Unukalhai and his Master [3.5 Triad Spoilers]

[Belhi]

Apologies for the double-post, but I went back and did some more digging on the OP topic.

The sentiment is consistent across the four languages: Because Elidibus is preventing the world from succumbing to void and/or oblivion, he is playing the role of an arbitrator or mediator between the Light and the Dark. However, Urianger suspects his motivations aren't entirely laudable.

To aid in preventing the Source from being hit with a Flood (just Calamities, of course), Unukalhai was sent to us. The child tortures himself because was born too late, given the Echo too young, to find comrades and lead the Warriors of Light to victory. Thus the idea of saving this world is extremely attractive to him. It's not said outright, but I read it as "I said I'd save this world, and that's what I'm going to do; Elidibus or no Elidibus."

I think the Scions have faith that if Eli's motives go sideways, the kid will break with him. He wants to save his friends' world.

This was my take too. His motivations at their root weren't driven by loyalty to Elidibus or Zodiark but to balance. Frankly that probably works for Elidibus just fine because for Elidibus that is what he wants from Unikalhai.

In truth I get the feeling Unikalhai doesn't know much about the Ascians agenda outside of maintaining balance. He likely doesn't even know how much if any the Ascians might have played a role in the voidification of his world. In this regard I think Unikalhai fits probably closer into the role of Warriors of Darkness, a tool of the Ascians, rather than an Ascian himself.

I wonder how old Unikalhai actually is though. He takes the form and many mannerisms that seem to belong to a youth, giving us the vibe we are his senior, but the 13th world must have fallen into a void a pretty long time ago. Unless he spent along time in a form of stasis in between worlds, he would be way older than any of the Scions.

[Ibi]

I wonder how old Unikalhai actually is though. He takes the form and many mannerisms that seem to belong to a youth, giving us the vibe we are his senior, but the 13th world must have fallen into a void a pretty long time ago. Unless he spent along time in a form of stasis in between worlds, he would be way older than any of the Scions.

I was wondering about this myself, especially once you take the Shadows of Mhach stuff into account. It's possible I've missed/forgotten something key in all those, so someone please correct me if I'm obviously wrong anywhere here.

We know voidsent in general must have been around on the Source for a minimum of 15 centuries (given that's how long Diabolos says he's been waiting to take his revenge).

Unukalhai says during his post-Zurvan exposition that "The Voidsent you encounter here in this realm are the twisted remnants of once mortal beings who know on what motes of life force remain...". Remarks about in-game characters being unreliable narrators aside, it's noteworthy that he says "The Voidsent" rather than "Some of the Voidsent" or something similar, because it implies that all Voidsent are from The Thirteenth.

That, in turn, implies that the Thirteenth fell to the Void at least a millennia and a half ago but, as Belhi says above, Unukalhai clearly doesn't appear to be 1500+ years old.

I can come up with at least five possible explanations:

1. Unukalhai is lying to us about something: This seems unlikely, given how he generally acts towards us, but it's not impossible. He may also not be aware he's not telling the truth.

2. Unukalhai has been in some sort of stasis: This seems like the easiest explanation, but also the least interesting.

3. Voidsent have the power to transcend time in some manner: If Voidsent could travel into the past (either intentionally or through some quirk of summoning, it could explain how they were able to found on the Source even before The Thirteenth fell to the Void.

4. Ascians have the power to manipulate/transcend time: If Elidibus could manipulate time, he could being Unukalhai to where he needed him. However, if they Ascians had such capabilities, it seems like they'd make more use of them to avoid things like, say, being killed by the Warrior of Light.

5. Time doesn't flow the same way across all the Reflections: Perhaps 1500+ years ago on the Source simply doesn't directly correspond to 1500+ years ago on the Thirteenth. Perhaps there's something specific about the Thirteenth having fallen to the Void that places it outside the flow of time.

[PArcher]

Allagans used the Voidsent in experiments (Naga are a product of this, I believe. Think it's in ARF void science is mentioned).

The Thirteenth was lost at least 5 millenia ago, likely more.

I'd bet our new Scion was in a temporal stasis.

[HorseBoots]

Not exactly a huge reflection on Unukalhai's character but...


I wasn't the only one who noticed he looks almost exactly like Luneth (The main kid out of the 4 in FFIII) with his ponytail down, right? It's a nice nod considering how much the Void has to do with the Crystal Tower and everything.

[Naria]

<snip>

There is another another possibility for Unukalhai (which relates to the other Warring Triad thread), that he like the Warriors of Darkness shed his body in order to come to the Source and is possessing either a person or a corpse (which brings up another matter--Unukalhai is likely in possession of a very powerful and old Crystal of Light). He looks like a kid because that is what he looked like when he died and he his projecting that form like the Sahagin Priest in "Through the Maelstrom". He has the mannerisms of child because that is what the world sees (and likely Eli treats him as) and therefor he has never needed to change his behavior. Self-doubt is not just the purview of children, and he certainly doesn't always act like a child. For all we know he has been on the Source since the Void was created Pre-Third Astral (which really wouldn't make sense with the idea that he does not really understand what an Ascian is). I suppose he could have just been wherever Ascians go when they loose/can't hold corporeal form/aren't on a Shard. Ugh, I wish they had giving us a bit more detail besides "yes, I am what you think I am, but we are friends so its good, right?"