General Lore Questions

[Valence]

I don't think there is any definite and specific lore on that (maybe hidden in some quest tidbits?), but the way I see it obviously is that from an OOC development standpoint, they weren't going to model cities the size of all the wards combined together with unique plots for every house. I mean, you even have subwards that are the same as their parent ward but with a 90° rotation so... yeah, it's instanced.

 

I see it like the Goblet for example having 12 wards (it was 8 before), being just a city with 12 districts inside. Since it was specifically created for adventurers (like all housing areas), it's not that dissimilar to IRL modern suburbs where all the plots more or less follow the same patterns.

[Arashin Kujqai]

I don't think there is any definite and specific lore on that (maybe hidden in some quest tidbits?), but the way I see it obviously is that from an OOC development standpoint, they weren't going to model cities the size of all the wards combined together with unique plots for every house. I mean, you even have subwards that are the same as their parent ward but with a 90° rotation so... yeah, it's instanced.

 

I see it like the Goblet for example having 12 wards (it was 8 before), being just a city with 12 districts inside. Since it was specifically created for adventurers (like all housing areas), it's not that dissimilar to IRL modern suburbs where all the plots more or less follow the same patterns.

Oh it was? I thought Goblet was just the general housing area, not just for adventurers lol. That's how I see it too, though I do wish it was all one map like Aion's housing had it <3.

[Sounsyy]

Oh it was? I thought Goblet was just the general housing area, not just for adventurers lol.

 

All of the Residential Districts in game are for Adventurers only, per the lore. And they're all more or less relatively recent constructions compared to their attached city-states. So residents actually do all have their own residential districts inside the city, but they're in areas that we don't have access to for the most part.

 

Have you heard the news about the Goblet? All that quality land' date=' so desperately coveted, is to be auctioned off to bidders, regardless of their origins! Even adventurers have the right to participate. Just imagine─the entire area could end up owned by wealthy foreign─ Ah, beg your pardon, miss. It isn't that I dislike adventurers, far from it. But when you consider that Ul'dah is still struggling to accommodate countless refugees, the idea that this land is being sold for profit is...not surprising whatsoever, come to think of it. Still, the least they could do is give preferential treatment to hardworking Ul'dahns like me! I've been saving for years, just waiting for an opportunity like this to come along![/quote']

Aye' date=' 'tis true─in an effort to encourage immigration to our great nation, all lands within the Goblet are to be set aside for adventurers like yourself. Tragic, some might say, that only adventurers will be permitted to settle within its wards. But such decisions were made by men wiser than I.[/quote']

Beg your pardon? An Ul'dahn woman asked you to learn more about the auctions? Oh dear. As you may have heard' date=' these plots are reserved exclusively for adventurers. Since your friend is an Ul'dahn citizen, she is ineligible to participate.[/quote']

 

And all of the residential areas are like this, even Shirogane. Though Shirogane is strictly for "foreigners" instead of "adventurers" like the Eorzean residential districts.

 

You see' date=' word has it the lord bugyo of Kugane has established a new residential district especially for foreigners. Having long dreamed of a home to call my own, I couldn't help but find myself wanting to know more. I would like very much to see the district for myself, but as I am not a foreigner, I fear I would be turned back before all and sundry. The embarrassment would be too much to bear.[/quote']

Ever since Kugane opened its arms to the world' date=' the number of visitors continues to grow. And among those who come, no few remain here for extended periods. Such lodgings as are available in the city no longer suffice to meet demand. In order to address the accommodation shortage, the lord bugyo has established a residential district upon the nearby isle of Shirogane. Plots of land on the isle are being released exclusively to foreigners, who may build homes upon them as they see fit. A tidy solution, I'm sure you will agree.[/quote']

 

Like I said though, this isn't truly a huge issue for most Eorzean residents (Ul'dah and its refuge population being an exception), as there are residential districts within the city-states themselves.

 

The Fronds? Look no further–you’re in them friend. The richest of the rich live here, counting the gil in their mansions on Emerald Avenue and Ruby Road. It is also home to some of Ul'dah’s greatest architectural feats, and is located directly below the royal palace. There’s water to be had, and even plants to be seen. Quite lovely, actually.

 

The Dunes, is it? Yes, well, it is the common area of the common folk, and lies just beyond here. There you will find both the Merchants Ward, compromised of the homes and workshops of both crafters and merchants, and the Market Rows, where peddlers and traders gather to sell their wares. The Merchants Ward lies on the far side of the Dunes, and serves primarily as a residential district for both craftsmen and traders. There are educational and religious centers, as well. Aye, its quite a bustling little area, and has a charm to it. The market rows lie on the near side of the Dunes, and are host to the most lively bunch of shops and bazaars you’re like to find in Eorzea. It is the only place you need visit if you have a mind to spend your gil─well, there and the pillowhouses, of course.

[Arashin Kujqai]

Thanks <3

 

 

Also, has here ever been a device or item in the game that would inhibit or render someone's aether/spells useless? Not like a silence spell in particular but something that could induce the effect of silence or perhaps just limit use of aether? Like a physical item or potion or etc?

