#moonstone carbuncle

[cacodemum]

Reference for Sko's unique Moonstone Carbuncle, and the enkindled summon Moonstone Titania.

Floof-city.

He is a support summon.

[dovalore]

new clothes for the new year!

[wol-questions]

We've seen many NPCs, the Scions in particular, have unique moves that their chosen jobs aren't able to use (i.e. Alphinaud's Obsidian and Moonstone Carbuncles) or moves pulled from other jobs (Gunbreaker Thancred's Perfect Deception/Souldeep Invisibility from his time as a rogue). Does your WoL have similar abilities that would be unique to them?

.

[fisherrprince]

Alphinaud and his pet guns. ..

I do think he has a whole thing prepared about not anthropomorphizing magic familiars, unless specifically enchanted to do so they do not have the same feelings we do and thus cannot want or be sad come on now otherwise the very concept of summoning carbuncles into the world would be cruel in many ways but he does pet moonstone and call it a good boy. nerd. Alas the human tendency to apply conscious awareness to things that are merely sentient at best. carby is doing a good job because he cares for me that’s true and real

[tale-wind]

Chapter 7: Morsel

With a puff of glitter and a small rush of wind, Alphinaud's Moonstone Carbuncle materialized midair and gently landed on top of the table. Alphinaud reached down to scratch its head and it chirped contentedly. "'Tis good to know I haven't lost my touch since taking up Father's nouliths," he chuckled.

[diamondangelkitten]

Junelezen Day 30: Free Choice

Ali's Carbuncles

Thank you to @akirakirxaa for the final 2 gpose pics of Alinea and her carbuncles playing around!

I decided that the best way to finish off this wonderful month of Junelezen was to celebrate my carbuncles. They're my favorite creatures and I love that I've now been able to give them personalities :)

I've written a bit about Alinea's carbuncles and their abilities, which I'll include under the fold. I wrote this when I first started coming up with Alinea's backstory, so I'm glad I get to share this.

Thank you for sticking around through Junelezen!! It's been wonderful to share more about Alinea and her life! Every like, comment, and reblog has meant the world to me!

“Well, in theory it’s possible.”

“Come on Alphi! You’ve created two different carbuncles and they’ve each had special abilities and uses. Please!!”

“Alright, alright. It’s just... I’ve never seen a pink stone before. Have you?” Alphinaud looks up with genuine curiosity at the Elezen next to him. She looks at him, and upon realizing he is serious, reaches into her bag.

“I found this gem today. I’d want a brighter pink for my carbuncle, but considering familiars and carbuncles can take whatever shape you want, it really should be possible, right?”

“Yes, in theory, that is sound. But two, at the same time… Are you sure you can handle that Alinea?”

She knows he means well when asking this, but he really needs to have more faith in her. She smiles and gives him a hug. “I know what I’m asking Alphinaud and I’m sure. Having Lumen with me helps, but having another creature fight by my side that is in and of myself…”

She’s not sure how to explain how much Tataru had been right when guiding her to the arcanist’s guild after being overwhelmed after the First and needing another companion.

“You’ve felt it, haven’t you, Alph? When you get overwhelmed in a battle? How their aether, your aether, comes back and calms you? They may just be constructs, but you and I know better than that.”

Alphinaud looks down at his moonstone carbuncle, resting at his feet. “You’re right,” he says standing up, “So then, let’s do this shall we?”

Alinea jumps up, eager to learn. After going through the incantations and picturing in her mind’s eye exactly what she wants, she conjures a beautiful bright pink carbuncle.

“Hello Sephy.”

“Sephy?”

“Yes, I was feeling Persephone, but that’s a bit of a mouthful isn’t it? So I thought Sephy.”

“Hm, I like it! Ready for the next one? You’re not too tired already are you?”

“I’m good Alphi! And I have Sephy too! She wants to meet her brother.”

He chuckles, “Okay, if you’re sure then.”

Alinea closes her eyes and concentrates. A few moments later, an amethyst carbuncle emerges. He looks around and immediately goes to the pink carbuncle.

“No name yet?” Alphi inquires.

Alinea shakes her head, “He’s not as easy as his sister.” She waits a few moments and then starts to laugh. Alphi inclines his head toward her.

