Echo?? (a newb loremaster inside)..

(I was never able to delve very deep into version 1.0 as I started in March of 2012 and only got to level 30, so I apologize if any of my following questions were ever answered in the questlines.)

I can't seem to find much substantial information on the echo. All I've found so far is a brief summary about it being the ability to relive past events through other people's memories.. I remember this part from the quests I did in 1.0.

What I want to know is, could it be possible that our adventurers we created in 1.0 are actually just reliving the memories of someone back then, but are actually alive in the ARR world. I know that apparently "we" were teleported away for five years, but that seems like an awkward explanation as five years is a short time to rebuild entire cities. Between what was shown in the end of an era video, and what we know of the storyline to explain the transition between 1.0 and 2.0, the idea that 1.0 was actually a dream, or an alternative reality settles better with me.

Gosh I hope not. If that defining moment wherein we Echoed whilst in an Echo, thereby perhaps creating the Echo in the first place and surely dooming all of existence (via a rift, a tear if you will in the space-time continuum) when we were kicked out of the Echo back through the Echo into the *real* world was its very self in an Echo would be too crazy, especially as I'm so far gone that when I talked about the *real* world I was actually talking about in-game and I'm a level removed from that here on these forums instead, which still isn't quite the *real* world, as everyone calls be by my character - and then a level above that, there's Twitter where we talk about what's going on here and all over the web with FFXIV and, now the Twelve forbid it, there are people here outside my keyboard talking to me about what's going on on Hydaelyn too... Sometimes I feel like it's all a bit Existenz.

/assplodes

Woah.. my brain hurts.

EDIT: that explains the amnesia. haha

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Originally Posted by Cuervo

(I was never able to delve very deep into version 1.0 as I started in March of 2012 and only got to level 30, so I apologize if any of my following questions were ever answered in the questlines.)

I can't seem to find much substantial information on the echo. All I've found so far is a brief summary about it being the ability to relive past events through other people's memories.. I remember this part from the quests I did in 1.0.

What I want to know is, could it be possible that our adventurers we created in 1.0 are actually just reliving the memories of someone back then, but are actually alive in the ARR world. I know that apparently "we" were teleported away for five years, but that seems like an awkward explanation as five years is a short time to rebuild entire cities. Between what was shown in the end of an era video, and what we know of the storyline to explain the transition between 1.0 and 2.0, the idea that 1.0 was actually a dream, or an alternative reality settles better with me.

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In a previous thread someone mentioned the same thing about it being a different universe and "how can they rebuild that fast in 5 years." Here's my response:

In real life we're used to bureaucrats and red tape hindering construction projects not to mention labor hours and pay scales. We're lucky to get a road redone in 5 years. In FFXIV bureaucrats and red tape do not exist. The 3 city-states are working together with their Grand Companies and pulling resources, minerals and ore from Ul'dah, lumber from Gridania, and Limsa has the ships to transport them quickly. On top of this we have a huge resource in Cid and his Garlond Ironworks crew. They were around long enough in the Garlean Empire to have picked up and recreated Garlean tech. Remember the Garleans can practically build a forward base in one night with their technology and airships. The city-states may not have the resources that the Garleans have, having conquered various lands and practiced their technology arts for years. But Cid and the Garlond Ironworks are doing their best, 5 years is a long time in Eorzea. After all the majority of Bahamut and Dalamud's destruction missed the city-states and instead hit the lands outside their walls.

As for the Echo..the power of the Echo was given to us by Hydaelyn/The Mother Crystal/The Lodestone. The beginning main scenario quests (Ul'dah, Limsa Lominsa, Gridania) were told through the power of the Echo, which at the time we didn't know we had until Minfilia (who is actually Ascilia from the Ul'dah story line) explains it to us at the Waking Sands and the Path of the Twelve scenario.

1.0 was not a dream and our 1.0 characters will see what happened while we were in 'slumber' through the use of the Echo. I think it's too much of a stretch and a very poor twist for 1.0 to have been a dream and 2.0 to be the "real" story. It water downs our major accomplishments such as killing Nael van Darnus and our interactions with Louisoix as we defeat the Primals. Also we are clearly "teleported" and arrive into the new Eorzea in ARR..where the new chapter in our story will begin.

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Originally Posted by Mjollnir

Gosh I hope not. If that defining moment wherein we Echoed whilst in an Echo, thereby perhaps creating the Echo in the first place and surely dooming all of existence (via a rift, a tear if you will in the space-time continuum) when we were kicked out of the Echo back through the Echo into the *real* world was its very self in an Echo would be too crazy, especially as I'm so far gone that when I talked about the *real* world I was actually talking about in-game and I'm a level removed from that here on these forums instead, which still isn't quite the *real* world, as everyone calls be by my character - and then a level above that, there's Twitter where we talk about what's going on here and all over the web with FFXIV and, now the Twelve forbid it, there are people here outside my keyboard talking to me about what's going on on Hydaelyn too... Sometimes I feel like it's all a bit Existenz.