 

Also, side note that's probably dumb... Assuming the animations we go by with potions where we just flick our arms and sparkles go everywhere... Are potions just something you an sprinkle on yourself to apply the effect/healing? Or just lazy animating for the idea of drinking a potion physically? Or can you do both?

[Sounsyy]

Also, has here ever been a device or item in the game that would inhibit or render someone's aether/spells useless? Not like a silence spell in particular but something that could induce the effect of silence or perhaps just limit use of aether? Like a physical item or potion or etc?

 

Sure! There's items, ingredients, and alchemical potions that could do that.

 

A saltwater fish that' date=' when provoked, blows up to three times its normal size to intimidate the would-be attacker. It is also known to have an organ which contains a potent silencing poison.[/quote']

A deadly forest spider from whose venom can be extracted a potent silencing poison.

A concoction which induces temporary loss of voice.

 

Though just as there are materials and soft metals which can amplify aetherial conductivity, there are also materials which can dampen its affects. Many of these are developed by Garlemald, but similar techniques exist elsewhere - such as those once employed by the Duskwights of Gelmorra.

 

Garlean uniforms are made from revolutionary materials' date=' such as carbon fiber and cermet alloys. The armor of Garlean officers is particularly ingenious, as it is coated with a substance that decreases aetherial conductivity, and therefor protects the wearer from magic attacks. The selfsame contrivance prevents the use of offensive spells, yet this hampers the pureblood Garleans little.[/quote']

It only took a few heated skirmishes with the allied city-states for Garlemald to realize that the magicks wielded by the realm's mages were too much for even the thickest of magitek armor plating. Alloyed gilding has since been discovered to dampen the effects of elemental charges and is now standard issue.

 

---

 

As for the potion animation... I wouldn't put so much stock in it. Splashing a potion on yourself would be a highly ineffective way of administering poison or medicine. Not to mention a waste of whatever excess drips off or just hits the floor.

 

Though strictly speaking from a medical standpoint, the body can absorb medicine through the skin, given relatively prolonged exposure/contact. Administering a poison in this manner would be feasible if it was fast acting, though again, it's still not the most effective way of poisoning someone, versus needles, ingestion, spells, etc where the dose and concentration needed to affect the body can be ensured.

 

In short, you're gonna want to be ingesting these potions. Save absorption through skin for patches, poultices, or bandages.

[Arashin Kujqai]

*snip*

 

Interesting... So while we have defensive plating/armor/material that can to a degree block or reduce the effects of spells or aether... How about a physical item like a gem or crystallized aether that would apply these effects? Anything of physical/solid nature really or something that would stop a person from casting teleport?

 

I'm trying to avoid detail as to giving away potential plot for an RP colleague of mine; say you needed an item to covertly prevent someone from casting or disappearing on you, without them noticing the item was preventing this in the first place. Like slipping a stone or slip of paper into their pocket or something that was draining or preventing their casts rather than a liquid/potion?

[Valence]

Bearing that the lore usually primarily features artifacts and stuff that actually tremendously enhances, gathers or multiply aether (like Seal Rock's Horn stolen by Stahlmann/Travanchet, or Tupsimati, etc) rather than the opposite (especially since all life is aether, so removing it is basically killing stuff), but it doesn't mean such things don't exist though I have nothing special that comes to mind right now. I think you can be creative through different means.

 

I know it's an easy copt out way of doing things but the Void is often a good way to create many afflictions since most voidsent or void created artifacts directly consume, or suck on aether like nothing. Basically, Void stuff is a very convenient way of messing with magicks.

 

We know that the Void Mages of Mhach used to seal their summons through poweful magicks of control, akin to bindings. Allagans do the same with the elder primal Bahamut inside Dalamud. Omega does the same to Shinryu with menacles. So it's within the realm of possibilities to prevent things to move, use their magicks, or anything, though artifacts of various kinds. I don't know of anything subtle enough for that though, but why not? I mean, something able to just disturb specific magic waves like a teleport doesn't sound too stretched to me.

 

If it was a full magical barrier preventing or even nullying magic under its radius, you would bet that garleans would use such a portable, innocuous marvel. Most of those powerful barriers or forcefields we have seen so far are generally created by bulky and static generators (Magitek forcefields or Allagan impregnable barriers like around Crystal Tower or Azys Lla), and I don't recall anything specific just annhilating magic inside a certain radius.

 

But something just messing with specific magics? I don't see why not. The RDM quest also seems to introduce the concept of runes that can mess with people to the point of controlling them as puppets. Magical seals or at least magical inhibitors of various kinds as a concept, are thing.

 

Might need more sources to investigate on that, I'm mostly speculating through indirect means here.

 

 

Edit: now that I think of it, another approach could be through aspected crystals, that tend to disturb highly the aetherial composition of everything they touch.

[Arashin Kujqai]

*snip*

Edit: now that I think of it, another approach could be through aspected crystals, that tend to disturb highly the aetherial composition of everything they touch.

@the Edit, permanantly? And does that include a person rather than just common objects and metals used in crafting?

[Sounsyy]

Interesting... So while we have defensive plating/armor/material that can to a degree block or reduce the effects of spells or aether... How about a physical item like a gem or crystallized aether that would apply these effects? Anything of physical/solid nature really or something that would stop a person from casting teleport?

