Raimdelle Reborn: The Neverending Bestiary

Just did a piesteskin map with some friends: imps were the monster, territorial devilets. I took a screenshot, can post later (it's going to happen today, I need to update my Far East information...) Interesting name!

I ran a Boarskin Map yesterday, and I got two similar monsters: Territorial Dodo and Territorial Cockatrice. It seems that Dodo's have red around their beak whereas Cockatrices have a black beak. The Cockatrice may also have darker plumage, but I'd have to get that set of monsters to spawn again to confirm.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mysteltain

I ran a Boarskin Map yesterday, and I got two similar monsters: Territorial Dodo and Territorial Cockatrice. It seems that Dodo's have red around their beak whereas Cockatrices have a black beak. The Cockatrice may also have darker plumage, but I'd have to get that set of monsters to spawn again to confirm.

---

Also got that map yesterday!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mysteltain

Territorial Dodo and Territorial Cockatrice.

---

I definitely agree that GENUS: Dodo SPECIES: Dodo/Cockatrice based off of the Dodo Feather / Cockatrice Feather and the fact that the Fat Dodo is clearly a Cockatrice.

Would this mean that the Cockatrice genus on the wiki should be changed back to Ziz?

It makes sense that there's some things that don't always match. Think about it. There's the Great Yellow Pelican in Longstop, but most Pelicans are black and red. That brings us to the question of how do we break down the Ziz family? They're all over the place on colors. They're wildly inconsistent.

We have Yellow, Black, Blue, and Purple.

I say Purple is the Axebeak
Blue is Ziz.
Black is the Pelican.
Yellow is.... Something... There's a Yellow Ziz and a Yellow Pelican...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lusavari

Would this mean that the Cockatrice genus on the wiki should be changed back to Ziz?

---

Yeah, that Cockatrice label should exist there at all. That's a type of Dodo and completely unrelated to Ziz in XIV (it was likely the association with FFXI's Cockatrice/Ziz that led to the assumption).

There are a lot of names for the mobs in the Ziz family and I'm entirely unsure how to sort it out.

• "Blue Back"
• "Sable Back"
• "Violet Back"
• "Yellow Back"
  
• Dark Matter (COIL VARIANT/NOT A SPECIES)

Ziz, Pelican, and Axe/Hammer Beak are the names I see come up the most, but I've yet to find any rhyme or reason to which is which. The Hammer Beak is a different color than the Axe Beak. Ziz have many colors. I've seen two colors of pelican. Chaos! CHAOS!

Somehow, I feel like in a way, we're the scions of the 7th Dawn, and Fern is our Louisox. I mean... We did kind of lose him to the Calamity... Meteor fell, and We've not seen him much since.... If only Fern were here to guide us... He could sort these damn birds out for us.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Ziz, Pelican, and Axe/Hammer Beak are the names I see come up the most, but I've yet to find any rhyme or reason to which is which. The Hammer Beak is a different color than the Axe Beak. Ziz have many colors. I've seen two colors of pelican. Chaos! CHAOS!

---

I think you might be able to narrow this down by ability usage. Like I think the Ziz more commonly use poison breath attacks, there's another that uses Petrify, another that uses Paralyze. Could be completely off base on if this makes a difference or not though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

That's the question, isn't it? It's not hard to argue that they might be voidsent, even if they seem much more likely to be vilekin. It may very well be the speeds at which gnats teleport make people accuse them of "void jumping." Remember, there's that regular ol' rodent in Gridania called the Deepvoid Deathmouse.

---

I was just off to do my Sylph quests and read the FATE text for Stopping the Spread.

Fate: Stopping the Spread - Little Solace (East Shroud).

Quote:

---

Swift-breeding, disease-carrying gnats threaten to disrupt the balance of nature in the Twelveswood. Slay the vile voidsent before their numbers multiply.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

Fate: Stopping the Spread - Little Solace (East Shroud).

