Thaumaturgy and Xaela tribes

How do you think Xaela out on the Azim Steppe, like Sadu for example, learn thaumaturge skills? Black Magic is very specifically passed down from Mhach studies, but could the basic principles of thaumaturgy be independently discovered by different societies?

Trying to piece together a vague headcanon for a Qestir to somehow end up as a thaumaturge in Eorzea. I know it's a huge stretch lol

I think its just a case of convergent development.

In a world that operates by set principles, two people who have never met can still develop the same solution to a problem.

Magic in FFXIV is just another set of scientific principles imposed upon those we already know. As such different arcane traditions can develop in different times and places, but as they must still adhere to the same principles they will inevitable become similar, especially as both traditions refine their efficency.

Outside of capital-T Thaumaturgy, as practiced at the Ossuary, there is a fair amount of what is essentially hedge magic that gets practiced both within Eorzea and the broader world. Sadu is one example, but think about the Lambs of Dalamud and their Voidsent summoning, or the Amalj'aa mages in Zahar'ak. Even Lalai deals with a major plot point that her magic wasn't trained or sanctioned by the Ossuary, since she started her career at the Milvaneth Sacrarium. There's lots more examples of this kind of off-brand thaumaturgy across Eorzea.

Seems like having a Qestir hedge mage come to Eorzea from the Steppe and talk her way into formal training at the Ossuary is pretty reasonable. (Well, not TALK her way, but you know.)

Magic has incantations. How'd a Qestir end up a mage?

Incantations don't in and of themselves have power. It's the association between a specific ritualized action and a desired outcome via aetherial manipulation. Ninjutsu is one example of magic without incantation. I assume the Qestir have adopted different associations - mental images, symbols, memories, non-verbal incantation...

Incantation is just a popular, reliable way to do magic.

And that's why using silence messes with them so much.

In the end, magic is just aether manipulation. There are a variety of schools on how to do it, but its an inherent ability in all non-garleans. Xaela magic is probably different in theory than ul'dahn magic, but in practice it comes out the same

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Originally Posted by Wyssahtyn

Magic has incantations. How'd a Qestir end up a mage?

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Oh incantation was also something I wanted to ask about and forgot to include it in my original post. Thank you for bringing up this point and thanks everyone for your responses!

The onymouji of Hingashi also focus on casting Fire/Blizzard/Thunder spells as well. Granted they do other things in addition.

But it looks like every group of people no matter the continent they are on has access to basic level casting. Eorzeans aren’t the only people ale to cast.

Magic is just manipulating aether to get the result you want. There are various schools of study that use certain techniques or specialize in certain areas, but theoretically anyone with enough skill just invent their own type of magic. It's not like the concept of "I wish I could set something on fire from far away" is an idea unique to Eorzean thaumaturges. Good chance every civilization in the world has invented some version of 'throw fireball' at some point.