 

Ummmmmmm, the closest thing that comes to mind (besides the aforementioned items in the last post) would be amber. While not a true gemstone, it is most often worn to enhance one's earthly energies. However, raw amber can be used to dispel enchantments and incantations. It's not exactly what you're looking for, but you're getting into territory where you'll probably need to handwave a few things anyways?

 

Oh' date=' and do remember to rub the soulstone against a sufficiently large concentration of amber, say, amberscale Rock in the Central Shroud. Short of petitioning a mage versed in golem magicks, that is the only way I know to dispel the enchantments woven into a true heart. Eh? Why are you looking at me like that? I had relations with a thaumaturge once, if you must know.[/quote']

 

Though, if the goal is ultimately stopping someone from teleporting, there's really a variety of methods given the complicated nature of how teleporting works in the first place. This post goes into a bit more detail on some of the dangers of teleportation under duress and why it'd likely be infeasible to attempt teleportation in any unsafe situation.

 

In short:

1- A person must be taught how to teleport. It's a learned skill/spell.

2- The person must have sufficient spiritual energy (anima) to teleport. The greater the distance, the more anima expended.

3- A person's aether and anima can be adversely affected by poor health, duress, fatigue, etc.

4- Teleportation and Return require lengthy incantations and intense, uninterrupted meditation.

5- Botching a teleport incantation or teleporting while fatigued (low anima) can prove fatal.

 

It can be assumed that a young man of sound mind and body will possess a high concentration of aetherial energy in his humours' date=' whereas an older man, or one inflicted with corruption, will not. Some scholars have expanded upon this hypothesis saying that the consumption of food serves not only to fill the belly, but to provide the body with aether lost through exertion.[/quote']

 

That said, unless both parties in the RP are aware of these limitations or are roleplaying so strictly by the lore, than the above is kind of moot and having an additional, physical deterrent is good to have on standby while DMing. So for this, I'd point you to the suggestions above: amber, magitek dampening field generator, lacing food or drink with a potent silencing potion, etc. If all else fails, handwave! Make up an item or structure that produces the effects you need for the scene. The predecessors of the Red Mages figured out a way...

 

Did I mention that it was our forebears in the art who constructed the Ziggurat? It was built to suppress the unstable weather that was whipped up in the wake of that era's Calamity─a sort of dampening weight that slowed the land's raging currents of aether to a trickle.

 

Valence's post also reminded me of 1.0 Toto-rak quest and that the magitek device seemed to have adverse affects on A-Ruhn and the moogles when they interacted with it, though the device itself was not specifically purposed to do such.

 

Oh' date=' and here - you can have this. The moogles removed it from that magitek device there. I'd take it back with me, but it…it is so…heavy. I feel it weights me down…somehow. Take it, please. I cannot carry it a moment more. This is a strange thing indeed. The elementals tell me that it is attempting to measure the flow of aether through the Maws - though I cannot fathom why a magitek user should deem the stuff sufficiently interesting to warrant such an invention…[/quote']

 

 

_______________________

*snip*

Edit: now that I think of it, another approach could be through aspected crystals, that tend to disturb highly the aetherial composition of everything they touch.

@the Edit, permanantly? And does that include a person rather than just common objects and metals used in crafting?

 

I think Valence is referring to this passage from the lore book:

When a living entity dies, the aether remaining will normally leave the body and return to the world's aetherial currents (also known as the Lifestream). When a living entity, however, experiences death-inducing trauma, such as a mortal wound in battle, the resulting sudden release of its most heavily-aspected life energy will oft times manifest corporeally before it can return to the Lifestream - a phenomenon we know as crystals. This can also occur when a wound is dealt to the very land itself, and is a reason why crystal deposits are found throughout the land.

 

The elemental aspect of the energy trapped in these crystals can be harnessed and used in a myriad of manners. Applying fire crystals to a forge can increase its internal temperature, assisting in the smelting of ore. The cooling properties of an ice crystal can assist a grocer in maintaining the freshness of meat or produce. That said, due to the extreme concentration of aspected aether within a crystal, direct consumption of a crystal by a living being can severely alter the aetherial balance within its body, ultimately resulting in severe injury or even death.

 

Though this is more heading in the direction of overloading the body with ambient or corrupted or over-aspected aether to the point of aether sickness.

[Arashin Kujqai]

Hmm, ty for all the information <3. I think it'll give me enough to play with for a little bit. I can't imagine a person just taking a crystal and shoving it down their throat . I guess if anything, maybe potions like silencing potions can be taken in through smell/air into the body as a form of consumption. Gives me ideas I could go about, ty!

 

EDIT: Unrelated question to all of this... Do we have a form of RP dictionary that lists some specific terminology or words used in FF14's universe. Something to help a person create an accent that would sound like a member of the maelstrom or words used by ancient researchers etc? Or perhaps tribal terms/language etc?

[Valence]

Most of the accents specifically tailored in the game that come to mind are mostly to my memory:

 

- Ye old english, "thou shalt blablabla", mostly used in old books, prophecies, or spoken by wyrms and dragons, and Urianger cause he's weird like that.

 

- Noble talk: not a proper accent with specific words per se, but generally very pompous and long winded. Formal and elevated.

