"Eureka, the Forbidden Land" thories [Crystal Tower SPOILERS]

[Fenral]

For an ending about hope, I found it to be rather depressing...

This. Just, yeah. He was already "hope" for some of us, and that hope is now all but entirely gone. Or, wait, no. We, the WoLs are hope, and he's just a vessel for the royal Allagan blood. He's found his own way to help out! *sob*

Unless we blast the doors down, we're probably never going to see G'raha again.

Remember Nero's tomestone. There's much more to it than just a couple of notes on Allagan royalty, so I wonder if the data on it can be of more use to Cid now that he's been inside the tower itself.

By the time he wakes up, Revenant's Toll will look like Academia.

Get it? It's a Hope joke! In rather poor taste, though... (We also saw Hope again five minutes later in XIII-2. Trying to think of when a scene like this was supposed to be a final goodbye in other media, and it's not coming to me.)

Who's to say the people of that future will even be friendly to him?

The practical problems with using the tower all boil down to "basic human nature." Sure, we can create a world where that basic nature will no longer endanger the world, but should we? Even Hayao Miyazaki, of all people, said no. It gives, and people are going to to take. If it can provide everything people "hope" for, people won't need to look elsewhere, and that's already been portrayed as having serious consequences. G'raha... probably won't be treated like a hero once his "purpose" is served, because that's just how people are.

If the tower can only be controlled by Allagan royalty, did it sort of slip his mind in his rush to seal it up and sleep because his gift was only temporary, that he forgot it was only temporary? It's going to expire one day, just much later. But it will expire and then the tower will be left as nothing but a pretty landmark again.

He didn't forget... in the Japanese script. This has more to do with "exchange of information" streamlining, EngLoc's worst habit, so it's more that he just isn't repeating information the player already knows. This is also the basis for my "one last shot" theory, since using it for a single, massive application and then letting it shut down for good is a fairly poetic way of letting it symbolize hope without any of the explained drawbacks. We might even get a scene were G'raha tries to seal himself inside again, before his control wears off, but Cid or Ramnbroes stops him by waxing poetic.

I get the feeling we were supposed to be comfortable with letting it end like this, because "yay hope," but not because they had no intention of planning more. There's too much doesn't add up as neatly (in a narrative sense) as a proper wrap-up would.

[Cilia]

For an ending about hope, I found it to be rather depressing...

G'raha is looking at the big picture, not his personal desires, and submitting to the will of ancient Allag was his way of preserving hope for the world.

"What if the world's hope is different from your hope? Even if the world is [safe], it's meaningless if you aren't happy."

We endure the despair and keep fighting. That's why we're the hero of the story.

1: Unless we blast the doors down, we're probably never going to see G'raha again.
2: By the time he wakes up, Revenant's Toll will look like Academia.
3: Who's to say the people of that future will even be friendly to him?
4: If the tower can only be controlled by Allagan royalty, did it sort of slip his mind in his rush to seal it up and sleep because his gift was only temporary, that he forgot it was only temporary? It's going to expire one day, just much later. But it will expire and then the tower will be left as nothing but a pretty landmark again.

1. Maybe, but I felt the Crystal Tower was intended to be a standalone side-story. The Garleans were able to get the Ultima Weapon up and running again, though, so it's not outside the realm of possibility; it's just highly improbable, especially with the current technology available to us.
2. Same as 1, pretty much. It's also possible nobody will ever open Syrcus Tower again, ever, but that's why it's "hope" - we have to believe, not know.
3. Nobody, really, but again, "hope."
4. Need to rewatch the cutscene, but I don't recall Doga and Unei telling him it was only temporary. Either way, once / if people are able to reopen Syrcus Tower without the "key" it stands to believe they could operate it without the "key" as well, and even if not G'raha could probably have children able to control the Tower now that his Allagan blood has been enhanced.

All just possibilities, though.

[Fenral]

G'raha is looking at the big picture, not his personal desires, and submitting to the will of ancient Allag was his way of preserving hope for the world.

We actually have next to no evidence to support that that's what was actually going through his head, since while there are many far more grounded and acceptable explanations for why he did what he did, he used exactly none of them, opting instead for "destiny." Whatever he thinks is going to happen after he seals the tower, he's committed himself to go along with whatever happens next, and there's actually nothing stopping that from being a much earlier reunion than expected (except devil's proof assumptions on quest progression).

Given the overall ideological level of the setting (as in, strangled dead on the floor), I think it could easily be recast as empty and hypocritical sort of hope, not to mention how spectacularly misses the point of what it means for hope to be a "light in the darkness." It's too soon to say, but I still think one way or another they'll get back to it. Eventually.

[Cilia]

Given the overall ideological level of the setting (as in, strangled dead on the floor), I think it could easily be recast as empty and hypocritical sort of hope, not to mention how spectacularly misses the point of what it means for hope to be a "light in the darkness." It's too soon to say, but I still think one way or another they'll get back to it. Eventually.

Well I suppose calling the Crystal Tower "the world's hope" is a bit of a misnomer - it's the hope of the ancient Allagans. As long as the tower stands it's proof they existed, and with the truth of the Calamity leading to the 4th Umbral Era now known, perhaps people will recognize not all of the Allagans were "evil." If people are able to use it in the future, the Crystal Tower will truly be a "light in the darkness" of Allagan history; their legacy will not be one of naught but cruelty and ruin.

