My prediction for 4.3 (Obvious Spoilers)

The Garlean wearing glasses who travels at Asahi's side is not on board with his antics and will team up with Alphinaud to help bring Asahi and Zenos to justice as their actions are detrimental to the well being of Garlemald itself.

Unlike the Elezen who accompanies Asahi, the Pureblood Garlean has a unique design which suggests he will play an important part in the story moving forward. He's also presented as being mild mannered whereas his Elezen companion refuses to speak to the Warrior of Light and is shown in the 4.3 trailer as gearing up for battle.

I think it's possible that not everyone in Garlemald knows of Zenos' return and that at the very least the rumours surrounding his defeat are muddied enough that the truth is difficult to ascertain.

It's possible that this figure could very well be our 'Larsa', or at least a step towards friendlier ties with the more moderate Garleans. Perhaps he's genuinely a part of the Populares faction whereas Asahi simply pretends to be?

I agree. The character already has a name (Maxima, I believe), and his model seems unique, which is unusual for a minor NPC. I don't believe we have generic Pureblood Garlean models, so it's a big deal that Maxima has one.

I'm of the opinion that the Populares faction is going to be very relevant in the post-stormblood story, and I'm thinking Maxima will be our introduction to the faction, even if he's not actually our "Larsa" equivalent. Considering we already have a rival faction for the Populares to oppose (the Optimates), I'm guessing the Populares will bring us into Garlemald. From there, we'll initiate a reform of the Garlemald government, likely ousting Varis and installing a new leader who won't focus on conquest. I kind of hope it won't immediately go into full-out Civil War, since we already handled two* rebellions in Stormblood, but I could definitely see the story going in that direction. Tension within Garlemald seems to be building, as it struggles to hold onto its territory. Many citizens in Garlemald seem to oppose their rapid expansion, as shown by the actors of the Prima Vista, and I could see us allying with them in the near future.

*arguably three considering Rabanastre

I agree with the OP, its always seemed odd to me as to why the Garlean Bodyguard was a named NPC that can be talked to. Though it only occurred to me he might play a part when I was watching the Patch trailer that he would play an important role, and considering it shows the Pure blood Garlean/Maxima (or whatever) in a Garlean command center and shows Alphinaud in what seems to be a Garlean styled room while talking about how he's best as a Diplomat, seems to further cement the poster's theory

on a side note, I don't think the Elezen Samurai in Resistance Armor is the Elezen Bodyguard, I took a look and the two have different Eye colors, the Garlean Elezen having Dark Brown eyes, while the Elezen Sam had Blue eyes, and the only Elezen with Blue eyes I could recall is Aymeric

I've been interested in Asahi's dialogue in the trailer - about striking an emissary, and giving into anger.
Are we, the Warrior of Light, responsible - at last - for what comes next? Is it our "mistake" - slaying a high-ranking Garlean citizen simply for revenge, that leads to imperial reprisals?



Incidentally, striking an emissary is a nice play on the first meeting between Minfilia and Elidibus. I suspect it's unrelated, and just a nice parallel.

Hidden stuff, because it's not strictly 4.3 lore related, but I think it has potential to be related to the plot.

Also, Yoshi said in a recent live letter (I think the one before last?) that they are sitting on a new form of content that will surprise people (I am paraphrasing from what I remember, and can't look up at present). If they haven't said a word about it yet, then I think it likely that it ties into the plot.
Edit: I've found the source, it was a Reddit post relating to a pre-4.0 release interview, so it could be that this was all parcelled up in Eureka, although Eureka had a name from the start, so could be that they still have something up their sleeve.

Link https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...at_stormblood/

I seriously hope our actions cause something beyond save the day cause I feel like events happen regardless of our choices and the only thing that matters is what we beat up at the end of a trial. I don't want to be the perfect do-good-only WoL, dang it!

and I really want to punch a hole in Asahi's already very punchable face. :x
Yeah, hyped for MSQ!

Getting pretty desperate for The Larsa™, eh?

... introductory sarcasm aside, Maxima having a unique face can easily be attributed to the fact that the Garleans do not have customizable models of their own - every Pureblood Garlean uses a Hyur (i.e. Cid) or Elezen (i.e. Nero) model with a unique face, with the exception of major antagonists due to their unique combat stances. It just isn't an issue often because the vast majority of Garleans we've met are soldiers wearing full helmets. By extension, Maxima not wearing a helmet (likely as a show of good faith and/or to illustrate the Empire's diverse population) would necessitate him having a unique face (or at least one modified to have a third eye).

It is possible he will be more important than he presently appears, but based on the currently available information I remain unconvinced Maxima is anything more than he appears to be - Asahi's aide / bodyguard. I won't venture a guess as to his motivations and true loyalties.

