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Enzo · **02-18-2015, 04:18 AM**

This is my assumption for how technology in FFXIV works. Based on lots of research and lots of educated guesses. Trying to put pieces together I would like to provide this to characters who are engineers and need a basis for their work.

Aetherical and Ceruleum Technology

Our world is one that is slowly progressing into a new age. A new age that is dominated
by what is called technology, also more commonly know as Machina. Machina is any kind of
machine or device that is powered by either Aether or Ceruleum. Aether is matter itself
in its manipulatable form. But some areas can have higher concentrations of aether than
others. Aether is also the life force for all creatures on Hydaelyn. Aether can be turned
into more moldable matter by those who possess the ability to use magic. But can also be
found in a raw condensed form called crystals. Depending on how aether condenses it can
make different kinds of crystals. From those used in crafting and cooking, to those used
as mediums for manipulating aether, to those that can be sapped for unleashing raw energy.
As stated above aether can be condenseds either through crystals, or through geometric shapes
that make up the raw coding of aether.

Ceruleum is a type of crystal that is created when massive amounts of raw aether are condensed
into a crystal. It is abundant throughout Ilsabard and a small swath of mountainous land to
the north of Thanalan. The raw energy of Ceruleum can be directly harnessed without a geometric
or crystal and magic gifted medium. It is also very powerful but also rather unstable.
Ceruleum can be very volatile to large amounts of extra aether and should the energy released
from ceruleum make contact with lots of aether it will undergo rapid crystalization. Like in
the case of Mor Dhona located in Eorzea.

Ceruleum is the easier of the two machina types to explain. Using the Ceruleum as the power
source. You break it or cause the energy within the ceruleum to be released in some way, then
channel the energy into making electricity to power Machina. The energy tends to come out
rather quickly and can be explosive should it come in contact with high areas of aether
density. Ceruleum is regulated and turned into electricty through Magitek Engines. Magitek
engines are normally big and bulky but produce plenty of electricty. While it is not possible
to make small Magitek Engines to generate energy on small mobile devices. It is possible to
store electricty created by magitek engines in batterys.Larger Machina will have their own
Magitek Engines such as airships and reapers, while smaller devices will use capsules. Gun-
blades are a mechanical device but can be modified to take capsules.

Aether Machina skip the step of turning aether into crystal and take raw power from aether
itself. Something only the Allagans were able to perfect. Aether machina can run on electricty
created by Aether and also be aided by the manipulation of aether itself. Allowing matter to be
created simutaniously and for things to be created such as holographs. The simplist of aether
machina would be using geometric shapes as a medium to channel aether into electricty and making
it commit an action on repeat. It could also be done with crystals but would require the input
of a man with magical abilities to activate. From there you can make aether manipulate other
aether and eventually you encounter a extremely complex code that changes given the input and
the situation that can be used to program aether into doing specific actions to aid the already
electrical designs. Using aether alone as an energy source to power electrical machina tends
to produce very little. Which is why oftentimes aetherical machina go through the code that is
aether to commit actions you could not normally do with regular electricty and improve
performance overall. An example would be to have a geometric shape channel aether into
electricity, this electricty would then power a lamp. The electricty would then set off a timer
which sets off another geometric shape to manipulate the aether to change the color of the lamps
sidings. Thus allowing you to have a lamp that changes color. While it sounds simple in concept
the reason it is not widely used is because specifically targeting the matter that needs to be
changed is difficult and is the reason the code is so complex. Then the percise coding to make
a machina do more complex things is another matter of difficulty in and of itself.

My hypothesis also matches up with the hypothesis that aetheric geometry can be a form of programming of aether. Titor has a really awesome post regarding aetheric geometry programming. Link here: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=8875

Verranicus · **02-18-2015, 05:02 AM**

1. Has technology ever actually been called Machina in-game or are you just lifting this from FFX? I did a quick google and the only website to even use the word in relation to ARR is a fan wiki, and only that one wiki. I thought technology (specifically technology of Garlean origin) was collectively referred to as Magitek in this setting.

2. I had assumed Ceruleum was not aether condensed into crystal form, but the opposite, aether extracted from crystals and condensed/processe/refined into a more useable form (I figured it was a sort of powder).

3. Other than that, I don't really understand where you or Titor are getting the 'aetheric geometry' or 'programming' ideas. It feels like you guys are trying to make something complex out of something simple. Aether is the life energy of the world and all the living things on it, when you die your aether returns to the planet and any excess remains to become crystals/mist/whatever, crystals and random environmental concentrations of aether are absorbed/used by magic/technology and the cycle continues.

Aduu Avagnar · **02-18-2015, 05:08 AM**

well, aetheric geometry is pretty much the basis of Arcany(sp?), and I think they use the term programing, in the same sense that certain cells within biological creatures are 'programmed' or hardwired to do certain tasks.

Titor · **02-18-2015, 05:17 AM**

Yes, geometries and their study of/creation of/engineering of them have been discussed multiple times both in and out of the arcanist questline.

Enzo · **02-18-2015, 05:19 AM**

(02-18-2015, 05:02 AM)Verranicus Wrote: 1. Has technology ever actually been called Machina in-game or are you just lifting this from FFX? I did a quick google and the only website to even use the word in relation to ARR is a fan wiki, and only that one wiki. I thought technology (specifically technology of Garlean origin) was collectively referred to as Magitek in this setting.

2. I had assumed Ceruleum was not aether condensed into crystal form, but the opposite, aether extracted from crystals and condensed/processe/refined into a more useable form (I figured it was a sort of powder).

3. Other than that, I don't really understand where you or Titor are getting the 'aetheric geometry' or 'programming' ideas. It feels like you guys are trying to make something complex out of something simple. Aether is the life energy of the world and all the living things on it, when you die your aether returns to the planet and any excess remains to become crystals/mist/whatever, crystals and random environmental concentrations of aether are absorbed/used by magic/technology and the cycle continues.

1.
This was originally written as an IC thing and my character uses different terminology for things. I did pull machina from FFX All Ceruleum technology is refered to as Magitek. Garlean or not.

2.
Even if aether is extracted from crystals. That does not neccesarily mean it is not condensed aether. It would actually probably be easier to extract aether from crystals if it was condensed aether. if it was normal levels of aether then why would you really need to extract from crystals in the first place. There is significant lore in the game that ceruleum needs to be refined. I overlooked that despite the fact there is a whole zone covered in blue fog from refining the ceruleum. So harnessing energy would not be so much from breaking ceruleum. I don't really see how this disproves my hypothesis though. You can still break crystals down into a powder form. The crystals still be condensed aether. Then you just need to unleash the energy in the ceruleum to create your electricity. You could even mix the ceruleum with water to make a fuel like substance. I imagine this is what powered the Garlean airships and what exploded when they were attacked by the keeper of the lake.

3.
Nothing in life is really simple. And if it were it would be boring. The point of having engineers is to do stuff with the complicated stuff that other people can't. Titor was trying to come up with a reason as to why aetheric geometry works. And why you can't just scribble in your book and then stuff happens. There has to be some order to some things. Some laws that keep you from being able to just do whatever you want with magic and technology. And that was the point of this thread was to provide the limitations to make these things seem more realistic and interesting.

Anywho I do thank you for your questions and input <3

My Hypothesis on Technology in FFXIV

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