The Theory of Aether

[Veritas-Ancora]

Aether is quite possibly the most elusive energy in Final Fantasy history. This thread is intended to hear what you think Aether is, what it can do, and how it will change the game in the coming patches.

Post your theories.

[Veritas-Ancora]

I'm under the impression that the enemies of The Crystal Tower were primarily aether. When legends are believed to be true, and enough aether and crystal is consumed, it makes old legends become deities. But who could have summoned these deities? Was it Xande who summoned Cloud of Darkness through aether, or... was it Cloud of Darkness who summoned Xande?

Final Fantasy villains never die like others, their very life force spreads apart into the air. Where do they go? The Void? The air? Do they become aether?

Cloud of Darkness was the only one that didn't die when defeated, and her access to aether could have been when the Warrior of Light broke the tower seals. So is it possible that Cloud of Darkness was the same from Final Fantasy III, and it was all of her minions that were what were summoned? And... could the other final bosses be lying dormant in this Void state too?

[Jonditaru]

I'm under the impression that the enemies of The Crystal Tower were primarily aether. When legends are believed to be true, and enough aether and crystal is consumed, it makes old legends become deities. But who could have summoned these deities? Was it Xande who summoned Cloud of Darkness through aether, or... was it Cloud of Darkness who summoned Xande?

The Cloud of Darkness is the ruler of the Void. She isn't the same as the primals, where she needs to be summoned like they do. Xande was the one that turned to her for power, specifically to destroy Eorzea.

Final Fantasy villains never die like others, their very life force spreads apart into the air. Where do they go? The Void? The air? Do they become aether?

This is incorrect. Not every enemy, or being for that matter, dissipates into the air when killed. This only happens to Primals. It happens, because the only way for them to exist in the physical realm is through the high concentration of aether from crystals used to summon them. When they are defeated, the aether then breaks up and goes back into the world. This isn't limited to the typical elemental primals; Ifrit, Shiva, Garuda etc. King Moggle Mog was the first example of a being who once was alive, summoned back as a primal. Later we get more, where we see people becoming a vessel for the primals with Iceheart, Archibishop and the knights of the round.

Cloud of Darkness was the only one that didn't die when defeated, and her access to aether could have been when the Warrior of Light broke the tower seals. So is it possible that Cloud of Darkness was the same from Final Fantasy III, and it was all of her minions that were what were summoned? And... could the other final bosses be lying dormant in this Void state too?

I'm not sure what you're asking here. CoD is literally a ruler of the Void in FFXIV. The Void is a different dimension within the game, in which the CoD resides. The whole Crystal Tower storyline was adopted from FFIII and worked into FFXIV. So, to answer part of that question: Yes. CoD is the same from FFIII. Just like everything in Crystal Tower. If you haven't noticed it yet, this game is a huge fan service in the sense that nearly every part of the game's lore and story are bits and pieces from old Final Fantasies. On the topic of Aether, it's another version of FFVII's Lifestream.

[Enkidoh]

Aether is quite possibly the most elusive energy in Final Fantasy history. This thread is intended to hear what you think Aether is, what it can do, and how it will change the game in the coming patches.

Post your theories.

I disagree, as the game clearly explains exactly what aether is early on. It is 'life energy' that exists in everything in creation, is the power source behind magic, and has transformative qualities (this is why you use crystals in synthesis as well as those summoning Primals). Utilize enough aether and you can actually make something that is intangible solid, hence Primals' bodies are made of pure aether, as are elementals.

As a start, Thancred mentioned about what aether is shortly after defeating Ifrit for the first time:

Thancred: "Having manifested in the physical realm, Primals must consume aether if they are to maintain their presence here. And the stronger they become, the more aether they require."
Thancred: "Now, aether exists throughout creation. It flows through all life, and permeates the very air that we breathe."
Thancred: "Alas, this alone will not suffice to sustain the likes of Ifrit. Nay, he and his kind require a more concentrated source of aether-crystals."