 

- Commoner's talk: more or less the normal way of talking I would say. Can lean towards a more vulgar version when used by Brume people like Hilda (she swears a lot).

 

- Sailor's talk: mostly Lominsan. Explicit. You can find a hardcore version of it at the Rogues' guild, basically, the same patterns of speach but with a specific glossary of words like "cove" and whatnot.

 

- Hingan language: pretty normal (with very humble tones to it), and the occasional smattering of japanese specific words like "Ijin" (gaijin), etc. Unsure if it's the same for Domans as Hien doesn't seem to use anything specific.

 

- Sciencey talk: just add a lot of science words and a modern, scientific way of talking. Mostly used by Garlean engineers, or eorzean scientists or alchemists.

 

- Corporate talk: mostly heard from allagan nodes and all their science/modern corporate system. And also from Garlond's executive girl.

 

 

But yeah I don't know any dictionnary of sorts and honestly I don't think you would need one for most accents you have. 

 

Swearing and curses could indeed make for a specific glossary since Eorzea actually has a lot of specific curses like "Thal's Balls", "Seven Hells", etc, for the most famous/common of them. They tend to transcend accents and classes.

 

You of course also have all the eorzean specific measures and units like the calendar (they forget here sennight and fortnight for the week and 14 days) and their non metric system.

 

I don't know of any Hingan dictionnary yet, but there was a thread compiling some of them around here...

[Yian Kutku]

To add on a bit more trivia:

 

- Noble talk: not a proper accent with specific words per se, but generally very pompous and long winded. Formal and elevated.

 

I find it more or less a more "modernized" version of 17th to 18th century English; the most famous example I can think of is Samuel Pepys's diary. Using modern words like "has" instead of "hath", for instance, but the sentence structure and grammar is similar.

 

Oaths and swears tend to call upon the Twelve, but not go much farther than that. There seems to be a bit of bowdlerization.

 

- Commoner's talk: more or less the normal way of talking I would say. Can lean towards a more vulgar version when used by Brume people like Hilda (she swears a lot).

 

I notice a lot of dropping of the "g" in words ending in "-ing" and such (eg "hangin'", "bloomin'"), as well as "yer" and "ye" for "your" and "you". It kind of reminds me of the more non-London areas of the UK, and possibly some accents within London as well. The sort usually stereotyped in media as "low-class".

 

Oaths and swears are a lot more vulgar, including calling on various bodily parts of the Twelve.

 

- Sailor's talk: mostly Lominsan. Explicit. You can find a hardcore version of it at the Rogues' guild, basically, the same patterns of speach but with a specific glossary of words like "cove" and whatnot.

 

Lominsan has a lot of stereotypical pirate speak, ie West Country as performed by Robert Newton. Other than that, it bears a lot of similarity to the "Commoner's talk" mentioned above.

 

The Rogues' Guild slang is pretty much Thieves' Cant, watered down to be more comprehensible. You can find dictionaries of it online, or possibly in print. As with many languages, there are a zillion variations, so a term that isn't in one dictionary may be in another. The one I use is the 1811 dictionary by Francis Grose (available on Project Gutenberg, also amusingly slightly censored).

 

Like, I'm almost sure you can do a search-and-replace of Jacke's speech, and it will turn out to be fairly normal.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Also helpful: Encyclopedia of Canon Terms (last updated for Heavensward)

[Kilieit]

You of course also have all the eorzean specific measures and units like the calendar (they forget here sennight and fortnight for the week and 14 days) and their non metric system.

 

It's worth noting that "fortnight" ("fourt(een) nights") in FFXIV actually refers to 16 days, because the week (referred to erroneously as "sennight", "se'en nights") is 8 days.

 

So... the words are etymologically wrong, but...

 

I think that's because while "octnight" is a bit weird-sounding but otherwise passable, "sexdecnight" wouldn't go down so well with the EN community.

 

Okay, that was a joke, because I don't think they're using those prefix schemes. But I do think it is just to do with how clumsy it would be to try and invent similar words for eight and sixteen nights. Better to use the recognisable words for 1/2 weeks and hope no one thinks about it too much.

 

- Sailor's talk: mostly Lominsan. Explicit. You can find a hardcore version of it at the Rogues' guild, basically, the same patterns of speach but with a specific glossary of words like "cove" and whatnot.

 

Lominsan has a lot of stereotypical pirate speak, ie West Country as performed by Robert Newton. Other than that, it bears a lot of similarity to the "Commoner's talk" mentioned above.

 

The Rogues' Guild slang is pretty much Thieves' Cant, watered down to be more comprehensible. You can find dictionaries of it online, or possibly in print. As with many languages, there are a zillion variations, so a term that isn't in one dictionary may be in another. The one I use is the 1811 dictionary by Francis Grose (available on Project Gutenberg, also amusingly slightly censored).

 

Like, I'm almost sure you can do a search-and-replace of Jacke's speech, and it will turn out to be fairly normal.

 

Seconding thieves' cant - they really did their research with Jacke and more or less everything he says is translatable using real-life dictionaries of thieves' cant from the time period FFXIV draws on (16th-18th century). I think this is an earlier edition of the dictionary you were referring to - A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (Grove, Francis), Third Edition, 1796? It's one of my favourite non-FFXIV-originated FFXIV resources. Definitely worth flicking through if you play a character who has cause to use Lominsan slang.

