The Mysteries of Vana 'Diel

[Septimus]

All of the expansions up until Wings of the Goddess flow from what came before it.

Defeating the Shadowlord cleared the noise in the Crystal Line so the Zilart could then try to open the Gates of Paradise. Elad'narche trying to activate the crystals pulled Al'Taieu back into our dimension enough to awaken Bahamut and return Selh'teus into our world. The materials gathered from the Biotechnological Weapons (Proto-Omega and Proto-Ultima) were needed in order to create a new body to house Alexander.

So Aht Urhgan is fine because our Abyssean counterparts probably didn't get to do a lot of Limbus.

[Invader]

... So Aht Urhgan is fine because our Abyssean counterparts probably didn't get to do a lot of Limbus.

Lucky them :x

[Septimus]

Lucky them :x

Not really that lucky. Promathia was still planning on destroying the entire planet. They just wouldn't have get their faces exploded all over before it happened had we not stopped him.

[Sparthos]

Not really that lucky. Promathia was still planning on destroying the entire planet. They just wouldn't have get their faces exploded all over before it happened had we not stopped him.

The entire planet should have been aware of the crisis in the middle lands given the sky turning crimson? The disappearance of Shikaree Z and Tenzen at least would have their nations aware of the impending disaster.

Also, is the planet behind Shinryu Abyssea?

[Septimus]

The entire planet should have been aware of the crisis in the middle lands given the sky turning crimson? The disappearance of Shikaree Z and Tenzen at least would have their nations aware of the impending disaster.

Also, is the planet behind Shinryu Abyssea?

The other nations were also aware of the danger posed by the Shadow Lord and didn't do anything. I would chalk that up to a lazy, helpless population that can't tie its own shoelaces without adventurers. (Like most RPGs.)

And yeah, that would probably be Abyssea since the Paradox hovers over its moon and the ring of the Mother Crystals surrounded both. (Which is why we can see the moon but not the sun there.)

[Karbuncle]

Why are there level ~10NMs immune to Gravity, Bind, Sleep, Stun, and Terror?

Where is the logic in that. a few of those things aren't even accessible til 30+, 1 of them until ~60+. Did they feel Making it immune to Terror would stop the level 75BST from Killing it >_>?

Just bringing this up because, i ran up to Duke decapod, Used Feral Howl and it missed, I'm like.. "Why?" then i one-shotted it. What purposes do those immunities serve?

[AyinDygra]

What IS Absolute Virtue? (not how do you kill it)

(more detailed version of the above question and more questions hidden here! Maybe plot spoiler stuff.)

I know it uses the Aern model and has the Dragoon job, but I mean, why was it jailed? (it appears when you kill all the jailers of the different virtues, so I assume it's being held captive) Where did it come from? What function does it serve? How does it fit into the world? Is it the combined virtue of the Zilart people that they removed somehow, similar to removing the emptiness from themselves in the Chamber of Eventide? Or maybe is it the Zilart Emperor after he rid himself of emptiness (this doesn't really make sense as the other Zilart are the quasilumins, not the Aerns)?

I'm just grasping for answers due to the limited lore provided in the game (really, most of the endgame bosses have very little actual in-game lore unless they're part of the missions, and they deserve more.)

Why are Kirin and the other 'sky gods' on Tu'Lia? Who are they in Vana'diel's mythology (not earth mythology)... they seem like animals that have attained 'god-hood' like the Terrestrial Avatars, but they're not avatars are they?...

Who or what are the "Crystal Warriors" (I mean the Ark Angels) really?
We get at least two stories of what they are during the game and neither held more authority than the other, in my opinion.


Other crazy thoughts:
Phoenix is the fiery bird of resurrection... why can't it revive itself with its own innate power?

Are Dark Ixion and the Auroral Alicorn avatars? They seem to do similar things as the Cait Siths, only they don't talk.

If Pandemonium Warden is supposed to be guarding the gates to the underworld, it's doing a really bad job, letting the Einherjar and Odin out so often. Does it work for Odin? If it's not keeping things IN the underworld, is it trying to keep us out?

What does the Emptiness do to areas that it has come into contact with? Just how destructive is it, because apparently, in the Far East, when people were overcome by the Emptiness, they fell into a slumber and other people were able to get them and use them for sacrifices to try to revive Phoenix, so it sounds like the land around them was left "untouched" and only the people were affected. The only other contact we've had with the emptiness is Selh'teus and his control of it in the Crags, which may not be indicative of what the Emptiness does on its own.

[Sparthos]

My main evidence against Dark Ixion and Auroral Alicorn being avatars is the fact that they actually fall to the ground in their defeat animations.

All of the other avatars simply dismiss themselves. The idea of taking pieces of Dark Ixion (horn, tail) as trophies also leads me to the conclusion that it and the Alicorn are more legendary monsters than terrestrial avatars.

On Phoenix:

It seems like terrestrial avatars do not have infinite energy within the lore of FFXI.

Fenrir has been weakened in the past, Bahamut needed to gather energy during CoP before launching his attack and Diabolos has proven himself to have limitations so it isn't a huge stretch to believe that Phoenix needed energy from sacrifices in order to regain herself.

I also suspect that irony is at play, with the fiery bird of resurrection being unable to revive herself and all.

[Jandel]

Superbe thread :O

Does anyone know where the water flowing through Ru'Aun Gardens come from?

I don't think it's actually possible that somethimes will rain... But who knows?

[HamIngram]

It's said that most of the races originated in or at least near the Middle Lands (orc/gigas/mithra aside), along with being the historical playground of the gods.

So just how did a gigantic chunk of the population (Yagudo included) manage flock east (Aradjiah, Far East) to establish multiple civilizations, develop magic and relatively advanced technology on their own, and wage age-long wars all while being completely unnoticed/unscathed by the Middle Lands OR most of the gods' shenanigans? Especially in such a short amount of time?

I mean, they must've been some seriously stealthy nin-... oh god, I just answered my own question. The Far East suddenly makes a lot more sense to me now.

OK.... what killed the dinosaurs in Mindartia? Or... who?