Geomancers: Wielders of Nature's Force (03/21/2013)

[Ligray]

http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics...35/detail.html

Geomancers: Wielders of Nature's Force (03/21/2013)

Wielders of Nature's Force

Fear the darkness.

Unfathomable abominations lurk within its umbral cloak...
Its impenetrable color the very origin of terror...

Entrust yourself to the darkness.

Its visage a rejuvenating slumber...
Its breath a comforting embrace...

Lend an ear to nature with your heart and soul.
Let it show you the path to understanding the darkness.

—From "Grasping Darkness" in An Introduction to the Arts of Geomancy

Geomancers lovingly coax out the energies that course through the world's lifestreams so that they may survive another day amidst the Ulbukan continent's savage wilds. The practice of geomancy—concentrating organic powers within luopans and enhancing their potency with the sublime sounds of handbells—is as storied and enchanting as the Ulbuka itself, and while both their existences had remained hidden from Middle Landers for years, the archives in this western land house ample stores of information on this mysterious art.

Sih Renaye's Miracle

The infant's life may have been saved, but the beastmen would go on to slay Sih in cold blood and then endeavor to raze the village. Luckily, the thaumaturgical barrier she had erected held strong even after her death and repelled the creatures' seemingly indefatigable efforts to wreak havoc on their settlement.

Sih Renaye sacrificed her life for the sake of that village. While we retained a settlement, we also lost our continent's most powerful and renowned geomancer. In addition, the five apprentices in her charge disappeared without either a trace or a goodbye.

To what far corners of the world they departed is a question that shall likely remain unanswered for all eternity.

—Excerpt from Sih Renaye and Her Five Disciples, author unknown

In a far bygone age, before flora enveloped the land and effectively barred entrance deeper into the continent, Ulbuka consisted of one vast plain. The people who inhabited this grassland lived in total and constant fear of the beastmen and their Velkk overlords that stalked the plains. The savages were fond of pillaging and plundering, so much so that the rising sun only etched the atrocities they committed more vividly into the minds of their victims rather than offering temporary respite from the bloodshed.

Then, one day, a wandering sorcerer by the name of Sih Renaye appeared before us. She reported to have obtained magnificent powers from a locale emanating heretofore-unheard-of natural energies on the sacred Mount Kamihr. She was gracious enough to demonstrate some of her extraordinary abilities—she could turn mere sparks into searing wildfires, rend the earth in twain, make powerful geysers gush forth from the ground, and cause the winds to dance with only the tiniest of motions—and use them to keep our humble population safe from the Velkk's unrestrained violence.

The barrier of energy she erected with the help of her five disciples not only kept the barbaric leader of the Velkk—Skov-Trok—from unleashing his merciless brand of complete and utter destruction upon our people, but rumor has it that the field also exudes some sort of healing force and bestows exceptional powers upon those within it.
Though Sih Renaye was forced to leave this world, her techniques were passed down from generation to generation, and somewhere in its long history, this ability to manipulate the lifestream was eventually given the name "geomancy."

In Search of Ergon Loci

Those who lost their lives in the woods,
Are greeted by the Mother,
Embraced by the soothing notes of her song,

Rocked gently to sleep in the cradle of her mercy,
They return to the land.

Her every word spoken,
Her every action taken,
Her everything given to her children of Adoulin.

—Exerpt from the play The Legend of the Siren

The term "ergon locus" is used to describe certain locations from which energies buried within the earth well up and overflow. Those who seek to master the geomantic arts all inevitably must depart on a journey to seek them out and give themselves up to the natural power—ergon—that resides within these veritable veins of strength.

Indicolure spells are one of the most fundamental tenets of geomancy—concurrent with the origins of the art itself. Geomancers, however, were able to enhance their own craft by creating a new type of magic called geocolure, in which concentrated amounts of ergon are summoned through luopans. Geomancy has advanced dramatically over the years, but recently, geomancers have been able to turn luopans into portable devices by applying certain astral substances to their surfaces.

The art is constantly evolving, but one principle remains unchanged over time: geomancers who wish to stand proudly upon the summit of their craft must possess both the mental fortitude with which to shake themselves from the grasp of mortal preoccupations and the drive to simultaneously become one with the vibrations of their handbells and ergon itself.

Illustration: Mitsuhiro Arita

[Treize Kordero]

Don't really play mage classes but Geomancer is really getting me interested. I gotta try it.

