'This town certainly has changed, and not at all for the better'

So, I think maybe I have located where Thancred and the Child of Light are in the teaser trailer... maybe. Halatali!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dsiug6AW0AAY1gV.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsiuosbWoAA_m08.jpg

While it's not a perfect replica, it does seem quite similar, the floor pattern, the chain linked fence in the distance, the chains on the wall, the two hanging torches by the doorways. Also, from what I can tell, the scene of them running up the stairs in the previous scene isn't the actual preceeding shot, as the area behind the doorway looks different from the previous shot.

It certainly could be, but it would be worth having a look at other buildings around Thanalan too. And the Sil'dih tunnels where they escape after the Bloody Banquet.


(But seeing that there as a screenshot reminds me again how much it looks like the castle from the game ICO. Running hand in hand with a mystery 'child of light' girl for bonus points.)

In the first scene you even see em running past smt that looks a lot like those cages in halatali... hmm...

I don't recall Halatali having the architectural features in the part of that scene, namely the two large staircases where the winged lion creature comes crashing down.

Of course, it could just be a representative version of Halatali, or a portion we haven't seen.

That Thancred comments on "This town certainly has changed" I think is the strongest evidence against it being Halatali, as I'm not sure why he would opt to call what is now just a training grounds a "town" the way he would Ul'dah or Ala Mhigo.

Isn't Amdapor the most likely place. All of the bosses from the Hard Mode were in the trailer.

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Originally Posted by Eloah

Isn't Amdapor the most likely place. All of the bosses from the Hard ,nose were in the trailer.

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Architectural style doesn't line up for the section with Thancred in it. The environment around the WoL might fit, but if it was where Amdapor was then it's been leveled - the few times you can see the surrounding environment it's devoid of structures.

Also, much like with Halatali, I don't see Thancred commenting on it in the manner that he does if it were Amdapor.

Based on the architecture and his comments, I don't see it being any location other than Ul'dah (and much like parts of the HW trailer, more representative of the location than an accurate rendering of the places we can visit in-game).

It could very well be the interior of this place:

https://i.imgur.com/svCHH57.jpg

Which is part of one of the new zones. If it isn't, then the interior of Ul'dah or Ala Mhigo is a solid enough bet. Halatali is an option, too, though it isn't exactly a town - thus it being referred to as such would be odd.

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Originally Posted by Berethos

Architectural style doesn't line up for the section with Thancred in it. The environment around the WoL might fit, but if it was where Amdapor was then it's been leveled - the few times you can see the surrounding environment it's devoid of structures.

Also, much like with Halatali, I don't see Thancred commenting on it in the manner that he does if it were Amdapor.

Based on the architecture and his comments, I don't see it being any location other than Ul'dah (and much like parts of the HW trailer, more representative of the location than an accurate rendering of the places we can visit in-game).

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You are not incorrect per se. But the two locations are right next to eachother on the map. So it's within the realm of possibility that it's an area of Amdapor closer to Thanalan, that we havent been too.

While the bosses could be more stylistic than literal, why choose those specific bosses, if they didnt mean anything. Plus Kuribu are stated to be Gelmorran (spelling). Gelmorra was a subterranean city in the Shroud. I would think the underground of any location would look similar, and Halitali is predominantly underground.

Plus on the assumption that the "child" he is with is Minfilia, a location in the Shroud makes more sense. Minfilia is Ala Mhigan, and to get to Thanalan from Ala Mhigo, you have to pass through the Shroud. Not saying it's what is happening since everything is speculation at this point, but it is worth mentioning.

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Originally Posted by Eloah

You are not incorrect per se. But the two locations are right next to eachother on the map. So it's within the realm of possibility that it's an area of Amdapor closer to Thanalan, that we havent been too.

Why the bosses could be more stylistic than literal, why choose those specific bosses, if they didnt mean anything.

