the many contestants for the throne.
However, thanks to their rarity, they don’t tend to be found in large groups, tending to instead be more nomadic, leaving their birthplace to find work elsewhere. This leaves themmore mysteriousand, therefore,less trustedby the prevailing tribes.
While it is rarely shown on screen (in fact, you’ll only get to see it if youplay through Junah’s bond), the nidiahave a true form that makes them appear like small, slightly bug-like children. They have this form until they are old enough to learnsimple transformation magicto appear as they do within society, as a way of fitting in and being taken more seriously.
This magic isunique to nidia, and does not need any type of igniter to work. This true form is hidden for most of their lives after it is learned, and it is seen as embarrassing to show off. This can lead to most nidia living a lonely life, and they are seen to sometimes overcompensate with eccentric personalities.
Mustari
While it is usually kept hidden under theirsignature masks, the mustari have aunique third eye on their foreheads. They are sadlyseen asunsettling by the prevailing tribes because of their masks and cultural attire, and in combination with their rarity outside of their homeland on the Virga Islands and unique faith, they are frequentlypersecuted in wider society, often disparagingly called ‘pagans’.
The most significant mustari characters in Metaphor: ReFantazio are the pair of siblingsEupha and Edeni.Eupha was a priestess on the main Virga Island, turned party member, and Edeni begins as a contestant for the crown, but retires soon before the party makes their way to the Islands.
They have a natural disposition topicking up on Maglathanks to their third eye, but this trait is somewhat of a talent depending on the particular person. For example, some are particularly attuned to Magla, like Eupha, while others only have a more vague feeling for it.
When looking closely at mustari, you’ll notice that their third eye is usually not fully open, instead resting in a calmer half-lidded expression. The pupil also doesn’t move as much as the other two eyes either. They are able to open their third eye more than in its resting state, but this takes conscious effort, only coming naturally when particularly surprised or alert.
Paripus
The paripus stand out from the other tribes thanks to their more ‘bestial’ qualities, with them having ears and tails that resemble various mammals. They also have a wider variety of skin tones compared to the other tribes as well.
There are quite a few important paripus throughout Metaphor: ReFantazio, with the magnus brothersFidelio and Basiliobeing an obvious example. On top of this, there areCatherina and Loveless, both competitors for the crown, as well as Maria’s carer and inn ownerFabienne.
They have a natural inclination towardshonesty and rarely hide their emotions. Withfewer inhibitionsthan other tribes, they have areputation for being pleasure-seeking and self-gratifying. This sometimes manifests inrecklessness, a stereotype that makes them more looked down upon by the stuffier dominant tribes. In spite of them being one of the more populated tribes, they rarely hold positions of power, and are particularly discriminated against in larger settlements which have more distinct social heirarchies.
Ishkia
The most obvious trait of the Ishkia tribe are theirwings, commonly located on their lower backs, as well as morebird-like facial features are exaggerated eyelashes. Out of all the main tribes, they are themost uncommon, but unlike the other rare tribes, they are wellrenowned for their intelligence, and this makes them quite influential in bigger cities like Grand Trad.
While not active in combat, the Ishkia representative in the protagonist’s party isNeuras. There is also Junah’s adoptive sisterRella, and beauty-obsessed candidate for the crown;Milo.
Because of their penchant for intellectualism, Ishkia will often find themselvesworking as scholars, making them one of thewealthier tribes, further contributing to their influence.
We never see Ishkia use their wings to fly throughout the story of Metaphor: ReFantazio, and that’s because the wings arelargely cosmetic. While they can move them slightly (with active effort, similarl to the third eye of the mustari), they are not able to achieve flight. So even though Ishkia are often more respected thanks to their dispositions, they are sometimes mocked by more discriminatory dominant tribes for theirinability to fly(perhaps a motivator behind Neuras' obsession with achieving flight with a Gauntlet Runner).
