Timeline of Endwalker Role Quests (Spoilers)

Spoilers up to end of 6.0 MSQ + Endwalker Role Quests

I was wondering about the point in time in which the Endwalker Role Quests are meant to take place. Whilst with almost all other quests in the game, including Raid unlock and other side quests, steps are taken to make clear these can take place canonically at any point in the timeline, it seems that the Endwalker Role Quests only seem to fit canonically before the final MSQ of patch 6.0. Or is it still possible for people to fall to Meteion's Song of Despair even after the end of this quest? Am I missing something?

It's mentioned in passing that some Terminus beasts might still be around after defeating Meteion. The Role Quests can canonically take place any time after they become available thanks to that.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

It's mentioned in passing that some Terminus beasts might still be around after defeating Meteion. The Role Quests can canonically take place any time after they become available thanks to that.

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This makes sense, but as part of some of the role quests people still actively transform during the quest itself. It makes sense for there to still be blasphemies around as there's no way to un-blasphemise (?) them, but I'm a bit confused how people can still transform given Meteion is now gone.

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Originally Posted by AeternusLupus

This makes sense, but as part of some of the role quests people still actively transform during the quest itself. It makes sense for there to still be blasphemies around as there's no way to un-blasphemise (?) them, but I'm a bit confused how people can still transform given Meteion is now gone.

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Blasphemies (the big daddies) are capable of spreading negative dynamis around and turning people into beasts. Meteion's song won't make any more of those, but until the big ones are all put down they're still an issue.(... I think. I haven't done all the role quests so I don't know if actual Blasphemies manifest during one.)

Actually, there is a reason and explanation given in the 6.1 role quest after you complete the other prerequisite role quests.

Good to know a reason is given, though Cilia's explanation also makes a lot of sense. Thanks all!

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Originally Posted by AeternusLupus

Whilst with almost all other quests in the game, including Raid unlock and other side quests, steps are taken to make clear these can take place canonically at any point in the timeline,

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I disagree with that. There are plenty of previous sidequests clearly linked to a specific point in MSQ, especially raid unlocks if major characters are involved (Crystal Tower, Binding Coil, Alexander, Warring Triad, Eden.)

Eden in particular requires you to keep your questing very up-to-date for the timeline to make sense, with the first two tiers needing to be done during 5.1-5.2 and then the bridging "we're returning to our home world soon" conversation that only unlocks at the beginning of the 5.3 story chapter.

Well this is not the end of Blasphemies anyways. Eorzea is having little issues now due to Meteion being defeated and they know how to minimize people from turning, the locations beyond Eorzea and regions we can adventure to now may have a more serious issue with Blasphemies during the aftermath of the final days. Not to mention they may have suffered far worse than the current locations we can explore now due to lacking a group who can spread information about how to prevent people from turning into Blasphemies.

We can expect to see plenty of fallout in the newer regions in Season 2 due lacking certain things the current regions have to warn them about Blasphemies and what triggers people's transformation.

Also, potentially fight new Blasphemies that were not dealt with in those regions.

Not to mention, as 6.1 Role Quest shows, people are still at risks to transform into Blasphemies despite the requirements are much higher now. This may lead to certain Season 2 regions that are maybe Bloodborne like due to their inability to properly contain Blasphemies during the final days and after the final days.

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Originally Posted by EdwinLi

Not to mention, as 6.1 Role Quest shows, people are still at risks to transform into Blasphemies despite the requirements are much higher now. This may lead to certain Season 2 regions that are maybe Bloodborne like due to their inability to properly contain Blasphemies during the final days and after the final days.

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To confirm, though, there's a difference between 'Blasphemies' and 'Terminus beasts'. The Blasphemy of the originator that can then turn others; the Terminus Beasts are the lowlier guys that turn after that. The rules are a little different in areas where the sky actually burns, but the Blasphemy's still the first person to turn.

My reading was that the Blasphemy in 6.1 was one that turned up during the events of the story, but we only found the thing later.

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Originally Posted by Cleretic

To confirm, though, there's a difference between 'Blasphemies' and 'Terminus beasts'. The Blasphemy of the originator that can then turn others; the Terminus Beasts are the lowlier guys that turn after that. The rules are a little different in areas where the sky actually burns, but the Blasphemy's still the first person to turn.

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Where is that said?

My understanding is that "blasphemies" is term being used for all the monsters in this current event, while "terminus" only comes from the Amaurot dungeon monster names and may not even be a term ever spoken by the characters.

It's mentioned at the start of the role quests that they'd designate the first and strongest of those to turn as blasphemies.

The lesser transformed are only ever referred to as beasts both in the quest dialogue and journal from that point onwards.

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Originally Posted by KageTokage

It's mentioned at the start of the role quests that they'd designate the first and strongest of those to turn as blasphemies.

The lesser transformed are only ever referred to as beasts both in the quest dialogue and journal from that point onwards.

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Yeah, this is an explicitly stated rule then, although it's pretty clearly going even beforehand during Vanaspati. We don't have a set title for the lesser guys, but 'Terminus beasts' yanked from the Amaurot dungeon works well enough in terms of discussion.