“What do you think of Demetri?”

“Demetri? I’ve never heard that name before, but I like it. Will it have a shortened version too?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Alinea smiles. “He’s just Demetri.”

While originally appearing a bit more standoff-ish and aloof than his sister, once he hears his name, he comes up to Alinea and sits on her feet. The smile that’s on Alinea's face is one that Alphinaud hasn’t seen in a while, and he is grateful to be able to offer her a bit of a reprieve.

“There you two are! Everyone’s been looking for you… Whose are these?” Alisae comes up behind them and stops at the sight of the two carbuncles. “If you tell anyone, I will deny it, but these are adorable!”

She runs up and holds her hand out to the carbuncles. Demetri goes to sniff Alisae, but Sephy goes straight to Alphinaud.

“Well, at least they like you both.” Alinea smiles at the scene. Her favorite people, and her carbuncles trusted them immediately, even if they did have favorites. 

A few months later, Alinea is back in Il Mheg. Feo Ul senses her and goes to check in. Beside Alinea are her two carbuncles, the purple with a knife nearby, and the pink with flower bracelets on while Alinea weaves a flower crown for it.

“Ah, my lovely sapling, is everything alright?”

Feo Ul knows better and that deep down Alinea must have something on her mind.

“I’m just tired Feo Ul. There are these towers on the Source and a madman, make that two, are running loose. I know something bad is about to happen, and I know that I can and will do what I need to. But is it bad to be tired and just need rest?”

Feo Ul gives her loveliest of saplings a hug.

“You’ve had a heavy burden placed on you dearie. But you’re the only mortal I know who could handle it. And you’re not alone. You’ve got me, all the fae, and so many mortals on your side. Rest. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. It will not do to see you burnt at both ends.”

Alinea agrees.

“Rest right now dearie,” and with a snap of her fingers, Feo Ul has provided a blanket and pillow for Alinea.

“I will keep watch on you and when you awake, I want the story of your familiars.”

Alinea agrees and within minutes is fast asleep. Her carbuncles cuddle close to Alinea and Feo Ul can see her relax minute by minute. After several hours, Alinea awakes looking much refreshed. Feo Ul is delighted to see her sapling replenished. After setting up some food to cook, Alinea regales Feo Ul with the tales. How she learned that she had anxiety that would creep up during battles. How Lumen, or one of her comrades would normally keep it at bay, but when she was separated she would start to panic. How she told Tataru this and was sent to the Arcanist’s Guild, where she first learned to conjure carbuncles. She still loves her starting ones and will bring them out to play occasionally, but these had a stronger bond with her, and keep her more calm, while also helping on the battlefield.

When Feo Ul inquires why the purple one keeps a knife near him, Alinea bursts out laughing.

“Well, one time in a training fight, some loud mouth said that carbuncles are of no use. Demetri didn’t take well to that and started attacking his ankles. I thought it’d be funny to see if I could train him to use a blade and well, he took to it.”

She turns to Sephy curled up next to her.

“Sephy is more gentle. Her shields are far more resistant than his. No offense meant. It’s almost like they represent two different sides of me.”

Alinea knows that this is similar to Fray and Ardbert as well.

"It’s disconcerting having all the pieces and parts to you that you can never fully understand."

She looks up at Feo Ul, who has a bright smile on her face.

“And dearie? What’s wrong with that? You are kind and caring to others, but that means you stand up for those that can’t for themselves. You need both. I am proud of you, o sapling of mine. And I know you will not fail no matter what comes next. Though if you ever need encouragement, call on me at any time.”

“I will Feo Ul. Thank you.”

“Until next time dearie.”

The King disappears and Alinea, far lighter than before, packs up and heads back to the Source.

[emc2beans]

#FFXIVWrite2023 Day 2: Bark

Carbuncles are basically dogs, right?

The library of the Rising Stones was, for lack of  better phrasing, densely-packed. More space was devoted to books rather than actual room to read said books, which gave the space a very cozy atmosphere. It was much nicer than the eternally people-filled library of the Studium, at least as far as Alphinaud was concerned. It most certainly did not have anything to do with the fact that he could spend time alone with Llewellyn without either of their respective sisters making things incredibly awkward for the both of them.