---

Yaaay, more discrepancies... This project is frustrating.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Protecting the Pilgrims (v1.0)

Many pilgrims visiting Cassiopeia Hollow to walk the Navigator's Footsteps have found themselves harried by swarms of giant vile gnats who have taken up nest in the cool, damp caves. The Knights of the Barracuda cannot spare sending any more Yellowjacket units into the area, and are hiring eager adventurers to journey to the Hollow and exterminate the vilekin in question.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Netting the Gnats (v1.0)

After learning of a swarm of pestilent gnats infesting the caves of Little Ala Mhigo - a humble settlement that many of our valued employees call their home - a party of company swords was immediately sent to deal with the problem, only to lose sight of the vilekin as they passed through the southern canyons into the area of Broken Water. Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern, however, will not rest easy until the foul creatures have been found and exterminated, and therefore is offering a generous reward to anyone who will locate the gnats and finish the job.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tuning In (v1.0)

The Jolly Raptor is planning a shipment of gnat antennae to the witch doctors of Meracydia. Yet despite offering a reasonable reward, the traders have been unable to find sellswords willing or able to travel to the Nanawa Mines and slay the vilekin. To those seeking immediate employment, this an opportune chance to line your pockets with coin.

---

I'm wondering if the issue is indeed the text, or perhaps just the misguided views of the folks in Eorzea? Those naturalists are a loopy lot...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

I'm wondering if the issue is indeed the text, or perhaps just the misguided views of the folks in Eorzea?

---

My money's on attempts to enhance the flavor text (the JP side can be a little minimalist at times) gone awry with mistakes, or blatant retconning where we'll need to re-establish canon. A lot of the FATE and Leve flavor text isn't NPC Chatter - it's system descriptions akin to journals. If those would lie to us about even the basics, it wouldn't even be worth the work to try to track it all down.

Well, if they are indeed voidsent (which I disagree with), they've obviously been bleeding into our realm for a while if there is a whole subspecies of landtrap (Kedtrap) that feeds solely on them.

I just noticed this thread and I'm instantly interested in helping you make it happen.

First off I noted that in the notes you reference Fern Notes, Fern included Ixal, Kobold and Sylph which would have been the prevalent species at the time (08-09-2011), in the Spoken listings. I noted that you only had Kobolds in the chart. Are you waiting for more definitive genus/species info before adding the Ixal, Qiqirn, Sylph, Goblins, Amalj'aa, Mamool Ja, Dragonkin and possibly Moogles?

What do we do with Moogles and even more confusing Tonberry. In Vana'diel, Tonberry were classed as a beastmen tribe and were an ancient race of humanoids transformed into their beastly form, and my experience thus far with Tonberrys of Eorzea tells me its much the same situation. So are they to be classed as beast-tribes among the Spoken?

Vana'diel also found the Kindred being classed as beastmen as well, though they were of... suspect origins and (I'm fuzzy here remembering) were they not a creature of darkness brought to Vana'diel by Odin? Isn't this very comparable to the Kindred in this world, though voidsent they are humanoid and demonstrate intelligence.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

I just noticed this thread and I'm instantly interested in helping you make it happen.

---

This is good news!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

I noted that you only had Kobolds in the chart. Are you waiting for more definitive genus/species info before adding the Ixal, Qiqirn, Sylph, Goblins, Amalj'aa, Mamool Ja, Dragonkin and possibly Moogles?

---

Some of them, yes. At this point, the chart is very basic - more focused on mapping the names of visual archetypes, which sometimes means we violate the rules of biological taxonomy. For instance, I currently have "Imperials" grouped as a species of Spoken simply because they all wear the same outfits and drop the same items. For a databank, that's more convenient than grouping imperial hyurs with poachet hyurs and pirate hyurs and cultist hyurs. In other cases...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

What do we do with Moogles and even more confusing Tonberry. In Vana'diel, Tonberry were classed as a beastmen tribe and were an ancient race of humanoids transformed into their beastly form, and my experience thus far with Tonberrys of Eorzea tells me its much the same situation. So are they to be classed as beast-tribes among the Spoken?

---

I'm going to assume that Moogles and Tonberries are both going to end up spoken, but there's little proof. Now, I left FFXI when Abyssea was released, so I don't know if the origin of the Kindred was ever answered. When I played, they were assumed to be demons conjured from "the underworld" by the Shadow Lord; however, this demon leader was later revealed to have once been Galka, so I imagined that perhaps the demons were also once of the worldly races (perhaps Elvaan, given the proximity to San d'Oria). This would explain the rumor that their "shell" was once armor. Anyway, in FFXIV, they're conveniently umbrella'd up with everything Voidsent. The cultists plainly use the spell Void Call and they show up alongside the Vodoriga, Flayers, etc.

