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Sounsyy · **12-13-2016, 05:50 PM**

Rhalgr and Ramuh, the Fists of Rhalgr, and Chakras

Rhalgr, the Destroyer

Attendant (Husband*) of Nymeia, Father of Byregot and Halone.
*Erik refers to Nymeia as Rhalgr's wife, but this may be an exclusively Ala Mhigan viewpoint of their relationship. Other passages regarding the relationship refer to Rhalgr as Nymeia's attendant or servant as She entrusts Rhalgr with the task of caring for Byregot and Halone.

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Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:Rhalgr, breaker of worlds, is the god of destruction and guardian deity of the now fallen nation of Ala Mhigo. He commands the element of Lightning and is associated with the eighth moon of the Eorzean calendar. Rhalgr is the father of both Byregot and Halone and serves as an attendant to Nymeia. He is most often depicted as a magi carrying a staff of bronze. His symbol is the streaking meteor.

Claribel Wrote:â€œCreation begets destruction, and naught exists which cannot be sundered.â€ Thus spoke Rhalgr, and the two moved on.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Creation Wrote:And for many days and nights was the world calm, the gods content in the order which now reigned supreme.
That is until the Whorl woke from its slumber and beckoned forth two final deities - Byregot and His younger sister Halone.
It was feared that the untamed and ambitious siblings might once again usher chaos unto the world,
so to see that they were properly disciplined, Nymeia quickly made them wards of Rhalgr, the Destroyer.

A builder by nature, Byregot resented His new stepfather who could teach Him only destruction,
choosing instead to spend most of His time in the tutelage of Thaliak.
The Scholar bestowed upon His eager student the knowledge He would use to forge the tools and techniques of creation.
Though more open to Her new father's teachings, Halone, too, grew restless, longing to test Her strength...

Hihibaru Wrote:<gasp> Th-This scroll! It bears a prayer to Rhalgr, the Destroyer! In case you're unfamiliar, Rhalgr is the guardian deity of Ala Mhigo, which is currently under Garlean rule. It's highly uncommon for folk of other nations to revere Him.

Thimm Wrote:I've seen naught but hardship since the fall of Ala Mhigo. Many are the times I've lapped filthy water from a chocobo stable's trough. And now the Warden demands my confession? I'm a sheep lost from the Twelve's flock, you say? <spit> Where was Azeyma when the walls of Ala Mhigo fell? Where was Rhalgr when our enemies closed in around us?
Where were any of the bastards Twelve!? With the Garleans, perhaps!? Because they sure as hells weren't with us! I've had many moons to ponder the fate of my land. The only way I can make sense of it is to think we Ala Mhigans were punished for a lack of faith. And that drives me to find sleep in the bottle most nights, rather than a bed.

Syngsmyd Wrote:Try not to worry overmuch about the coming of Rhalgr's wrath. There's naught the Destroyer can ruin that the Builder cannot mend.

Tyago Moui Wrote:Caught wind of all this Archon talk yet? Some folk make them for the very incarnations of the Twelve, come to Eorzea. Old prophecies and wives' tales say they descend from their heavenly seat whenever disaster threatens Eorzea, see. Needless to say, many believe the Archons to have otherworldly powers - both of mind and body. According to the loremasters' books, there was an age of shadow and calamity some fifteen hundred-odd years ago, when a great flood drowned the world - the sixth Umbral Era, they called it. Believers say it was the twelve Archons what came to fight the darkness then.

They say Ahldbhar was the mightiest of the twelve Archons. Rhalgr the Destroyer himself, taken form in Roegadyn fleshâ”€a bloody mountain of a man, and a fearsome warrior, besides. You mustâ€™ve seen renderings of Rhalgr at some pointâ”€in paint or stone. Looks like a bag of angry muscles in a mageâ€™s robes, right? Aye, well, those are done in the likeness of Archon Ahldbhar.* Ahldbhar fought relentlessly against a clan of wicked sorcerers that sought only to wreak havoc on the world through their dark powers. But then, something happened... Something that threw Ahldbhar into deep despair. And in the end, he turned and took up with the enemy, though none can say as to why.

