The Origin of Boulder's Down

[Niniyo]

Hello all!

Quick question. Do we know (for certain) the origin of the corrupt crystals (are they corrupt crystals?) that form the "bowl" of Boulder's Down?

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

Well there is a big dalamud keystone in the middle of the impact crater. I imagine that has something to do with it.

[Enkidoh]

Zetsumei has it right - it's clearly corrupted aether that has crystallized around a chunk of Dalamud that impacted the area during the Calamity (you can clearly see the piece of Dalamud sticking out in the centre). No doubt it will be the location of a future turn of the Binding Coil of Bahamut as a result.

[Wolfandre]

Didn't we say somewhere that this could be a possible landing site for Rivenroad?

[Skyhound]

We've spoken about Boulder Downs before in the Coil speculation thread. One thing we all agreed on is that Boulder Downs is NOT related to Dalamud. The major difference is the nature of the corrupter crystal. It's color is much deeper than that found in Dalamud crash sites. It's also dull and inactive, whereas the crystal at Dalamud crash sites is bright and volatile. Crystal is also formed in a dome, as if it was enveloping the Allagan structure that stands inside of it. If anything, the only relation Boulder Downs has to Dalamud is that a Dalamud piece probably just uncovered something that was already there.

You can see how we examined the site here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...ILERS%29/page2

[Anonymoose]

Didn't we say somewhere that this could be a possible landing site for Rivenroad?

One thing we all agreed on is that Boulder Downs is NOT related to Dalamud.

Even just based on this thread I'd hesitate to say all of us agreed on it, but based on the things you've listed, I certainly still think it's an open door. Alisaie spoke of three known landing sites for Dalamud fragments (aka Coil Entrances). We know one was the Binding Coil in La Noscea, we know one was the Second Coil in the Shroud, and we know that in Thanalan there's a crash site similar to these two at the Burning Wall. If that all ties together nicely, what is Boulder Downs? We know that Nael was able to raise Rivenroad using resources within Allagan ruins beneath Coerthas, and if you took a Rivernroad sized chunk out of Coerthas, it'd look to be the same shape... so, I like that theory - but no guarantees.

If it's any consolation - we'll know someday. There's a damn clear pathway leading right into whatever it is.

And that thread posted above is totally worth a read. When that thread was going, I'd yet to see Boulder Downs at night - which it turns out is important. The red substance does give off a glow similar to the chaotic aether - but if it is the same substance, it's significantly less volatile. Could be a crash site that didn't directly hit any significant vein of the aetherial streams, could be old ruins revealed in the Rivenroad raising, could be something unrelated and entirely new.

[Applesnap]

If you eventually do the Sightseeing Log, more light will be shed on this for you. If not, here are two relevant entries I found very interesting. Not sure how to use spoiler tags, so if someone can let me know I'll add them (but this is the lore forum) :

#006 - The Salt Strand
"When struck by a fallen shard from Dalamud's outer shell, a massive amount of concentrated aether was released from just below the surface of the Rothlyt Sea, immediately fusing with, and crystallizing the towering fount of salt water which was expelled during the impact. City-state-funded exploratory forays into the inner crater have all yet to return..."

#049 - Fallen Neurolink
"Coined by the learned men of Garlond Ironworks, these massive rings were used to dampen spiritual energies, preventing the focusing of power required to wield magicks. No less than five, each measuring hundreds of yalms across, were required to keep Bahamut silent for a two full eras ... but even then they proved insufficient."

----------------

The cresent-shaped objects in North Shroud and embedded into The Nail are therefore gigantic versions of Twintania's neurolinks. You may infer that, together with Dalamud's keys, the force of their impact onto Eorzea ignited reservoires of subterranean aether and then rapidly cooled them, forming the "claws".

** Not sure "hundreds of yalms" is entirely accurate in this statement, but Eorzeans have no middle ground as far as measurements go. 880 yalms are half a malm. Half a malm is 805 meters in our terminology and we're only seeing a partial neurolink, so I suspect they are closer to a malm or two.

[Urthdigger]

FYI, they have plenty of measurements. Ilms, fulms, yalms, and malms, corresponding to inches, feet, yards, and miles.

[Applesnap]

Another entry is #72 - Boulder Downs:

"Before the Calamity, Boulder Downs was a vast sloped lea littered with moraine deposited by realm-swallowing glaciers long receded. The rain of debris that accompanied the fall of Dalamud, however, transformed the landscape into a frozen wasteland pocked with gaping impact craters and peculiar dark matter formations."

Hope that's of interest to some people. Really love the sightseeing log for all these lore fragments, so thanks for adding it!

PS. Thanks. I know the Eorzean measurements, but they go from a yalm (0.9 meters) straight to a malm (1609 meters). Thus, no "middle ground", which is what I meant.

[Anonymoose]

peculiar dark matter formations.

...talk about anti-climactic. It does match the texture of the dark matter in T6 (though the color is more dull).

I figured for sure it wasn't overaspected aether; still, I had my heart set on Rivenroad scars.

Ah, well. <snaps fingers>