The only reason the chart hasn't been updated in a little bit is because I've been toying with different mediums. The chart isn't very user friendly for constant editing. I'm thinking of starting a Google Spreadsheet with my Gamer Escape e-mail address and allowing people to request editing privileges, though I'm still hoping someone who has the official information will just take pity and send it to me so we can wiki up and start reporting all the localization bugs :p

Moose, did you used to post on Killing Ifrit? I clearly remember your old Avatar of the moose with the black bar eyes... I used to post under Varizen back then.

In the mean time, it was revealed late in WotG that the Shadow Lord and Lillith made pacts with Odin to gain their powers, thus confirming the old theory that the shattered black crystal seen in CoP was Odin's Proto-Crystal. Odin, unlike other Celestials assigned his powers to dark riders to maintain a presence in the world, and was one of the only 2 awakened gods.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

start reporting all the localization bugs :p

---

...Behemoth? Pudding? Halp...? Hehe. Though they've been very supportive of correcting information as we've found it. Did they fix the Sylph classification with the last wave of leve text repairs?

If it helps I was bored at work and began going through text for each of the leves and trying to find definitive "-kin" organization. A starter list of Battlecraft leves and their identification. I went from level 5 leves through the start of 15 leves.

Key: Level of event, type of event, name of event/leve - Creature Formal Name (These are very basic in leve description [and look just like Species])- Genus - Species I'm very fuzzy on species names:

5 leve, Bug Bites - Ladybug, Vilekin, Ladybug
5 leve, Wrangling Raptors - Raptor, Scalekin, Raptor
5 leve, March of the Mandragora - Mandragora, Seedkin , Mandragora
5 leve, Needles to Say - Cactaur, Seedkin, Cactaur
10 leve, Infestation Cessation - Chigo, Vilekin, Chigo
10 leve, Turning out the Blight - Slug, Vilekin, Slug
10 leve, Turning out the Blight - Mite/Diremite, Vilekin, Mite
10 leve, Scent of a Roseling - Roseling/Landtrap, Seedkin, Roseling
10 leve, Close to Home - Anole/Raptor, Scalekin, Raptor
10 leve, Jackel and the Livestock - Jackel/Dog, Beastkin, Wolf
10 leve, Reeking Havoc - Orobon, Wavekin, Orobon
10 leve, Reeking Havoc - Toad, Wavekin, Gigantoad
10 leve, Out of Body, Out of Mind - Bomb Arm, Voidsent, Bomb
(Oddly the verbiage of this quest leads me to believe there might be "non-voidsent" bombs)
10 leve, What Peist's Crave - Peist, Scalekin, Piest
15 leve, Ochus Bite, Leaves Bleed - Ochu/Micro-Ochu, Seedkin, Ochu
15 leve, A Glamourous Life - Imp, Voidsent, Imp
20 leve, Treevenge - Treant, Seedkin, Treant

Also, you mentioned liking the Territorial _____. Here are a couple of them.

http://i.imgur.com/dBW8YtG.png

http://i.imgur.com/kV1WqpC.png

Edited to add more pics:

http://i.imgur.com/wCYxhAs.png

I just want to say: Thank you all for this work!!! I appreciate all your efforts to compile this information! Very, very interesting!

Thanks for the kind words and new info! I've decided to go the Google Docs route. I'm going to start building the spreadsheet now. If anybody knows how to work Google Spreadsheets and would like access to view/edit, feel free to drop me an email via Gamer Escape.

In the meantime, here's another one that's driving me crazy.

Originally introduced as Flan, the genus now seems to be referred to as Pudding, as multiple colors are referred to as such (including their drop item). However, each individual color seems to have the name of another custardy snack food according to Treasure Hunt.

