The Masked Mage

He's familiar, but I can't seem to pin it down. In the 2.0 Lominsan storyline, he's seen working with the Reavers. Summons a golem and in a later fight a gargoyle. Is he someone from 1.0?

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/9...7803679c_o.jpg

I don't know if he relates to anyone from the previous game. All I can fathom is that he's an Ascian.

Ascian? I have looked at my video of the fight, and he clearly has a shadow. I'll see if I can grab a screenshot of it.
My understanding of Ascians is they have no shadow.
Edit:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/9...94385ebe_o.jpg

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/static...ul-dah_013.jpg

was my first thought on the masked mage

Interesting, the main scenario between the 3 nations isn't very different aside from scenery and dialogue. This is the same thing that happens in the Gridanian story line pre-airship.

If only he were taller, with some pointy ears. That would have been the absolute kicker for a plot twist.

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Originally Posted by prymortal

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/static...ul-dah_013.jpg

was my first thought on the masked mage

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*tilts head* Hey, now that DOES look like him! Who is that, though? *pokes the statue* I presume that, ordinarily, the man of the statue is meant to be dead.

Now, I probably shouldn't have come into this thread, as I've just read a bunch of spoilers, but that is my own fault. Either way, I will look forward to experiencing it myself. As for the shadow of the Masked Mage, I noticed that, though there is a "shadow" beneath him, other than that, it does not cast -- that is, the shadows of everyone/thing in that shot is casting forward, and his is not. Is that something to ponder on, or am I being silly again?

I really like the weird red sigil that appears upon his face. I'm going to take a guess and say that is the VERY SAME symbol that us 1.0 characters will have on OUR bodies. Just because speculation is fun.

I am kind of sad that all of his lines that I've encountered so far have been wholly generic, but other than that he intrigues me as a character concept. ~^_^~

@Quatre: Ooo, that would have been!

I'll tell you reasons why i thought he might be to do that that statue:
A: well the status looks like him
B: pretty sure yoshi talked about some guy who's supposed to be long dead thats still alive in ARR
(or im getting my information confused with when he was talking about "Solus Zos Galvus" :rolleyes: spolier alert if i wrote more)
C: thaumaturgy can bring the dead back to life, lost/banned practice e.t.c.
( at least in 1.0 they could i think... so long ago when i did that quest)

Actually, I think I remember Yoshi-P mentioning that, too. Or, at least someone who had the authority to say. I am in complete support of your theory. It feels right to me -- and -- I hope it is!

I was under the impression that the guy who's supposed to be long dead is Xandes. Supposedly, he's a dead Allag emperor that was entombed underneath Silvertear Lake... but look at Xande for inspiration. He's not dead, he's just in "cryostasis." It would also explain the concept art of Cloud of Darkness.

"The slumbering Allag emperors are surely turning in their graves." - Nael van Darnus

Subtle reference?

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

I was under the impression that the guy who's supposed to be long dead is Xandes. Supposedly, he's a dead Allag emperor that was entombed underneath Silvertear Lake... but look at Xande for inspiration. He's not dead, he's just in "cryostasis." It would also explain the concept art of Cloud of Darkness.

"The slumbering Allag emperors are surely turning in their graves." - Nael van Darnus

Subtle reference?

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Couldn't Xandes and the Masked Mage be one and the same? Maybe even Xandes, the Masked Mage, and Cloud of Darkness, but all different forms of the same entity? *tilts head*

Like maybe Ascians aren't born, but made, sort of thing, and Xandes was made into one of them, thus becoming Masked Mage, and maybe at some point in the game he morphs into Cloud of Darkness, or something.

*scratches head* I am more imaginative than I am practical. He he.

****Spoilers***** Highlight the text below to read. :P

He mentions seeing Bahamut prior to the most recent summoning of Dalamud, does anyone know when that was? I believe the exact quote was, "To think I would live to see Bahamut again...."

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Originally Posted by Bigpurpleharness

****Spoilers***** Highlight the text below to read. :P

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I would think that'd be around the same time he was imprisoned in Dalamud, so presumably at the height of the Allagan civilization.

The longer this game goes on, the more I realize that this is all about aetherial balance. Aether is the fabric from which all life is woven, it is the basic unit of reality. When the six elements are in balance, life thrives, and when it is imbalanced, life is threatened and the world is in danger of being torn asunder. Think of it like a canoe shaken to capsizing.

