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nicoraynor · **01-21-2018, 06:01 PM**

New to Eorzea and Black Mage lore, but as I'm writing my character, I'm running into some conflicting perspectives of how magic works from different sources.
The question really comes down to:

How easy is it for a thaumaturge / Black Mage to cast spells in either simple demonstrations and sustained combat?

From an outside perspective, I feel like there should be some measure of balance; weaker spells are easily cast and can be done so repeatedly without even beginning to tip toward being exhaustive while stronger spells take more effort unless experienced or nuanced to the character within the constraints of the lore.

Black magic requires the use of a soulstone and tapping the soulstream so that itself needs some clarity as to how easy it is for a black mage to wield that kind of magic. I would think a more experienced black mage would have little concern for even casting stronger spells, but with an obvious upper limit to again keep within the constraints of lore. The acquisition of the soulstone itself is more or less irrelevant I suppose as any attempt to use black magic without one would be more or less lethal from what I've seen on these forums. In short, my character has a soulstone and I'm actively working to resolve the character's story to make it reasonably plausible from a lore perspective that they'd complete whatever task necessary to get it.

I'm loosely familiar with the idea that Black Mages tap the soulstream to cast their spells, but some people tell me this can be done with ease while others state that its terribly exhausting. Both feel wrong to me; too easy and everyone would do it. Too hard and no one would do it. I'm sure there's a healthy medium but the question is where does that middle ground lie? Even the class quests suggest that Black mages wield their magic with relative ease and it seems to be driven by the idea they are constantly striving for more and more destructive power.

I want my mage to eventually become powerful, but not at the risk of lore-breaking or godmodding so any information that brings some clarity to this would be greatly helpful!

Thanks!

Jin-seo Yeon · **01-21-2018, 06:20 PM**

Hi,

well let's see. Now according to Square Enix:
"In days long past, there existed an occult and arcane art known as black magicâ€”a potent magic of pure destructive force born forth by a sorceress of unparalleled power. Those who learned to wield this instrument of ruin came to be called black mages, out of both fear and respect for their gift. Yet great power served to corrupt the judgment of mortal man, and so he unknowingly set out upon the path of ruin.
Adventurers who take the black will become agents of devastation, capable of annihilating those who oppose them through little more than the force of their will."

source: Black Mage Job Guide

Not to spoil anything for you, but I just finished the quest line all the way to 70. I will not speculate other than to say, we cast magic, it is harmful magic, so we should be mindful of that when dealing with people and creatures.

[I dont know of any of the other mentioned things such as where you quote
[I'm loosely familiar with the idea that Black Mages tap the soulstream to cast their spells, but some people tell me this can be done with ease while others state that its terribly exhausting.]

If you can find a reference for anything, please use it. Otherwise, you will only bring yourself headaches speculating. Now, I have read other posts from other speculators saying such things as it is illegal. Well, if this be the case, why is it taught in the Tharmaturge school as an option?

Sorry I can poke holes in crap all day. References please or it didn't happen....One more credible source is the Eorzea Encyclopedia ^^.

nicoraynor · **01-21-2018, 06:40 PM**

Thanks for the reply.

As to my sources; they are other players ingame who I've come across in the short time I've been playing. That said, I'll check the Eorzean Encyclopedia to serve as a source for further information.

Your description of the Black Mage strongly suggests that it doesn't require much on the part of the mage to cast such powerful spells. I'd think, again just purely from what little information I have thus far, that black mages are just enabled to do so, either by innate natural talent or via the soulstone, or both.

I've seen other instances in these forums stating that the practice of black magic is illegal and there is a quest line in the Black Mage path that references the pursuit and knowledge as being "forbidden", but aside from that, there's nothing outright stating "illegal". That said, the general community I've run across as well as random playersÂ seem to accept this as "fact". It's also entirely possible I may have completely missed a reference ingame to that effect as well.

And please, I welcome holes being poked in crap. I want to have a character that has both license to explore creativity within the lore while being faithful to the source material's intent.

