Great catches on those dialogue snippets, ansemaru. 
I had vague recollections of some of those that informed my "elementals are far less powerful in 2.x than they were in 1.x;" seeing the actual NPC dialogue is very telling. There's also Alphinaud's reiteration of that in the main scenario quest, so people outside of Gridania are aware of it, too.
It remains my supposition that the Gridanians continue in their traditions because of strong inculturation and a belief that the elementals will return to their prior strength as the forest is healed -- which makes aiding and protecting the forest an even higher priority than it was before. 5 years can't undo millennia of tradition and religious beliefs. On the flip side, though, this means that Gridanians are at least sometimes using "the elementals wouldn't like that!" as an excuse to be jerks.
Given the presence of elemental sprites in other areas, I think it's safe to say that elementals are probably everywhere. We know that they're stronger in the Shroud than anywhere else (even diminished as they are in 2.x); the why of that is, IIRC, not really known. I'm sure some Gridanians feel that the profligate ways of the other city-states are why their elementals are silent. Outsiders were often oozing with woodsin and so were a threat to the Shroud and Gridania, which probably just reinforced that perception. In 1.x, outsiders were more or less banned from the city (if they even found it or lived to reach it) due to the wrath of the elementals, and those who were allowed in had to undergo a ritual to purge their woodsin. As for those in the other city-states, there's little need to pay heed to elementals when they don't do a whole lot (for whatever reason). Only Gridania has ever really had a significant relationship with elementals.
As it often does in XIV, it comes down to a matter of perception and degree.
I seem to recall some quest text indicating that one is born a Hearer. Per their quest line, all Conjurers have the ability to sense and feel disturbances in the Aether around them, but that's not the same thing as being a Hearer. At any rate, if you can heal the whispers of elementals and feel their pain, that might lead you to become a Conjurer to help them; it's also possible you had no idea what that was and discovered your talent while training to be a Conjurer for other reasons.
I had vague recollections of some of those that informed my "elementals are far less powerful in 2.x than they were in 1.x;" seeing the actual NPC dialogue is very telling. There's also Alphinaud's reiteration of that in the main scenario quest, so people outside of Gridania are aware of it, too. It remains my supposition that the Gridanians continue in their traditions because of strong inculturation and a belief that the elementals will return to their prior strength as the forest is healed -- which makes aiding and protecting the forest an even higher priority than it was before. 5 years can't undo millennia of tradition and religious beliefs.
On the flip side, though, this means that Gridanians are at least sometimes using "the elementals wouldn't like that!" as an excuse to be jerks.(01-18-2014, 10:27 AM)Flickering Ember Wrote: 1. Since Elementals are the land basically, do they exist in other regions of the world? They seem to only be talked about in the context of the Shroud and they seem to be the equivalent of nature spirits but the Shroud isn't the only place that is 'nature.' There are different kinds of nature, even.Â
Is it that Elementals exist in other regions of the world but it's not a part of their culture to pay any heed to them? Maybe their ways have weakened and silenced their own regions' Elementals? And perhaps that could be why Gridanians seem so xenophobic?
Given the presence of elemental sprites in other areas, I think it's safe to say that elementals are probably everywhere. We know that they're stronger in the Shroud than anywhere else (even diminished as they are in 2.x); the why of that is, IIRC, not really known. I'm sure some Gridanians feel that the profligate ways of the other city-states are why their elementals are silent. Outsiders were often oozing with woodsin and so were a threat to the Shroud and Gridania, which probably just reinforced that perception. In 1.x, outsiders were more or less banned from the city (if they even found it or lived to reach it) due to the wrath of the elementals, and those who were allowed in had to undergo a ritual to purge their woodsin. As for those in the other city-states, there's little need to pay heed to elementals when they don't do a whole lot (for whatever reason). Only Gridania has ever really had a significant relationship with elementals.
As it often does in XIV, it comes down to a matter of perception and degree.
(01-18-2014, 10:27 AM)Flickering Ember Wrote: 2. How does one become a Hearer? They're described as Conjurers but not all Conjurers are Hearers. So is it that they somehow become one while learning to be a Conjurer? Or is it that people are born Hearers and are drawn to becoming Conjurers because of their ability?
I seem to recall some quest text indicating that one is born a Hearer. Per their quest line, all Conjurers have the ability to sense and feel disturbances in the Aether around them, but that's not the same thing as being a Hearer. At any rate, if you can heal the whispers of elementals and feel their pain, that might lead you to become a Conjurer to help them; it's also possible you had no idea what that was and discovered your talent while training to be a Conjurer for other reasons.
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Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
