That Garlean guy, what was his name? Gaius Van Baelsar

[Frederick22]

Check this out. In 3.3 Raubahn will get a mechanical magitek arm from Cid and he'll change his name to Bull Snake and help Yugiri's ninja spy on his enemies.

That someday, Raubahn getting a mecanical arm is posibble and becoming the reference of an old FF character.

[Nalien]

Pretty sure there was an interview with Yoshida around 2.1s time where he flat out confirmed Gaius is dead dead... That said, he also hinted at him coming back in some other form later, and all this time later I'm still waiting for my Minstrels Ballad: Garlean Rangers fight... Thought what I'd really like is a Memoria style instance in which we run through a brief retelling of past events, would be perfect for Keeper of the Lake (Hard) (assuming we go below it) in 3.5 really... I quick recap of Eorzean history, with the final boss being from the more recent past, with Gaius van Baelsar as he was in 1.0 (you know, the cutscene where we had to run away from him) ready for 4.0 to push us into Ala Mhigo.

@Lahabrea, his aether was shown specifically being absorbed by Nidhoggs Eye, while the Sahagin Elders aether went right up to Leviathans face to get nom'd. The Ascalon was forged by Thordan and was not a part of the Primal, hence it remaining after his defeat. Given Lahabrea was absorbed by the Eye, it is fairly reasonable to conclude Lahabrea might return... I mean, we straight up watched Nidhogg blow up into bits of aether, yet here he is again... Plus we have him acting strangely now, with 3.1 telling us that he is making for "skies unknown", why? He didn't actually involve himself in assaults on Ishgard because he was fearful of them now having a Primal in Thordan (likely also why he called on Midgardsormr, hence why we investigated the Keeper of the Lake), but Ishgard is in a pretty pathetic state now. If he was going to strike, now would be the time to do it. There is no more Thordan kicking around, there is/was even some infighting he could take full advantage of, but instead he has flown off to do go knows what? My money is on him going to the opticians, because he has an angry Lahabrea shaped eye floater.

We also need Omega to enter the plot again at some point (this was confirmed, no?), so I'm incline to think Nidhogg will be doing something to make a Bahamut-killing super weapon relevant... A fusion with Lahabrea (similar to how we got Ascian Prime) to give us Shinryu? Lahabrea doing what he did with Thordan and Ysayle, and having Nidhogg summon Bahamut unto himself?

[Cilia]

Under normal circumstances I'd accept lahabrea's death given the facts and all but seriously, we killed thordan yet the sword remains? That's beyond obviousness that something is up xD

Since Ascalon technically isn't part of the Thordan primal itself (it's Haldrath's transmogrified corpse with Nidhogg's eye embedded in the hilt as a battery), causally it wouldn't make sense for that to happen.

The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.

@Lahabrea

Right before Thordan's grand entrance, we were treated to a scene of Igeyorhm trying to use her Dark Crystal to flee to the Interstitial World. Lahabrea did not do the same, so it's likely he's gone gone in the same way the Sahagin Elder got eaten by Leviathan.

As for Nidhogg, the truth is that he doesn't want to destroy Ishgard. Hraesvelgr straight-up told us his goal is just to make them suffer forever. So actually, it does make sense for him to be leaving Ishgard alone right now - he's letting them build up their hope so that he can crush it later.

Whatever else he's doing, where he's going, is beyond me. But I have a very hard time believing Lahabrea is still alive and kicking in there.

[Nalien]

Right before Thordan's grand entrance, we were treated to a scene of Igeyorhm trying to use her Dark Crystal to flee to the Interstitial World. Lahabrea did not do the same, so it's likely he's gone gone in the same way the Sahagin Elder got eaten by Leviathan.

I'm not sure I follow... We killed Igeyorhm, what does it matter what she did before hand? Meanwhile Lahabrea was still shown being absorbed not by Thordan (as was the case with the Sahagin and Leviathna), but by Nidhoggs Eye. They specifically worked the scene to show Lahabreas aether getting drawn into Nidhoggs Eye.

By no means is that proof he is alive, but it seems like an important distinction nonetheless, more so given Nidhogg then popped back into being after being killed before hand... Nidhogg absorbed Lahabrea, and we have no idea if absorbing an Ascian even does anything, the Sahagin Elder was by no means an expert in the Echo...

As for Nidhogg, the truth is that he doesn't want to destroy Ishgard. Hraesvelgr straight-up told us his goal is just to make them suffer forever. So actually, it does make sense for him to be leaving Ishgard alone right now - he's letting them build up their hope so that he can crush it later.

Yes, and he used to lead the "assault" on Ishgard personally. However, this time he didn't, he even called on Midgardsormr for help prior to us bumping into Midgardsormr, because Thordan popped a Primal. Ishgard went from being something he could toy with for revenge, to a serious problem for him, and he reacted accordingly.

What is he doing now, exactly? Giving Ishgard time to cermet their relationship with Hraesvelgrs brood and the Eorzean Alliance? Ishgard is no longer the isolated City-State it once was, rather than taking full advantage of the current chaos, he has instead gone off to do something, and in the mean time Ishgard grows stronger. Its people more open to peace with Dravania, and its military might bolstered by the rest of Eorzea. I wouldn't call that letting them build their hope back up to crush it again later, that's just straight up letting them get the edge over you... Midgardsormr is even on our side at this point... Unless he has gone off to find some anti-Ishgard deus ex machina, his actions make no sense... It is no longer his brood versus Ishgard, it is his brood versus Eorzea and arguably the rest of his family... All Ishgard needs to do is dust off Omega and they could probably end this for good, which is seemingly exactly what he is giving them time to do...

