What are fairies exactly?

[Transient_Shadow]

Conjury is granted through the wellspring of life
Egi are granted by being infused with primal energies

But what are Fairies? Eos and Selene are mentioned to be related to the sun and moon but its never specified what kind of Aetheric creature they are. Are they the incarnation of nature summoned like the Egi is to the primal?

What are your thoughts?

[Anonymoose]

To classify them biologically, faeries are classified as elementals, but they did not exist before they were created; they are manufactured entities similar to other arcanima constructs.

The scholars of Nym would create faeries by "taking the energies and elements around them" and binding them to soul crystals that serve as their anchors to the material plane. This is what separates them from something like carbuncles (whose behavior and attributes are defined by mathematics and gemstones) or egi (whose behavior and attributes are defined by the tainted "aetherial waveform signatures" left on summoners by defeated primals). It allows the faeries to gain power and experience from the scholars who hold the stones over time; over the years each faerie becomes an individual with "memories" and "identities" all their own.

I don't know if they've ever gotten more specific about how the Nymian scholars "used the energies around them" to "make" faeries, or if that's all we need to know. I wouldn't be surprised if some Carbuncle-like geometries were involved, given the way the arcanima arts filtered down to modern Limsa Lominsa. Those histories all tend to go back to islands in the south seas and the Plainsfolk that inhabited them, but they don't cleanly, definitely, always converge.

Either way, the sun and moon themes are related to the current aspect of the faerie. It's the same entity in a different "stance", so to speak. So far, only the two stances are known, but that phrasing alone hints that more are possible.

[Cilia]

To oversimplify, a fairy is a more advanced Carbuncle. The basic tenet of arcanamia is that magic can be studied and used by manipulating geometry, and in more advanced practices is very similar to computer programming - a Carbuncle is essentially a "living program," and all of its spells and abilities are functions programmed into it. Carbuncles have no will of their own, however, and can be altered with the right "coding," as shown by Alphinaud during 3.0 and the woman who augments your Anima Weapon with the Umbrite / Crystal Sand (I forget her name).

A fairy is what could be classified as an even more advanced Carbuncle - instead of just a living program with no will of its own, Eos/Selene (they're two different aspects of the same being) are functional AIs. Their memory is stored in the SCH Soul Crystal and unlike Carbuncles are capable of independent action.

[Belhi]

Hmm... I wonder if the fairies creation is somewhat similar to the Anima process we are currently performing? Hell we are even using a Soul Crystal as a core 'housing' for the Anima.

[TinyRedLeaf]

^ My thoughts exactly. Ardashir and Ulan (the arcanist in Idyllshire who provides the crystal sands) both classify the anima as an arcane entity, and it shares many of the sapient characteristics of Nymian fairies. The key difference being that, as of now, the anima's function is tied to its host relic, and it can't exercise its own actions, unlike fairies.

As for carbuncles, I wonder about the extent to which we can say they don't have "independent" wills, as we've seen by now multiple examples of carbuncles going astray in Revenant's Toll as well as Idyllshire. Heck, one carbuncle even saw fit to abandon its evoker (Tataru). Sure, we could blame faulty maths for such errant behaviour. But, conversely, it would mean that it's possible to program a fair degree of autonomy into the carbuncles, enough to make them borderline sentient.

[Transient_Shadow]

Thanks.

So roughly speaking Fairies are 'fragments' of Elementals that allow the casting of a derivative form of white magic. which would explain the final spell seen in the second sch quest which mimicked the abilities of a conjurer.

[Anonymoose]

Hmm... I wonder if the fairies creation is somewhat similar to the Anima process we are currently performing?

Silly though it may sound, I've become a bit cautious when making assumptions about which exposition is solid core world lore and which is well-dressed aetherial technobabble, lol. Sometimes it can feel a bit like stucco plastered over a core of "we need a convincing excuse to do a thing". Trying to make the relic chains, elementals, arcanima, and soulkin play nice together where their terms overlap has been proving to be ... challenging, lol. I have no doubt that they've been careful to ensure that the world lore does not contradict itself, but I suspect that some of the finer detail work has yet to be set by the kiln, so to speak.

So roughly speaking Fairies are 'fragments' of Elementals that allow the casting of a derivative form of white magic. which would explain the final spell seen in the second sch quest which mimicked the abilities of a conjurer.

Just be careful not to confuse all elementals (a taxonomy class that encompasses all aetherial transcendents) and "The Elemenatals", a specific type of such being that resides within and protects the Twelveswood. Until we have a more clear way to put it, it might be more accurate to say that faeries are cousins of both carbuncles and "The Elementals". Faeries can use healing magicks, but "White Magic" is a specific term referring to an Amdapori tradition stewarded by the Padjal with the permission of "The Elementals".

[Chocolys]

At Mor Dhona there is a blue carbuncle that appears to have its own free will. It is wandering by itself sometimes standing on top of a market stand around (X:22.2 Y:6.4). And then sometimes you can see the carbuncle's owner, a blonde female miqo'te wearing glasses and dressed in white garments wandering and sniffing around the market trying to find the carbuncle.

Not only that but the owner can be heard saying "come out this instant or you're going without supper!" which implies her carbuncle also enjoy food as well

PS: Free willed + Food lover carbuncle => I want a fat carbuncle glamour for myself!

[Cilia]

Well, it's implied that not everyone can control their Carbuncle. Tataru fails to do so when she tries to join the ACN guild near the end of Before the Fall, suggesting it's either a lack of training or poor skill with arcanamia that can cause a Carbuncle to go wild. Tataru is said to have a lot of potential as an ACN thanks to her job being very numbers-focused, though, so take that for what you will.

On the other hand, with them being more or less living programs behavioral subroutines can be programmed into a Carbuncle. ACNs could basically program their own pets.

Maybe.

[Chocolys]

From just playing the game, regardless of strict lore, this how I feel about carbuncles:

Real Life Carbuncles:


They are inherently loyal.
They will fight for you.
They have their own will.
If you don't have authority/confidence with them, they will not obey you (see: Tataru)
They enjoy food (like the one at Revenant's toll)

The only difference is they been magically created ^^

The fairies indeed seems more intelligent than carbuncles in the game.