Wait a minute...is this a plot-hole (Austerities of Wind and Main Scenario-related)?

[WyrahFhurrst]

Not really, an Egi doesn't have the soul of the Primal, if we could just summon Primals as Egi there couldn't be two of the same egi and beastmen wouldn't be able to summon them again since they are already summoned by the player.

Well, it does have the soul of the primal. The soul of the primal kind of brushes on you when you kill it and you take that little bit that clung to you, pump some more aether into it, and you control it in this new form known as an Egi.

The Crystal is a Conduit FOR the Aether, Louisoux didn't use either the allagain or ascian methods, he used the symbols of the twelve as the focusing conduites for mass prayer. How ever him turning into Phoenix was not the original idea it was a last resort back up plan that he literally came up with on the spot.

The definition of conduit does not imply Crystals are anything but what they are. We've used them as Conduite BECAUSE they are crystallized Aether. Thus making them a perfect conduit for focusing the unharnessed aethir of various sources.

You don't need a conduit for aether. You are doing the focusing and controlling. Louisoix did use the conventional summoning method of gathering a whole bunch of aether and a whole lot of prayer to make a joint primal of the twelve. The aether came from the large number of people fighting and adding to the ambient aether in the Field of Carteneau, and the prayer at the various stones of the twelve. The crystals don't channel aether, they are condensed aether by themselves, that's why they're consumed by primals who want to gain power, because while a Primal ambiently consumes the ambient aether of their element (or unaspected aether in a the case of Bahamut, Odin, Good King Moogle Mog, and presumable Ravana), a crystal (being condensed aether) is much more potent than just sitting around sucking up whatever's floating around. That's the reason why we put down Primals in the first place, because they consume ambient aether which upsets the balance.