Revelations from Patch 2.55 [SPOILERS]

[Vydos]

For all I know, she's going to pop out a roast dodo in the middle of her own funeral and have the Maelstrom and Twin Adders arrest everyone who was just getting comfortable loudly expressing that they're not down with democracy.

I lol'ed at this part. Always a pleasure to read your replies Moose.

And you strike a good point. I tend to not hate when a writer decides to kill off a character(s). Even if it's one that I love.
But reading your post now made me realise why there are so many different opinions about her "dead". And it seems to all boil down on different groups of people and how they prefer their stories and have taken the "signs" in all the cutscenes.

The not death group:

- Using myself for example: I took the cutscenes as signs that Nanamo had something in mind. Hence why I'm thinking that the pretend dead card, adds more to the story. Because I'm at the same time also a lover of mindgame stories. Where one group tries to outsmart/outplay the other one. Must be the reason why I still think the story will play out like that. Not to mention, I didn't feel saddened at all when she died.

But I also blame S-E for that. The scene felt -very- lacking (in my opinion) for an important character's death scene. Compared to Moenbryda that made me shed a manly tear. My reaction at the moment of Nanamo's death was "Well...that happened." All I saw was a lalafel drinking wine, choking and dropping on the floor. Before being interrupted by guards. And no 100% confirmation of her dead. Not to mention the entire. "You can't see her. But her dead has been confirmed by her handmaiden." Who just shakes her head.

- Then you have people who simply don't want to see her die and are basically in denial. And tend to shout how bad the story is because their important character died. Which S-E most likely wanted to achieve. So props to them for achieving it.


The death group

- Those that believe that playing the pretend dead card actually brings little good to the story and would kill the last scene (again no pun intended). I also believe that those are the people that felt a more emotional connection to that scene. Or those that prefer a story to pan out that way. (Like how I prefer the other option)

- Those that willingly accept her dead. And probably a small group who are happy she's gone...


And it might also be because this is S-E and Final fantasy we're talking about. I don't remember in any game where a person's 100% death scene was so...I can't really find a right word for it. But let's go with vague, lacking. Off course if S-E doesn't really think she's that important, S-E could just kill her off right there and then. But I doubt that, considering with Moenbryda that appeared and got disposed in just a few patches.

(ps: I love this type of discussions. It keeps me busy while I'm at work lol)

[Frederick22]

Just my opinion based on what you guys are discussing. If she really turns out to be alive, it probable will be on a time where no one would expect that she would come back.

[Alberel]

Using myself for example: I took the cutscenes as signs that Nanamo had something in mind. Hence why I'm thinking that the pretend dead card, adds more to the story. Because I'm at the same time also a lover of mindgame stories. Where one group tries to outsmart/outplay the other one. Must be the reason why I still think the story will play out like that. Not to mention, I didn't feel saddened at all when she died.

The trouble is everyone is attributing her quiet brooding to the impending assassination after the fact. There's actually a much simpler explanation for why she was clearly worried about something: she was about to abdicate the throne and knew it would bring chaos to the city. The entire reason she invites you to her private chambers is to try and gain your support for her decision and to ask you to help Raubahn in handling the transfer of power.

I'm not sure why so many people read her body language to be that she planned to fake her own death when there's a much simpler explanation for it. The fact that she didn't even tell Raubahn should be proof enough that she had no such plans, in my opinion, as she would never do something like that to him.

[Edellis]

She was brooding because she was about to blow ul'dah up with her decision to hand her power over. I don't see the logic in her faking or forcing her own death. If she did it for the greater good, there are simply too many unchecked variables, your character could have been killed, and i doubt she would have intended for Rabahun to go crazy and near get himself killed. Then, there's the fact you get framed for it. None of that adds up. As for the Scions, Yda and Pap are my favorites. I don't care who dies, but they can't remove those two, the comic relief, from the game.

...Speaking specifically of Yda, she has been getting alot of independent foreshadowing recently. The whole thing with Moenbryda, the argument about her face visor, and her old one getting destroyed, leads me to believe at the very least Yda is about to receive a more serious character overhaul in the future.

I also found it interesting they decided to tease what her face looked like, but then I realized i really don't want to know what her face looks like.

[ExKage]

I thought the Scions or someone in the scions was supposed to "get more story" to them come 3.0? I don't think they're dead, they're most likely in gaol.

I'm a little curious. Is the fact that Ilberd isn't being brought up on charges because he confessed to people (we) consider to be untrustworthy or people who are 'supposed' to be considered untrustworthy (by Ul'dah/public.) That is, he confessed to Lolorito and corrupt Braves and Brass Blades (so we consider them untrustworthy). He confessed to Raubahn (in gaol so to the public his words are suspect), or us & Scions (who are under suspicion so our words are suspect).

I'm of the mind Nanamo is dead. For her to not be... that scene was gut wrenching to watch when she was dying from the poison. She'd also have some shitty planning to do it and pretty much -know- it would shine suspicions on you, the WoL, the only other person in the room with you other than the handmaiden. She -knows- that it would appear bad for the WoL. Why?

[Belhi]

Y'shtola and Papalymo were the two I heard mentioned on the Fanfest panel. Technically though, Y'shtola's background we could learn from her sister, who I expect will move to Ishgard for the summoner quests if nothing else.

I do think the Scions are alive though. Papalymo and Yda didn't go down in our sight. Last we saw of them they were unleashing a big attack. Plus Papalymo's talk hardly was of one about to go down. If Y'shtola and Thancred are alive I suspect it will be due to whatever reason Minfilia turned back.

Nanamo is the only one Im pretty sure is dead. The rest though might be imprisoned. Either way they are scattered, betrayed and hunted which still puts the WoL in the worst situation s/he has been in for a long time.

[PArcher]

Ilberd "confessed" in the presence of his master (Lololito, who would have known) and his framed enemies (Scions, who were about to be captured and thus removed from play) to enrage Raubahn into sloppy attacks.

We weren't supposed to escape, so it wouldn't have mattered what we knew. But the WoL (who was tied up at the time) did escape, and so the Monitorists plans had to change. The people consider us to be the ultimate good, after all, and without us in custody painting us in a bad light is rather hard

[Fenral]

And you strike a good point. I tend to not hate when a writer decides to kill off a character(s). Even if it's one that I love.

Moenbryda's death upset me at first, since we had just started getting to know her, but seeing the writers continue to handle it respectfully even when they could have dropped it after the funeral at least keeps her alive in spirit. And Nanamo's death set the entire expansion in motion, not to mention that however it actually plays out, Raubahn has become a pretty permanent reminder that it happened.

The only (symbolic) death I'm still mad at the writers about is one that happened in a (yes, technically optional) context neighboring the MS, in a way that pretty much absolved them of any obligation to mention him again. It could still happen, but it could also more than easily not, which is the entire source of my frustration on that point.

[axemtitanium]

She faked it.

I could get behind this theory; it all seems to fit in a nice story-telling way. However, I can't support it 100% because I don't think Nanamo is smart enough to pull it off. She's too naive and a bit dull, so I don't think she could have come up with a fake death on her own at least.

[myahele]

I don't see why she would fake her own death before abdicating the throne.

However, I believe that she was given a poison to make her unconscious indefinately