Mysteries of Dynamis Explained (FFXIV Lore)

[@sirphelan999]

I believe it is also referenced in the omega raids as the variable that he cannot measure and ultimately try to copy in the final fighting

[@StoutHelm]

Another great one to bring up. And considering it’s more recent than some of the others - this one could be a direct reference.

[@Moonteg]

@@StoutHelm Precisely, the Omega's raid was written by Ishikawa herself, main writer of Shadowbringers and Endwalker. I'm 100% sure she already thought about something like power of friendship/LB/Dynamis at this very moment :)

[@Salt_Mage]

In the short stories for Shadowbringers, in the failed future, Omega and Alpha watch the work of Cid and the Ironworks and watching them entrust their dreams to a timeline that they will never know moves Omega. And for the first time, Omega experiences hope.

[@oxtim394]

Whoa, nice connection!

[@75skyloftmexican]

Welp, the Omega Ultimate confirmed it!

[@willa1018]

About jobs that probably are related to Dynamis in some way, I believe that DRK is also a Dynamis user, as all the "Dark Magic" it casts is supposedly drawn from all the negative emotions from the user.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

Still requires your personal aether to perform, but I don’t think that’s an unreasonable theory. Quite possible.

[@StoutHelm]

It’s definitely possible and one I considered mentioning. But there’s so many possible Dynamis references that I knew I couldn’t cover them all.

[@youiri65]

DRK draws from negative emotions AND/ extreme love and desire to protect.

[@HimitsuYami]

To a degree I would agree but Dark Knights do primarily utilize Aether. I suspect however, that they use Dynamis to help shape the Aether

[@Narlaw1199]

@@HimitsuYami DRK have mp regenerative skills. They in particular may be Dynamis based, or they just use a mix of both in general.

[@chrisanderson7820]

I always assumed Elidibus' Limit Break was made possible by the reflections of the heroes he summoned rather than himself.

[@StoutHelm]

The most plausible explanation for me.

[@Vokcas01]

A more plausible reason I would say is Emet and Labreha limit breaks are different to Elidibus due to Elidibus is 100% dead. Ironically you could argue that Elidibus is a imprint of the world given how similar him and Ven are. Also it is to note the 3 doesn't use magic but the Power of Creation which is as far as we know magic in its purest form.

[@tuck295q]

I think Elidibus limit break is also Dynamis. Instead of using dynamis from his own identity (which is impossible as an ascian), he uses it through the shell, the avatar of prayer instead as a primal WoL.

[@OromisGlaedr]

Kind of late to the party here, but Dynamis being used by Bards and Dancers makes a lot of sense. Music, singing, and dancing are considered universal ways of expressing emotions. Even if you can't understand the lyrics of a song, even if a dancer does not say a single word, the performers can share their emotions with you.

[@cup_noodl]

I'm so happy algorithm gods bleesed me with this channel. There is a serious lack of supply for good FFXIV lore content and I really enjoy your videos

[@StoutHelm]

Friend, I am so happy that you are here and enjoying it. My plan is to push one new video a week for you guys.

[@charlesmoore3390]

If you're looking for more FFXIV lore I'd also recommend watching Synodic Scribe, if you haven't already heard of him. His stuff is along the same lines as this channel.

[@cup_noodl]

@@charlesmoore3390 i actually got guided here from him :3

[@StoutHelm]

@@cup_noodl that’s great! I enjoy his content too. Happily subbed

[@StoutHelm]

@@charlesmoore3390 yes, I enjoy his channel too!

[@snarkvictory4425]

If you go into the Dark Knight quests, especially with Myste, I believe this is dynamis as well.

[@StoutHelm]

I think you’re right with the use of negative emotions. Probably one I should’ve also included.

[@sylas3265]

I’ve thought of this as well since the Dark Knight quests concern powers resonating from inside our wol and is intrinsically attached to their emotions. Even when said emotions go haywire which is fitting considering Endwalker.

[@Moonteg]

@@StoutHelm same that comment above, Dark Knight quests were also written by Ishikawa. Guess that she loves the idea and I can't blame her for that XD

[@riel7387]

@@Moonteg That explains why it's one of the best sidequests in the game. It's unexpectedly wholesome for a edgelord class.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

This is my interpretation based on what I experienced about it in game and from other lore channels as yourself. At this point, it’s just speculation without more concrete evidence so I could be wrong in some aspects. Dynamis is a powerful form of energy that can manifest meaningful change on the corporeal plane depending on how powerful it is. It’s not able to be controlled in a manner like aether. To interact with it, it has to be through strong forms of emotion. We’ve seen what it can do if it is gathered in large amounts and suffused with enough emotion to forcefully overpower aether. It’s more plentiful, but by in large the weaker energy. I believe it is capable of empowering or enhancing our abilities in certain moments or situations. Here’s the speculation part. What happened in Ultima Thule is good for seeing the potential of what Dynamis could do, but should not be taken as the norm. It is by in large the exception since that amount of Dynamis would never gather into such an place on its own. By admission of modern scholars, Dynamis or Akasa is not easy to observe or study and surmised that we don’t know or haven’t seen what else it can do beyond what we know or already observed from the Final Days of the past and present. So whatever interactions of Dynamis on Etheirys and it’s shards are quite minuscule due the nature of its aether-rich composition. The LB3 used against the Endsinger, the prayers of the Scions empowering us, even going beyond the limits of our body against Zenos, that’s all due to the unique nature of Ultima Thule. Outside of it, the same feats would be nowhere near as potent or even feasible with some of them. So anything that could be tangentially related to Dynamis with our jobs are relatively minor effects if it does prove to be the case of being involved. But also consider how close we and the others of the Source are composed. 8/14ths, or in our case, 9/14ths. Our interactions with Dynamis are logically weaker than an entelechy’s or even those of the Shards. So most of our abilities, feats and Limit Breaks would by necessity be mostly aether based. Doesn’t mean Dynamis can’t influence it, it’s just not as effective as some would give it credit for. Powerful and effective for sure, but NOT AS effective like in Ultima Thule. Make no mistake, Dynamis does not replace aether, it changes our understanding of how everything works from what we previously thought.

[@StoutHelm]

Dynamis is this weird thing that could, in theory, do anything. The rules aren't super strict and the application we've seen is insanely broad. It's problematic from a storytelling perspective.

