The 3.1 preview looks ominous...

[ChazNatlo]

Yoshida has hinted we might be getting another of the Scions back this patch, though. Cross your fingers!

If I'm not guessing based on false information, I'd say Thancred. Bar Krile's voice all the spoken lines are by males, without the higher pitch of Lalas. The first of them I think was Haurchefant's brother, Amyeric, Warrior grunting, and a mysterious final voice. Though Why Thancred would be questioning who we are in that way is curious, if I am right.

[saber_alter]

If I'm not guessing based on false information, I'd say Thancred. Bar Krile's voice all the spoken lines are by males, without the higher pitch of Lalas. The first of them I think was Haurchefant's brother, Amyeric, Warrior grunting, and a mysterious final voice. Though Why Thancred would be questioning who we are in that way is curious, if I am right.

that might be directed towards another...our antithesis does enter the fray and we see him break ravana's guard in a single attack.

[Nalien]

that might be directed towards another...our antithesis does enter the fray and we see him break ravana's guard in a single attack.

That's what I figured, would mean the Warriors of Darkness were Warriors of Light, once upon a time.

Alternatively... Characters in Final Fantasy have come back with amnesia before... Thancred could be pulling a Yang on us... Poor Thancred... Always being put against us...

I guess the other option, is that Yoshida is just messing with us... Derplander is considered a missing Scion from 1.0, so him returning as Darklander constitutes us finding one of the missing Scions...

[Grayve]

Thancred as a Sky Pirate would be awesome.... just saying.

[Cilia]

All this talk of it being Thancred has me a little worried, I mean... Y'shtola casted Flow on the both of them, so unless her blindness is a result of spending so long in the lifestream or tied to her casting of the spell itself, he could be blind too...

... and being far less magically inclined, he probably can't use aethersense to compensate like Shtola can...

Zatoichi!

Do we, though? I still suspect that might be a flashback of sorts, I mean when was the last time it rained in Ishgard? Pre-Calamity, I think...

Guess Krile could also just be a Geomancer, who helpfully solves Ishgards weather problem... With rain... Welp, guess she is evil, that rain will freeze, then people will be sliding off the edge of Foundation...

Or the weather could have warmed up a little...

[Fenral]

Do we, though? I still suspect that might be a flashback of sorts, I mean when was the last time it rained in Ishgard? Pre-Calamity, I think...

Nah, I suspect we're going to use the classic "Echo into their past to see whodunnit" trick on a convalescing/incapacitated (and hopefully shirtless) Aymeric, and get the last quests from Lucia, stoically holding vigil at his bedside.

[Wadoka]

From the Preliminary Notes:

Second, one of the last quests is called 'Against the Dying of the Light'. Uh...

That line, though, is a snippet from Dylan Thomas' masterful poem "Do not go gentle into that good night", an exhortation to fight, and fight, and never give in, even in the direst of straits.


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[WyrahFhurrst]

That line, though, is a snippet from Dylan Thomas' masterful poem "Do not go gentle into that good night", an exhortation to fight, and fight, and never give in, even in the direst of straits.

Nice catch! I thought I recognized that phrase from somewhere!

[Fenral]

one of my favorite poems

It seems like a pretty damn ironic poem for FFXIV to reference, as it tends to be in the "accept your death and die satisfied" camp. It's certainly a poem about the inevitability of death, but I've always read it as "nobody dies content; fight so this isn't your last breath."

[Cilia]

That line, though, is a snippet from Dylan Thomas' masterful poem "Do not go gentle into that good night", an exhortation to fight, and fight, and never give in, even in the direst of straits.

I knew that line was familiar...

... but yes, from this I'm quite convinced the Warrior of Darkness is the envoy of despair. While we don't know who exactly is going to shank Aymeric (and those last two quests, being handed out by Lucia, almost definitely are connected to it), I'd wager it's connected to our nemesis in some way.

In-universe, as someone who has faced his despair, I say bring it. (That's not even taking into account how, out-of-universe, I've overcome Junko Enoshima's despair thrice.)

Warrior of Darkness says it's fate? Screw that! Hope will never die! Anything can change! I will never give in to despair!

... etc. etc.

It seems like a pretty damn ironic poem for FFXIV to reference, as it tends to be in the "accept your death and die satisfied" camp. It's certainly a poem about the inevitability of death, but I've always read it as "nobody dies content; fight so this isn't your last breath."

The point of the poem is that, even if you're cast into the depths of despair, you should never lose hope. Accept death, but make your death meaningful instead of giving up.

In other words, "fight because this is your last breath."