Arcanists and their spells

[Truxton]

Not sure if this belonged in lore or general discussion but I got to thinking about how much the class didn't really make sense in it's repertoire of spells or how they really go about casting them.

As guildmaster Thubyrgeim put it they are 'esoteric calculations to express the nature of aether in mathematical terms that are represented by arcane geometries.' These are the patterns that allow arcanists to manipulate aetheric energy and produce specific effects. It's also what allows them to shape the aether into summonable entities like carbuncle, the egis, and the fairies.

What I don't understand is how all these complex formulas and spells equate out to things of the biological variety like Bio and Miasma. We get a very clear cut definition of how conjurers and thaumaturges are able to cast the elemental spells that they can. (Nature and harnessing their own inner aether respectively)so why or how do arcanists produce these debilitating poisons and how exactly do they get into our enemies that don't have blood or other things of the biological variety like golems and skeletons and such?

I ask because these are things that you would see in the arsenal of an assassin or ninja, not typically a math textbook.

While we are on the topic of arcanists spells lets talk about their animations for them. We apparently need to write out formulas for our spells to have shape but all we do is hold high our books with crossed arms whilst a colorful light circles above until we thrust it at our enemies. (Seems a little silly in description doesn't it?)

The only time we actually use our handy dandy notebooks is when casting the Summon I-III spells where we see our characters feverishly doodling the creature they're trying to summon before a flourish of the arm and a close of the book before we have our little pet burst out of the aether in a Blaze/gust/explosion/shimmering light of glory. But we know that we are writing in the books so what happens to it? What if our book fills up with all the formulas we're writing out? Are we using our own aether as 'magic ink'?

THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS YOSHIDAAAA!!!

[Deifact]

Simple answer: because ACN was probably rushed and they just thought of a convoluted explanation that doesn't make sense. It would've made more sense if the books/ink were magic I guess.

[Bombast]

While the other casters pretty much directly harness the power of aether, Arcanist funnel through mathematical formulas to get 'higher' functioning spells. While Black Mages use aether to bring forth fire (Which aether can actually align to naturally, as per Ifrit), the Arcanist renders the stuff in raw power, and then makes constructs with them.,

Bio, miasma, and virus are just physical constructs, like the summons. Think less 'little bacteria running about' and more 'manufacturing nanobots and throwing them in my enemies face.' As such, they can also affect non-biological enemies.

As for the grimoires, they hold all our math in them, presumably so you don't need to remember everything. They don't need to re-write every spell when its cast, but some of the more complicated ones do, not because the act of writing them is important, but because it helps the Arcanist focus.

The books don't fill up because of storyline/game play segregation.

I think that covers everything.

[malykine]

I always assumed that just like they search for the formulae that represent matter, they also search for formulae to tear it apart. I figured that Bio, Miasma etc were just formulas that deconstruct the body from within, causing harm to the target over time, until the spell has no more go-power and the aetherically-summoned "virus" ceases. So you enact a mathematical formula that doesn't actually "infect" your opponent, per se, but wracks them with a slowly growing destruction from the inside out, as their tissues unwrite themselves.

I guess it makes sense from a more fluff-based perspective. Each of the different spells [Miasma, Bio, Virus] target a different part of the enemy. That cell destruction causes them harm until the spell itself wears off and/or their bodies are mended.

[gornotck]

also, the books are magic, the ink is magic, and you "write" the formula in magic ink in your magic book to channel your magic powers.

[Alenore]

I've seen it like "I manipulate the aether flow in such a way you're deprived of it, so you fall sick since that's pretty much what makes you stay alive".

[TinyRedLeaf]

I always assumed that just like they search for the formulae that represent matter, they also search for formulae to tear it apart.

That's basically how I've always approached arcanima as well.

Arcanima, as described in the lore, originated in the Southern Islands, presumably among the native lalafell communities. I imagine that the art grew out of the calculations necessary for blue-water navigation. Anyone familiar with sailing would know, for example, the importance of being able to calculate latitude and longtitude to navigate a landscape with no other landmark.

Arcanima basically describes a scientific, mathemathical approach to invoking magic (Mahouka, anyone?). Or, to put it another way, it's about manipulating aether with maths to fuel physical phenomena. Which is why you'd notice that none of its spells has any relation to the elements, unlike black and white magic.

Now, one way to use arcanima is to heal disease. Biological sickness is caused by various physical agents that can be ameliorated by arcanima, if not outright eliminated. It's a simple matter then, for a skilled arcanist to reverse that process, to inflict the same physical phenomena that cause disease, and hence injure or kill an enemy.

[Wolfandre]

Also, I see the writing of the summoning out as going through complex equations that vary each time you use them (different levels of aether in the environment can affect your summon, so parts of the equation need to be tweaked each time). The other spells, such as Bio, and Miasma, are used much more frequently and are likely much simpler equations that can be gone through in ones head or are just used so often that they wind up being committed to memory.

It is interesting to note, however, that no where does it say in the ACN storyline (and do correct me if I am wrong) that personal aether wells are necessary to take advantage of arcanima. In fact, all an arcanist is doing when they cast their spells is taking ambient aether and routing it a specific way in order to obtain results. Maybe there is hope yet for those that cannot be thaumaturges or conjurers. This does beg the question of why MP is consumed when we cast spells, but that may just be a game mechanic to limit the player or a showing of mental effort put into each cast, rather than actual aether consumption.

[Truxton]

It's great to hear everyone's ideas and opinions when it comes to the little details like this! I was pretty stuck on the biological aspect of the spells so hearing the theory about de-constructing enemies from the insides out gave me a bit of an alchemy vibe so that's pretty cool. I can see that being one explanation especially since scholars leeches ability would most likely work in the same way.

[Eggnook24]

...you enact a mathematical formula that doesn't actually "infect" your opponent, per se, but wracks them with a slowly growing destruction from the inside out, as their tissues unwrite themselves

Now I'm gonna have nightmares.