/assplodes

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http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...xzibit-wtf.jpg

In addition to what Mjollnir and Noloe said, what we do know is that the planet Hydaelyn's "consciousness," for lack of a better word, was not always in its "true form." When Hydaelyn sensed that it was in danger, the Mothercrystal reformed and reached out to adventurers for help, bestowing upon them the Echo so that they would have an advantage against the coming threats.

This blessing from the source of life itself gives us certain unique benefits. We can see into the souls of those around us; understanding their words even if we do not speak their language, and even witnessing their past as if it were our own. Some clues say that this is thought by Eorzeans to be a simple instant replay of the past, but some clues hint that it may actually be that we temporarily become unstuck in time and are able to affect minor pieces of the past (possibly accumulating into something meaningful? Who knows.) Fan theories run both tracks, but we don't want to start writing fanon, now, do we?

One last benefit is that we're protected against the influences of certain enemies, such as the mind control of primals. We also seem to have some resistance to aetheric toxicity, but there aren't many practical examples of this or reasons we should care yet.

What this does give us, however, is the ability to investigate what is going on unhindered. We can talk to anyone in the world, witness anything they saw, and avoid nearly all deceit. We are meant to ferret out the threats to the Mothercrystal and take them down - but there always remains the chance that the reformation of the Mothercrystal was the goal of her enemy all along, as all crystals can be made to go dark...

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Originally Posted by Cuervo

I know that apparently "we" were teleported away for five years, but that seems like an awkward explanation as five years is a short time to rebuild entire cities.
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Well given that yoshida's favorite FF game is FF7, and the fact that several facets of that game were used in ARR (materia, meteor, Limit break, gold saucer etc.)

I'm theorizing that the event's following Louisoix's teleportation spell, probably mirrored the events that happened when meteor fell on Gaia in FF7. Something along the lines of the Mothercrystal releasing the aetheric energies (lifestream) within the planet to somehow put a stop to Bahamut's rampage. You'll recall that the last image we see of Bahamut's attack is a flash of white light which we are meant to believe is the result of Bahamut's megaflare. However, I believe that this is infact the moment when the Mothercrystal intervenes. There are similarities in the two scenes as well such as the failed attempt to reseal bahamut mirroring the failed attempt to stop meteor with Holy.

This is why the planet was spared from utter annihilation and the cities remained pretty much intact. Bahamut's megaflare never went off, or if it did, it was blocked by the "lifestream". The cities weren't rebuilt in 5 years, they were never destroyed.

If I had to guess what happened to Bahamut, I'd say the counterattack by the mothercrystal probably resulted in him being frozen in crystal somewhere (the labrynth of bahamut maybe? >.>) and he'll likely break free at some point in the story resulting in a final battle.

Just my guess, we'll see what happens. :)

There sure are a lot of huge spires of crystal - frozen aether, effectively, in game lore, if I'm not mistaken - including some -truly- impressive specimens to the north of Thanalan as you get closer to Carteneau...

Amusingly, the OP's theory was my theory for the -longest- time when we first found out they were going to be scrapping everything and doing over and letting us change our characters. Given what we know now, it's definitely not the path they're taking, but it was at least something that strongly occurred to me too :)

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Originally Posted by Teakwood

There sure are a lot of huge spires of crystal - frozen aether, effectively, in game lore, if I'm not mistaken - including some -truly- impressive specimens to the north of Thanalan as you get closer to Carteneau...

Amusingly, the OP's theory was my theory for the -longest- time when we first found out they were going to be scrapping everything and doing over and letting us change our characters. Given what we know now, it's definitely not the path they're taking, but it was at least something that strongly occurred to me too :)

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The large pieces we see such as "Dalamud's Talon" near Castrum Meridianum are chunks of Dalamud and over-aspected aether crystal.

Oh, huh, really? Ditto the huge red chunks of crystal near the Burning Wall? We might be talking about the same thing, here - I didn't get too much time to explore. There was some -magnificent- crystal-loaded scenery near Camp Drybone-ish. Who knew bits and pieces of Dalamud were so pretty? Thanks for the info, though; the early concept art of red aetheryte made me think that these crystals were, in effect, coagulated lifestream. (...on the other hand, that's basically what over-aspected aether crystal is anyways, isn't it?)