Basically, it's clear that aether pretty much is not just life, but the very building blocks of existence, and that manipulating it can result in remarkable, but also often dangerous, results.

[Veritas-Ancora]

Editing your posts. Sneaky sneaky sneaky. :P

How does it manifest itself into evil and cruel beings seeking out vengeance? There has to be more to it if life energy can be manipulated into destructive forces as we've seen time and time again. I agree that it does make intangible things solid and associated with elements, but could the understanding of aether have changed as the story progressed? I don't think Ysayle's transformations were more than this, it was her own desires and ambitions which created Saint Shiva, and it was Gilgamesh's longing for his friend that created Enkidu. These beings never existed in this plane until their interpretation and emotion made these beings come to life.

[Enkidoh]

Well, aether is essentially energy so therefore it possess no will of it's own. It's an outside force that manipulates that into a form for either good or ill. Primals specifically, only come about when an Ascian specifically instructs someone exactly [i[how[/i] to create a wish into reality by summoning (Gilgamesh summoning my namesake doesn't really count however, as the whole Hildibrand questline is firmly wedged tongue in cheek and isn't really truly canon to the wider storyline, and thus that whole quest should be taken with a grain of salt).

This is the crucial point here - simply having a boatload of crystals and a strong will is not enough to make your wishes manifest as reality, there is a specific technique known only to the Ascians which is the missing piece of the puzzle. What that technique exactly involves is anyone's guess though, but what is clear is that it's essential to make summon a Primal or Primal-like entity (this is why Eorzea isn't filled to the brim with people making their wishes come true simply because they have a strong will and lots of crystals ), and that it is a secret that only the Ascians have knowledge of - hence why they appear to the downtrodden or defeated members of society, whether the beastmen or spoken. They appear in a non-threatening form promising them 'salvation' and the ability to make their dreams reality, instructing them how to summon with crystals.

Additionally, it's interesting that Ysyale never once mentioned exactly how she becomes Shiva, she holds that secret close to her chest even after we gain her trust and helps us. Whatever it is, it's the smoking gun so to speak.

[Veritas-Ancora]

Another thing that bothered me was Shiva's final transformation. She did so without any crystals at all. Up until this point, we've always understood that the greater the quantity of crystals, the more powerful the being becomes. If that's the case, it would have been nearly impossible to freeze the bullets and cause that much damage to a Garlean airship. So if a being can call upon a primal without crystals, is it possible that there's a right and wrong way to summon them?

I'm under the impression that there's much more to aether than we understand. Shiva was very different from other primals, and she seemed to be in control of this energy. Ramuh was also kind and rational seeking justice and judgment, and even in his extreme state the quest story said that Ramuh did not wish to cause harm.

[Kaiser-Ace]

Aether is just energy that can be made into matter. It is but abundent but also finite so it can run out (to the great detrament to all living things).

While some Aetheric Constructs are used for evil Aether it's self is Nutral. You can't actually assign a primeval force to the morality scale.

As for the Crystal Tower Entities, Chimeric Beasts were kept in stasis, void sent can be summoned spontaniouly, automatons are undying Machines, and Dragons are nearly immortal.

Xande, the Ninjas, and The grey skies Mobs were clones, Amon, Scylla, and "Mr. Hulk" we're generically modified and put in stasis when the tower was sealed along with the other beings in the tower.

As for Primals, they are just Aetheric Constructs who's consciousness, form, and temperament are shaped by the Summoner. Not unlike an Archanist's Carbuncles.

[Kaiser-Ace]

Oh, and Iceheart used her Crystal of Light to transform the last time. It's what she was holding to her chest mid fall.

[Veritas-Ancora]

But the Crystal of Light isn't a tangible item either, it's embedded into one's being. The Warrior of Light can't pull into their chest and grab the crystal. This would mean that you can expend your own life force in the same way you can the crystals.