Orbs of Thaumaturge Weapons

Hello, I'm very interested in the history behind Thaumaturegy and the Black Arts in Final Fantasy XIV. I noticed that in each Rod or Staff used by a Thaumaturge/Black mage there is a orb or crystal of some kind.
Are these Over-Aspected Crystals? Or some kind of Elemental crystalized Aether?

Also do these crystals/orbs help a Thaumaturge/Black Mage get Aether from their surroundings?


I've been trying to gather more information on these by talking to various NPCs in the game and re-watching some cutscenes but I feel i'm missing some information.

I'm wondering if a Loremonger or Lore Dev could help out, or if anyone knows the mystery of these Orbs. Below are pictures the Various Orbs and Crystals I could find in the weapons.

http://i.imgur.com/ALf7uX0.png
http://i.imgur.com/l2mkLEC.png
http://i.imgur.com/117BGIL.png
http://i.imgur.com/PCB3cPb.png
http://i.imgur.com/E8PsASO.png
http://i.imgur.com/de9nD7M.png
http://i.imgur.com/hxzCADI.png
http://i.imgur.com/VxuDfLZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/YRUNJa8.png
http://i.imgur.com/KL71Zs3.png
http://i.imgur.com/snKakd3.png
http://i.imgur.com/vIgJ526.png
http://i.imgur.com/fqKON7g.png
http://i.imgur.com/zveshhY.png
http://i.imgur.com/YCUhAQH.png

I think they were explained in the goldsmith quests as something for the thaumaturge to concentrate on or channel their energies through or something, can't remember the exact reference. But you might want to take a look at those quests to find out more. In general, the crafter quests are good sources for explaining the function of various parts of equips.

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Originally Posted by JGwinters

I think they were explained in the goldsmith quests as something for the thaumaturge to concentrate on or channel their energies through or something, can't remember the exact reference. But you might want to take a look at those quests to find out more. In general, the crafter quests are good sources for explaining the function of various parts of equips.

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Nice thank you for pointing me in the right direction! I'll take a look and see if I can find some dialogue.

Serendipity is indeed a great source of info for Thaumaturge weaponry.

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Originally Posted by Serendipity

Perhaps you're wondering who would prefer a staff with a headpiece of bone over one studded with jewels. Well, the thaumaturges favor such equipment. Fangs and horns are the weapons of beasts, used to kill and defend. Few materials are better suited than these for channeling the dark arts, or so I understand.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Serendipity

This gemstone is the focal point of the design, both aesthetically and practically speaking. It is what allows a thaumaturge to channel the aetherial energies within...

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Gemstones in Final Fantasy have a close relationship with magick, likely due to the fact that gems look like crystals. The color of the gemstone is thus linked to the colors of elemental magicks as determined by the franchise tradition, which are themselves linked with physical/magickal attributes associated with that element. For example, yellow gemstones are associated with Earth, earth-aspected aether, earth magicks, and vitality, an attribute that shares philosophical properties with earth as an element - hardness, strength, stillness, resistance to change. Likewise, purple gems are associated with lightning, which has properties like being powerful, swift, and precise, and thus links up with with dexterity.

By using certain types of gemstones in the construction of the instrument through which they channel their magicks, a thaumaturge can increase their affinity with that element and make it easier for them to control it, allowing them to wield greater power. When used in a weapon instead of a ring, a purple stone might not evoke an increase in dexterity as much as allow the mage to channel lightning magicks easier. There's a certain flexibility in the lore so that all jobs can partake the elemental fantasy.

You can also expect rarer, more beautiful gemstones to of course be much more powerful. Aspiring mages may start off with rocks and marbles, but they'll move on to precious stones as their career progresses.

If you have a good enough computer or a PS4 and a good TV to see it, zoom in on an Astrolabe some time. The orb is a geographically correct globe of Hydaelyn (you can clearly tell which part is Eorzea), with a large white moon that comes out and orbits it, and a smaller red moon that orbits the white moon. Very sweet looking.

Yup, and the 'smaller red moon' on the Astrolabe is a replica of this happy ball of love:

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...CG_Dalamud.png ;)

Of course post Calamity the inclusion of Dalamud on it is a little redundant, but the weapon still looks cool nonetheless. :D

Yeah I love the astrolabe. It's such a nice looking weapon. Not to mention so happy that a retainer brought it to me just before I entered titan hm for my blm relic hehe. Been my glamour of choice ever since.

Another good source of info is the description for Marbled Eye, used in about 10 recipes, all of them THM weapons.

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Originally Posted by Marbled Eye

A polished stone sphere containing several elementally charged layers.

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So the conclusion we can reach is, though I'm repeating others, that the stones used in THM weapons act as a way to channel aether more efficiently and ergo increase the effect of their spells.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by subteraneanbird

So the conclusion we can reach is, though I'm repeating others, that the stones used in THM weapons act as a way to channel aether more efficiently and ergo increase the effect of their spells.

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That is more than just speculation, it's fact - the official class description for THM on the Lodestone effectively states that:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FFXIV Lodestone

In the hands of a skilled practitioner, thaumaturgy can be a force of terrifying destruction. At the heart of this school of magic lies the ability to call forth and command the latent aether within oneself through deep introspection.
To then mold that aether into sorcery, the thaumaturge makes use of a scepter or staff, within which is housed a medium—a natural stone imbued with magical properties. Thus armed, the thaumaturge is capable of wreaking considerable havoc via ruinous spells and curses.

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Wow thank you all so much!! This is the Thaumaturge information I have been searching for!