Aetherytes

[Valence]

First of all sorry if I missed an already existing thread on the matter...

 

And my question is rather simple at first, but... What do you do of Aetherytes ICly? Especially the teleport mechanic that goes with them? Now then, they are obviously enforced by the lore, mind you, but what is your personal approach to them?

 

Even in the MSQ, there is sometimes a huge dichotomy when they speak about travel (like, you know, when you help resettle those Doma refugees in huge caravans... so why not using the aetheryte network if airship is not possible? Because not everybody can attune or something similar?).

 

If so, if it's not everybody's possibility to use them, I would myself be even more weary to use them ICly since it already grants you some kind of special powers in itself... But that's just me.

 

Also, more on a lore appreciation matter, I understand that they primarily stem from a gameplay mechanic, and I take them as such more as real tools ICly, but I also tend to think that they detract a lot on the meaningfulness of the concept of journeys, voyages, pilgrimages... When you stop going by foot or carriage, and start using jet airliners or instant teleportation, well... it ruins the grandiose a bit.

 

How people deal with that usually?

[Merri]

Aetheryte travel is only used by a small fraction of the population. The reason for this is that it both requires a great deal of mental fortitude and endurance. Most people don't have the strength, aetherically, to use teleportation on a day-to-day basis. This is why you still people using chocobos and caravans and the like to get around.

 

Adventurers, on the other hand, tend to be a bit more disciplined. Stronger. Have a larger pool of aetherial energy, essentially. These people are able to use aetheryte travel more reliably because of this. However, it's still taxing, and constant teleportation technically goes against established lore.

 

See, back during 1.0, teleporting was limited by what was known as anima, which was basically your spiritual energy. You started with a stock of 99 anima, and each teleport took away a certain amount of anima depending on the distance traveled. Your anima regenerated slowly over time, which meant if you teleported often, you would reach a point where you'd have to wait for your anima to recharge before you could teleport again. This mechanic was removed with ARR, however, and anima turned into a gil fee for gameplay reasons.

 

That being said, the concept is essentially the same. Even the strongest of adventurers can only travel by aetheryte so many times in a short period before their body gives out from exhaustion. It's a very taxing procedure.

 

The short version is that aetherytes act as giant aetherial beacons. Once you've attuned with a crystal, you know it's presence. You know where it is, you know what it feels like. When you teleport, your body breaks down into the aether it's comprised of, and you ride along in the lifestream. Normally you wouldn't be able to exit. However, because of these aetherytes acting like beacons, they pull at your essence and direct you to the location you focused in on.

[You can find a more in-depth explanation here on all of the above, however.]

 

So, basically, unless your character is strong on a spiritual / aetherial level, using teleportation should be either extremely taxing or near impossible.

 

Lots of people handle the exhaustion tied to aetheric travel in various ways. Some have their characters feel sick to the stomach when they exit. Some have their characters physically and mentally exhausted after a few teleports used in succession. It ultimately depends on the direction you want to take it, or how often you use aetherial travel.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Merri gave a pretty good summarization. I don't think I have anything to add there. (Also because it's 6am on a weekend and I woke up with the intention of getting back to sleep)

 

You can also find some related discussions at these links:

http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=5263

http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=7737

http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=14060

[Capheira]

Basically what Merri said also!

I tend to get around this by walking where possible, and myself and Nirri have characters that actually get quite ill from aetherite use; played out kind of like motion sickness in aether form. It's exhausting and nauseating - also fun to play! From what I can tell, most of our FC will actually walk to an aetherite crystal where possible as well, save for those times it's not viable. Perhaps it makes it easier to focus at the source?

[ZoktaiKhor]

Zach is a researcher of aethereal udnerstanding and has crafted a aethryte shard for his own personal use however it only lets him go home its not a two way street. Everywhere else he walks ,rides,flies there.  Maybe if you want ot use tlpeortation have an item to allow you towarp there might help?

[Sounsyy]

I'm a bit late to the punch, but figured I'd drop some lore compilations on Aetherytes and Aetheryte travel.

 

As Merri pointed out, teleportation is not something most of the population has access to. It is limited to those who possess great aetherial fortitude or anima, which is largely limited to adventurers, magi, or mercenaries types, etc. Even these people can only teleport so often during a set period of time before fatigue sets in and the possibility of injury increases with each teleport.

