Heavensward Launch Trailer! [Heavensward Spoilers]

[Maina]

Some own theory from Lahabrea's Talk about "the echo's true power":
It has never been relevant in the story that there are a considerable lot of people who are gifte with the echo since the Agrius' fall. This might change: Hydaelin's Blessing is rather a hindrance to the Ascians, and if there are others with the Echo around... well, just a thought.
Plus, if the Echo's influence reaches that far, it might actually be the reason for the WoL to become 'to powerful'. Maybe the coincidence that Hydaelin's Champion is echo-gifted as well takes a turn for the worse?

[Whiteroom]

Some own theory from Lahabrea's Talk about "the echo's true power":

Lahabrea knows secret to 100% Coil/Alex/Primal echo buff.

[Dalvy]

So pope knows about the Ascians.. I was hoping he wasn't the typical "leader puppet" type

But what about that 1 sec shot of what seemed like an Ascian merging with something dark and inky?

[Intaki]

the fan theories about there needing to be balance of Darkness and Light holds true, more or less.

Not really. All we know right now is that someone believes that to be the case, objectively true or not.

[Alberel]

So pope knows about the Ascians.. I was hoping he wasn't the typical "leader puppet" type

But what about that 1 sec shot of what seemed like an Ascian merging with something dark and inky?

That was Lahabrea. It would seem his machination in having Ysayle merge with Shiva was an experiment for something he wanted to try himself. The voice of whatever is merging with him sounds a lot like Hydaelyn but immediately before that scene the camera conspicuously focuses on a statue of Halone so I'm more inclined to believe it's her.

[Dalvy]

Garleans are really pushing their "wipe out the beast tribes and their eikons" agenda. But the new Emperor brings it to a new level by indicating that he also knows that the beast tribes' crystal guzzling ways are part of the cause of the weakened state of aether in the world. Brings the question of "How much do they actually know" and if they're aware of the Ascian plot behind the eikons.

edit: is it me ore did they change Alphi's voice actor?

[Elecrom]

No, in the french version the pope clearly says :"Yup I know the ascians, they promised me their help against the dragons so I accepted".

The one merging are the warring triad imho.

Thats weird because in the German version he says something similar to : "The Ascians are Heralds that bring ruin and chaos to this world"

[Kuwagami]

WE will be the Warriors of Darkness since we don't have the blessing of light anymore.

Am I the only one who got that feeling?

It's like FF4 Cecil, except it's backwards. (even more so for the PLD main switching to DRK >< )

Nope. We get the blessing back during Heavensward it seems (Kan-E-Seena helps with that)

[WhiteArchmage]

It's uncertain wether Kan-E helps with getting the Blessing back or if it's something unrelated with careful video editing (my money is on finding the Scions). My money is ALSO on the Ascian attempting to merge with the Warring Triad (after throwing the Emperor off the continent, maybe?)

[Balipu]

- The imperator could talk to the WoL about either the Ascians, or the primals.

Well, "these creatures" is kinda vague. For all we know he could be talking about the dragons.