The Four Lords and the implications (spoilers)

I find this whole new Auspices introduction very interesting and fascinating. I hope they'll delve more on them in the future, and that it's not just some spice thrown there then forgot. I haven't yet fought Byakko so not sure if there is more I'm still missing, after that?

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Though I would also like to point out that "born with the Echo" seems like a misnomer. It's true that Eorzean legend describes "immortal souls reborn on the cusp of each Calamity" but as far as we know people are chosen to be gifted the Echo deliberately - often as adults.

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I remember this because it stroke me: Arenvald, talking about Fordola (and all the artificially infused with echo) in the previous patch, says something like "They aren't born with it, like we are".

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Originally Posted by Tlamila

I remember this because it stroke me: Arenvald, talking about Fordola (and all the artificially infused with echo) in the previous patch, says something like "They aren't born with it, like we are".

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Took me a minute to find this one again; t'was Alphinaud.

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Alphinaud
Hmmm... I wonder... Could there be some fundamental difference between one who is born with the Echo and one who has been artificially imbued with it?

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That leaves three possibilities:

[1] It's a localization error.
[2] Alphinaud is ignorant.
[3] It's the truth.

We have the Eorzean legend that "souls with the Echo are reborn on the cusp of every calamity", but so far this has been treated as the error. Even Koji Fox, speaking of the Starshower, said it was Hydaelyn making her choice. "This one."

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漠然と超越者とは、人工的な「超える力」保持者だと考えていたが、何か違いでもあるのだろうか？
Vaguely, thought the Resonant were artificial Echo holders, but are there differences?

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Sans trop savoir à quoi nous en tenir, nous avions présumé que ces “Résonnants” possédaient un pouvoir artificiel identique à l'Écho. En serait-il autrement?
Without much real knowledge, we had assumed that the "Resonant" possessed an artificial power identical to the Echo. Could it be otherwise?

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Hm ... Bisher bin ich davon ausgegangen, dass diese Überwesen, wie die Garlear sie genannt haben, Wirte für eine künstlich erzeugte Kraft des Transzendierens sind, die aber genauso funktioniert wie die uns bekannte. Sollte das ein Irrtum gewesen sein?
Hm... So far, I'd assumed that the Resonant, the Garleans called them, were hosts for an Echo that was artificially-created but which functioned the same as that which we know. Could that have been a mistake?

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My first guess would be poor phrasing, I think. Though the possibility that they might bring the reincarnation aspect back to explain some of the deeper mysteries one day hasn't ever been wholly off my radar either...

Uhm yes, now that I see how the sentence it hugely different in the other languages it raises concern.
My bad about remembering the wrong person too, Alphinaud is indeed not the best source about Echo.

I took it to be a figure of speech/metaphor for getting the Echo in the "natural" way (being given it by Hydalen) vs. getting it in an artificial way. Particularly since getting the Echo artificially seems to be as much of a hindrance as it is a help. From what I could tell in 4.1, Fordola's Echo can't be turned off or ignored and causes her a lot of pain. It certainly doesn't stay in "sleep mode" until she needs to get critical insights into people's motives like ours does. So maybe Zenos' Echo is the "on steroids" version of whoever he got the Echo from?

I kinda wonder if one of the major differences between being "given" the Echo vs "stealing" it is that Hydalen gets to customize the the "version" of the Echo for whoever she is giving it/waking it up in. Getting it artificially means no customization and that throws everything out of whack.

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Originally Posted by Hinoto-no-Ryuji

He's Tenzen, in the sense that the Tenzen of Hydaelyn is clearly very similar in appearance to the Tenzen of XI, but unless outright and unambiguously stated, homage characters are never literally the same as their original versions.

As for Iroha, she's a a special case, because she showed up during an event (the only exception to the above rule outside the Omega raids).

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And Shantotto

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Originally Posted by Jonnycbad

And Shantotto

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...and Lightning. :p

Regarding the Auspices (and some other Eastern Phenomena) I think it's best to just go with how they're presented in Eastern Mythology. The idea that animals who live long enough gain mystical powers is a classic in Yokai lore. As to why they've only shown up in Othard, in universe it's probably some sort of special aetheric property of the landscape or something. I don't think they're necessarily connected to the Echo at all, although they are one of the few other truly supernatural beings we've encountered that aren't Primals or constructs. In Stormblood FFXIV borrows quite liberally from Eastern Mythology, even Tsukumo himself is a play on the "Tsukumogami", objects that last a certain amount of time and gain mystical powers and identity as a spirit.

The Auspices probably have something to do with Kami, the only real differing magical phenomena from Eorzea. Kami like to inhabit old objects so it's possible maybe Auspices are animals that have lived long enough that their body serve the same function as ancient treasures to the kami. Or perhaps it could be a naturally occurring variant of what the bosses in Rabanastre are, just minus the auracite obviously, but that would bring into question why other animals outside of Othard can't do it. Unless of course they have and have just been very quiet about it, before we were summoned by Auspices themselves the only interaction we had with any was in the Fox FATEs and even then I'm pretty sure most people thought it was just weird magicks.

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Originally Posted by Eloah

Isn't that incorrect though. We know for sure Ysayle was a child when she had the echo, as the vision she had while lost in the snow was what spurred her to become Iceheart; my giess is 8 or 9, old enough to understand the vision, young enough to misinterpret it. And based on his accounts Arenvald was a child when he got his. He's nineteen, one could argue he is still a child, but if we go back 5-7 years that makes him 12-14. I believe he indicated he used what little the echo gave him to help him survive. By his account though weak, he seems to have a bit of foresight, similar to what Fordola has.

Also that begs the question, what is our unique Echo manifestation?

So i just realized you said often... T.T

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Quick note, Ysayle was an adult when she saw her vision 5 years ago. She was fleeing the cold brought on by the Calamity when she chanced upon Hraesvelgr and the Echo granted her the vision that led her down her path.

As she was 24 when we met her, she was probably 19 when she discovered the power.

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Originally Posted by RomildaRayne

snip.

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Yeah I just reread the lore book and it does indicate that, I was going by what I recall her saying about herself, specifically a "child freezing alone in the snow". She often referred to herself as a child when referencing her past. But maybe it's more symbolic than litteral.