[@lyconxero457]

The only point that I would add to this is that we may actually see greater feats of Dynamis on Etherys and its reflections now that Zodiark is gone. All that Zodiark basically did to "rewrite the laws of the Star" was to enshroud Etherys in a veil of aether that protected it from EXTERNAL dynamis which, even after being sundered, still continued to protect the Source and its shards from the Endsinger's song of oblivion. This means that all of the dynamis interactions that we've seen in the game up to this point where utilizing the natural amount of dynamis that exists in and around the Star even in the presence of intense aether. With this veil now gone, is it not feasible that higher quantities of dynamis could be drawn to oneself with sufficiently strong emotions? Judging by how Ultima Thule was created and maintained, if all that's necessary to seemingly increase the quantity of dynamis energy in an area is to horde strong emotions over time then one might postulate that dynamis energy itself might tend to pool around worlds with intelligent life that have emotions strong enough to invite more of the energy to swirl about it. If this is indeed the case then it is very possible nie even probable that we may see more instances of dynamis interactions going forward. As a final note, my own hypothesis about dynamis is that it seems to obey some of the same fundamental laws of matter and energy that we understand from our own world; most notably that it is not truly created or destroyed but simply changes form. Aether was already shown to function in this manner as all living beings were thought to be made of various types of aether and would eventually break back down into its base components and return to the aetherial sea only to eventually come back in another form. Dynamis also seems to contain this same property as it can be thought of that the Ancients' creation magics and the current world's aether "withering away" was simply it being converted into dynamis. This process apparently goes both ways as Y'sthola illustrates both by noting that the dynamis creatures look like empty pockets of no aether to her perception but then is able to see and perceive things like normal on Ultima Thule due to Thancred's sacrifice which changed the environment into one in which they could survive.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@lyconxero457 Valid point. But hopefully not to the point of something like the Final Days. A large majority of the populace are aether based and likely would go unaware of its influence.

[@Moonteg]

Exactly, that's why I would have found so cool to have unlimited LB for every person of the group during the final phase of the Endsinger fight. It would be awesome, and logic related to story, to have this power-up ahah

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@Moonteg That would make for a good mechanic in the Extreme trial.

[@molovesmusic567]

In the HW bard quests, there exists a Ballad of Oblivion, which wiped out a lot of moogles. It makes me wonder the connection between the being who sang the Ballad compared to Meteion and the Song of Oblivion.

[@Inhaledcorn]

Another thing to note about the Bard quests: the "Song of Oblivion" is first brought up as a concept in the HW questline (called the "Ballad of Oblivion") Moogles might actually be entelichies since they can sense emotions, as proven by the Ivalice raids (though they think it's emotions carved on the aether since Dynamis is a concept not many know about). What we know as "corrupted crystals" might actually be crystals of Dynamis (the gemstone trader of Ultima Thule only has dynamis crystals crafting mat for sale, unlike the other gemstone traders that carry a variety of mats based on the available fauna.) The Dynamis Crystal description mentions they're golden-colored crystals of crystalized dynamis. Corrupted Crystals, and the Blasphemy of the Melee role quests, can absorb Aether. The Blasphemy of the Melee quests can do this specifically because of Dynamis. Side note: When I first heard of Dynamis explained as a concept, I had two thoughts: 1) That sounds like LB (and I was right) and 2) That sounds like Digi-soul (a concept from Digimon Savers/Data Squad) Edit: I made a joke that Endwalker was just Final Fantasy Kingdom Hearts, but, it turns out, that's basically what it is.

[@StoutHelm]

Thank you! I haven’t leveled Bard at all so this is all new information for me. I’m glad you shared this with us.

[@llKirosll]

and we can finally finish that quest line XD jokes aside, as a main BRD, I loved this connection so much. ^^x

[@Firestari]

As a 7-year player, I stumbled upon your videos lately. Now I can't stop watching them, because they're so interesting. There's so much lore in the game I'm STILL learning about. Videos like these help a ton, and please keep doing them. Underrated channel that has great content. 💕

[@StoutHelm]

Thank you so much I’m really glad you’re enjoying them. The next one is coming sometime this week!

[@lyconxero457]

The fact that our Limit Break 3 is enough to withstand Elidibous's Limit Break 4 despite similar numbers of souls being involved on both sides leads me to believe that what he's using is not a true limit break but simply an approximation using concentrated aether. He fires off a bunch of limit breaks throughout the fight and realistically they are no different from the attacks of other primals. Elidibous, in his guise as the first Warrior of Light, is simply imitating the abilities of WoLs throughout history and their limit breaks are no different in this regard being imitations meant to convey the look and feel of the real thing.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

To be fair, based on his memories and long existence, he could have very well been the first Warrior of Light. Could, because at this moment it’s not concrete. He has made heroes and sometimes even become them for the machinations of the Ascians. I don’t think they are merely imitations. If anything, all the moves in the trial he performed are like super powered versions of those capable of every job.

[@StoutHelm]

This theory makes the most sense… even if the gameplay parts are probably just a coincidence.

[@25xxfrostxx]

They haven't stated much specifically on the relationship between dynamis and aether but the two do have to be able to interact in some way. An Elpis flower would still be corporeal aether that can sense, reflect, and even emit Dynamis to a degree. I wonder if primal summoning is maybe a use of dynamis through faith and sheer force of will in a large group of people to shape aether into the image of the deity or creature that the faithful envision. So the dynamis itself can't directly alter aether but it can shape and mold it. That could also explain why the ancients themselves didn't turn into blasphemies (due to density) but the dynamis instead warped their creation magic itself. Just the fact that it did that indicates that it can have an influence.

[@StoutHelm]

Valid points. I’m not sure we’ll ever get a solid answer on this, but great things to consider.

[@thesunthrone]

The Loporrits state that primal summoning is in truth creation magic - and in most cases flawed at that, the summoner’s desire to prevail over whatever threat infecting the created primal and tainting their aether with the selfsame desire. This, then, is what causes the tempering upon other beings. The vast majority of primal summonings in Eorzean history have been done out of grief (Bahamut) or desperate desire to defend themselves (Titan, Garuda etc). It then quite reasonably follows that it is indeed dynamis that affects these summonings, exactly as it happened in the Ancient’s time. The intent and the emotional state of the summoner matters just as much as the aether supplied - and we also see this with Ga Bu and the version of Titan he summoned at the height of his trauma. This is also why even Emet-Selch himself confesses to being tempered - so desperate was their gamble of Zodiark that he could not help but desire with all his heart this was the right choice. Likewise, when the beast tribes presented their relics and called forth their primals to fuel the Ragnarok, they were far more amicable and bereft of their tempering influence. They were called forth to grant their strengh to the heroe’s mission to save their world, and that is what they did, with earnestness.

[@tuck295q]

What do you feel when you are listening to music....what do you feel when you hear the news? What do you feel when you marry someone you love or your lover died. Dynamis is that.

[@zero_chevalier]

IIRC, Elidibus had control of the Crystal Tower at that point. Aether-based Limit Break could be possible, but the need of a very powerful conduit like the Tower + being Unsundered make it incredibly rare as to be impossible.

[@StoutHelm]

You’re right, he did and that could be a factor. I also agree that it has to be a super rare circumstance.

