The 2.5 (Part 1 & 2) speculation thread

[myahele]

i wonder if the ishgardian's archbishop staff have similar properties as Tupsimati?

[Terrini]

*cough* Travanchet *cough*

Okay, I never played 1.0 but my comment still stands that none of the robed Ascians we've seen since 2.0 started have been anything but Hyur Males... And Travanchet never hid his face and is likely the same Ascian as Lahabrea, considering the theme music.

[Viridiana]

Okay, I never played 1.0 but my comment still stands that none of the robed Ascians we've seen since 2.0 started have been anything but Hyur Males... And Travanchet never hid his face and is likely the same Ascian as Lahabrea, considering the theme music.

Nah, that's just the Ascian music.

[Kotemon]

*cough* Travanchet *cough*

About Urianger, I have this odd fear he will die in 2.5. Hope he reunites with Hilldibrand before that.

Speaking of.. do all Ascians or those possessed lack shadows? Or was it just Travanchet?

[Balipu]

Okay, I never played 1.0 but my comment still stands that none of the robed Ascians we've seen since 2.0 started have been anything but Hyur Males... And Travanchet never hid his face and is likely the same Ascian as Lahabrea, considering the theme music.

Neither did I. I just read a lot. Well he might be Lahabrea but in that case he really was posessed. But true, the 2.0 trend looks like male Hyur. They even ditched the cool grim reaper design.

Nah, that's just the Ascian music.

As far as I know it was originally Travanchet's theme then became Lahabrea's and by extension all Ascian's

Speaking of.. do all Ascians or those possessed lack shadows? Or was it just Travanchet?

Well, the Ascian theme IS titled Without Shadow so it stands for reason that all of them lack it. Can anyone check Thancred?

[Grayve]

Speaking of.. do all Ascians or those possessed lack shadows? Or was it just Travanchet?

They have shadows bow, IIRC. It was asked at the lore thing at fanfest.

[Alberel]

Notably, the Agrius (the giant airship) was painted red. This line is likely part of the prophecy that predicted the Seventh Umbral Era, but it's clearly a reference to the Battle of Silvertear Lake. I don't know if you've ever seen the 1.0 opening movie, but it involves everyone's favorite Midlander as he gets to witness the battle first-hand through some kind of Echo flashback.

Ah yes, you're right, it's actually the prior events that started this whole mess. I hadn't considered it was an old prophecy pertaining to 1.0. Although... it would be a nice narrative touch to have Nidhogg be a red dragon and have the prophecy be fulfilled twice.

My laptop isn't up to the task of playing the game at the moment, but I'm pretty certain she hears Hyd as we're bringing Thancred out of the tunnels. Of course, that's literally right after Ultima, which colloquially could be the same as "since Ultima."

But, yeah, that still leaves the question of Iceheart.

Minfillia hears Hydaelyn's voice but it's distant and desperate. She basically tells her to pray for the Warrior of Light's safe return which sounds... odd, coming from an actual god. There is an implication that Hydaelyn has no power left to directly help any further and she's basically saying it's up to us now. That was then soon followed by a bizarre echo that showed what was either Hydaelyn with her light extinguished (dead or sleeping?) or another mothercrystal with a dark light instead (taking over?). If there was a moment at which Hydaelyn left us it was then, just after the battle with Ultima Weapon.

As for Iceheart, you have to remember that she wasn't a heretic the whole time. She was probably granted the Echo a long time ago and used it just like we or other echo users did. She visited the Agrius' wreckage at some point though and received an echo from Midgardsormr (much like it seems we'll receive in the 2.5 scenario) that gave her a revelation about the nature of the Dragonsong War and turned her against her own people. She's only been working to undermine Ishgard and summon Shiva since she received that echo from Midgardsormr, and it appears she has been manipulated by the Ascians along the way as well.

[Grayve]

The following expressions have been added to the auto-translate dictionary:
Battle adrenaline rush
Duty The Carteneau Flats
Duty Urth's Fount (Hard)
Duty The World of Darkness
Duty (Secure)
Duty (Slaughter)
Duty The Keeper of the Lake
Duty Battle in the Big Keep
Duty the void

Speculation: 'The Void' is the mystery trial. We fight an Ascian.

[Alberel]

Speculation: 'The Void' is the mystery trial. We fight an Ascian.

Not only that, look at the new achievements! These two in particular:

Enough Expository Banter ------- Defeat ??? at ???.
Secret Ascian Man ------------- Defeat ??? in ???.

There seem to be two separate mystery boss fights, the second of which is almost certainly an Ascian in our mystery trial. The first is probably Gilgamesh or something linked to Hildibrand.

[Balipu]

Not only that, look at the new achievements! These two in particular:

Enough Expository Banter ------- Defeat ??? at ???.
Secret Ascian Man ------------- Defeat ??? in ???.

There seem to be two separate mystery boss fights, the second of which is almost certainly an Ascian in our mystery trial. The first is probably Gilgamesh or something linked to Hildibrand.

Yeah, Secret Ascian man is pretty telling. What has me perplexed is the one above. It is a very overt referece to Gilgamesh, but why bother with the ??? Why not write Defeat Gilgamesh at Battle in the Big Keep? Is Gilgamesh posessed by an Ascian?