Valence · **01-21-2018, 07:41 PM**

First, black magic IS illegal. This is the first thing that you learn during the 50-60 part of it when confronted by a conjurer and Hearer from Gridania (Zaia'a Nalhah), sent specifically to investigate a new cult of black magic wielders and bring them to justice. He washes everyone under the same blanket and is at first rather hostile to the WoL and the black mage NPC trainers (Lalai, etc).

I'm too lazy to look for all the specific references in that quest, they are legion.

If you need further proof, look no further than in the lorebook:Â

Page 232 - Black Mage Wrote:It is of small wonder, then, that practitioners of the arcane were mistrusted and reviled in the years following this realm-spanning catastrophe [6th Calamity]. Black Magic itself was branded a forbidden art, its secrets consigned to the darkest depths of history. In any age, however, there always exist those whose hunger for knowledge and power drive them to explore the most lightless abyss. Thus it was that scarcely a century ago, a thaumaturge by the name of Ququruka broke the seals of an ancient tome, and secretly donned the black robes of along-forgotten cabal...

I'm also not sure what makes you say that Black Magic is taught at the Ossuary as "an option"? The very beginning of the BLM quests at lvl30 start with Ququruka, the only black magic practitioner that imprisoned himself in shame for what he did to his friends. He's certainly not welcome here. His disciple Lalai, who is a priestess for the order of Nald'Thal, always stays outside of the Ossuary as well.

The only "hope" we see for black magic starting to develop could be at best other people looking for clues, painstakingly slow as it was the case for Ququruka and his beastmen friends (who didn't even have a gem of Shattoto, like all those poor wanabe black mages of the 50-60 quests that burn themselves from the inside). Or maybe the art just starting to spread from Lalai who's just an apprentice... Anyway, the only true, full fledged current black mage is the WoL, and Shattoto, except she... is no more again after her brief appearance for the lvl60-70 quests.

This is not to say that black magic can't be a thing with other people. But you'll have to dabble with a character that only knows bits and sparse clues about the art itself, and is lucky enough to carry a gem of Shattoto not to kill oneself in the process.

As for how hard it is to cast a spell... How hard is it to be a monk and open a chakra? How hard is to be a bard and sing a powerful and moving battle song? I'm afraid we don't have much clues about that except that well... it's a job, it has specific skills that have to be learned and mastered.

Also, keep in mind that black magic seems to have always been centered on the elemental wheel and threatened the elemental balance so much that it caused the 6th Calamity. So in essence it's close to the thaumaturgy of the Coco brothers except in the source of aether used, at least more than the previous art taught by their crooked predecessor that focused on other things (cf 1.0 THM).

Jin-seo Yeon · **01-21-2018, 08:36 PM**

You neglect to mention what happens during the lvl 60-70 quests. Secondly if it is illegal and we are referring to Eorzea, then to what reason would it be offered in the school of Tharmaturgy?

The book you site, is that a reference to 'game' lore or a totally different story arc all together?
Â
A link would be nice, or author and title.

Not trying to flame here but when you want present something, be prepared to back it up with facts and credible sources...as I mentioned before.

nicoraynor · **01-21-2018, 08:38 PM**

@Valence:

Thank you for some of the clarity. This game has a great deal to absorb and its ncie to find a sense of direction. Some of it us very much on me to note the sometimes quick details that rush by. I've been very excited to play the game since starting a couple of weeks ago, but I have to admit; WoW has tarnished my playstyle a great deal and I've been rushing through the lore.

Something you mentioned:

As for how hard it is to cast a spell... How hard is it to be a monk and open a chakra? How hard is to be a bard and sing a powerful and moving battle song? I'm afraid we don't have much clues about that except that well... it's a job, it has specific skills that have to be learned and mastered.Â

This is sticking with me; it stands to reason that if any class were simply too overtaxing in combat to be viable, it wouldn't even be viable from a lore perspective. Like becoming doctor suddenly requiring a storehouse of knowledge exceeding 100x the current needs and reducing the number of available doctors to near zero. I'd think that being a black mage/rogue/samurai, etc would be a job that anyone could train in and master with proficiency.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **01-21-2018, 11:13 PM**

(01-21-2018, 08:36 PM)Xiuying Lei Wrote: You neglect to mention what happens during the lvl 60-70 quests. Secondly if it is illegal and we are referring to Eorzea, then to what reason would it be offered in the school of Tharmaturgy?

