I want to talk about tempering

[LineageRazor]

Unless Y'shtola can train others to use her aethersight, no, the alliance will not be able to rely on that method to scan their forces for tempered intruders. For now, the alliance is no closer to detecting such spies than they ever were, and will need to continue to use old-fashioned OPSEC to prevent sabotage. Assuming that Y'shtola CAN train others to do it, it's possible that in the future the Alliance might gain a powerful tool to use against Primal infiltration - however, for ethical reasons, Y'shtola may be reluctant, granted that using Aethersight apparently reduces the user's lifespan. (On the other hand, allowing the infiltration to go unchecked could result in far worse outcomes... it's not an easy moral question.)

Going back to the topic of 20/20 hindsight, while I admit that I'd forgotten Y'shtola could do this, as far as I know this is the first time she mentioned she could, so not even the other Scions knew it was an option for her to screen the troops, even if she was healthy enough to do so, and the talks could be delayed long enough for her to do so. They could not have been expected to ask her to exercise an ability they did not know she had.

[Ilenya]

Assuming that Y'shtola CAN train others to do it...

Judging by Matoya's reaction, it's something that can be learned, but not necessarily easily or quickly.

[Frizze]

Judging by Matoya's reaction, it's something that can be learned, but not necessarily easily or quickly.

The way i remember the scene they implied it was from the extended time she spent in the lifestream. So teaching may not be the easiest thing. Or i could remember it wrong.

[RobinMalvin]

Judging by Matoya's reaction, it's something that can be learned, but not necessarily easily or quickly.

And unsafe too, since unlike other modern, established magic, the technique seems to solely draws on personal aether with the side effect of reducing one's lifespan. Even if it can be learned or taught, the risks involved seem to outweigh any advantage it might have.

[Ilenya]

The way i remember the scene they implied it was from the extended time she spent in the lifestream. So teaching may not be the easiest thing. Or i could remember it wrong.

You may be right. Either way, I doubt it would be something that Y'shtola would willingly let another learn, especially since she already knows the drawbacks. Though thinking about it, how do those aether goggle things work? I'll admit my knowledge of them offhand is limited, but if it shows enough, it may be something...Assuming more can be obtained somehow.

[Enkidoh]

You may be right. Either way, I doubt it would be something that Y'shtola would willingly let another learn, especially since she already knows the drawbacks. Though thinking about it, how do those aether goggle things work? I'll admit my knowledge of them offhand is limited, but if it shows enough, it may be something...Assuming more can be obtained somehow.

Sadly it's never explained exactly how those goggles work, only that they use them to detect anomalies or disturbances in the aether - one of the original assumptions about them is that they were using them to (hopefully) detect when the original Warriors of Light would rematerialize back in Hydaelyn - which ultimately leads the Archons to their first meeting with the player's character (if you're a new player), or a reunion if you're a returning 1.0 player.

All we really know is that they are the "latest in Sharlayan technology" (according to Papalymo), although Yda Lyse evidently hated them (probably due to them being uncomfortable when worn over her face mask, which, in hindsight is probably foreshadowing about her real identity, she was probably really afraid of her identity being blown):

Yda: "Ack! Stupid things!"
Papalymo: "These 'stupid things' happen to be the very latest in Sharlayan innovation! Show some respect!"
Yda: "But they're so uncomfortable and.. and.. ugly!"
Papalymo: "If you ask me, they're an improvement over that mask of yours."

[Ilenya]

Okay, I thought I was remembering something right.

Never did I dream that I would possess the means to see aether...yet now that I do, I do begin to take it for granted.

This was Y'shtola, ironically, during cutscene 3 of "Just Deserts" for the Limsa story.

I mean, we still don't know how comparable it is against Y'shtola's current 'vision' or if it would even be possible to get more made, since if memory serves Sharlayan is known for keeping its nose out of the affairs of the other cities and keeping their knowledge to themselves.

Just out of curiosity, I went to check the similar cutscene in Ul'dah, where Thancred calls it "Truly a marvel of Sharlayan ingenuity... It's as if I could reach out and touch the aether." I assume your Papalymo/Yda conversation was from the same set in Gridania, but just in case I'll be poking that one, too.

Yeah, looks like Papalymo just mentions "Another disturbance in the aether" without really clarifying. That's interesting.

[ObsidianFire]

I'd point out that there's probably a difference between seeing aether and telling the difference between different types of aether. The former is "is aether here?". The latter is "there is aether here, this is what type it is". Given that all living things (and several nonliving things) have aether, I'd think just being able to know where aether is wouldn't help that much identifying if people are tempered or not. Unless the amount of aether someone tempered has is "visibly" greater then what average people have or something along those lines. Being able to tell that "this aether looks like a specific primal's aether" though... that's a lot more useful to knowing if something is tempered or not.

I have a feeling it's more the last example then the first one as the degree of tempering can vary a lot.

[Ilenya]

Oh I'm aware. I was just curious because the thought had crossed my mind and I was wondering what exactly happened to them (We can assume Y'shtola's and Thancred's were lost in the aetherial sea, and Papalymo's disappeared with him), but Yda/Lyse should potentially still have hers, and potentially more. I'm guessing they were more or less forgotten about, but it'd still be interesting to know if they would have served a purpose in telling Tempered people apart from unTempered.

[SannaR]

Urianger still has his. Not that he leaves the Sands unless he's needed.