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Torvhan · **09-04-2013, 03:15 AM**

For my characters and in my writing it varies based on situation. Most of the characters I play have some form of non-magical training, because magic though powerful still requires expended effort. From some of the books I've read using magic still requires the same effort as if you did it non-magically your just getting to the end result a different way (possibly using a different "muscle group")

For in combat healing, this is generally easy, their is less loss of blood/life force and no chance for infection to set in. Of course lodged weapons would have to be removed before healing.

For wounds that sat, you have more to deal with such as infection/blood loss these take more time and effort to heal, and the patient may require time to recover afterwards.

Poisons and Disease I tend to liken to a battle, a healers ability to fully cure a patient would depend on their strength and knowledge if not strong enough to burn it out they maybe able to delay the effects for another healer to arrive or possibly for the patients body to process and recover.

Death is iffy, and I usually wait for lore to see if it is even possible. But from what I've read, it is usually an extremely dangerous task to attempt and only the crazy or ridiculously powerful ever attempt this and possibly survive the attempt. How long the person has been "dead" or how long the person's life was increases difficulty, in the Belgariad, Bel'garion is only able to revive a horse because it was new-born and therefore that wall or barrier he broke was small due to the fact the horse had not lived a life. The wall or barrier he would have had to overcome for an older person would have been impossible.

Raccoon · **09-04-2013, 03:43 AM**

Like FW and others said, it ultimately comes down to what the plot and player dictates as their preferred end result. But for those that don't want the wound to be healed for whatever reason, there happens to be plenty of reasons it can't be done.

An injury could have been created by something evil, leaving a bit of itself behind in the wound, a corruption that festers. You can heal the wound but it never seems enough to close it or reduce the infection within it. This is the sort of thing you'd go with if there's someone/something you have to defeat down the line, that by destroying it you can ultimately remove the bit of it that is inside you. Regular visits to your resident conjurer will still be needed to do what little can be done until you can do so.

Another way, an enemy has booby-trapped the wound. Maybe they did it while you were unconscious or are just that good to do it while you're facing off with them. If anyone tries to heal you, the trap goes off, turning their spell into one that will kill you. Oh, the drama. Fortunately for you, the conjurer in question is able to see the trap just in time (*hint, hint*) and now you need to either kill the person that set the trap or find someone talented enough to dismantle it without killing you. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to do this as an adventurer because you're going to be healed occasionally in teams and dungeons, and it sucks to never be in the dungeon group IC when everyone else is RPing.

That's just a couple of examples. I do so enjoy playing villains, so I can be a right bastard at coming up with twisted ideas.

Roda · **09-04-2013, 03:52 AM**

(09-04-2013, 03:05 AM)Dieuvont Wrote: That varies upon what you believe a data format ought to do and function for. In this circumstance in particular, regarding what comprises sentient and living beings alike, Aeather is the matter that all living beings are comprised of, and should that Aether be disrupted, it may cause complications.

See, the issue I'm having is that aether is described as being energy, AND matter, AND all living things are entirely made out of the stuff.

Energy and matter, eh it's a stretch, but it could be perceived as fuel (it wouldn't BE energy, it would just contain it), and living things need fuel to survive, so that's cool too.

But, the fact that all living things, and only living things, are made, 100%, out of the stuff, I just can't get past.
That would mean that the only supplements you'd need are aetheric supplements. Why would blood be red if it has no iron? Would we still salt our food if we didn't need sodium? Could we even get drunk? Do we even need to drink (water)? If I take an ether potion, am I drinking, without a doubt, someone's (or many people's) decomposed body? Hell, how does one make leather gear when there are no chemicals to react to the tanning process?

I don't see how the cultures in the game can be so similar to ours with such drastically different laws of nature. >.<

(09-04-2013, 03:05 AM)Dieuvont Wrote: The real inquiry ought to be towards whether or not Aether is a spiritual or physical phenomenon. As of presently, it appears to be highly physical or essentially affecting the physical realm, thus a soul would be less likely to directly interact with it as it is mainly a spiritual aspect of a sentient being.

Honesly, I don't see why it couldn't be both. It's all a matter of perception.
People once thought menstruation was a (rather negative) spiritual event too.
(And that's why I'm trying to look at all plausible options for the mechanics of aether, 'cause spiritual views of the universe can overshadow information on the actual mechanics of the universe, especially in a region as religious as Eorzea.)

Dieuvont · **09-04-2013, 04:14 AM**

(09-04-2013, 03:52 AM)Roda Wrote: See, the issue I'm having is that aether is described as being energy, AND matter, AND all living things are entirely made out of the stuff.

Energy and matter, eh it's a stretch, but it could be perceived as fuel (it wouldn't BE energy, it would just contain it), and living things need fuel to survive, so that's cool too.

