Names for Tempering

[Anonymoose]

Actually, Moose, Sylphs use the word "Touched" for their kind who have been taken by Ramuh.

That's just the thing - only the sylphs use that word. The non-sylph NPCs, journal entries, and FATE descriptions all call them tempered, which shouldn't be the case if every primal has a unique term attached to their "blessing." Even the mob itself is called Tempered Sylph, akin to the Drowned mobs in La Noscea.

Sylphs tempered in the levin-light of the primal Ramuh have descended into Little Solace to abduct their untempered brethren. Protect the innocent by delivering lightning-swift justice to the perpetrators.

I'm not saying there's not some uniformity here somewhere, I'm just saying that there's way too much ambiguity for me to jump on the bandwagon of "This is Canon." Touched could very well be the true name for it; light can't do much else to you. Then again, the first time they said it, I thought they meant... you know... <taps head> "Touched."

For what it's worth, the Garuda quest uses both terms, and touched is just a general catch-all for what Garuda thinks Hydaelyn does.

Amidst the whirling winds, you succeed in striking down the Lady of the Vortex, only to see her rise once more, reinvigorated by the belief of her Ixali disciples. Yet the beastmen's prayers come to naught when Garuda's attempt to temper you fails, prompting a mysterious force to tear a Crystal of Light from her breast.

That foul stench... I see now... She has touched you!

Still more for Titan, where Wheiskaet, who is determining whether or not you'll be good enough to beat Titan, says that Titan's inability to temper you won't be enough.

Again, not saying there aren't different terms, I'm just saying that if there are, there's not enough consistency for confidence.

[Orophin]

"Tempered"

Maybe "Tempered" is the term the five races generically use while the actual beastmen races have their own word for it. As mentioned in earlier posts, every beast clan except for Garuda has used a different term for their Primal enthralling their associated beastmen followers/kidnapped slaves. (the latter in the case of Ifrit)

[Anonymoose]

If this npc really was tempered, the fact he actually comprehended his situation and actually knew what had happened to him, seems to blow away completely the idea that tempered lose their 'free will' - in actual fact, it seems more accurate that tempering removes a person's will to resist and become docile, while still retaining their consciousness more or less. Or at least, the response of that npc seemed to suggest that.

That or in 2010, the NPC meant the "strengthened with heat" definition of the word and it coincidentally would later carry the "moderate/control" definition for other primals. It's so hard to tell with an ambiguous phrase like that. In the unreleased Titan quest I mentioned earlier, one of the "blessed" Company of Heroes members goes straight from "From dust you came and to dust you shall return!" to "Friend... Father... Bestow upon us your blessing benevolent Lord of Crags!" (translations inexact), so I wouldn't as quick to say they weren't rendered mindlessly enthralled in 1.0, too. Though, part of the quest did say that being claimed by a primal isn't a static effect and some were more dangerous than others.

Maybe "Tempered" is the term the five races generically use while the actual beastmen races have their own word for it.

This would be an interesting way to go about it, though everyone (including the journal and system text) using the Amalj'aa race-specific term is awkward if that's the case. Unless each race would refer to all blessings by that name... would the Sylphs call the Amalj'aa touched? Would the Sahagin say the Amalj'aa drowned in Hellfi-no, that's not right.

Yeah, no, I've still got nothing, lol.

[PArcher]

This would be an interesting way to go about it, though everyone (including the journal and system text) using the Amalj'aa race-specific term is awkward if that's the case. Unless each race would refer to all blessings by that name... would the Sylphs call the Amalj'aa touched? Would the Sahagin say the Amalj'aa drowned in Hellfi-no, that's not right.

Yeah, no, I've still got nothing, lol.

I wonder if the names came about from the way the Primal tempers their new followers; Ifrit bathes them in flames (tempers), Leviathan literally drowns them (in some magical water that doesn't kill them, just changes them), Ramuh may physically touch them, and so on.

[Velox]

Ramuh may physically touch them, and so on.

There's something about that image of an old man touching little sylphs...*shudders*