[@shweppy]

I think the Primals are the greatest example of Dynamis in action. The two ingredients to make a primal are: 1. Substantial quantities of Aether 2. Faith These two should be mutually exclusive, but I think that somehow the primals represent a fusion of the two energy sources that we will discover more about in later expansions. This also explains how Elidibus can wield Dynamis with his limit break because he was the heart of the very first primal, Zodiark. The creation of Zodiark came from Hermes, who had studied Dynamis extensively, and could have conceivably found a way to fuse the two forces together.

[@StoutHelm]

That’s part of the problem I have with Dynamis. It shouldn’t work with aether but there’s so many concepts in the world building it could be applied to.

[@WanderingVtuber]

I feel the aramitama of the 4 lords is also dynamis to some degree because it very much checks the marks of dynamis as they use raw emotions (rage, sadness, etc) to turn into stronger beings :D

[@shadowfiend9660]

It checks out. The questline even describes it as a sort of all consuming corruption. Which given the antagonistic relationship Aether has to Dynamis... well it paints a grim picture for crazed Auspices.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

I think a good topic for a future video would be creation magics/summoning. Familiars, arcane creatures, primals, and anything in between.

[@StoutHelm]

That one would be an interesting topic. I’ll add it to the list. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@nekotranslates]

In-game Dynamis may or may not equal to Dark Matter irl. We couldn't detect dark matter till recently, yet similar to dynamis wasn't detected till Fandaniel came along and theorized it.

[@mattp994]

The 68% of the universe that Fandaniel theorises is Dynamis, is the same figure astrophysicist say is Dark Energy

[@Heiligtree]

@@mattp994 This is exactly what I was thinking when it was being described. An enigmatic hard-to-detect dispersed source of energy that takes place on a grand scale. Fun to think of the parallels

[@GamingFoodie]

Another fantastic and informative video! Thank you! I've dropped in a previous video that Elidibus' history would be a helpful topic, but understand that we would probably need the rest of the current raid tier to release before we get more information.

[@StoutHelm]

He is a good one to cover. Been involved in a lot of events. I’ll make sure he’s on the list.

[@Angi3_6]

6:50 So does that mean the Scions were using Dynamis during the ARR trailer when they were praying for Louisoix?

[@StoutHelm]

It’s quite possible. There’s a lot of situations where dynamis could be at play. But it could’ve also just been aether in use. We’ll probably never know for most of them.

[@sylas3265]

I would say so. We didn’t see anything showing vast amounts of crystals which the beast tribes use for regular primal summoning, so that really only leaves Dynamis to work with. Considering everyone who may have been praying to the twelve at the time as well may have accidentally helped power the spell cast by the scions and Louisoix.

[@Ukaran]

The way Dynamis affects people and why(negative emotions, despair, etc), sounds a lot like Geostigma from FF7 AC.

[@StoutHelm]

Now that’s a throwback. But I can see some of the connections.

[@pumpernickel_plays412]

@7:11 Zenos does not bring the teleporter, that's Meteion, she literally says she'll give the WoL a way back right before we fight him. Zenos didn't save us, horrible theory. Urianger can theorize all he wants, he wasn't there, we literally just had the convo with Meteion, it's plane as day. And any representation or talk of Zenos being a "friend" even if he thought so is outlandish and laughable. If i'm not mistaken there is even something in the sky we see before we close our eyes and wake up on the ship that resembles Meteion flying through the stars. Zenos is a middling character and not a good one.

[@StoutHelm]

Is it more likely to be Meteion? Yes, but this video was about Zenos. And that’s right, Urianger merely theorized. It was mentioned as a piece of his characterization as it connects to in-game text. It doesn’t really matter if he did or Meteion did.

[@blankadams3120]

Bringing up the Dancer class quests made me remember going to that dance shrine for the Great Work, to assist the scientist who had worked and trained with Nashmeira until she had an injury... and, at that time, I distinctly remember wanting just one more bit of quest to bring Nashmeira back to Thavnair... So, yeah, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she was actually trying to get you and the other one to stave off the Final Days through the Totentanz.

[@Corosar]

Small thing i noticed. Eorzea is a continent on Etheirys. that holds the citystates of Ishgard, Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, Ul'dah and Ala'mhigo. Everywhere else is technically not part of Eorzea except Sharlayan which in ARR is said to be connected to Eorzea politically and among the 6 city states of Eorzea. (During the speech in Gridania that Kan-E-Senna makes for the dead during the 7th umbral calamity just before picking your Grand Company). Garlemald is part of the Ilsabard Continent. Doma is part of Othard, Kugane and Shirogane are part of Hingashi and Radz-at-han is part of Thavnair I mention because Thavnair was the first hit by the Final Days

[@StoutHelm]

You’re right, I used the term incorrectly in this one.

[@drarko91]

In one sidequest from Raktika, we learn that some god blessed travelers can hear the voice of the ancients carried by the wind, that means that our character is able to hear the backgroud music OST, same as us. I belive this had to been able thanks to dynamis. And in fact, I think Close in the Distance in Ultima Thule... is the manifestation of the Scions prayers, desires and sacrifice. It begans only instrumental with Thancred sacrifice, and more and more complete near the end. So, Dancers and Bards maybe can manipulate dynamis in a "domestic" scale

[@1LuvMLPFiM]

The fact that a gameplay mechanic (Limit Break) is now part of the lore as Dynamis, much like how we are able to summon other party members via Azem's crystal.

[@DBCatch22x]

Great stuff as usual! One topic that has been interesting to me of late is the 12, considering that they will be the focus on some new content it might be worth exploring! ^_^

[@StoutHelm]

Definitely! I can’t wait to see what we learn out of that raid. Thank you!

[@shadowfiend9660]

Dynamis is probably going to be heavily involved with the void questline. Just a guess. Also for those that dislike Dynamis I would like to point out that XIV has a notorious habit of introducing concepts in a dualistic nature. Aether and an "anti-aether" was really more of an inevitability and hopefully with time it will fit as smoothly as some of the other examples. I'm confident it might. The writing team is pretty consistent with working miracles. Would that we could know more about Dynamis and the rules it operates by, price to pay for an esoteric subject I suppose?

[@StoutHelm]

It would make sense if it was, if we ever go to the thirteenth proper.

[@Ukaran]

Like the Lifestream and Negative Lifestream in FFVII.

[@Fgtr4Life]

My understanding of Elidibus using Dynamis is that the transformation magic used by the ancients is an offshoot of their creation magic. Given that even their aetherically dense creation magic can be effected by Dynamis, I think it would stand to reason that his Warrior of Light transformation is affected by and can make use of it, even if Elidibus himself doesn't realize he's doing so.

[@StoutHelm]

Makes sense to me.

[@NebulonRanger]

Don't forget, Elidibus is VERY young, and young people are more emotional. It's possible he was able to break through the aether barrier because he was more able to feel emotion in the first place.