[Spira]

Lifestream?

[shepardG]

Geomancer: "I reduced damage by reducing FPS!"

[Kyte]

I guess the Velkk are going to be another race of total-asshole beastmen, like the Orcs, Lamia, and Antica.

[Uzor]

Am I the only person who get the feeling luopans will be something you need to buy, like NIN tools?

[Treize Kordero]

Am I the only person who get the feeling luopans will be something you need to buy, like NIN tools?

I hope not because I'm sure people will price gouge that. Unless it's made really affordable by vendor.

I guess the Velkk are going to be another race of total-asshole beastmen, like the Orcs, Lamia, and Antica.

Velkk asshole beastmen? Great daddy needs a new pair of shoes :D

[Deelo]

The AF hat is just awful...otherwise I'd be all over this.

[ronin sparthos]

I guess the Velkk are going to be another race of total-asshole beastmen, like the Orcs, Lamia, and Antica.

Until we find out the Velkk are in the same situation like the Mamool Ja where an invading force is attempting to colonize their land and obliterate them.

Orcs aren't all bad either. Those San'd Orians were asking for it. They used a WMD on an ally to save their capital! Scumbag elvaans.

What am I saying, I just like that Orcs talk Engrish and have cool stormtrooper masks.

[Suteru]

So who wants to bet that the elemental -ra spells will be stupidly hard to get?

[Odin'sLaw]

Goblins just don't give a fuck so i'd say there the moot point on the scale while all other beastmen are asshole's to a degree or more (looking at you Orcs)

[Chamaan]

Qiqirn are the most bro of all the beastmen. I don't think there are even any in the game that are aggressive. They only attack defensively.

=Edit=
Quadavs are also near the bottom. The grounds they occupy were taken from Bastok, but only because Bastok took them first. Quads are like the LotR dwarves, they're the game's natural blacksmiths, so they set up their homes and brooding places inside mines, and Bastokan enterprise wasn't having a bunch of shellbacks taking all the delicious raw material.

[Yeager]

The AF hat is just awful...otherwise I'd be all over this.

/displayhead off

It works wonders! Trust!

[Indalecia]

I don't know, Tonberries are pretty high on the scale of beastmen dickery. Though I'd definitely put Lamiae at the top and Goblins or Yagudo near the bottom.

Probably like Lamiae > Anticans > Orcs > Tonberries > Quadav > Trolls > Sahagin > Mamool Ja > Goblins > Yagudo, might be forgetting one or two.

I would DEFINETELY put Quadavs behind even the Yags. Seriously, they are the by far the most "we really dont want to do this, but you keep pushing us" beastmen

EDIT: "And stop breaking our goddamned EGGS!! Bitches!"

[Seha]

Didn't Quadavs get their lands stolen? Can understand why they're pissed.

[Indalecia]

Hell no will I put yags under quadavs. Fanatical theistic race who believes their god is supah best? Of COURSE they didnt want to join the Shadow Lord.

[Yugl]

No examples of any peace-loving Quadav that I know about.

The Quadav were one of the earliest examples of beastmen to work with enlightened races. Specifically, they united with Sandy under Lanfeaur d'Oraguille to defeat Windy at Jugner Forest. So yeah, way off base there.

[Ibisariot]

The term "ergon locus" is used to describe certain locations from which energies buried within the earth well up and overflow. Those who seek to master the geomantic arts all inevitably must depart on a journey to seek them out and give themselves up to the natural power—ergon—that resides within these veritable veins of strength.

Sounds like Geomancer's version of Proto Crystals. Wonder if there'll be some sort of ergon entity to fight for these powers.

Qiqirn are the most bro of all the beastmen. I don't think there are even any in the game that are aggressive. They only attack defensively.

There are some that aggro in a handful of Assaults, but yeah, none in the regular world I can think of. Though, I believe somewhere in the ToAU mission line (or maybe some quest) there was a group of scavenging Qiqirn trying to rob and/or kill travelers in Aydeewa.

[Draginhikari]

I think really all it shows is that the Beastmen are willing to work with the Five Races when their interests are in alignment. Outside of the Goblins and Qiqrins there just isn't much evidence of this situation outside a few stray NPCs or quest characters. I think we're mostly used to seeing the majority in their more united fronts which are generally the enemy in any given situation.

[Uzor]

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Du%27Dha

Awesomest beastman of all. He even mourned the death of the San d'Orian king.