Rhoag
In spite of the clemar and roussainte being the most common tribe within the world of Metaphor: ReFantazio, the tribe that likely sticks out the least is the Rhoag. Instead of having clear visual distinction, the rhoag are instead unique for having amuch longer lifespan than the other tribes, sometimes up to twice as long.
They’ll age at the same rate up until adolescence, but then the rest of their lives will be spent agingmuch slower, and because of this, they are understandably perceived as elderly by other tribes.
The rhoag might also stand out less to a player since they are the only tribe without a permanent candidate within the protagonist’s party.Griuscould be counted by sticklers, but aside from him, notable rhoag include the merchantBrigitta, and head of the Sanctist church;Forden.
The main physical trait that sets rhoag apart from other tribes is theirface markings. These are not actually permanent traits; instead, they aretraditional stylesof make-up. They generally also have pointed ears.
Because of how long they live, rhoag are able to achieve influential roles in society, and they also have a strong focus onpassing down knowledge. While this is largely a positive trait, it commonly leads torhoag families holding multi-generational fueds.
Elda
In spite of the tribes of Metaphor: ReFantazio being referred to as a group of eight, theelda are seen as the ninth tribe, officially excluded by authorities like the Sanctist church. This is because they arebelieved to have inherited dangerous heretical magic.However, this is seen as misinformation spread by the church toreinforce their discrimination. This strategy works, and we can see how much they are ostracized as soon as the protagonist sets foot and attempts socializing within Grand Trad.
Elda are so uncommon that some people outside of larger cities believe that they don’t exist, since generations can live and die without ever meeting them.
Aside from myths of forbidden magic,the elda don’t have any notable traits, making more discriminatory races label this absence as an inferior trait in itself.
For most of Metaphor: ReFantazio, you won’t meet any other elda aside from the protagonist, so you could assume that perhaps his navy hair, heterochromia, or signature hairband are perhaps traits of an elda, but all of these areunique to himin particular.
What Are The Elda In Metaphor: ReFantazio?
During the beginning of the late-game of Metaphor: ReFantazio, the truth about the elda is unveiled soon after the protagonist returns to the elda village. During exposition from the elder elda in charge of looking after the prince’s body, the party learn that the elda are the truest descendants of the humans from the old world before the War of Destruction caused by the discovery of Magla.
During this warmost humans split into their own tribes and evolved based on the conditions of their separation, leading to the creation of the other eight tribes. But those who escaped these conditions and the overall violence of warfare,remained unchanged, resembling the humans of old. The creatures known as humans in the present of Metaphor: ReFantazio, are also descended from old humans, like all the other tribes,but were instead corrupted by Melancholia.
Halfblood
People that are descended from two separate tribes are quite disparaginglyreferred to as ‘halfbloods’. These people areincredibly discriminated againstthanks to not fitting in with either of the tribes they are born from and while they can sometimes find a role within adulthood, they often have asignificantly troubled childhood.
We seeMaria(child of arhoag and ishkia) suffer bullying from fellow children,Zorba(halfclemar and mustari) was obsessively loyal to Louis thanks to the antagonist’s acceptance, and most tragically,Joanna’s infant childwas murdered by a carer after being seen as an abomination.
Because of their mixed heritage, halfblood people usually haveundeveloped traits from both of their tribes. For example, Maria’s wings are much smaller than an ishkia child of a similar age and Zorba only has one horn.
Any Other Tribes?
While the eight tribes and elda are seen as the ‘people’ within the world of Metaphor: ReFantazio, there areother intelligent beingsthat get close to this categorization as well.
The best examples are thefairies, with the most notable being the protagonist’s companion, Gallica. What makes them stand out from this categorization is likely their status as’magical beings.' They are even more attuned to magla flow than mustari, and are much smaller, with wings they use to fly. Another trait that likely contributes to fairies being separated from being seen as a tribe is theirageless-ness, with theirbiology tied to magicrather than the more traditional biology the other tribes share.
