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

[Berethos]

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.

I've actually been thinking about this lately.

While Midgardsormr does seal the Blessing away, and the Ascians make note of no longer sensing the Blessing...

I wonder how much of that had to do with Midgardsormr's actions and how much has to do with something we learn a bit later - that Hydaelyn has become incredibly weak, so much so that she needs Minfilia to even manifest properly to communicate with us in her own realm.

[jedidotflow]

Easy: Cloud on a golden chocobo.

[Cilia]

I'm going to add a little fuel to this fire...

... while the Quest Log for "The Burdens We Bear" does simply state Thordan looked on in disbelief at his slayer, a couple other bosses have done the same after we survived their supers since. Not Nidhogg, since we did have half of Hraesvelgr's power, but...

Thou hast dimmed my limitless light... what power of death do you mortals wield?

I have supped on the power of the Void! What ungodly power swims in your veins?

Need to think about it...

[Alberel]

I'm going to add a little fuel to this fire...

... while the Quest Log for "The Burdens We Bear" does simply state Thordan looked on in disbelief at his slayer, a couple other bosses have done the same after we survived their supers since. Not Nidhogg, since we did have half of Hraesvelgr's power, but...




Need to think about it...

Yep, they are definitely building up to something with this I think. We've been seeing more and more comments from adversaries to the effect of our power being inexplicable or impossible. There has to be some significance to that.

Something about our power just isn't... right. It's clearly not coming from Hydaelyn either as she's no longer in any state to empower us beyond the basic Blessing.

[The_NPC]

it's the "I've been defeated, I was a God, thats impossible!" a normal trope threw all games that have a "otherworld" like setting (ie: Fantasy/Magic games)... I mean I see it come from bad guy's in Anime ALL THE TIME, I just figured its a line all Antagonists say when they thought they were unstopable & then are beat by the Protagonist?

[Cilia]

it's the "I've been defeated, I was a God, thats impossible!" a normal trope threw all games that have a "otherworld" like setting (ie: Fantasy/Magic games)... I mean I see it come from bad guy's in Anime ALL THE TIME, I just figured its a line all Antagonists say when they thought they were unstopable & then are beat by the Protagonist?

Normally I would be inclined to agree, but said line wasn't used by any villains until Thordan (that I can recall).

Before then, your opponents were just all like "You're so strong!" or something. None of the 2.x Primals seem to feel you're ungodly, nor do any major 2.x antagonists. Ravana, the only sapient primal fought during 3.0, honorably admits his defeat, and we were fighting a badly-gimped Nidhogg when we first "killed" him (and then after sitting around with the Eye for 95% of the fight, Estinien stole our kill). Aside from the Ascians (who understandably believe themselves to far exceed what we should be capable of doing), nobody says such a thing...

... until Thordan, coked up on the power of the Eye and Ishgardian faith, utterly fails to be a challenge. Since then villains have started uttering this line... and while I'm not usually one to deal in possibilities, it feels rather coincidental. It remains to be seen if anything will come of it, but I'm just pointing out that it's not just Thordan.

[AutumnHarvestwind]

what the heck... I could have sworn I posted a message here. Besides the "were being powered by Zodiark" theory thats floating around, what do you suppose this power is?

[Berethos]

Normally I would be inclined to agree, but said line wasn't used by any villains until Thordan (that I can recall).

I think most (if not all) of the previous reactions that talk about an external source of power or protection are directed at our Blessing of Light and/or being blessed by Hydaelyn, being her chosen, etc.

Ifrit and Garuda both mention it, Lahabrea mocks her for using her power to protect us, and of course Midgardsmormr directly comments on it before sealing it away for a time.

I think you're right - it's not until Thordan, but occurs again afterward, that we get enemies or combatants attributing it not us being strong in just a martial sense, or overtly referencing the blessing of any deific being, but wondering in an apparent state of shock at what it is that gives us power.

It could still be the trope in effect, but it's interesting how it's happened more now...when we know Hydaelyn herself is greatly weakened.

[Vexander]

Who or what are we, a good question. I personally agree with those who feel we may be reading a bit too much into what is a standard villain defeat speech. In the case of Thordan it goes a bit deeper as he was the Archbishop of Ishgard and the inheritor of a power that spent a thousand years to forge. For him, it seems incredible that he was defeated. He can't fathom how the Warrior of Light gains in their short lifetimes what took over a thousand years and countless lifetimes of prayer for him to gain.

That having been said, if we want to go into the theoretical... Hydaelyn herself often calls us, "Beloved Son/Daughter," (I assume daughter, I have no female characters). If Hydaelyn is our, "Mother," then who is our, "Father?" Zodiark? If the WoL is ultimately the child of Hydaelyn and Zodiark (figuratively or literally), there is some possible logic behind our power, abilities, and the consternation foes such as Thordan and the Ascians experience when thwarted by us. Would the Ascians know of Zodiark's, "Son/Daughter?" Does Zodiark himself know? Although I doubt normal biological rules apply, Hydaelyn could have simple given birth to us without letting Zodiark know she ever carried their child. Giving us a mortal, flesh-and-blood form to further hide us would no doubt help protect us from Father trying to reach out to us.

And given what happened with Minfilia, I'm not entirely sure I trust Hydaelyn anymore either. I don't think Urianger is a traitor, and he seems to be willing to listen to the Ascians so far. Our favorite white-robed Ascian seems to be more aware than the others of certain things. I'm looking forward to finding out what he's told Urianger.

[AutumnHarvestwind]

x

I think you hit it right on the mark. This what has been bothering me for some time now. Hydaelyn has been growing so weak, but yet were growing so strong. Perhaps we are a leech of some sort? I mean, of course we can hand wave it to our own power, but I'd like to draw an anime reference to Noragami. Gods are born from wishes, and one of the main characters, Tenjin, was a human/mortal deified as a god.... the same kind of thing could be happening to us...? After a point, It takes a god to slay god.