Field notes on: the Cindersmith
Location: Halo, The Dravanian Forelands
Locale: Magma pools
The Cindersmith surprised me greatly when I first snagged one during my expedition across Eorzea. I did not expect the tales of magma-dwelling fish to be true to begin with, let alone that the molten pools would have these robust and hardy snails living within.
What struck me the most was its likeness to the Armorer found in La Noscea’s deep oceans, as well as the Sabaton. I have no direct explaination for their similarities, but it does bring into question whether the Forelands were once hidden beneath a vast ocean. That would certainly explain how the Cindersmith came to exist upon these mountains - though it does not explain directly how they developed to withstand the temperatures of molten earth. I would theorize that their usual habitat around hydrothermal vents would make the Armorer (and Sabaton, by relation) predispositioned to the following evolution.
This theory does require further investigation and discussion with scholars who have studied these snails in more detail than myself. I can not conclude much just yet, but these snails have certainly made my next venture into the Great Gubal Library more focused.