Allow me to propose a new theory:

The prophecies foretold an era of chaotic imbalance representing each of the six elements, but some predicted a seventh as well, later confirmed by the discovery of the Seventh Verse of the Divine Chronicles and then the arrival of the era itself. This cognates exactly with the Seven Hells. Eorzeans believe that the first six hells are each dominated by a single element, but in the seventh resides the lord of the underworld, the Black Warden. This is the force that drives eternal oblivion, which is arguably the exact opposite of the life bestowed by aether.

Now, beyond the light of the crystal (itself composed of aether) lies what is known as the void. Some believe that the voidsent monsters we see in Eorzea are sent by an outside force that seeks to imbalance the realm. This force is likely the Ascians, who we know want to see the realm destroyed and the crystal dark. Posing as Paragons, the saints of the beast tribes, these shadowless entities from beyond the crystal's light encouraged the summoning of primals, which consume the realm's aether and drive the aetherial balance offcenter (thus into an umbral era).

Now, look again at the masked mage. Using the knowledge and power of the Paragons, he drives the beasts of the realm mad by destabilizing the aether and later requests the aid of some greater dark force and uses it to summon voidsent. Now, look back to Urianger Augurelt. When he first came to Eorzea, he lied his cryptic ass off about who he was and what he was doing there so he could act as a diversion while his comrades established the Grand Companies. One of the lies he told was that he was a member of a group of mages that were aligned with the seven demon lords of the seven hells who sought only to plunge the world into chaos.

Starting to add up?

I used to joke about how the Seventh Umbral Era seemed like when we would finally be forced to clean up the mess that every other era has been putting band aids on for thousands of years, but I think that's actually more correct that I anticipated.

This is the umbral era of oblivion and our last stand against the Ascians to save the source of all life, and that masked bastard was the first casualty to the Adversary.

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Originally Posted by El Magi Masko

The end of your tale is just the beginning of another... The tale of the crystal's demise!

Ahahahaha. Hahahaha. Aha. Ah.

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Gosh, wouldn't it be terrible if our heroic but repeated deaths were draining that poor crystal dry? On the one hand, it needs us alive and well-trained to stand against the Ascian threat, on the other, by keeping us alive, it's slowly weakening. Dilemma!

Can't make sense of that quote otherwise. Unless...

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Originally Posted by El Magi Masko

The end of your tail is just the beginning of some others... The tails of the crippled old mice!

Ahahahaha. Hahahaha. Aha. Ah.

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Secret of Nym. I saw it in an Echo.

Okay so because I want to be crazy and propose weird theories about who Masked Mage is, I will give you these two images:

http://www.geimaku.com/wp-content/up...alm-Reborn.jpg

OR

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__...XIV_Alfino.jpg

And yes, neither one of these makes sense, which is PRECISELY why I suspect it the most! Yes, Derplander has been hiding secrets from us!!!! Nevermind the fact that Derplander is a representation of us...and doesn't appear in the game itself...or...well all those logical incongruities ASIDE!

Ahem.

OR IT IS ALFINO/ALPHINAUD! Come on, people. He looks way too innocent! And look at his lips! THEY ARE TOTALLY THE SAME LIPS as this dude:

http://gengame.net/wp-content/upload...ed-690x388.png

Did anyone else notice that there are two Alfino/Alphinauds?? I think one of them is a female, though. Sister? An evil sister, clearly, equally fond of creepy masks! YES! I have uncovered it all!!!

MAKE WAY, Anonymoose and Catapult (and those other loremongers I can never remember), I am moving in on ya territory, ya awful ahrimans, ya!!! DESTROYING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT DA SAME TIME, TU! YO! BETTA RECOGNIZE!

:cool:

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Originally Posted by Hestern_Nestern

Okay so because I want to be crazy and propose weird theories about who Masked Mage is, I will give you these two images:

http://www.geimaku.com/wp-content/up...alm-Reborn.jpg

OR

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__...XIV_Alfino.jpg

And yes, neither one of these makes sense, which is PRECISELY why I suspect it the most! Yes, Derplander has been hiding secrets from us!!!! Nevermind the fact that Derplander is a representation of us...and doesn't appear in the game itself...or...well all those logical incongruities ASIDE!

Ahem.