[@leshyaedawnfire]

My theory of how Elidibus is able to use Limit Breaks is because he's not actually an Unsundered Ascian. It's true he wasn't sundered by Hydalyn, aka Venat, but that's because at the time he had become Zodiark's heart. Rather, I think he sundered himself in his attempt to fill his role as "The Emissary". His job on the Convocation was to foster Reconciliation between opposing parties. After the creation of Zodiark, the Ancients broke into factions and were fighting each other. Elidibus saw this from within Zodiark and felt he was still needed in his old role. But Zodiark was also needed to protect the star. So he split himself into two entities. One remained in Zodiark to stabilize and maintain his existence, while the other became the Ascian Elidibus who we fought in the First. Because he was split in two, he was now able to use Dynamis.

[@StoutHelm]

It’s possible. And we may learn more about him as Pandaemonium progresses.

[@madambutterfly1997]

If I was in 14 I would have to have a equal balance of control over aether and dynamis. As a gameplay mechanic Yoshi-P can just give us back the TP bar. So when I run out of MP (aether) I can just switch over to TP (dynamis) to cast spells🤣

[@StoutHelm]

Noooo don’t bring back that bar!

[@madambutterfly1997]

@@StoutHelm so just to be clear canonically, limit breaks are powered by dynamis

[@StoutHelm]

@@madambutterfly1997 Yes this is confirmed in game and by Yoshida.

[@madambutterfly1997]

@@StoutHelm that would explain why it’s so weak and that the boss basically has to be near death and you need to be in a group of four or more to even use it

[@PKFl4sh]

With regards to Elidibus using dynamis, perhaps it wasn't necessarily him utilizing it, but the souls of those he called upon from across the rift using it on his behalf?

[@whothewu]

I’m pretty sure Urianger only speculated that the transporter remote materialized via dynamis, but didn’t suggest it was Zenos’s will that caused it to form. There are alternatives that it was the WoL, or maybe even perhaps Meteion who summoned it.

[@StoutHelm]

I am ready for new game plus because I want to revisit that epilogue so bad for better clarity. I didn’t capture that part when I was playing so I could only go off of memory. I think Yoshida theorized it could’ve been the Warrior who brought it.

[@Tevikolady]

I always thought it was Meteon tbh

[@DefenderX]

Now we know more about Elidibus, that he was not the full shard of the convocation, but rather a primal created by Themis after he had sacrificed his soul and aether to be the heart of Zodiark. Also, from Hermes's story from the tales of Dawn series, we learn about the Meteia's preliminary findings, where Hermes say they encountered stars that themselves were able to create eternal tempests and control emotion through dynamis. So I think this refers to distant stars that have a will of their own and to the Twelve being the crystals that govern those stars, just as Hydaelyn is the mothercrystal in the source.

[@Final.Family]

Question: Elidibus was a primal, albeit one with an unsundered soul. How would/could this have affected his interaction with dynamis?

[@StoutHelm]

Valid question. I tried to explain the possibilities in this video, but none of them make perfect sense to be honest.

[@cormacbyrne2210]

My theory? Prayer. While primal summoning is mostly corrupted Creation magicks and do drain aether from the land, one's emotions and desire also shape the resulting being. As the Ascians likely did not pray to their creations (Zodiark and Hydaelyn being exceptional in this regard), the addition of prayer likely gives modern primals a small but noticeable ability to harness dynamis that is unique to them, hence why prayer makes them stronger as shown by Thordan. Ergo, since Elidibus was drawing on this emotional energy in a manner more similar to modern primals (likely assisted by his channeling of sundered souls), he can therefore use limit breaks. Essentially, he's hijacking other people's dynamis, likely unknowingly.

[@Final.Family]

@@cormacbyrne2210 Life has me too busy to respond the way your comment deserves, but let me just say I love this explanation.

[@Moonteg]

Back in Thavnair, I used to think (and stil ldoes) that akasa (or Dynamis now I guess lol) is like a thin connection linking living beings (and emotions) between them. So of course if you succumbs to despair and loose your meaning of life, your aether is rotting, because it's separated from everything else. Like a fruit kind of. I like this personnal, perhaps wrong theory :)

[@StoutHelm]

I’m sure a lot of my speculation will turn out wrong too. Haha

[@nerooblivion]

I almost assume that Eli's LB's are Aether, or, if it is dynamis, its linked to his connection with Zodiark as its Heart, and due to its sundered form, could affect Zodiark and through him Eli's Aetherpool causing him to lack enough to transcend his limits and allow him to access some dynamis

[@StoutHelm]

Very much a possibility.

[@raviole]

A lot of things in Endwalker especially Dynamis and Meteion both remind me of Gurren Lagann (one of my all time favorite animes and I surprisingly like the dub more than the sub)

[@StoutHelm]

Gurren Lagann is GOATed.

[@milesprower86]

Speaking of Dynamis as Limit Break, I would consider a strong possibility as we learn more about Dynaimis in the next expansion, and hopefully obtain our own Limit Break as a lvl 100 ability.

[@RetroBubz]

Interestingly enough there is a BRD quest that involves locating the "Ballad of Oblivion" which might be a nod to the "Song of Oblivion" Meteion was searching for.

[@Kzar5678]

Just to throw another theory in the ring about Elidibus. I dont necessarily think this is the most likely just a take I havent seen here yet. I think its very possible Elidibus did in fact use Dynamis. IRL, humans can do some really superhuman like things when pushed To The Edge. And if a normal human being can do crazy feats to survive driven solely by the hope of living, imagine what an unsundered Ascian, the only one left alive at this point, the only one left that could possibly ever bring back their world to the way it was and if he dies his world is gone forever. Imagine what someone of that power could do when pushed that far. I think its very possible that all of that combined allowed him to use Dynamis just from the sheer amount of emotions he had at that moment. Whether he did or didn't Dynamis though, absolutely fantastic arc right there, 5.3 is the GOAT.

[@Reycied]

I'm just glad I'm not the only one who reflexively calls it "ay-ther" despite every single available source pronouncing it 'ee-ther'.

[@doveboy15]

What is that tank chest piece? It looks great! And thank you for all the amazing content you put out!

[@StoutHelm]

It’s the Tigerskin Fending coat! Purchasable from a vendor in Kugane. There’s also another version with different armor, but it’s a green piece so no color customization. I’ll have to bust that one out for the next one.

[@AnkaVanka75]

While it is possible that it is Zenos that causes the appearance of the teleporter, it is equally possible and IMO probably more plausible that it is the WoL themselves, wishing to go home as scenes from their life pass by their memory, that creates the teleporter. People tend to point to Urianger stating it as fact that it was Zenos, however, if you look at the quote, Urianger states Zenos involvement as a possiblity. "'Twas a miracle befitting the nature of that place, where emotion becometh tangible reality. Whence, then, arose this timely wonder? Thine ardent wish... or anothers fervent prayer?"