The book you site, is that a reference to 'game' lore or a totally different story arc all together?
Â
A link would be nice, or author and title.

Not trying to flame here but when you want present something, be prepared to back it up with facts and credible sources...as I mentioned before.

It's page 232 from the official lore book, available on the SE store. It does not have a digital edition, although some people have made unofficial scans or have typed up pages.

The book was also written prior to Stormblood's release and wouldn't be featuring content found in 4.0 and later. Square Enix does strive for pretty good continuity in this game, but naturally they're going to be expanding on the lore all the time.

Sounsyy · **01-22-2018, 01:01 AM**

First off, some links to aether and black magic lore that I'm pulling from that you might find helpful:

- Crash Course in Eorzean Aetherology
- The Gem of Shatotto and assorted Black Magic Lore
- Soul Crystal Lore

It is a forbidden magic. Until roughly a century ago, mention of it remained only in the darkest recesses of the Ossuary's library and it was passed down only through word of mouth by select beastmen families, in secret, until Ququruka. Other than that, it was a magic that all but died out some 1,600 years ago during the 6th Umbral Era.

As for how difficult it is to cast, that ultimately depends on the wielder. Originally, magicks were cast using only one's own internal aether. However, black magic was a technique that altered the source of a magi's magicks to come from the planet/the land/the lifestream instead. This allowed the practitioners of early black magic to perform nigh impossible magical feats, such as calling a meteor down from the heavens or animate mountains. As their spells became more extravagant, the more aether was required to fuel these incantations.

So how difficult is it to cast these spells? As difficult as you believe it should be for your character. How did they learn about black magic? They have a soul crystal, which helps a black mage learn and control some of the more powerful spells, but a soul crystal only gives so much insight. A mage must still practice and hone their abilities.

I've gone ahead and pulled some relevant quotes I had on hand about Black Magic:

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Black Mage Wrote:In days long past, there existed an occult and arcane art known as black magic - a potent magic of pure destructive force born forth by a sorceress of unparalleled power. Those who learned to wield this instrument of ruin came to be called black mages, out of both fear and respect for their gift. Yet great power served to corrupt the judgement of mortal man, and so he unknowingly set out upon the path of ruin.

In the lands of Yafaem at the peak of the Fifth Astral Era, the genius sorceress Shatotto wove the first spell of the art that became known as "black magic." Over the course of her lifetime, the Mhachi mage's obsessive research into destructive power gave rise to a host of devastating incantations and arcane weaponry.

This new school of magic found many willing students, and cadres of black mages soon formed the offensive core of Mhach's forces in the War of the Magi. But the casting of so many mighty spells drained the land dry of aether, and both sides of the terrible conflict knew defeat when the tortured balance of elements sought to right itself with the great floods of the Sixth Umbral Calamity. It is small wonder, then, that practitioners of the arcane were mistrusted and reviled in the years following this realm-spanning catastrophe. Black magic itself was branded a forbidden art, its secrets consigned to the darkest depths of history. In any age, however, there always exist those whose hunger for knowledge and power drive them to explore the most lightless abyss. Thus it was that scarcely a century ago, a thaumaturge by the name of Ququruka broke the seals of an ancient tome, and secretly donned the black robes of a long-forgotten cabal...

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Ququruka Tataruka Wrote:In his youth, Ququruka was an accomplished thaumaturge who, in his insatiable thirst for arcane knowledge, turned his hand to the forbidden art of black magic. His research was painstakingly slow until he encountered three beastmen who shared his all-consuming obsession. Combining their efforts, they pieced together broken secrets and prepared a ritual by which black magic could be fully restored to the world. In his prideful arrogance, however, Ququruka altered the rite with his own incantations. His meddling disrupted their tenuous command over the chaotic aether, unleashing energies that tore his beastmen friends apart, and reformed them into a singular abomination.