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It's possible it's close geographically, but I don't see how the Amdapori, who have a distinct architectural style, would suddenly then have a different style from a civilization that came after them...so that at least makes Thancred being in an area of Amdapor highly unlikely (on top of his "this town" reference - that I am certain is pointing to him being in one of the major cities, which really only matches two, and of those two he has significantly more history with Ul'dah). The location of the WoL could be in an area just outside the ruins of their city, though it could also be one of several other areas ruined by a calamitous event. That depends on the timeline for what we're seeing though, as watching it again it became clear that the narrator isn't the WoL in the moments we are seeing in the trailer, but an undetermined about of time after (also interesting that at one points he says "the one they called the Warrior of Light" instead of "call the Warrior of Light"). If the scene is likewise something that is taking place after the calamitous event, then it could be anywhere, and if it's taking place before then the environment of those sets of scenes does suggest at the WoL is possibly near Amdapor, though not actually at Amdapor.

As for why they chose them - I assume they are meant to evoke fighting against entities that represent or are connected to the light, rather than strictly connecting them to Amdapor and a civilization that fell over 1500 years prior.

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Originally Posted by Eloah

Plus on the assumption that the "child" he is with is Minfilia, a location in the Shroud makes more sense. Minfilia is Ala Mhigan, and to get to Thanalan from Ala Mhigo, you have to pass through the Shroud. Not saying it's what is happening since everything is speculation at this point, but it is worth mentioning.

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I don't assume the child is Minfilia. In fact I'm assuming she's not.

Re:// The Amdapor thing (and feel free to quote me in other threads that bring it up), Lore Book 2 mysteriously mentions that the Amdapori based Kuribu on "transcendent beings from yet another plane." There might not be a direct connection to specifically Amdapor at all.

Although the appearance of the lion from Lost City of Amdapor kinda makes me doubt it,it does look very similar to Halatalli

Going to repeat what I've said on another thread and suggest we might be thinking inside the box.

I think "this town" is a place similar to Hydaelyn's Ul'dah, but not quite the same: an equivalent that evolved separately but similarly. This could be another world's version of Ul'dah!

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Originally Posted by Eloah

You are not incorrect per se. But the two locations are right next to eachother on the map. So it's within the realm of possibility that it's an area of Amdapor closer to Thanalan, that we havent been too.

Why the bosses could be more stylistic than literal, why choose those specific bosses, if they didnt mean anything. Plus Kuribu are stated to be Gelmorran (spelling). Gelmorra was a subterranean city in the Shroud. I would think the underground of any location would look similar, and Halitali is predominantly underground.

Plus on the assumption that the "child" he is with is Minfilia, a location in the Shroud makes more sense. Minfilia is Ala Mhigan, and to get to Thanalan from Ala Mhigo, you have to pass through the Shroud. Not saying it's what is happening since everything is speculation at this point, but it is worth mentioning.

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The only real thing that knocks it being Gelmorra is, the walls seem to be sandstone, rather than grey stone.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

It could very well be the interior of this place:

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This was my initial thought, actually.

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Re:// The Amdapor thing (and feel free to quote me in other threads that bring it up), Lore Book 2 mysteriously mentions that the Amdapori based Kuribu on "transcendent beings from yet another plane." There might not be a direct connection to specifically Amdapor at all.

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Aaand this is another thing that immediately jumped out at me, too.

It also might be a case of artistic license and allegory. As in, the last time we saw the Scions, including Thancred, they had been Called away from their bodies and we did not know if they would ever be back. Seeing Thancred in the trailer confirms that he (and probably the rest of the Scions Called) will be back, probably in their bodies by 5.0 and that in the time they've been gone, the realm has worsened. It's just that saying doesn't sound anywhere near as good (or in character) as what Thancred says.

One thing no one seems to be pointing out is Thancred's look. He looks like his old self, old hair, and his eyes are both visible. Remember he has his eye covered to hide his "shortcoming". What's to say this is a "preview" for the expansion, and not an echo vision of a time in the past. Thancred was always the "slreper" agent of the Scions. He might have been undercover as a Garlean agent before.

Because of the decorative chains - note that there's never anything at the ends of them, they don't hold anything up, they are purely decoration - and similarity of stonework to places like Rabanastre and Ridorana, I think it's older fashion Garlean structures. It's a town he's returning to in Ilsabard.