OR IT IS ALFINO/ALPHINAUD! Come on, people. He looks way too innocent! And look at his lips! THEY ARE TOTALLY THE SAME LIPS as this dude:

http://gengame.net/wp-content/upload...ed-690x388.png

Did anyone else notice that there are two Alfino/Alphinauds?? I think one of them is a female, though. Sister? An evil sister, clearly, equally fond of creepy masks! YES! I have uncovered it all!!!

MAKE WAY, Anonymoose and Catapult (and those other loremongers I can never remember), I am moving in on ya territory, ya awful ahrimans, ya!!! DESTROYING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT DA SAME TIME, TU! YO! BETTA RECOGNIZE!

:cool:

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Siren.

On a serious note, I'm probably complete wrong with this theory as of Phase 3, but I wanted to say it before but I forgot. The 2 new Elezen teens/whatever are probably Archons, representing the Twins Nald and Thal. After all they share similar characteristics to the Archons from 1.0. They arrive with us (sure it's in an Echo) on our voyage to the city-state we chose. If Louisoix is Thaliak, Ahldbhar is Rhalgr, the Twins being Nald and Thal...then yeah. That's as far as I got with labeling the rest of the Circle of Knowing Archons.

Oh...that...that makes a lot more sense than my theory. Ahem. :o

Hey...if every primal is summoned by a certain group or what-have-you, does that mean that someone summoned Odin? Is it established in the canon that someone has to summon the primal first in order for them to come to Hydaelyn or have there been instances where a primal comes unbidden to this world?

Is it confirmed somewhere that the set of twins from the Clan of Dawn are the same in each opening? I was thinking that there are a bunch of members and the Alfino/Alphinaud character may be their leader?

If you get far enough in the storyline, it's beyond obvious the twins are the 'grandchildren' of a very special 1.0 friend. But there are far too many spoilers in this atm to discuss it further.

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Originally Posted by Hanzzo_Kai

Is it confirmed somewhere that the set of twins from the Clan of Dawn are the same in each opening? I was thinking that there are a bunch of members and the Alfino/Alphinaud character may be their leader?

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They are the same regardless of starting city....keep in mind, they are part of YOUR, the adventurer's story. All the main storyline missions work this way and are 'the same' no matter what city you start in. The only difference is 'local flavor'.

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Originally Posted by Hestern_Nestern

Oh...that...that makes a lot more sense than my theory. Ahem. :o

Hey...if every primal is summoned by a certain group or what-have-you, does that mean that someone summoned Odin? Is it established in the canon that someone has to summon the primal first in order for them to come to Hydaelyn or have there been instances where a primal comes unbidden to this world?

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I think with the term Elder Primal applied to Odin and Bahamut they don't necessarily need to be summoned into the world like the regular Primals. The Primals are summoned with crystals and when defeated turn back into aether. We don't know what happens with Elder Primals, after all the most technologically advance civilization could only 'defeat' Bahamut by sealing him away and sending him into orbit so he could not draw on the aether of the land.

But chances are Bahamut and Odin have been "summoned" into Eorzea at least once and are still around.

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Originally Posted by Hestern_Nestern

Hey...if every primal is summoned by a certain group or what-have-you, does that mean that someone summoned Odin? Is it established in the canon that someone has to summon the primal first in order for them to come to Hydaelyn or have there been instances where a primal comes unbidden to this world?

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The NA website says, "There are none now alive who know the truth of when or by whom this elder primal was first summoned into the world," so I would say it's confirmed that Odin was summoned long ago. I get the impression from the story so far that the beast tribes in Eorzea are being used to summon primals. So who was used on the continent of Othard?

The Empire first encountered primals in the east - so how did those get there? That we have no confirmation on. Perhaps they came unbidden to the world. Perhaps there were beastmen. Perhaps there are wandering races over there. Perhaps the only reason they used the beast tribes in Eorzea was to spark the war between the Wandering races, beast tribes, and Empire and the ascians just summoned them personally on Othard. Who knows? Totally open.

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Originally Posted by NoloeTazier

Siren.

On a serious note, I'm probably complete wrong with this theory as of Phase 3, but I wanted to say it before but I forgot. The 2 new Elezen teens/whatever are probably Archons, representing the Twins Nald and Thal. After all they share similar characteristics to the Archons from 1.0. They arrive with us (sure it's in an Echo) on our voyage to the city-state we chose. If Louisoix is Thaliak, Ahldbhar is Rhalgr, the Twins being Nald and Thal...then yeah. That's as far as I got with labeling the rest of the Circle of Knowing Archons.