I have my own ideas about how things may play out, but with so little information available can't reach past a certain point. I suppose that's the fun of it, though - and it's just a short while away.

I hope you are right OP, and something gets salvaged from this with the empire. The alternative just sounds so dull, and Asahi's idiocy doesn't make it any better.

The part I'd like to know is if that is who I think that is at the very end. Cause I am pretty sure that is who I /think/ it is, cause I am almost 95% sure that was the Heirsbane.

Unless someone stole the Heirsbane and claimed it as their own, which I also know wouldn't be the first time someone got someone's "named" weapon-- but still. Maybe? Maybe.

Unfortunately, all Garlean gunblades have the same hilt model. That said, most Garleans we see use gunblades use them one-handed like a Paladin does. The amount of Garleans we see use gunblades with two-hands like a Dark Knight does is very, very limited...

I'm still rooting for the theory at the very least Maxima is playing an important part this patch(despite it being only a couple of days until the patch), Maxima oddly has a scene with solely him in the early in the trailer, noticeably its a cinematic Vertical pan shot with him side glancing us and a very bright light putting a somewhat dark shadow and atmosphere in the shot

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Originally Posted by Mieck

I've been interested in Asahi's dialogue in the trailer - about striking an emissary, and giving into anger.
Are we, the Warrior of Light, responsible - at last - for what comes next? Is it our "mistake" - slaying a high-ranking Garlean citizen simply for revenge, that leads to imperial reprisals?

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I am not sure if that is going to happen, at least not in 4.x. We do know that this patch will finish the Doma side of the story, so having Garlemald attack them again would feel a bit strange. Maybe Maxima will cover up the accidents around Doma because he is against Asahi and thus we are saved from any counter attack. This way we would also have a person that might help us if we ever get to Garlemald, so I would be fine with such a NPC. (As long as he does not betray us on the way)

About the content that will surprise people: There was a reddit post about recent interviews that hinted that maybe the new stuff will be with the beast tribe. But its not 100% confirmed.

That one theory that Gaius Van Baelsar might not be dead might have a sliver of possibility. Those who managed to do the SB DRK campaign might notice a certain someone missing from the the final DRK quest. Why is Gaius missing when his two lieutenants are there, the Heavensward, and even the Warriors of Darkness? Yes the Ascians are absent from this quest but I'm assuming that is because their connection to the WOL transcends this particular encounter. What I'm getting at is there is that minuscule possibility that MAYBE he's out there and more hints or even an appearance might take place in this patch. I did find it very odd that they had a side quest that mentioned Gaius with its own little flashback in Stormblood. It's as if they were 'reminding' players that this particular character existed.

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Originally Posted by SicariusSeven

That one theory that Gaius Van Baelsar might not be dead might have a sliver of possibility. Those who managed to do the SB DRK campaign might notice a certain someone missing from the the final DRK quest. Why is Gaius missing when his two lieutenants are there, the Heavensward, and even the Warriors of Darkness? Yes the Ascians are absent from this quest but I'm assuming that is because their connection to the WOL transcends this particular encounter. What I'm getting at is there is that minuscule possibility that MAYBE he's out there and more hints or even an appearance might take place in this patch. I did find it very odd that they had a side quest that mentioned Gaius with its own little flashback in Stormblood. It's as if they were 'reminding' players that this particular character existed.

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If I recall, during your campaign in Ala Migho, particularly after Doma and parts of 4.1, you hear a lot about Gaius. Fordola and her band of Garlean loyals were a side project by Gaius to allow Ala Mihgans to quickly attain citizenship and act as local lawkeepers/enforcers, but was high jacked by Zenos when Gaius went after the rest of Eorzea, Its implied Gaius allowed for Ala Mighans to try (note try) and create ties with the empire, it was mostly looked down on by the Violent Warrior Culture of Ala Mihgo (a noted reason as why specifically Ul'dah and Gridania didn't help was because constantly Ala Mihgans created all kinds of conflicts both big and small, though they did ultimately regret it), and just before we Stormblood when we were dealing with the Griffon many Ala Mihgan Refugees said that the "current ruler"/zenos was far, far worst than Gaius

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Originally Posted by SicariusSeven

That one theory that Gaius Van Baelsar might not be dead might have a sliver of possibility. Those who managed to do the SB DRK campaign might notice a certain someone missing from the the final DRK quest. Why is Gaius missing when his two lieutenants are there, the Heavensward, and even the Warriors of Darkness? Yes the Ascians are absent from this quest but I'm assuming that is because their connection to the WOL transcends this particular encounter. What I'm getting at is there is that minuscule possibility that MAYBE he's out there and more hints or even an appearance might take place in this patch. I did find it very odd that they had a side quest that mentioned Gaius with its own little flashback in Stormblood. It's as if they were 'reminding' players that this particular character existed.