On Thancred's look, he has his post-Flow silver eyes. I'd argue his looking younger is entirely due to the shave, haircut, and losing the eyepatch since his face under all that didn't much change at all.

What Moose said makes me wonder how the Elemental Plane works with all the multi-shard thing. Is its own shard or a layer of existance over every shard?

As for Thancred, wasn't he supposed to have odd-eyes, one silver/green and one brown nehind the eyepatch.

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Originally Posted by zuzu-bq

As for Thancred, wasn't he supposed to have odd-eyes, one silver/green and one brown behind the eyepatch.

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Yes, but the other way around - brown right eye (his original eye colour) and silver left eye hidden under the eyepatch.

Maybe Thancred's eye is just the new 'White Nidhogg'
https://media.playstation.com/is/ima...23jun15?$Icon$

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Originally Posted by ObsidianFire

It also might be a case of artistic license and allegory. As in, the last time we saw the Scions, including Thancred, they had been Called away from their bodies and we did not know if they would ever be back. Seeing Thancred in the trailer confirms that he (and probably the rest of the Scions Called) will be back, probably in their bodies by 5.0 and that in the time they've been gone, the realm has worsened. It's just that saying doesn't sound anywhere near as good (or in character) as what Thancred says.

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With that in mind, perhaps he was called to the First World by Hydaelyn/Minfilia?

Going from Moose's tip, here is the exact quote of Kurinu on Encyclopedia Vol. 2

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Created by Amdapori magi to peotect their city, this winged golem is animated by gems infused with the power of white magic. To better contend with voidsent, it is said to have been made in image of transcending beings from yet another plane.

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Really makes you thonk.

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Originally Posted by zuzu-bq

Going from Moose's tip, here is the exact quote of Kurinu on Encyclopedia Vol. 2

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Created by Amdapori magi to peotect their city, this winged golem is animated by gems infused with the power of white magic. To better contend with voidsent, it is said to have been made in image of transcending beings from yet another plane.

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Really makes you thonk.

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Which raises the obvious question of what other plane contains these beings that inspired Kuribu. There's no Light equivalent to the Void, either now or ever (since the Flood of Light just cleanses everything into nothingness). And of the Thirteen Shards, only the Thirteenth's "story" has ended (at least for now); presumably the other Shards are still going, and thus look more or less like the Source, give or take several major events. (As in they're probably going to be populated by Hyur and Elezen and so on, rather than particle nanites or energy beings or whatnot.)

So we could be looking at some other completely different set of dimensions that conveniently has nothing to do with Hydaelyn or the Shards, but is still close enough for the devs to pull critters out of for us to fight. Or at least one of the other Shards is weirder than we thought, even though it has not fallen to either Darkness or Light. Maybe it's a Voidsent who figured out a trick using spotlights and scenery angles.

Or maybe it's just another forgotten Allagan chimera. Because everything is Allagans.

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Originally Posted by YianKutku

(As in they're probably going to be populated by Hyur and Elezen and so on, rather than particle nanites or energy beings or whatnot.)

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*Imagined Scenario... Ascian arrives on the Fourth Reflection, and finds herself standing knee deep in nanites, the result of the local Allagan-analogues grey-gooing the planet thousands of years ago.*

Ascian: YOU GUYS AREN'T GIVING ME A LOT TO WORK WITH, HERE.

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Originally Posted by LineageRazor

*Imagined Scenario... Ascian arrives on the Fourth Reflection, and finds herself standing knee deep in nanites, the result of the local Allagan-analogues grey-gooing the planet thousands of years ago.*

Ascian: YOU GUYS AREN'T GIVING ME A LOT TO WORK WITH, HERE.

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I want this to be a thing.

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Originally Posted by YianKutku

Snip.

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They're most likely from the same plane as the elementals and fairies.

Fairies are artificial constructs that have been essentially programed to have sentience. They live in Scholar Soul Crystals. Elementals aren't in any other plane. They're in both the material and aetherial planes at the same time. We have a pretty good idea of what planes of existence are there and there's really no other place things could be from.

