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Hammersmith · **07-07-2015, 04:38 PM**

I'm one of those people who doesn't like to bring mechanical things like soul crystals into actual RP. Â They're literally weird skill switchers and they only show up for Warrior of Light stuff. Â Don't see them anywhere else.

With that said, how does this relate to White Mages?

Assuming (Correctly) that we shouldn't dip our hands into Lore Lore Lore, and then just...kind of squish it into a shape it isn't, there's another option.

There's a very common thread of "White" and "Black" magic being two schools of use. Â White for it's warding, healing, etc etc. Â Things like salt circles and herbalism are examples of RL things considered "White" magic, while setting people on fire and cursing them are "Black".

Maybe the average adventurer knows better, but the average peasant doesn't. Â Magic is weird. Â Magic is scarey. Â Magic made their chocobo explode and set the barn on fire. Â Magic healed the burns. Â Burny magic is black and scarey. Â White magic makes the scars afterwards less severe.

My char takes that kind of view. Â Someone says they're a "White Mage" ? Â He's going to assume you're more "fixer" than "fucker". Succor isn't something he knows about or frankly cares about.

If you say you're a black mage? He expects explosions and aether fueled wrath. He doesn't know there used to be a whole of of terrible revolving around something specifically CALLED Black Mages. He just knows black magic's connotation is "And now you're screwed."

It's a good medium place without needing to pull soulstones and ~forgotten lore only I possess~ into a story where it doesn't fit, but lets you keep the titles.

You don't NEED succor to be a white mage, you don't need the secrets of the black to be a black mage. Â It can, and often is, as much attitude, to the common people.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-07-2015, 04:50 PM**

(07-07-2015, 04:38 PM)Hammersmith Wrote: post

Except (and this is where it gets funky) ....conjurers were the ones to make things go boom/zap/whoosh/blamo and thaumaturges were the ones to set the balance of life and death.

When the Battle Team at SE decided to add in Jobs, they retconned the old class mechanics, but the lore never really changed. (There were remnants in 1.0 that carried over, but then they did a massive skill retcon for 2.0 and later).

So at least in FFXIV, White magics isn't end-all healy goodness while Black magic makes things go boom. ...despite them being treated that way by the battle team which punched the lore team in the jaw. :/

And to our average farmer/city person/not-adventurer, calling magic "white", "black", "pink", "green" or any other color probably just sounds silly. They know conjury, thaumaturgy, arcanima and now astrology, I guess.

Hyrist · **07-07-2015, 05:02 PM**

In terms of talking about chromatic mages and their professions within the game. FFXI had a 'brown mage' who dealt particularly in digestion magic. I do wonder if SE will be re-implementing certain references of out-of-norm type mages or just cut them into the existing cloth.

I'm still keeping the "Stalking Cultists of Commentary" gag idea for those who which to OOCly watch (and commentate in good humor on) RPs.

FreelanceWizard · **07-07-2015, 05:09 PM**

(07-07-2015, 04:50 PM)Unnamed Mercenary Wrote: And to our average farmer/city person/not-adventurer, calling magic "white", "black", "pink", "green" or any other color probably just sounds silly. They know conjury, thaumaturgy, arcanima and now astrology, I guess.

If they know the terms at all. Smile

Per the lore team, the average Eorzean is a fairly accepting but uneducated person. Those who live in a city with a particular magic guild may well have heard the term for it, but it's just as likely they'd call the person a healer or just a mage. They might even prefer a term that matches what the person is socially (priest, Hearer, or tax collector instead of thaumaturge, conjurer, or arcanist, for instance). I suspect only astrologians would be well-known in Ishgard by the name of their Discipline, but only if they practice the Ishgardian school.

Consider that even nowadays, some people just refer to doctors as "doctor," not as a particular specialty. The same is true of engineers, programmers, and other highly skilled professionals. The fine details of specialty just aren't relevant to those not in the field. In my mind, if you take that modern tendency and back it out to a much less educated society, you end up with all mages ending up being called "mage," regardless of what exactly they do.

EDIT: In the above, I'm referring to the "average Eorzean," not adventurers, nobles, or other well-heeled types.

Hammersmith · **07-07-2015, 07:07 PM**

(07-07-2015, 04:50 PM)Unnamed Mercenary Wrote:
(07-07-2015, 04:38 PM)Hammersmith Wrote: post

Except (and this is where it gets funky) ....conjurers were the ones to make things go boom/zap/whoosh/blamo and thaumaturges were the ones to set the balance of life and death.