 

Another limitation for teleportation is that aetherial travel is limited mostly to one's immediate person. Meaning, merchants and the like cannot teleport large crates of goods and the like as this is far more taxing to do. This is why things like airship and caravan travel are preferred by the majority. It is slower, but safer and more practical. Bringing up airships, it wasn't until recently (the last five years really) that airships became more commonplace for personal use. Prior to the Calamity, airships were in such short supply in Eorzea that they were mainly only used for cargo transport or military applications. It wasn't until advancements from the Garlond Ironworks and eventually the Skysteel Manufactory, using Ironworks modifications, that airship travel became more widely used for civilian travel.

 

 

Even in the MSQ, there is sometimes a huge dichotomy when they speak about travel (like, you know, when you help resettle those Doma refugees in huge caravans... so why not using the aetheryte network if airship is not possible? Because not everybody can attune or something similar?).

 

This can specifically be answered by the fact that the Doman refugees had not yet attuned to Eorzea's aetherytes, and therefor would be unable to benefit from them. Remember that you can only teleport to places you've attuned with prior. We also know that Eorzea is a land rich in aetherial energy. It's possible that lands outside of Eorzea, whose continents possess a much more diminished aetherial environment, may not have as many if any working aetherytes in which to use, so aetherial travel may be an entirely foreign concept to those immigrants. (We have no confirmation of this, but its a theory.)

 

 

 

Finally, I'll drop some lore quotes and links that should help give a more in depth analysis on aetheryte lore:

-Airship and Aetheryte Lore Compilation

-Gamerescape's Lore Lowdown

 

Per 1.0 lore, airship travel was incredibly rare and costly venture. Mainly because more and more airships were being shot down by Garleans and airship travel to the north was prevented by the Dragonsong War. (Dragons were attacking civilian airships in the Coerthas region.) In addition, until more recent models of airship became mass-produced by Highwind Skyways, airships were predominantly used for cargo or military use only.

 

 

South Shroud Landing

Constructed by Highwind Skyways to serve as a landing for cargo airships, this location quickly abandoned when the imperial presence in the area became too large to ignore. Now the site is used as a makeshift market where bandits and poachers peddle their ill-gotten wares far from the eyes of the law.

 

By pioneering the sky routes between the realm's major cities and establishing regular flights along them, Highwind Skyways, an institution founded by the exorbitantly wealthy aristocrat and adventurer Tatanora, is now slowly but surely making commercial flight an ordinary aspect of everyday life in Eorzea.

 

Goes without saying the bloody desert ain't got the resources of the other nations. But the merchants here got minds sharp as swords. And Ul'dahns are nothing if not perseverant. Still' date=' this place is a pale shadow of what it once was. Merchants and travelers used to come from all over Hydaelyn till the Garleans blocked the trade routes.[/quote']

 

An Ul'dahn airship was shot down by a Garlean battle cruiser to the southwest of here. We've bolstered the watch here at Camp Black Brush.

 

Are you aware of the airship landing to the northwest' date=' betwixt the rivers Coerthas and Swiftrun? It is a favorite target of the dragons who fly out of Dravania which use the landing, but to little avail. As a result, fewer and fewer pilots are willing to risk the trip, preferring only to stop short in Millers' Glade before continuing west on to Gridania.[/quote']

 

Shortly after departing Millers' Glade in the Coerthas eastern lowlands' date=' an airship carrying supplies to Gridania was attacked by a pair of dragons. Knowing that they did not have the firepower to dispatch the creatures, the pilot chose instead to outrun them. To do so, however, he gave the order to jettison several items in his cargo hold in order to lighten the airship, thus increasing its speed. Cheers of joy filled the vessel when it arrived safely in the Black Shroud, but when the pilot realized which cargo was abandoned, those cheers soon turned to shouts of anger, for the crates that were lost were owned by one of the wealthiest noble families in Ishgard. The Horn and Hand has determined this a most opportune chance to improve our faction's standing in the mountain city-state, and so we seek volunteers to travel to the wreckage and assist in recovering the crates before bandits come across the items and claim them for themselves.[/quote']

 

 

There's a lot more Airship lore and history from the Ixali Beasttribe quests but I don't have the screenshots on hand for that at the moment. But, in short, Eorzean airship technology is less than 50 years old and was invented by "borrowing" Ixali engineering. Because airships are so costly to make and construction time is so long, very few models exist and most are used for cargo/military operations. Only recently (within the last 10-15 years) have they been used for civilian transportation.

 

 

 

Q: We’re told that the Sharlayans helped rebuild the aetherytes in A Realm Reborn, but a long time ago, like 2010, we were told that those aetherytes were there when people arrived and perhaps that’s why they chose to settle. Who made those?

