The Light of the Crystal

[Viridiana]

First, let me say that this is going to be a rather long post. I'm attempting to make sense of several references and visual cues scattered throughout the game that may or may not have been constructed with each other in mind. With that said, I'd like some input on what I'm considering craziness in regards to the player character's level of power.

***

So, what are we, really? Are we adventurers acting in service to Hydaelyn? Is the Echo her gift to us? Are the Crystals of Light an expression of her "blessing" upon us? What exactly is our interaction with the Crystals of Light?

Going through the Gridania storyline (though I'm sure it's similar for other cities), our first introduction to these concepts occurs in the level 5 quest Chasing Shadows. What I think is interesting is that our absorption of the Crystal of Light (more on this later) seems to come *before* our interaction with Hydaelyn. In fact, the "Echo scene" showing the starfall doesn't occur until the Crystal has been absorbed, either. This actually makes me lend credence to the idea that the Echo is separate from Hydaelyn, which I'll talk about more below.

The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light. Journey forth and lay claim to them.
By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee.

Of note from this quote in Chasing Shadows, Hydaelyn tells us that the Crystals themselves are a source of power. Some Ascians later in the story use wording that make me question this, but I still lean toward this being true, at least in a sense.

Later, in the level 14 quest To Guard a Guardian, we encounter the nameless Ascian that's been causing issues in the Black Shroud. His comments as he summons his demon to do battle are somewhat noteworthy:

Your very being imperils the plan. You cannot be suffered to live.

Now, he could just be going a little overboard, but what if he means exactly what he says? What if there's really no way to reconcile our existence with the plans of the Ascians?

In Lord of the Inferno, whe have the following exchange take place:

Ifrit: Pitiful children of man! By my breath I claim you!

Ifrit: Arise once more as my loyal minions! Feed my flames with your faith, and all who stand against us shall burn!
*A faint light emanates from the player, shielding them from the flames.*

Temugg Zoh: Impossible! By what sorcery do you resist my master's will!?

Temugg Zoh: Could it be...?

Temugg Zoh: Your soul already belongs to another!? Yes, that is the only explanation!

Ifrit: Forsooth, thy frail mortal frame can serve as vessel to the blessing of but One.

Ifrit: Yet I smell not the taint of another upon thee...

Ifrit: The truth of thine allegiance waxeth clear─thou art of the godless blessed's number.

Ifrit: The Paragons warned of thine abhorrent kind. Thine existence is not to be suffered.

Now, clearly, the Ascians have taught Ifrit that the "godless blessed" Echo bearers are not to be allowed to live. But why? What about our existence so imperils their plans? Also, I kinda take this quote, in conjunction with one later, to be saying that Hydaelyn really hasn't tempered us. Granted, since she is "All made one," her "scent" would probably be indistinguishable from that of a non-blessed.

Also of note is the faint light of the Crystal that protects us. Now, it's hard to tell for certain, just due to how the video rolls, but I think there's an actual light emenating from us that wards off the tempering. We'll see this again later against Garuda, where it will be much stronger, presumably due to our having absorbed many more Crystals by then.

Next up is our first conversation with Lahabrea, taking place during Into the Beast's Maw:

All that stands between this world and darkness is an irksome anomaly in the aether—-the Echo.

Now, this is what makes me cast doubt on the idea that the Echo is an ability bestowed on us by Hydaelyn. That *could* be the case, but the Ascians don't seem to think so, and they spend all of their time working towards Hydaelyn's demise. Surely they'd know if the Echo were something she granted us. I half-suspect that the Echo really is just a weird anomaly in the aether, and that Hydaelyn, by choice or limitation, only speaks to those who have it already. Someone who paid more attention than I during 1.0 would have to clarify one point: is there any indication that Echo bearers other than the PC were ever directly contacted by Hydaelyn, or are we presumably unique in this regard?

Just after this, we have the last bit of Believe in Your Sylph:

Frixio: <gasp> This one was not mistaken about walking one.

Frixio: Walking one is destined to walk a fate far crueler than this one can imagine.

