The Twelve and the Archons

[Anonymoose]

I'd suggest considering who is in possession of those much-speculated-on 'keys'.

So far, only the treasure of Swallowtail Roam (the horn) has been called The Key, and it didn't seem to have any identifiably marks differentiating it from normal horns. The Key came with a sort of explanation tablet of what it was and some prophecy written in Rhotano Bloodcant, left by an ancient water-associated society. The name itself implies that they were a society living in the Rhotano who wrote their secrets in blood. We now know, thanks to Fernehalwes, that this horn simply made it easier to summon things - what it was made to summon and who used it to summon that are unknown.

It's so wide-open that you can connect it to any theory. I could say that a long-dead society of Vylbrand used it to summon their god and then another force (The Twelve, let's say) cast down their god and twisted all of their souls into monsters and that's the origin of the Sahagin and Leviathan. I just pulled all of that out of thin air and it still fits with everything we know. Not only that, it harkens back to ancient Greece and the Twelve Olympians casting down the primordial Titans. And yet there's no supporting evidence for that whatsoever aside from darksteeloil hat musing based on a couple of puzzle pieces.

Louisoix's staff was the 'key' of Thaliak was it not?

Possibly. If it looking and quacking like a duck means its a duck, then yes. We know the staff was of a similar make to the key, meaning that it made summoning easier. That symbol is associated with Thaliak, and Lou used it to attempt to summon the Twelve. However, the Ixali have been seen with staffs with Llymlaen and Oschon's symbols. It seems awkward that they'd use them if they believed the symbols were strictly related to The Twelve. Would Garuda accept that? And then there's that the Allag carved the Twelve's symbols into runestones. Did they worship the Twelve, or did they have a different meaning for them? When we associate them with the Twelve, are we being Moggle Mogged, so to speak?

Alisae & Alphinaud have now made several mentions of their possessing another 'key' which they plan to use in some form.

They said the word key, but, again, nothing has been called The Key since the treasure of Swallowtail Roam. Louisoix's staff was never called a key. It has never been used in ARR in that way. It's unknown what they're referring to. It could be Louisoix's staff, it could be another summoning item, and it could be literally any object and/or plan that they've kept as an ace in their sleeve until the time was right.

Will you now find a use for the secret─for the key that only you and I hold? Given our familial propensity for curiosity, you would do well to remember that keys may serve to seal doors as well as to unlock them. And Bahamut is a most unwelcome guest, to whom the door should never have been opened.

Lot of ways that could go. Whatever it is, it sounds like they know of Bahamut's origin and know how to use that knowledge to throw him back through the door he came from and lock it shut. It it related to THE KEYS or is it simply a key to that metaphorical door?

[Alice_89th]

Lot of ways that could go. Whatever it is, it sounds like they know of Bahamut's origin and know how to use that knowledge to throw him back through the door he came from and lock it shut. It it related to THE KEYS or is it simply a key to that metaphorical door?

Looking at that quote, at least without any other context, it seems to me that it is metaphorical.