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General Lore Questions - Printable Version

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RE: General Lore Questions - Erah'sae - 08-02-2017

(09-30-2013, 12:34 AM)FreelanceWizard Wrote:
(09-29-2013, 10:29 PM)LandStander Wrote: ...

Is this just because the beast tribes are starting to learn the common tongue..or is the Echo not as cool as they wrote it as being in 1.0?

My personal read on this (which is a little speculative, so take it with between one and many grains of salt Smile ) is that the beastmen often learn the common tongue to interact with others. ...

You also have groups such as the Ashcrown Consortium that has been directly engaged in trade with the beastmen that may have been helping them to learn the common tongue.  It seems in many cases they have little trouble communicating with outsiders these days.  (See the SB fishing quests among other things)

There are some further spoilery things you find out about that group and this topic by doing the quests that unlock once you've maxed all your ARR beast tribe reputations.

RE: General Lore Questions - Arashin Kujqai - 08-05-2017

What exactly are levequest cards depicted as in game lore? In the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil. Then in game there's tons of people across towns that just seem to hand these out willy nilly like the quest is depicted on the card.... How's that all work and function lore-wise?

RE: General Lore Questions - Unnamed Mercenary - 08-05-2017

(08-05-2017, 04:22 PM)Valic Wrote: What exactly are levequest cards depicted as in game lore? In the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil. Then in game there's tons of people across towns that just seem to hand these out willy nilly like the quest is depicted on the card.... How's that all work and function lore-wise?

https://youtu.be/ag2cRTU-Og8?t=45s

(Because it's pretty, I'd say watch the whole thing, but leveplates are specifically around 0:45 in if the embedded link doesn't handle it.)

Gamerescape Wiki Page Wrote:Many encampments throughout Eorzea also have a Regional and/or a Grand Company levemete. Regional levemetes will first test an adventurer with a quest before offering leves. Regional levemetes offer all forms of levequest (battlecraft, tradescraft and fieldcraft) and will grant rewards of experience, items and gil. Grand Company Levequests are strictly battle levequests, and reward success with experience and Grand Company Seals.

Leveplates are basically fancy notation for the type of job requested. There are a certain number of types.



Benevolence Fieldcraft Evaluated gathering at 4 points
Candor Fieldcraft Gather required number of items at 8 points
Charity Tradecraft Deliver crafted items to NPC up to three times
Concord Fisher Deliver fish to NPC
Confidence Battlecraft Gather or examine items on the battlefield
Constancy Tradecraft Deliver crafted items to NPC
Diligence Battlecraft Get dropped items from leve targets
Equity Grand Company /poke and use dropped items to identify leve targets
Ingenuity Tradecraft Deliver crafted items to NPC in another area
Justice Battlecraft Use dropped items to spawn leve targets
Munificence Fieldcraft Gather items in the requested amount
Piety Fieldcraft Evaluated gathering at 8 points
Promptitude Grand Company Defeat as many targets as possible within a time limit
Prudence Grand Company Defeat a single target that summons reinforcements
Resolve Battlecraft Pacify leve targets
Sincerity Fisher Deliver fish to NPC up to three times
Sympathy Battlecraft Escort NPC across a battlefield
Temperance Battlecraft Visit locations and defeat spawned monsters
Tenacity Battlecraft Defeat leve targets who will run for reinforcements
Unity Grand Company Defend objects from waves of attack
Valor Battlecraft Defeat leve targets
Veracity Battlecraft Use dropped items to identify leve targets
Wisdom Battlecraft Collect objects on the battlefield

http://avaloncourt.guildwork.com/_/levequests

RE: General Lore Questions - Sounsyy - 08-05-2017

(08-05-2017, 04:22 PM)Valic Wrote: What exactly are levequest cards depicted as in game lore? In the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil. Then in game there's tons of people across towns that just seem to hand these out willy nilly like the quest is depicted on the card.... How's that all work and function lore-wise?

[Image: book_of_skywind_1_leves.png]

Guildleves

From an old dev post:
Bayohne Wrote:Some History on the Physical Guildleve Plates

A player had some questions regarding guildleves and mentioned that the official site explained that guildleves are plates that are inlaid with stained crystal, but was curious how the actual leve content is inscribed within them. Foxclon was able to track down someone from the Lore team to provide some insight into the physical guildleve plates that I think some of you will find interesting.

