Can someone explain the calamities/shards/source thing?

[Shadotterdan]

A theory of mine about the elemental calamities is that it might be due to whichever element is most prevalant in the shard that gets absorbed. While all of the elements would be there in some measure, it's probable that the shattered shards might have been aspected towards the various elements. Thus when they got absorbed, the landscape of the time was filled with a lot of aether of one type, which either outright caused it or at least made it an attractive option.

[Anonymoose]

A theory of mine about the elemental calamities is that it might be due to whichever element is most prevalant in the shard that gets absorbed. While all of the elements would be there in some measure, it's probable that the shattered shards might have been aspected towards the various elements. Thus when they got absorbed, the landscape of the time was filled with a lot of aether of one type, which either outright caused it or at least made it an attractive option.

It's such a gut instinct that I hesitated to even mention it beyond "maybe it's related to the heavens/hells" thing, but I agree. If you take into account the Source ("Star Polar") and void ("Nether Polar"), that leaves 6 + 6 dimensions that might be more heavily skewed Light/Dark and elemental. Something about it is so logically satisfying.

Here's my hang-up connecting it to Calamities - maybe you've got an idea. If we're Source (polar astral/sky/light/star whatever), what dimension was lost in the Seventh Umbral Era (all elements tilted astral)? Or was it that 1 "Dark-heavy" dimension had already been lost, so Zodiark needed to poaching the least light-heavy ones? But then why go for the First? Because it was already collapsing and they had to move quick is my guess, either way, but still.

It's so hard to make logically satisfying consistent in FFXIV.

Why do Calamities start with wind? Why did the calendar used to start with fire? Why does the elemental wheel almost line up with the map and primal summons but not quite enough to be confident it was intended?

[Shadotterdan]

The void wouldn't necessarily be the all umbral realm, otherwise the first shard would have been the star/polar. Heck, if we gave up aether to create the others then it might be plausible that we were the umbral realm.

[Anonymoose]

I just take it for granted that Eorzean mythology rarely corresponds exactly 1:1 with reality. Think of how often lower-case light and shadow are conflated with upper-case Light and Darkness, and how both Light and Dark are aetherial in nature but lower-case darkness is often associated with the consumption of aether and the void, but the void was also made by an influx of Darkness and retains some thematic associations and aesthetic from that but Eorzeans still call it Umbral and goes cross-eyed

[Alien_Gamer]

All of this makes me wonder about the final chapters of the story they've set up, not just 5.0 but perhaps beyond that. There's kind of a built in assumption that we're the Warrior of Light and Hero and therefore we're meant to win in the end. But what if, in this case, winning means restoring Hydaelen to power? Is it possible things are building things to a point where all the barriers collapse regardless of what we do and the only options are to channel the energy to Zodiark or Hydaelen? Could we sacrifice the world to restore Hydaelen so she can remake life on the world instead of letting Zodiark win? In effect usurping the Ascians plan to help Hydaelen instead of kill her?

This would, of course, be the final chapter in the game before it closes; which would have a poetic symmetry with the end of 1.0.

[Astarotha]

eorzea is technically in the middle of the shards, on one end you have the shard that fell due to light (1st) and the void, which fell to dark (13 or 14th, i think theres an odd number), and true rejoining will only happen when perfect balance is achieved (remember all characters in the game are bound to their pov unlike us, but balance between light and dark, yin/yang, good/evil, whatever has long been a hallmark of ff worlds), so this eternal struggle between the forces of hydaelyn and zodiark are actually preventing the rejoining but both sides are simultaneously fighting to win but also to not tip the balance TOO far and cause another 1st shard or void (also i think restoring the 1st shard may ultimately 'fix' the void)
basically both crystals are in essence selfish but must needs rely on champions to actually carry out their will, hydaelyn an aspect of chaos will and life and zodiark an aspect of order control and death

[ObsidianFire]

Wait... what?

The 1st Shard has not been Flooded as of 4.3. True, 4.4 may show us otherwise, but until then, everyone (the WoD, Hydaelyn) knew the Flood of Light would be stopped before it happened.

The Rejoining needs to be prevented if all life living on the shards is to continue to exist. Whenever a Rejoining happens, all life on that shard is turned into aether and goes back into the aetherial sea.

All the Ascians (except Elidibus) have been pretty transparent that they do not want a balance between Hydaelyn and Zodiark to happen. What they want is for Zodiark to be restored and Hydaelyn to be destroyed. By default that means all life on the shards will cease to exist. And I'm almost positive that Hydaelyn is the aspect of order and Zodiark is the aspect of chaos...

[Astarotha]

life by its nature is chaotic, you could argue different methods employed by their followers as serving an orderly or chaotic means, but hydaelyn in being a deity of life and nature and diversity is by definition chaotic, whereas zodiark in its aspects of absolute control, return to nothingness, and death is totally a deity of order

for instance, overthrowing a government through terror tactics and causing civil unrest for the purposes of instituting a dictatorial military regime is using chaos to achieve an orderly end