(10-23-2014, 02:10 PM)Keyblade Wrote: Does Mako Energy and the Lifestream exists in XIV? Or is it just "Aether"? Are they one in the same or is aether totally different?
The Lifestream is canon to both FFVII and FFXIV. The Lifestream in XIV, like VII, is the lifeblood of the planet. It flows in specific currents beneath the surface of the world and feeds all life. I talked a little more recently about aether in this thread on Teleporting.
But you are right, XIV draws very heavily from VII throughout. To the point where a fair argument could be made that Mako and Aether are one in the same. It's been a long time since I've played VII though, so I won't try to make any specific distinctions between the two right now. Actually, now that I think about it, wasn't Mako refined lifestream juice? Like the big Mako refineries in Midgar? If that's the case, Mako would be equivalent to XIV's ceruleum, which is refined aether.
Suffice it to say that Aether is the lifeblood of the planet Hydaelyn and all living things. When we die, our Aether returns to the Lifestream and is carried back to Silvertear Lake in Mor Dhona (think Iifa Tree in IX) where it passes to the Aetherial Plane, before returning to the Physical Plane as new Life.
In 1.0, the natural cycle of the Lifestream was interrupted by the falling of Dalamud, where, the very lifestream ebbed away from it's natural course and fed Dalamud instead. Which is why the planet was dying and couldn't support the summoning of the Twelve at the Battle of Carteneau. To expend what little aether remained in the planet would have killed Hydaelyn.
As far as Midgar in XIV, maybe you're thinking of Midgardsormr? Though, related to what we're talking about, Midgardsormr was the Keeper of Silvertear Lake and guardian of the fount of all aether in Hydaelyn.
EDIT: Also, Nael van Darnus = Sephiroth. Final Fantasy's favorite villain has already been Fourteen-afied. Meteor project, bringing down the moon, walking through some really hot fire and laughing about it... yep, all Nael van Sephiroth's doing.