First, there are two types of details regarding Guildleves; that which is displayed on the plate and that which is not.
  • Issuing city-state (Lower right of the plate)
    This is the name of the city state of the adventurer’s guild that issues the leve.
  • Theme (Top of the plate)
    This theme is shown through words of highly virtuous deeds performed by people known as sages in the past. The stained crystal picture also has an image of the sage.

The above two types of details that are displayed. Besides this, specific information such as leve content and rewards are not physically written onto the plates. This information is shared with the adventurer directly from the person at the adventurers' guild counter. Similar to how you can check your journal for general quest content, the idea is that you’re recalling the content that you remembered (from your notes perhaps?).

A player also asked about starting a leve at an aetheryte, how the plate image is displayed above your head and asked for more info about that.

Momodi and other NPCs tell adventurers that within aetherytes exists the key to unlocking the power of guildleves. In order to carry out duties outside of the city-state, or that are very far away, a magic seal is applied to leve plates.

The aetherytes and aetherial gates function as a key, and by having them resonate when you complete your duties it is possible to open an aetherial node to return with. This is what the animations above your head signifies.

This is standard amongst adventurers, so even for duties within city-states that don’t utilize aetherial nodes, the same thing takes place when the leve begins. This is a kind of “wish” that you will complete your duties safely and return.

As a matter of fact, aetherytes are referred to as the manifestation of the planet’s lifeblood, which is made up of aether. Due to this, leve plates are also made of crystal which makes it easy for the two to resonate. NPCs at the counter of the adventurers' guilds will explain other things about aetherytes, too. We plan on posting an article on Lodestone in the not too distant future discussing methods for intercity-state travel with aetherytes.

We’re currently working really hard behind the scenes on reading material you can read while in-game. While we can’t promise a time period for it, we will be sure to let you know when we can offer up some more details!
Rukkirii Wrote:The Lore Team answered a follow-up to the previous Guildleve post where a player asked what the red symbol that appears in the top left of the Guildleve is. In case you were curious, that symbol is actually a wax seal (the wax you put down so you can put a seal in it with a stamp). The seal is used to show that the request is one that you have previously completed in the past (besides local leves).
Momodi Wrote:It's Momodi, Sounsyy Mirke, from the Quicksand here in Ul'dah. A whisperer of mine tells me they spied you touchin' the aetheryte at camp. Hope you don't mind my keepin' an eye on you. I saw fit to smuggle somethin' into your bag. Go on, have a look. Got it? Aye, well, that's called a guildleve.

Aetherytes across Eorzea like the one you touched, and sometimes the camps around them, are the key to unlockin' guildleves. That one you got there's perfect for a fledglin' adventurer like yourself. 'Course, you're under no obligation of any sort. You're free as the winds, just the way you adventurers like it. The area around the aetheryte might suit a green one like you. But it can get as hot as the seven hells out there on the sands, so don't be a bloody fool. The sun is one enemy you adventurers can't beat. Take care, now, and come back to the Quicksand whenever you fancy.
Baderon Wrote:Tell me, lad, 'ave ye rubbed on th' aetheryte yet? Right then. No matter where yer travels take ye, always be sure t' attune with the crystals. Save ye time in the long run, it will, an' ye knows what them in the gelt says about time. Ahem! Now that I 'as yer undivided attention, ye might want t' open yer pack. I slipped ye a keepsake whiles ye were busy makin' yerself at 'ome in me pub.

Called a guildleve. Think of it as th' quickest road t' fame an' fortune...most o' the time. At worst, it'll get ye at least a stone's throw from fortune an' but a few steps short o' fame. Each leve offers ye a task what we call a levequest. Be a good lad an' finish what ye've got t' finish in the time ye've got t' finish it, and ye'll be generously recompensed fer yer kind efforts. If ye be interested, ye can try the one I gave ye by touchin' the aetheryte there one more time, or by havin' a chat with that Didiwai gent, dependin'. Else, ye can always come back t' th' pub where a tall, foamin' flagon and a warm wench'll be waitin' fer ye.

Though I think Gamerescape summarizes all we know of guildleves best:
Gamerescape Wrote:Pronounced "Gild-Leevz," and also referred to as just "leves," Guildleves are small, rectangular plates made of stained crystal set into a frame of precious metal, each depicting a virtuous deed of one of Eorzea's patron saints, also known as 'guardians.' When issuing tasks or quests, guilds will often provide adventurers with these plates, allowing their bearers 'leave' to take whatever steps necessary to complete the jobs, including entry into normally restricted areas, hunting or harvesting on private lands, the confiscation of goods, even negotiations with those considered enemies of the city-states.

Or you can see a levemete issuing a guildleve here...


