Aether — How's it work and how do your characters use it?

[Kou]

So, I'm more or less searching for answers. Perhaps I'm simply terrible at finding them myself, but I can't seem to get a solid understanding of how aether works on a personal level, and how individuals tap into it to cast spells and such.

 

What I know so far:

• Conjurers and Thaumaturges (I think?) draw upon the elements
  
• Aetheric levels can be low enough to prevent one from being able to cast spells
  
• Drawing upon your own aether (aka, your life force) can lead to death.
  

NOW. I don't know anything beyond that, and I'm eager to learn. I'm also apologizing in advance if this is a thoroughly-researched topic that someone has written about in detail somewhere (Google is not my friend, and I'm somewhat challenged in the art of the Google).

 

What I'm also curious to know about is:

 

How do your characters use aether? Is it easy or difficult for them?

How do they react? Are they all fine and dandy, or are there some negative side-effects that go along with it?

 

Edit for teh ModBros — I realize after posting this that this may technically be the wrong forum for this? If it is, I apologize. Move it if it is. Imsorrydontgroundmeplz.

[WhiteLycanXII]

Arcanima - Using symbols and math to weave the aether around you into specific effects. The acute, proximate nature of this method is what allows for summoning.

 

Conjury - Communing with spirits that dwell within aether, and drawing upon their natural forces to heal, or use the earth to harm.

 

Thamaturgy - Alligns the nature of one's own aether to the astral or umbral aspect, and projects destructive force through it.

 

That's about how I understand the differences between the three current DoMs.

 

Nira herself is well studied in each method, but is predominantly an Arcanist. Conjury comes a close second, and Thamaturgy a distant third because reasons.

[Aduu Avagnar]

So, I'm more or less searching for answers. Perhaps I'm simply terrible at finding them myself, but I can't seem to get a solid understanding of how aether works on a personal level, and how individuals tap into it to cast spells and such.

 

What I know so far:

• Conjurers and Thaumaturges (I think?) draw upon the elements
  
• Aetheric levels can be low enough to prevent one from being able to cast spells
  
• Drawing upon your own aether (aka, your life force) can lead to death.
  

NOW. I don't know anything beyond that, and I'm eager to learn. I'm also apologizing in advance if this is a thoroughly-researched topic that someone has written about in detail somewhere (Google is not my friend, and I'm somewhat challenged in the art of the Google).

 

What I'm also curious to know about is:

 

How do your characters use aether? Is it easy or difficult for them?

How do they react? Are they all fine and dandy, or are there some negative side-effects that go along with it?

 

Edit for teh ModBros — I realize after posting this that this may technically be the wrong forum for this? If it is, I apologize. Move it if it is. Imsorrydontgroundmeplz.

So, Aether, the source of all life. For some reason massively abundant in Eorzea.

 

In game we know of a few different styles of magic:

 

Conjury: focuses powers from the elements

Thaumaturgy: focuses power from within

Arcanima: focuses power through arcane sigils (unsure if it is external or internal aether)

Succor (White Magic): Power derived as a gift from the Elementals of the Twelveswood

Black Magic: power gained through draining aether from the land.

Summoning: Allagan art focuses essence of a defeated primal, and calls upon an aspect of said primal

Scholar(ism?): Nymian art of battle magic.

Void Magic: Magic drawn from the void, seemingly similar to thaumaturgy/black magic. 

 

stuff we don't know much if anything about:

Astrology: draws powers from the heavens?

DarkKnightism: powers of darkness.

 

Sounsyy can elaborate on these, as can some others. I probably could but I am about to collapse from working a night shift

 

Can my character manipulate it? Yes, he is skilled in the three base schools of magic, and has theoretical knowledge on all of the ones listed. however, he can't cast high level magics, and he struggles with healing and teleportation.

 

As to downsides, I tend to think Thaumaturgy has one of the biggest, if you draw too much power from within yourself you will die. You are litteraly using your life force to make things go boom. there is also the issue of aether poisoning. Being in an area with a high concentration of aether can cause significant harm to someone. in 1.0 I believe the dungeon timer was a way to represent this. You can also contract aether poisoning through the consumption of ethers I believe (as per the alchemist story line)

 

Edit:

clarification over black magic

[Kou]

So, Aether, the source of all life. For some reason massively abundant in Eorzea.