Had a chance to play around with the Battlecraft leves a bit more and thought I'd add a few things:

40 leve, Got a Gut Feeling about This - Tauri, Demon (Voidsent), Tauri
40 leve, Pets are Family Too - Hound, Beastkin, Wolf
40 leve, Pets are Family Too - Cat, Beastkin, ?Cat?
40 leve, Pets are Family Too - Snowshoe Mouse, Beastkin, Marmot
40 leve, Talk to My Voidsent - Vodoriga Snatcher, Voidsent, Vodoriga?
40 leve, Talk to My Voidsent - Hallow Gargoyle, Voidsent, Gargoyle
40 leve, Talk to My Voidsent - Wrathful Ogre, Voidsent, Ogre


As an aside, I'm beginning to wonder if Voidsent isn't going to turn out to be a very big ugly catch all. It seems, rather the regnum/class, Transcendent/Voidsent turns out to be more of 'geographical' distinction. That is to say there are "voidsent" Hippocerfs, that are in actuality Bloodborn -> Beastkin -> Hippogryph -> Species of Hippocerf from the Void (region of origin - species ripped from the terrestrial plane and transported to the nether-realms of the void - rather than classification).

There are too many Voidsent that fit into other regnum, leading me to wonder if the Spoken class won't capture things like Kindred/Demons, Ogres won't turn out to be a Beastkin. Heck, that lore blurb you put up from Flan, from 1.0 hints that they are Voidsent who may be Spoken.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

Also, to all interested I created this off my Onenote file I keep on such things

---

If you plan on following the chart in the OP to make that, you should request view access to this doc, which is basically the same thing you're doing, since that's where I'll be updating from now on. That chart was not at all user friendly after it got to a certain length, so I'll have to go back to it when it's just a one-and-done instead of a constant revision.

Sent req for access. First name is in e-mail, Jeremy.

A small update for anybody who's just lurking, I've decided what to do. The Google Doc will remain closed until I make the first complete pass (up to the letter D M so far) unless you want to email and request viewing privileges early so you can keep hunting. Along the way, I'll be coding in all of the links to XIVMODELS' unique Model + Palette visuals and marking the cells as confirmed, inferred, and guessed. After the first complete pass, I'll publish it as View Only and we'll keep discussing how to improve it here (keep looking for hints in the meantime if you'd like, it's not wasted effort!). At that time, people can just request editing privileges via my GE email address and we'll see if we can't get this baby to 100%. I'd open it right up as-is... but every time somebody tries something like that, it's a vandalized mess in an hour flat.

Yes, fair call. Great work you are doing!

I'll keep-a-readin' my leves and FATEs, as I am on a mission to conquer them all!

Amazing work. Definitely going to be keeping an eye on this thread, and looking forward to perusing the gdoc once it's ready for public consumption.

Compared my notes to your master:

Scalekin > Tortoise (Adamantoise, Giant Tortoise)

Vilekin > Ladybug (Ladybug, Little Ladybug); Firefly (Firefly – maybe extinct remembered from 1.0 classed as different that wisp); Sandworm (Sandworm); Slug (Slug, Hare); Yarzon (Bog, Sand Yarzon)

Wavekin > Gigantoad (Toad, Gigantoad, Nix); Snipper (Snipper, Clipper)

Confirmed from various leves except Firefly, that’s just a 1.0 throwback as I have no notes on them.

I’ve got notes indicating Bats are considered Cloudkin – I do not have a listed leve or text to prove it.

I also believe I’ve seen Dragonkin listed as a heading under Spoken by dev confirmation.

Edit:

Seedkin > Ochu (Microchu, ochu); Treant (Treant, Dryad, Treant Sapling); Sapling (Sapling)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

Compared my notes to your master:

---

We've come to a lot of the same conclusions.

The ladybugs were a little fuzzy, but based on the V1.0 items and cross-species quest names, eventually I came up with the Species "Weevil" and "Ladybug," and Genus "Beetle," towards which both genera make references (Carrion Beetle, Beet-Red Beetles Beat Red).

I, too, was unsure whether to put bats in cloudkin or beastkin, as far as Eorzeans are concerned. For now, I actually gave Eorzean naturalists the benefit of the doubt and went with beastkin (land mammals) despite their wingedness, as they categorized dodos as cloudkin despite their flightlessness. One of the bats is also named a wingrat, which implies they know of the winged rat nickname based on their mammalian nature, lol. Still, it could go either way in reality.