Frixio: A brilliant light from within walking one enveloped the crystal─this one saw.

Frixio: Mark this one well: that crystal will one day be of use to walking one. Walking one must keep that crystal safe at all times.

So, a couple of things here. First, apparently being a Crystal Bearer is like, a sentence to a life of hardship. Second, whatever inner light we posses is clearly absorbing these crystals. Lastly, just as we can absorb them, it seems it's possible for us to lose them if we aren't careful. I imagine it'd look like what we do to Garuda later, but I can't be certain.

From there, our next meeting with the Ascians and references to the Crystals comes during Skeletons in Her Closet:

Ascian of the Twelfth Sword: It is no ordinary mortal who can acquire one Crystal of Light...much less three.

Ascian of the Twelfth Sword: The crystals make you strong, and it is to that strength that the Light is drawn.

Ascian of the Twelfth Staff: Hydaelyn chose well.

Ascian of the Twelfth Sword: ...A pity that your existence is irreconcilable with our own. We cannot well allow you to continue upon your present course.

This is the quote I mentioned earlier making me wonder about the Crystals. So, the Ascians and Hydaelyn both tell us that the Crystals give us strength. Apparently it's this strength itself that draws in the light we use to defeat the Ascians later. That is to say, it's the strength that gives us light, not the light that gives us strength. It makes me think that the dark crystals left behind by so many of our enemies in the story might actually be Crystals of Darkness, and that we may someday face a Bringer of Darkness who has absorbed a number of them.

This comment also makes me think that our success and our access to the Echo are not results of Hydaelyn choosing us. I suspect that we, somewhat by chance, came into the power of the Echo and that, having the Echo, we were able to absorb a Crystal of Light. At this point, Hydaelyn chose us to be her champion, and, in our resulting quests, we probably outstripped even her hopes for us. Ultimately, though, I think that it's the Echo that enables our success and that the Echo is not directly from Hydaelyn.

Lastly, let's consider the scene after you defeat Garuda in Lady of the Vortex:

Garuda: You, landwalker─you who dared to raise your hand against me─you shall be the first to pay for your sins! Not with your death─but with your LIFE!

Garuda: You will serve me, landwalker...to your last breath!
*Blue vortex surrounds the player.*

Garuda: No, NO!!! I claimed you! You should be MINE!
*Bright light shines from the player, dispelling the vortex. Garuda is shocked back into a defeated pose. Wind crystal rises from Garuda's chest.*
*Crystal absorption scene*
*Garuda appears shaken and defeated.*

Garuda: What...what are you? What have you done to me!?
Garuda: No mortal should possess such power! This...this is impossible!

Now, let's really consider this. At this point in the scene, Garuda has gone from looking defeated to being made even stronger than she started by the devotion of her Ixal followers. She's actually more powerful going into this part than she was when we first entered her domain. She starts by trying to temper us. A light radiates out from us, dispelling her attempt at tempering. At the same time, the sheer power of our light kicks her back into a defeated posture and forces the sixth and thus far final Crystal of Light from her chest for us to absorb. Bewildered, she asks us what we are, pointing out that "no mortal should posses such power!" And really, I have to agree: By all appearances, we literally just defeated a powered-up primal in her own domain with nothing more than a stern glance and the power of the Light. We stripped her of her Crystal, which is itself a sign of defeat. No normal mortal would posses anywhere near this level of power. What, then, does that make us?

At this point, we appear to be a being more powerful even than the primals, powered primarily by Crystals of Light, capable of casting out Ascians possession, and immune to the most insidious power a primal can muster (tempering). Now, when I say that we're powered by Crystals of Light, I don't mean to imply that we're consuming crystals the way a primal does. By all indications, the Crystals we absorb continue to have a physical presence. Then again, there's so much still unknown about the Crystals of Light as compared to a normal crystal, that this might be the same way a primal would interact with them. After all, we know that even if a Crystal of Light becomes part of a primal, it doesn't return to the background aether when the primal is defeated. As such, even though the Crystals of Light are still "there" after we absorb them, it could be that we're using them the same way a primal would.

All of this leaves me wondering what exactly is going on with our powers. We're certainly not a normal mortal; the Echo we possess is an oddity in the aether in its own right; the Crystals of Light that we absorb (via the Echo?) make us more powerful in the same way a primal is boosted by crystals; the Light drawn to the Crystals empowers us to drive away Darkness and its agents; and our power in general is far above almost anything else seen in Eorzea.

Any ideas? Crazy theories? Glaring holes in my analysis?

[Anonymoose]

Oh, man. This reply going to be long.

INTO MY TOMES I GO.

[Viridiana]

Oh, man. This reply going to be long.

INTO MY TOMES I GO.

Just what I was hoping for.

[RickiFake02]

Love this, and cannot wait to see what Moose has to say

[Anonymoose]

Are we adventurers acting in service to Hydaelyn? Is the Echo her gift to us? Are the Crystals of Light an expression of her "blessing" upon us? What exactly is our interaction with the Crystals of Light?

As far as we know? Yes, yes, maybe, and unknown. The Crystals of Light weren't all simply hidden away to be found, we flat out made some (for instance, when Hydaelyn's power ripped the aetheric mist from Garuda and consolidated it into the Wind Crystal).

My theory is that we're going full on Final Fantasy Classic. This could mean that Hydaelyn is the Crystal of Light, Zodiark is the Crystal of Darkness, we are the Warriors of Light, the Ascians are the Warriors of Darkness, and this entire Astral/Umbral cycle is the frequent upsetting of the balance between the worlds of Light and Darkness and the conflicts that arise from it.

But even if that theory is wrong, it is still likely that we are dealing with longstanding Japanese alchemy and elemental philosophy. The prime elements are the composition of the world, so where Hydaelyn is "all made one," her life is sustained by the six elements (usually Four + Void in Japanese mythology). Therefore, if you darken the "heart" of the six elements, you darken Hydaelyn. To me, this is what the Crystals of Light seem to represent - the pure essence of the aspects from which our realm is comprised. I think that, when the time was right, Hydaelyn consolidated this pure essence into the Crystals of Light and left them in our keeping so that we may safeguard them as they empower us.

If you pay really close attention in the Praetorium, several times, before we're given extraordinary powers that make the fights easier, we glow and for a moment the crystals of light appear around us and swirl. Look for it the next time you engage Lahabrea - because this is why the fight is a joke: it's not only Hydaelyn's blessing that protects us, the pure essence of every elemental aspect of light is at our command.

What I think is interesting is that our absorption of the Crystal of Light (more on this later) seems to come *before* our interaction with Hydaelyn. In fact, the "Echo scene" showing the starfall doesn't occur until the Crystal has been absorbed, either.

When you come across the first Crystal of Light, I think Hydaelyn is just popping back in to say, "You're doing exactly as I'd hoped. You'll need five more, keep going." Remember, this is actually our second interaction with her in ARR. If you are a new adventurer first created in A Realm Reborn, you are chosen by Hyadelyn exactly as you were in Version 1.0: as you come to Eorzea. You're almost to the city, dozing off, BOOM, "Hear... Feel... Think..." That is the moment you are chosen, when the Echo is bestowed upon you. If you were in 1.0, but didn't finish the Seventh Umbral Era storyline, it's pretty much the same thing - except that you were already chosen, you just didn't know by whom. The Echo was very mysterious and who we were chosen by was never known. Therefore this would serve as Hydaelyn's introduction of herself to you. This is also the case with those who are exiting the Aetherial Rift into which they were cast by Louisoix - they had the power, but now is the first time she reveals herself.

What if there's really no way to reconcile our existence with the plans of the Ascians?

I don't know if he means our existence (as a person), but the abstract existence of Hydaelyn's Champions, the Godless Blessed in general. The plan of the Ascians seems to be to burn Hydaelyn out of existence entirely, perhaps to end this Astral / Umbral cycle of imbalance by destroying what they see to be the source of it. If the dark, purple crystal we saw a brief glimpse of was indeed Zodiark, then Hydaelyn would of course be seen as the source of imbalance. The champion of light, in possession of the crystals of light, would be a very big threat to those who would see darkness rise. Square Enix has done a pretty decent job of making THE PLAYER "the chosen one" without making it overly absurd that everyone in the game is "the chosen one." I think by now it's very clear that the champion is to what Louisoix referred when he mentioned Daybreak, the blade of light. They are The Champion's allies, these godless blessed, but they are mere Warriors of Light.

This also answers your question about Godless Blessed, as Hydaelyn's power, enhanced by the possession of the Crystals of Light, does indeed cause us to glow at various points in the story as we exhibit powers we wouldn't normally have.

I half-suspect that the Echo really is just a weird anomaly in the aether, and that Hydaelyn, by choice or limitation, only speaks to those who have it already. Someone who paid more attention than I during 1.0 would have to clarify one point: is there any indication that Echo bearers other than the PC were ever directly contacted by Hydaelyn, or are we presumably unique in this regard?

There's not much to express as rigid proof - just a ton of implications. All of Version 1.0 was about awakening to The Echo and trying to figure out who did it. All of A Realm Reborn has been about who did it but why. The transition between the two seems to just answer the question with, Yes, Hydaelyn did it. That they call it an "anomaly in the aether" is indeed strange, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Hydaelyn isn't the source. If she were bestowing a power on people that allowed them to view the past in a way that leads them to a future that benefits her and also gives them an edge in combat against the forces of what might be the World of Darkness, that would be an extreme overstepping of her bounds. If the point of all this is balance, she just tipped the scales in her own favor. That might be what they mean by anomaly, that she has no right to do so. They imply that it was our side who is acted inappropriately. It could go a lot of directions, including in the direction of your suspicions.

Apparently it's this strength itself that draws in the light we use to defeat the Ascians later. That is to say, it's the strength that gives us light, not the light that gives us strength.

Without this assumption, the rest of your theory becomes a bit of a house of cards.

Have you ever heard of a feedback loop? Sometimes balance is so fragile that any disturbance of it causes a reaction that just cannot be stopped. Temperature rises, ice melts, the missing ice no longer reflects light, heat is absorbed by the water, the temperature rises further, more ice melts, etc. etc. I think this type of causal loop is to what the Ascian refers. Hydaelyn bestowed upon us her blessing, this blessing gives us strength, the power of light is drawn to it, we get stronger, drawing more power of the light unto us. The Ascians imply that this is just classic Hydaelyn behavior on her part, but whether that's an exaggeration or bias has yet to be seen. If you look at this year's New Years Hint, however, you'll find support for this interpretation of their words.

Lances of light herald the dawn, beckoning shadows deeper still.

This game is all about feedback. The aetheric balance is disturbed, primals can be summoned, primals imbalance the aether, the aetheric balance is further disturbed. Hydaelyn spreads light, the Ascians retaliate to weaken her, she chooses the Champion of Light to defend her, they step up their game, etc. etc.

When it comes to the Garuda cutscene, I think she simply took us for warriors like the Company of Heroes. She takes herself very seriously as a "the one true god" type. The power of the crystals is hers alone to consume. The fact that we would dare raise a hand to her means that we should be swiftly dealt with, but as a more extreme punishment than death, which she capriciously gives out on a whim, she'd see us enslaved to her will instead - a passionate enemy turned into a zealous worshiper as a symbol of what happens to those who dare not obey. Instead, Hydaelyn's blessing negates the tempering process, infuriating Garuda and making it obvious to her that this is no "mere mortal," but one of the Godless Blessed. The last of her weapons against us is useless - she cannot defeat us martially, and cannot defeat us mentally - and the concept of this is maddening to her.

Again,
I can't promise that anything I said is 100% right, so have at it.
These forums exist so that we can chip away at theories back and forth until we arrive at something worth defending
^^

[Lucke]

I dunno who brought this up (could have been Moose), but I find the idea that we are tempered very interesting.

Hydaelyn tempered us. And really, have we ever thought of denying her blessing? Have we ever decided to reject her and fight her? No, because we are tempered by her. We follow her unquestionably. Also note that once tempered by one Primal, they cannot be tempered by another primal (A person tempered by Ifrit, cannot be tempered by 'ruda, no matter how powerful she thinks she is). We see this when Ifrit tried to temper us but can't because we're already tempered by Hydaelyn. We view this as being "immune" to tempering. Maybe because we were already tempered by Hydaelyn. I don't think she is "evil" at least in the same way as the primals. Maybe being tempered allows the beastmen to communicate with each other. I'd think each beastman has their own language, so being tempered allows them to communicate with everyone. Unless, are the beastmen truly "tempered"? I though they would volunteer to worship the primal, but does the primal still temper them, just in case?

[Enkidoh]

See, I disagree that the Echo is actually 'Hydaelyn tempering us', as the two ideas are very different concepts. Tempering strips a person so affected of their very free will and personality, leaving them nothing but a mindless shell zealously devoted to the Primal who summoned them, where as someone 'awoken' to the Echo retains all their free will.

It wasn't that apparent in ARR, but in 1.0 the Path of the Twelve was full of Echo users from all walks of life, and in particular a great deal were not adventurers, some were merchants or labourers, some were even children. Accordingly, although it's clear now that it was Hydaelyn Herself responsible for awakening people to the Echo, it seems in her case it's not the same as the Primal tempering.

Sure we might have this power, but it's up to the user to how they actually make use of it (and it should be noted that a Tempered has no special abilities other than what they possessed before they were tempered other than their zealousness towards their Primal). As the Path of the Twelve showed, there were plenty of Echo users who actually used their powers for personal gain with no apparent connection to 'protecting Eorzea', so it gives even less weight to the idea of the Echo being a form of 'tempering' by Hydaelyn.

[Lucke]

But remember, Hydaelyn is a Goddess/Mothercrystal, not some lowly Primal. She may have the power to enable us to keep our free will. Again, Primals = evil, Hydaelyn = Good, but she could still have tempered us. And because she is good and represents light, she lets us keep our free will. She can always summon us to her side as well. So maybe at any time she can take that free will away. I don't like being a pessimist lol.

[Icecylee]

You know, there's one thing in particular about the idea of the echo being a direct gift from Hydaelyn and/or a form of tempering that always bugged me a bit the more I thought about it. Remember how back in 1.x when they were explaining how the echo works and what the path of the twelve did, that they mentioned that some people had 'walked the path' or something to that extent, but basically anyone that had gained enough mastery over the echo eventually saw something so despairing that they more or less gave up on doing anything at all. Sort of curious how *that* fits into anyone's theories.

[Viridiana]

The Crystals of Light weren't all simply hidden away to be found, we flat out made some (for instance, when Hydaelyn's power ripped the aetheric mist from Garuda and consolidated it into the Wind Crystal).

So, maybe I'm weird in this, but any time we don't get the "disembodied voice" (speech with no bubble) I'm wary of attributing what's going on to Hydaelyn. Not that I don't think she's involved at all, but it feels like it's only during "major" events that she directly acts. Awakening our Echo, setting us off to find the other Crystals, warning us of Lahabrea (twice), saving us from Ultima--these are the type of event where she seems to step in directly. As you'd put it, though, I have no evidence that she *isn't* acting at these other times; I'm just wary of defaulting to the "yes" position.

That said, where the power of the Crystals of Light is certainly. . .intertwined? with Hydaelyn's, I'd have to say that they are separate. After all, it wasn't "By thy deeds will I reveal them to thee," it was "By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee." That is, the Crystals of Light appear to be distinct from Hydaelyn. As such, I'd have to say that it's the Crystal of Light's power that's ripping the Wind Crystal of Light from Garuda. Same with the Lahabrea fight. Hydaelyn's expended much of her energy just to shield us from the first Ultima cast, and she flat out tells us she can't shield us from a second. While it's possible she's mustering up enough strength to help us defeat Lahabrea, I'd sooner say it's our drawing on the Crystals.

If you are a new adventurer first created in A Realm Reborn, you are chosen by Hyadelyn exactly as you were in Version 1.0: as you come to Eorzea.

Dunno how I forgot that. Interestingly, though, I did just rewatch that scene, and the "star shower" portion never occurs until Chasing Shadows. We don't get a vision of the past (which would be the typical sign of the Echo) until the next quest entirely. Are we certain that the conversations with Hydaelyn are even Echo-based? I always thought the consensus was that the star shower was the sign of awakening to Echo, but I could be off on that entirely.

Now to skip around a bit:

Without this assumption, the rest of your theory becomes a bit of a house of cards.

True, so I might as well address it now. There's certainly a bit of a feedback loop going on, at least inasmuch as we're using the power we've been granted to defeat what we couldn't otherwise, thus gaining even more power. That said, though, I do believe I've made a valid assumption, at least given the information we have:

The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light. Journey forth and lay claim to them.
By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee.
Only believe, for the Light liveth in thy heart.

And later in the quest Reclamation:

Bringer of Light...
Brave gatherer of the Crystals...thy soul burneth bright!
I am Hydaelyn. All made one.
Hearken unto me now, for the Darkness doth begin to spread.
Ware thee the bearer of the Crimson Brand, for he is the Avatar of Shadow, whom Death attendeth always
The Crystals shall be thy salvation--thy blade and shield both.
Steel thyself, for at the appointed hour...
Thou shalt stare into the Heart of Darkness.
Go with caution, my child, but fear not--for I am ever with thee.

The crystals bear the power, but without the light shining in our hearts, we would still succumb to darkness. The Crystals grant us strength; in strength the light flourishes; the Crystals reveal themselves to the light; the loop goes on. . .

Also, the lines about steeling ourselves to stare into the Heart of Darkness makes me wonder if she isn't basically warning us to never give up hope, because our hope and will are all that keep ours souls alight. That's something of a derail, though.

That they call it an "anomaly in the aether" is indeed strange, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Hydaelyn isn't the source.

I suppose you're right, but I'm not used to things being called anomalies if they have a known source. Hence, I took it to mean something more like, "There's something odd about your aether. Also, Hydaelyn chose you as a champion." As you said, though, it could ultimately go any number of ways.

I don't know if he means our existence (as a person), but the abstract existence of Hydaelyn's Champions, the Godless Blessed in general.

I kinda took it to mean as one awoken to the Echo, but it could just as easily be as the Bringer of Light. Although, if I'm right about our status as the Bringer of Light depending just as much on our hope and spirit as it does on our power, that has interesting implications.

Instead, Hydaelyn's blessing negates the tempering process, infuriating Garuda and making it obvious to her that this is no "mere mortal," but one of the Godless Blessed. The last of her weapons against us is useless - she cannot defeat us martially, and cannot defeat us mentally - and the concept of this is maddening to her.

It is maddening to her, yes, but I still find it interesting that everything about the end of the cutscene says that she's been defeated entirely, that our throwing off her tempering and drawing out the Crystal of Light were just as damaging as all the fighting we did up to that point and then some. I mean, it'd be one thing if her posture were upright and she were raging; instead her posture is broken and defeated, her confidence shattered. It's not until Gaius taunts her that she again rallies. Without that, we've defeated her after she powers up by basically powering up ourselves and completely overwhelming her.

Also, you didn't really touch on whether or not it's the Echo that allows us to absorb the Crystals. Unless you mean to say that they're both ultimately coming from Hydaelyn, but I don't think the Crystals are.

I dunno who brought this up (could have been Moose), but I find the idea that we are tempered very interesting.

I've never actually been fond of this theory. I mean, I see how it could work, and it's interesting to think about, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. Just, my instincts tell me this isn't the case. I think it's that I'm willing to take the game at its word when it says that the Echo makes one immune to tempering.