Additional Kagoshima Producer Letter LIVE Questions Answered (Updated Irregularly)

[Velox]

snip

But what if it is though? What if such aetheric essence needs a catalyst to latch on to--what if the living aether of the deceased serves as that beacon. That would mean at the core of every primal IS the original essence of the living soul, but it becomes so corrupted by the vision of the summoners, it no longer bears any semblance to the original. I don't think there's much of a difference between primals and carbuncles on the small scale, only the large scale.

In other words, nothing is ever summoned fresh. There's always a lost soul at the heart of it--eternally bound in an aetheric prison called a "primal"

[Anonymoose]

What if such aetheric essence needs a catalyst to latch on to--what if the living aether of the deceased serves as that beacon. <...> In other words, nothing is ever summoned fresh. There's always a lost soul at the heart of it--eternally bound in an aetheric prison called a "primal"

It's like I've spent every moment since Ramuh just circling the rim without falling through the hoop... </facedesk>

<...>perhaps you need a soul to begin with - something forced to act as a vessel for that essence and belief. The creation of Phoenix used Louisoix's, after all.<...>

February 2015

I tossed out that whole theory based on the whole "It's just aether and prayer." from Hraesvelgr. And yet it seems it was partly true. I guess if I just sand half of each of my previous theories off and glue them together, it works, again? We've gotta be getting so close, lol...

I don't think there's much of a difference between primals and carbuncles on the small scale, only the large scale.

Personally, I'm going to maintain a bit of a fence between them (for now - until we information that positively links them). According the post above (as far as I can tell on the vagueries), for primals, prayer acts as a beacon for the scattered bits of something in the Lifestream, rematerializing that thing in a form shaped by faith. However, as far as we know, an arcanima construct is just you splitting off your own aether and shaping it into a bidable avatar using mathematics or the tainted signature something (such as a primal) has left on you. So, summoning Carbuncle would be you splitting yourself in two parts and shaping one with mathematics. Summoning Garuda-Egi would be you splitting yourself in two parts and shaping it using the signature of Garuda, which (having been present at her demise and thus having touched the aetheric mist left behind by her) is permanently etched into (attuned to) your soul.

[Berethos]

In other words, nothing is ever summoned fresh. There's always a lost soul at the heart of it--eternally bound in an aetheric prison called a "primal"

This would then beg the question (at least for me) - what remanifested to create Shiva. Did something else, older than the Shiva upon which Ysale based her beliefs, answer that beacon?

[Kaiser-Ace]

This would then beg the question (at least for me) - what remanifested to create Shiva. Did something else, older than the Shiva upon which Ysale based her beliefs, answer that beacon?

Shiva was a new primal summoned for the first time by Ysale so it was made by manifesting her mental image of what a deiafied Saint Shiva would be.

Any one else who summons her now will channel Ysael's essence to summon Saint Shiva, The Lady of Frost into the world.

[Hinoto-no-Ryuji]

However, if it's simply that the scattered parts of one Ifrit make the next Ifrit - but - Ifrit is still an invented aetheric shade, which has less impact on the larger lore, you run into a chicken and egg situation. When he was summoned the first time, the prayers and aether acted as a beacon and catalyst for the re-materialization of what? Knowing what we now know, you need re-confirmation that you can summon something completely fresh. I'd be tempted to use Carbuncles and Faeries as an example of such, but their original summonings are based on your own living aether - they're arcane.

The easy answer is, at least to me, "the form given by the believers." That is, they imagined a god or gods based around the the hardships and shelters given by their environs (or whatever else an ancient religion forms around), and it's THAT image that the aether coalesces into.

We have a huge glut of ancient belief systems centered around invented shades, and quite a number of them had such a rich tradition of belief around them (both literary and oral) that basically anyone would be able to easily form the basis of a re-materialization even today (never mind back when they were actively worshiped). There's no evidence that, say, Amun-Ra was ever a real person, but I'm sure his temple priests could have come up with a pretty clear image to summon him when Akhenaten put their position in jeopardy, if Ancient Egypt had existed in Hydaelyn. As humans, we tend to have at least a subconscious image of what we worship.

oh my god I'm discussing lore with Moose directly please go easy on me senpai

[Berethos]

Shiva was a new primal summoned for the first time by Ysale so it was made by manifesting her mental image of what a deiafied Saint Shiva would be.

Any one else who summons her now will channel Ysael's essence to summon Saint Shiva, The Lady of Frost into the world.

That is indeed the case, if the first creation can come from beliefs and aether in general.

The question I mention operates under the other (seemingly possible) assumption, that the aether that answers the beacon is that of an original form, even if that aether is molded by the beliefs of those doing the summoning. It's a conditional question, an if/then, that is only really relevant if what I quoted from Velox (which is in turn based on musings on what Fern posted) turns out to be the case.

[Fenral]

I think Alexander is the wrench in the "needs a living basis" theory, since it's (apparently) a purely theoretical construct summoned into an existing decommissioned mechanoid, no living parts required.

*broodily touches scar*

Unless Mide feels like filling in any information we're missing about the current incarnation of Alexander.

[CyrilLucifer]

*broodily touches scar*

Unless Mide feels like filling in any information we're missing about the current incarnation of Alexander.

I think you answered your own question there. She has better things to do than answer our silly questions about Gods. Scars first, Gods later. Come on man!

[eucharistica]

Didn't expect an answer to my Bahamut question at all, but that's a very interesting read!

[Endemerrin]

There can never be enough Allagan lore. I have so, so many unanswered questions. I think one of the bigger questions has been what the origins behind the coil equipment, is. First coil seems like a given. We know first coil took place in the ruins of the Ragnarok, which was a giant starship. Seems easy to infer that the equipment was worn by people stationed aboard said starship. The headpieces also have little Dalamud replicas hanging off them, which makes sense if those ships traveled to and from Dalamud.

Which we know the Ragnarok was docked with Dalamud at the time of the calamity, so.

Second coil armor seems a bit more lavish, and is obtained directly from a shard of Dalamud. Does that mean that was equipment worn by people stationed on board Dalamud itself? Maybe that explains the red motif?

And lastly, Dreadwyrm. Seems really out of place to find in a shard of Dalamud, right? Unless, you know, being stationed on Dalamud and being so close to an elder primal rendered some weaker-minded Allagans open to influence. Is that gear possibly created by "tempered" allagans aboard Dalamud during the empire's final days?

So many questions. So, so many questions.