 Not that Llewellyn seemed to have any idea whatsoever that Alphinaud wanted to spend time alone with him. Nor did he seem to be aware that Alphinaud had been slowly, incrementally shifting from one end of the small couch to sit directly next to him for the past two bells while they had been reading. Alisaie’s prior advice of ‘just sit next to him, you idiot’ echoed in the back of Alphinaud’s mind as he contemplated crossing the last few ilms or so. 

Llewellyn was not as oblivious as Alphinaud thought. However, he was trying to play it as cool as possible. While he appeared to be focusing on the book in his hand, his mind was elsewhere. He stretched his other arm across the back of the couch casually and let it rest there, waiting with bated breath for what Alphinaud would do next. 

Suddenly, from under the nearby table, Alphinaud’s Moonstone Carbuncle emerged and hopped up into the space on the couch between the two teenagers. It trilled sweetly and put its two front paws on Llewellyn’s leg, looking up at him with its big eyes. Unable to resist the cuteness, Llewellyn pulled the carbuncle into his lap to pet it with both hands. The carbuncle clearly didn’t mind being squished by the roegadyn and enthusiastically leaned into the attention. 

“Welly, can you come help me move some crates for Tataru?” Gwynedd called from the door to the library. Llewellyn groaned in exasperation and stood, gently putting the carbuncle where he had been sitting.

“I’ll see you later, yeah?” He turned to Alphinaud with an apologetic look.

“Of course.” Alphinaud replied. Llewellyn quickly ducked out of the room, leaving Alphinaud to cooly regard the carbuncle making itself comfortable on the couch. “You little traitor.” He hissed quietly. His carbuncle rolled over onto its back and chirped, content in the knowledge that even its master couldn’t stay mad at such a cute face. 

[ainyan]

a touch in a moment of urgency.

The screeches of approaching sin eaters echoed in their ears. Though not quite in sight, they converged from all around at the call of their master, coming to defend him against the invaders who threatened the sanctity of his lair. Kal’istae’s cane hung loose in her fingers as she gazed up the staircase rising from the platform upon which they stood. “He seems disinclined to grant us an audience,” Y’shtola murmured caustically as she raised her staff.

Alphinaud grimaced, holding his grimoire before him, his moonstone carbuncle at his heel. “Find Vauthry,” he said tersely to Kal’istae. “We will hold the eaters here.”

She stared at him. “You expect me to abandon you?” she asked incredulously.

Alisaie closed her eyes as she brought her hands together, setting her focus above the pommel of her rapier. “We expect you to bring an end to this once and for all,” she answered through gritted teeth. “And you can’t do that here. Only you can face Vauthry.”

Her fingers tightened around her cane and she spun around. She knew she would find no quarter with Y’shtola and Urianger; they, too, would agree with the twins. Finally, reluctantly, she gazed at the gunbreaker at her back, who was watching the skies with cautious citrine eyes. “You know my answer,” he said without turning. “Would that I could be at your side, but I can no more face him than the others. I can, however, hold back the tides.” In the distance, they could hear the beat of leathery wings against the still air, the raucous cries that preceded the arrival of the horde. “You have to go, Kali!”

“I don’t want to leave you,” she whispered, torn.

Resting his gunblade against his shoulder, Thancred whirled and reached out to cup her cheek. “We will be fine,” he promised. “I need you to worry only for yourself.” The first of the sin eaters came into view and Alphinaud gave a low warning. “Kali, go!” he said urgently, snatching back his hand and whirling, “Save us. And let us save you.”

She stared at his back and reached out to press a light touch between his shoulder blades, then whirled, sliding her cane onto her back with one smooth motion. She ran towards the stairs, dashing tears from her eyes with the back of her hand as she prayed to the Twelve to protect her friends.

She never even gave a thought to what might happen to her.

Touching Tenderly Prompts

Thank you for the ask!

[skiesofdeception]

Apparently 2023 is Year of the Rabbit, which entirely by coincidence my Redbubble had a very bunny themed update not too long ago. There are also new carbuncles to be summoned, as well as an Ace Combat/FFXIV mashup following Halone’s reveal for the 6.3 trailer. Please check them out if you’re interested. They’re also all available on my TeePublic.