 

In game we know of a few different styles of magic:

 

Conjury: focuses powers from the elements

Thaumaturgy: focuses power from within

Arcanima: focuses power through arcane sigils (unsure if it is external or internal aether)

Succor (White Magic): Power derived as a gift from the Elementals of the Twelveswood

Black Magic: Power drawn from the void and draining the land (iirc)

Summoning: Allagan art focuses essence of a defeated primal, and calls upon an aspect of said primal

Scholar(ism?): Nymian art of battle magic.

Void Magic: Magic drawn from the void, seemingly similar to thaumaturgy/black magic. 

 

stuff we don't know much if anything about:

Astrology: draws powers from the heavens?

DarkKnightism: powers of darkness.

 

Sounsyy can elaborate on these, as can some others. I probably could but I am about to collapse from working a night shift

 

Can my character manipulate it? Yes, he is skilled in the three base schools of magic, and has theoretical knowledge on all of the ones listed. however, he can't cast high level magics, and he struggles with healing and teleportation.

 

As to downsides, I tend to think Thaumaturgy has one of the biggest, if you draw too much power from within yourself you will die. You are litteraly using your life force to make things go boom. there is also the issue of aether poisoning. Being in an area with a high concentration of aether can cause significant harm to someone. in 1.0 I believe the dungeon timer was a way to represent this. You can also contract aether poisoning through the consumption of ethers I believe (as per the alchemist story line)

This... is significantly more helpful than what I've been doing.

 

Huh. I'd been thinking this whole time Thaumaturgy uses surrounding aether, but I guess thinking back on it, that wouldn't make sense, thinking back on the THM storyline again.

 

Hrm. So aether in high concentrations is bad. Thaumaturgy can't be used with people who have low aetheric levels because it uses lifeforce. 

 

What about the melee classes (GLA/PGL/MRD/ROG/PDL/MNK/WAR/NIN)? Don't they kind of use aether as well? As far as I know, MNK uses Chi (which I think is compared to aether?) and NINs use Mudras (which are... ?????? as far as I know).

 

Sorry If I'm reading too much into this, I'm something of a lore junkie.

[Warren Castille]

What about the melee classes (GLA/PGL/MRD/ROG/PDL/MNK/WAR/NIN)? Don't they kind of use aether as well? As far as I know, MNK uses Chi (which I think is compared to aether?) and NINs use Mudras (which are... ?????? as far as I know).

 

Sorry If I'm reading too much into this, I'm something of a lore junkie.

 

Chi is probably the closest we get to martial classes using aether. Mudras are basically element-bending powers from Doma, calling upon the spirits of the elements to do stuff.

 

Beyond that, there's nothing to confirm that other DoW classes use aether. One could make the argument that animations prove aether, or that they're simply flashy because video games. Abilities could be using aether reflexively, or a bit of martial polish and skill. Dragoons jumping could be aether-fueled, or could just be because dragoons have always jumped.

 

There's plenty of room to argue for and against.

[J'arila]

One of my characters is a monk, and I went through the monk storyline. I suppose I take the class/job abilities very literal and apply them to RP. For instance, my monk character can disrupt aether, can concentrate his chakra into power 'seals' to unleash in aetheric forms that correspond with job abilities.

 

I suppose I take liberties, but it seems to me that most monk aetheric manipulation is personal-ranged. Only usable via touch on others or in one's immediate (3-4 feet max?) vicinity before the aether loses it's concentrated form/purpose and disperses. So far people have not called me out on this, even though I've taken part in several large events with him.

[Sophia_Grave]

I think its safe to say that nonmages can use their own aether. At the very least, its something simple and easy to adapt to when RP preferences clash against others'. Its a good explanation for all the superhuman or absurdly skillful things that this game gets away with, such as Dragoon Jumping or blocking explosions, or hell, even something simple like Flash. I get that its a game and that its bound to be "game-y", but I find that a lot of RPers have their characters do crazy things. Not that its a bad thing! I just find that "cause Aether" is easy to work with.

[Aaron]

I associate most DoW using aether as a variation of THM without the staff lol.

[J'arila]

I think its safe to say that nonmages can use their own aether. At the very least, its something simple and easy to adapt to when RP preferences clash against others'. Its a good explanation for all the superhuman or absurdly skillful things that this game gets away with, such as Dragoon Jumping or blocking explosions, or hell, even something simple like Flash. I get that its a game and that its bound to be "game-y", but I find that a lot of RPers have their characters do crazy things. Not that its a bad thing! I just find that "cause Aether" is easy to work with.

