Aetherytes, Garleans, and You!

[Rosenoire]

Okay, there's really no "and you," but I was wondering if Garleans inability to manipulate aether means they can't use aetherytes. I seem to remember Y'shtola saying that Thancred couldn't use them any more after his dip into the Lifestream messed with his magic; would something similar apply to Garleans?

[Enkidoh]

Pure-born Garleans, most definitely, for exactly the reason you mentioned. Having said that, like everything it seems the Garleans have developed a technological alternative to teleporting instead - they appear to make use of a magitek transporter gate that connects their crag-like Castri to a nearby landform (this is actually why Cape Westwind exists - it's the location of the transporter gate for Castrum Marinum that lies offshore on a rocky island in the Rhotano Strait, hence this was actually the true objective for the fight against Rhiatayn during Operation Archon.

We weren't just there to assassinate him and take him out of the equation, we were also there to destroy, or at least shut down, the transporter gate there in order to prevent Castrum Marinum sending troops through it into Thanalan to reinforce Castrum Meridanium - which we do by literally killing two birds with one stone - the death blow we land on Rhiatayn sends him flying backwards at the gate, the force of his weight impacting the delicate magitek device so severely as to effectively destroy it. The Gration's landing spot in Azys Lla has also apparently gained a similar gate, allowing the VIth to quickly evacuate troops onto the Delta Quadrant, establishing several rudimentary bases there.

Either way, it's clear the Garleans cannot use teleportation magic, instead they make use of magitek transporter gates which effectively serve the same purpose (albeit with a fixed departure and destination point).

[Mysterysword]

Kind of makes you wonder why the Garleans allowed aetherytes to even exist in Doma and Ala Mhigo. You'd think they wouldn't want constant reminders of their genetic disability everywhere.

[PArcher]

Kind of makes you wonder why the Garleans allowed aetherytes to even exist in Doma and Ala Mhigo. You'd think they wouldn't want constant reminders of their genetic disability everywhere.

Pureblood Garleans aren't common out in the provinces, so allowing everyone else (which includes the majority of their armies) the ability to get from point a to point b effectively isn't a bad idea

[Theodric]

I'd also point out that Regula van Hydrus is shown to use some manner of teleportation during the Warring Triad quest chain. So there's direct evidence of a Pureblood Garlean making use of teleportation - though I'm inclined to believe he simply attuned himself to the magitek gate overlooking The Gration in Ayzs Lla.

[Jingai]

I'd also point out that Regula van Hydrus is shown to use some manner of teleportation during the Warring Triad quest chain. So there's direct evidence of a Pureblood Garlean making use of teleportation - though I'm inclined to believe he simply attuned himself to the magitek gate overlooking The Gration in Ayzs Lla.

Could be that Hydrus simply had his armour outfitted with some sort of magitek field generator that could duplicate aetheryte teleportation effects. I'm not sure Pureblood Garleans can attune themselves to an Aetheryte like other Hydaelyneans can.

[Yuriane]

Based on how there's a cable linking the transporter gate to the destination, we can probably guess at how they work. Garleans can't manipulate aether but they are still comprised of aether like everyone else. If a Pure-Blooded Garlean were to try to use an aetheryte, best case scenario is nothing would happen, worst case is their aether would dissipate and they'd die. I posit that the transporter gates work by breaking you down into aether and then transferring you safely through the cable, then reconstructing you on the other side.

Regula's teleportation was likely a wireless version, connected via a pair of beacons within his armor and the Gration.

[YianKutku]

Also there are Magitek Transporters in Dzemael Darkhold, along with various "stand in this to activate" magitek devices, for some reason. (Seriously, why the heck would anyone build a device that only activates when someone stands in it and twiddles their thumbs for a minute?)

I don't recall if the transporters have wires leading out of them.

[Enkidoh]

From what I understand, the reason why there is magitek transporters in Dzemael Darkhold (and Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak) is that those dungeons were originally from FFXIV 1.0 and their pre-Calamity versions the Garleans (specifically, Nael's VIIth Legion) had actually infiltrated them and set those devices up to allow easier transport through them. Needless to say, the Garleans no longer occupy those areas by the time of ARR, but their equipment still remains.

One of the loremasters would be able to give further information on this though (including why the Garleans were infiltrating those dungeons in the first place).

[Mysterysword]

Seriously, why the heck would anyone build a device that only activates when someone stands in it and twiddles their thumbs for a minute?

Note that most of those devices happen to be in rather hazardous areas. Off the top of my head, only the first and last sections of the dungeon have them. In the first section, we see those devices everywhere, apparently being used to trap the ahriman flying around in those tunnels, and none of them were inside the purple protection crystals. In the third section, we have two blue circles at once, both smack dab in the range of giant exploding crystals.

So maybe those devices weren't actually the main way to open the gates, just really stupid traps that somehow allow intruders to unlock the gates if they survive long enough.