[SPOILERS] Revelations from Patch 3.3

[Anonymoose]

I'm still confused by Unu:

Is he playing us?
Let me say first that when I say things like "I think" in the following sentences, I mean "I hope". It's not a theory that I'm sticking to my guns about, it's just how I think the story fits best and where I think it'd be most fun to go. It's entirely speculative, and I'm not arguing that it's Truth. It's also not so different (though let's call it discrete for the sake of debating theories) from Rocl's perspective.

In spite of two huge things ([1] that I'm relatively sure it's too big of a red herring to not be true that his master is Elidibus, and [2] that I trust Elidibus thinks he's doing the right thing in terms of cosmic justice, but ultimately don't trust him to not be gearing up to undo everything that makes Hydaelyn, us, and our world what they are, and thus everything we've fought to protect) ... I don't actually think so.

I think the boy is exactly what he seems: a boy. I think he's impressionable and has seen horrible things and plays easily into Elidibus' narrative. And I think that spending time with us - seeing our friendship, camaraderie, and why it is we fight - is ultimately going to put him at odds with his master and his endgame.

I think he's doing what Elidibus says is in everyone's best interest - for balance and the way things always should have been - and that, for now, our interests align due to the Garleans and the Warring Triad. But I don't expect this alignment of interests to last, and I'm not so sure he'll turn on us when it comes time to undo our post-Zodiark reality itself.

Everyone complaining about the eyes forgets one thing.

People also keep forgetting another thing:

WHAT IF LAHABREA IS STILL IN THERE!?
/trollface

[Rocl]

Everyone complaining about the eyes forgets one thing.

Nidhogg's influence are still in the eyes and Krille warns Alphinaud that he could become the dragon's next host if he tore the eyes off the armor. If him and the WOL held onto the eyes any longer, it would end badly. Short of eating the eyes, I don't think any of them would know on how to destroy an object that has such power and Aymeric was rightfully worried about the two of them holding onto something so dangerous and there was probably little time to think on what they could do.

]

I understand the reasoning behind what happened, but it was rather shortsighted of the heroes to not even begin to contemplate what to do had they succeeded. It was a decision made in panic, but that still doesn't make it any less exasperating.

Something I want to see:

Now that we've opened the can of worms that is 'Ysayle and Haurchefant return briefly to help Estinien' I want to see something similar play out between two antagonists. The relative or lover of a Garlean commander intervening to prevent the Scions and Warrior of Light from killing their loved one would be pretty neat to see and it'd also have the benefit of highlighting that, yes, Garleans have families and loved ones to and war isn't pretty. Of course it doesn't have to be Garleans - it could be some other form of antagonist.

Eh.

If it really was our allies reaching from beyond the grave making the difference and not simply our memories of them and their sacrifice I would be very disappointed. I wouldn't be surprised if such a thing happened, but I would heave quite the disdainful sigh. I mean, they did pull this sort of thing with A-Towa-Cant already.... ugh...

[CyrilLucifer]

WHAT IF LAHABREA IS STILL IN THERE!?
/trollface

B-but

he can't be in there and inside my heart at the same time.

(Also, I'm still dying over how cute Unukalhai is. Send help.)

[Theodric]

Well...here's how I see it:

It's definitely implied. It was poetic, in a way (and people on this board suggested something like that would happen to free Estinien a while back). Alphinaud stops short of outright saying that he saw Ysayle...and the Warrior of Light looks directly at Haurchefant and smiles. It could be an illusion but I'm more inclined to believe that it isn't. Plus there's a lot of players who kick and scream about any death - no matter how logical - having no meaning because they cannot accept that their favourite character has been killed off. At least this way the pair return to help out the WoL for a second time.

I just hope this sort of thing doesn't become too common. Though if it's possible to bring back Estinien surely the Scions should try and separate the hosts from the Ascians/future Primals where relevant? What about victims of Tempering? Minfilia?

Oh, the above was meant as a reply to Rocl.

[Berethos]

Everyone complaining about the eyes forgets one thing.

Nidhogg's influence are still in the eyes and Krille warns Alphinaud that he could become the dragon's next host if he tore the eyes off the armor. If him and the WOL held onto the eyes any longer, it would end badly. Short of eating the eyes, I don't think any of them would know on how to destroy an object that has such power and Aymeric was rightfully worried about the two of them holding onto something so dangerous and there was probably little time to think on what they could do.

]

Possible...but...

I'm not so sure that his influence is still in the eyes. Generally, the eyes we've held or seen at various points typically show some kind of power or life, while these are curiously inert. That, on top of seeing the spirit of Nidhogg himself rise into the sky and disperse, suggests to me that any future threat or issue with those eyes won't be due to any possible influence by Nidhogg. It's certainly possible it was simply a reactionary and cautionary measure suggested (hastily) by Aymeric.

Possibly they still hold power, and thus are potentially dangerous in the future if kept around and they fell into the wrong hands, but as a conduit to bringing Nidhogg back I think that ship has sailed.

Regarding Krile's warning, I took that more as a "We're simply not sure what will happen if you do that, here's a possible bad consequence, careful not to let your feelings on the matter cloud sound reasoning" which is the kind of approach Krile seems to favor. Even so, I don't think our characters nor Alphinaud nor Aymeric were willing to take that chance.

[Berethos]

If it really was our allies reaching from beyond the grave making the difference and not simply our memories of them and their sacrifice I would be very disappointed. I wouldn't be surprised if such a thing happened, but I would heave quite the disdainful sigh. I mean, they did pull this sort of thing with A-Towa-Cant already.... ugh...

I think that particular bit is meant to be squarely left to the interpretation of the player, and I'd be surprised if we got a clear answer.

Which, for something like that, is how I think it should be - a clear answer would be a disservice to the scene, in my opinion.

[CyrilLucifer]

Joking aside, the issue I have with Unukalhai being "just a boy" is that

that's a pretty damn complex plan he put into place. Like, not even Alphinaud makes plans at that level, and he's considered extremely intelligent - and he made it seem like it was his plan, not Eli's.

[Dualblade]

WHAT IF LAHABREA IS STILL IN THERE!?
/trollface

Weeeeeeeeeelll...

While the whole aether battery thing makes sense, it wouldn't surprise me if the reason Eldy and the Edges were keeping an eye out was because of this possibility. Which if everything is going according to plan currently is fact rather then possibility.

[Anonymoose]

it wouldn't surprise me if [they] <...> were keeping an eye out <...> because of this possibility.

Agreed; I even meant the reply half-seriously ... because, while all logic points one way, all of franchise history points another.

Which is true? Please look forward to it!™ (In the meantime, I will make "jokes".)

[CyrilLucifer]

Even Moose is trolling me into hope.

This is bad.