Overcome by horror and remorse, Ququruka returned to Ul'dah, and convinced the authorities to confine him to the Marasaja Pit - the sultanate's deepest of dungeons. There would he lose himself in meditation for a hundred years, until one worthy of donning the black appeared - a successor who could undo the dark deeds he had committed in the name of glory.

Ququruka Wrote:I was an ambitious mage in my youthâ”€insatiable in my thirst for knowledge of the arcane. In the course of my studies, I discovered ancient writings which told of a black magic. A magic capable of destroying as only the gods can. It was innocent at first. Until it wasn't. But then questions began to arise in my mind that demanded answers. Where had all the black mages of old gone? Why had the existence of the art been hidden? And so I probed. Endlessly. Tirelessly. The more I uncovered, the more it drew me in. There was such...power to be had. I was not merely ambitious. I was also vainglorious. I desired recognition. Deference. By accomplishing that which no other could, I sought to make my legacy an eternal one.

Yet the pursuit of black magic was...trying. I would pass days, weeks, months at a time, unsure of how to proceed. And what little progress did come, came but slowly. It was then that I met your ancestors. The Gem of Shatotto, the power to sense magic, the relicsâ”€all of these things I owe to them. With their vast knowledge, the slow crawl of my studies turned to leaps and bounds. We toiled together, learning what we could. And learn we did. Much and more. Imagining we had gleaned all that was to be known, we prepared to hold a dark riteâ”€one we believed would restore black magic to its fullest expression.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - The Books of Nald'thal Wrote:These two occult volumes were scribed by the contemporary black mage, Ququruka Tataruka. Written in an obscure code and containing all the knowledge he had gleaned on the forbidden art, Ququruka is said to have set down these secrets of black magic in preparation for the arrival of a worthy successor.

Dozol Meloc Wrote:Many black mages, there were. Long ago. One more powerful than rest. Very powerful. Epic, even. Epic black mage. Black magic too powerful. Too dangerous. Wrong hands must not have. Know this, he did. Ciphered spells. Hid secrets. Dark way passed to few. Very few. Teaching, writing, spread over realm. Lost to time, they were. Forgotten. Knowledge of my line, this is. Passed to Dozol from mother. From mother of mother. From mother of mother of mother. Four hatchings past. Strong mage, she was. Epic, even. Epic mage! Great love for dark art. More than anything. Joined with lizardmen to learn all. Named betrayer, she was. Chased from village. Squaaawk! Her words, Dozol keeps. Teach to strong now.

Lalai Wrote:The origins of black magic can be traced back many, many years - to the beginning of the Fifth Astral Era, to be precise. There lived at that time in Eorzea a powerful sorceress named Shatotto, who strived to push the destructive power of magic to its very limits. The typical practice of magi is to weave magic using their own aether. The ability to do so is the greatest magical gift, yet at the same time that giftâ€™s greatest limit.

Shatotto was able to overcome such inherent limitations by developing a new technique which allowed her to draw upon the aether all around her as the fount of her magic. It was this technique that came to be known as black magic. Following the War of the Magi and the Sixth Umbral Calamity, however, black magic was branded far too great a danger to life, and so its use and even its mere mention were made forbidden. Over time, it came to be forgotten entirely. Or so it was thoughtâ€¦

Raya-O-Senna Wrote:It was then that a brilliant young sorceress - for the first time in history - succeeded in channeling not merely her own life energy, but the aether that inhabits the very land itself. Her magic was that of destruction: black magic.

Lalai Wrote:But as you well know, the power of black magic lies in its great potential for destruction. The slightest errancy in its use may give rise to the most tragic of disasters. Of the disappearance of the black mages from Eorzea, Master says only, â€œWe must not repeat the errors of the past.â€

Zhai'a Nelhah Wrote:That being said, I am a conjurer. Were I to witness black magic used with ill intent, I would not hesitate to take action. Even if it were you, Lalai, I would hunt you down without mercy. You'd do well to not forget that my order still considers your black magic forbidden.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Ambient Aether Wrote:Ambient aether suffuses the natural world - when this energy is leeched dry, the surrounding land is stripped of its capacity to bear forth life. For most arcane arts, a mageâ€™s own reserves of mana suffice to fuel even the most powerful incantations, but certain formidable spells from the school of black magic drink deep of the worldâ€™s wells of life energy.