 

MCKF: Nobody knows! Even the Sharlayans don’t know. Maybe it was the Allag, maybe it was people before that. It could have been a lot of people. They were there, they were useful, and after people come back to rebuild after Calamities, they rebuilt around these useful things. Sharlayan was able to adapt it, but they have no idea who created it. In the Dravanian hinterlands, there’s actually an aetheryte factory. I don’t think it’s named on the map, but go look for it.

 

What is an aetheryte?

Aetherytes are colossal structures comprised of crystallized aether. So that they may serve as waypoints for aetherial travel, these crystals have been amplified through the use of advanced Sharlayan technology.

 

Why doesn't everyone use aetherytes?

To traverse the Lifestream safely with Teleport and Return requires a great deal of spiritual energy, known as anima. While many individuals, such as adventurers, possess the fortitude to endure such travel, some individuals do not. What’s more, even if one has the ability to use aetherytes, the frequency with which one can do so varies. In essence, for some, the recast time for these spells can be far longer than for an adventurer.

 

As a result, only a fraction of the populace can utilize aetherial travel habitually, which is why chocobos, airships, and other forms of transportation still play a major role in Eorzea.

 

Why does it cost gil to use aetherytes?

Many aetheryte camps were destroyed during the Calamity, which necessitated their reconstruction. However, this came at great expense, and so teleportation fees must be collected to repay the as yet unpaid debt.

 

However, the gil doesn’t just magically disappear from your purse! Though it's not shown in the game, it's collected by the guards keeping watch of the aetherytes.

 

On a side note, guards posted by each city-state's aetheryte can tell you about aetherytes and teleportation magic. If you're interested, see what they have to say!

 

So, I did as Camate suggested and visited the guards around the city-states aetherytes. Here's what Nicia in Gridania had to say:

 

 

What is aetherial travel?

Before one might understand aetherial travel' date=' one must first understand the substance that makes it possible - aether. What is aether you ask? Why, only the source of all being! Though it cannot be seen, it is everywhere... or should I say, it is [i']everything[/i]. Aether flows around us and within us, and without it we would cease to exist.

 

When we die, it is believed that the shock separates our spirits from our corporeal forms. Our bodies are then broken down and are absorbed back into the aetherial river, while the soul is left to journey to its final destination in the afterlife. Some call this "returning to the lifestream." However, our ancestors discovered ways in which, through meditation and focus of spiritual energies, one could reduce her body to aether without losing the grip on her soul, in turn allowing for travel upon the Lifestream. These methods have been given the names Return and Teleport.

 

 

What is an Aetheryte?

As you travel through Eorzea' date=' you will oft come across large floating deposits of a crystalline substance known as aetheryte. The one before us here is a fine example. It is said that aetheryte is the solid manifestation of the planet's lifeblood, aether, and that [b']by touching it, the aether which makes up our bodies resonates with that contained in the crystal.[/b] This is called "attunement."

 

Normally, when one's body is reduced to aether, it will naturally gravitate to the location with which it resonates the greatest - or one's "home point." This is why upon losing consciusness in battle, many wake to find themselves back at an aetheryte. In other words, aetheryte act as lodestones, assuring that the body, in its aetherial form, is not lost to the pull of the greater flow. And, because signatures of past attunements are maintained within our bodies, it is possible (with some spiritual training, of course) to ignore the pull back to the strongest resonation, and travel to another beacon. Many refer to this as "Teleportation."

 

What is even more amazing is that when teleporting, we can "carry" those with whom we have created a bond, such as an adventuring party - assuming they have previously attuned with the desination aetheryte.

 

 

What is the difference between Return and Teleport?

As Return merely involves allowing the body to be drawn back to the strongest aetherial beacon - one's home point - it is fairly easy to execute and requires very little spiritual exertion. Usually, a few moments of rest is all that is needed before it is safe to attempt another jump. Teleportation, on the other hand, comes with a greater price. A great deal of spiritual energy known as "anima" is required to fight the natural flow of the Lifestream and guide one's body and soul to a comparatively weak aetherial beacon. If one's body lacks sufficient anima, teleporting to a location may prove impossible. Luckily for most of us, anima is restored quickly and should not prohibit regular travel.

 

Then why, you ask, must we pay gil when using Telport? Well, after the Calamity, many of the existing aetheryte camps were destroyed. To relocate and rebuild them required a large sum of money, much of which was lent by certain men of business from Ul'dah. The gil you pay when either leaving from or arriving at an aetheryte goes to paying off that debt.

