What Are The Elda In Metaphor: ReFantazio?

Metaphor: ReFantazio breaks 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 trait are 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 the most common within the world of Metaphor: ReFantazio, and they have quite a lot of variety within their body types, which makes them feel like the ‘average’ tribe.

Notable clemar characters within Metaphor: Refantazio include the first party member Strohl and the mysterious More, who will help the protagonist develop his archetypes.

Because of how common clemar are, they make up a lot of the positions within high society and most notably, the royal family of Euchronia have historically been clemar as well, leading to a belief within many of the tribe that they 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 their long pointy ears. On top of this, the roussainte are also known for generally having an above-average physique, with women generally being stronger than the men of their tribe.

Thanks to their build, they tend to be over-represented in the various militaries around 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, being much 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 the least populous tribes in the game’s world. On top of this, they’re also nocturnal, with fantastic night vision and sensitive hearing.

There is only one eugief that features heavily in Metaphor: ReFantazio being the third member added to the party; Heismay. The only other eugief important enough to justify sprite-artwork is the sporadically-appearing contestant for kinghood Lina, and elda-village-refugee Russel.

The eugief are one of the most discriminated against tribes by the masses because of their rarity, but also because they are occasionally perceived as unnerving because 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 their warm 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 slightly larger than average eyes with large irises, and iridescent brightly-coloured hair. They are often perceived as having quite over-the-top personalities, being sociable, 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 is Jin, 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 them more mysterious and, therefore, less trusted by the prevailing tribes.

While it is rarely shown on screen (in fact, you’ll only get to see it if you play through Junah’s bond), the nidia have a true form that makes them appear like small, slightly bug-like children. They have this form until they are old enough to learn simple transformation magic to appear as they do within society, as a way of fitting in and being taken more seriously.

This magic is unique 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 their signature masks, the mustari have a unique third eye on their foreheads. They are sadly seen as unsettling 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 frequently persecuted in wider society, often disparagingly called ‘pagans’.

The most significant mustari characters in Metaphor: ReFantazio are the pair of siblings Eupha 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 to picking up on Magla thanks 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 brothers Fidelio and Basilio being an obvious example. On top of this, there are Catherina and Loveless, both competitors for the crown, as well as Maria’s carer and inn owner Fabienne.

They have a natural inclination towards honesty and rarely hide their emotions. With fewer inhibitions than other tribes, they have a reputation for being pleasure-seeking and self-gratifying. This sometimes manifests in recklessness, 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 their wings, commonly located on their lower backs, as well as more bird-like facial features are exaggerated eyelashes. Out of all the main tribes, they are the most uncommon, but unlike the other rare tribes, they are well renowned 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 is Neuras. There is also Junah’s adoptive sister Rella, and beauty-obsessed candidate for the crown; Milo.

Because of their penchant for intellectualism, Ishkia will often find themselves working as scholars, making them one of the wealthier 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 are largely 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 their inability 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 a much 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 aging much 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. Grius could be counted by sticklers, but aside from him, notable rhoag include the merchant Brigitta, and head of the Sanctist church; Forden.

The main physical trait that sets rhoag apart from other tribes is their face markings. These are not actually permanent traits; instead, they are traditional styles of 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 on passing down knowledge. While this is largely a positive trait, it commonly leads to rhoag families holding multi-generational fueds.

Elda

In spite of the tribes of Metaphor: ReFantazio being referred to as a group of eight, the elda are seen as the ninth tribe, officially excluded by authorities like the Sanctist church. This is because they are believed to have inherited dangerous heretical magic. However, this is seen as misinformation spread by the church to reinforce 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 are unique to him in 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 war most 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 disparagingly referred to as ‘halfbloods’. These people are incredibly discriminated against thanks 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 a significantly troubled childhood.

We see Maria (child of a rhoag and ishkia) suffer bullying from fellow children, Zorba (half clemar and mustari) was obsessively loyal to Louis thanks to the antagonist’s acceptance, and most tragically, Joanna’s infant child was murdered by a carer after being seen as an abomination.

Because of their mixed heritage, halfblood people usually have undeveloped 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 are other intelligent beings that get close to this categorization as well.

The best examples are the fairies, 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 their ageless-ness, with their biology tied to magic rather than the more traditional biology the other tribes share.