Dragons and I are still having trouble. Territorial Dragon and Svara are both referred to as "dragon" to name two. It might not even end up a genus name. Coincidentally, the two I just mentioned as an example were both referred to as wyrms in previous Final Fantasies, so the struggle continues. At least we know wyvern! Hey, wait, that refers to wyverns as a relative of dragons. And now I've gone cross-eyed.

Up to M now. Should be able to open the 0.1 version of that chart for discussion within a few days :D

Any idea how to tell an ochu from a microchu? This Microchu and Curupira, "an especially savage microchu," use both palletes (womp womp). Maybe the FATE just uses the wrong model? A lot of the other Ochu / Microchu line up. Maybe it was accidentally switched with Lazy Laurence, clearly a Microchu to match the named one... but then if the Ochu referenced in that FATE description is a genus and not a species, it's still correct, technically, and look, I've gone cross-eyed, again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Any idea how to tell an ochu from a microchu?

---

This one bothers me too. I am certain there is a leve/FATE/npc that informs you that microchu are technically "baby ochu" and thus not really being two separate things. Yet we see Alpha Microchu and other large Microchu in FATE, etc. Twelve be damned!

Can we not all pool our crystals and wish really hard for Raimdelle to return to Eorzea - if not for a little while?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

I am certain there is a leve/FATE/npc that informs you that microchu are technically "baby ochu" and thus not really being two separate things.

---

That sounded like a good place to get some perspective, so I went looking.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Evil Seeds

In one season, a single ochu can produce over a hundred seeds, which, as the creature makes its way through the forest, are oft caught on the moss growing on tree trunks. If left to germinate, the seeds give rise to microchus─a vile plant which has the tendency to sap the soil of its nutrients, leaving little to none for the other foliage. To keep the microchu population in check, the Greatloam Growery seeks botanists to search mossy trees for these seeds and bring them back to the guild for proper disposal.

---

That's indeed one way to interpret it. To play devil's advocate, if the "ochu" in question is the genus, another interpretation might be "[Ochu & Microchu] can produce over a hundred seeds and there are microchu seeds everywhere. Go pick them up." Funny enough, as you pick them up during the quest, they're called Ochu Seeds. Perhaps the idea is that the ochu genus has a tendency to do this, and right now the microchu species is actively doing it?

It can sometimes be hard to tell which mobs are actually cousins, which are just at different stages of the life cycle, and which are just exhibiting sexual dimorphism. To save time for now, I've been treating all different visual archetypes as species and making it clear that "species" is a game mechanic term, not a biology term.

Perhaps if we finish the chart, we can convince the Lore Gods to throw some confirmation/correction/clarification/expansion at it over time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

Can we not all pool our crystals and wish really hard for Raimdelle to return to Eorzea - if not for a little while?

---

I can't help but imagine he'd be frustrated by what the Calamity did to his life's work, if for no other reason because we have way more voidsent now.

http://memecrunch.com/image/50324949...0001.jpg?w=400
WHAT THE FACHAN IS THAT!?

EDIT:
Update: Up to S.

Here's an annoying one: Death Gaze. There's only one Genus/Species and it's plainly named Death Gaze, but the Simurgh FATE refers to it as a Cloudkin, in The Voidgate Breathes Gloomy (BLM), it comes out of a hole to the Void (which I thought was Ashkin, but hey maybe not), and it shares a lot of visual features with the Aevis, because Aevis and Deathgaze were both plate wyrms in FFXII.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Here's an annoying one: Death Gaze. There's only one Genus/Species and it's plainly named Death Gaze, but the Simurgh FATE refers to it as a Cloudkin, in The Voidgate Breathes Gloomy (BLM), it comes out of a hole to the Void (which I thought was Ashkin, but hey maybe not), and it shares a lot of visual features with the Aevis, because Aevis and Deathgaze were both plate wyrms in FFXII.

---

This all goes to my current theory that either they are being very sloppy with nomenclature or... that Voidsent is geographical demarcation rather than species demarcation, i.e. Voidsent Hippogryph is cloudkin (or beastkin?!) from the void/voidsent, Flan is Spoken from the void/voidsent.

Speaking of, 'what the Fachan....' where is our ahriman pal?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

Speaking of, 'what the Fachan....' where is our ahriman pal?

