On the nature of Carbuncle

[Urthdigger]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I'm curious about our favorite little summon. I was recently corrected when I referred to the Mor Dhona carbuncle as male, when in fact the arcanist who owns it says it is named Ruby and uses female pronouns. Now, I tend to use male pronouns, as Carbuncle prime in FFXI (with the player summoned ones being mere manifestations of his power) used male pronouns, albeit only in one CS.

In any case, I began to wonder if gender should even apply. I recall that Carbuncle is just a bundle of aetherial energy brought forth using diagrams in a grimoire. This would suggest they are soulless automatons, more an "it" than anything.

But then, on the other hand, we have the wandering Carbuncle of Mor Dhona, which exhibits behavior that suggests individuality. We have the yips they communicate with. This all suggests something closer to living creatures that are individuals rather than copies of one another.

So, thoughts?

[treuhavik]

The same could be asked of primals. As far as we know, they too are just masses of aetherial energy. Then again, most things exhibiting life tend to develop their own personality, and everything living is either made of or filled with aether.

[Anonymoose]

I've just been sitting back waiting to find the meaning in that little event. Is she just not very good with arcane geometry and gets a glitchy carby with a classic name? Or is she extraordinarily good with arcane geometry and gets to beta test the development of Ruby Carbuncle from the ground up using modified Emerald Carbuncle geometry?

They made six skins for the pet, one for each element; you figure they'd use them. I always wondered why we never got the red-gem carbuncle. Garuda-Egi is essentially a modified Emerald Carbuncle (wind carbuncle vs. vortex egi), ditto Titan-Egi and Topaz Carbuncle (earth carbuncle vs. crag egi). Their attacks are even the same with different names.

Following the convention pattern, there should eventually be Sapphire Carbuncle for Leviathan-Egi, Diamond Carbuncle for Shiva-Egi, and Iolite Carbuncle for Ramuh-Egi... which leaves Ifrit-Egi and the suspiciously absent Ruby Carbuncle... who should be red and headbutting things rather than an idiosyncratic Emerald Carbuncle wandering around Revenant's Toll.

I bet I'm just overthinking things again.

Don't even listen to me.

[Eloah]

...Following the convention pattern, there should eventually be Sapphire Carbuncle for Leviathan-Egi, Diamond Carbuncle for Shiva-Egi, and Iolite Carbuncle for Ramuh-Egi... which leaves Ifrit-Egi and the suspiciously absent Ruby Carbuncle...

Why would the gem for Ramuh be Iolite, wouldn't Amathyst make more sense, being the premier purple gemstone. And maybe Aquamarine, or Turquoise for Leviathan, then Sapphire could be for Shiva, lol. Sorry I know they were just suggestions I just overthink this stuff too, lol.

Oh and what about Garnet for Ifrit, :P.

[lololink]

Why would the gem for Ramuh be Iolite, wouldn't Amathyst make more sense, being the premier purple gemstone. And maybe Aquamarine, or Turquoise for Leviathan, then Sapphire could be for Shiva, lol. Sorry I know they were just suggestions I just overthink this stuff too, lol.

Oh and what about Garnet for Ifrit, :P.

Linked to the ilvl 90 gems maybe, the gems are Topaz, Iolite, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald and Ruby, they are the only gems that weren't in the game before 2.0 I think.

[Eloah]

Linked to the ilvl 90 gems maybe, the gems are Topaz, Iolite, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald and Ruby, they are the only gems that weren't in the game before 2.0 I think.

Bingo. If Topaz and Emerald are on the same tier, in the right colors, those would be the rest would be ...

Oh, I'll have to take your words for it since I started the game in 2.0. Though I will say I find Iolite strange, such an obscure gem to use, lol.

[Anonymoose]

Why would the gem for Ramuh be Iolite <...> what about Garnet for Ifrit, :P.

Linked to the ilvl 90 gems maybe <...> Topaz, Iolite, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald and Ruby

Bingo. If Topaz and Emerald are on the same tier, in the right colors, those would be the rest would be ...

Following the convention pattern

[Urthdigger]

Except she's only NAMED Ruby, and is still an emerald Carbuncle.

[Anonymoose]

Except she's only NAMED Ruby, and is still an emerald Carbuncle.

Well, if I was going to make a new carbuncle, I'd start with the formula for one that already existed and start tweaking it. If I tweaked the formula for Emerald Carbuncle and it didn't turn out like I planned, perhaps I'd get a derpy Emerald Carbuncle whose raison d'etre was to wander off, climb things, and yip at people.

Orrrr perhaps it's just a glitchy Emerald Carbuncle named Ruby that belongs to a lackluster Arcanist studying in Mor Dhona.

<flips coin>

"YOU GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT OR YOU'LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS CUBIC ZIRCONICA CARBUNCLE."

[treuhavik]

Except she's only NAMED Ruby, and is still an emerald Carbuncle.

Yeah, it's a blue bunny-squirrel. I have some screenshots somewhere when I found him - resting just above his masters gaze, no less.

EDIT: Found it!




P.S. Please don't google "carbuncle" without a color-prefix. *shudders*