[Arashin Kujqai]

I notice people will use words like "jest" instead of joke or kid around. As well as some common ones being naught and aught, if I had a gil for every time I heard "is aught amiss?". The spectrum for words stretches between old speak but also to more modern it seems.

[Erah'sae]

...

 

Is this just because the beast tribes are starting to learn the common tongue..or is the Echo not as cool as they wrote it as being in 1.0?

 

My personal read on this (which is a little speculative, so take it with between one and many grains of salt ) is that the beastmen often learn the common tongue to interact with others. ...

 

You also have groups such as the Ashcrown Consortium that has been directly engaged in trade with the beastmen that may have been helping them to learn the common tongue.  It seems in many cases they have little trouble communicating with outsiders these days.  (See the SB fishing quests among other things)

 

There are some further spoilery things you find out about that group and this topic by doing the quests that unlock once you've maxed all your ARR beast tribe reputations.

[Arashin Kujqai]

What exactly are levequest cards depicted as in game lore? In the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil. Then in game there's tons of people across towns that just seem to hand these out willy nilly like the quest is depicted on the card.... How's that all work and function lore-wise?

[Unnamed Mercenary]

What exactly are levequest cards depicted as in game lore? In the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil. Then in game there's tons of people across towns that just seem to hand these out willy nilly like the quest is depicted on the card.... How's that all work and function lore-wise?

 

 

(Because it's pretty, I'd say watch the whole thing, but leveplates are specifically around 0:45 in if the embedded link doesn't handle it.)

 

Many encampments throughout Eorzea also have a Regional and/or a Grand Company levemete. Regional levemetes will first test an adventurer with a quest before offering leves. Regional levemetes offer all forms of levequest (battlecraft, tradescraft and fieldcraft) and will grant rewards of experience, items and gil. Grand Company Levequests are strictly battle levequests, and reward success with experience and Grand Company Seals.

 

Leveplates are basically fancy notation for the type of job requested. There are a certain number of types.

 

[table border=1]

[tr]

[td style="width: 85px" ]Benevolence[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Fieldcraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Evaluated gathering at 4 points[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Candor[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Fieldcraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Gather required number of items at 8 points[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Charity[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Tradecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Deliver crafted items to NPC up to three times[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Concord[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Fisher[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Deliver fish to NPC[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Confidence[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Gather or examine items on the battlefield[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Constancy[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Tradecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Deliver crafted items to NPC[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Diligence[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Get dropped items from leve targets[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Equity[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Grand Company[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]/poke and use dropped items to identify leve targets[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Ingenuity[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Tradecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Deliver crafted items to NPC in another area[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Justice[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Use dropped items to spawn leve targets[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Munificence[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Fieldcraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Gather items in the requested amount[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Piety[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Fieldcraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Evaluated gathering at 8 points[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Promptitude[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Grand Company[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Defeat as many targets as possible within a time limit[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Prudence[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Grand Company[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Defeat a single target that summons reinforcements[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Resolve[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Pacify leve targets[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Sincerity[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Fisher[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Deliver fish to NPC up to three times[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Sympathy[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Escort NPC across a battlefield[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Temperance[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Visit locations and defeat spawned monsters[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Tenacity[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Defeat leve targets who will run for reinforcements[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Unity[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Grand Company[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Defend objects from waves of attack[/td]

[/tr]

 

 

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Valor[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Defeat leve targets[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Veracity[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Use dropped items to identify leve targets[/td]

[/tr]

[tr]

[td style=width: 85px" class="wrap-links key-column]Wisdom[/td]

[td style=width: 106px]Battlecraft[/td]

[td style=width: 395px]Collect objects on the battlefield[/td]

[/tr]

[/table]

 

http://avaloncourt.guildwork.com/_/levequests

[Sounsyy]

What exactly are levequest cards depicted as in game lore? In the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil. Then in game there's tons of people across towns that just seem to hand these out willy nilly like the quest is depicted on the card.... How's that all work and function lore-wise?

 

 

Guildleves

 

From an old dev post:

Some History on the Physical Guildleve Plates

 

A player had some questions regarding guildleves and mentioned that the official site explained that guildleves are plates that are inlaid with stained crystal, but was curious how the actual leve content is inscribed within them. Foxclon was able to track down someone from the Lore team to provide some insight into the physical guildleve plates that I think some of you will find interesting.

 

First, there are two types of details regarding Guildleves; that which is displayed on the plate and that which is not.

 

• Issuing city-state (Lower right of the plate)
  This is the name of the city state of the adventurer’s guild that issues the leve.
  
• Theme (Top of the plate)
  This theme is shown through words of highly virtuous deeds performed by people known as sages in the past. The stained crystal picture also has an image of the sage.

 

The above two types of details that are displayed. Besides this, specific information such as leve content and rewards are not physically written onto the plates. This information is shared with the adventurer directly from the person at the adventurers' guild counter. Similar to how you can check your journal for general quest content, the idea is that you’re recalling the content that you remembered (from your notes perhaps?).

 

A player also asked about starting a leve at an aetheryte, how the plate image is displayed above your head and asked for more info about that.