---

Saw him chilling near Bluefog the other day! Some adventurer was beating on him, the poor sod.

Death Gaze are perplexing - to look at them I would assume they were vilekin much like our gnats! I do not think I would like to be a naturalist... I'd end up bald and drunk.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

...either they are being very sloppy with nomenclature or... that Voidsent is geographical demarcation...

---

It's all three of the implied possibilities at once, methinks. For starters, I think by now it's clear that the two year rush to develop ARR caused some lore nuances to fall through the cracks while the LOCs strived to keep English the most immersive and interesting version of the game (which I hear rumour that it is, so good job, team!). There are mistakes. We'll find 'em, they'll fix 'em. That said, "Voidsent" is most definitely an umbrella term. At this point in time, though, I don't think it extends to secondary labels like Hippos being "Voidsent Beastkin" or "Voidsent Cloudkin," for instance. These labels are based on an Eorzean naturalist's notes - denizens of the void need not conform our academic standards. To speak as an Eorzean, there is only one unifying factor among Voidsent: "They are not of Eorzea, do not belong here, and must be destroyed."

Nearing completion - just a few more letters to go. In the meantime: ELEMENTAL SPIRITS AND SPRITES

Any ideas? So far I just have them in "Other" with the Primals. The sylphs seemed to be adamant that there's a big difference between the void beyond the aether and the primals' existence amongst the aether. Considering Spirits and Sprites seem to just be sentient collections of aether, I haven't placed them in anything yet. I also had kind of a derpy epiphany (derpiphany?) while researching them. If you zoom in really close on an elemental, they look like little flying collections of aether in the shape of horned hyuran children - just like the padjal they choose! Right after my, "AHA!" wore off, I felt like this had to have been noticed by you fine lot before.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

...the void beyond the aether...

---

Ugh. You made my head explode with a million ideas. You will be the death of me, Mr. Moose! :)

Okay! So, I was typing a response to the quoted text, and then so much else happened, and I am trying to bake cupcakes at the same time. Cut and paste of what I was typing:

Mr. Moose, I do not want to interpret what you are saying incorrectly, but the beings from the Void seem to have their own aether when they die, which is foreign to our world and rejected by our Lifesteam. So, they are unlike the rest of Hydaelyn's native creatures whom return to the Lifestream upon death.

Then, this thought happened: (Oh this made me think about Teleport and Return spells - how exactly can Ascians use teleport magics if they can't return to our Lifestream if they are not from our world?)

Then, I was thinking this: If I were to borrow your loremonger cap, I do not feel that [the Void is] just "beyond" the aether, but rather from a "different" source of aether or Lifestream (I was going to call it a Deathstream seeing as it kind of feels like an "opposite" to our Hydaelyn, but that wouldn't make sense - and I certainly wouldn't want to swim in it with that name). The world of Zodiark? Who knows. I am not sure how this plot will pan out, I imagine many different scenarios from what little we have been given.

This actually happened first, but I put it at the bottom, and my cupcakes are burning!: I am imagining the Void may be a little different to past Final Fantasy titles in a way. Perhaps it is more like the torn world from Final Fantasy Dimensions when the Crystal shatters... In our game of XIV, perhaps Hydaelyn is the light half, and Zodiark the dark half, yet they were actually once one whole crystal and one whole, complete, world. This could explain where there are creatures familiar to both realms, like our beloved Gnats or Hippogryphs. These worlds aren't exactly opposites, yes feel in opposition because of the split. Neither is complete without the other, and thus why we are in a chaotic state of Umbral and Astral as they are fighting to remerge/separate themselves. This idea of a "torn world" might lay credence to what the Ascians have said to us through the plot, of fighting for the same cause.

In Dimensions, you play as both the Warriors of Light and Darkness. Both parties reunite, with the goal of reestablishing the world, and thus, the Crystal. I know this is a different game, but could you imagine if Ascians became a playable race in the expansion, and turn out to be our ally rather than foe? Hmm!

I do feel we are being set up with many plots - one similar to many past titles with the idea of politics and religion and being champions of your own fate, but also (as you have hinted in previous posts) the idea of Warriors of Light and Darkness.

The Void and the Lifestream are two things I am interested in, but careful to think about, for fear of my small Miqo'te mind. It results in burnt chocolate cupcakes. :(

This has nothing to do with bestiary, so I apologise.

