(I'm going to try journal-entry style writing. Please give feedback)
Second Umbral Moon / 27th Sun
Normally I wouldn't write a journal over this, but times have changed as they tend to do. I'm approaching thirty cycles in age, I have two wives, and I need to start considering documenting my important works and techniques so that my protégées have access to what I've come to master.
I've scoured the lands looking for scholars of all kinds that are knowledgeable about Aether. Deep academic knowledge was a requisite. I had to produce surprisingly large gil bounties to lure the actual professionals out and into my offices for my discussions on materia. I've known of materia, most people do, they're mystic little gems that have some form of aetherial-like properties. People have said they can enhance you, make you stronger, faster, things of that regard. Some thaumaturges have used them in magic making I learned, with various levels of success and dramatic failures.
My demand and willingness to spend any amount of money to gain all knowledge of materia yielded scant details for my specific dilemmas. I learned of reputable dealers thankfully, those that could secure something akin to high quality pieces of materia and could differentiate between its different manifestations and effects. I learned few to no specific details about materia usage though. It would seem next to no one in this world use it for anything other than quaint projects, or for those that are informed on the subject, they keep quiet. The only thing I learned of value, at the start, is that materia can be worn out and crack, but as to why or how, it remains a mystery for the most part. I intend to change this.
Some scholars mocked; others have shown a purely academic curiosity while most appeared bewildered that a man like me even cared. These future endeavors into my own materia research are more than just fashion statements; it is a form of self-defense. Fashion that works will be my slogan.
Before I go further, I should note it is theorized weaponization can occur with materia, the problem is that it would be cumbersome, slow to fire projectiles if used in such a manner, and extremely expensive. A gaudy little lalafell woman made a quip to me about using the fire spitting materia in those muskets the Limsan's use, and how she'd love to it explode. She may have been onto something, but firearm designs are not my expertise. I create fashion, jewelry and clothing, and have no time for trying to master the craft of tightly controlled exports like that. If anyone else reads this in the future though, and the technology hasn't come along, it would be worth a thought.
It has been left up to me to figure out how to incorporate materia into my designs of fashion. I see a product people would want, for those that could afford it, where simply wearing my clothes and rings and so on would give them on-demand increased stamina, power, or more. I have a need for this for personal usage after being confronted for the last time with perils and being unarmed and at the mercy and grace of others and their interventions. Ridley is my power, but she won't always be there for me. I need more; this isn't an opinion.
I like to consider myself well off, physique wise. Despite my after-hours hobbies, I have maintained a well groomed physicality and endurance, but that's it. Materia may be an answer to problems like that, especially for those who lack the time to master a martial skill or even lack the prowess for them. Some of us have money to spend and places to be; materia can help answer that dilemma, enabling us to dress to the occasion and not feel the naked anxiety of lacking armor and armaments. It could be a great equalizer between the sexes as well, giving women easy and readily available clothing to wear that would help enhance their strength to match that of a man's and even surpass him. Not everyone is aether-touched or blessed.
So here I am, in the beginning phases of creating prototypes. I should make it a matter of record my current ideas for materia-enhanced fashion are limited to jewelry: rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. For actual clothing, so far I am only focusing on belts and will begin roughly prototyping into shirts and jackets later. I feel sticking to accessories, for now, helps keep the form factors within reason for easier experimentation and helps in reducing the costs of failure. There is also the concern of keeping the matter of wearing materia in everyday clothing discreet, hiding in plain sight. It also serves the purpose of expanding my potential market, who doesn't wear a belt in this day and age? Who doesn't wear a necklace or jewelry of any kind for that matter. Not everyone appreciates my more...eccentric lines of clothing though. For now materia-enhanced clothing, as a product and principle, will not manifest as I focus on accessorizing materia instead.
So we begin with everything I have learned, and my documenting every step and detail as I go along. At times, this will read dry, make no mistake. I will gloss over some of the minutiae in regards to basics that any competent craftsman or tradesman should know, but even still this will be heavy read for which I render no apologies.
I wasn't sure if I should do this, and the thought had crossed my mind others had come before me and failed. Perhaps they did not want to document their failures out of shame or what I consider the foolish conventional wisdom of letting others fail alongside you, so no one comes out ahead. Either way, I long to see a time where men in finely cut suits, with no weapons or armor on or around them, have no in fear walking around so freely. I wonder what would happen in society if everyone assumes anyone could be walking around with the strength of three men, maybe it would become a more polite one. There is also the concern of people coming to suspect I am in the business of manufacturing weapons now, and they will be dealt with accordingly when and if those troubles arise.
