How are the powers of Magic & GF's manifested in this world?

[Vivi-Gamer]

Hi,

One question for the FF Nerds, how is Magic & GF's manifested in FF8's world?

It's not like it is power distilled from a Crystal like in many of the classic FF games. We often see GFs drawn from Enemies, but I gather that is simply a gameplay mechanic opposed to the GF's being stored in actual monsters...

Diablos is presented as a Gift before the Timber Mission, so can they be contained within some form? But then you have Odin whom is within the Ruins - But I would argue that he has his own rule set and could even be classed differently from the other GF's altogether. Party members don't Summon him, he strikes on his own accord, more as a guardian.

Ifrit resides in a Cave for the SeeD Exam, I assume the power to summon him is gifted to all pupils who succeed in that exam - meaning it is not tied to a particular summoner like in other FF games (Garnet, Yuna).

I've read up about Hyne & the stories told in-game about him - but I assume his power was related to the Sorceresses and not typical magic and GFs?

Any information that you may have on this would be a great help... I may be writing fan fiction a few ideas around the games lore...

 

[Miko]

Hey! I never really thought about this before, but I drew this from the Final Fantasy Wiki, maybe it'll help answer your questions more.

Para-Magic

"Magic" used by ordinary people is actually "para-magic." In essence, it is a technique which involves controlling energy.
—Tutorial

Spoiler: Para-Magic

Para-Magic is the term used to define the "magic used by regular humans" in Final Fantasy VIII. Magic can only be used naturally by a sorceress, or via a Limit Break or a summoned Guardian Force.

Because ordinary people cannot use magic without the use of one of these, Dr. Odine developed Para-Magic. By studying a sorceress, he devised a way to manipulate energy to replicate spells. The would-be spell caster must "draw" a spell from an enemy or from a draw point. Using this drawn energy, the person can manipulate the energy in the battlefield to cast the spell.

Drawn spells can be junctioned to a Guardian Force to enhance battle prowess. Balamb Garden uses this method, teaching it to its SeeD cadets.

Guardian Force

A GF is an independent energy force. By combining it with para-magic, it is possible to control tremendous energy. Memory loss is a possible side effect, but this has not been proven as of yet.
—Final Fantasy VIII Tutorial

Spoiler: GF

Each Guardian Force possesses special characteristics and can appear in multiple forms as mighty autonomous energy bodies. Guardian Forces exist in specific energy fields and can reside within objects and living organisms.

When a Guardian Force is junctioned to a human, two kinds of beings are brought together, and if the junctioner possesses a comparable consciousness, the Guardian Force will lose its solid form and can only manifest for limited periods of time. Guardian Forces give superhuman strength and enhance the users' body functions.

Long-term junctioning causes memory loss (as seen with Selphie and the unnamed GF she junctioned when she was a child) because the Guardian Force draws power from the same section of the mind that stores memories. This, however, is only a plot point; junctioning has no negative effects on the characters during gameplay. Memory loss is stated to be the reason the use of Guardian Forces is widely criticized, and within Garden, Balamb Garden is the only school where their use has been approved.

There are sixteen Guardian Forces that can be junctioned and summoned by the summon command, and six that cannot be junctioned, and appear either randomly or are summoned with items. There are also two GFs, Griever and Tiamat, that only appear as enemies under Sorceress Ultimecia's control.

If I had to draw up a conclusion, I'd say that since normal people can only use Para-Magic, that only certain GFs can be 'summoned' with that same method. Since other games have 'summoners' (Yuna, Garnet) I'd like to say that if there was a specific 'summoner' in this game that they could summon other (non-equipable) GFs like how a sorceress can use magic naturally (or maybe they're one in the same?)

Each Guardian Force possesses special characteristics and can appear in multiple forms as mighty autonomous energy bodies. Guardian Forces exist in specific energy fields and can reside within objects and living organisms.

I think this answers how some of the GFs are just given to people. I imagine like how there is Materia in FFVII or Gems in IX, it could litterally be anything containing a GF.


Hopefully that's accurate and/or potentially helpful. I never knew any of this - it's been forever since I last played FFVIII Good luck on your... lore.

 

[Vivi-Gamer]

Thanks for the info - I was fully intending to raid the Wiki pages when I got home from work - I even printed out the GF page to read on te journry back.

The Para-Magic concept is something I completely forgot about though, so that was very good to know. Mind you there's still no real defintion on how Para-Magic is stored/contained physically.

In my story I'm kind of pushing for a World in where the ways of magic have been abanonded due to dangerous activity with the conflict of the Sorcerers and GF's memory loss functionality.

Each Guardian Force possesses special characteristics and can appear in multiple forms as mighty autonomous energy bodies. Guardian Forces exist in specific energy fields and can reside within objects and living organisms.

That line makes me wonder if I can infuse all said power into a Crystal, I don't think it would be to farfretched...