Revelations from Patch 2.55 [SPOILERS]

[Exodus-E]

So!
About the Ascians in this patch...

Lahabrea states that the "Ardor" was not his (Nabriales) to make.
Now, IIRC, Lahabrea also referred to Bahamut's rampage as an "Ardor"...
And the closest our characters get to that word was "Rejoining" (mentioned by Nabriales, which Minfilia assumes that what happened to the Isle of Val was his doing).
I wonder...what if these "calamities" are ways for them to disrupt/unbalance the flow of Aether around the zones where they happen, so they can take advantage of them?
They DID say that after each "Ardor", their god (Zodiark) grows stronger.
The mention of some of them being of this world (from 2.50) and "star(s)" was also kind of ominous...as if they weren't from this world (or maybe from *any* world at all), and yet, they need everything they can get their hands on in order to revive their master.
I dunno, this is raising even more questions than answers...

[TheGrimace]

I unfortunately do believe that Nanamo is dead, but... There definitely is one way in specific that she could still be alive.

The drug Somnus.

Somnus is well-known in the back alleys of Ul'dah. When it is taken in over-abundance, the user falls into perpetual sleep, not unlike some kind of Sleeping Beauty. Considering the enemies' reluctance to show the corpse, it could be because she's sleeping. Teledji Adeledji may undoubtedly have wanted her dead, but Lolorito may have planned ahead and tried to switch things with Somnus to play into his own hands better.

All of this said, the scene where Nanamo succumbs to the poisoning was brutal and is why I am not sure I believe she is simply overdosing on Somnus.

[lololink]

I don't think Nanamo is alive, the way the poison acted, it strangled her, I don't think it was a drug or something, she didn't collapse, she was trying to breath but couldn't.

Also I think "Ardor" means "Calamity", maybe the terms umbral era have more meaning than we thought, maybe the balance really turn to umbral( Zodiark ) instead of the usual Astral ( Hydealyn ) and each Calamity makes Zodiark's return even closer and eventually would bring an eternal umbral era.

[myahele]

Snip

Funny you mentioned that because:

The First Umbral Era brought an end to the age of the gods, and there have been six such eras of calamity since the First Astral Era ushered in the age of man.

Each of the Umbral catastrophes has, in turn, borne the characteristics of one of the six elements. With all the elements now represented, it was believed the current Astral era would last into eternity.

But in the seventh verse of the Divine Chronicles, Mezaya Thousand Eyes prophesized a less fortunate fate. The "senary sun," or Sixth Astral Era, would indeed end, and the "septenary moon," or Seventh Umbral Era, would cast its shadow upon the land.

--- http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/pr/sp/world/story/

My guess it that the 7th Umbral Era (or 13th cycle if you get rid of the astral/umbral categories) is the era for Zodiark to finally be released.

[treuhavik]

So!
About the Ascians in this patch...

Lahabrea states that the "Ardor" was not his (Nabriales) to make.
Now, IIRC, Lahabrea also referred to Bahamut's rampage as an "Ardor"...
And the closest our characters get to that word was "Rejoining" (mentioned by Nabriales, which Minfilia assumes that what happened to the Isle of Val was his doing).
I wonder...what if these "calamities" are ways for them to disrupt/unbalance the flow of Aether around the zones where they happen, so they can take advantage of them?
They DID say that after each "Ardor", their god (Zodiark) grows stronger.
The mention of some of them being of this world (from 2.50) and "star(s)" was also kind of ominous...as if they weren't from this world (or maybe from *any* world at all), and yet, they need everything they can get their hands on in order to revive their master.
I dunno, this is raising even more questions than answers...

It could very well be that...

it is the overabundance of life and actions of those living on Hydaelyn that disrupt the natural balance of aether. Maybe, just maybe, these calamities actually restore some aetheric balance to the world, dimming the light of life to strengthen the darkness (Zodiark). Elidibus has made it very clear that, in order for things to be set right again, ALL must perish. There is a reason for that.