*I can't explain why the Rhalgr's Reach depiction of Rhalgr is Hyuran beyond Fernehalwes' explanation of the Hyuran Shiva sculptors. If Rhalgr worship is almost exclusive to Ala Mhigo and most all 6th Astral depictions of Rhalgr are Roegadyn, it stands to reason Ala Mhigo, a nation descended from Mhachi and Amdapori survivors, is the one inspiring the continued resemblance to Archon Ahldbhar.

Blanstyr Wrote:<gulp> By Byregot's beard! Where'd ye learn to forge links like that!? It's...it's bloody perfect! Rhalgr Himself would struggle to stick a dagger through that steel. An' look at that luster... Strength an' beauty in equal godsdamned measure! H'naanza should be praisin' the Builder for droppin' a gift like yerself in her lap.

Rhalgr Allagan Runestone Wrote:A small, smoothed stone featuring in its center a single carved symbol representing Rhalgr the Destroyer.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Hells and Heavens Wrote:Every god and goddess of the Twelve is associated with one of the six controlling elements. When the deities deemed Their work on Eorzea complete, They proceeded to create the firmament, the result being six astrally aligned heavens aspected to each of the six elements, and a final seventh heaven to rule them all. However, a residual product of these heavens were six similarly aspected hells, ruled by an all-encompassing, umbrally aligned seventh hell. The six "lower heavens" are represented in the sky by six constellations - star formations which astrologians also perceive as gates that, when opened, can allow a person to become attuned with the heavens and manipulate their aether. These constellations revolve around the pole star which is believed to be the gate to the seventh and final heaven.

While some sects of Twelve worship have different views of the afterlife, most believe that the righteous are promised a place in the heavens while sinners are doomed to an eternity of punishing trials in the hells. A belief made popular by a famous theologian and playwright of the Sixth Astral Era states that upon an evil man's death, he will fall to a hell that corresponds to the sins he committed in his lifetime. Once suffering an eternity in payment for those sins, he must journey through the remaining five "upper hells" and witness the sins of his brothers, before finally arriving at the gate of the seventh hell, where his heart will be weighted. If it is heavy with sorrow and repentance for what he has done, he will be sent to the heavens. But if it remains light, he will be admitted to the seventh hell where he will suffer forevermore.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - The Hell and Heaven of Lightning Wrote:In the Heaven of Lightning, one will find a towering clockwork spire built by Byregot with metal forged from a comet and powered by Rhalgr's levinbolts. Here rest engineers and architects, revolutionaries and conquerors of evil. Levin-charged fragments of the comet plummet to the Pit to form the Hell of Lightning - a place of damnation for vandals, slumlords, and warmongers.

Levava Wrote:In the third heaven rises an iron tower of spinning gears and taut springs constructed by the Builder Himself. It is assailed without cease by the jealous Rhalgr, but the Destroyer's mighty levinbolts only serve to power the spire's clockwork soul. It is through the blessings of both creation and destruction that strength is granted to she who sees her stars rise under this sign.

Luck Fortune Teller (The Fault In Our Cards) Wrote:Oh my... Through affronts known only to Him, you have earned Rhalgr's wrath. Halone is unwilling to protect you from Her father's ire. Beware any adventures in the Sea of Clouds, for you will surely meet with tragedy.

Your only recourse is to request the blessing of another. Journey to Coerthas and pray before the mark of the Lover, and perhaps Menphina's tenderness will assuage Rhalgr's anger. For the present, make safety and security a priority, and do not take reckless risks.

Words of Prayer and Curses:

Glaumunt Wrote:May Rhalgr give you strength!

Wilred Wrote:Rhalgr, guide my blade...

