Revelations from Patch 2.55 [SPOILERS]

[Fenral]

@Fenral: I'm not sure I understand. I didn't ask any questions in the part of my post you quoted?

Poor choice of words on my part. You mentioned yourself that the monetarists need the monarchy to stay in power, but that the only reason they would withhold announcing Nanamo's death is because she's alive. Isn't that backwards? They need her, but TelAdel killed her, so now they need some new way to keep her as a figurehead for as long as they can. The ruse probably can't hold.

On the subject of the poisoning itself:

If it was Somnus, then she could very well be "alive" but in a comatose state. There is a huge problem with the credibility of this theory, and it boils down to a contradiction in the established facts. Somnus is described as a recreational drug, capable of inducing coma in sufficient quantities. While it could have been used, there problem lies with the depiction of the poisoning itself. A "natural causes" type poison, like arsenic, or the oft-embellished cantarella, could induce a death-like sleep, but those are slow-acting poisons. Whatever was used to poison Nanamo hit like Doomtrain going at full speed.

What they showed us on screen was a rather specific type of poisoning: sudden seizures, followed by loss of breath, ending with cardiac arrest. These are all symptoms of poisoning by cyanide (or, as George RR Martin calls it, to get around the glaring anachronism, "the Strangler"). Cyanide poisoning... is final. There are antidotes, but nothing that can save a patient from a dose large enough to cause the immediate onset of symptoms.

If she's not dead, then there's definite necromancy involved. This would not be unusual for Ul'dahan politics at this point. The only way I can see them revealing her to be "alive" without cheapening the emotions of 2.55's events is if Lolorito is keeping her as a trump card to destroy the credibility of anyone who tries to prove otherwise. If that is his plan, there is no way she'll be anything like she was before.

We may see her again, but I don't think they can pull a happy reunion scene for her after that.

[TheGrimace]

If Ilberd's still loyal to Ala Mihgo, he's definitely throwing the baby out with the bathwater if he's willing to slay Wilred, a fellow Ala Mihgan, just to do... something?

Do we even know what Ilberd's aims are? He's really a mystery at this point. We know that he holds Raubahn in contempt for his rise to power in Ul'dah after the fall of Ala Mihgo, but that's about it. We don't know if Ilberd intends to find fame of his own at the expense of others, if he intends to rally Ul'dah under his own hands with the intent of reclaiming Ala Mihgo, or if he wants something else entirely. Right now, Ilberd is a gigantic question mark and we just know that he's manipulative in his search for power.

[Eisenhower]

Y... the monetarists need the monarchy to stay in power, but that the only reason they would withhold announcing Nanamo's death is because she's alive.

(I think this has been laid out earlier in the thread...)

I have a hard time agreeing with this line of reasoning. There's always been a clear schism between the Monetarists and the Royalists in Ul'dah, where the latter had very little actual power and remained a player in the political game mainly because of tradition and Raubahns influence on the Syndicate. The Monetarists/Syndicate are chiefly motivated by greed and accumulation of wealth as is typical by Ul'dahn society and their merchant heritage. Having political power and the power to rule is a means to an end when it comes to furthering their wealth and station.

If the Monetarists released the story that the Sultana is dead, they'd have a war of succession on their hands. As far as I can remember, she was the last of her line and had no heirs. With the Ul-dynasty ending I have no doubt that there'd be many players that'd go for the power grab and send the entire city-state into civil war and make the entire business of trade and craft much more difficult to maintain. Right now you have backstabbings and acts of sabotage between the consortiums as they try to further their agendas. It's a setback when it happens but it's much more manageable than outright murder, destruction of stores and wares that would come with civil war.

By keeping it secret, the Monetarists create a time of temporary stability where the more poweful players can consolidate their power and prepare for the coming storm. Maybe if they make enough moves, they'd be in such a position that victory is much easier to achieve once the inevitable conflict arrives.

[Lucke]

Something that bothers me in that when the guards take you out to the other guests, they scream that you killed the Sultana. Everyone there knows she was assassinated. Wouldn't you think those guests would start talking to other citizens? It makes no sense to have hundreds (or however many party goers there were) witness the Syndicate claim that you assassinated the Sultana and expect those guests to keep their mouths shut. What's stopping them from getting word out the Sultana is dead and starting a War of Succession? The Syndicate doesn't want the public to know the Sultana is dead, right?

Merl and Kan-E maybe keep their mouths shut because they know what may happen as a result, but average party goers?

[Icecylee]

There's rumors floating about the city so it's likely some people are letting some things slip, but I mean... You live in ul'dah with your family, you do business in ul'dah. You watch a member of the syndicate point out the warrior of light and the scions as assassins, and then that same syndicate member get murdered by *another* syndicate member, and then *that* one gets an arm lopped off and thrown in jail. And then Lolorito's henchmen tell you to keep your mouth shut about the entire ordeal? Odds are pretty good you keep quiet, as you're making plans to get your ass out of the city with anything you care about for a long, long vacation, because holy shit is that above your pay grade and not something you want to get in the middle of.

[firstsin]

I personally found the writing and the plot sloppy.

The Scions ignored every single red flag that implied something dangerous was brewing. The behaviour of the Crystal Braves was already in question and certain members of Ul'dah syndicate were already under suspicion of buying out members.

Everything that made the Scions resourceful was thrown out of the window. Alphi who walked carefully and head held up high was blind to the most obvious trap of all. In all honesty it felt cheap. Kind of like a child writing a story but lacking the ability to use all of the character's personality.

Then the implied ending. It was stupid, after all of the hard work one nation is able to bring down an order that is fighting to protect the world. Politics always makes for interesting story but the way this farce played out was poor and underwhelming. All it did was try and shock you by trying to tug on your emotions.


Then there is the introduction of our new favourite Lalafell who is thrown in out of the blue. It makes me wonder even more if the writers were bored of this story and just couldn't be bothered to write a good ending. This was one of the simplest way to clear the slate and prepare for a new story. Something that makes me worry about the next story.

BTW I tried to keep the spoilers out of my post.

[Chewy2nd]

Pipin wasn't out of the blue, he was mentioned in the short stories that were released for the anniversary.

[Ibi]

Game of Thrones Spoilers for Season 4 and an all-but-confirmed character ending theory

Confidential excerpt from a Dev. Team meeting PowerPoint presentation:
2.5 will to close with Nanamo pulling a Reverse-Joffrey, but unbeknownst to the Monetarists, Pipin is actually in a Jon Snow situation.

What, exactly, is a

Reverse-Joffrey?

(I think) I understand what it would be without the modifier, but I'm not clear on what it means with it.

[Natida]

Regarding Limsa and Gridania, politics and diplomacy are always tricky, no matter how the situation presents itself.
Though they have sworn to help and assist Ul'dah in future endeavors. The matter of the coup, was internal to Ul'dah itself.
I am sure Kan E'Sanna and Merlwyb most definitely wanted to help/find out more. However, as leaders it was not their obligation
to involve themselves. Doing so is a declaration of war. Also, had they of assisted and gotten themselves injured or even imprisoned, it
would shake the foundations of Eorzea. It wouldn't just be a civil war for control of Ul'dah, but a conflict that would be equivalent to a World War.

[Anonymoose]

What, exactly, is a

Reverse-Joffrey?

Objectively the same downfall, but XIV capitalized on sadness; GoT capitalized on you really wanting it to happen and really wanting to enjoy it, lol.