 

Yeah, it's good to be flexible and casual about it. Unless one is running a specific plotline that will be set off course by a certain overpowered ability, or unless something is truly absurd, I prefer to simply be chill. Mellow, even.

[Dravus]

My character isn't very capable of manipulating aether. Even making use of an aetheryte crystal is something he struggles with and it usually leaves him feeling disorientated and ill after doing so.

 

This is directly tied to his heritage, since his mother was a Garlean and they're unable to use magic at all. Which is something a lot of Garlean role-players seem to overlook, unfortunately!

 

Granted he's only half-Garlean so his ability to use aether isn't gone completely but he is by no means capable of doing anything but the most simple of feats with it. I strive to make his heritage more of a drawback than a perk given just how much weight such a fact carries within Eorzea.

[J'arila]

My character isn't very capable of manipulating aether. Even making use of an aetheryte crystal is something he struggles with and it usually leaves him feeling disorientated and ill after doing so.

 

This is directly tied to his heritage, since his mother was a Garlean and they're unable to use magic at all. Which is something a lot of Garlean role-players seem to overlook, unfortunately!

 

Granted he's only half-Garlean so his ability to use aether isn't gone completely but he is by no means capable of doing anything but the most simple of feats with it. I strive to make his heritage more of a drawback than a perk given just how much weight such a fact carries within Eorzea.

 

Oh, that's a really good point! I have two characters, a Keeper male and a Midlander Hyur. My Keeper has very low levels of aether, but uses it very well with chakra seals and precise/efficient manipulation, as I said above. My Hyur (Reina) is from an old gridanian family and naturally has vast reserves of aether that she can call upon. She's got psychological issues that generally keep her from doing so, but it's there. I'd forgotten all about that.

[Kou]

I think its safe to say that nonmages can use their own aether. At the very least, its something simple and easy to adapt to when RP preferences clash against others'. Its a good explanation for all the superhuman or absurdly skillful things that this game gets away with, such as Dragoon Jumping or blocking explosions, or hell, even something simple like Flash. I get that its a game and that its bound to be "game-y", but I find that a lot of RPers have their characters do crazy things. Not that its a bad thing! I just find that "cause Aether" is easy to work with.

I suppose there is that. I just like learning and I'll be honest, the XIV RP community can make me a tad nervous sometimes. I never know if something I'm doing is such a big No-No or if people simply don't care (admittedly, a problem that is a WIP).

 

 

Thank you to the rest of you. I'm enjoying reading a lot of this, even if I don't have much to say. ^-^

 

 

My character isn't very capable of manipulating aether. Even making use of an aetheryte crystal is something he struggles with and it usually leaves him feeling disorientated and ill after doing so.

 

This is directly tied to his heritage, since his mother was a Garlean and they're unable to use magic at all. Which is something a lot of Garlean role-players seem to overlook, unfortunately!

 

Granted he's only half-Garlean so his ability to use aether isn't gone completely but he is by no means capable of doing anything but the most simple of feats with it. I strive to make his heritage more of a drawback than a perk given just how much weight such a fact carries within Eorzea.

 

The Garlean tidbit, I learned very recently. I also don't RP a Garlean nor do I know any Garlean RPers, really. ( ;w; )

 

I'd always thought aetheryte crystals were rarely used by anyone that wasn't, like... a mercenary or adventurer or what have you, since it makes most normal people sick.

[Gegenji]

Another valid point for non-caster types to use aether is the fact that all the PCs can use Teleport and Return, which involves using your aether for "fast travel." I doubt the common citizen can use it (otherwise, why bother with carts and the like?), but most adventuring sorts seem to have enough control over their personal aether to make use of them.

 

It's actually almost all that Chachan can do, beyond his super-simplified Physick that only really works for cuts and bruises. I like to believe he actually has a decent wellspring of aether to draw on, but he can really only use it in times of great stress or importance. So... basically when the plot needs him to be something more than the dorky little smith-turned-heroling he is.

[Berrod Armstrong]

What about the melee classes (GLA/PGL/MRD/ROG/PDL/MNK/WAR/NIN)? Don't they kind of use aether as well? As far as I know, MNK uses Chi (which I think is compared to aether?) and NINs use Mudras (which are... ?????? as far as I know).