Wilred Wrote:O mighty Rhalgr, Lord of Destruction...we implore You, lend us Your strength and put an end to the suffering of Your people...

Godbert Wrote:Wrath of Rhalgr, what are you doing!?

Geva Wrote:Rhalgr take me!

Ilberd Wrote:Rhalgr strike me down for a fool!

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Ramuh

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:Lightning given sage form, venerated by the sylphs. Though depicted in legend as a wise and benevolent elder who harbors ancient secrets, Ramuh is a merciless arbiter of those who would defile the sacred depths of the forest, striking down interlopers with fulminating bolts of divine fury. Whilst Ramuh is revered as the creator of the race of sylphs, the appearance of his physical manifestation suggests that he is also a god of man. Some scholars even go so far as to claim that he and Rhalgr are one and the same, pointing to the Destroyer's command over lightning as evidence of their theory.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Ramuh Origin Myth Wrote:Many races believe that their own people were the first sentient beings to come into existence, but the sylphs make no such claims. On the contrary, the creation myth of the diminutive woodland folk hold that the world of man was long in evidence ere the race of sylphs emerged.

Their tales speak of men as greedy, thoughtless creatures who brought destruction to the forest with axe and torch. Unable to flee from the bite of steel or the lick of flame, the root-bound trees had no recourse but to beseech the gods for succor. It was Ramuh, a deity of man, who heard their agonized pleas, and thence sent his levinbolts to strike budding fruits from ancient branches. Born of lightning and blessed with secrets, the sylphs awoke from charred husks to serve as the forest's protectors. Ever since have their kind dwelled beneath the Black Shroud's canopy, defending their domain with the arcane wisdom bestowed upon them by the Lord of Levin himself.

Ramuh Triple Triad Card Wrote:Worshipped by the sylphs of the Twelveswood, the Lord of Levin is a thunderous entity with boundless knowledge of ages past. He is stern yet just, but his judgment is final, and those found guilty of mortal sin will be met with mighty bolts of white-hot lightning.

Papalymo Totolymo Wrote:It is said that once Ramuh passes judgment, his wrath is implacable. 'Twould be best to conclude this discussion ere Gridania and its people are placed upon his scales.

Frixio Wrote:These ones resorted to summoning Lord Ramuh to protect the wood from imperial ones. This one counseled against doing so, but was not heeded. Against this one's wishes, Lord Ramuh was summoned...and all those ones who took part became touched ones. These ones want so desperately to turn touched ones back to normal ones, but did not know howâ”€and still do not know. Touched ones, meanwhile, wanted to turn these ones into touched ones, and did know how... So this one fled to Little Solace with all those ones who did not wish to be bound to Lord Ramuh.

But walking ones of Gridania need not fear touched ones or Lord Ramuh. Unlike other primal ones, Lord Ramuh is not callous and cruel. So long as walking ones do not trespass on these ones' ancestral homeland, where touched ones reside, walking ones will not suffer thunderous judgment.

Papalymo Totolymo Wrote:By way of an addendum, mortals who are tempered come to take on the qualities embodied by the primal in question. In the case of the sylphs, Ramuh's influence has made them fiercely protective of their homeland. The abductions are, I believe, an expression of the tempered sylphs' desire for reconciliationâ”€another quality traditionally associated with Ramuh. In the crudest manner imaginable, they seek to bring their fellows back into the fold. A timely reminder that the challenges posed by each primal are unique.

Papalymo Totolymo Wrote:The actions of the forest folk were inevitable and unavoidable. And I maintain that observation would have remained the best policy had it not been for the sudden influx of strangers into the Black Shroud. That, alas, we did not foresee... By all accounts, the recent violence in Ul'dah drove a number of refugees to seek safety under the concealing canopy of the trees. 'Tis like that the sylphs perceived this panicked migration as yet another invasion, and quickened their efforts to summon their god.