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I did not see this anywhere in the thread but: Who the twins are: Highlight below:

They are the grandchildern of Louisoix

Totally not far enough through the beta quests to be commenting on this.

But I still think the idea of Archons = Incarnated Twelve is crack.

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

This force is likely the Ascians, who we know want to see the realm destroyed and the crystal dark.

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Kind of like when a crystal is bereft of it's light no? Like what was said would happen should the Garleans achieve their Godslaying motives.

Nael Van Darnus: "Oh how I grieve for this world! This world beset by fools! And that the worst of them should hail from mine own land! Gaius van Baelsar, the Emperor, his beloved subjects -- fools, one and all! Blindly, they struggle to exterminate the primals in the name of conquest. Yet what worth is there in a realm bereft of the crystals' light? What has become of Garlean pride, that we must scavenge the leavings of false gods!?"

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Originally Posted by Alaltus

Kind of like when a crystal is bereft of it's light no? Like what was said would happen should the Garleans achieve their Godslaying motives.

Nael Van Darnus: "Oh how I grieve for this world! This world beset by fools! And that the worst of them should hail from mine own land! Gaius van Baelsar, the Emperor, his beloved subjects -- fools, one and all! Blindly, they struggle to exterminate the primals in the name of conquest. Yet what worth is there in a realm bereft of the crystals' light? What has become of Garlean pride, that we must scavenge the leavings of false gods!?"

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Careful, buddy. Nael was being drip-fed influence by one of the most powerful dragons on Hydaelyn. His view of the world was somewhat warped to put it lightly.

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Originally Posted by Catapult

Careful, buddy. Nael was being drip-fed influence by one of the most powerful dragons on Hydaelyn. His view of the world was somewhat warped to put it lightly.

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Even so he was hardly speaking in tongues (though they may have not truly been his words) and i see no reason for him to have lied, as far as he let on; he was convinced he had already won no matter what happened. But i understand what your saying, like it might be a biased opinion of Bahamut's along the lines of "nothing can exist without me!" or who knows.

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Originally Posted by Catapult

Totally not far enough through the beta quests to be commenting on this.

But I still think the idea of Archons = Incarnated Twelve is crack.

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They may not be reincarnated Twelve, but they do "represent" them. Thaliak and Louisoix, Ahldbhar is second hand information but he's said to represent Rhalgr. Whether the representation is because they believe they're the reincarnated forms or it's for symbolic reference...I'm for the symbolic reference. After all the whole "we're here from a city in the north west, we're really smart and want to help everyone" just doesn't come off the same as "/pose I am Thaliak here for your women, oh yes and to save you all from being destroyed cough cough yes."

He looks a bit like Urianger is all.

Sigh you guys, nothing SE does will be a surprise because you're writing the game for them! lol.

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Originally Posted by Riv

Sigh you guys, nothing SE does will be a surprise because you're writing the game for them! lol.

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Naw, anytime anything's guessed here, S-E re-write the plot so it's incorrect, just like the scriptwriters from Lost did!
*cough* (Siren) *cough*

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Originally Posted by Alaltus

Like what was said would happen should the Garleans achieve their Godslaying motives.

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I think you're slightly misinterpreting what he was saying. Darnus' wasn't implying that slaying primals would cause the crystal to go dark; he calls them false gods in the same breath (and if Darnus and Louisoix agree on something, it's probably true).

He's saying that it's disgusting that the Empire would want to claim a land contaminated with lesser beings who have already bled it dry of the Crystal's light. The only thing it's fit for now is annihilation.

When you look at what every language has to say, you get a much clearer image of what he meant. I'll try my best to translate:

JP: この世は、愚か者であふれている！ 愚かなる、ガイウス・ヴァン・バエサル。 愚かなる、ガレマール帝国ッ。 「救済」と称して蛮神を浄化し、「クリスタルの力」なき地を支配し、蛮神どもの残飯をあさって、富を得たとは… なんッと、愚かで滑稽なッ！ 我が望みは、一切の浄化そのもの！
JP: This world is full of fools! Gaius van Baelsar is a fool. The Emperor is a fool. To purify the primals under the pretense of "salvation," to rule this land without the "power of the crystal"... left to us as scraps by false gods! It's so stupid it's comical! My wish is purification itself!