Moon Rabbits (Tsukuyomi + Lopporits) Ishgardian Buns (Individually: Aymeric, Haurchefant, Estinien, Ysayle) Fat Carbuncles (Individually: Emerald, Ruby, Topaz, Obsidian, Moonstone) Ace of Halone (English Text Emblem, Eorzean Text Emblem)

[familiar-cxsmxs]

☝ + Summoning a Carbuncle (Alphinaud)

"Ah, yes. The first time I'd ever summoned one of the few Carbuncle that I can command. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell of how my first summoning went." Alphinaud sat back in the seat of his chair, resting peacefully in one of the various resting chambers of Sharlyan before the trip to visit the Turalli to see how he might help the Garleans to achieve the same level of peace as them.

But his thoughts dwelled not on that right then. Instead, he cast his thoughts back to when he first summoned his original carbuncle. Most typically summoned an Emerald, Ruby, or Topaz carbuncle as their first. After all, they all required less aether to control properly. Perhaps if they were a little stronger aetherially speaking, they might be able to summon even the Onyx carbuncle.

However, he was not like most students to have attended the Studium. No, his aether was incredibly strong for his age, simply due to a number of factors. He was a twin, an Elezen, and was born of two parents whose aetherial capacity was quite impressive as well. Oh yes, and he was one of two grandchildren of Louisoix. So to say that his aether capacity was impressive was no mere jest.

Indeed that when he summoned his carbuncle, it was to no surprise from him that it was an unforeseen result of a Moonstone Carbuncle. Incredibly powerful in their own right, and not to be underestimated by any means for what they can provide. They also proved to be a trusty companion for completion of a number of his classes work that required the retrieval of something dangerous from the Labrynthos, or if he needed to observe the effect of additional aether being bestowed upon beings already aether sensitive. Of course, he never did anything that could actually harm his carbuncle in any form.

[dash-n-step]

As I watch the endwalker video again, I'm once again thinking about how they just gave Alphinaud guns

rip to moonstone carbuncle

[violatail]

which one is ur faworite

if the pink was real i would say that but it's emerald for now until they give us moonstone carbuncle

[fisherrprince]

Alphinaud goes down first. 

It’s a case of divided focus, something he prides himself on being able to do, being why he volunteered for it, but… it is too much. 

He tries to cast teleport. Multiple times, he tries, he has Ch’ari and Alisaie’s tethers, if he manages to cast it he can get the three of them out of here (out of plain sight, the middle of a disgusting field of churned earth and smoke and bodies in all directions, warmachina and the smell of burnt aether almost choking in their intensity, they weren’t even meant to be here it’s just there’s nowhere to go anymore and the teleport is straight to Doma where he knows the fighting hasn’t catastrophized yet and maybe Hien or Yugiri is still alive) — and yet when he pulls together enough mana for the spell between casts of ruin and shields and directing his carbuncle to and fro, it’s not like it doesn’t work. It’s more like it reaches out and never reaches past… here, the aethernet slowed to a halt, the cast stuck in an eternal loading screen. It tries, like a dying man tries to breathe. Alphinaud grips the pages of his grimoire with the realization that they aren’t escaping the ruins of Vylbrand. There is not enough aether to pull together the connection from here to Doma. 

A magitek reaper crushes his carbuncle under one foot, the poor creature disappearing with a yelp, and Alphinaud feels his heart skip a beat and his footing falter for a second as the magic between them is snapped, and without a shield the opportunity is taken before it can be snatched away and a lance buries itself between his ribs and throws him to the dirt. 

It knocks everything out of him. His grimoire skids just out of reach of his fingers. His vision hits the floor after his body does and keeps going, smearing colors like wet ink, and he doesn’t feel pain as quickly as he feels the odd sliding sensation of things moving that should not be. The lancer — dragoon, how ironic and unfairly cruel to die to — yanks the lance back out (a strained cry is forced out of him as it does) and hastily starts forwards, weapon raised as if they were feeling lucky after the success, and is thrust violently to the side as Alisaie buries her rapier through their stomach with a snarl. She kicks the corpse off her sword and makes as if to rush to her brother, eyes wild and pulled wide like a cat’s, but her focus is yanked away from her as another unlucky figure takes a powerful verthunder and vaporizes with a scream. 