Son of Levin Wrote:There is a song sung by the sylphs which tells of a magnificent wavekin caught in the Black Shroud and presented to their lord, Ramuh as an offering. Taken by its beauty, the Lord of Levin judged that the fish was slain before its time, and granted it life anew. To see it go untouched for all eternity, he took it as his son.

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The Order of the Fist of Rhalgr

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:In the time of the Sixth Umbral Calamity, there was a people who escaped the great flooding by following the guiding light of a meteor - a brilliant beacon which led them to the highlands of Gyr Abania. These refugees devoted themselves to Rhalgr, the Destroyer, whose streaking star had granted them salvation, and their fervent faith took solid root within the region. The order known as the Fist of Rhalgr was formed, and within their temple the devotees of the Fist tempered body and spirit in an effort to grow closer to their deity. Through their meditations did these monks discover within themselves foci of power - chakras - and with this knowledge devised a martial art that channeled the life energies of the practitioner into destructive force.

Gyr Abania had long endured political instability, and the constant outbreaks of violence encouraged the monks to pursue their newfound martial mastery with ever greater zeal. The Fist of Rhalgr evolved into a formidable military force, and gradually nurtured an alliance with the royal family of Ala Mhigo. Eventually, the Fist was integrated into the nation's standing army, thus consolidating its position and influence within the region. This arrangement, however, was not to King Theodoric's liking. In the year 1552 of the Sixth Astral Era, the King of Ruin, grown fearful of the order's political power, had the Temple of the Fist burned to the ground. The warrior monks and their teachings were lost - scattered like ashes on the wind.

Erik Wrote:The monks and the Fist of Rhalgr are interesting in the same way as any other organized relgion - a sad, pathetic, and humorous way. The brothers and sisters of the monkhood are those souls training in the service of Rhalgr, god of destruction among the Twelve. The Fist of Rhalgr is their order.

This barbaric cult traces its origins back several centuries to Ala Mhigo. The Fist teaches those foolish enough to listen that through rigorous training of the mind and body, and with constant invigoration and refinement, one can approach the sublimity of Rhalgr Himself. Such is their power of concentration that they are able to master the aether within their bodies and channel it in a manner that grants them immense destructive power. The monkhood insists on calling this internal essence "spiritual energy" or "life force" - but trust me when I say it is nothing other than aether.

Endowed with this brutish, unthinking gift for hitting things very hard, the entire cult has evolved into a sort of clergy with martial proclivities. This was no doubt a result of their main temple being located in Gyr Abania - a region plagued by warfare where knowing how to protect oneself is essential.

As the years passed, however, what began as a simple group of religious fanatics fighting to protect themselves grew into an ambitious organization of religious fanatics taking part in the region's power struggles. Those in power in Ala Mhigo grew wary of these war priests who proclaimed all their fights to be fought in the name of a god, and who employed deadly force without the slightest hesitation. And so, rather than make enemies of the monks, they decided instead to use them to their benefit.

Through affiliation with the Ala Mhigan royal family, the Fist of Rhalgr was incorporated into the nation's standing army. This not only granted the monks a great deal of power, but furnished them with all of the rights accorded protectors of the citizenry. And their political influence was still growing...

Erik Wrote:I confess I find great joy in studying the demise of a religion - and even greater joy in recounting it!

The power of the Fist of Rhalgr grew unchecked in Ala Mhigo, and it was eventually named the state religion. After this, its influence over political, economic, and cultural spheres of life became even more considerable. Needless to say, this did not sit well with one and all. Among them was the last and most ugsome of Ala Mhigan royalty, the King of Ruin - Theodoric. The rise of the Fist meant a potential rival for power, and he would not suffer the monkhood to encroach on his prerogatives.

To counter their claims of religious righteousness, he simply conjured his own out of thin aether, proclaiming that the throne was his by divine right, given him by the word of Nymeia Herself - wife to Rhalgr. He then banned worship and likenesses of Rhalgr and all other gods, and demanded that the prayers and praises of Ala Mhigo be given to Nymeia and Her alone. In doing so, he sought to establish his own absolute, uncontested rule.

