Esoteric Weapons

[Anonymoose]

I think I hear a moose inbound, though, so I'll stop myself here. No doub't he'll make figuring all this out easier for us.

Or I'll just bring up things that are correct but off the correct trail and we'll get distracted from a larger truth, again. It's really a coin-toss with me.

I was going to post this when the thread first came up but I got distracted and forgot about it until Reinhart and Saber said pretty much exactly what I was going to bring up in the first place (quality observations, everyone). You can figure out a lot based on the fact that these pieces aren't based on a weapon discipline or a combat style, they're based on jobs. Jobs exist in specific places at specific times, and those have already been revealed by the original storylines and artifact pieces.

The first generation of Ul'dah didn't invent swords, but they invented Paladins; gear only equipped by Paladins therefore likely has a connection to the Sultansworn in the last six centuries. Ishgard didn't invent spears, but they invented Dragoons, gear only equipped by Dragoons therefore likely has some connection to the Dragonsong War in the last millennium. Etc. etc. etc.

Imho, last few posts in this thread seem to be on the right track. My theory is in the same vein as Saber's assessment that most of the sets might just be reaching further back in time. The PLD AF1 is still used today by a very old tradition - AF2 may just be an older set in that tradition. The exceptions are the new jobs, I'm guessing, for which this is the first AF and they seem more or less contemporary.

To start, I'd go with what we know and see if anything doesn't mesh. Most of it should. (The SCH body even has books that say NYMIAN STRATEGEMS all over it.)

Here's a chart of Job, New Gear Name, Job Origin, and Base New Gear Origin Theory
I haven't done all of the new stories - if you see something that's been proven right or wrong somewhere, bring it up and I'll strike it from the list.

• PLD - Creed
  • Sultansworn of Ul'dah (~600 Years)
  • Set may be a uniform that preceded the current one, which is the AF1
• WAR - Ravager
  • Hellsguard clan from the Farreach (Time unknown; Still exists in decline)
  • Set is very similar to the AF1, may be from before the clan was shunned.
• MNK - Tantra
  • Fist of Rhalgr of Ala Mhigo ("Several Centuries Ago" through 1552-6A)
  • AF1 seems to be related to the late temple, this outfit may have predated it in the Sect of Light.
• DRG - Dragonlancer
  • Ishgard (1,000 Years Past-ish)
  • I like the theory that the set is from the pre-Shiva conflict, seeing as Thordan was seen in an echo wearing traditional Drachen right at the outset.
• NIN - Iga
  • Arts brought to Doma from a nearby island in the Far East (Honed "for centuries)
  • AF1 set is seen on Yugiri's Shinibi, this set likely simply predates it.
• BRD - Aoidos
  • Gods' Quiver of Gridania (500 to 100 Years Past, depending on who's telling the story)
  • New set possibly named for a specific bard's aesthetic, like Artemis
• BLM - Goetia
  • Mhach (5th Astral Era; 6th Astral was mostly just Ququruka & Co.)
  • A goetia is a book; perhaps this set was from around the time the Books of Nald and Thal were written.
• SMN - Caller
  • Allagan Empire (Third Astral Era)
  • New set is dragon themed, not as close to Bahamut-themed as AF1. Possibly an earlier incarnation.
• SCH - Savant
  • Nym (Fifth Astral Era)
  • Confirmed to be Nymian; possibly from before the militarized sets seen in the late War of the Magi.
• WHM - Orison
  • Amdapor (Fifth Astral Era; Exists in Seedseer traditon today)
  • The WHM story arc said the AF1 was from the White Mages of Old, which implies Amdapor. Orison, however, implies prayer. I'm not quite sure what to make it of.
• AST - Welkin
  • Sharlayan Astrology (Unknown)
  • Contemporary, traditional Sharlayan Astrologian attire
• MCH - Machinist's
  • Ishgard (Brand New)
  • Contemporary, soon-to-be-traditional Ishgardian Machinist's attire (assuming classical Musketeer blended with Skysteel Craftsman aesthetic)
• DRK - Chaos
  • Ishgard (New-ish?)
  • I don't know much about DRKs, but the NPC says that the first was a knight of Ishgard who embraced the Abyss after being stripped of his lands and titles by the Tribunal for killing someone who preyed on children of the Brume. All of that sounds relatively recent-ish. Contemporary Ishgardian at least. Seeing as the word Chaos is often tied directly to Darkness, it seems this is just how the knights styled themselves after embracing the Darkness.

inb4 revelation that Rowena just designed all this stuff herself and this is all an elaborate "vintage inspired" Eorzean Etsy shop