Second Umbral Moon / 27th Sun
Normally I wouldn't write a journal over this, but times have changed as they tend to do. I'm approaching thirty cycles in age, I have two wives, and I need to start considering documenting my important works and techniques so that my protégées have access to what I've come to master.
I've scoured the lands looking for scholars of all kinds that are knowledgeable about Aether. Deep academic knowledge was a requisite. I had to produce surprisingly large gil bounties to lure the actual professionals out and into my offices for my discussions on materia. I've known of materia, most people do, they're mystic little gems that have some form of aetherial-like properties. People have said they can enhance you, make you stronger, faster, things of that regard. Some thaumaturges have used them in magic making I learned, with various levels of success and dramatic failures.
My demand and willingness to spend any amount of money to gain all knowledge of materia yielded scant details for my specific dilemmas. I learned of reputable dealers thankfully, those that could secure something akin to high quality pieces of materia and could differentiate between its different manifestations and effects. I learned few to no specific details about materia usage though. It would seem next to no one in this world use it for anything other than quaint projects, or for those that are informed on the subject, they keep quiet. The only thing I learned of value, at the start, is that materia can be worn out and crack, but as to why or how, it remains a mystery for the most part. I intend to change this.
Some scholars mocked; others have shown a purely academic curiosity while most appeared bewildered that a man like me even cared. These future endeavors into my own materia research are more than just fashion statements; it is a form of self-defense. Fashion that works will be my slogan.
Before I go further, I should note it is theorized weaponization can occur with materia, the problem is that it would be cumbersome, slow to fire projectiles if used in such a manner, and extremely expensive. A gaudy little lalafell woman made a quip to me about using the fire spitting materia in those muskets the Limsan's use, and how she'd love to it explode. She may have been onto something, but firearm designs are not my expertise. I create fashion, jewelry and clothing, and have no time for trying to master the craft of tightly controlled exports like that. If anyone else reads this in the future though, and the technology hasn't come along, it would be worth a thought.
It has been left up to me to figure out how to incorporate materia into my designs of fashion. I see a product people would want, for those that could afford it, where simply wearing my clothes and rings and so on would give them on-demand increased stamina, power, or more. I have a need for this for personal usage after being confronted for the last time with perils and being unarmed and at the mercy and grace of others and their interventions. Ridley is my power, but she won't always be there for me. I need more; this isn't an opinion.
I like to consider myself well off, physique wise. Despite my after-hours hobbies, I have maintained a well groomed physicality and endurance, but that's it. Materia may be an answer to problems like that, especially for those who lack the time to master a martial skill or even lack the prowess for them. Some of us have money to spend and places to be; materia can help answer that dilemma, enabling us to dress to the occasion and not feel the naked anxiety of lacking armor and armaments. It could be a great equalizer between the sexes as well, giving women easy and readily available clothing to wear that would help enhance their strength to match that of a man's and even surpass him. Not everyone is aether-touched or blessed.
So here I am, in the beginning phases of creating prototypes. I should make it a matter of record my current ideas for materia-enhanced fashion are limited to jewelry: rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. For actual clothing, so far I am only focusing on belts and will begin roughly prototyping into shirts and jackets later. I feel sticking to accessories, for now, helps keep the form factors within reason for easier experimentation and helps in reducing the costs of failure. There is also the concern of keeping the matter of wearing materia in everyday clothing discreet, hiding in plain sight. It also serves the purpose of expanding my potential market, who doesn't wear a belt in this day and age? Who doesn't wear a necklace or jewelry of any kind for that matter. Not everyone appreciates my more...eccentric lines of clothing though. For now materia-enhanced clothing, as a product and principle, will not manifest as I focus on accessorizing materia instead.
So we begin with everything I have learned, and my documenting every step and detail as I go along. At times, this will read dry, make no mistake. I will gloss over some of the minutiae in regards to basics that any competent craftsman or tradesman should know, but even still this will be heavy read for which I render no apologies.
I wasn't sure if I should do this, and the thought had crossed my mind others had come before me and failed. Perhaps they did not want to document their failures out of shame or what I consider the foolish conventional wisdom of letting others fail alongside you, so no one comes out ahead. Either way, I long to see a time where men in finely cut suits, with no weapons or armor on or around them, have no in fear walking around so freely. I wonder what would happen in society if everyone assumes anyone could be walking around with the strength of three men, maybe it would become a more polite one. There is also the concern of people coming to suspect I am in the business of manufacturing weapons now, and they will be dealt with accordingly when and if those troubles arise.