Naturally, the Fist and other worshipers of Rhalgr throughout the nation rose in protest, precisely as Theodoric had known they would. He used the uprisings as a pretext to imprison several high-ranking monks, whom he then tortured until they confessed their order's plans to topple his rule. In 1552 of the Sixth Astral Era, Theodoric led a vast army to the site of the monkhood's main temple and surrounded it. Monks, novices, and devotees, including the elders; refugees seeking shelter after the fires of war had turned their homes to ash; servants and peasants hired to do no more than till the fields - none were left alive. The monks fought heroically, but were hopelessly outnumbered. With the massacre of that day, nearly all of the monkhood perished.

The elders, the keepers of the tradition and its knowledge, resided within the temple grounds. It was thought that all versed in the ways of the chakra were lost...* But then what of this Widargelt? Just who is he? Perhaps the end of the Fist was not the end of the monks, after all.

*An interesting point was discovered in the German translation of this text, it clarifies that the aforementioned elders of the Fist all committed suicide when the Temple was surrounded so that their art died with them instead of falling into Theodoric's hands. German translations courtesy of Virella.

Erik Wrote:Now, it is common knowledge that the Fist of Rhalgr rose to the zenith of its power by virtue of royal endorsement. Lesser known is the dispute which broke out over this arrangement between two factions within the Fistâ”€the sect of light and the sect of shadow. The head priest of the sect of light believed that an alliance with the royal house of Ala Mhigo was the key to prosperity. However, his counterpart in the sect of shadow disagreed, warning that it would lead to their undoing. History has proven them both right. But I digress.

So, in the past, the two sects both belonged to the Fist of Rhalgr, and their disciples trained beside one another as comrades. And yet, though the techniques they employed were identical, the manner in which they harnessed energy was opposed in nature. It was this difference which gave rise to two aspects of chakra. There is a tradition wherein monks from the two schools would meet each other in single combat. In attacking you, I posit that the disciples of shadow are seeking to recreate this tradition. This clashing of light and shadow quickened the aether within, causing a chakra of the opposing aspect to open within them. In simple terms for your simple minds, disciples of light fought to open shadow-aspected chakra, and disciples of shadow fought to open light-aspected chakra. And the implications of this? There are not seven, but fourteen chakra all told. Yes, yes, two sides of the same coin; where there is light, there is shadow, and all that poetic tripe.

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The Monkhood and the Fourteen Chakras

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:Though now under Garlean rule, the city-state of Ala Mhigo once boasted the greatest military might of all Eorzea. Among its standing armies were the monks - ascetic warriors as dreaded by foes on the field of battle as the city-state's great pikemen. The monks comprised an order known as the Fist of Rhalgr, and it was to this god - the Destroyer - that they devoted their lives of worship.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Widargelt Beake Wrote:Though commonly known as one of the young leaders of the Ala Mhigan Resistance, Widargeltâ€™s true birth name is Theodred, and he is nephew to Theodoric, the last king of Ala Mhigo. When he was scarce more than a babe, Widargeltâ€™s mother sent him away to a remote temple of the Fist of Rhalgr, where he was sheltered from his demented uncleâ€™s purge of the royal line. His parents, however, failed to escape the mad kingâ€™s frenzy of executions. The orphaned Widargelt was left to be raised by elderly monks, who indoctrinated him in the way of the Fist. Upon reaching manhood, the idea of joining the Resistance and fighting to restore his fallen nation was a calling his Ala Mhigan blood could not ignore.

