FFXIV Lore: Elements, Magic, and Crystals

Hey there, everybody! Darkmaelstrom again with the next installment of Final Fantasy 14 lore. In my last post, I discussed how aether and the Lifestream shapes the land of Hydaelyn and allows life and magic to flourish in the realm. Today, I'm going to dig deeper into the magic itself, how it works and interacts, and what effects it has on crystals. As you are no doubt aware if you have played any caster roles in the game, magic on Hydaelyn is split into 6 different elements that generally cycle in this order: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, Ice, and Earth. Areas of the realm, as well as those residing in it, can be aspected towards and away from certain elements. For example, if an area is aspected towards Fire, the land is generally going to be hot and arid, playing host to deserts and intense sunlight. Scalekin aspected towards Earth generally develop a thick outer skin protecting them from predators. You get the idea. Now, each element interplays with one another in certain ways and, while it can seem a little complicated, there is a passage that can help make it a bit clearer: "The spark of Lightning ignites when it strikes, and thus Fire is born. The heat of Fire renders to ash all that it touches, and thus Earth is born. The density of Earth shuns sun and harbors cold, and thus Ice is born. The armor of Ice melts away, and thus Water is born. The moistness of Water mists and rises, and thus Wind is born. The gusts and sighs of Wind gather the clouds, and thus Lightning is born. The Three Conquests, Boundless and Unwavering Earth grounds Lightning, Water erodes Earth, Lightning boils Water The Three Submissions, Timeless and Unending Fire is extinguished by Wind, Ice is melted by Fire, Wind is obstructed by Ice

The six elements are manifest in all things great and small, and thus polarity deriveth from the Astral heavens above and the Umbral depths below." (Encyclopaedia Eorzea, p9) It seems like a lot to keep in mind, but in general, the elements are arranged in a circle, with Wind, Lightning, and Fire making up the Astral poles, and Earth, Ice, and Water making up the Umbral poles. This outline plays a more key role in the use of magics, as it dictates how elements interact with one another; in other words, which elements are stronger or weaker against other elements. You may also be asking yourself what I mean by Astral and Umbral? Well, when anything in the game is referred to as "Astral," it generally means periods or states of great activity and growth. If "Umbral," it generally means states of stagnation or staunchness. These terms are also used to designate eras in Hydaelyn, with Astral eras being marked by periods of advancement and prosperity, and Umbral eras marking a great Calamity that halts (and sometimes reverses) advancement. We won't get into that quite yet, but just keep in mind that the great eras of civilization follow the same order of elements and polarity.

Now, the question we must ask is, outside of the use of magics, what does this mean for those living in the world? In the last article, I discussed how a being's life is affected by the levels of aether with which they are born, and that one of the components that can either positively or negatively affect a being's aether is exposure to different "aspects" of aether. Well, just like regions, a being's aether is generally aspected towards one element or another. If said being is exposed to elements that are aspected differently from their own, or corrupted aether, it generally detracts from their natural lifeforce, which can have negative consequences for their health. Climate rarely affects this, but one feature of the land that can cause it to happen is crystals. Crystals occur throughout the land of Hydaelyn and, while you can hardly go anywhere without running into these objects, they are not what you would consider a natural occurrence. Put simply, crystals are the result of extreme injury to either the land or its inhabitants. When a being is mortally wounded or killed, their aether is violently lost to them, manifesting as crystals aspected towards the natural aspect of their aether, or to the aspect of magic that marked a calamitous event. The reason why crystals are so abundant throughout the land is due to the many Calamities and wars that mark the history of Hydaelyn. As an example, you can hardly go through Thanalan without noticing the mass areas of crystals that look like mountains of fire. These crystals formed when the primal Bahamut destroyed the realm of Eorzea during the Seventh Umbral Era.

Depending on the circumstances of their birth, these crystals can also become corrupted, causing them to have a markedly negative effect on the natural aether of the land and its inhabitants. This problem is the focus of much study and research for obvious reasons. The inhabitants of Gridania, in particular, seek to balance and remove corrupted aether, in order to placate the elementals that reside in the Shroud. And there you have it! I know this was a bit of a read compared to the last article, but since magic and elements play a much larger role than the Lifestream in the story of Final Fantasy 14, it was necessary. In my next installment, I'll go over the geography of Hydaelyn, concluding the basic outline of how the world works, and moving on to what you're most likely interested in: the religion and history of Eorzea. Until then, happy gaming ^^

-Darkmaelstrom Stewart