RE: General Lore Questions - FloppyDingo - 08-06-2017

Are aetherites and teleportation considered "Okay" in roleplay and lore? Would it be fine to have your character in Kugane one night, then Ul'dah the next, and just say "well I teleported"? Or is it 'weird' or a faux-pas to teleport frequently?

RE: General Lore Questions - Unnamed Mercenary - 08-06-2017

(08-06-2017, 10:50 AM)FloppyDingo Wrote: Are aetherites and teleportation considered "Okay" in roleplay and lore? Would it be fine to have your character in Kugane one night, then Ul'dah the next, and just say "well I teleported"? Or is it 'weird' or a faux-pas to teleport frequently?

Aetherytes are fairly common in all of the major cities. However, the act of teleportation is a little more complicated. Teleporting requires using anima, which adventurers tend to have a lot of and common people have less. (It's like how having bigger aether reserves would generally make you a better choice for a thaumaturge). In FFXIV 1.0, all teleportation was paid for in anima, which regenerated slowly as a game mechanic to give the idea that it couldn't be done often. In 2.0, we do still use anima, but the game mechanic cost has been changed to gil for a variety of reasons.

So while it's possible for some people to do it, it's not something regular people can just do casually given their amount of anime, aethersickness, and physical limitations. As the distance increases, more anima is needed, which is generally going to be what gets a person. This is why little distances like aethernet travel is probably fairly common, but going to/from a settlement or a city would be quite taxing. (And is also why we still have carriages, boats, and airships for transporting goods, each with their own pros and cons.)

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Here are some Lore compilations that may help:
Crash Course in Eorzean Aetherology
Settlements in Eorzea Then and Now
Schools of Magic, Mechanics of Casting, and Aether Sources
Aether, Aetheryte, and Lifestream Lore

Related Threads:
Aetherytes
Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09)
On the topic of "teleporting" in RP
Teleportation in Eorzea and RP
New Lore from Lore Forums:Aetherytes

RE: General Lore Questions - Arashin Kujqai - 08-06-2017

(08-05-2017, 04:53 PM)Unnamed Mercenary Wrote: *snip*

(08-05-2017, 04:54 PM)Sounsyy Wrote: *snip*


I feel like you both linked the video I referenced in my comment XD. Regardless, very handy, I didn't even notice the words across the top of the border when I had watched these originally, thanks! I was a bit curious where they made these from or how they just happened to have lil cards available for every adventurer for a specific task that happens to happen. Like if there was a sudden attack, they just happen to get the card made and give it to adventurers to use but it sounds more generalized as a means of being a ticket for that objective for you to return after completion. Thinking about the leve quests I've done so far now, it does seem like every task is more appointed as a duty than some quest of urgency. Neat.


And while I have Sounssy >3>, while I hate to dig this back up from a couple pages ago but I'm truly not sure how to explain what exactly determines polarities in spells. Rather what "source" or what depicts your spells to be astral/umbral. I get that being in an area like Thanalan is more umbral being hot and dry but what in that determines why it's hot/dry/umbral heat? Just it's destination on the planet in reference to something or are the polarities not based on position or anything in particular? Having trouble explaining this lore-wise without breaking the 4th wall to a degree considering my character wouldn't know about Zodiark like the Scions and etc would.

RE: General Lore Questions - Sounsyy - 08-06-2017

(08-06-2017, 03:34 PM)Valic Wrote: I feel like you both linked the video I referenced in my comment

I mean, you said "in the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil" so I wasn't sure if the video we linked, which was from 1.0, was what you were talking about?


_______________________
(08-06-2017, 03:34 PM)Valic Wrote: And while I have Sounssy >3>, while I hate to dig this back up from a couple pages ago but I'm truly not sure how to explain what exactly determines polarities in spells. Rather what "source" or what depicts your spells to be astral/umbral.

I'll try answering this as best as I am able. Relinking all of the background polarity and elemental wheel lore first:
- Aether and Magic Lore Compilation Index
- Essences & Permutations: A Treatise of the Six Elements
- Manipulating the Polarities Two, Astral versus Umbral

Essences and Permutations - A Treatise of the Six Elements Wrote:Chapter IV - Dynamic Opposites & the Bifurcation of Polarity

The six elements are manifest in all things great and small, and their polarity deriveth from the Astral heavens above and the Umbral depths below.
[Image: jHVmB15.jpg]

Ignore the black and white triangles. Those are the three Conquers and three Submissions, respectively.