 

Sorry If I'm reading too much into this, I'm something of a lore junkie.

 

Chi is probably the closest we get to martial classes using aether. Mudras are basically element-bending powers from Doma, calling upon the spirits of the elements to do stuff.

 

Beyond that, there's nothing to confirm that other DoW classes use aether. One could make the argument that animations prove aether, or that they're simply flashy because video games. Abilities could be using aether reflexively, or a bit of martial polish and skill. Dragoons jumping could be aether-fueled, or could just be because dragoons have always jumped.

 

There's plenty of room to argue for and against.

I believe monks use aether as well -- in the monk job questline, Eric and Widargelt argue over what the 'chakras' are. Widargelt's thoughts were mostly in the side of spiritual mysticism while Eric was convinced that the chakras were simply related to aether. 

 

His version of the explanation of what opened chakras made it somewhat clear that there needed to be a lot of excess aether in the area. 

 

For more details on that stuff, check out the monk job quest stuff! It's actually pretty cool.

[LiveVoltage]

Most people have touched on what you can find out by playing the MSQ or the class quests.

 

I really want to touch on void magic though because its often misrepresented or understood in the wrong context.

 

Void magic is pretty bad news and really shunned on but it doesn't require extensive studies into thaumaturgey and whatnot to summon voidsent or actually use void magic.

 

The only time that you would need extensive studies is if you were using Black Mage powers or if you were summoning a greater voidsent.

 

Back during the 5th era, during the fall of amdapor and during the great war of the magi, a master void magician, who new the most about void magics, summoned the Voidsent Lord Diabolos and pretty much ripped a hole into Amdapor before it got sealed away.

 

So if your looking to employ some of the most powerful void magics, it requires a very deep understanding on void magics and the void in general.

[K'nahli]

Put plainly, none of my characters use or manipulate aether in any way. I don't know much about it but I'm not interested in non-mages using anything of the sort, personally.

[Sounsyy]

I'm late! Looks like your questions have been answered so I'm just gonna drop some lore on the subject of aether and those who use it.

 

So, as has already been said, aether is the life force of the planet and every living thing on it. It makes up all things and is the source of all magic. Eorzea has the greatest concentration of this aether because it is home to Lake Silvertear, the fount of all aether (and water) on the planet. There's a pretty real Garden of Eden comparison to be made to Eorzea. But really this is why Eorzea has developed many diverse schools and magical talents throughout history. Not to say magic is not possible outside of Eorzea, but it is certainly much less common.

 

 

On the subject of Magi and how they use their aether, I'll quote myself from this post:

 

 

Something to note, conjury is not the same thing as white magic. Thaumaturgy is not the same as black magic. The methodology of Arcanima is closely related to Scholar and Summoner, but also note that these are also three different magicks from three different time periods.

 

Summoning was a magic practiced and perfected by the ancient Allagans 5000 years ago. It was likely the forefather of modern day Arcanima. Summoners would draw upon the absorbed spirit of defeated Primals of eld and conjure an essence or Egi of that Primal which had been bent to the caster's will.

 

Scholar, unlike its Summoning and Arcanima relatives is actually less a summoning art. Scholars created strong bonds with an Elemental-like creature called a Fairy or Fae. Also unlike Summoners and Arcanists, the Scholars of Nym focused on restorative magics and drew upon their own skills and the magicks of their Fae to cure their allies. However, after the plague befell Nym, the Scholars lost their ability to communicate with their Fae and evoke their magicks and Scholar was lost for the next 1600 years.

 

Arcanima is likely descendant from bits of Summoning and Scholarly magic. Like their predecessors, Arcanists draw and channel their magic through geometric shapes and patterns aided by specialized inks which amplify their energies. Using their own aether, Arcanists can call forth a Familiar called Carbuncle to aid them, likely left over from Summoning days.

 

Thaumaturgy is believed to be the original form of magic of the 5th Astral Era, close to 3000 years ago. Thaumaturgy draws from the caster's own aether and focuses the spell through a gemstone medium to cast. Over the centuries, Thaumaturgy took a dark turn and became a magic focused upon death. Skilled wielders of the magic were able to do incredible things, such as return people from Thal's realm. When Ul'dah and Sil'dih rose from the ashes of Belah'dia, Thaumaturgy took on the duality of the Traders, Nald'thal, and became the study of life and death. The religious Order of Nald'thal was formed with the belief that by using Thaumaturgy to more deeply understand Death, they might better be able to understand and appreciate Life.

