Crystals

[RomildaRayne]

If the WoL is a foreigner, it always seemed to me that it would make the most sense that he came from overseas.

TILL SEA SWALLOWS ALL!!!

If I recall correctly, the developers did confirm that the intro to 1.0 took place in the Mizzenmast, as evidenced by the borders on the guildleve (the aetheryte in the background is due to how early on the cutscene was in development). So the heroic derplander who represents the players/is having his own adventures while we do had his vision and started his journey proper in Limsa Lominsa. If we take him as a "legacy player", he'd get the Limsa intro as well because he was a WAR.

[Zohar_Lahar]

Warrior of Light is from Limsa Lominsa confirmed! All other "champion" scenarios invalidated!

Till sea swallows all!

TILL SEA SWALLOWS ALL!

< is escorted out of the thread by Ahriman in tuxes, still screaming "Till Sea Swallows All!" >

As one started as an Arcanist, this seems legit.

[Dualblade]

< Ahriman in tuxes >

Get to work on this SE.

[Grayve]

TILL SEA SWALLOWS ALL!

[Morningstar1337]

I Sea what you did there

[treuhavik]

What I found interesting was the "Dark" crystal seen in the lv15(?) main scenario quest; would have been at Swiftperch if from Limsa. The PC sees it after defeating the Ascian, but, before he/she is able to pick it up, it dissipates.

This means that there are light and dark, astral and umbral "elements" as well. Was this given any significance later in the story?

[Malrend]

What I found interesting was the "Dark" crystal seen in the lv15(?) main scenario quest; would have been at Swiftperch if from Limsa. The PC sees it after defeating the Ascian, but, before he/she is able to pick it up, it dissipates.

This means that there are light and dark, astral and umbral "elements" as well. Was this given any significance later in the story?

As I recall, it is mentioned by either Minfilia or Urianger, that these dark crystals are how the Ascians can manifest themselves in a host body.
As for the Astral and Umbral elements, they are sort of like umbrellas, in that they each cover a number of the elements. Like the THM/BLM's Astral Fire and Umbral Ice, unfortunately I can't recall which of the other elements belongs under which umbrella.

[Anonymoose]

I can't recall which of the other elements belongs under which umbrella.

There's an elemental wheel that has six elements in a hexagon, one on top, one on bottom, two on each side. Clockwise from noon, Lightning, Fire, Earth, Ice, Water, Wind, and back to lightning. The three elements on top of the wheel are "astral," existing primarily "above" - lighting, fire, and wind. The three elements on the bottom, existing primarily "below" - ice, water, earth.

Each "polar" element on the wheel is also part of a triad that connects it to the "side" elements of the opposite polarity. These triads are the elemental conquest and submission - lightning is grounded by earth which is grounded by water which is boiled away by lightning; ice is melted by fire which is extinguished by the wind which is obstructed by ice.

Honestly, it's about time I make a new graphic for that. Perhaps I'll make it in the style of the one that's in-game. Can you make out all of the things I said represented in the glyph? Notice how the wheel can represent the world - reality itself - with the warrior of light standing in the middle, where all of the elements are in balance and none is the dominant aspect.

Also notice how there's a mark for the space between elements around the Warrior of Light, drawing the number 12 into the design, as well...

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.

As far as I recall at the moment, we've yet to see a crystal of Darkness that has an element, astral or umbral.

what exactly is their function supposed to be and why does your character collect them?

Most Useful Answer
Sadly, I don't have any more information than what I stated in my last post. Perhaps it's meant to keep a little of that magical mystery, for now.

Most Truthful Answer
Because XIV is a love letter to classical Final Fantasy and you will collect Crystals of Light, godsdamnit.

[Belhi]

They seem to be tied to the Blessing of Light. When we have the Blessing striped we see the crystals in our vision thing become colorless. Either that means they lost there power, which I don't think is the case, or the Blessing of Light is what enables us to tap into their power. Don't the Ascians at some point refer to them as the Crystals of Light? Ramah seems to think them extremely significant considering his reaction to seeing we were given his one by the Sylph and its also curious that Garuda was so badly effected when we basically forcibly drew hers from her.

[Cilia]

The crystals do seem to be tied to your blessing, as they appear in your mindscape after getting each one and after Middy strips your blessing that mindscape seems to fall apart. Anyway, you get them in order as follows:

Water - Lv5(ish) starting city quest.
Fire - Defeat Ifrit.
Lightning - Rescue Frixio from the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak.
Earth - Defeat Titan.
Ice - Defeat Isgebind.
Wind - Defeat Garuda(?).

EDIT: Yep, the Wind Crystal is the last one you get, after some kind of feedback from the Echo forces it out of Garuda when she tries to temper you.