The three elements on the top half of the elemental wheel are: Wind, Lightning, Fire. These are the three elements that are most strongly polarized towards the Astral "heavens above." While the three elements on the bottom half of the wheel (Water, Ice, Earth) are most strongly polarized towards the Umbral "depths below." Why? Because that's how ancient scholars determined it to be, I guess.

Lorecast 9 Wrote:Gamer Escape: This one slipped through the cracks of our last chat, so let’s start here. The properties of aetherial energies have gotten a bit confusing.

Once upon a time, the only binary in the game was [astral & umbral]. These polarities existed in all things, and seemed to be part of the six elements rather than independent forces. Since A Realm Reborn, a second binary exists: [Light & Darkness]. As one might expect, NPCs don’t seem very well informed about these concepts, using phrases like “void energy” and “umbral energy” and “Dark energy”. As time went on, we even started to see Dark and Light sprites! Can you help us understand the boundaries for these concepts? Are they in any way related?

Koji Fox: So, you have the elements—and it’s still six elements, there are no newly-discovered ones. Those elements have charges—umbral and astral. If something has “umbral energy”, it is one or more of those elements, individual or combined. So if elements have an umbral charge, it can be said that they are “umbral energies”. That’s where those terms come from, “astral energies” and “umbral energies” are not individual things, it’s a blanket term. Light and Dark are not elements, but they are energies…in a different sense. They are not elements, they are not of the elements, and they are not astral or umbral. It’s a different type of energy. You might see a Light and Dark sprite and think, oh, they must be elemetals, but those are made of an entirely different form of energy.

In 1.0, Thaumaturges didn't use elemental magic like they do in ARR. The full elemental wheel belonged to the Conjurers and Thaumaturges focused primarily upon spells woven directly from the polarities two: Astral and Umbral. While the Thaumaturges of ARR now teach one to manipulate the Astral and Umbral polarities within oneself, the Thaumaturges in 1.0 actually also influenced the Astral and Umbral polarities within others as well, making them weaker to certain types of magicks. Because back in 1.0, elemental magic resistances were still a thing. You couldn't use dragonfire dive or flaming arrow on Ifrit because Ifrit was fire-based and so were those two abilities.

So how does Astral and Umbral magic play into this? Well, each Astral-aspected spell dealt the damage of the three Astrally-aspected elements and the same applied to Umbral-aspected spells. For example:

[Image: KuFZkPA.png]
Astral = Wind, Lightning, Fire

[Image: BGtkGF6.png]
Umbral = Water, Ice, Earth

So if you were fighting, say, a Fire Elemental, you would not use Astral-aspected spells such as Banish or Dia because you would then only be dealing 66% of the spell's damage. Fire elementals being immune to fire-aspected damage at that point. As a Thaumaturge you would elect to weaken said fire elemental to Umbral magick, which would deal the full 100%. After casting Scourge, you could then follow up with a spell whose elemental aspect fell Umbrally upon the wheel, such as Damnation or Poison:

[Image: 0H8bmjZ.png]
[Image: GXl4bcB.png]


_______________________
(08-06-2017, 03:34 PM)Valic Wrote: I get that being in an area like Thanalan is more umbral being hot and dry but what in that determines why it's hot/dry/umbral heat? Just it's destination on the planet in reference to something or are the polarities not based on position or anything in particular?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Is the area umbrally-polarized because it's hot and dry, or is the area hot and dry because it's umbrally-polarized? The Thanalan wastes were once lush grasslands and forests, until (what the scholars hypothesize was) the 3rd Umbral Era. But the 3rd Umbral Era was aspected as Fire, which is more Astrally-aspected. Does that have any bearing? I'm afraid I really just don't have an answer for you. Some things are just not yet known in absolutes.


_______________________
You also asked me at one point about the girl, Arya, from the RDM questline citing she had difficulties healing due to her aether being more umbrally aligned. I was unable to find such a statement. Nor was I able to find the similarly mentioned statement about Alisaie's aether. Yes, both Arya and Alisaie were cited as being less adept at performing curative magicks, but the reasonings given for this were not in reference to the polarity of their aether. At least not that I could find?

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Even so, not all restorative magicks are Astrally aligned (though many are, such as Esuna, Protect, and Raise). Remember that Conjurers could pull from both sides of the elemental wheel. Stoneskin, being earth-aspected, is more polarized towards Umbral. And cure spells from both conjurers and thaumaturges are elementally neutral:

[Image: A0mh5rO.png]
[Image: aaXGtQv.png]


Hope that helps answer your questions!