 

Momodi and other NPCs tell adventurers that within aetherytes exists the key to unlocking the power of guildleves. In order to carry out duties outside of the city-state, or that are very far away, a magic seal is applied to leve plates.

 

The aetherytes and aetherial gates function as a key, and by having them resonate when you complete your duties it is possible to open an aetherial node to return with. This is what the animations above your head signifies.

 

This is standard amongst adventurers, so even for duties within city-states that don’t utilize aetherial nodes, the same thing takes place when the leve begins. This is a kind of “wish” that you will complete your duties safely and return.

 

As a matter of fact, aetherytes are referred to as the manifestation of the planet’s lifeblood, which is made up of aether. Due to this, leve plates are also made of crystal which makes it easy for the two to resonate. NPCs at the counter of the adventurers' guilds will explain other things about aetherytes, too. We plan on posting an article on Lodestone in the not too distant future discussing methods for intercity-state travel with aetherytes.

 

We’re currently working really hard behind the scenes on reading material you can read while in-game. While we can’t promise a time period for it, we will be sure to let you know when we can offer up some more details!

The Lore Team answered a follow-up to the previous Guildleve post where a player asked what the red symbol that appears in the top left of the Guildleve is. In case you were curious' date=' that symbol is actually a wax seal (the wax you put down so you can put a seal in it with a stamp). The seal is used to show that the request is one that you have previously completed in the past (besides local leves).[/quote']

It's Momodi, Sounsyy Mirke, from the Quicksand here in Ul'dah. A whisperer of mine tells me they spied you touchin' the aetheryte at camp. Hope you don't mind my keepin' an eye on you. I saw fit to smuggle somethin' into your bag. Go on, have a look. Got it? Aye, well, that's called a guildleve.

 

Aetherytes across Eorzea like the one you touched, and sometimes the camps around them, are the key to unlockin' guildleves. That one you got there's perfect for a fledglin' adventurer like yourself. 'Course, you're under no obligation of any sort. You're free as the winds, just the way you adventurers like it. The area around the aetheryte might suit a green one like you. But it can get as hot as the seven hells out there on the sands, so don't be a bloody fool. The sun is one enemy you adventurers can't beat. Take care, now, and come back to the Quicksand whenever you fancy.

Tell me, lad, 'ave ye rubbed on th' aetheryte yet? Right then. No matter where yer travels take ye, always be sure t' attune with the crystals. Save ye time in the long run, it will, an' ye knows what them in the gelt says about time. Ahem! Now that I 'as yer undivided attention, ye might want t' open yer pack. I slipped ye a keepsake whiles ye were busy makin' yerself at 'ome in me pub.

 

Called a guildleve. Think of it as th' quickest road t' fame an' fortune...most o' the time. At worst, it'll get ye at least a stone's throw from fortune an' but a few steps short o' fame. Each leve offers ye a task what we call a levequest. Be a good lad an' finish what ye've got t' finish in the time ye've got t' finish it, and ye'll be generously recompensed fer yer kind efforts. If ye be interested, ye can try the one I gave ye by touchin' the aetheryte there one more time, or by havin' a chat with that Didiwai gent, dependin'. Else, ye can always come back t' th' pub where a tall, foamin' flagon and a warm wench'll be waitin' fer ye.

 

Though I think Gamerescape summarizes all we know of guildleves best:

Pronounced "Gild-Leevz' date='" and also referred to as just "leves," Guildleves are small, rectangular plates made of stained crystal set into a frame of precious metal, each depicting a virtuous deed of one of Eorzea's patron saints, also known as 'guardians.' When issuing tasks or quests, guilds will often provide adventurers with these plates, allowing their bearers 'leave' to take whatever steps necessary to complete the jobs, including entry into normally restricted areas, hunting or harvesting on private lands, the confiscation of goods, even negotiations with those considered enemies of the city-states.[/quote']

 

Or you can see a levemete issuing a guildleve here...

[video=youtube]

[FloppyDingo]

Are aetherites and teleportation considered "Okay" in roleplay and lore? Would it be fine to have your character in Kugane one night, then Ul'dah the next, and just say "well I teleported"? Or is it 'weird' or a faux-pas to teleport frequently?

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Are aetherites and teleportation considered "Okay" in roleplay and lore? Would it be fine to have your character in Kugane one night, then Ul'dah the next, and just say "well I teleported"? Or is it 'weird' or a faux-pas to teleport frequently?

 

Aetherytes are fairly common in all of the major cities. However, the act of teleportation is a little more complicated. Teleporting requires using anima, which adventurers tend to have a lot of and common people have less. (It's like how having bigger aether reserves would generally make you a better choice for a thaumaturge). In FFXIV 1.0, all teleportation was paid for in anima, which regenerated slowly as a game mechanic to give the idea that it couldn't be done often. In 2.0, we do still use anima, but the game mechanic cost has been changed to gil for a variety of reasons.

 

So while it's possible for some people to do it, it's not something regular people can just do casually given their amount of anime, aethersickness, and physical limitations. As the distance increases, more anima is needed, which is generally going to be what gets a person. This is why little distances like aethernet travel is probably fairly common, but going to/from a settlement or a city would be quite taxing. (And is also why we still have carriages, boats, and airships for transporting goods, each with their own pros and cons.)