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Gaius is also absent from the lower levels of the Palace of the Dead, lending further credence to this hypothesis. However...

The Palace of the Dead is, supposedly, only able to manifest spirits of the restless dead. While he didn't get what he wanted, Gaius seemed pretty accepting of his defeat and death.

As for Stormblood's DRK campaign, the thing to remember about it is that the phantoms summoned during the story are not the actual spirits of the dead. They're copies made out of memories, which is why Ser Ignasse is kind and amiable when made from Millie's memories but a vicious enemy when made from the Warrior of Light's. The phantoms summoned by Myste were all of people the Warrior of Light presumably regrets having to kill; by extension, that would mean they just don't feel much guilt over killing Gaius. (The Warrior of Light isn't even technically responsible for his now-supposed death; they did defeat him, but he was killed by the exploding Praetorium, which only happened due to his use of the Ultima Weapon and Lahabrea's machinations.)

Gaius is repeatedly brought up during the Ala Mhigo portions of Stormblood because he is heavily woven into the background of the region's recent history. He's also something of a fan favorite, and as Haurchefant showed this can elevate a character beyond their initial seeming scope of importance. I'm still not sold on the idea that he's still alive just because we don't have his head on a pike, but that 4.3 trailer stinger has me wondering...

One wild idea that is probably super far off the mark I had was that person doesn't belong to Asahi or even to the Populares; he's part of the Frumentarii, i.e. the Imperial secret police. Or he's the man Varis sent to keep an eye on someone the Empeor considers to be a glorified puppet.

My suspicions of Gaius showing up is influenced by how similar Zenos' introduction cut-scenes are to Gaius'. The camera-work/blocking for when we meet Zenos' in Rhalger's Reach is almost identical to the camera-work/blocking used in 1.0 when the WoL meets Giaus in Mor Dhona. Both of them come at you for one-on-one one combat that the Scions join in on, but the reason you're fighting them is flipped. In 1.0, the Ala Mhigan Resistance is trying to ambush the XIVth Legion; in 2.0 the XIIth Legion is ambushing the Ala Mhigan Resistance.

The XIIth Legion's intro scene is also very similar to the XVIth Legion's intro scene in 2.0 when it comes to what kind of events are happening. Only the details surrounding those events are very different in tone between the two legions.

Basic Events (and what's different)

• What the Legion as a whole is doing (bringing in a superweapon vs waiting for their enemy to make the "correct move")
• What the Legatus is doing (making sure his plans go though vs. playing head-games for his own amusement)
• How the officers feel about the Legatus (respectful vs. terrified)
• Someone gets killed (taking out an enemy infiltrator vs. killing your own men for not engaging the WoL)

They're similar enough for me to think it was done on purpose.

Furthermore, Zenos and Gaius have very similar ends. Both take control of primals and both die afterwards because the WoL is stronger then the primals are. Both of them even acknowledge that you are stronger then they are and say that you are on their level. However, their reactions to your strength couldn't be more different.

Gaius admits that not only are you stronger then him, but that your strength means you have as much the right to rule as he does. He even gives you advice about the nature of ruling (as he perceives it) as he's dying. And when he does die, it has the feeling of a "captain going down with his ship". You've beaten him, he knows it, and he respects you enough to not rob you of your victory.

Zenos thinks that you're on his level because you're just as good at killing things as he is. When it's obvious you've surpassed him, he's gotten what he wanted and practically decides to end it all so that his feeling of fighting something on his level isn't lost. He throws the fact that you gave him what he wanted in your face and then makes sure there's no way for you to be satisfied with how he died.

It just seems there's a lot of set-up that contrasts how Gaius and Zenos approached similar circumstances for it not to be going somewhere from a narrative point of view. I wouldn't be surprised for Gaius to not be dead, and the next expansion to center on the different ideas he and Zenos have regarding what Garlemald's future would be. Having no "safe choice" to take would be interesting.

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Originally Posted by Rayo

on a side note, I don't think the Elezen Samurai in Resistance Armor is the Elezen Bodyguard, I took a look and the two have different Eye colors, the Garlean Elezen having Dark Brown eyes, while the Elezen Sam had Blue eyes, and the only Elezen with Blue eyes I could recall is Aymeric

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While it's not the main point of your post, actually a lot of the Ishgardian characters have blue eyes - it seems to be a family trait for the Fortemps and Haillenarte families, and there are others as well.

Outside of Ishgard, it's maybe less common (Guydelot from the bard quests is the only one I can think of) but we haven't had a lot of 'important' Wildwood NPCs either. Most characters I can think of have brown or gold eyes.