Aether explainations and exceptions

[Sakasa]

If you played FFXI, Dark Crystals were used on items to make them "decay", while Light Crystals were used to "restore" or fix things, such as fishing rods. I know that in 1.0, I got a crystal which had its energy drained from it.

Because dark and light are not pure out comes on the elemental wheel. Deaspected crystals was the absence of aether of an element due to Atomos feeding and appearently when the energy is released back into our world it is untained an easily absorbed which is why we could use it as a buff item (stat wise it was a huge buff compared to other buffing items at the time).

This world differs from FFXI alot in reference to the primal source of energy so really very little from FFXI is valid as some systems like return is explained not as a spell like XI blms have which also exist but by innate highways of aether we can attach to and via force of will rematerialize at certian cluster points. The lore systems seem closer to older Final Fantasys such as 4 and 6 then to the lore of 11. Even in 1.0 with how Atomos is and what is truely does which while in a way serves a similar purpose and does a similar action not including time warps it is still an independant being that is a tool for other fiends.

While there are things specifically classified as "evil" such as the void even that doesn't specifically point to umbral as astral and umbral seem more of an intent then an action.

I think Moose has the closest line of thinking among the lore junkies in terms of elemental display:

However, Astral and Umbral exist in all things. There is an Ice Crystal of Light even though ice is an Umbral Element. There an astral and umbral month for every element, even though those elements are themselves astral or umbral. One should be careful not to confuse The Umbral with The Darkness.

So while time will tell and more lore is gathered specially as the new expansion approaches and we approach a realm that is appearently no where near as aether rich as Eorzea is I believe we will see differences more then just locale.