The shield is gone — that was Alphinaud‘a job. Carbuncle. Alisaie skids to her knees at his side, panting harshly with her hair tangled in her face and begins casting vercure, only to grip her focus tightly and fling a spell backwards that explodes in a wall of fire. 

“Can you heal yourself?” She barks. Oh, she’s yelling like she’s upset. That’s not a helpful thought, because it’s quite obvious, but it strikes Alphinaud that he doesn’t want that to be happening. The sticky tear through his chest is starting to feel like ice when he breathes. 

“Carbuncle,” he wheezes, instead. 

Alisaie grabs his hand with hers and slaps it down on the grimoire, the requisite magic from their combined casts rushing into the spell as if from an unclogged drain pipe, reluctantly and then all at once. Moonstone — bless his moonstone carbuncle, he crafted it to be intelligent and it far exceeded his expectations, it pops into existence and immediately creates a shield big enough to shelter the three of them and zips off to attack any stragglers. Alisaie, checking her surroundings again, fumbles with Alphinaud’s soaked through cloak and returns to healing magic. 

Tries to return. There’s so much spent mana in the air it’s almost like shining a flashlight into a summer day, the way vercure stutters and hums weakly. Alisaie growls and pushes more mana into the spell, and it pulses as it slowly pulls aetheric particulates into itself to work.

“You okay?!” shouts a hoarse voice from some fulms away, right on the edge of the shield. 

Right — Ch’ari, not looking at them, locked in battle. Past the giddiness that pervades his attitude in a fight, strained into desperate focus. The only reason they’re not already dead, and she has no trouble admitting it. Ch’ari stands in a perpetual crackling, crystalline magic circle, Hydealyn trying to preserve Her champion, firing off spell after spell that explode between combatants in fierce, blinding reams of energy. Between casts, he flips his staff around and launches through warmachina, the azure dragoon in full sorcerer’s gear, more effective in close combat. In the little circle that surrounds them and the shield, Ch’ari fends off the army trying to kill them, growing more and more exhausted the more he doesn’t have help. 

“We need more time!” Alisaie yells. 

“Anything but that, Ali, I can give you anything else!”

“Then we need to leave, Ari, I can’t cast! We can’t stay!”

“How’s the—“ he turns, to look at them finally, his ears flat as his eyes widen in shock. “Hells,” Ch’ari hisses, and turns and slams his stave into the ground, the magic circle glowing and then brightening substantially as the ground surrounding the carbuncle’s shield cracks and explodes upwards with light, rending and throwing metal and flesh and forcing Alisaie to squint. 

When she can see again, Ch’ari has backed up to be close and enclose them between him and the mutilated rock Alphinaud fell against, trying again to cast teleport. The circle is gone — and this time, the cast barely even starts. Buying them time, using the ley lines to channel magic into the earth, used up any significant amount of aether left in the atmosphere, and she can almost taste the absence of life on the dry air. It tastes like the Burn. Like blood — though it’s tasted like blood for hours. 

Ch’ari brings his hands to his face, in concentration if not prayer, weak magic spiraling about his feet, when his ears flick up and he drops the spell and manages to cast manaward as—

KKRAKKOOM!

Just to pin the final nail on the coffin. A mangled, half-finished and tendon-bare imitation of Ultima drops from the sky and buries itself four feet into the ground, and it screams, cracking the carbuncle’s shield and causing the creature to let out a defiant shriek. 

Ultima reels, confident as a puppet yanked into position by dogs, and a sharp note rings out through the air as it aims and fires a beam of pure ceruleum energy into the shields. 

Ch’ari skids backwards and stays standing, both hands braced against his staff, stumbling backwards and nearly over the twins. Manaward isn’t strong, the blessing of Light the only thing keeping it up, but the drain on the star itself leaves it shimmering and wavering, almost obscuring what approaches from the wrecked wasteland behind. 

It’s almost like tendrils of nothingness. Shadowy hisses and steam-trails of pure black, bereft of magic entirely. They creep from nowhere and slip into the cracks, pushing at the edges like a meal awaits inside the eggshell. Almost alive, but so spread and so lifeless as to be an inevitability. 