 

Black Magic, by contrast, is actually a technique, not a true form of Magic. In the early years of the 5th Astral Era, a young Magi named Shatotto wished to further the limitations of Thaumaturgy, but was ultimately unable to perform the magicks she wished to due to her own limited aether supply. So she devised a method to curb the Lifestream and draw upon the aether of the planet instead of her own. This technique was coined "Black Magic" as it killed the land around the caster, but it afforded Shatotto unlimited power and paved the way for the War of the Magi centuries later. By the time the War of the Magi broke out at the end of the 5th Astral Era, Black Magic was capable of many incredible feats - bringing down stars, animating inanimate objects, and tearing holes in our Physical Plane, opening a portal to the Void and drawing forth unimaginable demons upon the world. However, by the end of the War, Black Mages had drained the world entirely of its aether and had nearly killed the planet. Because of this unlimited destructive force, Black Magic was forbidden and strictly outlawed.

 

White Magic or Succor is the magic of the Elementals. Around the middle of the 5th Astral Era, it was gifted to the Amdaporians to balance the destructive power wrought by Shatotto's Black Magic. These Amdaporians were tasked with restoring what Black Magic destroyed. For many years, this balance persisted, but as Black Mages sought greater and more powerful spells, White Mages stretched the limits of their power and the War of the Magi broke loose, bringing irreparable harm to the planet and the Twelveswood. Furious, the Elementals summoned a great flood which washed the taint of the Magi from the planet and grew the Twelveswood up and around the lost city of Amdapor so that its magic would never be recovered. For 1000 years White Magic was lost to the world, until the Elementals birthed the Padjal race from the Gelmorrans and filled them with the blessing of Succor. These Padjal protected and restored the Wood with their power and lead the new Gridanians into an age of peace with the Wood.

 

Conjury is the youngest form of magic, born only 500 years ago during the time of Gelmorra. After the 5th Umbral Era had ended and the survivors made their way back to the Twelveswood, they found their way blocked by thick trees and angered Elementals. So the Elezen dug beneath the forest and lived in caves for a 1000 years, trying to make peace with the Elementals above and live within the Wood once more as they did in the time of Amdapor. Now, during this time, Hyur began flocking to Eorzea in great migratory waves, causing wars between the Hyur and Elezen races all across Eorzea. However, when the Hyur attempted to enter the Twelveswood, the Elementals forbade them egress as well. Looking past their racial differences, the Elezen of Gelmorra welcomed the Hyur with open arms. It is believed this act of goodwill and fellowship is what compelled the Elementals to reconsider their stance. The Elementals sent Moogles to communicate with the leaders of Gelmorra and teach them a way to communicate with the Elementals. The magic the Moogles taught the Gelmorrans became known as Conjury, the ability to manipulate the aether in nature using concentration and meditation. This magic birthed the first Hearers, men who could hear the will of the Elementals.

 

 

Each person has their own varying but limited amount of personal aetherial stores inside their body, and per the 2.0 THM questline, seems to be a birth trait, not something one could improve upon during their lifetime. For Thaumaturges and Arcanists, who use their own aether to fuel their spells, this can be dangerous for them if they overexert themselves with more powerful or ambitious spells or attempt to cast magic for extended periods of time, such as in a battle setting.

 

Furthering on the subject of personal aether constraints, I saw teleporting got brought up, so I'll link a useful lore post on Teleport Lore. The gist is that anyone and everyone can learn to use an aetheryte (with practice) however, a majority of people do not have overwhelming aetherial stores or the fortitude to withstand multiple teleportations in short succession, so most people use them sparingly.

 

--

 

On the subject of my own character - Sounsyy has very limited aether reserves. She has absolutely no magical talent and aetheryte travel makes her incredibly ill, so she avoids it at all costs. After barely surviving the Battle of Carteneau, Sounsyy suffered some severe aether sickness from being wounded in such close proximity to the Elder Primal and all the death He wrought. So that incapacitated her for a while and she's still in the long process of recovering. All that said, she doesn't really like aether being used on her for healing, though she tolerates it. She has an irrational fear that she's going to get sick again from it.

 

 

Hope this helped! ^^ Feel free to ask if you have more questions! I'm going to leave a couple related lore clippings in the Spoiler below to peruse at your leisure.

