"Who, WHAT are you?" *main story spoilers*

[AutumnHarvestwind]

As for the OP, I get the feeling he did see *something* about us as his Aether dispersed. Maybe a clearer sight of the Blessing within us, maybe something else.

But, I do agree with Enkidoh that a lot of it was just him in complete disbelief that he was defeated. 1000 years of prayer and the near-infinite Aether from the Triad and the Eye...and he lost so easily...

*Allagan tinfoil hat*
We are the sleeping avatar of Zodiark

[Dualblade]

*Allagan tinfoil hat*
We are the sleeping avatar of Zodiark

...Is it wrong to admit I've thought of this? Admittedly with Zodiark turning out to have turned over to the good side after the what happened so long ago, but still.

[Rhodkr]

Rt

We do have the Blessing of Light, but so do others (Krile for one, but she's generally a non-combatant; no Eikon Slayer anyway. I'm doubting Minfilia did, considering the Blessing kept Nab out of the Rising Stones, but once it was sealed for us...) so its actually hard to say just *what* makes us so special.

Yeah, we also are bound to Midgardsormr by some unknown covenant, and are Hydalyn's Champeon...but there's no explanation for either of those beyond words. No reasoning why or what they mean.

I get the feeling we're going to get a lot of answers when we revisit the Keeper soon enough.

Upon reading that it just occurred to me. Why aren't we mad at Middy? If he didn't lock the blessing away, Nabriales wouldn't have entered the Rising Stones, and Moonbreda (Sp?) would still be alive.

[AutumnHarvestwind]

Well, what are your thoughts on it? I know you usually have some good ideas :0.

[Vulcwen]

Rt

Upon reading that it just occurred to me. Why aren't we mad at Middy? If he didn't lock the blessing away, Nabriales wouldn't have entered the Rising Stones, and Moonbreda (Sp?) would still be alive.

That makes me think.. what does the blessing has to do with Nabriales not being able to enter the Rising Stones, whether we're close to it or not?

[Cilia]

While I'd love to try and theorize (as in, come up with a theory based on evidence, not throw out wild speculation), there simply isn't enough information available to know if it was anything special.

The Quest Log, for its part, only states that Thordan looked at you in shock, unable to comprehend what the arbiter of his fate was - and then only during the final "Tales of the Dragonsong War" sidequest, "The Burdens We Bear." Until more information becomes available (if ever), I am going to withhold any hypotheses on what exactly that scene meant (if anything beyond Thordan being unable to comprehend how you were able to overcome him).

[Enkidoh]

Rt

Upon reading that it just occurred to me. Why aren't we mad at Middy? If he didn't lock the blessing away, Nabriales wouldn't have entered the Rising Stones, and Moonbreda (Sp?) would still be alive.

Well, to be really honest, this is essentially the reason why he actually turned himself into his mount form - submitting himself to servitude as a mount is penance for... effectively causing at least some of the problems we faced in 2.55 and Heavensward by stripping us of the Blessing just to leech the aether from the Crystals to rebuild his body (although the banquet would have still turned out much the same, the whole thing with Nabriales probably would have had a much different result - he probably would not have even showed up in the first place, given he stated that as an Ascian who 'was not of that plane', the Blessing prevented him from materializing there, unlike Elidibus and Lahabrea, meaning the Chrysalis fight and Moen's demise would never have happened.

Although ultimately it only empowered us through a kind of 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger' mentality, Moenbrdya at the very least would still be alive and would not have had to sacrifice herself.

That makes me think.. what does the blessing has to do with Nabriales not being able to enter the Rising Stones, whether we're close to it or not?

It's not entirely certain (not the least because the Ascians' comments are as clear as mud), but based on what Nabriales stated, the Ascians do not all share a common ancestry, and have varying origins - Nabriales said that he is different to Lahabrea and Elidibus in that "he is not of that realm" and thus due to our Blessing, cannot walk in Hydaelyn whenever he so chooses. But with the Blessing stripped away, stating that "The Light no longer holds sway here", that restriction was no longer apparent and thus he was now free to come and go as he wished.

Given that the level 50 -60 SMN Job quests filled in a little of the origins of at least some of the Ascians, in that a mortal can actually become an Ascian - in fact it stated the lower ranked (that is nameless) Ascians were basically mortal born, but are limited to taking dead bodies as their hosts, becoming undead in a sense, where as Overlords like Lahabrea use living mortals as their corporeal hosts, it seems that Nabriales at the very least is an Ascian that had a different origin to Hydaelyn - suggesting that Lahabrea and other ones were born from Hydaelyn like their lower ranked kin. But again, this is just based on loose information stated in game so if someone else has a better interpretation of the in game information please post it!

[Fenral]

My pet theory is that when Hydaelyn's Blessing was sealed, the WoL was still receiving power from somewhere else. Middy, in addition to wanting to rebuild his body, sealed the Blessing so he could figure out where else the WoL was getting power from.

As for what it is, I'm willing to guess Zodiark, but precisely how that works is something we don't have enough info to predict.

[revonine]

Pure speculation. But perhaps he was a "pure-blood" Ascian born directly from Zodiark. They are his servants after all. It would explain his in-ability to walk on Hydaelyn and would explain why is powers are so great in his own realm during the Crystalis fight. The white robes Ascian on the other hand perhaps he can walk on Hydaelyn because he would have to have that ability to fulfill his roll as "emissary". Whether that role is self appointed or not though I don't know I believe the game has't stated that yet unless I missed something.

[revonine]

The old "The WoL is becoming a primal" theory, does that still hold weight given what we all know now? We still have hraesvelgr's eye. And although it's probably depleted now and will take time to recharge it is still a massive wellspring of aether that we could draw upon.

Thordan went about the process willingly. But perhaps something similar is happening to us unwittingly. It would explain why the Ascians view us as such a threat now.