Tattoos being used as an aether focus

[FloppyDingo]

I keep being told that this was stated in lore somewhere, or answered by Koji Fox himself, but I cannot for the life of me find out where. Does anyone know where this is referenced?

[Cybylt]

I don't know about direct statement of tattoos specifically but aetherically conductive inks are what allow Scholars, Summoners, and Arcanists to channel through their books so it's logically sound that this could apply to tattoos as well.

[Alleluia]

That'd be a really neat character concept. Assuming channeling aether actually through one's skin like that didn't kill you, of course.

[ExKage]

It was either mentioned in the Lore Panel and or this mention in Vol 2.


Here's this lore panel image. I didn't take notes but uh. Yeah!

[Anonymoose]

A+ citation work. <single tear>

[SannaR]

I guess the topic first came up because someone asked about the tattoos you get when you wear the lv 70 mnk outfit and Koji had said those were drawn/made with the same enchanted ink used to make sch/smn books. So as the TDLR from the lore panel tattoos can help one channel their aether. I do wonder about the few other tops that also give our characters tattoos work in the same way. If not the facial paint choices also are effected.

[Sounsyy]

From the 2018 Las Vegas Fanfest Lore Panel, Between Two Fernes:

Q: Koji, two years ago now you spoke to someone from my FC about channeling aether through ink in one's body and the potential for arcanima formula via tattoos.

MCKF: Alright, you're using the highly aetherially conductive ink that you use for creating books and things like that. That’s what it is. Those types of tattoos actually exist. We actually see some in the game already. The Monks’ Pacifist gear, you get like a body paint on your arms, and that’s using that type of aetherially conductive ink. That’s used to guide and channel aether from around you to do those super-powerful actions and assists in those monk attacks. So this actually exists already. We actually talk about this in the second lore book, so this is definitely confirmed.

You can find the rest of the Q&A section of the panel here.
Hope this helps!

[ObsidianFire]

The Summoner AF3 armor uses it too. Or at least, they paint arcane geometries on their skin for various reasons... Here's some of the stuff from Lore Book 2.

Aside from the horn, summoner garments resemble those of other mages, lengthy and seeping--though they are unique in leaving some portions of skin uncovered. Y'mhitra of the Sons of Saint Coinach asserts that this preference is in fact practical, enabling the summoner to better absorb the essences of the primals he confronts. And while gaps in the one's raiments do reduce overall defense, it could be argued those who dedicate themselves to harnessing primals' power for their own are not, at any rate, innately inclined to an excess of caution.

Yes, you read that right. Summoners don't like having a lot of "stuff" between them and the ather they absorb when they kill primals so they purposely fight half naked. And if that doesn't make sense, killing a primal to use its powers is a huge risk as it is. What's one more? Or, summoners are probably half-crazy already. If they were saner, they wouldn't be summoners. And would use conventional mage robes.

This daring vest protects only the heart, leaving the upper arms and stomach exposed. The dearth of fabric makes it impossible to stitch arcane geometries as one might on a robe, so the arcanist compensates by painting one on his skin directly.

So you don't have to go so far as using aetheric ink in tattoos for it to work. Using it like normal body paint works just fine.

[AtraVeritas]

I'm not sure if that was ever a thing. That being said, sounds like a cool idea!

[SannaR]

I think we just unlocked a few rp options for some people. If at least acceptable reasons for glamour useage.