When unlocking an upgraded job in Final Fantasy XIV, you often receive a peculiar item called a soul crystal, equipping which allows you to officially level up its corresponding job.
But have you ever wondered what these soul crystals are? Or even what they do exactly.
Well, the basic work of a soul crystal is very simple, actually! They are essentially knowledge about the specifics of a particular style of combat in a crystallized aether form.
Well, that’s a very layman way of saying it; in the Encyclopedia Eorzea it states: “An adornment known as a “soul crystal” is worn close to the skin, where the uncommonly clear facets of the carefully cut shard catch and transcribe the ebb and flow of a soul’s aetherial composition – effectively capturing an imperfect echo of the wearer’s memories.”
So it’s not that the crystal holds information regarding the class itself, but actually it just records the specific memories of its users so that it can be passed down to those who come after.
And the most common use of these soul crystals is for your combat jobs.
Soul Crystals in Final Fantasy XIV are like a One For All quirk
Essentially, since the third astral era, it has been a custom to use these soul crystals to record the art of these jobs and pass them down. Think of it like the ‘One for All’ quirk from My Hero Academia.
The basics created by the founder, the innovations done in between, and everything else get transferred, allowing classes to thrive in the world of Eorzea, without any fear of it being lost to time.
But it is also not as easy as it sounds; again, if we refer to Encyclopedia Eorzea: “The wisdom contained in a soul crystal, however, is not so easily drawn forth – an untrained neophyte cannot simply pick up one of these gems and expect his mind to be flooded with the knowledge of advanced spellcraft and combat techniques. Without first attaining sufficient proficiency and tempering one’s soul to mirror the maturity of the crystal’s contributors, a prospective student will be denied even the slightest glimpse of enlightenment. Thus, as is the case with the more contemporary disciplines, the key to mastering the secrets of a soul crystal lies in diligent study and training.”
So not only do you have to have access to a particular class’ soul crystal, but you also have to do enough studying regarding the class to be worthy of the specific skills.
With the help of these little crystals, not only are old ways of combat, made during the Third Astral Era, still alive, but now there are also other classes being invented, like the Machinist that we have covered before! Being one of the only classes that our Warrior of Light actively develops throughout the story!