Dozol Meloc Wrote:Dozol understands now! Squaaawk! Read the Book of Thal, they did. Learned of mother of mother of mother of Dozol, learned of her secretsâ”€Dozol's secrets. Made clear, their pursuit is! But these wounds... Perhaps Dozol has an explanation. These men did not have the Gem of Shatotto! Squaaawk! Dozol thinks that is why they died. Gem is proof that Sounsyy is true black mage. Gem brims with magical power. Without the Gem of Shatotto, impossible to control, the most powerful black magic is! Squaaawk! Lost control, these mages did. Aether within their own bodies ignited! Burned alive from the inside. Painful way to die, it is.

Zhaia Nelhah Wrote:So these Defiant mages fell victim to their own arroganceâ”€using dark magicks that far outstripped their ability to control them. So Sounsyy isn't at fault...

Encyclopedia Eorzea - The Ruins of Belah'dia Wrote:Descendants of Mhachi mages sought to escape persecution through the founding of Belahâ€™dia. As a result, the forbidden black magicks of their forebears did not die out, and were instead cleverly integrated into their worship of the sun goddess, Azeyma.

Yayake Wrote:The nation of Ul'dah inherited its traditions from ancient Belah'dia, a city founded by the descendants of the first mages. The secrets of these illustrious sorcerers were ultimately entrusted to the priests of the Order of Nald'thal, who have passed them down from generation to generation ever since.

Yayake Wrote:The prisoner's name is Ququruka Tataruka, and as if his story were not proof enough of his lunacy, he also styles himself a black mage. But such magic was lost to Eorzea centuries ago. Who does this senile charlatan think he will fool with such rubbish?

Hope this helps! ^^

Kairu · **01-22-2018, 03:39 AM**

White Magic does the same thing, right, drawing upon the Lifestream as opposed to using one's internal aether reserves? Are those the only two magic schools that do it that way?

I assume both Scholars and Summoning are similar to their root, Arcanist, in that they use sigils and geometric designs to amplify a small amount of aether into great effect. And if I remember right, Thaumatology does the same thing but via performing a ritual instead of tracing a sigil from a book.

Red Magic, I don't know anything about. And Astrologians seem to use aether drawn from outer space...?

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **01-22-2018, 03:57 AM**

(01-22-2018, 03:39 AM)Kairu Wrote: White Magic does the same thing, right, drawing upon the Lifestream as opposed to using one's internal aether reserves? Are those the only two magic schools that do it that way?

I assume both Scholars and Summoning are similar to their root, Arcanist, in that they use sigils and geometric designs to amplify a small amount of aether into great effect. And if I remember right, Thaumatology does the same thing but via performing a ritual instead of tracing a sigil from a book.

Red Magic, I don't know anything about. And Astrologians seem to use aether drawn from outer space...?

All the schools of magic (except RDM) are explained in Sounsyy's links above. Aetherology -> Schools of Magic.

Yes, White Magic, also known as Succor, does draw its power from the world instead of the caster's aether reserves/anime in a similar manner as Black Magic. As far as we know, they're the only ones that operate that way as it's incredibly dangerous and was literally killing the planet.

Scholars and Summoners actually predate modern Arcanima. By using books with geometries outlined in aether-conductive ink, they cast by effectively flowing aether into those geometric images to cast their spells. This is why we see so many magic circles in their abilities as well.

Thaumaturges cast with their own anima/aether reserves. It's passed from the body to an aether-conductive tool, typically lined with bone or gemstones used as foci.

Red Magic, as I've seen it explained, uses the caster's aether as well, but the spells themselves resemble the older Black and White magic equivalents, minus draining the surrounding aether.

