What seperates Black Magic and Thaumaturgy, White Magic and Conjury?

[Shurrikhan]

EDIT INCOMING

Thank youuu!

[Minervin]

Sorry for the necromancy of threads.

But Anonymoose gives the best explanation according to white and black mages. Hence, I feel like somebody should extend his explanation of how arcanists fit in this picture in exactly this thread. Nothing Anonymoose says is wrong, but not quite on the point when it comes to arcanima.

Both conjurers/white mages and arcanists/scholars are aiming (somehow) on living things. But there are two ways of looking at a living thing (in accordance to healing).

1. Concrete: What are its bodily features and how is it related to the (magical) elements, i.e. which elements are supporting the living thing. Hence the conjurer's/white mage's use of air, earth and water magic are able to trigger healing through the supportive effects those elements have on a living thing.

2. Abstract: But one might more generally ask what a living thing is and not just which elements support its being. In the sense of what is different between a junk of matter and a human being, between an inanimated and an animated being. Which is the difference between a thing that cannot and one that can move by itself. The answer is "anima" (ancient Greek for soul/mind). It is this abstract connection between body and mind an arcanist studies with mathematics.
Arcanima is the magic that acts on the arcane properties of animated things.
It makes somehow sense that the interaction of a body with that which makes it a living thing is somehow only describable with mathematics and not explained through the elements.
And by playing with this connection ruin and physik act positively or negatively on living things. Copying this animative thing and, therefore, creating living things by themselves (carbuncle) with a material compound (emerald and topaz gemstones) is just the most extreme aspect, but not the defining one.

This also explains how arcanists separate from thaumaturges.

I think the difference between white mages and scholars are one of the nicest examples of how different traditions came up with similar effects by different means.

[Zohar_Lahar]

So why was the WHM job quests changed in 2.0? Instead of encountering the Elemental of Nihility, we just train to become a tree therapist.

[Enkidoh]

I'm wondering if it had to do with how the Healer's Robe was acquired - SE probably felt having the elemental become the robe was stretching credibility a little too far, especially when you start seeing many others wearing the same robe that is considered 'one-of-a-kind', and because of that, they needed to adjust the whole quest line to compensate.

The elementals did also take somewhat of a back seat in ARR's story so it's possible the WHM Job quests were changed to reflect this as well also, but this is just my musings so take from that what you will.

[SannaR]

Sorry for necrobumping. Even if the robe back in 1.0 was supposed to be one of a kind you're still told you are the 1st and only non padjal whm since the pact with the elementals. It's why the brother is mad and not trusting of you even though your cnj skills are really good. You also end up becoming a dead padjal's successor.

[LineageRazor]

Sorry for necrobumping. Even if the robe back in 1.0 was supposed to be one of a kind you're still told you are the 1st and only non padjal whm since the pact with the elementals. It's why the brother is mad and not trusting of you even though your cnj skills are really good. You also end up becoming a dead padjal's successor.

Yeah, the WHM questline really pours on the whole "you are unique!" aspect, probably more than any other job. (Even Dragoon acknowledges there's a second, in Estinien!) So, really, "toning down" the robe wasn't necessary. It's already a requirement for lore-minded folks to look at all the other WHMs running around and rationalize that they may LOOK like WHMs, and have powers similar to WHMs, but no, they're actually something else - likely glorified Conjurers who've managed to pick up a few extra tricks on the side. You are the one and ONLY WHM!