Elementals, I was just talking about those fellows in another forum.

They do not fit the measure of any of the traditional biological subsets (Wavekin, Beastkin, Cloudkin, Scalekin). They could be argued to be of a type of Spoken, though I'm certain that they are not Ashkin (they do not profile as classical undead). I'm thinking they can't fit a heading like Forgekin, so the closest they come to Bloodless Regnum is Soulkin, but Ferne's early words on Soulkin and their beholden nature makes me wonder.

I will say that the Regnum of Transcendent has a fascinating name. Voidsent is but a Class to the larger Regnum. At present on my notes I have placed as an uncertain field a regnum Primal, with classes of Elder Primal and Primal.

Long story short, I've made up my own fields at present. I currently have a class of unknown bloodless simply known as Elementals that includes Elementals proper and Elemental Sprites.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

They could be argued to be of a type of Spoken

---

They certainly do speak... Hmm...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

The closest they come to Bloodless Regnum is Soulkin

---

Before we knew what that meant, that was our first assumption about elementals; I've since backed off that idea, as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

I will say that the Regnum of Transcendent has a fascinating name. Voidsent is but a Class to the larger Regnum.

---

This is an interesting thought, actually. Both the Version 1.0 game mechanics and the list provided by Fernehalwes implied that the 3 Regnum / 11 Class system could accommodate all of the mobs existent at the time, which included both primals and elementals. But let us pretend that this isn't the case for a moment... Voidsent transcend our realm, but the Great River of Aether, the Lifestream, transcends the corporeal, as well. We're told that revenants and bogies are spirits that never found their way back to the stream and must be sent from the corporeal realm. What if there was a second class of Transcendent or Bloodless for beings of aetherial coalescence? Primals, sprites, elemental spirits...

I certainly can't add it to the chart, because too quickly does speculation become fanon, but it's an interesting idea.


Also, I found the source for the tidbit about the Voidsent umbrella I mentioned earlier:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by What's On Your Mind

Very little is known about the void other than that the laws that govern our realm do not always apply. In addition to one-eyed monstrosities, peculiar balls of fur, and nightmarish demons, oddities such as floating orbs of energy also periodically break through the boundaries that separate this realm from the void. Make no mistake, however, everything through those rifts does not belong in Eorzea and must be destroyed.

---

To reply to Kyan's Void-related ideas (which could totally be expanded upon in one of the void threads)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

I do not feel that [the Void is] just "beyond" the aether, but rather from a "different" source of aether or Lifestream <snip> Perhaps it is more like the torn world from Final Fantasy Dimensions when the Crystal shatters... In our game of XIV, perhaps Hydaelyn is the light half, and Zodiark the dark half, yet they were actually once one whole crystal and one whole, complete, world. <snip> in a chaotic state of Umbral and Astral as they are fighting to remerge/separate themselves. This idea of a "torn world" might lay credence to what the Ascians have said to us through the plot, of fighting for the same cause.

---

I, too, got a very "Warriors of Light and Darkness" vibe off of this whole thing, but have hesitated to take that theory further before any confirmation of that is made. It's fun to speculate, but anything beyond that massive assumption is a house of cards just waiting to happen. If we were right about the World of Light and the World of Dark, the one crystal split into Astral and Umbral halves would fit perfectly with the story so far.

The ascians did speak of the world "regaining its true form," but then again they also talked about how the open door to the void would flood our world in darkness and burn Hydaelyn out of existence, which sends a very different message. It's hard to say whether the goal is the merging of Light and Dark into True, or just the balance of Light and Dark. As I said, I've yet to think about much of it yet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

The beings from the Void seem to have their own aether when they die, which is foreign to our world and rejected by our Lifesteam.

---

This is one of the leaps in logic I was just referring to; is there anything we can point to when we say they have dark aether and that dark aether is rejected by our lifestream? Granted, if Zodiark is indeed the dark crystal, and crystals are made of aether, it makes sense that they could have a "dark corporeal" world (though, again, we're already on tier two of that house of cards with that assumption).