[@acgearsandarms1343]

I’m only positive it wasn’t a coincidence. The who of it is certainly up for speculation. But I would like to bring up two paragraphs in the Journal. “At the end of a grueling encounter, you succeed in laying Zenos low and gifting him the bliss for which he hungered. However, you succumb to your own injuries and collapse to the ground. Your opponent breathes his last, and it seems you are destined to share his grave at the edge of existence...” “Miracles happen every day. And this day, a miracle─one borne upon hopes, perhaps─has delivered you unto the Ragnarok, where you awaken surrounded by caring comrades. Though you have felt better, you are very much alive, and make a triumphant return to beautiful Etheirys, having delivered salvation to the world.” While plausible, I don’t think we were in a state of wishing to return. We were close to death. So it likely could have been someone else.

[@alterlait2601]

... "Mayhaps even both?"

[@AnkaVanka75]

@@acgearsandarms1343 I don't see that those paragraphs give any additional support to the theory that Zenos wished us away. By your own words, the WoL is dying, but so too is Zenos. If the strength to wish to go home, as visions of Etheirys flash through our mind is beyond us, a wish that IMO hardly would need much concious thought to formulate. Then surely that would go even more so for Zenos.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@AnkaVanka75 Never said it did, just that it wasn’t us. I don’t know who it is for certain beyond speculation. Just that it wasn’t coincidence and it wasn’t us.

[@StoutHelm]

Both theories are possible.

[@ShionChosa]

Huh…… I thought it was the bird 🐦 chick that delivered the teleport device to the WOL after the Zenos fight

[@StoutHelm]

It could be, we never get an official answer. All we can do is speculate.

[@daphnebabcock1151]

Amazing video

[@StoutHelm]

Thanks friend!

[@moonelfe]

I think Eridibus can use the limit break because he separated himself from Zodiark after being its heart, so his aether left into the primal. So he's almost like the rest of the sundered with lower aether levels than the other ascians. Remember also that he left Zodiark to protect the star, for and from the ascians plans, from his own volition.

[@StoutHelm]

He did but I'm not sure that would leave him with way less aether considering he still performs the standard ascian feats.

[@moonelfe]

@@StoutHelm I mean, between us and ascians there's a big difference in the spectrum of aether levels, I think the more aether you have the less dynamis you can use, and vice versa 🤔 but then there's the whole summoning primals using aether crystals, but still using a strong emotion... 🤔

[@TankHunter678]

@@moonelfe From what we know of creation magic it is very exacting, you need to have a clear image in your mind if you want to successfully create something and not just make a mess that could be something and just puffs out because of its own instability. So to make things easier on the Tribes that would be to summon the Primals they made use of something that already existed: their culture. They have gods they worship, mythologies of their own with creation myths and parables of punishment and reward to teach common lessons, with a clear image of what that god looks like, how they act, and what they would do. In doing so they meet the exacting requirements for creation magic, the only thing missing is the Aether to bring it into existence. There is little difference between an ancient thinking something and snapping their fingers to bring it into existence and a tribe using their faith in something to have a clear picture to bring it in with sufficient aether crystals. Because as we see the Primals do not run on Faith, they run on Aether. They always need more crystals, they temper in order to increase the number of minions that will bring them more crystals. Even we, in Eden, summoned primals and we did not need to have faith nor strong emotions to bring them forth. All it took was a sufficiently clear image and a supply of Aether.

[@scifisyko]

Aw, nothing about the implication that Dynamis is actually the real-world Dark Energy, with that 68% figure? ;)

[@StoutHelm]

This isn’t something I was aware of!

[@scifisyko]

@@StoutHelm “The stated percentage of energy dynamis makes up is reported to be 68.3%” “Dark energy makes up approximately 68% of the universe and appears to be associated with the vacuum in space.” There are also parallels with the Dust of His Dark Materials, which is stated in-universe to be dark matter and responds to the thoughts and emotions of intelligent beings.

[@godofironart]

you... I like you very much for this. I thought I was the only one!

[@steakdriven]

Not the first time a bitter enemy would choose to teleport the hero to safety - Kuja did the same thing after the battle with Necron.

[@ChadThorsen]

This video helped me tons

[@steakdriven]

Let's not forget the grand masters of Dynamis: The Mandervilles.

[@BorgWolf359]

The Dancer questline has connections to Dynamis! They say their Dancing heals people who are sick from negative emotions! It is said that Dancers can inspire souls and soothe troubled hearts!

[@o0Cheator0o]

I've always consider Elidibus's Limit Breaks to be aetheric interpretations of LBs, like a child (you know why I say that) playing pretend, subconsciously driven by the shards of memories of who he admired during his youth.

[@TheAuron32]

pretty sure we've been using it from day one, every Limit Break :)

[@SkepticalChris]

If the ancients were unable to manipulate dynamis because they were so dense in aether then how did hermes create metion?

[@Stefo717]

Wait! What?! Zenos was the one that dropped the teleporter? I never knew

[@StoutHelm]

Just a theory from Urianger. Another commenter said Yoshida implied the Warrior did it themselves but I haven’t looked into that interview yet.

[@Stefo717]

@@StoutHelm that's very interesting 🤔

[@laerwen]

This is sheer speculation - it is currently not confirmed how the teleport control appeared for the WoL.

[@the0s0ph1st]

So question: could have the 8th Umbral Calamity, if it had succeeded, cause the Final Days or at least made Etheirys more prone to it? If I remember right, the bleeding of light from the First already was making the aether of places in the Source stagnant already, and the Eighth Umbral Calamity would have made that way worse. Also, as remembered from the alternate future by the Crystal Exarch, despair and fear would have been rampant from all the death and breakdown of society that would have resulted.

[@TankHunter678]

Not directly. Zodiark was still autopiloting its role of keeping the celestial currents, the outermost shell of aether, running. It would have inevitably enabled the Final Days as without the WoL the Endsinger would not be directly engaged and the Song of Oblivion would have either made the sun go supernova and obliterate the planet, made the sun die out and leave the planet to an eternal winter that destroys all ability to support life in the solar system, or overpowered Zodiark and cause the planet's entire aether supply to be decayed/consumed.

[@StoutHelm]

Tankhunter is right. The calamities are either to prepare the source for a shard to rejoin, or force a shard to rejoin - depending on where it’s happening.

[@murasakibebeby3127]

I see a video for Daeus, Hermes and Venat. But no Emet. And I know Emet was more so Shadowbringers than Endwalker. But it just feels awkward not having a video for him. Do you plan on covering him?

[@StoutHelm]

I’ve included Emet on a few viewer request polls and I’m surprised he doesn’t place higher! He’s one of my favorite FF villains of all time.

[@murasakibebeby3127]

@@StoutHelm I really enjoy Emet too. And damn... so emmy isn't as popular among the fanbase? I don't get why though?

[@StoutHelm]

@@murasakibebeby3127 I know he's popular across the board but I guess folks want me to cover other topics for now.

