Quote Originally Posted by Mjollnir View Post
I REALLY hope one of the 'changes' in this patch brought about Hydaelyn's 'change' is a 'change' to our The Echo [sic] so we regain the ability of time travel.
I never played 1.x, but technically literal time travel was never a function of the Echo. It was a sort of mental flashback via the memories engraved in a person's soul, exactly like we do with it now, just less clear when it was functioning.

Quote Originally Posted by Nalien View Post
I... Think the chains are entirely symbolic...
Well, they're not physically literal chains. However, based on what I've seen, it's led me to the conclusion that Minfilia has been possessed by Hydaelyn during her absence from the narrative. First off, in the artwork Minfilia is not only bound by chains to the mothercrystal, close inspection shows her sort of melding into it. Second, she's wearing a very simple white dress - white is typically the color of light and associated with the divine (compare Minfilia's original rather ornate pink halter top and butt-gap skirt... thing). Third, in every image we've seen of her except the vision of her in front of the mothercrystal, Minfilia's eyes are closed. The eyes are the "windows to the soul," and her eyes are only open in a vision of Minfilia in front of the mothercrystal... hmm...

The only conclusion I can reach with this information that Hydaelyn is either piggybacking in Minfilia's body or has outright possessed her. It may have been willingly, and it may be limited to a certain area, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If it's outright possession with Minfilia's consciousness suppressed or outright extracted, I... don't want to fight for Hydaelyn anymore. Resorting to possession is a pretty immoral thing to do, necessary or otherwise. Zodiark, for all his supposed evil and malice, left the Ascians with free will; if Hydaelyn is going to go possess our close friend, is she really better?

... this is all mere conjecture, of course. Until we get the whole story it's quite rash to jump on the deicide bandwagon. Suffice to say, however, that after Bloodborne I'm quite skeptical of trusting in the absolute morality of any deity, especially when they do morally questionable acts like possessing people. Their value systems differ greatly, and they have no problem offering one person as a sacrifice for the greater good because one life is relatively inconsequential. However, what may be a single, inconsequential life to a deity is everything to that person, and it makes everyone who cares for them suffer as well...

Something something collectivist culture.

Something something hope will never die.

Our reunion will be in the depths of the Antitower, of that I have little doubt. But what manner of reunion will it be, and who will we be speaking to...?

I don't think Minfilia was kidnapped or captured by a band of Sharlayan extremists intent on performing immoral research on the Echo. Every Sharlayan but Matoya left 20 years ago with the impending Garlean invasion, and the only Sharlayans to return since were the Circle of Knowing and those tied to the AST quest (and they all became pariahs in Sharlayan as a result). Besides which, before the Isle of Val was destroyed there was a whole order of Echo users, likely close to the Sharlayan motherland, so that shouldn't have been necessary?