The thing is, we keep getting told that it is a void where corporeal rules of physics do not apply. Even the Ascians call it "the void." Is it truly dark aether they they expel, or is it the aether they've consumed while here combined with the energy of their void essence? Hydaelyn aether is a voidsent's favorite snack, and as we say to all the dead and dying, you can't take it with you.

If I remember correctly, part of the Seventh Umbral Era story arc was that Atomos couldn't manifest corporeally until it had consumed our aether. It's a little fuzzy, but I remember this being a big thing back in the day ... Batraal was the same. The massive crystal deposits in the Darkhold caused a thinning of the veil between realms, which he slipped through before consuming said aether and manifesting as a gargoyle... I'll have to get back to you on that. This is 2011/2012 stuff.

Still, I'm just exploring the other side of the coin - I have no idea what's up on the other side of the rift.

I could go back and forth all day.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

how exactly can Ascians use teleport magics if they can't return to our Lifestream if they are not from our world?)

---

That's a good question. They have a unique, violet teleportation animation and the gate to the void stands wide open. Perhaps they jump out of our realm and back into it? Or ride our foreign lifestream themselves? No idea.

Only a few more mob models before I start adding Spoken and polishing the list before opening it up to advice, discussion, and the pointing-out of oversights! Just need t-... ah, balls. The condor/vulture/buzzard things... and the Ziz/Axebeak things... I've been dreading these two.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

rather from a "different" source of aether

---

I don't think he's donned a freshly crafted tinfoil sugarloaf, here.

I am having weather related, internet issues. Searching is a bear, and my notes are void of details. I have read somewhere, though, that in a leve there are voidsent slain who leave a nasty purple aether that is rejected by our own world and flounders before it crumbles, so to speak, unable to join with our own.

This is both consistent a nod to FFVII's model that this system is analogous to, and the rough sketch of how aether works that we've been given.

I will say though; plopping on my speculation hat; I don't think voidsent aether is the same as dark competing aether from Zodiark. We have three competing Final Fantasy tropes here. The light, longing for all its refulgence and glory; the dark seeking to consume, destroy and halt; and the void seeking to swallow existence into nihility.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

I have read somewhere, though, that in a leve there are voidsent slain who leave a nasty purple aether that is rejected by our own world and flounders before it crumbles, so to speak, unable to join with our own.

---

Not sure if it is the same, but you may be thinking of the guildhest (why do I keep spelling it guildheist? LOL) Annoy the Void.

Quote:

---

Buso draws his power from eerie blue flames which erupt from the carcasses of minions summoned from the void and then sacrificed here in this realm. While these flames burn, Buso will be nigh indestructible. Extinguish the fires before attempting to engage him.

---

The NPC tells you as you battle that the blue flames are the aetheric remains of the hippogryphs that you kill, and that it is aether rejected by our Lifestream. Buso actually draws strength by consuming this aether - but it seems that the source of the aether does not matter when it comes to voidsent, just as long as it's aether. I would like to redo this guildhest for the text that pops up whilst in the battle.

I think we should move any more Void-talk to a Void-thread, but I think I am done for now. I would like to see what happens with the plot, probably beyond the next patch.

On the topic of Elementals: I only played 1.0 for 6 months, and played as THM and CON mainly. I only achieved about level 27 as my highest rank. I do recall, though, there was a conjurer hearer, an NPC who was particularly talented with communing with Elementals inside trees, who wished he was able to speak to Elementals inside of metal and airships. I am assuming that, the notion of Elementals being inside of metal or airships has been removed from lore? I used to love zooming in on them and admiring their little horns - I was so happy to see them return in the Conjurer 30 quest, briefly. Though, they do remind me of faeries.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

The NPC tells you as you battle that the blue flames are the aetheric remains of the hippogryphs that you kill, and that it is aether rejected by our Lifestream.

---

I didn't remember it being that specific, but you're absolutely correct.

Quote:

---

Those horrible blue flames─they're the aetherial traces of slain voidsent. Our Lifestream won't have the stuff, so the essence remains trapped in the corporeal realm. Buso taps that essence...

---

Based on what we know from the past, I have no idea what to make of it, really. I'll have to think it over. Thankfully, the impacts are on much larger bits of the lore than just the bestiary, which it affects very litt-

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kyan

I think we should move any more Void-talk to a Void-thread

---

I'll see you there! lol