[@murasakibebeby3127]

@@StoutHelm I see. That's just how it works I guess. But one day. One day maybe you'll be able to cover emet. And I'll definitely enjoy watching that video. I'm saying this really really late. I should have said this much earlier. But I really enjoy your videos.

[@Avrahffxiv]

your videos are awesome.

[@StoutHelm]

Thank you friend, I’m glad you’re enjoying them. 😁

[@ScaricoOleoso]

Could you cover how there are two Uriangers? There's the one where he is at the end of Endwalker, and there is one still in the Waking Sands leftover from ARR. While it's clearly an oopsey, a lore explanation would be amusing. 🤓

[@punchybot3403]

Quests that belong in ARR remain in a time bubble until you complete them. That's it. That's the explanation. He is not actually currently there.

[@StoutHelm]

This is the answer but it is a little strange, haha

[@ScaricoOleoso]

I call the other one Tworianger. 🙃

[@ScaricoOleoso]

Okay, I just went back and did the Binding Coils. Tworianger is gone now. He shall be missed... 😞

[@chrisanderson7820]

He's just a really busy guy who can teleport directly to the Waking Sands. He likes to be mysterious so he never showed you the aetheryte out the back and just gave you those tickets instead. ;)

[@nycto5335]

Spoilers for EW ending and stuff. I think the ending is pretty bitter sweet imo. Even without Meteion's influence it was said most of these worlds were already on their way to dying and stuff. Meaning the XIV universe has a pretty hard filter to pass for civilizations to prosper beyond their star. Meaning that on average life on many stars is doomed. Obviously the chances are better now with the Endsong over and all that but still.

[@4thwall826]

its ur midbattle friendship power up u pop it at 3% and scream ur lung out coping it will finally clear and set ur free from the pug

[@StoutHelm]

Haha the pug woes are real.

[@natwon633]

If you could cover limit breaks in excruciating detail that would be grand. Because the Aether VS Dynamis discussion on Limit Breaks is HEATED.

[@kdynce8637]

You said at 7:51 that "We know [Limit Breaks] are powered by dynamis," but you don't state a source for this at all. We actually DON'T know if LBs are possible through dynamis or through dissipated aether in the surrounding atmosphere due to the nature of our attacks and magic being powered by aether. I'm sure this oversight isn't due to any kind of maliciousness, so PLEASE don't state we know something for certain and then give no source, because that's how misinformation spreads.

[@StoutHelm]

Go replay the Endsinger encounter. She directly questions the forced Tank LB3 in the fight, implying the WoL used dynamis to exceed their limits in that moment. The issue with dynamis is there’s a lot of conflicting statements in the canon about how the phenomenon works. I tried to cover those instances that we knew of at the time this video was published. I could’ve been more clear in where that information comes from, but that line is stated by the main villain in MSQ.

[@pumpernickel_plays412]

Dynamis felt like "dark matter" in our universe. like we know it's there (maybe) but have no idea really more than that. that's how i felt playing the game anyway. commenting before i watch the vid. ( It turns out that roughly 68% of the universe is dark energy. Dark matter makes up about 27%. The rest - everything on Earth, everything ever observed with all of our instruments, all normal matter - adds up to less than 5% of the universe.) A quick google search gives us this and based on the 67 ish percent FF gives us I truly believe Dynamis is a metaphor for dark matter or dark energy we can't see but is taking up space in the universe.

[@nightshadesyrup1624]

I will admit, the mechanics of a lot of the lore in FFXIV confuse my smooth SAM brain. Thanks for explaining stuff.

[@StoutHelm]

Glad to help!

[@eW91dHViZSBpcyBjZW5zb3JzaGlw]

Zenos is best boi.

[@Gegarace]

WOL just has unsurmount amount of hope so aether can't really fend off all of them so, but he can only use it up to lb4 otherwise it would be lb100 who knows. He's the most suseptable to dynamis.

[@Kaslo25]

I still disagree the teleporter was from Zenos... It sure seemed like something in the sky dropped it, so my headcannon was Meteion bringing it to us.

[@StoutHelm]

Maybe so! It’s possible.

[@JL-GHK]

Wait Zenos dropped that teleporter?!

[@Vangoh32]

At least now I understand why people would turn into monsters, it's all because of the song of oblivion which Metion summoned. In the game they do a shitty job of explaining this. Is like they refer to the song as something symbolic but it was literal.

[@StoutHelm]

I’ll agree, the mechanics of the song aren’t well explained.

[@pandamonium9255]

IDK a single villain who had a proper justification for ending ALL life. It's always because of a misconception or eruption of negative emotion. I understood Fandaniels little tantrum, but I still thought it was overreacting.

[@StoutHelm]

Definitely not, and we’re not supposed to see the merit in Hermes choices like we do with Emet-Selch. Hermes was a man with good intentions who let his inner demons twist his thoughts until it drove him mad.

[@pandamonium9255]

@@StoutHelm mind-blown. Thanks for the perspective!

[@39zack]

The "A" in aether is silent :)

[@StoutHelm]

I know, my pronunciation improves in later videos 🤣

[@DawnyAussie]

I always had a problem with Dynamis as a concept- after ruminating on the story for a while now, I still think it was hamfistedly implemented. I don't know what would've satisfied me- perhaps a more concrete explanation earlier in the story? Maybe some more obvious implementations of dynamis (outside of limit breaks)? I suppose such a high concept thing such as dynamis is interesting to speculate on (as you did in the last quarter of the video), but it's a shame it will likely never be explained properly. As it stands, it's a very "anime" thing to have in the universe, where the power of feelings and your nakama (little One Piece reference there for you) trumps all. I feel like I'm slowly warming to Endwalker overall- Dynamis, Zenos, and overall gameplay are contestable, but I think the highs definitely outweigh the limitations of the story.

[@StoutHelm]

Dynamis creates a lot of problems that I’m not a fan of. I don’t mind it as a power up because it’s an anime trope and the game is already plenty anime. But the plot holes? I don’t dig it.

[@DawnyAussie]

@@StoutHelm Appreciate the reply on an older video! Yeah it's just a shame that such a contentious concept can't be ignored due to it being so central to the story as a whole. Like I said, I really wish it was better implemented since it really did impact how much I could get into the story, despite the excellent character moments etc.

[@kevinsantos5050]

Well my though of Dynamis as an energy source is a bit of interesting even tho it is a bit anime power of friendship and all ut have a pretty good counter balance is that it is limited by the feelings a person have while the player have the will to keep moving forward and to live taking advantage of dynamis it also affects those who fall into despair and sorrow or those who who lacks passion I view Dynamis is unmanageable source of energy that gives you the ability to nove forward to transcend your limit to protect those you care about You can't make spells using dynamis but your spell can be boosted with it But as we first assume this power came thru our blessing of light Midgardsorm prove to us while taking our blsessing away that the powers to push over our limits in front of despair is a power we already had in us Also in game buff also aludes to this in some buff when doing solo content of us transcending our limits as a Warrior even when we were stripped of ouf blessing of light It has a lot of connection in the story more thst ppl will find out and I'm looking forwars to how it will take the plot forward

[@StoutHelm]

@@DawnyAussie totally. And I try my best to keep track of the comments even on older stuff! Interacting with y’all is part of why I enjoy making the videos.