 

I shall tell you yet again of the study of aether. As I laboriously explained, aether is not only the source of all magicks, but also the fount of all life. Yet despite its ubiquity, it remains imperceptible to the senses of man. When a living thing dies, the aether comprising its life is released. It has been learned that when this discharge takes place, a portion of that aether remains, lingering in the physical world. No doubt you have come across aetherial crystallizations in the course of your travels. All scholars now agree that these are the physical manifestations of great concentrations of aether.

 

I have a theory, however, that they are not the only such manifestations. Allow me to give you an example even you can understand - that of ghosts, spirits, disembodied souls. Apparitions of the deceased come back to haunt and generally unnerve us? False! These are nothing more than the luminescent glow of aether in the atmosphere. It is possible, though highly unlikely, that you are asking yourself why a portion of the aether remains.

 

Right, well, the amount of aether that can shift between the physical and aetherial realms in any given instant is limited. I call this the aetherial threshold. Any aether present in excess of that threshold is left behind. The more violent or dramatic the loss of life, the greater the amount of inner aether released to take the form of crystals or remain imperceptibly in the atmosphere. And you surely recollect the scene I identified as the most apt to produce such violent deaths? On the field of battle! It stands to reason, therefore, that through the aetherial measurement of such sites, I will be able to reconstruct details of the wars waged upon them. And that, Sounsyy, is why this military historian has a deeply vested interest in the subject of aether.

 

 

My dear, poor Sounsyy. What you do not know about Silvertear Falls could fill a book. And has - multiple times over, I'm sure.

 

TRY ME, ERIK!!

 

Since ancient times, the Falls and the region of Mor Dhona in which they are located have been believed to be the seat of a great spiritual energy, as less advanced peoples are wont to call it. So old are these beliefs that the tomb of Xande himself, the first emperor of Allag, was built deep beneath the surface of Mor Dhona, in the hope that the mystical power which resided under the lake would raise him from the dead. Oh, there are any number of legends and myths surrounding the place. I think the oldest and most widely known would have to be that of the dragon of the Falls. I do not claim to be a folklorist, but I can certainly provide the general tale.

 

There was the birth of Althyk, god of time among the Twelve, and in turn, His younger sister Nymeia, goddess of fate. And then there was water, and through it Silvertear FAlls came to be at the center of all that was. Here was the source not only of water, but the fount of all magic as well. Now, when water came into being, so too did the great dragon Midgardsormr. Brother Time and Sister Fate, fearing the Falls might fall into the hands of evil, ordered Midgardsormr their protector and warden. Much later, with the arrival of man, would Midgardsormr be worshiped as the guardian deity of Silvertear Falls.

 

Have you been to Silvertear Falls, Sounsyy? Or are you as untraveled as you are unread? Have you gazed upon the enormous dragon corpse, frozen as a statue with wings outspread? If you have, you have gazed upon Midgardsormr. That tragedy is but ten years old. After invading my home of Ala Mhigo, the Garleans launched a fleet of airships led by the monstrosity Agrius. They flew for Silvertear Falls, knowing them to harbor the greatest concentration of aether. And then, as those horrific instruments of evil loomed overhead, casting the dark shadow of death, the surface of the lake suddenly parted and burst skyward as Midgardsormr emerged to defend his waters.

 

The battle between Midgardsormr and the Agrius has since come to be known as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The dragon fought with divine strength and purpose, and after a fierce and grueling struggle, succeeded in bringing down the airship. As it fell into the lake, the impact caused the ceruleum onboard to detonate, and Midgardsormr was killed, his corpse charred black in the conflagration. The structure formed by the wreckage of the Agrius and the entangled remains of Midgardsormr is now called the Keeper of the Lake. For many religious and mythological enthusiasts, it stands as proof of the existence of the gods. For most people, however, it servers as a grim reminder of the horrific, dare I say deicidal, power of Garlemald.

 

 

[Kou]

SO. MUCH. LORE.

 

EEEEE... I'm going to enjoy reading this very much. Thank you so much! <3

 

And thanks to everyone else! Y'all rock!

[Aduu Avagnar]

One note about the fairies of scholars, it was confirmed in the vegas lore psnel that they are summondd in a similar manner to carbuncles.

[Sounsyy]

void magics

 

 

The only time that you would need extensive studies is if you were using Black Mage powers or if you were summoning a greater voidsent.