 

Even Alisae remarks about how aetherytes must be great for the Warrior of Light, but she would not be able to handle the trip from Eorzea to Yanxia/Kugane/Othard.

 

 

Here are some Lore compilations that may help:

Crash Course in Eorzean Aetherology

Settlements in Eorzea Then and Now

Schools of Magic, Mechanics of Casting, and Aether Sources

Aether, Aetheryte, and Lifestream Lore

 

Related Threads:

Aetherytes

Lore Lowdown - Aetherytes! (NA Duty Commenced 09)

On the topic of "teleporting" in RP

Teleportation in Eorzea and RP

New Lore from Lore Forums:Aetherytes

[Arashin Kujqai]

*snip*

 

*snip*

 

 

I feel like you both linked the video I referenced in my comment . Regardless, very handy, I didn't even notice the words across the top of the border when I had watched these originally, thanks! I was a bit curious where they made these from or how they just happened to have lil cards available for every adventurer for a specific task that happens to happen. Like if there was a sudden attack, they just happen to get the card made and give it to adventurers to use but it sounds more generalized as a means of being a ticket for that objective for you to return after completion. Thinking about the leve quests I've done so far now, it does seem like every task is more appointed as a duty than some quest of urgency. Neat.

 

 

And while I have Sounssy >3>, while I hate to dig this back up from a couple pages ago but I'm truly not sure how to explain what exactly determines polarities in spells. Rather what "source" or what depicts your spells to be astral/umbral. I get that being in an area like Thanalan is more umbral being hot and dry but what in that determines why it's hot/dry/umbral heat? Just it's destination on the planet in reference to something or are the polarities not based on position or anything in particular? Having trouble explaining this lore-wise without breaking the 4th wall to a degree considering my character wouldn't know about Zodiark like the Scions and etc would.

[Sounsyy]

I feel like you both linked the video I referenced in my comment

 

I mean, you said "in the ARR they had shown them in the trailer like the adventurer's guild gives them to people looking for gil" so I wasn't sure if the video we linked, which was from 1.0, was what you were talking about?

 

 

_______________________

And while I have Sounssy >3>, while I hate to dig this back up from a couple pages ago but I'm truly not sure how to explain what exactly determines polarities in spells. Rather what "source" or what depicts your spells to be astral/umbral.

 

I'll try answering this as best as I am able. Relinking all of the background polarity and elemental wheel lore first:

- Aether and Magic Lore Compilation Index

- Essences & Permutations: A Treatise of the Six Elements

- Manipulating the Polarities Two, Astral versus Umbral

 

Chapter IV - Dynamic Opposites & the Bifurcation of Polarity

 

The six elements are manifest in all things great and small, and their polarity deriveth from the Astral heavens above and the Umbral depths below.

 

Ignore the black and white triangles. Those are the three Conquers and three Submissions, respectively.

 

The three elements on the top half of the elemental wheel are: Wind, Lightning, Fire. These are the three elements that are most strongly polarized towards the Astral "heavens above." While the three elements on the bottom half of the wheel (Water, Ice, Earth) are most strongly polarized towards the Umbral "depths below." Why? Because that's how ancient scholars determined it to be, I guess.

 

Gamer Escape: This one slipped through the cracks of our last chat, so let’s start here. The properties of aetherial energies have gotten a bit confusing.

 

Once upon a time, the only binary in the game was [astral & umbral]. These polarities existed in all things, and seemed to be part of the six elements rather than independent forces. Since A Realm Reborn, a second binary exists: [Light & Darkness]. As one might expect, NPCs don’t seem very well informed about these concepts, using phrases like “void energy” and “umbral energy” and “Dark energy”. As time went on, we even started to see Dark and Light sprites! Can you help us understand the boundaries for these concepts? Are they in any way related?

 

Koji Fox: So, you have the elements—and it’s still six elements, there are no newly-discovered ones. Those elements have charges—umbral and astral. If something has “umbral energy”, it is one or more of those elements, individual or combined. So if elements have an umbral charge, it can be said that they are “umbral energies”. That’s where those terms come from, “astral energies” and “umbral energies” are not individual things, it’s a blanket term. Light and Dark are not elements, but they are energies…in a different sense. They are not elements, they are not of the elements, and they are not astral or umbral. It’s a different type of energy. You might see a Light and Dark sprite and think, oh, they must be elemetals, but those are made of an entirely different form of energy.

 

In 1.0, Thaumaturges didn't use elemental magic like they do in ARR. The full elemental wheel belonged to the Conjurers and Thaumaturges focused primarily upon spells woven directly from the polarities two: Astral and Umbral. While the Thaumaturges of ARR now teach one to manipulate the Astral and Umbral polarities within oneself, the Thaumaturges in 1.0 actually also influenced the Astral and Umbral polarities within others as well, making them weaker to certain types of magicks. Because back in 1.0, elemental magic resistances were still a thing. You couldn't use dragonfire dive or flaming arrow on Ifrit because Ifrit was fire-based and so were those two abilities.

