Diabolos

[Kyan]

...if perhaps in desperation for more Aether, the white mages of Amdapor turned away from the land they bled dry for power, and sought the strong Aether of a different source... the Void.

This is what E-Sumi-Yan says

I don't think the white mages summoned Diabolos.

[Lusavari]

Not entirely true. There seems to be at least one major exception to that. AFAIK, there are currently no Arcanists outside of LL, and no Scholars or Summoners in the game anywhere.

The Inquisitor you fight in the Ishgardian Arc of the story was an Arcanist, though he didn't summon. He used Bio spells against you and held a book until he transformed. Also, Uriangre (sp) in the main story is a summoner and he has an Amber Carbuncle instead of a Topaz one, which he summons when you break him out of prison in the main story.

[TinyRedLeaf]

...there ARE other SMN around (that was a pretty big point of the SMN storyline...)

While I understand where you're coming from, saying that there are other summoners around is a bit of an overstatement: there was actually only one other summoner around prior to you and, in any case, he's dead. As far as the story is concerned, you, the player-character, are the only legitimate summoner currently in existence. The hope, though, is for you to revive the ancient art, so there may be more to come in the future.

The Inquisitor you fight in the Ishgardian Arc of the story was an Arcanist, though he didn't summon.

I'm not certain if Ishgardian mages are arcanists. They may use grimoires but it seems they are identified as astrologers, and may therefore practice a different form of magic. (In case you're wondering, the Astrologer class/job does exist in Final Fantasy lore. It appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics, and FFXIV in particular does seem to draw heavily from Ivalice lore.)

Also, Uriangre (sp) in the main story is a summoner and he has an Amber Carbuncle instead of a Topaz one, which he summons when you break him out of prison in the main story.

I would think the fact that Urianger summoned Carbuncle clearly defines him as an arcanist rather than as a summoner. Let's be clear here: to qualify as a summoner, one must first defeat a Primal. And there's no record anywhere of any of the Archons having actually fought and defeated a Primal — they all conveniently pushed the responsibility to you, the hero. So, I highly doubt Urianger is capable of summoning an egi, though he may very well be a powerful arcanist indeed.

[TinyRedLeaf]

White and Black magic.... the two function on the same principle... which is drawing power not from oneself but from the aether around them.

I would like to discuss this plot point from another angle, specifically that of the modern-day problem of the rampant summoning of Primals which threaten the delicate balance of aether in Eorzea.

The fact that there have only been two summoners in recent memory is relevant to this point. That's because the other summoner was essentially a rogue mage who had been encouraged to revive the magic by the Ascians.

It fits their modus operandi: Throughout the story, the Ascians have been actively abetting individuals or communities to summon Primals out of fear or hatred. It's not just the beast tribes that have fallen for their ploy, but also members of the "enlightened races" like the Ala Mhigan refugees and the moogles.

We may not know much about the true nature of a Primal, but we do know for a fact every Primal requires prodigious amounts of aether to sustain.

Which leads me to believe that the Ascians' overall plan may well be to induce an Umbral event through the rampant summoning of Primals, through any means.

If one thinks of aether as Hydaelyn's lifeblood, it may well be that the Ascians are ultimately trying to kill Hydaelyn through this plan.

[PArcher]

I believe Lalai and Ququruka are Black Mages (NPCs that start the BLM job line). They are wearing different colored BLM AF sets.
Really the only "job" where you are sole member is Scholar, as you (the player) are the first to have access to these magicks since the destruction of Nym and the tonberry transformations.

Well, just because someone is wearing the clothing doesnt mean they are of that job. I mean, my chocobo isnt a Black Mage...or is he...

I also did state at the end of the questline, I dont think the one who talked with you more was a BLM at all, just someone in the robes, maybe like formal wear. Cant deny the one was a BLM, but he died at the end of the quests.

[Kyan]

I also did state at the end of the questline, I dont think the one who talked with you more was a BLM at all, just someone in the robes, maybe like formal wear. Cant deny the one was a BLM, but he died at the end of the quests.

I'm pretty sure the quests outright say that Lalai is a black mage, as well as the Amalj'aa, Ixali and kobold members who join you - that's a pretty crucial plot point. Although, I do find it odd that the kobold black mage uses a conjurer wand and casts conjurer spells, but I'm sure that he's thinking black mage thoughts and the black shirt helps him get in character

[RoboPadre]

...Baalzephon (I've got nothing here, its a god of the north as far as the ancient Semites were concerned).

Not that it means too much but, etymologically, Baalzephon can be read as "Lord of the Hidden" which works well with their appearance.

[gornotck]

They fixed the quest text. Woot.
Lalai's femininity has been re-established.
Diabolos is, quite obviously, a huge rock star and that's why he shows you the door at the end of the Dungeon, after you get by all the pests attracted by him trashing his hotel room.
Vermin are a huge problem when you don't clean up.

[Anonymoose]

Which leads me to believe that the Ascians' overall plan may well be to induce an Umbral event through the rampant summoning of Primals, through any means. If one thinks of aether as Hydaelyn's lifeblood, it may well be that the Ascians are ultimately trying to kill Hydaelyn through this plan.

It's easy to forget considering people tend to do the dungeon 5,000 times while only watching the cutscenes once (if that), but Lahabrea admits this freely at the end of the Praetorium.

The growing imbalance afflicting the planet must be redressed. If it is permitted to worsen, the very laws of existence─both aetheric and physical─will be warped beyond all recognition. Know you the root of this corruption? Hydaelyn! Like a parasite, she must be burned out if the planet is to recover. And naught but the return of the one true god will ensure her complete excision. Yet to pave the way for the Master's return, a chaotic confluence of untold proportions must needs be brought about. And that will necessitate the presence of the primals. Needless to say, both you and your Scion accomplices can not be suffered to interfere in this endeavor.

How this all ties into Diabolos basically boils down to "The Void." It's a place of darkness from which all the things we face seem to originate, from the immortal mages to the demons they summon from the "voice of creation." In that realm, Diabolos is a powerful figure - here, he's a nightmare (pun retroactively intended).

I'm still trying to work through it. "It is told that the enemies of Amdapor" is a big umbrella with a lot of room for historical inaccuracy.

Perhaps we'll get more of it when Diabolos comes back at a higher level cap. Because why wouldn't he?

[Catapult]

As a small contribution on my part, let's recall a chief characteristic of the 7th Umbral era - the weakening of the veil between this world and the void. Such weakening allowed the admittance of far more significant Voidsent into Eorzea than could otherwise gain access, chief among them the Atomos (cue darksteelfoil hat for Crystal Tower implications).

5. What happened to Atmos?

Thanks to the havoc wreaked on the planet’s aetherial flow by good old Dalamud (Bahamut) the rift between Hydaelyn and the void (which up until now had been small, and reserved to places like Dzemael Darkhold) grew extremely large in that turbulent period of time leading up to the Battle of Carteneau. This allowed far more, far larger, and far more powerful enemies a free pass into Eorzea—a hotbed of aetherial energy, also known as a voidsent’s favorite snack. Atomos was one of these creatures. So, what happened to him? That remains to be seen in ARR.

I have this hunch that Diablos' own means of arrival may have been... similar. Or at least given cause to similar nasty phenomina that would make the elementals say <kupo> this!