Wanted to add to some of the info about Magic use already in this thread.
-Raya-O-Senna, The Wheel of Disaster
So as a result of the Sixth Umbral Era both initial incarnations of magic were labeled as forbidden and subsequently lost for several millennia. I'm not sure of an exact date of the (re-)emergence of Thaumaturgy but it's safe to assume that it was the first to arise in Eorzea (again).
Thaumaturgy drains the Aetherial stores of the caster's own body. To then mold that Aether into a spell, the Thaumaturge makes use of a sceptor or staff, within which is housed a medium or natural gemstone imbued with magical properties. If the caster's Aetherial stores are insufficient (not everyone can be a mage, just ask the Garleans) it is possible the spell will drain the entirety of the caster's Aether, killing or maiming the caster. There is evidence of this in the new ARR Thaumaturgy class quests.Â
Conjury came about roughly 500 years ago during the time of Gelmorra. The Padjal of Gelmorra sought tirelessly for a way to communicate with the Elementals of the Twelveswood so that they may make peace. (The Elementals didn't want anyone living in the Twelveswood after the last Umbral Era.) Over time, the power and will to harness and commune with the forces of nature was learned. This is what we know as Conjury. Through this magical connection with the land, the Conjurers were able to hear the voices of the Elementals. History lesson done. So Conjury is the manipulation of the external Aetherial forces found in nature. Earth, Wind, and Water. So how is this different from Thaumaturgy? The Aether doesn't actually enter the body in this form of magic. Aether is absorbed from the caster's surroundings and is stored within a wand or cane made of unworked wood. The caster then must meditate until the Aether manifests itself into the desired spell.
Conjury and White Magic are actually quite different entities from each other as far as lore goes. The only connection between the two is that select Padjal were entrusted by the Elementals with the secrets of arcane White Magic so that they might bring healing to the Wood and Her people. So Padjal became the wielders of both White Magic and Conjury and over the course of 500 years, new Padjal and conjurers were trained to some extent both forms.
Arcanists actually seem to use a mixture of both internal and external aetherial reserves. Like Thaumaturgy and Black Magic, the Arcanist must have their own internal Aetherial stores or else the casting of magic could have deadly consequences. But Arcanists can not actually focus their Aether into a spell by themselves. They rely on glyphs found within grimoires. The glyphs act as a blueprint for the spell and the Arcanist releases their Aether through the Grimoire. Also Arcanists have the power to unlock the Aether of Gemstones, manifesting the Aether into a primal form. The gems are another external source of Aether.
Quote:The Fifth Astral Era is said to have begun approximately three millennia ago. The ice age that ushered in the Fifth Umbral Era made the land a barren and merciless place, and man was pushed to the limits of his resourcefulness in the struggle to survive. Yet survive he did, through the discovery of magic as we know it - an event which marked the dawning of the Fifth Astral Era.
At first, man was well pleased just to keep the cold at bay and compete with the other races. But man is nothing if not an ambitious beast. It was not long before he sought mightier magicks, hoping to win greater glory. It was this desire that brought forth Black Magic, the arcane art of destruction, into the world. In order that this force of chaos be kept in check and balance preserved, at roughly the same point in history, white magic, the arcane art of succor, came into existence.
Emboldened by magic, man went on to reach the zenith of glory. But his hunger knew no bounds. Over time, even they who donned the white began perverting their powers for the sake of self-gain, and in this single minded pursuit scrupled not to sully the sanctity of the Twelveswood. In his pride and avarice, man brought down the wrath of the Elementals upon himself. A great deluge was sent to cleanse the land of his wicked presence, in the wake of which the forest rose to swallow up all that was not washed away. Thus did the Sixth Umbral Era begin.
-Raya-O-Senna, The Wheel of Disaster
So as a result of the Sixth Umbral Era both initial incarnations of magic were labeled as forbidden and subsequently lost for several millennia. I'm not sure of an exact date of the (re-)emergence of Thaumaturgy but it's safe to assume that it was the first to arise in Eorzea (again).
Thaumaturgy drains the Aetherial stores of the caster's own body. To then mold that Aether into a spell, the Thaumaturge makes use of a sceptor or staff, within which is housed a medium or natural gemstone imbued with magical properties. If the caster's Aetherial stores are insufficient (not everyone can be a mage, just ask the Garleans) it is possible the spell will drain the entirety of the caster's Aether, killing or maiming the caster. There is evidence of this in the new ARR Thaumaturgy class quests.Â
Conjury came about roughly 500 years ago during the time of Gelmorra. The Padjal of Gelmorra sought tirelessly for a way to communicate with the Elementals of the Twelveswood so that they may make peace. (The Elementals didn't want anyone living in the Twelveswood after the last Umbral Era.) Over time, the power and will to harness and commune with the forces of nature was learned. This is what we know as Conjury. Through this magical connection with the land, the Conjurers were able to hear the voices of the Elementals. History lesson done. So Conjury is the manipulation of the external Aetherial forces found in nature. Earth, Wind, and Water. So how is this different from Thaumaturgy? The Aether doesn't actually enter the body in this form of magic. Aether is absorbed from the caster's surroundings and is stored within a wand or cane made of unworked wood. The caster then must meditate until the Aether manifests itself into the desired spell.
Conjury and White Magic are actually quite different entities from each other as far as lore goes. The only connection between the two is that select Padjal were entrusted by the Elementals with the secrets of arcane White Magic so that they might bring healing to the Wood and Her people. So Padjal became the wielders of both White Magic and Conjury and over the course of 500 years, new Padjal and conjurers were trained to some extent both forms.
Arcanists actually seem to use a mixture of both internal and external aetherial reserves. Like Thaumaturgy and Black Magic, the Arcanist must have their own internal Aetherial stores or else the casting of magic could have deadly consequences. But Arcanists can not actually focus their Aether into a spell by themselves. They rely on glyphs found within grimoires. The glyphs act as a blueprint for the spell and the Arcanist releases their Aether through the Grimoire. Also Arcanists have the power to unlock the Aether of Gemstones, manifesting the Aether into a primal form. The gems are another external source of Aether.