Erik Wrote:The Fist teaches those foolish enough to listen that through rigorous training of the mind and body, and with constant invigoration and refinement, one can approach the sublimity of Rhalgr Himself. Such is their power of concentration that they are able to master the aether within their bodies and channel it in a manner that grants them immense destructive power. The monkhood insists on calling this internal essence â€œspiritual energyâ€ or â€œlife forceâ€ - but trust me when I say it is nothing other than aether.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Chakras Wrote:Chakras are the valves that regulate the flow of the bodyâ€™s aether. By mastering chakras and gaining control over this flow, a trained monk can accomplish extraordinary physical feats. Ordinarily locked into a closed state, chakras can be opened by entering into deadly combat on ancient battlefields, where the release of rarefied aether resonates with and expands oneâ€™s innate seats of power.

The Seventh Chakra Wrote:If a monk's training were seen as a mountain, then the opening of the seventh chakra would be its peak - the very pinnacle of martial achievement. Each of the body's seats of power, however, is said to have aspects of both light and shadow. Thus to truly master the techniques of the monk, one must unlock not seven, but fourteen distinct chakras.

O'tchahka Wrote:In the beginning, members of the Fist of Rhalgr strove to open all fourteen chakraâ”€seven of light and seven of shadow. Those who had opened all seven of their native chakra were permitted to duel those who had achieved the same in the opposing aspect. For generations, such duels were held in great secrecy. But that ended with the massacre at the Temple of the Fist, when the sect of light was extinguished. And though the sect of shadow survived by virtue of its obscurity, its disciples lost the means to open light-aspected chakra.

Widargelt Wrote:One thing bothers me. The sect of light was destroyed. Yet H'raha Tia has opened all fourteen chakra. How did he do this?

O'tchahka Wrote:He was present for the massacre at the temple. He attacked and slew a priest of your sect, and in so doing opened the seventh chakra of light.

Oâ€™tchahka Wrote:If you are to have a fighting chance, you must open the final chakra that eludes youâ”€the seventh chakra of shadow. Alas, this presents a dilemma: there is no way to do so outside of mortal combat.

H'raha Tia Wrote:The arduous training to hone mind and body, the blood we spill and shedâ”€all of it is for no other purpose but to honor the Destroyer. We pay Him great tribute by dueling to the death. And in return, He grants us great power: the power of all fourteen chakra. By consorting with the royal house, the disciples of light lost sight of their true nature. For this, Rhalgr visited destruction upon them.

Widargelt Wrote:You are wrong. The sect of light was undone, but not as you say. We misused our power. We turned it upon our own people. For this, we were cast down. Now you misuse your power. You turn it upon your own comrades. It is the same. It will end the same. You will destroy yourselves as we did.

Appetite for Destruction Wrote:The pursuit of power was once thought to be the sole route to greatness among the disciples of the Fist of Rhalgr. But by your shining example, this old preconception has been shattered, giving way to alternate paths. Together with D'zentsa and O'tchakha, Widargelt will strive to rebuild the order as it once was, reuniting the sects of light and shadow. As the paragon for a new generation of monks, see to it that you ever exercise your powers for the good of the realm.

Widargelt Wrote:Yours is a great strength. Unite it to ours, sister. Help us reclaim our home. Your efforts will be rewarded. Look upon my garments. This is the war garb of the monkhood. It attunes to its wearer. It empowers the chakra. Enables it to realize its full potential. The cloth is imbued with the power of Rhalgr. Only monks of His Fist may don it.* Only those who overcome many trials. You need not enter the Fist. I require you to speak no vows. I ask only that you fight. Give yourself to our cause.

*In the German translation, Widargelt says that for a non-monk to don the Cyclas was heresy and punishable by death. German translations courtesy of Virella.