 

So how does Astral and Umbral magic play into this? Well, each Astral-aspected spell dealt the damage of the three Astrally-aspected elements and the same applied to Umbral-aspected spells. For example:

 

Astral = Wind, Lightning, Fire

 

Umbral = Water, Ice, Earth

 

So if you were fighting, say, a Fire Elemental, you would not use Astral-aspected spells such as Banish or Dia because you would then only be dealing 66% of the spell's damage. Fire elementals being immune to fire-aspected damage at that point. As a Thaumaturge you would elect to weaken said fire elemental to Umbral magick, which would deal the full 100%. After casting Scourge, you could then follow up with a spell whose elemental aspect fell Umbrally upon the wheel, such as Damnation or Poison:

 

 

 

_______________________

I get that being in an area like Thanalan is more umbral being hot and dry but what in that determines why it's hot/dry/umbral heat? Just it's destination on the planet in reference to something or are the polarities not based on position or anything in particular?

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Is the area umbrally-polarized because it's hot and dry, or is the area hot and dry because it's umbrally-polarized? The Thanalan wastes were once lush grasslands and forests, until (what the scholars hypothesize was) the 3rd Umbral Era. But the 3rd Umbral Era was aspected as Fire, which is more Astrally-aspected. Does that have any bearing? I'm afraid I really just don't have an answer for you. Some things are just not yet known in absolutes.

 

 

_______________________

You also asked me at one point about the girl, Arya, from the RDM questline citing she had difficulties healing due to her aether being more umbrally aligned. I was unable to find such a statement. Nor was I able to find the similarly mentioned statement about Alisaie's aether. Yes, both Arya and Alisaie were cited as being less adept at performing curative magicks, but the reasonings given for this were not in reference to the polarity of their aether. At least not that I could find?

 

You've not quite reached Sounsyy's level of skill, but your offensive magicks are─to be quite honest─terrifyingly powerful. Your restorative arts on the other hand... Well, let me just say that the scales swing both ways.

 

I've known others who tend to favor one area over another, but rarely have I met such an extreme case as you...

(Now that I think on it, Alisaie lacked balance in much the same manner. Must be something in the blood, but rarely have I met such an extreme case as you...)*

 

Not to worry. We will work on your weaker aspects until you find an equilibrium. Such is the key to excelling in red magic!

*This line is the bit of dialogue that shows up assuming you know/met Alisaie. The similar line above it, is for those who have not yet met Alisaie at the time of this quest.

 

The secret to his seemingly inexhaustible power lies in his bloodline: he was directly descended from a Mhachi archmagus who had ingested the lifeblood of the voidsent queen Lilith! ...Lilith's insidious energies had been passed on to the archmagus's heirs. This clan of aether-drinking spellcasters became known as those who were born into darkness─the Nightkin.

 

The revelation which truly shook me however was yet to come. I discovered that Lambard is─was─a scion of the Nightkin clan. And, quite likely, so are you, Arya. The book's author was of the Calowise family─a surname shared by Lambard. With no small amount of trepidation, I determined to look once more into your family records...and learned that the Calowise name was also prevalent on your mother's side. This can be no coincidence.

...Are you saying that voidsent blood runs in my veins?

It explains your preternaturally strong affinity for black magicks. When I remember that Lambard was of a similar arcane disposition' date=' the connection is even more obvious.[/quote']

 

I have suspicions that Alisaie is not infused with voidsent blood, though that was the case for Arya, who later lost all of her previous magical prowess the moment Lilith was vanquished. Given that even X'rhun in both quotes notes that Arya's proclivity towards one polarity over another was a far more extreme case than almost any (note: Lambard's) he'd seen before, I think it's safe to assume that Alisaie's restorative magic isn't too terribly far behind her offensive.

 

It may also have had something to do with Alisaie having to actually expend aether to materialize a rapier out of her own aether instead of just... y'know... using a regular rapier as a focus to facilitate the movements of her own aether like other Red Mages do.

 

From Not Without Incident:

Though undeniably powerful' date=' your aetherial blade taxeth you greatly in the wielding. Not so this rapier, which shall serve you just as well 'gainst all but the most formidable foes.[/quote']

Impressive... it feels as if it's attuned to my aether. I shall treasure it.

 

 

 

Even so, not all restorative magicks are Astrally aligned (though many are, such as Esuna, Protect, and Raise). Remember that Conjurers could pull from both sides of the elemental wheel. Stoneskin, being earth-aspected, is more polarized towards Umbral. And cure spells from both conjurers and thaumaturges are elementally neutral:

 

 

 

Hope that helps answer your questions!

 

(edit: added a more appropriate spell example)

[Yian Kutku]

A quick question about Gyr Abania. Very minor spoilers, mostly of the "this thing exists in Gyr Abania" sense, rather than anything plot-important.

 

What is Castellum Corvi? Searching through dialogue just has it mentioned as the "ruins" of a castellum. The Alliance mainly uses it as a landmark to tell people to group up at, when attempting to take the more important Castellum Velodyna.

 

The actual spot is basically a couple of small-ish buildings and a wall. No Garlean troops around as wandering world critters.

 

Do we know anything about it? History, usage, circumstances around its abandonment?

 

[V'aleera]

No idea if there is any lore regarding it, but the name suggests a relationship with Nael.