The Mysteries of Vana 'Diel

[Nianny]

Read through the whole thing and some great stuff mentioned! Going waaaaay back gotta say a question that's been long asked and a mystery at that! Why can one Colibri drop two beaks?

I think it's Balaur that drops two skulls... that's some twisted anatomy aswell, unless I'm missing something.

[Sparthos]

Suspension of Disbelief.

The adventurer has tackled ancient princes, twice defeated the wyrmking, taken on the primordial forces of nature, stopped an odin-fueled galka, put an end to a time traveling menace, bested the twilight god twice, witnessed ragnarok all while moonlighting as a detective, soldier and mercenary.

Colibri beaks are what pushed you over the edge? lol

[Kimara]

Suspension of Disbelief.

The adventurer has tackled ancient princes, twice defeated the wyrmking, taken on the primordial forces of nature, stopped an odin-fueled galka, put an end to a time traveling menace, bested the twilight god twice, witnessed ragnarok all while moonlighting as a detective, soldier and mercenary.
Colibri beaks are what pushed you over the edge? lol

Lol sometimes it's the little things!! <3

[Tacotaru]

I think it's Balaur that drops two skulls... that's some twisted anatomy aswell, unless I'm missing something.

Balaur is a multi-headed serpent in mythology. Coupled with the fact that his skulls are used for weapon upgrades (and weapon upgrades drop in twos) it makes sense.

[Bubeeky]

Balaur is a multi-headed serpent in mythology. Coupled with the fact that his skulls are used for weapon upgrades (and weapon upgrades drop in twos) it makes sense.

But it doesn't explain how something massive like Fistule, even with all his little Pustule babies, can only drop 2 small vials of fistule discharge per kill.

[Sparthos]

Lol sometimes it's the little things!! <3

lol.

To add to the questions: Abyssea. This was discussed partially on BG as well.

As I understand the storyline, everything seems to have played out in Abyssea as it did during CoP in Vana'diel up until the Al'taieu expedition where Prishe & co. attempt to stop the Keeper of the Apocalypse.

You, Prishe and the other fail to defeat Promathia, he absorbs Sel'theus along with the rest of the cast and becomes Shinryu. Prishe manages to escape and remain within the Empyreal Paradox.

However...

As I remember the story, Bahamut was poised to attack the 3 nations and Jeuno with his Wyrm army to prevent the Keeper from returning to Vana'diel. The adventurer along with Prishe failed in Abyssea so was the destruction of the nations at Bahamut's hand or Shinryu's creations?

The Zilartian palace in Abyssea apparently is located on moon. How is this possible? As we learned in Vana'diel, the palace was located within the Al'taieu crystal yet the crystal itself was inside the palace - thus the Empyreal Paradox.

Did Shinryu move the palace outside the crystal? How is the paradox still a paradox? His ultimate goal was to reunite the crystals and bring his about his own death but was the moon intended to smash into Abyssea and end all life?

It'd explain why the moon is so close to Abyseea.

I think I have the main idea of the story but if anyone could clear up the hazy parts to me, it'd be greatly appreciated.

[Nianny]

Balaur is a multi-headed serpent in mythology. Coupled with the fact that his skulls are used for weapon upgrades (and weapon upgrades drop in twos) it makes sense.

Didn't know about the last part, so it makes some sense. Thank you.

[Septimus]

lol.

To add to the questions: Abyssea. This was discussed partially on BG as well.

As I understand the storyline, everything seems to have played out in Abyssea as it did during CoP in Vana'diel up until the Al'taieu expedition where Prishe & co. attempt to stop the Keeper of the Apocalypse.

You, Prishe and the other fail to defeat Promathia, he absorbs Sel'theus along with the rest of the cast and becomes Shinryu. Prishe manages to escape and remain within the Empyreal Paradox.

However...

As I remember the story, Bahamut was poised to attack the 3 nations and Jeuno with his Wyrm army to prevent the Keeper from returning to Vana'diel. The adventurer along with Prishe failed in Abyssea so was the destruction of the nations at Bahamut's hand or Shinryu's creations?

The Zilartian palace in Abyssea apparently is located on moon. How is this possible? As we learned in Vana'diel, the palace was located within the Al'taieu crystal yet the crystal itself was inside the palace - thus the Empyreal Paradox.

Did Shinryu move the palace outside the crystal? How is the paradox still a paradox? His ultimate goal was to reunite the crystals and bring his about his own death but was the moon intended to smash into Abyssea and end all life?

It'd explain why the moon is so close to Abyseea.

I think I have the main idea of the story but if anyone could clear up the hazy parts to me, it'd be greatly appreciated.

Spoilers. (It only works when River Song says it...)

In one of the later cutscenes, Esha'ntarl says that it is odd that the Empyreal Paradox didn't fall to Abyssea immediately wiping everyone out. She conjectured that the reason the Empyreal Paradox is on the moon is because our counterparts did something to keep it from falling to Vana'diel before they got made into Promathia's version of a happy meal

Promathia/Shiryu must have been able to free the city and the Empyreal Paradox zone from the Al'Taieu Mother Crystal, and it is part of the ring of broken Mother Crystals surrounding Abyssea giving it the mournful crimson sky. Why's it still called the Empyreal Paradox? The best reason that I can think of is: what else are we going to call it, "Abyssea - Shinryu's Cheese Sandwich Shack?" And that is probably too long for a zone name.

It is possible that Promathia/Shiryu immediately had his monsters take out Bahamut, though I am not sure something like that could kill a Terrestrial Avatar. The two cases where Terrestrial Avatars "died" were kind of extraordinary, and even then they didn't really die. But it would explain why there are Wyrms in Promathia/Shiryu's horde of monsters, he took out the Wyrmking, so they follow him now.

Now here is my question for which I hope that we could get an answer from the top. What is the deal with the Avatars roaming around the zones like Akash, Buhmi, Jala, and Tejas? Are they the Celestial and Terrestrial Avatars for Abyssea? Were the Celestial Avatars freed from their Proto-Crystals and they are roaming around confused as to what is going on now? Or are they just random monsters that happen to look like and have Avatar abilities and give decent lights?

[Urthdigger]

Actually that ring of stuff surrounding the empyreal paradox? I think that might be cruor. Also, an interesting note: During the end of CoP, if you look down you can see you're above Vana'diel. During the Shinryu fight, if you look down you see the moon, and if you look up you see Vana'diel as another planet. I thought that was a nice touch.

[Karbuncle]

In the storyline they explain Tu'lia was moved to the moon. If thats what you're asking too

So thats the reason Sea is now on the moon lol