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Originally Posted by Cleretic

To confirm, though, there's a difference between 'Blasphemies' and 'Terminus beasts'. The Blasphemy of the originator that can then turn others; the Terminus Beasts are the lowlier guys that turn after that. The rules are a little different in areas where the sky actually burns, but the Blasphemy's still the first person to turn.

My reading was that the Blasphemy in 6.1 was one that turned up during the events of the story, but we only found the thing later.

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yes the beast are still a issue now the world must deal with this new type of risks but it still remains that not all Blasphemies from the Final Days are dealt with in regions we do not have access to yet.

However, it is a matter of how many will remain since we don't know how well or how badly the unknown regions handled the Final Days.

It will be interesting to see more of the aftermath of the Final Days in Season 2 considering how world changing this event was.

Not to mention see how the other Garlean Legions that became cutoff from Eorzea and their homeland handled their new position in the world now that Garlemald has fallen.

Still, as I said, I will not be surprised if one of the new regions in Season 2 ended up very bloodborne like due to the place not handling the Final Days very well.

To be really honest, I don't think we're actually going to see too much of them now except when a plot-related point requires it in future patches (after all, apart from the role quests they haven't shown up in Eorzea or the Far East at all - not even in the main scenario, despite what the EW opening movie would have you believe).

Also from what I understood the only places stated as bearing the brunt of the full impact of the Final Days (as in, sky burning and stuff) was the entirety of Thavnair, Garlemald (and the uninhabited mountains north of it), and a stretch of ocean near Old Sharlayan, unsurprisingly these are all new areas added in EW) - the rest of the Source wasn't impacted as much because we dealt with Meteion before that could happen. Either way, I don't see it playing too much of a part in the story in the future.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

To be really honest, I don't think we're actually going to see too much of them now except when a plot-related point requires it in future patches (after all, apart from the role quests they haven't shown up in Eorzea or the Far East at all - not even in the main scenario, despite what the EW opening movie would have you believe).

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Yeah, personally I don't think there's ggonna be further stories about the Blasphemies for the same reason that I don't think there's gonna be further stories about the Ascians as villains. Yeah, theoretically they might still be around, but with the source of the problem gone dealing with them would amount to cleanup duty, and why give us a storyline that's just cleanup duty when they could instead give us something more pressing and relevant?

It's not like we're the only people who could deal with that; I believe it was the 6.1 all-roles capstone quest that mentioned off-hand that Bozja handled its outbreak by itself.

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Originally Posted by Iscah

I disagree with that. There are plenty of previous sidequests clearly linked to a specific point in MSQ, especially raid unlocks if major characters are involved (Crystal Tower, Binding Coil, Alexander, Warring Triad, Eden.)

Eden in particular requires you to keep your questing very up-to-date for the timeline to make sense, with the first two tiers needing to be done during 5.1-5.2 and then the bridging "we're returning to our home world soon" conversation that only unlocks at the beginning of the 5.3 story chapter.

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It always felt to me like the way the dialogue adapted made many of the raids make 'sense' even if not completed at the 'standard' time. Crystal Tower for example has to be completed as part of the MSQ specifically because other elements of the story will not canonically make sense without having completed it, whereas there is alternate dialogue in Endwalker so that even if you haven't completed Binding Coils 9 years later, the game acknowledges this. I'm unsure about Eden tbf and that one would make the most sense to have a canonical requirement, but my understanding is there is alternate dialogue for all the raid instances (that are not mandatory, like Crystal Tower) such that the dialogue still acknowledges the fact that they haven't been completed yet. Side quests I can't speak to, though usually these won't be unlocked until a certain point in the MSQ has been reached.

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Originally Posted by AeternusLupus

It always felt to me like the way the dialogue adapted made many of the raids make 'sense' even if not completed at the 'standard' time. Crystal Tower for example has to be completed as part of the MSQ specifically because other elements of the story will not canonically make sense without having completed it, whereas there is alternate dialogue in Endwalker so that even if you haven't completed Binding Coils 9 years later, the game acknowledges this. I'm unsure about Eden tbf and that one would make the most sense to have a canonical requirement, but my understanding is there is alternate dialogue for all the raid instances (that are not mandatory, like Crystal Tower) such that the dialogue still acknowledges the fact that they haven't been completed yet. Side quests I can't speak to, though usually these won't be unlocked until a certain point in the MSQ has been reached.

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This is broadly correct. The various side stories (especially the raid stories) make the most sense if done immediately when available, but are also written with a general lack of urgency where it still broadly makes sense if you come around to it way later. I'd say part of that is thanks to the fact they were already written as patch stories doled out over several months, so they already had patience built in. The only 'tentpole' content I think does have some urgency about it is Bozja, but even then... I mean, wars stalemate all the time, it wouldn't be THAT weird to come back after several months to learn nothing happened. Eden has some coinciding with MSQ characters thanks to Thancred and Urianger being there early on, but mostly it doesn't break the story.

More sideline stuff like job quests or yellow quests, they can get a bit weird doing them out of time; Monk comes to mind as a strong example, where you just have to pretend you're doing it pre-SB if you're picking it up late because otherwise it just makes NO goddamn sense.