 

 

Just to be thorough, I went and talked to Sundhimal in Limsa Lominsa and Nenebaru in Ul'dah about Aetherytes as well. They say almost verbatim the same thing, with only slight variation of wording on the flavor text in between the important bits.

 

*Note: Heavensward Spoiler Text removed from quote for safe viewing!

The very first that man did conceive to traverse great distances' date=' and the ancient precursor to all methods of travel that utilize the Lifestream: [i']Flow[/i].

 

The spell entaileth the reduction of the corporeal form into its constituent aether, that the caster might enter the Lifestream and ride its currents thereby. Unlike the teleportation magicks of modern times, it requireth not a lengthy incantation.

 

Know that the scholars of Sharlayan forbade the use of this spell - and with good reason. The caster hath but limited control over his course. For every mage who came safe unto his destination, another would be set adrift in the Lifestream, never to emerge.

 

Also, text from a 1.0 NPC... hehe found ol' Yuyuhase...

Don't mind ol' Yuyuhase. He ain't all there' date=' if you read me. Anyway, the city asks that you take care not to use the aetheryte too freely. They have been known to break, after all. And these days, there are none left capable of restoring them.[/quote']

 

 

Also, from the 1.0 archives:

Aetheryte is the name given to massive shards of crystallized aetheric mist, precisely cut and fused to arcane machinery. While it is not known when or by whom these devices were originally constructed, their teleportational qualities have become the backbone of everyday transportation throughout the realm, with most managed and operated by individual city-states. Their existence in Eorzea seems to be what drew scores of people to settle in the hostile land in the first place.

 

Though the exact mechanism behind teleportation via aetheryte is still largely a mystery, one theory states that when a sentient being approaches one of the portals, the aether that makes up its body resonates with the aether of the crystals, which in turn results in a complete breakdown of the being's mass, allowing it to temporarily return to the invisible aetheric streams that course throughout the planet.

 

The being's soul, which cannot be broken down, then guides the particles to a predetermined destination, and upon arrival, the corresponding aetheryte receptacle reconfigures the mist back into its original form. This whole process takes only a matter of moments, allowing for nearly instant transportation to faraway destinations.

 

However, being broken down to the aetheric level can take its toll on one's body, and rest is often required after several consecutive jumps, especially as the distance becomes greater. As a precaution, most city-states strongly discourage over-teleporting, as it can lead to irreversible damage...

 

 

______________________________________________

 

This time, they discussed Aetherytes!

 

 

What is aether?

 

Aether is an invisible, intangible substance that exists all around us and flows through every living being, and is what sustains us. It is also used to weave magicks. Once the spirit departs the body due to death, our remains are reduced to aether and returned to the aetherial river known as the Lifestream, which flows throughout the land.

 

Return and Teleport

 

These are spells that allow the caster to reduce his physical form to aether without severing the connection between body and soul, so that he may traverse the Lifestream safely and travel to his desired destination

 

Return

 

Compared to Teleport, Return is less taxing on our spiritual energies, as we are naturally drawn towards our “home point”- the aetheryte with which we have the strongest resonance. This spell can be cast quite quickly, making it ideal for emergencies

 

Teleport

 

Teleport offers greater versatility, in that you can travel to any aetheryte with which you have previously attuned. However, it requires a great deal of spirit energy known as “anima” to safely guide one’s body and soul to the weaker aetherial beacon. It also requires extended concentration to cast and therefore cannot be used during battle.

 

What is an aetheryte?

 

These crystalline agglomerations of aether, which are a common sight throughout Eorzea, are vital to aetherial travel. They are said to be solid manifestations of the planet’s lifeblood, aether, which form at the intersections of aetherial currents. By touching an aetheryte, the aether which makes up our bodies resonates with that contained in the crystal. This is called “attunement.”

 

Normally, when one’s body is reduced to aether, it will naturally gravitate to the location with which it resonates the greatest: one’s home point. This is why upon losing consciousness in battle, many wake to find themselves back at an aetheryte. In other words, they act as lodestones, assuring that the body, in its aetherial form, is not lost to the pull of the greater flow.

 

Why are aetherytes generally found in populated areas?

 

Aetherytes cannot be constructed just anywhere; rather, they can only be constructed in locations rich with aether, such as the intersections of aetherial currents. Like an oasis in a desert, these locations are often teeming with life. Settlements are commonly established near them, and so it can be reasonably assumed that most villages and cities are ideal locations for aetherytes.