When the Battle Team at SE decided to add in Jobs, they retconned the old class mechanics, but the lore never really changed. (There were remnants in 1.0 that carried over, but then they did a massive skill retcon for 2.0 and later).

So at least in FFXIV, White magics isn't end-all healy goodness while Black magic makes things go boom. ...despite them being treated that way by the battle team which punched the lore team in the jaw. :/

And to our average farmer/city person/not-adventurer, calling magic "white", "black", "pink", "green" or any other color probably just sounds silly. They know conjury, thaumaturgy, arcanima and now astrology, I guess.

Interesting!

However, what I offered up was more a way around lore to get to how things are and often played. Â The chance to use White and Black titles with a social meaning without needing to know the more tricky understandings or have a char who needs to even know about it, kind of like what Freelance said: Most are just known as mages. Â Like I said. Â My own char's understanding of magic is so basic and based in superstition that "white" and "black" mages are still "assholes with magic"

Kellach Woods · **07-08-2015, 06:11 AM**

(07-07-2015, 04:38 PM)Hammersmith Wrote: I'm one of those people who doesn't like to bring mechanical things like soul crystals into actual RP. Â They're literally weird skill switchers and they only show up for Warrior of Light stuff. Â Don't see them anywhere else.

In terms of the Soul Crystals...

PLD and DRG specifically refer to other people using soul crystals (PLD to the point where they give you one, you find another one and they strip it from you because it's a traitor's soul crystal).

WAR, BRD, BLM, SMN are essentially "revive the art" quests, so no other mention of soul crystals exist.

WHM ties it specifically to a certain deceased NPC, but implies that it is necessary to even be a white mage from what I remember.

SCH has you find one but is unnecessary if the art is learned properly - The fairy itself comes from the tablet Alka Zolka found rather than the crystal.

MCH uses its soul crystal as a power battery rather than a skill switcher. It's how you activate most of your aether mechanisms.

AST has one for... reasons - you just get the job and tutelage from a NPC.

DRK I am so out of the loop on that I can't really say.

* * *

The point is, for certain classes they are a good part of the lore and for others they are essentially cheat sheets for you to learn the skills stupidly fast.

Tumensuns · **07-08-2015, 10:05 AM**

On the subject of soul crystals and black magic

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Thorgar · **07-08-2015, 10:57 AM**

(07-08-2015, 06:11 AM)Kellach Woods Wrote:
(07-07-2015, 04:38 PM)Hammersmith Wrote: I'm one of those people who doesn't like to bring mechanical things like soul crystals into actual RP. Â They're literally weird skill switchers and they only show up for Warrior of Light stuff. Â Don't see them anywhere else.

In terms of the Soul Crystals...

PLD and DRG specifically refer to other people using soul crystals (PLD to the point where they give you one, you find another one and they strip it from you because it's a traitor's soul crystal).

WAR, BRD, BLM, SMN are essentially "revive the art" quests, so no other mention of soul crystals exist.

WHM ties it specifically to a certain deceased NPC, but implies that it is necessary to even be a white mage from what I remember.

SCH has you find one but is unnecessary if the art is learned properly - The fairy itself comes from the tablet Alka Zolka found rather than the crystal.

MCH uses its soul crystal as a power battery rather than a skill switcher. It's how you activate most of your aether mechanisms.

AST has one for... reasons - you just get the job and tutelage from a NPC.

DRK I am so out of the loop on that I can't really say.

* * *

The point is, for certain classes they are a good part of the lore and for others they are essentially cheat sheets for you to learn the skills stupidly fast.

Thank you for the information, helps a lot.Â

Odd thought if the crystals our embodiments of a persons soul, does that make Mechanic/Machinist more evil than a Necromancer?

Manari · **07-08-2015, 11:03 AM**

(07-08-2015, 10:57 AM)Thorgar Wrote: Thank you for the information, helps a lot.Â

Odd thought if the crystals our embodiments of a persons soul, does that make Mechanic/Machinist more evil than a Necromancer?

I haven't finished the quest line fore Machinist, but it's my understanding that the soul crystal they use is artificially manufactured. At least that's what they led me to believe.

Gegenji · **07-08-2015, 11:03 AM**

The Machinist's Soul Crystal, at least from what I saw from the opening quest (I haven't gone any further), is actually artificial. It was specifically created for applying your aether to your gun. Whether it carries all the same functionality or if a person was "used" as part of its creation, I don't know. That would be extremely dark though, and thus not all that likely to me.

