A theory about the CNJ and THM lore

[Elgeron]

Lately I have been thinking about THM having element spells and CNJ losing some of them and I tought of an explication. Sadly, I haven´t played for a long time, so I havent in game evidences to back up my theory, so I will happily accept opinions and discuss about it. English is not my native language so please, forgive me if I make any mistake.
Ok here I go...

Think for a moment that the power of both, Conjurer and Thaumaturge, are based of the observation of the world, but from two different point of view.

Conjurer have a pure and literal vision of the world. They pray to the elements, yes, but only to the PURE elements, earth, water, and wind. Fire, lightning and ice are just causes of the interaction of this 3 pure elements, the elements of nature.

Wind represents the skies habited by all the flying living beings.Wind is a very important factor to all the habitas of animals,for example, it spreed the seeds of flowers.

Water represents the rivers, seas and oceans. Marine beings live there, and all the living things need water to survive. oceans and seas regulate the temparature of earth habitats and erode the rock.

Al the terresstrial beings live on the Earth. Plants and trees are extensions of this element are essential for all the animals and sentient, producing oxygen and being a key part of the food chain.

These three are in eternal balance, their interactions mantain nature, living beings grow and all damage is restore gradually. Our healing and protective spells are the manifestation of this everlasting balance.

Conjurer pray to the three pure elements,they see the world in its more pure form , a literal vision and their powers is a reflaction of that.

I will post the rest of the theory about the THM soon

[Elgeron]

The Thaumaturges vision of the world is a more philosophical one. They study the metaphysics concepts of life and death, light and darkness. But a pure vision of this is just impossible to achieve. Sentients beings haven´t reach the capacities to see the truth of these concepts, making any try to control they pure form extremely difficult and probably dangerous too. Instead, they use representations, things that help to understand and that they are able to control, because the saw how this "representations" work in our physical reality.

Fire is a representation of light and life. Fire bring light and like life, it bring strong and heat all what is around it, but just like living beings, if it is too strong it can destroy and consume, spreeding without control. But finally, all live must end so do the fire letting pass to the cold.

Ice is a representation of death and darkness. When a a living being die, heat left its body, and just cold flesh or ashes remain. The cold can extenguis the fire, and those who suffer from extremely temperatures feel that their senses are put to sleep and that darkness is covering their visions. Also fire will melt ice, and so life will go on despite of death.

Thunder is related to light, fire and darkness. It come from the storms, dark clouds that block the light. The thunder is bright and strong, it can start fires but it is brief and fade soon, letting pass to the darkness again. It stronly represent the cycle of death and life, and the contrast of light and darkness as well as being a metaphor of how lights can be found even in the darkness, how life will born even in the death.

And so, Thaumaturges use this three elements to understand and controll a little fraction of the true meaning of life and death, these 3 elements come from the 3 pures elements, the elements of nature wich are the manifestation of life and death.

And so my theory ends here. I know is not very good, but i will glad hear your opinions and objections about it. Thanks for reading

[Mikiko]

I thought these were both very insightful theories. I'd go as far as to say they're probably not far from the base lore behind what SQEX has turned CNJ and THM into, as well as WHM and BLM. I still wish CNJ/WHM had actual water magic and not just cures, but we're only Lv.50 so who knows what will happen.

[Shokun]

I have to say I like the theories you have come up with, Elgeron. Although there's a heated discussion going in another thread that Conjurers no longer interact with elements I would disagree with that, and instead try to change the way of viewing elements slightly, and these theories, especially the latter, follow Elgeron's theory for some ways.

Light, especially white light, is the combination of all of the colors, that could also be interpreted as elements. There's also darkness, which might be considered as the lack of light. Some might notice certain hints towards how the thaumaturges and conjurers used to be.

Nowadays, as Elgeron noted, wind, earth and water are all elements that support life. But instead of looking the difference between Thaumaturges and Conjurers through how they view the world, I would point out that fire, ice and lightning are all destructive forces, and that they are born from the elements that support life. In this sense, they are not real elements at all, but rather sentient beings' attempt to control the power of elements. Conjurers borrow and manifest the life supporting elements as healing and protecting force and also direct the nature to counteract against harmful beings, whereas Thaumaturges force the elements around them to appear as a destructive force, and make them intertwine to form the "mutated" elements instead of the pure elements Conjurer calls forth.

[Valentia]

By the Twelve! I've missed good lore-based discussions and musings like this. These are interesting and plausible theories. It also helps shed a bit of light on the titter-tottering of the full elemental control conjurers once possessed and the non-elemental umbral sorceries thaumaturges once used as staple spells.

(NON-INTENTIONAL SPOILER ALERT)
Also, perhaps the shift in elemental sorceries is due to the red Dalamud's corruption of aetheric energies of Eorzea.

I'd be glad to hear your thoughts on this.

[Geabrielle]

I wasn't around for the way things were before but after doing some reading and doing a few of the quests myself, as a new player, I think those are very plausible theories. Added to what Valentia brings to light it's very possible the shift of the Era's end will have such effects upon the way magic works in the world. As things are broken and altered, adaptation must occur. I'm wondering what such adaptations will lead to in the future!