On the nature of Carbuncle

[Eloah]

...Following the convention pattern, there should eventually be Sapphire Carbuncle for Leviathan-Egi, Diamond Carbuncle for Shiva-Egi, and Iolite Carbuncle for Ramuh-Egi... which leaves Ifrit-Egi and the suspiciously absent Ruby Carbuncle...

Why would the gem for Ramuh be Iolite, wouldn't Amathyst make more sense, being the premier purple gemstone. And maybe Aquamarine, or Turquoise for Leviathan, then Sapphire could be for Shiva, lol. Sorry I know they were just suggestions I just overthink this stuff too, lol.

Oh and what about Garnet for Ifrit, :P.

[lololink]

Why would the gem for Ramuh be Iolite, wouldn't Amathyst make more sense, being the premier purple gemstone. And maybe Aquamarine, or Turquoise for Leviathan, then Sapphire could be for Shiva, lol. Sorry I know they were just suggestions I just overthink this stuff too, lol.

Oh and what about Garnet for Ifrit, :P.

Linked to the ilvl 90 gems maybe, the gems are Topaz, Iolite, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald and Ruby, they are the only gems that weren't in the game before 2.0 I think.

[Anonymoose]

Why would the gem for Ramuh be Iolite <...> what about Garnet for Ifrit, :P.

Linked to the ilvl 90 gems maybe <...> Topaz, Iolite, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald and Ruby

Bingo. If Topaz and Emerald are on the same tier, in the right colors, those would be the rest would be ...

Following the convention pattern

[Eloah]

Linked to the ilvl 90 gems maybe, the gems are Topaz, Iolite, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald and Ruby, they are the only gems that weren't in the game before 2.0 I think.

Bingo. If Topaz and Emerald are on the same tier, in the right colors, those would be the rest would be ...

Oh, I'll have to take your words for it since I started the game in 2.0. Though I will say I find Iolite strange, such an obscure gem to use, lol.

[Waffilicious]

As in other mage lores in other stories, mages tend to name their familiars for easier use,convey orders/feelings by making a more intimate link that is the name, making them evolve in the process by becoming more unique.

As for me it is a radioactive squirrel.

[TinyRedLeaf]

The same could be asked of primals. As far as we know, they too are just masses of aetherial energy. Then again, most things exhibiting life tend to develop their own personality, and everything living is either made of or filled with aether.

I've just been sitting back waiting to find the meaning in that little event. Is she just not very good with arcane geometry and gets a glitchy carby with a classic name? Or is she extraordinarily good with arcane geometry and gets to beta test the development of Ruby Carbuncle from the ground up using modified Emerald Carbuncle geometry?

If I tweaked the formula for Emerald Carbuncle and it didn't turn out like I planned, perhaps I'd get a derpy Emerald Carbuncle whose raison d'etre was to wander off, climb things, and yip at people.

It just occurred to me: Is it not possible to think of the lifestream of aether as analogous to the "sea of information"?

Meaning to say, is Carby really a very well-programmed automaton, or more likely a "ghost in the aether", ie, a representation of an aspect of the lifestream's consciousness?

[PotatoSalad]

P.S. Please don't google "carbuncle" without a color-prefix. *shudders*

I'm going to do just that!

EDIT:

[KikoriL]

I happened to see the ACN in question have a speech bubble akin to...
"Come here this instant or no supper for you!"
...implying that they're able to eat as well, it seems. There's no hint as to what's being eaten, so it could very well be primal-style meals of shards. But if it's solid food for an organic creature, makes me wonder what the little thing really is.

[RyuRoots]

I'm not sure that they eat in the traditional sense. I suppose it's possible, though. I could see it being where ingesting normal food gives some manner of energy but is less efficient than aether, crystals, or what have you.

As far as the mental faculties, I don't imagine that they're 100% sentient, but my own feeling is that they change depending on the nature of their summoner; in that you could infer something about Ruby's owner based on the carbuncle's behavior, for example. What exactly, I couldn't say.