Ultima shatters the carbuncle’s shield, and Alphinaud cries out, flinching as the tether breaks again. Ch’ari grunts with the effort of just keeping the shield up, no sign of the attack actually stopping — and Alisaie, unable to leave the shield area or she dies or her brother dies or anything, doesn’t cast a spell and just tries to channel aether into the Warrior of Light. 

The black fog seeps through the cracks made by the weapon, tugging them wider, longer. Drier. More and more blank, nothing. 

Ch’ari drops his staff drops the cast and turns and skids to his knees, grabbing both twins and pulling them close to him as manaward shatters. Ultima howls in triumph, bracing itself to fire again, but it hardly needs to, not to ensure the end of this story. The smoke rushes in, and blurs the world into unrecognizable nothing. 

Everything slows, and… stops. 

and. 

reverses. 

Alisaie feels it first. Underneath the stinging sensation of unhealed wounds the gentle tug as time begins to pull backwards, the way the particles in the air almost like stars begin to blur and streak. Ultima never fires again, immobile like a glittering metal statue, and from where her head is pressed into Ch’ari’s shoulder, she looks up and sees faint, astral spell lines.

She almost laughs. She does, in confused disbelief. Ch’ari’s grip loosens ever so slightly, ears swiveling to pick up the quiet shimmer of something far beyond him reaching out and pulling. 

You… only you…

Alisaie can’t help it, her hoarse laugh turns into giggles, and Ch’ari picks his head up entirely, still holding his twins but hearing that voice and hearing something else within it. Alphinaud’s fingers curl into Ch’ari’s coat, even through the haze of near-fever. The air cools, softens, and glows with blue smears and swirls of time. The edge of Ch’ari’s lips twitch, unsure but surrounded by familiar senses as the swirls speed up, faster and faster until the world blurs out of view entirely, replaced by streaks and starlight. 

Let expanse contract, eon become instant!

History must be changed!

And Thancred collapses to the floor, unconscious. 

[mor-and-more]

So

I just stepped outside and got hit with an idea

Of Arisu trying to create Sunstone Carbuncle

Because first, Alphy has the MOONstone

And second, certain Seat's symbol is SUN

And she's dedicated to that particular bit!!!

[smallest-turtle]

6.0 Alphinaud trust: sage class. Healer with floating guns. Not at all related to archan-

Moonstone carbuncle is there

[winterstorm032802]

Nora: *summons her Ruby Carbuncle* Hello little one

Ruby Carbuncle: *sits on Nora's lap and rests her head on Nora's leg*

Nora: How adorable

Alphinaud: *walks in to find Nora asleep at her desk with her Ruby Carbuncle* Nora? This isn't a proper place to sleep you know

Moonstone Carbuncle: *summons*

Alphinaud: Moonstone? How in the worlds did you manage that?

Moonstone Carbuncle: *jumps on Nora's lap and lies down next to Ruby*

Alphinaud: *smiles* How cute, but you must get off of her, I'll need to move her to her bed

Moonstone Carbuncle: *looks at Alphinaud deadpanned*

Alphinaud: You want me to join? Seriously?

Moonstone Carbuncle: *cuddles up with Ruby*

Alphinaud: *sighs* Very well, I'll watch over you all as you sleep. Luckily I can manage to do some work *sits beside Nora*

.

Alphinaud: *yawns as he goes through papers* It hasn't been that long and here I am exhausted enough...

Nora: *rests her head on Alphinaud's shoulder*

Alphinaud: *blushes and looks at Nora* ...How cute you are *unable to stay awake and starts to doze off*

.

Next morning

Nora: *wakes up and finds that Moonstone and Ruby are on her lap* I know I summoned Ruby but Moonstone belongs to- *sees Alphinaud leaning on her and realizes that they both leaned on each other whilst asleep* He looks so peaceful, as do you two

Alphinaud: *opens his eyes* Mm, where? Am I? *looks at Nora* Oh good morning Nora... *closes his eyes but stops and opens them wide* N-Nora! Oh dear Gods I fell asleep on you did I not? Forgive me *about to stand up*

Nora: *holds onto Alphinaud's arm* Stay, please? I'm rather fine to awake to see our Carbuncles asleep together, mayhaps we shouldn't awake them yet?

Alphinaud: *looks at Moonstone and Ruby, smiles* Okay

Nora and Alphinaud fall back asleep