3.1 MSQ Reaction [SPOILERS]

[Anonymoose]

Disclaimers:
These are just my current theories and interpretations. They could change quite easily.
I'm not arguing alternative interpretations as wrong - just answering questions about my own (and long before they've been polished).

The key thing here is that Elidibus may have thought he convinced Lahabrea to work with him, reigning him in from being so rash, but I don't really think that was the reality.

I had chalked that up as Elidibus failing to keep him on-mission, hence the foreshadowing earlier where Lahabrea cared more about his plans than Zodiark's will. Kind of a semantic difference, no? Either way, they seemingly worked together for at least long enough to not bother with Omega directly. Elidibus seemed more angry at Lahabrea's arrogance and complacency than his actual attempt to initiate the Eighth rejoining. It was Nabriales he claimed was acting above his station. Rather, he says that the loss of Lahabrea will be felt deeply, since he was an "original" (of our world, touched by Zodiark).

It would also explain why Elidibus would offer Urianger either the knowledge of, or possibly gifting the actual item itself, white auracite, despite seemingly being surprised at Lahabrea's 3.0 plans.

I see the big open door for this interpretation (considering Urianger has been hearing Elidibus out and suddenly found an extra auracite). But, at the same time, I wonder if that is enough evidence to jump to discounting what we've been told (that it Moenbryda's research and she had a a back-up in her personal belongings, which he found after they reclaimed the Rising Stones). Do we have more than that?

I'm also not sure the whole mortal-primal bit was Elidibus' doing, either, at least not with Thordan.

That's just my current theory (hence lots of words like seems).
I'm guessing that they split the work - Elidibus worked on the Echo, Lahabrea worked on the primal merge.
In the "something's up in Ishgard" foreshadow cutscene, they were both standing behind Thordan's throne.

Elidibus clearly doesn't want the Triad awakening via Primals, and what was Thordan doing?

First impressions? Betraying the Ascians in ways Lahabrea - in his arrogance and complacency - did not foresee or account for.
Elidibus seems more ready for the Garleans to be messing with the Triad.
I actually forget if Thordan talked much of the Slumbering Gods directly to Lahabrea.

[Tenkuu]

I had chalked that up as Elidibus failing to keep him on-mission, hence the foreshadowing earlier where Lahabrea cared more about his plans than Zodiark's will. Kind of a semantic difference, no? Either way, they seemingly worked together for at least long enough to not bother with Omega directly. Elidibus seemed more angry at Lahabrea's arrogance and complacency than his actual attempt to initiate the Eighth rejoining. It was Nabriales he claimed was acting above his station. Rather, he says that the loss of Lahabrea will be felt deeply, since he was an "original" (of our world, touched by Zodiark).

Could you explain that last sentence, actually? Lahabrea *seems* like just a typical Ascian, right down to how he possessed Thancred with a dark crystal, I don't really understand the special note that's being made about him and, for that matter, Elidibus, by Nabriales.

I see the big open door for this interpretation (considering Urianger has been hearing Elidibus out and suddenly found an extra auracite). But, at the same time, I wonder if that is enough evidence to jump to discounting what we've been told (that it Moenbryda's research and she had a a back-up in her personal belongings, which he found after they reclaimed the Rising Stones). Do we have more than that?

I don't know about you, but given the end of 2.55 and Urianger's dialogue if you go talk to him at Waking Sands between that and 3.0, I really don't see Urianger as being capable of lying to us about anything. He seems too protective of all the Scions, ourselves included. He might omit to mention what he's been up regarding his secret meetings with Elidibus, but this might be because he's using Elidibus to gain all the knowledge he can to help us. I think we can draw a parallel here between Urianger's 3.0 meetings with Elidibus and Thancred's handling of his investigation into the Ascians back in 2.0. Hopefully Urianger doesn't end up in the same kind of situation.

[CyrilLucifer]

Could you explain that last sentence, actually? Lahabrea *seems* like just a typical Ascian, right down to how he possessed Thancred with a dark crystal, I don't really understand the special note that's being made about him and, for that matter, Elidibus, by Nabriales.

He's referring to the line by Nabriales in 2.5. Nabriales specifically says that because he is not like Elidibus and Lahabrea and not "of this world" he was not capable of entering the Rising Stones until Hydaelyn's Blessing was removed, implying he may be slightly lesser than Lahabrea, but still above the unnamed, numbered Ascians.

It hasn't really been elaborated on beyond that, but with it we can hypothesize some sort of hierarchy.
- Elidibus is hard. He might be above the others, or different entirely like he was in FFT. I'm putting him at the top just because of that scene in 2.3 where everyone seemed to surround him and he spoke like he was representing them all. Nabriales knew he had to listen to Elidibus, however, and whined about how Elidibus and whatever laws exist were restricting him, so he definitely seems pretty high in overall rank.
- Lahabrea and those "of this world," assuming there's more to this we don't know.
- Nabriales and possibly Igeyorhm.
- Numbered Arcana Lesser Ascians, 12th Chalice, so on.
- The Corse-like Ascians from vanilla XIV.

The primary differences we've been shown so far between Lesser and the named Overlords is that the Overlords can survive outside of a host body. Lessers need a dead host body present if their old one is destroyed or they're gone for good. Only Overlords can possess the living.

Lessers also may have been uplifted to their position, evidenced by that one line from 12th Chalice in the SMN questline of being "Raised unto greatness by Lahabrea himself." You can see this in the first 2-3 lines of the only cutscene that was recorded for the quest. This actually has really, really interesting implications.