DE: Auf dieser Welt wimmelt es nur so von Dummköpfen! Gaius van Baelsar ... ein Trottel. Der garleische Kaiser ... ein Kretin! Wozu die Götzen der wilden Stämme auslöschen? Wer will über ein Reich herrschen, das des Lichts der Kristalle beraubt wurde ...? Das Kaiserreich ist nur noch ein Schatten seiner selbst! Wir kämpfen um das, was falsche Götter übrig ließen?! Wo ist unser Stolz geblieben?! Was ist aus unseren erhabenen Zielen geworden?! Ich werde alles tun, um dieses verpestete Land auszulöschen!
DE: This world is teeming with idiots! Gaius van Baelsar ... a sucker. The Emperor ... a cretin! What of obliterating the idols of the beast tribes? Who wants to rule over a land deprived of the crystal's light ...? The Empire is a shadow of its former self! We fight for what false gods leave behind? Where is our pride?! What has become of our ambition ...? I would do anything to eradicate this polluted land!

FR: Rempli de sots! Cet idiot de Gaius van Baelsar... Cet Empire idiot... Prétextant leur salut, ils annexent des terres sans énergie éthérée... Se repaissant des restes des eikons pour en faire leur festin... Minable! Risible! Mon seul espoir n'est plus que la purification totale de cette terre souillée!
FR: Surrounded by fools! That idiot Gaius van Baelsar... That idiot Emperor... Claiming it salvation, they annexed land without atherial energy... feeding on what the eikons have already made their feast. Pathetic! Ridiculous! My only hope is the complete purification of this polluted land!

We could go very in-depth on that matter, but that's the skinny of it; the part that matters right now, anyway. I've been working on something larger, but I don't want to get ahead of myself before it's all straightened out. Catapult's been running consultant, considering he'd be the first person to realize it if I said anything stupid, so hopefully he can attest that it's worth the wait XD

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Originally Posted by Riv

Sigh you guys, nothing SE does will be a surprise because you're writing the game for them! lol.

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To be fair, the title of this forum can be expressed as "This is a place to talk about the story of the game." If that doesn't imply a certain level of *SPOILER ALERT*, I don't know what will. Besides, for every once we're right we're wrong thrice. Which angle we were right from might still be a surprise! lol

Sigma from garoooo!! wait wrong game wrong show... *walks away quietly*

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q10VxlHIMZ...y-GMS20_05.jpg

To be honest, I thought of the Regent of the Mask from Ninja Gaiden 3 when I saw the Masked Mage.

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__...IDEN_3_avi.jpg

I think the masked mage is following final fantasy III's story line. Or something similar-ish

"Final Fantasy III has eight Crystals. Xande is trying to drain the Crystals of their power in order to create an imbalance between light and darkness. He manages to drain the Crystals on the ground continent, covering it in darkness and freezing time. He is, however, unable to drain the ones on the floating continent. Eventually, the forces of darkness manage to drain the other two Crystals, creating an imbalance that summons the Cloud of Darkness"

Source: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Crystal_(Term)

How...fascinating. All of you...tickle my brain with new insights...and new ideas...to ponder upon...yes...yes!!!! Please, go on..GO ON...I am listening. >:]

A small correction for you moose. "Wozu..." translates as "To what end...?". Nael seems to be implying that a drawn out campaign against the beast tribes is futile as the land would be left dead of aether. Whereas if you dropped the "bomb" on it you would have a raw landmass, but with aether that you can do something with.
...'course, I've just started down the pondering path again...

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

We could go very in-depth on that matter, but that's the skinny of it; the part that matters right now, anyway. I've been working on something larger, but I don't want to get ahead of myself before it's all straightened out. Catapult's been running consultant, considering he'd be the first person to realize it if I said anything stupid, so hopefully he can attest that it's worth the wait XD

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/nods

Its Thancred... or I wished it was... I honestly would of loved a huge plot twist like that...

My first thought was Queen Elizabeth X >.> but that's because it was my most recent hood+mask experience.

Surprised a notion of a human manifestation of Bahamut hasn't been said yet (like FFX). Or if so I missed it.