Widargelt Wrote:Hear this. A set of our war garb was stolen. The Fist has tracked the bandits. We know now where three of the relics are. Your soul crystal will react to the relics. Draw near them, and they will glow. By this power, you can find them. The Fist's honor has been trampled upon. Make the heretics you find pay for their sins.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Temple Attire Wrote:The religious habit of the Fist of Rhalgr, made entirely on temple grounds. The cloth is loomed by monks, the thread spun from the cocoons of remarkable worms unknown to naturalists but which arise in great numbers in the temple seolc-house. Every stitch is half as wide as its wearer's little fingernail, and it is said that the result forms a holy geometry to further open one's chakras.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Tantra Attire Wrote:Only elders of the Fist of Rhalgr are permitted to don this attire. Though the thread used in its creation is the same as that woven into the standard temple habit, the veteran monks looming the tantra cloth imbue each stitch with concentrated energy, resulting in a significantly higher rate of aetherial conductivity. A monkâ€™s chakras are thus greatly expanded when swathed in such material, but without the training required to moderate the excessive outpouring of aether, an unseasoned wearer would bleed out his entire life essence in a matter of moments.

Widargelt Wrote:This is a soul crystal. It is the mark of my order. Only those in the monkhood may carry it. It is given to novices upon completion of their training. But I have witnessed your transformation. You are ready. Take it. Many bore that crystal before you. It remembers them. Their breath and their movement. They will one day be yours. But your chakra must open further. Only then can the crystal's memories enter you.

Widargelt Wrote:Do not be frightened. Here was a battle. Long ago. Much energy remains. It has found you. It flows through you. Your chakra has been opened. This was the light that shone from youâ€¦

The energy within us moves the fist. The chakra is the seat of that energy. It is a sacred place. It can be opened, and the life force within controlled. Chakra exists in all that lives - in all beings. Yet not all beings can open them. Much training is needed. And great discipline. With these, the life force can be commanded. There are those who require no training. Their inner strength is such that it forces the chakra open. I have heard of this happening. But never have I seen it - until now.

â€¦We stand on an ancient battleground. A great war was waged here. The spirit of the fight lingers. The aether reaches for the chakra. It aids in its opening. For this reason do we monks seek such lands to train.

Erik Wrote:The aether churning around these ancient battle sites comes to naturally settle in the surrounding lifeâ”€both plant and animal, though more so in the latter. It accumulates within them. Felling these beasts then releases that aether, causing a surge that resonates with the aether within you, causing it to expandâ”€the so-called opening of the chakra. By this, the very power of life itself within you grows.

Widargelt Wrote:It is as I told you. We monks travel where aether flows strong. There we train. The power of the land enters us. Thus our chakra expands. This bonding causes great unrest. The landâ€™s energy becomes unstable. It will enter no other until it calms. I feel nothing here. As you would feel nothing at Firesand Banks. That land bonded to my chakra. And its aether is now at unrest. The teacherâ€™s work means nothing. I took no readings. I meant to hasten here. But I was delayed. There was a gathering of the monkhood. I was summoned to Little Ala Mhigo.

Erik Wrote:I analyzed the ethereal waves of your bodies, second by second. I was able to isolate and identify those of the final aetherial regulation mechanismâ”€the so-called seventh chakra! From that, I was able to find the land which was most likely to resonate with those waves. Silvertear Falls! I went to the site myself to investigate, and it was there that I made my great discoveryâ”€the discovery of the century!

â€¦Bugger opening your infernal bloody chakra, and open your bloody ears for once! Cid Garlond of the Ironworks that bear his name once wrote that these Silvertear Falls lie at the center of our world. Our world is round, and we live on its surface. Even you should see, then, that he did not speak of a center in the physical sense. I am no astronomer, nor a biologist, but I have studied enough of the various sciences to say thisâ”€

The vital energy of Hydaelyn, that which is called aether, is one and the same as the life force in which you monks believe. As the center of our world, these Silvertear Falls are connected to what you call chakra in an inexplicably profound way. We all share in the same existence. We are neither separate nor distinct from the world. Our energy and its energy are one. At times, that energy may wreak havoc and destruction, but it plays a far grander and more significant role. To bring forth life! Therefore, as part of the world, you too must endeavor to do the same.