Valence · **01-22-2018, 05:30 AM**

(01-21-2018, 08:36 PM)Xiuying Lei Wrote: You neglect to mention what happens during the lvl 60-70 quests.

What are you refering to? The Meteor? The golems? Shattoto? My apologies but I'm not totally sure to see your point...? Can you clarify a bit?

(01-21-2018, 08:36 PM)Xiuying Lei Wrote: Secondly if it is illegal and we are referring to Eorzea, then to what reason would it be offered in the school of Tharmaturgy?

But... it is not offered in the school of thaumaturgy at the Ossuary... What makes you believe it is? It has always been a burried knowledge, how could the Ossuary, or the Coco brothers, know about it, and offer to teach it? It just resurfaced when Ququruka showed up to tell to the WoL that they are a worthy successor for black magic. It's literally barely months old.

As shown in the 50-60 quests though, it didn't prevent a group of wanabe fools to start casting black magic with whatever little knowledge they have of it, and without a soulstone on top of that.

But that's the problem with mosts jobs, that are often a lost arts, or restricted arts (or brand new arts like for MCH). The RDM questline tackles that issue a great deal on the various ways to learn about red magic when the job has been dead for quite a while, for example. It's a long and hard process and you have to know where to look.

(01-21-2018, 08:36 PM)Xiuying Lei Wrote: The book you site, is that a reference to 'game' lore or a totally different story arc all together?
Â
A link would be nice, or author and title.

Not trying to flame here but when you want present something, be prepared to back it up with facts and credible sources...as I mentioned before.

Honestly, I thought mentionning it's part of the lorebook and which page and what main quote can be of interest was enough. I didn't expect you not to know about the Encyclopedia Eorzea, the lorebook so my apologies. As said above it's on the SE store and was released a bit before Stormblood hit.

But you don't really need the lorebook confirmation here to see how illegal it is. We already knew that way before because that's the whole main point of the 50-60 quests. If you require more quotes, please look at those Sounssy provided. I would have been happy to help but it takes a bit of time to parse through game script and find the relevant ones.

Valence · **01-22-2018, 05:44 AM**

(01-21-2018, 08:38 PM)nicoraynor Wrote: Something you mentioned:

As for how hard it is to cast a spell... How hard is it to be a monk and open a chakra? How hard is to be a bard and sing a powerful and moving battle song? I'm afraid we don't have much clues about that except that well... it's a job, it has specific skills that have to be learned and mastered.Â

This is sticking with me; it stands to reason that if any class were simply too overtaxing in combat to be viable, it wouldn't even be viable from a lore perspective. Like becoming doctor suddenly requiring a storehouse of knowledge exceeding 100x the current needs and reducing the number of available doctors to near zero. I'd think that being a black mage/rogue/samurai, etc would be a job that anyone could train in and master with proficiency.

Yes you're right. To me it's more a problem of knowledge and skill more than resources.

You first need the knowledge to execute those arts, and this is why they are often locked behind job crystals that only open to their wielders if they have the required level of skill and knowledge to start learning. And continue to unlock new secrets when they are deemed ready.

Then, you just need talent and skill really. The WoL is insanely powerful because they're 1) talented and 2) backed by Hydaelyn herself. And they're incredibly fast to learn anything because they have access to all the best sources of arcane there is, and very often the only remaining teachers in the world.

(01-22-2018, 03:39 AM)Kairu Wrote: White Magic does the same thing, right, drawing upon the Lifestream as opposed to using one's internal aether reserves? Are those the only two magic schools that do it that way?

I assume both Scholars and Summoning are similar to their root, Arcanist, in that they use sigils and geometric designs to amplify a small amount of aether into great effect. And if I remember right, Thaumatology does the same thing but via performing a ritual instead of tracing a sigil from a book.

Red Magic, I don't know anything about. And Astrologians seem to use aether drawn from outer space...?

Mercenary already answered most of it, but I want to add that red magic, being an unique combination of black and white magic, can perfectly well tap into Hydaelyn's lifesource. The Red Mages of old specifically chose not to out of ethics since they were the direct survivors of the calamity that was the doom of their direct ancestors.

