Magic lore question: inconsistancy?

[Clawtooth]

So, I was thinking about the rise of Magic in the 5th Astral Era, and I was wondering ... is that a misnomer?

We know that White Magic, Black Magic and the Scholarly Arts were all discovered in the 5th astral era ... but Summoning seems to date back to the Allagan Empire.

But if Summoning was around then - in addition to all the 'magic' in the Crystal Tower and the Binding Coil - not to mention the Rivenroad and the Lunar Transmitter and the guy who sealed Odin in a crystal - then how was magic only discovered in 5th Astral and not 3rd Astral when the Allagans were around.

Is all of the Allagan magic just sufficiently advanced technology? And if so then where does that put PC summoners?

It's been confounding me for a little bit ... because there's a lot of stuff we recognise as magic in The Crystal Tower particularly (Scylla mostly) but the Allagans shouldn't have really had ... magic ...

Anyway, what's the deal with this?

[subteraneanbird]

Remember that multiple Umbral Eras happened between the Allagan Empire and when Nym/Amdapor rose. Also remember that the Crystal Tower was buried underground until the Calamity. It's pretty safe to say that the magic the Allagans discovered were lost, and have only recently been rediscovered. Other types of magic were independently discovered by these various groups.

Always remember that the history presented in this game is a bit fragmented due to multiple cataclysmic events that have happened. A thing that's stated by people in the game may not be necessarily true when we as players have more info than them.

[Clawtooth]

Yeah, I've just always found it weird that they always say magic was DISCOVERED in the 5th Umbral/Astral. As opposed to Rediscovered, you know?

[Grayve]

Yeah, I've just always found it weird that they always say magic was DISCOVERED in the 5th Umbral/Astral. As opposed to Rediscovered, you know?

As I understood it, it was discovered by the Five Races in the 5th Era. Allagans are not one of the Five Races.

[Enkidoh]

Also it should be noted that it was stated that magic as it's known now has only been known and practiced for a comparatively short amount of time. Before then, there were other schools of magic taught which fell out of use as time went by and the newer schools of magic were developed. When you first join the CNJ's Guild the receptionist actually states this:

"Primitive magic such as that once wrought by individuals known as mages - meaning those with the ability to manipulate aether - has existed since the dawn of time."
"It was not until some five centuries ago that conjury emerged from this shapeless agglomeration of spells and charms - an event that led to the founding of Gridania."

Really, the three predominate 'legal' magical disciplines found in Eorzea - Conjury, Thaumaturguy and Arcanima - have only really come about in the last century or so and were developed from earlier magical techniques.

[Mercurias]

Everything I ever read states that the current practices of magic were established around the 5th Astral Era. Even outside of those magical schools, there are a vast number of cantrips and even quite large spells that are used on a daily basis, like Return and Teleport.