Heck, the Gnath beast tribe quest portion of the trailer even had the knights at the Convictory burning some green smoke... So, Ishgard also has allies who can teach them how to make dragon-repels now... Nidhogg should have acted quickly to prevent this, left some survivors as he used to, who would then pass on stories of how "heretics" wormed their way into Ishgard, killed the Pope, and allowed all this to happen. Instead he is just letting Ishgard get more and more powerful.

Even if we ignore all that... This still isn't how he acted in the past. When he was letting Ishgard rebuild, he sat in his Aery and waited, he didn't go flying off to places unknown. Something has changed to cause him to do that. Garlean Empire? The fact that he is technically Estinien? Or the detail that his Eye absorbed Lahabrea, rather than Thordan? All are equally plausible IMO. Combine the lackluster end to Lahabrea, with subtle hints that he had more going on than even Elidibus was aware of, and I'm leaning towards the later.

[Kaiser-Ace]

I'm currently working on the idea that Estinian is working on Nidhogg's mind the same way Saint Shiva is on Hraysvelgr.

Possibly more so since Nidhogg's Ghost is what body snached him.

I think we may find Eistenian has a little more sway over Nidhogg's 2.0 than Nidhogg's Ghost would like.

[Frederick22]

snip

I just think it may happen what we saw on the movie trailer. Nidhoog will go for a ALL or NOTHING.

His last stance. Going for all. " I may die but I will bring Ishgard with me"

[Nalien]

I just think it may happen what we saw on the movie trailer. Nidhoog will go for a ALL or NOTHING.

His last stance. Going for all. " I may die but I will bring Ishgard with me"

That's why I'm incline to think "skies unknown" is Garlemald. Not so much to sign up with them, but to inform them what exactly has gone down. Specifically that Ishgard summoned Thordan.

While he may have lost the Dragonsong War, he'll ensure Ishgard still doesn't know peace by bringing the hammer of the Empire down on them.

This is, of course, if Lahabrea isn't an evil eye floater compelling him to summon a dead relative unto himself, giving us a Shinryu/Omega showdown as the dramatic conclusion to the Dragonsong War.

[Frederick22]

That's why I'm incline to think "skies unknown" is Garlemald. Not so much to sign up with them, but to inform them what exactly has gone down. Specifically that Ishgard summoned Thordan.

While he may have lost the Dragonsong War, he'll ensure Ishgard still doesn't know peace by bringing the hammer of the Empire down on them.

This is, of course, if Lahabrea isn't an evil eye floater compelling him to summon a dead relative unto himself, giving us a Shinryu/Omega showdown as the dramatic conclusion to the Dragonsong War.

And what does that has to do with the movie trailer at all?
Nidhood allied with the Garleans? They would kill him asap!
Besides Nidhoog hates all humans.

what are you saing? e__e

[Nalien]

And what does that has to do with the movie trailer at all?

You suggested he'd go for an all or nothing attack on Ishgard. If he was going to do that, he'd already of done it, while Ishgard was still relatively unstable and only just getting familiar with its new allies (both Dravanian and Eorzean). I suggested that, since he hasn't done that and instead flown of to "skies unknown", that he is perhaps playing this slightly differently. Ensuring Ishgard suffers regardless of his fate.

Nidhood allied with the Garleans? They would kill him asap!
Besides Nidhoog hates all humans.

I said inform them, not allying with them... You don't have to ally with Garlemald to knock on their door and go "Yo, you know they've been summoning Primals, right?" and then fly off again. I mean... They attack us on sight, we fend them off, then they tend to have little chats with us before running off... No reason they wouldn't do the same with Nidhogg... I assume he can handle a few Garlean grunts, and that's assuming he can't just turn back into Estinien for diplomacy...

It's what I'd do in his shoes, at least. If I hated all mortals, Ishgard most of all, I'd go make sure the giant angry Primal hating (to the point of committing genocide on the groups that summoned Primals) Empire knows "Ishgard" summoned Thordan, so said Empire makes an enemy of my enemy. That way, no matter what happens to me, I'd have the last laugh, knowing that they're going to be stuck fighting each other regardless. It would be a good way to close the Dragonsong War, while also drawing us into a bigger conflict with Garlemald ready for 4.0.

The whole point that Nidhogg was flying off somewhere else needs to have some explanation.

[Frederick22]

You suggested he'd go for an all or nothing attack on Ishgard. If he was going to do that, he'd already of done it, while Ishgard was still relatively unstable and only just getting familiar with its new allies (both Dravanian and Eorzean). I suggested that, since he hasn't done that and instead flown of to "skies unknown", that he is perhaps playing this slightly differently. Ensuring Ishgard suffers regardless of his fate.

I said inform them, not allying with them... You don't have to ally with Garlemald to knock on their door and go "Yo, you know they've been summoning Primals, right?" and then fly off again. I mean... They attack us on sight, we fend them off, then they tend to have little chats with us before running off... No reason they wouldn't do the same with Nidhogg... I assume he can handle a few Garlean grunts, and that's assuming he can't just turn back into Estinien for diplomacy...

It's what I'd do in his shoes, at least. If I hated all mortals, Ishgard most of all, I'd go make sure the giant angry Primal hating (to the point of committing genocide on the groups that summoned Primals) Empire knows "Ishgard" summoned Thordan, so said Empire makes an enemy of my enemy. That way, no matter what happens to me, I'd have the last laugh, knowing that they're going to be stuck fighting each other regardless. It would be a good way to close the Dragonsong War, while also drawing us into a bigger conflict with Garlemald ready for 4.0.

Nidhoog will never trust humans to make an "alliance with the gearleans" nor the Garleans will ally with him. Trust me is less probable than he tries to talk with the garleans than going for an all or nothing