So Garuda wasn't nuts after all. [SPOILERS / PRIMAL DISCUSSION]

[faris]

Since 1.0, it's been quite apparent that Garuda's pretty insane. What's scarier than a Primal? One that's lost it's mind. And it worked for Garuda, given harpy screams, disembowelment threats and just generally badness is all-in-all the order of the day with her throughout 1.0.

But wait.

Garuda mentions in Lady of the Vortex that "only her children would survive The Reckoning." Most, rightfully, assumed that said reckoning was a reference to her main attack - and simply Garuda blowing off steam about how powerful she is. (Since hey, her and wind references seem to go hand-in-hand.)

Then, at the end of the main storyline, the reckoning is mentioned as... not her attack, as most would assume, but instead an event which the Ascians appear to be orchestrating. So she knew what was to come and knew of them all along; meaning that she was very alike Titan and Ramuh with her intent to protect her people. She was just... louder about it.

Thoughts, anyone? What if all of the Primals, in their own ways, were just trying to protect their people from the Ascians, and the reckoning? Primals are quite a step above us silly mortals, after all.

[shinros]

I could see them doing this considering what Lahabrea said at the ending I do recall him saying they wish to bring the reckoning to bring forth the one true god I presume the dark crystal name is zodiark.

[Anonymoose]

I believe the word most commonly used to describe Garuda's temperament - and the one that best fits - is capricious. She's capable of rational thought and taking a pause to contemplate the unexpected, as we see her do a few times in ARR, but overall she goes with the flow of her whimsy as long as she feels mastery of the situation; she is the wind. I think the primals are simultaneously more and less than we originally assumed. They clearly do have more than a practical stake in their worshipers (though no stake in other primals', apparently), but on the other hand still do obsess over aether and being the one true god. Garuda's just as angry that Ifrit, Titan, Leviathan, Ramuh, etc. are consuming her aether as I assume she would be that the asians are meddling around with Zodiark.

At this moment, I think this might just be an overlapping use of the term. When used in this manner, Reckoning harkens back to the Day of Reckoning in Christian mythology; the final and eternal judgment of the one true god. Thing is, in Eorzea, all the primals think this god is them. Garuda's got a reckoning planned, Ifrit's got a reckoning planned, the Ascians apparently have a reckoning planned... Remember - until now, the Ascians have been trusted advisers to the primals (Paragons) who have them ready to point the finger at Hydaelyn before themselves, most likely.

Do we see anything that implies the primals know the Paragons were a dupe? I've been focusing much more on closing 1.0 mysteries and letting people work through ARR for the first time before going back for lore tidbits.

[Meliae]

@anonymoose seems to like its pretty much a free for all but one thing is for sure, Ascions are after the Haedeylin (sp?) since they are more worried about him then they are worried about Primals, which makes me think that he had some thing to do with Zodiark being the outcast/sealed so in order to free him they need Haed out of the way, who is being powered by the Eorzia, which is why they masterminded the whole war with empire trying to flush out the true champions and to weaken Haed it seems they suceeded in doing both and can afford to play the waiting game now, letting the Primals take the brunt of Haed's champion and keeping him busy while they mastermind something else from shadows.