Quote Originally Posted by Vyrerus View Post
Unfortunately, they are purely magical, both in FFXI and FFXIV. They aren't radios, as they aren't disrupted by topography or distance. In FFXIV they were good enough to never use them on the First and bring up that whole chimera, but in FFXI they are still available to use in remote locations and alternate dimensions. Obviously in play in FFXIV, we can still chat with people in LS while in duties and on different dimensional planes though.
Minor correction, but I'm fairly certain Thancred used a linkpearl to contact us at some point during the Eden questline. But then we also set up a miniature aetheryte so that we could teleport into and out of Eden itself, which Thancred should not be able to do. And since that's the only place I remember linkpearls even coming up on the First, I can't help but wonder if it was just a writing mistake. Or if I'm crazy and remembering something that never happened, lol.

Still, it's weird that linkpearls didn't even get a handwave on the First. They just... don't get acknowledged at all, despite having immense value for long distance communication.