[@sephirothcrescent5768]

Can you Cover Elidibus i wanna see people talk a lil more about Elidibus!... X3

[@Tevikolady]

Everyone says that Elidibus is unsundered, and while he is, in essence, he's not considered one of the 5 unsundered Ascian. Lahabrea, Logriff (Gaia), Igorhym, Emet-Selch and Nabrales are the 5 TRUE unsundered. Elidibus is the Will of Zodiark. THE WILL, THE SOUL ZODIARK'S WILL MADE MANIFEST. If anyone could use Dynamis, it would be Elidibus.

[@StoutHelm]

I’m sorry but this is incorrect. The only three unsundered we know of are Elidibus, Lahabrea and Emet. Everyone else as far as ascians go are just sundered soul shards that had their memories awakened by one of the unsundered.

[@sephirothcrescent5768]

It was not the warior of light who killed Zodiark,he just beat Zodiark but the one who ultimately fully destroyed and killed Zodiark was Fandaniel AKA Hermes/Amon!...So they are the once who fully destroyed Zodiark along with themselves and started the end of days for our WoL's world.

[@RyuNoZero]

Dynamis is also a Russian FC on Cerberus xD

[@StoutHelm]

It’s a great FC name.

[@Jaded_Canadian]

Huh I thought it was meteon who gave the teleporter as a thank you for freeing her/them and not Zenos.

[@StoutHelm]

There’s no definitive answer in the canon. Just speculation. So it’s open to I tepretation

[@АлександрПушкин-я4щ]

It's literally just Spiral Energy with a different name

[@StoutHelm]

Pretty much.

[@KaiSaeren]

Im probably in the vast minority here but I thought Dynamis was a pretty awful asspull, the moment it was mentioned in Radz At Han I was thinking that it will be the main villain and we will defeat it with power of friendship... wasnt far off. Dynamis, the self indulgent overt "kindness" we enforce in the Empire at the expence of the world ending and Venat's ill explained and seemingly unneccessary judgment are three big issues I have with Endwalker. Dont get me wrong, it all comes together well enough and I do enjoy the story on an emotional level but I still think these things are not handled ideally.

[@StoutHelm]

You’re not. I don’t like dynamis either.

[@KaiSaeren]

@@StoutHelm Really? Glad to hear im not the only one, seems like its pretty much a heresy to say anything bad about the story :D I know your feelings on the Venat issue, but I am curious, were you at all bothered by the Garlean arc of Endwalker? How we essentially alow the end days to come by what I personally deem illogical, immoral self indulgence by touting our superior morality to everyone around there. For me that was easily the lowest point in the story and indeed I did drop it for a bit there before coming back. The other two issues are imo much more a matter of taste and information than poor execution but truly, in the Garlean arc I felt like all the characters regressed and were made dumb for the sole purpose of the plot moving in a specific direction, which utterly broke my suspension of disbelief there.

[@Itama22]

This is "The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History"!

[@StoutHelm]

It's definitely bad.

[@NightofOrion]

I love your videos and your deep dives into the lore of the FFXIV universe... but I have to admit your pronunciation is distracting at times. Given that you use English clips from the game I assume you listen to the voice actors and how they pronounce things... These are a few that stuck out for me: -Meteia = me-TAY-ah, not MEE-tee-ah (not "media") -aether = EE-ther, not AY-ther (the latter refers to "ether", the mp restore potion) -akasa = AH-ka-sha, not ah-KA-sa (pronunciation is important here because it derives from Indian roots) and from your Venat video, it's Natsuko Ishikawa, not Naoto. I point these out not to criticise you, but in hopes that you'll improve for future videos! Thank you for the hard work you put into your videos, I look forward to watching more! (Although I do disagree about your assessment with Zenos using dynamis... I think Urianger's theory does suggest it's a possibility, but I think it's presented in a way that every player can decide for themselves who summoned the teleporter, rather than it being set in stone that it was Zenos who did. Fun for discussion points though!)

[@StoutHelm]

I debated on whether I was right on Akasa but I’ll confess I never checked the cutscene where it was first mentioned. I looked for it but eventually gave up in favor of getting other quotes and research. I’ll try and tighten it up in future videos. Thank you for the feedback.

[@JunbiHosa]

Don't forget about the Dynamis Dice that are in Bozja! Since they come from the memory fragments of Caprice (which say they are unidentified memories of the lost), one could say that those dice are filled with the memories of many different feelings, each resulting in giving a random effect since not all people have the same feelings. Heck, you can say the memories of the lost actions themselves are Dynamis really.

[@StoutHelm]

This is a good point! I forgot about the dice to be honest.

[@ekimr90]

You forgot the Monk class. The whole class is basically Dynamis: The Class. None of the abilities or weaponskills use Aether, so then what's the source? Dynamis.

[@jegudielyusha2866]

Roflmao imagine Garleans using this like how Eorzeans use Aether?

[@kiddervish2]

"Comes from the Ancient Greek Dynamis (Dunamis)" It's literally how they pronounced it in the JP, and how it should have been pronounced in EN.

[@laerwen]

Comes from ancient Greek. the 'u' is the letter upsilon, which translates to the letter Y in English. There is a reason English localization does things the way they do, turns out!

[@Adu767]

This is a nitpick but I've noticed it in your other videos too, so I have to ask, why do you mispronounce key terms? They're voice-acted hundreds of times throughout the game, so it's confusing that anyone familiar with it wouldn't know how to say it. E-ther, not A-ther. Aka-sha, not Aka-sah.

[@StoutHelm]

Aether is a result of my southern twang coming out, but I’m correcting that going forward. Akasha was one I simply forgot. I’ll try and do better going forward.

[@Adu767]

@@StoutHelm No worries, I'm not trying to be too critical, it just stood out to me. Thanks for replying.

[@StoutHelm]

@@Adu767 I appreciate it. I try to get to as many comments as I can.

[@vc4961]

rip 10 years lore, sundering caused by new power source out of nowhere and emo bird girl lololol

[@millennialtrance3235]

Ah-kah-sha Not uh casa

[@StoutHelm]

Yep. My bad.

