So, let's speculate about future Story developments (SPOILERS!!!)

[Terin]

Alright, so I finally managed to get caught up on the Main Scenario stuff lastnight, which basically just leaves Hildibrand and the Coils of Bahamut as the only stuff I don't really know too much about. Obviously, there's a lot to talk about, so here's just a few random observations and speculations about the story.

- I've suspected Ilberd was trouble from the very first time you meet him. That last cutscene, where you reclaim a box of weapons, is so obviously damning, though, that I'm actually skeptical now.

- I wonder about Urianger. He's been under a particularly high level of stress, and part of me wonders if Moenbryda might be the tipping point, that he either leaves the Scions, or something else entirely. I don't see him falling to Ascian influence, but perhaps there is another faction we might be unaware of...?

- Hildibrand is amazing, and I never want his quest-chain to end. Though I've not completed it, I had "that one thing" spoiled for me already. That said, I'd be shocked if they don't continue the quest-chain, somehow or another.

- I kind of wonder if Gaius is really dead or not. Or perhaps more specifically, if he might be "brought back" from the grave somehow. I really liked him as a villain, and having recently read more about him, as well as re-watching the ARR cutscenes (I never played in 1.0), I kind of feel like he would be a valuable ally against the Ascians, *WAAAY* down the road, anyways.

- After the World of Darkness cutscenes, I sort of wonder about Nero. The Crystal Tower, as a whole, kind of feels "non-canon", like it's a totally self-contained story. Part of me wonders if there will be more lasting implications, though. Nero specifically; I can't help but wonder, what if he's actually the first "Dark Knight", having essentially been imbued with the power of Darkness, even for such a brief time? It would be interesting to see him, a Garlean of such high status, not only begin to embrace a "magic" of sorts, but even pass that knowledge onto Eorzeans, even those who oppose the Garlean Empire.

- Given his physical appearance, the fact that the Heavensward CE will include both Cecil's "Baron" helmet and wind-up Kain Highwind, I have a feeling that Emperor Varis is effectively going to be Golbez, but with a new name. Just as The Crystal Tower was clearly inspired by Final Fantasy III, I think Heavensward is going to include a lot of allusions to IV, but also much more central to the story.

- I feel like Sultana Nanamo is going to die. Either her, or Rauban, but I'm betting her. Not because I *want* her to die or anything, but I feel like "something really, really bad" is about to happen in Ul'dah, to set the stage for Heavensward's continued story, and right now, there's really nothing preventing the three nations from truly banding together under one banner. I feel like something is going to happen, to cause a rift between the factions, and her death would probably do it, sending Rauban into a murderous rage, plunging Ul'dah into a self-contained war, and driving a wedge between Ul'dan Monetarists, the Immortal Flames, and the Crystal Braves, essentially shattering any possibility of peace (at least, for the near future).

- I never really noticed until I was thinking about it the other day, but you know, there are virtually zero male Miqo'te NPC's in the world. In fact... are there *ANY* outside of the Forgotten Springs, aside from G'raha Tia?

- I really don't *THINK* it will happen, so much as I really *HOPE* we see something become of G'raha Tia, at some point in FFXIV. I'm always bummed when stuff ends like the Crystal Tower arc did. Considering the Crystal Tower raids are a lot of fun, as a blast of nostalgia, I'm expected we'll see Hard or Extreme versions of it at some point, so I'm hoping we see a continuation of his story, in some capacity. Plus, I really dig the Red eyes.

- Speaking of which, with The Crystal Tower essentially being "Final Fantasy III: The Raid", I'm wondering what the next nostalgia-inspired raid might be. I feel like Heavensward will be drawing a ton of inspiration from IV already, so while a raid based on it certainly makes sense, part of me also wonders if we might see some kind of "Allagan Mako-Reactor", themed around VII?

That's all I got. Please chime-in with your own thoughts regarding the story, or riff off of any of our other posts!

[kyuven]

The developers have talked about wanting to revamp Ul'Dah, so that something terrible may involve a mini-Calamity of sorts.

[myahele]

There are actually some male NPC miqotes around Eorzea, just need to look: The acn guildmaster, the calamity salvager in limsa lominsa, Coerlking, one of the crystal braves in the hunt for the GC spy (raoily/ivy), the npc couple to unlock wanderers palace HM is one and another one just sitting in buscaroon's bar.

Hildibrande will return, he's too popular and nothing about his ending says its over. It screams "see you next time!"


They said that the next 24man raid will be original to FF14 whatever that means. It could very well be slowly going to where omega weapon lies.

I hope they are tricking us regarding Ilbert, so far he's just way too fishy...and helpful compared to the other GC 2nd in command. I really don't want another betrayal but its kinda looking that way.

As for DRK...I'm pretty sure it's gonna be an Ishgardian job and nero will have nothing to do with it. Maybe nero will be involved in unlocking the new 24man raid. seems approriate.

FF7 Allagan/Garlean Mako reactor is possible. We know from Sastasha HM that if you infuse enough aspected aether into somebody and they survive they'll mutate and take aspects of that element. Water = fish, etc

[Chihaya]

The developers have talked about wanting to revamp Ul'Dah, so that something terrible may involve a mini-Calamity of sorts.