 

Why does it cost gil to use aetherytes?

 

During the Calamity, many of the existing aetheryte camps were destroyed. The city-states subsequently coordinated their efforts to reloacte and restore the aetherytes which had been damaged or lost. Much of the capital used to fund this venture was lent by certain men of business from Ul’dah. The gil you pay when either leaving from or arriving at an aetheryte goes to paying off that debt.

 

While it may appear as though this is automatically deducted from your savings, you are in fact paying this fee to nearby attendants. This scene is simply omitted for gameplay reasons.

 

Who constructed the aetherytes?

 

The aetherytes currently found in each of the city-states were reconstructed following the Calamity by Sharlayan engineers. These engineers were the only ones who possessed the skill and knowledge necessary to do so, and so they were richly compensated for their services.

 

Modern Aetherytes

 

These are not an original Sharlayan design, but the product of research into existing aetherytes constructed in ancient times by civilizations unknown.

 

Early Aetherytes

 

These were constructed 1000-1500 years ago during the Sixth Astral Era.

 

Ancient Aetherytes

 

These were constructed before the Sixth Astral Era, more than 1500 years ago. Many of these aetherytes were damaged or destroyed during the Calamity.

 

Beast tribes also have their own unique ways of using aetheryte, but these methods, too, were not invented by them. In most cases, they are reutilizing relics from ancient civilizations or making use of the crystals that formed naturally.

 

Allagan Aetherytes

 

The Allagans possessed aetheryte technologies as well. However, it is unknown whether they developed their methods independently or if they expanded upon those of older civilizations.

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps! ^^

[Valence]

Mhh lots of great answers. 

I'm still not quite sure to think about every adventurer being able to teleport like that, even with such limitations... I guess i'll have to work around it.

 

Also yes, what of those modern teleportation magics Urianger spoke of?

[Sounsyy]

Mhh lots of great answers. 

I'm still not quite sure to think about every adventurer being able to teleport like that, even with such limitations... I guess i'll have to work around it.

 

Also yes, what of those modern teleportation magics Urianger spoke of?

 

Not necessarily every adventurer, just that adventurer types are the most common users of teleportation magicks, being generally more hardy folk, etc. You must also actually learn how to teleport in the first place.

 

And' date=' because signatures of past attunements are maintained within our bodies, it is possible (with some spiritual training, of course) to ignore the pull back to the strongest resonation, and travel to another beacon. Many refer to this as "Teleportation." [/quote']

 

Nicia infers that there is some amount of training that goes into learning how to teleport and return, as well as the atunement process. So not only do you have to have the anima and fortitude to teleport, you must also be taught how to do it.

 

The modern teleportation magicks referenced by Urianger refers to the "Teleport" and "Return" spells we use in game. Both of these require lengthy cast times and the utmost concentration on the part of the caster. As I briefly explored in this post on the topic, it takes two and a half minutes Eorzean time to cast Teleport and Return, meaning that those wishing to cast the spell successfully must remain still, in concentrated meditation, chanting the incantation for approximately the length of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." Interruptions or breaks in concentration during this cast could interrupt the spell or worse, make the teleportation itself go horribly wrong, maiming the caster.

[Branson Thorne]

I myself will usually walk to where I am going with the exception of it being half way across Eorzea. Then I will pop a teleport and usully appear to be a little dizzy or something.

 

But seldom have I had need to teleport anywhere during an RP session.

[FreelanceWizard]

Also, more on a lore appreciation matter, I understand that they primarily stem from a gameplay mechanic, and I take them as such more as real tools ICly, but I also tend to think that they detract a lot on the meaningfulness of the concept of journeys, voyages, pilgrimages... When you stop going by foot or carriage, and start using jet airliners or instant teleportation, well... it ruins the grandiose a bit.

 

How people deal with that usually?

 

One the greater weaknesses of Aetheryte travel is that you actually need an Aetheryte to go to. That means even an adventurer with a lot of anima who's skilled at teleporting still needs to travel by foot (or chocobo) a fair amount to get anywhere interesting. Sure, L'yhta can teleport to Idyllshire... but to get to the Library, or the Arboretum, or anywhere else in the Hinterlands, she has to walk, ride, or fly. Personally, I find the limitation of only being able to go to Aetherytes a way to reestablish the grand feel of the world; teleportation gets you near the action, but to actually get there, you have to trek.