It's still a potential source of hope for the world, but the qualifier is potential.

This is all semantics anyway, but as close as I can figure G'raha did what he did to keep the legacy of Allag alive and shine some light on their dark history, as well as preserve a potentially invaluable resource and keep it out of the wrong hands for the time being (that and the "destiny" rubbish). I can only imagine how much ceruleum Lolorito's gonna need to run Omega without the Crystal Tower to provide practically free energy...

[Echofalls]

This is also the basis for my "one last shot" theory, since using it for a single, massive application and then letting it shut down for good is a fairly poetic way of letting it symbolize hope without any of the explained drawbacks. We might even get a scene were G'raha tries to seal himself inside again, before his control wears off, but Cid or Ramnbroes stops him by waxing poetic.

I sincerely hope that this something similar to what happens. If he does leave and try to lock himself back in, we'll.. just have to tie him to a chair or something until he stops being so... blood addled. :P
What massive application would we use the tower for? A little voice in my head suggested "Blow up Zodiark!". Huh..

I don't feel comfortable letting it end like this, and considering that the story is rather loosely based around III.... Whatever became of that other character who thought it was his destiny to sacrifice himself... Hmm?
Let's wait and see..

In the meantime, I'll keep writing lighthearted, G'raha-related fluff in my Lodestone blog.

Phew... Writing this in between the floors of Syrcus Tower is difficult.

[Fenral]

I sincerely hope that this something similar to what happens. If he does leave and try to lock himself back in, we'll.. just have to tie him to a chair or something until he stops being so... blood addled. :P
What massive application would we use the tower for? A little voice in my head suggested "Blow up Zodiark!". Huh.

I'm "hope"-ing it won't wait that long, but if we really did just set up the Crystal Tower to finish off the True Final Boss of the whole damn thing, I suppose there are worse uses.

In the meantime, I'll keep writing lighthearted, G'raha-related fluff in my Lodestone blog.

I already have head-canon covered for if the ending is ever definitively declared "open to your own interpretation." Yes, this entry actually avoided disqualification and won me an earring, which my retainer G'raha is now wearing. As an aside to Cilia, now you know who you've been debating "G'raha can never come back" with. Knowing your opponent is key.

[Echofalls]

I'm "hope"-ing it won't wait that long, but if we really did just set up the Crystal Tower to finish off the True Final Boss of the whole damn thing, I suppose there are worse uses.


I already have head-canon covered for if the ending is ever definitively declared "open to your own interpretation." Yes, this entry actually avoided disqualification and won me an earring, which my retainer G'raha is now wearing. As an aside to Cilia, now you know who you've been debating "G'raha can never come back" with. Knowing your opponent is key.

Wait... That was you? That was your image on Deviantart on your account? Huh...

Well, it would certaintly make an entertaning finish for finale, don't you think?
But let's hope that there's still more of Allag to unravel, too many doors still remain shut...

[Fenral]

Wait... That was you? That was your image on Deviantart on your account? Huh...

Wait, you saw that version? Yeah, that's me. So hard to get exposure on DeviantArt without paying for it, so I just use it to store things I don't want to put on Tumblr. I'm glad to know someones seen it.

But let's hope that there's still more of Allag to unravel, too many doors still remain shut...

The Floating Continent coming up in the expansion apparently has a lot to do with genetic engineering, so that kind screams Allagan to me. Also, FFIII's Floating Continent was built by Hein, who got renamed to Amon in FFXIV, and Amon is kind of known for that sort of thing. The plot sickens...

[Echofalls]

Wait, you saw that version? Yeah, that's me. So hard to get exposure on DeviantArt without paying for it, so I just use it to store things I don't want to put on Tumblr. I'm glad to know someones seen it.

The Floating Continent coming up in the expansion apparently has a lot to do with genetic engineering, so that kind screams Allagan to me. Also, FFIII's Floating Continent was built by Hein, who got renamed to Amon in FFXIV, and Amon is kind of known for that sort of thing. The plot sickens...

Ah, very good. I'd recommend checking your Deviantart notes, I feel a pressing need to take this conversation elsewhere before I drive the topic off the rails.

Didn't the guy who inspired G'raha try to throw himself into a reactor because "Destiny Says So" to keep the continent in the sky? I walk through Syrcus tower, I look at Scylla and I think " WTF was Allag doing to its people towards the end?!"

[Fenral]

Didn't the guy who inspired G'raha try to throw himself into a reactor because "Destiny Says So" to keep the continent in the sky? I walk through Syrcus tower, I look at Scylla and I think " WTF was Allag doing to its people towards the end?!"

Yes, but unlike the childish stunt G'raha pulled out of an inflated sense of self-importance, Desch actually had to do what he did or everyone on the Floating Continent would have died. It was sad, but he really had no time to think about other options, and, well, it proved to be enough to mark him as a soul capable of saving the Warriors of Light in their time of need. The FFXIV version is a bit odd on that, but it hits a few of the same points and left a few of the same possibilities open.

But yeah, the Allagans were F*d up, and telling me that they had the tech to hijack people's lives 2000 years after they all died out doesn't exactly give me the warm fuzzies it was (apparently) meant to. How many other Allagan "sleeper agents" like G'raha are out there, oblivious that the people of 2000 years ago have decided on a role for them in their plan and care nothing for the person they could have become on their own?