That's why the whole "Kiribu is based off of something for another plane" revelation is so weird.

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Originally Posted by LineageRazor

*Imagined Scenario... Ascian arrives on the Fourth Reflection, and finds herself standing knee deep in nanites, the result of the local Allagan-analogues grey-gooing the planet thousands of years ago.*

Ascian: YOU GUYS AREN'T GIVING ME A LOT TO WORK WITH, HERE.

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As I was typing that out I was actually wondering whether it was possible for a Hydaelyn-Shard to have become essentially another battleground for Omega vs Midgardsormr, and all that implies for what that world would look like. Super-powerful dragons fighting an endless war against Omega-types with their aether-into-matter shenanigans would probably have made the narrative landscape very different for that Shard.

However, that kind of goes into the whole Many-Worlds Alternate Reality theories, for which fourteen Shards (Source plus thirteen Reflections) would be a bit limiting. So I'm assuming the lore team has some specific idea for the Thirteen Reflections (and not just because Source Plus Reflections equals the series number Fourteen).

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Originally Posted by Berethos

Architectural style doesn't line up for the section with Thancred in it. The environment around the WoL might fit, but if it was where Amdapor was then it's been leveled - the few times you can see the surrounding environment it's devoid of structures.

Also, much like with Halatali, I don't see Thancred commenting on it in the manner that he does if it were Amdapor.

Based on the architecture and his comments, I don't see it being any location other than Ul'dah (and much like parts of the HW trailer, more representative of the location than an accurate rendering of the places we can visit in-game).

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For the Kuribu bit, it's worth remembering that the gremlin insulting the WoL is an enemy from the Lost City of Amdapor Hard, with the ability Bad-Mouth even. It does exactly what it does in the dungeon (with nobody to /comfort the WoL to cleanse it). We have the boss and iconic trash from the dungeon.

It is possible that the Kuribu could just be for visual spectacle . After all, in the HW teaser trailer, we see multiple Hraesvelgr attacking Ishgard, and of course that never happened ingame at all.

As for the location, I agree there is a strong possibility that it could be in Ul'Dah, but I personally believe that is is from one of the new zones.

i started thinking where Thancred was at first then i decided to start looking at it as where has thancred been and once i started looking at it like that it starts to lower the chances of a few locations.

Both halatali and lost city of amdapor can be put in the highly unlikely catagory as nowhere is it stated Thancred has visited either of these places (unless in lore book 2 as yet to receive my copy >_<) Halatali is more likely of the two given he was in charge of the Ul'Dah region in 2.x but i still put far down the list as Thancred's statement implies familiarity.

Next on list is potentially Mor Dhona or a garlean settlement on the Islbard continent cannot speak much for the garlean settlement as very few if any information on them but we do know thancred has visited at least one to get information on Alphanaud as for Mor Dhona its proximity to the silvertear lake as well as having potential influences from both Limsa and Ul'dah.

The last three areas i can think of are Limsa, Ul'dah and Sharlayan all are considered cities and not towns but they all have a deep connection with Thancred;
Limsa - He was a rogue so must have a good working knowledge of the city and surronding area but the architecture is the big turnoff from trailer to point to Limsa
Ul'dah - He was in charge of the area during 2.x the architecture is very similar in trailer
Sharlayan - Thancred went and studied here but he hasn't been there in a fair few years and nothing that we have seen that is Sharlayan looks like the architecture of the trailer

All in all i personally feel it is Mor Dhona due to the proximity to silvertear lake and Hydalyn which could potentially be a gateway for other beings to enter, the architecture of the town resembles parts of Ul'dah and Ishgard plus there is the fact we haven't explored upper Mor Dhona leaving to ambiguity to what it looks like and the fact it is refered to as a town not a city though this could just be how thancred talks about the city states.

These are just my thoughts on what he said interested in any debates about it i don't have every bit of information and if thancred has stated he has visited any areas before that i missed be interesting to know :)

In order to figure out where Thancred is in the trailer, wouldn't trying to find that caged aetheryte in chains by a cliffside be easier than trying to figure out which building he ran into?