There is a direct reference to that in the RDM quests, but I'm unable to find it back this time, apologies for that. X'rhun Tia just says that to make up for the loss of energy by just using their own aether, red mages focus everything through their blades and gem to channel it and retain black/white magic power that way.

Gegenji · **01-22-2018, 09:23 AM**

(01-22-2018, 05:44 AM)Valence Wrote:
(01-21-2018, 08:38 PM)nicoraynor Wrote: Something you mentioned:

As for how hard it is to cast a spell... How hard is it to be a monk and open a chakra? How hard is to be a bard and sing a powerful and moving battle song? I'm afraid we don't have much clues about that except that well... it's a job, it has specific skills that have to be learned and mastered.Â

This is sticking with me; it stands to reason that if any class were simply too overtaxing in combat to be viable, it wouldn't even be viable from a lore perspective. Like becoming doctor suddenly requiring a storehouse of knowledge exceeding 100x the current needs and reducing the number of available doctors to near zero. I'd think that being a black mage/rogue/samurai, etc would be a job that anyone could train in and master with proficiency.

Yes you're right. To me it's more a problem of knowledge and skill more than resources.

You first need the knowledge to execute those arts, and this is why they are often locked behind job crystals that only open to their wielders if they have the required level of skill and knowledge to start learning. And continue to unlock new secrets when they are deemed ready.

I agree with this sentiment here. Especially considering - if I am recalling correctly - Black Magic is not actually a wholly new school of magic. It's instead a technique to allow you to case Thaumaturgic magic at previously inaccessible levels. Since, rather than utilize your own aether, you can now draw on the far vaster pool that is the planet itself.

I wonder if that's why the THM questline was set the way it was, since it details the story of the one Coco brother who doesn't have enough aetheric potential to cast magic on his own. I wonder how much of that mirrors Shatotto - who I believe developed the Black Magic technique to combat her own aetheric shortcomings. The Coco brother risks unleashing a voidsent into the world for his ambitions, Shatotto unleashes a new technique that (along with White Magic) risked draining the planet dry. It's a similar vein but on a much grander scale.

But I digress. Since the technique is forbidden for being one of the direct causes of the Flood after the War of the Magi, the two big difficulties in learning Black Magic are (as mentioned):

1.) Obtaining the knowledge on how to perform the technique, and
2.) Not basically aetherically burning yourself to death from serving as a living conduit of planetary-level aether (kind of like a reverse lightning rod, maybe?)

The Gem of Shatotto (the Black Mage soulstone) helps overcomes both of these. Providing the knowledge etched into the stone to both teach you the technique and also serves as a sort of "training wheel" system to keep you from burning yourself out practicing it. Which is why all those would-be BLMs in the 50-60 arc effectively off themselves in the pursuit of power.

However, there always seems to be some little hidden away treasures of knowledge to be stumbled upon. So I would think it theoretically possible that one could learn Black Magic the "regular" way using those sorts of resources, but it would take far longer and more careful practice - both to avoid discovery and the destruction of your research material and to also avoid offing yourself (either through Black Magic use or being executed for using illegal magicks). It makes me think of the classical DnD Wizard locked away in his tower studying and practicing his spells, honestly.

Valence · **01-22-2018, 01:03 PM**

Note that Shattoto was probably a very powerful thaumaturge of her time and a case could be made that resources still matter at least a bit. Same as the Coco brother that has a very limited magical ability. Or like why some people have more anima than others who can't teleport or use aetherytes (which is actually a lot of people), when the Scions are even jealous of the WoL that can somehow cross continents by teleportation alone.Â

In any case, Shattoto in the 60-70 part get to inhabit the body of Lalai, and she immediately sees that this body is weak compared to what she had in her life. She complains all the time that after the smallest feat of thaumaturgy, she feels exhausted and very limited. She even tells you that after your first fight, you're lucky she has such a weak body at her disposal.

Black Magic / Thaumatology Question

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