About the Vastaya: "the vastaya are not an individual species, but [snip] a phylum" ???? Also Ahri

So I read the good Sir Santagelo's journal and I wonder, does he even know what he's talking about?

I would theorize that the vastaya are not an individual species, but a taxonomic classification more on par with a larger order, or a phylum.

"Phylum". He does realize how far out there that would put the vastaya away from not only humans but other vastaya, right? For reference, humans and fish both belong to the same phylum (chordata), and I'm sure you can tell just how different we are as animals. In entirely other phyla, you have things like insects, snails, and even creatures down to the microscopic level all in different phyla. You can tell just by looking at the various vastaya shown to us that they're all almost definitely within our own phylum, ****as vertebrates are (among some others). A case could be made for them being their own order, especially when you consider the origin Santangelo was told, but even that (and phylum as well) is thrown out the window when he mentions the possibility of insect vastaya. "At this rate, the next vastayan creature I see could likely resemble a walking roach."

We also have to take into account their human origins, that is, the fact that they're at least half human (or the first generation of them are at least). Then theres the shapeshifters that the human refugees somehow paired with. Considering creatures of different species (let alone higher classification levels) generally can't reproduce together, they must be human as well.

Of course, this could just be a man trying to make sense out of something magical, which by nature doesn't always make a lot of sense.

Basically: Magic is weird, vastaya (like magic) are weird, Santagelo is doesn't know jack, other stuff

Regarding Ahri: Ahri's inclusion doesn't make sense. If Ahri were a vastaya, would there not be more fox ladies running around (yes please)? Not to mention her lore contradicts their supposed origin, solely on the fact that she was born a fox who was magically transformed into a human (or almost a human, she's working on it). Meanwhile, what we're told would suggest the vastaya are born the way they are. As vaguely as they're described, Ahri could maybe be a member of the tribe of magical shapeshifters that originally helped bring the vastaya into existence through their pairing with a bunch of humans, but that still puts her out of the vayasta.

All that taken into account, either the pig merchant is a liar or Ahri is getting a lore update soon.