Also, I'm of the mind that this can't be too far into the past considering he has his Scions tattoo already, coupled by what he says when he enters the building, I'm leaning towards it being in the future or Thancred getting whisked onto another shard due to getting his soul dragged out.

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Originally Posted by Crushnight

All in all i personally feel it is Mor Dhona due to the proximity to silvertear lake and Hydalyn which could potentially be a gateway for other beings to enter, the architecture of the town resembles parts of Ul'dah and Ishgard plus there is the fact we haven't explored upper Mor Dhona leaving to ambiguity to what it looks like

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Which part do you mean by upper? Because to me that implies the northern half - which is the part we DO have. The southern half was in 1.0, but there was nothing there except an aetheryte camp (Camp Brittlebark IIRC), and an entrance to the West Shroud just south of where the Crystal Tower now is.

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Originally Posted by DarthSanguine

Which part do you mean by upper? Because to me that implies the northern half - which is the part we DO have. The southern half was in 1.0, but there was nothing there except an aetheryte camp (Camp Brittlebark IIRC), and an entrance to the West Shroud just south of where the Crystal Tower now is.

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The castle buildings that we are locked out of above the rising stones

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Originally Posted by Crushnight

The castle buildings that we are locked out of above the rising stones

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Ah, right. Vertical. I got you now. I have always wondered why we couldn't go up there... :)

Looks like Ul'dah to me. The monsters used are light themed ones, probably in Ul'dah due to them spreading out everywhere, fueled by the overuse of light.

Light does cleanse everything into a featureless void eventually, but that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't an intermediate stage before that, something that resembles a light version of the void.

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Originally Posted by Eloah

Plus Kuribu are stated to be Gelmorran (spelling). Gelmorra was a subterranean city in the Shroud.

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Where are you getting that "stated to be" from specifically? People might have previously assumed it was Gelmorran due to it being a transformation spell in the Palace of the Dead, but they're more heavily associated with Amdapor (final boss of Ancient City hard mode; lorebook states they were built as guardian golems during the War of the Magi).

Granted, Gelmorra was built in the same area and potentially by the descendants of the Amdapori, so they might have carried on the same concept. But we really don't know much at all about Gelmorra beside it being underground.

I really thought I'd have more to offer after milling it over for a couple weeks, but i really don't. I find it suspicious that the concept art released so far is from a place Yoshida isn't ready to talk about and contains one desert place, one forest place, and one seaside place. Hmmmmmm. But do I really want to make the logical leap to dimensional shift yet? I can make sense of it, but the assumptions start on the ground floor of the house of cards. Why wouldn't it just be Ilsabard? But if it was Ilsabard why wouldn't Yoshida talk about it? And I can make sense of Thancred saying "this place sure has changed" of a place he's been in another dimension or within Imperial territory, but nowhere else. Unless it's our Wings of the Goddess expansion.

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

But if it was Ilsabard why wouldn't Yoshida talk about it?

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I think this is simply just a marketing decision. They've still got a few live letters to do, 2 fan fests and who knows how many interviews planned to tease us with pieces of information here and there. They want to build things up to the final full reveal at the last fan fest. I may be misremembering but I don't think the reveal about hitting Doma and Gyr Abania hit until the second fanfest before StB.

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Originally Posted by Alien_Gamer

I may be misremembering but I don't think the reveal about hitting Doma and Gyr Abania hit until the second fanfest before StB.

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This is correct. We knew we were going to Ala Mhigo but not the Far East until the extended trailer. We never seem to go in just one direction. However, that's also the source of what I said. If we're taking on the Garlean Empire, we're going to Ilsabard. Period. So when Yoshida says he can't talk about the three new areas we've seen (two by name), and he says...

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Warriors of Light will become the Warriors of Darkness, but the timing is not right yet to disclose where we are going. So it was intentional. Still have 4.5 coming up and there is a lot to experience in that patch. So they didn’t want to expose that until 4.5 is revealed.

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that's a hint that there's another factor in play. What separates this place from the Ilsabard we know? Pre-and-post a specific event? Dimensional? Chronological?