(10-29-2013, 02:06 AM)Ildur Wrote: According to the info snippet describing Arcanists in the webby (as quoted by K'dath), the Arcanists need to inscribe gemstones to be able to summon Carbuncle. I'd assume that both summoners and scholars require a similar technique to do the same with their own creatures. I do not think they consume it, though. They are more likely used as catalysts for the wizard's own aetheric gauge (what mechanically we know as 'mana').
If I had to speculate as to what Carbuncles are, I'd say they are probably some kind of aetherical manifestation of mathematics/geometry. Based on the Scholar's questline, where the fairy is shown to have a personality of her own (kinda), I'd argue that this could very well be the case with Carbuncles. The egis probably do, too, based on whatever Primal they are based on. For example, titan-egi, in a cutscene, appears and blocks a magical attack with his face without you actually ordering him so. This implies that, just like Titan, the egi is kind of protective of those he recognizes as 'part of his team', so to speak.
Well, in the Summoner storyline:
The use of geometry is sorta hand waved in favor of history. The casting animation stays consistent though, incorporating writing in the grimiore, so perhaps the ritual is 'simplified' into the same type of inscriptions. Or maybe they just though making different animations for the same spell was a waste of time.
What I meant with being 'individualized' more or less had more to do with the somewhat lack of 'proper' elaboration as to why any novice could conjure one, coupled with the external mention of gemstones. I assume there's a definitive 'right' way to summon Carbuncle (a geometric pattern) but do not nessicarily come from a uniform source. They're like raw aether being pulled from the air and given a shape according to some guide lines. On top of that gemstones are not uniform. They have different facets and flaws, no two truly similar. Assuming the novice hand-carves them, they have an 'intimate' touch to them as well. (It's a spiritualist belief that hand made things have the essence or spirit energy of the one that makes them. Not that that's necessarily relevant to the lore... just.. you know, explaining my personal insight.) And then we have variable wills. That's a BIG theme in the Arcanist story, that your will defines your reality. Altogether I think it's sensible to think Carbuncle could have an aspect of individuality to them. It's plausible, as the very least.
I can't speak about the fairies (yet) but the -egi all come from a particular power source, the primals specifically. All -egis are an aspect of their respective primal and are summoned, as noted above, by a specific ritual. There are already rules for how to isolate and call up this power. It's very uniform and exact. It's effectively summoning a really tiny, neutered primal. I'd expect it to behave as much and to do so consistently. All Ifrit-egi are the same Ifrit-egi. All Titan-egi are the same Titan-egi. etc. The only reason they would act differently is when directly influenced by a summoner.
(10-29-2013, 01:11 AM)Larsonient Wrote: What I've noticed, and this is solely my own speculation, is that Summon and Summon II have two different animations. Summon seems to call upon the air element, looking not dissimilar from air sprites. Summon II has floating stones in the animation, suggesting the earth element.
It's probably because the animators are lazy and re-used the exact same animations later on. I don't think Carbuncle is really affiliated with air.
Also, aetheric energy being sentient on its own accord may be more of a philosophical quandary more than a mechanical one. Aether is sort of like the life force of the planet itself. I won't drone on anymore about it, especially because that way lays rife with spoilers and speculation, but it's something to dwell on.
Please read all the above with a soothing, British accented monotone.