I'll probably know more once I actually level it. Blush

Also, you find the DRK's soul crystal on the body of a DRK that got killed by one of the Ishgardian soldiers.

-no longer matters- · **07-08-2015, 11:27 AM**

(07-08-2015, 11:03 AM)Gegenji Wrote: The Machinist's Soul Crystal, at least from what I saw from the opening quest (I haven't gone any further), is actually artificial. It was specifically created for applying your aether to your gun. Whether it carries all the same functionality or if a person was "used" as part of its creation, I don't know. That would be extremely dark though, and thus not all that likely to me.

I'll probably know more once I actually level it.

Also, you find the DRK's soul crystal on the body of a DRK that got killed by one of the Ishgardian soldiers.

Yeah but that Dark Knight...

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Â
I think the Dark Knight Crystal is kind of a focus...

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Gegenji · **07-08-2015, 11:48 AM**

(07-08-2015, 11:27 AM)War Siren Wrote:
(07-08-2015, 11:03 AM)Gegenji Wrote: The Machinist's Soul Crystal, at least from what I saw from the opening quest (I haven't gone any further), is actually artificial. It was specifically created for applying your aether to your gun. Whether it carries all the same functionality or if a person was "used" as part of its creation, I don't know. That would be extremely dark though, and thus not all that likely to me.

I'll probably know more once I actually level it.

Also, you find the DRK's soul crystal on the body of a DRK that got killed by one of the Ishgardian soldiers.
Yeah but that Dark Knight...

Show Content

Spoiler He get's better.

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But yeah. As has been mentioned, I (and several others) think RPing a WHM is perfectly fine. Just know that there's going to be questions raised by some and your character outright ignored by others. As long as you can answer the former (hopefully to their satisfaction), you're golden. If they're the latter or your explanation isn't good enough? Well, then it becomes a matter of whether or not that individual is someone you feel you want to RP with in the first place.

If it is? Try tweaking your story some, maybe ask them or others what can be done to make it fit better while still sticking to the vision you wanted. If it isn't? Shrug and move on to the next RP opportunity.

EDIT: As has been mentioned, as has been mentioned... I am a TERRIFIC writer. Laugh

Jana · **07-08-2015, 07:01 PM**

The Soul Crystal's tooltips also all say they're "etched with myriad deeds..." but the MCH one makes a point of it being pristine, as if waiting for your deeds to be etched upon it.

Aduu Avagnar · **07-09-2015, 04:58 PM**

(07-08-2015, 11:03 AM)Gegenji Wrote: The Machinist's Soul Crystal, at least from what I saw from the opening quest (I haven't gone any further), is actually artificial. It was specifically created for applying your aether to your gun. Whether it carries all the same functionality or if a person was "used" as part of its creation, I don't know. That would be extremely dark though, and thus not all that likely to me.

I'll probably know more once I actually level it.

Also, you find the DRK's soul crystal on the body of a DRK that got killed by one of the Ishgardian soldiers.

Mch soulcrystal is likely a focus similsr to the crystals used for cnj and thm.

Black mage one is probably similar.

-no longer matters- · **07-12-2015, 05:02 PM**

(07-08-2015, 11:48 AM)Gegenji Wrote:
(07-08-2015, 11:27 AM)War Siren Wrote:
(07-08-2015, 11:03 AM)Gegenji Wrote: The Machinist's Soul Crystal, at least from what I saw from the opening quest (I haven't gone any further), is actually artificial. It was specifically created for applying your aether to your gun. Whether it carries all the same functionality or if a person was "used" as part of its creation, I don't know. That would be extremely dark though, and thus not all that likely to me.

I'll probably know more once I actually level it.

Also, you find the DRK's soul crystal on the body of a DRK that got killed by one of the Ishgardian soldiers.
Yeah but that Dark Knight...

Show Content

Spoiler He get's better.

Show Content

Spoiler
Doesn't that strike you as... strange?
(I leveled DRK to 60 already, so I won't say any more... and it's horribly off-topic)

Ahhhhhhhhhhh... Ahhhhhhhhh Just finished the level 50 Dark Knight Quest soooo good!!! I'll say nothing more there!!

Back on topic:
I like Hammersmith's Idea. I mean is it really such a stretch for common folk to think a strong Conjurer is a White Mage and buy it?

I'd have to imagine they wouldn't have to much knowledge of the intricacies of it.

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RP issue with White Mage

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes