About these "calamities" and "Astral/Umbral" eras...

[FJerome]

Except Ferne actually confirmed the column of light at the Battle of Silvertear Skies (i.e. in 1.0's original opening FMV), really was the Primals being released from confinement, and that until that time they had been sealed within the lake.

Midgardsormr, YOU HAD ONE JOB.

[Cherub]

Primals being sealed within the lake just creates more question. Who sealed them, or what sealed them or how did they even get sealed. When exactly did they get sealed.
This actually makes me wonder if Primal Bahamut (Non-Primal Bahamuts death date pretty much) was born during the war between meracydia and the allagans and Primal-Bahamut couldn't get sealed due to Dalamud.

[Anonymoose]

Ferne actually confirmed the column of light at the Battle of Silvertear Skies (i.e. in 1.0's original opening FMV), really was the Primals being released from confinement, and that until that time they had been sealed within the lake.

Did he? I might be blanking on something big, but the only official mention of the seal on Silvertear Lake that I can recall at the moment was one that specifically avoided confirming that the primals were sealed there, which is the only reason I remember ever questioning the primalsplosion as a mystery to begin with.

Though the great dragon is able to destroy the Garlean flagship, he perishes in the process, and the seal which he protected (guarding the concentration of aether beneath Silvertear Lake) is broken, allowing the beast tribes access to this energy, which they use to freely summon their primals (as taught to them by the mysterious paragons). The Garleans, having lost their flagship and sensing the presence of something more powerful than their remaining forces can handle, retreat back to Ala Mhigo. Meanwhile, with the fall of the Keeper of the Lake, the aetherial balance in the area gets thrown out of whack, transforming the once lush area into a crystalline wasteland—Silvertear Falls now dried up.

Skimmed the rest of the old post just for fun, and this now stands out to me where it didn't before...

Do the dragons of Dravania worship a primal? And if so, who? Is it Nidhogg? Midgardsormr? Someone else?
Yoshi-p dropped a few bombs last week revealing that both Midgardsormr and Nidhogg were not primals, but dragon ‘kings.’ However, he also revealed that the dragons are a beast tribe...and that beast tribes have their own gods (primals)... So...

I used to think this was a hint about Bahamut, but we now know Bahamut to be the first of the Meracydian brood, deified in desperation to save them from Allag advance. But this is answering questions about Dravanians. Did the Dravanians do their own bit of worship and summons? Could this be related to the mystery primal that halted the Garlean advance!? Probably not, but ohoho baseless pot-stirring!

[treuhavik]

but ohoho baseless pot-stirring!

You've done it again... Lol.

[myahele]

Due to Odin's unique circumstance I always thought that he was this mysterious Primal.

[Anonymoose]

Due to Odin's unique circumstance I always thought that he was this mysterious Primal.

Me, too! I favored the Odin theory over the Ramuh theory just because I trusted the Sylphs when they said "These ones will never summon a primal. Okay, maybe just that one time. And that second time recently, but that wasn't technically these ones, this time." And that was in spite of the fact that all clues point to Odin being released as a direct result of the Calamity, long after the mysterious primal's appearance.

I actually thought it might have fallen through the cracks entirely and might be a fun question to just ask ... but much to our surprise, Banri Oda-san has barred discussion of the topic because it was planned from the beginning and hasn't been revealed yet. The only hint I can think of is that Naoki Yoshida-san was very proud of Ravana being the first summon created specifically for FFXIV - so whichever entity it was, it was a traditional summon. That should narrow it down! (...Oh.)

[Enkidoh]

Did he? I might be blanking on something big, but the only official mention of the seal on Silvertear Lake that I can recall at the moment was one that specifically avoided confirming that the primals were sealed there, which is the only reason I remember ever questioning the primalsplosion as a mystery to begin with.

I think you might be right Moose, as I went searching for the quote in question but I could not find it, only discovering the above quote from Ferne in the old 'CG Midlander' thread, which wasn't quite the same. But I'm sure I saw another quote by Ferne somewhere else (quoted in another more recent thread?) which 'confirmed' the Primals really were sealed within Silvertear Lake and that the destruction of the Agrius created such a massive aether explosion it caused the seal to rupture and the Primals escaped. Sadly though, I can't remember for the life of me exactly where it was.

Naturally, this quote would be the 'smoking gun' in regards to the issue of the 'where the Primals came from', but the more I think of it, the more it looks like me just misreading the above quote and taking the 'energy' released and turning that into 'Primal essence' - maybe someone is Echo-tripping in my memories and changing things?! Arrghh!

Anyway, thanks for the clarification as usual Moose.

[treuhavik]

the more I think of it, the more it looks like me just misreading the above quote and taking the 'energy' released and turning that into 'Primal essence' - maybe someone is Echo-tripping in my memories and changing things?! Arrghh!

In your defense, there were a ton of probable theories on the subject spouted in the past year or so. My own theory on this has shifted dramitically, this just happens to be where it sits for the time being.

[myahele]

I wonder if it was possible to create a new primal despite there being a seal? That the seal only worked on pre-existing primals, although one defeated these new primals end up getting seal anyways due to returning to the lifestream.

[NoloeTazier]

I wonder if it was possible to create a new primal despite there being a seal? That the seal only worked on pre-existing primals, although one defeated these new primals end up getting seal anyways due to returning to the lifestream.

Well we know that Othard had summoned Primals during their war with the Garleans and this was well before the seal was broke in Silvertear / Paragons teaching the Beast tribes. Really there's so much confusion with Primals and their entire nature, the definition is just way too broad at this point .