(edit: added a more appropriate spell example)

RE: General Lore Questions - Yian Kutku - 08-07-2017

A quick question about Gyr Abania. Very minor spoilers, mostly of the "this thing exists in Gyr Abania" sense, rather than anything plot-important.

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RE: General Lore Questions - V'aleera - 08-07-2017

No idea if there is any lore regarding it, but the name suggests a relationship with Nael.

RE: General Lore Questions - Sounsyy - 08-07-2017

I'd have to check nearby FATE text to be sure, but as far as I can tell there's no info about the place beyond Conrad mentioning it was an abandoned ruin (frustratingly leaving it at that). But I'm in 100% agreement with V'aleera that its name suggests a connection to Nael van Darnus (aka the "White Raven") and the doomed VIIth Legion who later all perished on Carteneau. Towards the end of 1572 Nael was transferred from the eastern theatre to assist Baelsar take Eorzea. This resulted in a massive uptick in labor and military fortifications across Gyr Abania. It's possible, if not likely, that Castellum Corvi was Nael's base of operations during this time and as the VII Legion stole into Eorzea to build Castrum Novum in Mor Dhona to house the second incarnation of Meteor Project.

RE: General Lore Questions - Yian Kutku - 08-07-2017

(08-07-2017, 04:47 AM)Sounsyy Wrote: I'd have to check nearby FATE text to be sure, but as far as I can tell there's no info about the place beyond Conrad mentioning it was an abandoned ruin (frustratingly leaving it at that). But I'm in 100% agreement with V'aleera that its name suggests a connection to Nael van Darnus (aka the "White Raven") and the doomed VIIth Legion who later all perished on Carteneau. Towards the end of 1572 Nael was transferred from the eastern theatre to assist Baelsar take Eorzea. This resulted in a massive uptick in labor and military fortifications across Gyr Abania. It's possible, if not likely, that Castellum Corvi was Nael's base of operations during this time and as the VII Legion stole into Eorzea to build Castrum Novum in Mor Dhona to house the second incarnation of Meteor Project.

I would be very skeptical of calling Castellum Corvi anything remotely like a "base of operations", to be honest. It's just too small. An outpost, yes, albeit a curiously tiny one, considering the Garleans tend to over-build everything. And there are no signs that the facility used to be much bigger than it currently is. (There's a bunch of crashed Imperial fliers and airships and magitek machina scattered over a wide area, but seeing as most of them are still on fire, I think they're rather more recent.)

However, I do agree that the VIIth Legion probably needed a place to stay while they were constructing Castrum Novum. I just can't imagine Castellum Corvi being that, as opposed to, say, Castrum Oriens/Baelsar's Wall or Castrum Abania.

I would not be surprised if Castellum Corvi was just named after crows/ravens in general, rather than specifically for Nael van Darnus.

RE: General Lore Questions - Gegenji - 08-07-2017

I may be mis-remembering, but is the small village-y place near there also part of that Castellum? If so...

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RE: General Lore Questions - Sounsyy - 08-07-2017

I mean, fair. Maybe not base of operations. It is small, but the other castra aren't that big. But that's neither here nor there.

(08-07-2017, 06:07 AM)Yian Kutku Wrote: I would not be surprised if Castellum Corvi was just named after crows/ravens in general, rather than specifically for Nael van Darnus.

I mean, considering literally every other castrum is named based on region/location... I would actually be very surprised if Corvi was just pure coincidence given Darnus was infamous as the White Raven? Just like it's no coincidence the Skulls, or crania lupis, are the brainwashed "children" of Gaius, the Black Wolf.

Castellum Velodyna = castle on the Velodyna
Castrum Abania = castle of Gyr Abania
Castrum Fluminis = (flumen) latin for river, castle on the One River
Castrum Novum = novum is latin for new, new castle
Castrum Oriens = oriens (orior) latin for east, eastern castle
Castrum Occidens = occidens (occido) latin for west, western castle
Castrum Centri = centri (centrum) latin for center, center castle
Castrum Aquilonis = (aquilo) latin for north wind, northern castle
Castrum Meridianum = latin for southern, southern castle
Castrum Marinum = latin for marine, castle of the sea
Castellum Corvi = latin for raven, castle of the Raven

RE: General Lore Questions - Valence - 08-07-2017

Castellum Velodyna isn't big either. It's just.... flat out, very vertical.

Nothing tells of the height that Corvi could have had before its fall.

Also, and maybe not even in a full fledged castrum, you don't exactly camp full legions inside one of those. The main bulk of an army probably remains outside, or spread between various garrisons.