[@ixis]

There are multiple examples people point to when talking about how dynamis might have been used in previous expansions, but since no one in those job quests or cutscenes ever uses the term dynamis, and since no one in Endwalker, when speaking on the subject, says "oh yeah, like DRK/DNC/BRD/Omega raids", I feel very safe in saying it's an asspull. Especially when other concepts are expanded upon, such as astral/umbral aether, primals, or ascians are brought up, there's always a clear reference to previous examples. The fact that most of the main cast (the Scions) are magic-nerds it works, because they're always pointing to the edges of a larger mystery, even if they don't fully understand it at the time. NO CHARACTER BEFORE ENDWALKER HAS MENTIONED OR TALKED ABOUT DYNAMIS. That shit was made up on the spot, so all we have are some vague half-truths that other NPCs talked about before that maybe-kinda-sorta sound like it could be dynamis. The closest is Ultima saying that there's something specifically special about the WoL and Omega, but even that doesn't get a callback in Endwalker. Which suggests it's an asspull. The entire x-pac is full of shit that doesn't make sense or was done on the fly. Probably because they all thought Soken was going to die so they hard pivoted the story to be about death and not actually conclude the story in a way that ties into the arc that started in ARR. Literally nothing ties the beginning and end together other than the scions praying that the WoL doesn't beef it (Answers callback). Like... Gaius just sits with his thumb in his ass the entire x-pac his reasoning for doing so is bullshit since he spent the past several x-pacs doing the exact opposite plus I guess he forgot about the entire weapon raid series, Cid Garlond makes no appearance until the very end even though he's a Garlean and has been involved in this conflict since pre-ARR, Arenvald getting crippled and benched because Natsuki likes Estenien as Alphinaud's father-figure over Arenvald even though it makes more sense for Arenvald to be a bigger part of the story (sidenote: Estenien's importance is shoe-horned bullshit because Thavnair being secretly run by a dragon was something the writing team decided during EW), Zenos swaps bodies with the WoL which is reverted ten minutes later and ultimately meant nothing, the plot thread about amnesia post-7th calamity is brought up and dropped (a mirror to the scene in ShB where Urianger talks about ubral/astral aether which is immediately relevant and important to the story), Fandaniel being Amon making no sense (because bringing back G'raha from the CT series was such a hit, we should bring back the penultimate boss from one part of the raid series and NOT Unei or Doga), the future timeline where everyone dies that was referenced at the start of ShB/Black Rose arc/the Twinning and never resolved or looked into. And, of course, dynamis being something that was clearly made up on the spot necessitating videos like this that defend its existence by pointing out that something, at some point earlier in the franchise, maybe-kinda-sorta sounds like dynamis if you squint at it.

[@StoutHelm]

I’m not defending Dynamis by explaining the lore we know about it. To be frank I’m not a fan with how it contends with some established concepts we’ve had for many years. Also I’ll agree Estinien felt a little lost compared to other Scions who are probably more invested in the conflict but I’m still okay with it. I realize that’s bias but hey, what can you do?

[@marishiten5944]

This is dumb and unworthy of a video. It literally tells you, flat out, lore dumps how Dynamis works. Instead of relying upon the lifestream/aether to augment the the mind (magic) and body (physical), it solely relies upon willpower and emotion. Dynamis is literally how players are able to limit break. It's the power of Dynamis. These aren't the things that need to be explained. What needs to be explained is how you're able to use magic (aether) and teleport (anima/aether) in Meteions Nest as there is NO Aether to call upon there. How is Meteion able to sustain the shades of the civilizations she ran into there? Those aren't real entities. They're just memories she has of them. There's no aether to call upon (the planet/lifestream) to cast magic. But they tell you in no uncertain terms what Dynamis is and how it works. Personally, I prefer the Final Fantasy XI version of Dynamis. It's not a McGuffin/Deus Ex Machina delivered in the 11th hour to explain/introduce something that's only going to be used one time and never talked about again. It doesn't impact or change the way the universe is viewed. It'd be cool if we got abilities/spells that relied solely upon Dyanamis to use, but SE is more about "simplifying" (dumbing down) skills/abilities/spells then adding complexity. Aether is your MP bar. Dynamis is the TP bar (WAS the TP bar. Since they took that away because the playerbase is stupid and can't handle managing two bars that will never deplete unless you're a BLM).

[@TailRunnerOPSpec]

Jesus christ. LIMIT BREAKS ARE NOT MAJORITY DYNAMIS. Limit Breaks are spells and actions that can be bolstered by emotion, just like EVERY OTHER SPELL AND ACTION. There was no ambient aether in the Ultimatum. We had no choice but to use some Dynamis in 90% of our actions there. People need to stop looking into Endsinger's "Dynamis" statement so strongly. If the writers come forth and say that limit breaks ARE Dynamis, then they fucked up years of information in one of the worst redactions the game has seen since 1.23-2.0 In the lore book, it describes our limit breaks. A lot are AETHER. They can be ENHANCED like ANY of our ACTIONS. Did you remember when Omega noted after O11, that our attacks waned and strengthened erratically? Omega used Limit Break, and he couldn't understand our Dynamis. Warrior of Light used Dynamis when he shouldn't have. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND that PRAYER channels AETHER as well. This honestly sounds like you don't completely understand Aether. Dynamis was not shown to be nearly limitless. You know, the whole idea that strong currents of aether disrupt it? If it was nearly Limitless, Endsinger would have finished her goal within those 12k years. Endsinger isn't even the most mighty entity in FFXIV.

[@StoutHelm]

Which lore book are you referencing?

[@TailRunnerOPSpec]

@@StoutHelm Encyclopaedia Eorzea. In the Tricks of the Trade section, it tells us information of 4/5 of each job's actions, including their limit break. BLM's Meteor is a crystalized ball of Aether, for example.

[@StoutHelm]

@@TailRunnerOPSpec thank you, sounds like I need to order a copy. Had no idea there was any official material that delved into the lore like that other than the side stories.

[@TailRunnerOPSpec]

@@StoutHelm I see, sorry for being so aggressive.

[@StoutHelm]

@@TailRunnerOPSpec no worries, I don’t take it personally. When scripting I do the best I can to ground any speculation in information from cutscenes, live letters, short stories and any official articles. I know there are some details I may get wrong, and I’m okay with folks correcting me in the comments on that.

[@medigoomnis]

It works by dropping a hint of WoW's stupid lore in to FFXIV. I actually kind of hate dynamis and the Meteions. Depressed powerful person finds way to command new power ex machina and decides everyone should just die...seems so unoriginal. I know I'm going hard against the grain here, but I think Endwalker is the worst part of FF14 (story-wise ONLY, the rest is great) because of how little setup it had...like there were open-ended things that they tied to this, but nothing even close to what they did with Shadowbringers or even the other two...and that out-of-the-ass story leaves a huge gaping door for FF14 to fall into the WoW hole where nothing is familiar and there's a new strongest-thing-ever around every corner and none of it makes sense.

[@StoutHelm]

I’m not a huge fan of dynamis either. I think it creates a well of problems that conflict with previous aspects of the story, especially since it’s dynamis and aether sort of oppose each other. I don’t think it’s a WoW level mistake, that games writing has been in the tank for years.