The devs should revamp Ul'Dah by putting an aetheryte crystal next to the marketboard that doesn't involve zoning :X

[Fenral]

It seems to me, and don't get me wrong, kind of odd that G'raha even exists. It's far too soon to say he's really gone, but for now he just seems like an exceptionally cruel bait-and-switch meant for male Miqo'te players hoping to see one of our own join the main cast. Not only did he steal the spotlight at the end the 2.1 trailer, he wears unique gear and shares a ton of elements with our existing core cast, so they can't have expected us to not want more from him than we got.

Maybe they just wanted him to be memorable, in that sad, gone-forever sort of way. Or he could just be sleeping until that inevitable point in MS when Y'shtola quips: "Well, it's not like there's any living Allagan royalty left for us to ask."

There's a thread over in Lore where I hope to cobble together as many tidbits as I can of the things not yet fully realized about the Crystal Tower arc. To show support for a continuation, if nothing else.

[Gilthas]

You know, one of the problems I currently have with the story is the "disconnect" between each big patch. In 2.4 we had the traitor in the flames. I might be missing something, but it felt like it popped out of nowhere and was resolved too quickly.

And now in 2.5 we have two sections of the Braves apparently being corrupt because they get all the good stuff (the 1st and 3rd I think?), and the guy that was once charged with trailing where the gil came from is saying that no one requests that of him anymore. The whole thing with Ilberd in Eastern Thanalan is just too damning. None of this was apparent in 2.4

I'm actually kind of sad that the Braves became corrupt so easily.

[kyuven]

I'm actually kind of sad that the Braves became corrupt so easily.

Considering who they brought on as recruits, this really shouldn't have been that big of a surprise.

[Mugiawara]

Hildebrand will finally marry his assistant!

[Mahri]

I don't want Ilberd to backstab us, and I don't want Nanamo to die. Other than the fact that I like Nanamo, there's one big reason: Raubahn's had to deal with enough horrible things lately. One friend turning full-on traitor is enough. I already feel bad for him as it is. The Sultana's got the excuse of being young and naive for all her angst, and will soldier on after all is said and done. Raubahn, though, is older, wiser, and clearly is desperately clinging to whatever shred of faith in humanity he has left, and it's far more tragic to see that shattered.

On that note of speculation, however: Maybe he's already snapped. I could see the big "twist" being that it's Raubahn working in concert with Ilberd in some huge plan to obliterate the Monetarists. Ul'dah goes full-on French Revolution, Nanamo's plan to dissolve the Sultanate happens but not in any way she expected. It's chaos, but she survives and resumes her identity as the random noblewoman she was posing as in the early story bit that Ul'dahn players got, and takes to the sidelines for a while, probably under the protection of the Scions or the Braves.

The only thing I seriously wonder about with this is: Why now? We're just about to shift focus to Ishgard and Dravania, and something massive happening in Ul'dah deserves at least a full content patch to go down, if not several. If we did not already know what the expansion was going to be, I would be betting money at this point that it would be all about Ul'dah getting wrecked, what with all the build-up and suspense.


On a completely unrelated note: I want the Garleans who were all dead by the end of the 2.0 storyline (and Nero!) to come back in another Minstrel's Ballad. We get to fight all four of them. At once. YES.

[EdwinLi]

I have a guess for 2.5 Part 2 and the beginning of 3.0 MSQ that I made a while back in another specualtion thread...

Well like I said before, most likely we may learn the Ascians control Ishgard early in 3.0 which forces us to flee Ishgard and head to the Flying Continent.

Considering Aymeric and Lucia will be at the party in Ul'dah where the Coup is happening, as 2.5 trailer shows, they may be taken by Teledji if he succeeds with his Coup. So the formation of the Ishgard Rebels to fight against the Holy See and the Ascians may not form until later in 3.0 when we free them.

However, if they avoid capture they may flee to Isghard with us in hopes of convincing the Holy See to help us take back Ul'dah from Teledji and save the other City-state Leaders and Minfilia. Aymeric may say he needs time to set up a meeting with the Holy See at the end of 2.5 Part 2 so we can meet him directly in 3.0. When the Holy See finally decides to meet us in 3.0 storyline, we are finally allowed access into Ishgard due to our actions for saving it and agreement to meet the Holy See. Once we meet the Holy See, he ask us why should Ishgard help the City-states. We give him a answer of our choice and the Holy See responds his reason why he will not help save the City-states. After that he also reveals he knows that we have spoken to Midgar and knowing this he deems us as a Heretic. Aymeric disagrees with this decision and defends us but then both Lahabrea and Elidinus reveal themselves and say somethings to the Holy See and to us. Shocked by this revelation, the Holy See then sends Ishgard soldiers after us and we escape with Aymeric and Lucia's help. After that Midgar then appears and tells us there is still a chance to save Eorzea and it will require us to enter the flying Continent where we will find new allies and a new power. From there Aymeric will tell us to leave Ishgard to them and that they will form a resistance, with Iceheart and her follows as part of the Resistance, against the Holy See and the Ascians. While we head to the Flying Continent to gather allies, the Ishgard resistance focus on trying to take back Ishgard from the Ascians.

However, this is only one of the countless outcomes I've considered may happen so don't take this seriously.