Lodestone 1.0 Wrote:The celebrated monk Ivon Coeurlfist passed his days in ascetic seclusion atop the mountains of Gyr Abania. It was there, legend tells, that he sought out coeurls with which to vie, in a bid to advance his training. In time, he came to incorporate the natural movements of the beasts into his fighting style, and in so doing established a legacy in the martial arts which has known no rival since. Ever at his side was his beloved Sphairai, a pair of deadly striking weapons shaped in the likeness of coeurl heads.

Gerolt Wrote:Fancy yerself handy with yer fists, eh? Then mayhap ye've heard of the legendary monk Ivon Coeurlfist. The man was mad about coeurlsâ”€proper bleedin' besotted, from what I hear. All sounded a bit...unnatural, if you ask me. Anyroad, he honed his martial prowess by wanderin' the mountains, fightin' all the coeurls he could find. An' by takin' the creatures' movements for his own, he devised a style of fightin' like no other. But that ain't all. Ivon's, er...love of the felines was such that he had a pair o' Sphairai craftedâ”€fists what looked like coeurls. Legends claim they allowed him to bring the sum of his skills to bear...or maybe cat, on his foesâ”€on account of which, the design grew popular. But now that tradition's in danger of dyin' out, what with Ala Mhigo's fall to the Empire an' all, leavin' nary a weaponsmith as knows how Sphairai are forged. If yer to have any hope of gettin' yer mitts on a pair, it'd be from among the Amalj'aa host at Zahar'ak. The lizardmen are known to round up enemy soldiers for the sake of their twisted amusement. Wouldn't surprise me none if they've claimed a pair o' Sphairai or three from their victims. Them lizardmen might be savages, but even they ken a fine weapon when they see one.

Anyroad, letâ€™s talk about that text ye brought. It outlines Ivon Coeurlfistâ€™s martial philosophy as set down by the manâ€™s foremost disciple. Accordinâ€™ to the writer, the Sphairai ainâ€™t no ordinary weapon. Apparently, theyâ€™re tools for tappinâ€™ a monkâ€™s â€œchakraâ€â”€whatever the hells that isâ”€throwinâ€™ open the floodgatesâ€¦or summat. Buggered if I know how it works. But I do know the fists need some crystals embedded in them. Eh? Chakraâ€™s the aether what courses through yer body, ye say? Huhâ€¦ That explains the bloody crystals, then.

Encyclopedia Eorzea - Rising Suns Wrote:These ornate weapons cover the entire fist, the radial pattern of their spikes lending the impression of a dawning sun's lancing rays. The origin of the Rising Suns' name, however, is not found in their design alone. Forged from a delicate balance of mythril and silver, the spikes act as conduits, conveying and radiating the energies focused in the monk's fists. A master practitioner equipped with these weapons is capable of emitting blinding levels of aether, each blow falling with terrible, incandescent force.

Void Monk Wrote:There are rumors that this voidsent earned its name when a disciple of the Fist of Rhalgr, training to open a particularly vexing chakra, threw a punch with such devastating power that not only did it open her mind, but it opened a rent between this realm and the void, allowing for the admittance of a terrifying octopus-like creature. Others claim that it is simply because of the void monkâ€™s resemblance to the sea monk - a common cephalopod found in the Indigo Deep.

Final Heaven Wrote:By focusing an intensely concentrated knot of aether within a single fist, a monk can then strike an opponent with a blow that erupts into a detonation of catastrophic proportions. This technique cannot be performed until the practitioner is prepared to reach beyond mortal limits into the divine.

Shoulder Tackle Wrote:A technique used to close distance to an opponent, the practitioner rushes forward and slam an aether-shielded shoulder into the target with concussive force. This move is favored by devotees of Rhalgr for its swift and brutal nature.

Mantra Wrote:After first intoning a phrase to center the spirit, the practitioner then releases a burst of harmonious energies in every direction. Those caught in this gentle explosion of aether find their physical forms more readily receptive to restoration magicks.

[Discussion] Sounsyy's Lore Compilations Index

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