So how exactly are soul stones made?

[Wyssahtyn]

is it possible (( for the sake of role playing )) to fake a soul stone?

I mean, so long as anyone is gullible enough to fall for it, yeah. Just take a crystal, carve some arcane symbol into it and start going on about how it gives you amazing powers. Martyn of the Blue Mage questline was under suspicion of peddling false soul crystals by the Yellowjackets during the introductory quest for similar reasons.

[Wyssahtyn]

Yes, because that is technically how you actually unlock BLU - Martyn was a con artist peddling apparently fake BLU soul crystals to unsuspecting adventurers which the Limsan authorities soon hear about and quickly dispatch the WoL to investigate the reports of adventurers with fake soul crystals of a Job no one has yet heard of. Martyn promptly gives you one simply to save his own hide as well as give his scam a little credibility, which comes back to bite him hard when the WoL's powers actually make that 'fake' Job real.

It's somewhat softened though that what he thought was fake crystals really weren't (and were based on a legitimate Job from the Far Western continent), but just 'empty' ones that needed someone with a potent enough aetheric signature to 'awaken' - which of course the WoL satisfied.

Uh. Unless they like, completely changed his story with the additions to Blue Mage or I'm completely misremembering, you're rather off base. Martyn's soul crystals were real and blue magic is a New World practice. Guy went out and learned from the Whalaqee (or something similar) on an expedition, came back and decided to spread the knowledge of blue magic. The only con going on is him having his Mamool Ja companions help make the sale by "attacking" so he can show off the more powerful/visually impressive blue magic abilities to apparently easily drive off enemies.

Martyn, Out of the Blue:

"Say what you will about our sales technique, but there's nothin' dodgy with the merchandise!
I'll have you know I poured my heart and soul into those crystals, and the spellbooks explain how to learn the magic. It ain't my fault if the buyers can't be arsed to read them.
And if you're thinkin' about clappin' me in irons over the outfits not providin' enough protection, I can assure you they were tailored especially with the needs of a blue mage in mind. I'll admit, I had to cut a few corners to keep the cost down, but still..."

[Brightamethyst]

Yes, because that is technically how you actually unlock BLU - Martyn was a con artist peddling apparently fake BLU soul crystals to unsuspecting adventurers

Not quite. Maryn was selling empty soul crystals. They were real job stones, they just didn't have any skills on them yet. You had to go learn everything yourself the first time. MCH works the same way. It's a brand new job so you start with an empty stone and your experiences creates something that can later be passed on.

It's the difference between getting a pre-owned tablet already loaded up with apps and videos and music, and getting a brand new one with nothing on it yet. The new, empty one isn't fake or broken, it just doesn't have any history so you need to fill it up on your own.

[Vyrerus]

The Archangel Tyrael took pieces of the Worldstone, and then fashiong the Soul Stones from them. He bestowed responsibility of using them to contain the three Prime Evils upon the Horadrim. In their attempts to contain the Prime Evils, each Soul Stone was fragmented, and thusly required a human to play host to each stone and the evil soul contained within.

The Worldstone was a massive mountain-like artifact, once contained within Pandemonium (the scar of warped reality located at the birth of the universe). It was said to have the powers of creation, and one of its other names is, "The Heart of Creation." It is, in fact, the Eye of Anu, the first being to ever exist, who created all other beings by purging his inner evils and then fighting their manifestation, Tathamet, to the death.


Diablo references aside...

We can look at older Final Fantasies for some of the answers to the questions we have about Soul Crystals. The first Final Fantasy to make use of the crystals as job providers is Final Fantasy III on the NES/Famicom. The will of the Crystals of Light bestow upon the four chosen children the powers of Warriors of Light from the past. Each crystal provides a different set of jobs, each crystal's jobs more powerful than the last. Two powerful jobs, considered too powerful for humans, are sealed within Eureka. Those jobs were Ninja and Sage. Eureka itself was sealed beyond a dimensional gate contained in the basement of the Crystal Tower.

The next series to sport crystals giving jobs is FFV. This time the crystals each rupture, from humanity siphoning their nearly unlimited energy in order to power technology. The crystals bestow their light on the party, as well as their crystal shards, and the shards themselves contain jobs. It's revealed much later in the game that the crystals were originally born of The Void, and became the source of life for the world. There's no limit to who can equip what job, and once the abilities given by the jobs are mastered, these abilities may be used across any job(conditions apply). Learning job skills is a separate ability points based exp system, opposed to your actual level, which is the standard EXP system.


In XIV, as far as I understand it, back in 1.0 we had a physical level and a class proficiency level(rank). So your rank determined the skills you could use, while your physical level determined your attributes. Later on in 1.1 something or other, they removed physical level, and changed rank to job level, I think. I only have secondhand knowledge of 1.0.

Soul Crystals were introduced after they removed physical level though, and the jobs originally required you to have alternate jobs level half way, in order for you to unlock the jobs. Like Paladin required Gladiator 30, Conjurer 15. These requirements changed in 2.0, and they were scrapped in 4.0.

So it seems to me that Soul Crystals are something intended to impart advanced knowledge of combat related arts upon veteran fighters. The arts aren't always tied to the weapons, as is the case with classes. The better the fighter, the more memories that are imparted upon them, as Musosai tells the WoL in the Samurai questline:

"Ah, yes, in your gaze I see the stirrings of a newborn samurai. 'Tis plain the stone has already bequeathed some of its memories unto you.

Yet having the memories is one thing, mastering them quite another. We shall see how well you fare against me. Prepare yourself, young samurai, we begin as soon as you are ready.'

The stone harbors the techniques of the samurai. You must draw them forth.

To draw such strength from the stone in so short a time... You are no ordinary man."

After you satisfy Musosai, his victory prize is his mentorship in Samurai techniques. As each job proves, some techniques cannot be learned without first undergoing some form of training, despite still being contained within the stone. Basically, undergoing each Job's questline has you come to a realization about the techniques contained therein, or receive direct instruction on how to draw forth the skills.

Best example of this is actually the DRK line, where Sidurgu teaches you the level 52 and 54 skills, Salted Earth and Plunge, but for 56-60, the events of the questline have you realize the skills on your own. "Your Darkside stirs in the presence of pain..." Abyssal Drain learned!

As for soul crystals and how they interact in deep dungeons... mmm... maybe there's something to be said for wielding weapons and armor made entirely from aether, and in POTD's case at least, being in a place that's sort of a zombie purgatory... closer to the planet core/Lifestream? Or maybe it's a function of the wards the restrict your power?

It's all wishy washy and vague intentionally so that they can have something flexible to weasel our skills around on. Also to have something that differentiates us from other people wielding the same weapon... I guess.

Edit:
As for how they're made? Uhh... My guess would be through some form of not too complex aetherochemistry, that realigns the aetherial poles of the crystal such that they resonate with particular types of aether without binding. They're the only piece of gear that doesn't spiritbond, after all. They basically compile our deeds, adding to the concept of what each job is, for future generations. Also, they strike me as the sort of thing that's intended to make it easier to replicate special forces style fighters, without having to spend months or years personally instructing the fighters.

As for how they store fairies, well aren't those just aetherial constructs made with aetherial geometry? I suppose it's as simple as their precise geometry being stored and named in the crystal.

[Rannie]

/snip

Where's my Horadrics Cube , dudes leg and a book of return portals for my Secret cow level... moo...

Anyway nothing to add to this I just want my Secret moo level

[Vyrerus]

Where's my Horadrics Cube , dudes leg and a book of return portals for my Secret cow level... moo...

Anyway nothing to add to this I just want my Secret moo level