 

Back during the 5th era, during the fall of amdapor and during the great war of the magi, a master void magician, who new the most about void magics, summoned the Voidsent Lord Diabolos and pretty much ripped a hole into Amdapor before it got sealed away.

 

Wanted to clarify this post.

The War of the Magi was between White, Black, and Scholarly Magicks. Black Mages of the time were capable of incredible magical feats, including, but not limited to, opening Voidgates. The instance you are referring to is the battle before Amdapor fell to the Black Mages when said Black Mages opened a massive Voidgate allowing one of the Voidkings, Diabolos, into our world. Shortly before the Amdaporians were all slaughtered, the White Mages were able to seal the gate.

 

There's a similar story for Nym, where the Black Mages unleashed Mahisha upon the Nymians. After suffering massive casualties, Mahisha was defeated and the Black Mages repelled from Vylbrand.

 

Opening a Voidgate is likely not a feat any one, single Magi could have performed, no matter how experienced. It took four novice Black Mages to summon Barbatos (a lesser demon) and they had been studying Black Magic for 10-20 years and the rite claimed 3 of the 4 Mages' lives.

 

So no, if you're trying to commune with the Void as a Thaumaturge or Black Mage, it would likely take years of experience to successfully open a Voidgate without incident. The only other alternative we've seen outside of Black Magic to summon a Voidsent into this world is to ritually sacrifice your flesh, soul, and aether up to the being and become possessed by the Voidsent. We see this quite frequently in the Lambs of Dalamud cultists (who prefer to lure unsuspecting adventurers to use as the blood sacrifice), Lady Amandine from Haukke Manor, the THM questline, and to some extent Edda from the Tam-Tara storyline.

 

But you are correct in that having any sort of dealing with the Void is a very bad and highly illegal thing. Just the whole "Void Mage" thing is, well, not a thing. There is no form of magic which controls the Void.

 

Black Mages being able to open Voidgates is a byproduct of their destructive magic that has to deal with aetherdeath and the aetherial threshold being breached by their spells. They do not command the Void, nor do Black Mages draw their power from the Void. Black Mages draw their aether from the planet, however, if you're a megalomaniac Black Mage who's greatest ambition is to control infinite cosmic powers, what better source than the Beyond, right? Hence why, Black Mages usually fall into the "Void" trap.

[LiveVoltage]

I know what it means. I was just being very generic because I am at work and I cant spend 30 minutes checking the lore and typing a post. Thank you for elaborating on my elaboration though, lol.

[Warren Castille]

I know what it means. I was just being very generic because I am at work and I cant spend 30 minutes checking the lore and typing a post. Thank you for elaborating on my elaboration though, lol.

 

There's a difference between "generic" and "incorrect." Call it what it is.

[LiveVoltage]

I know what it means. I was just being very generic because I am at work and I cant spend 30 minutes checking the lore and typing a post. Thank you for elaborating on my elaboration though, lol.

 

There's a difference between "generic" and "incorrect." Call it what it is.

I wasn't being incorrect. I know what I was talking about, I just did not have the time to make a really long post.

 

Regardless, lets drop this. No point in starting fights in someone's thread.

[Warren Castille]

I know what it means. I was just being very generic because I am at work and I cant spend 30 minutes checking the lore and typing a post. Thank you for elaborating on my elaboration though, lol.

 

There's a difference between "generic" and "incorrect." Call it what it is.

I wasn't being incorrect. I know what I was talking about, I just did not have the time to make a really long post.

 

Regardless, lets drop this. No point in starting fights in someone's thread.

 

If you don't have the time to expound upon something, don't post something half-baked. There's no such thing as a void mage, there was no "master void magician" and stating things that are factually incorrect in a thread asking for lore is irresponsible.

[Gegenji]

I know what it means. I was just being very generic because I am at work and I cant spend 30 minutes checking the lore and typing a post. Thank you for elaborating on my elaboration though, lol.

 

There's a difference between "generic" and "incorrect." Call it what it is.

I wasn't being incorrect. I know what I was talking about, I just did not have the time to make a really long post.

 

Regardless, lets drop this. No point in starting fights in someone's thread.

 

If you don't have the time to expound upon something, don't post something half-baked. There's no such thing as a void mage, there was no "master void magician" and stating things that are factually incorrect in a thread asking for lore is irresponsible.

 

So the basic concept of a void mage is... null and void, then?