Energy can be debated to be a form of matter. On the other end of the spectrum, matter is simply known as stuff, and energy is not stuff, but what stuff has. An example is calories. They are not the food in itself, but merely an energy measurement we use for various nutritional and chemical aspects that allows us to know how much energy we will receive upon consuming said food. Let us also keep in mind that energy is never created or destroyed but merely changes form from circumstance to circumstance. Thus, aether can be perceived as pure flowing energy, or a form of atomic matter that carries with it a vital and ethereal energy.

I completely and wholeheartedly understand your desire to elaborate on this subject matter, as I have done so myself and enjoy doing so in regards to anything that displays itself upon my path, however, we must keep in good mind that this is a fantasy world. As much as I personally enjoy creating believable circumstances that other individuals may relate to and find interesting, I will ultimately come to terms with a world that may not exactly function, in its entirety, as our own. That, in conclusion, is the intriguing aspect of fantasy and perhaps may be the very reason why a plethora of players choose to participate in role play nearly every day.

LeCard · **09-04-2013, 04:23 AM**

(09-04-2013, 03:52 AM)Roda Wrote:
(09-04-2013, 03:05 AM)Dieuvont Wrote: That varies upon what you believe a data format ought to do and function for. In this circumstance in particular, regarding what comprises sentient and living beings alike, Aeather is the matter that all living beings are comprised of, and should that Aether be disrupted, it may cause complications.

See, the issue I'm having is that aether is described as being energy, AND matter, AND all living things are entirely made out of the stuff. Â

Energy and matter, eh it's a stretch, but it could be perceived as fuel Â (it wouldn't BE energy, it would just contain it), and living things need fuel to survive, so that's cool too.

But, the fact that all living things, and only living things, are made, 100%, out of the stuff, I just can't get past. Â
That would mean that the only supplements you'd need are aetheric supplements. Â Why would blood be red if it has no iron? Â Would we still salt our food if we didn't need sodium? Could we even get drunk? Â Do we even need to drink (water)? If I take an ether potion, am I drinking, without a doubt, someone's (or many people's) decomposed body? Hell, how does one make leather gear when there are no chemicals to react to the tanning process?

I don't see how the cultures in the game can be so similar to ours with such drastically different laws of nature. >.<

For the "why is blood red" question, think of aether as some sort of special electron, or water, or energy in its purest form. While it can change simple matter from a collection of Iron,water etc. into a functioning living being, it does not put the elements into their body or"form" it simply animates them. This Aether is what grants living beings the difference in their existence between them and a rock(although there is mention in Arcanist lore that could go so far as to say certain "rocks" or even everything you can see/feel/touch is made of Aether in some respect.[more later])
For the difference you could look at the infamous Stone monster that you have to fight. You will notice that[note 2] it is an infusion of magic(Aether) that gives it it's life.
in regards to drinking a dead person as an Ether potion, I wouldn't be too worried about it, unless you want to think about how much human/animal waste you are consuming every time you take a drink of water(yes it takes time for such waste to decompose, but point is still there. have fun with your water now!=P)

Now back to the arcanist lore and how everything is made of Aether.
According to the description of an Arcanist they summon carbuncle by tapping into the "Aether of the gem" from which it is summoned. This tells me that either certain gems have their own latent Aetheric power, or everything is made of Aether and it is simply the amount of Aether infused into something that grants it "sentient life" or makes it just another rock.[note 2 answered here]

ok i'll stop here before I get any longer winded. sorry I don't have a TL;DR, just read if you want to know.

P.S. also, what Dieuvont said

Just something I looked up, but could be a good bit of reading for similar FF ideas of 14's Aether.
"Mist is but one of the manifestations of magic energy throughout the series, and can be compared to the power of elemental crystals in early Final Fantasy games, Lifestream in Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, pyreflies in Final Fantasy X and crystal energy in Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series. " FF wiki

FreelanceWizard · **09-04-2013, 09:04 AM**

Just to toss this out here, in several levequests they make reference to killing things as "returning them to the Lifestream." We also know from the Ifrit main scenario quest line that Aether is a magical energy that can be consumed by Primals, at least, and that it's inexorably bound to the health of the world. Much like Mako in FFVII, if enough Aether is ripped from the world by the Primals, the planet will die.

On this basis, I think it's a reasonable conclusion that, metaphysically, Hydaelyn is much like FFVII's Planet. There's a Lifestream that's the source of all life and magic, and its constituent energy is Aether. Think of it like the Force or Quintessence (from Mage: the Ascension) if that clicks better for you. Smile

Living creatures aren't made of Aether per se, but they have Aether running through them and within them, and without that essential Aether, they die. However, there's enough other information available (such as characters' religious beliefs, for instance) that it's not entirely clearly cut.

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Magical Healing

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