Lore - Mor Dhona and the 2.0 Cataclysm

[Akoree]

I really hope that some of the pre-2.0 content takes place in Mor Dhona I want to go there more often, I would sit around one of the aetheryte camps there if I could see Ul'dah shouts - .-

It seems much of the content planned is for Coerthas at this point (at least from what they've shown us). But I share your hope for this, out of all the zones this one has been given the least attention since release while in my opinion it should have already been used to host at least 1 end-game dungeon.

That is, unless what they've planned post-2.0 would make any current content in that zone irrelevant

[Eekiki]

Careful how you use the C word.

[Anonymoose]

This is only based on a quote I cannot find however, maybe they don't even feed on aether.

If I remember correctly (no promises; I can check for you in my lore records later on tonight if so requested), but in the main storyline I believe it was that summoning them is what required aether, and thus the beast tribes hoarded and tried to directly control the supply of all the crystals they could manage to. This is what threw up red flags to me when the deaspected crystals started popping up.

In the main storyline, we went out to Mor Dhona to purposefully drain crystals of their aspect (whether Deaspected Crystals and Unaspected Crystals are the same remains to be officially stated, but they are DEFINED by the same exact definition) in order to trick the Ixal into re-opening their crystal trade, we got a pretty good look at what the claims were on each side.

The beast tribes claimed that they were taught to summon the primals from the void by a group called the "Paragons" who arrive in times of darkness to lead those in need to the light of the primals. That sounds awful familiar doesn't it? A bastardized version of the followers of the teachings of Nald and their Archons, perhaps? OR, are those like Urianger playing both sides?

When the empire caught wind of the unaspected crystals and summoning of the primals, they took action on Eorzea QUICKLY, immediately dropping linkpearls on our cities that broadcast the message that the beast tribes would summon the primals and lay waste to the world of the Woken (us). Garlemald offered us the full protection of their empire if we would accept their rule.

Yet again, we must ask - WHO DO WE TRUST? Urianger - who may be playing both sides? The empire, who clearly has no regard for our wellbeing even if they DO want to protect the land? Or the beast tribes and their primals - who... well, by this point are probably not going to be our allies anytime soon.

It may not be that the primals want to destroy EVERYTHING in Eorzea, but just lay waste to those who don't share in their beliefs; not just the Woken, but also eachother (Remember the amal'jaa and ixal threatening eachother with the full force of their God) -- never underestimate what some will do for religion - ESPECIALLY if Urianger is playing the field.

We've been warned about the Archon Urianger from day one: The primals have these mysterious paragons, the grand companies demanded him hunted down, when he FIRST APPEARED as a GM, he came with a herald who shouted to ignore the words of the false prophet. So, does he really want to fight the seventh umbral era, or did he bring it with him when he came?

These are the questions we've gotta be figuring out.

[Akoree]

If I remember correctly (no promises; I can check for you in my lore records later on tonight if so requested), but in the main storyline I believe it was that summoning them is what required aether, and thus the beast tribes hoarded and tried to directly control the supply of all the crystals they could manage to. This is what threw up red flags to me when the deaspected crystals started popping up.

If you do have lore records (pretty neat idea of yours to have these) I would very much like to see what they hold when you'l have a free minute. But don't you think that if summoning them requires a large amount of crystals it could also be the fuel of their power? I've heard Ifrit glows during the fight, a possible clue. We can also see a similar glow on the chest of thee Leviathan concept art from 2.0.

When the empire caught wind of the unaspected crystals and summoning of the primals, they took action on Eorzea QUICKLY, immediately dropping linkpearls on our cities that broadcast the message that the beast tribes would summon the primals and lay waste to the world of the Woken (us). Garlemald offered us the full protection of their empire if we would accept their rule.

I must have been away when this occurred or perhaps have forgotten it if I have seen the event. The thing is that the Empire seems to have been on our doorstep before the beastmen began collecting the crystals, hence the Wyvern in Mor Dhona.

Even if we cannot currently know their motives as to being in that region, it seems clear that they were not at peace with the Primals and the large Wyvern (I don't wanna call him Bahamut yet ). Although perhaps they were at war with them entirely and as you suggest the city-states are only "in the way" of their war. In that case, maybe the primals are trying to get back at the empire by making one of the moons crash.

Those questions must be figured out by us (the players) mostly, it could be hard to find clues to back up any theories at this point until they further expand the GC storylines.

[Anonymoose]

I would very much like to see what they hold when you have a free minute.

They pretty much encompass everything that's ever happened to me in-game...so... you'd need to be specific about a topic /blush

I must have been away when this occurred or perhaps have forgotten it if I have seen the event.

Check out the quest "Forever Taken."

I agree with your assumptions here; but I do have one piece of evidence in the other direction. In the opening video, when we see the Empire at war with (supposedly) Bahamut, they are over a beautiful and alive Mor Dhona. We know today that Mor Dhona is nothing like this AT ALL now; and the airship (still where it crashed) has deteriorated considerably.

It's likely that the intro sequence (and probably most of our first quests) were largely Echos (can you count how many times the sky bled fire in those? We know that that means now.)

From this, we can make a guess that the fight over Mor Dhona was part of the Empire's initial conquest 10 years ago, after they took Ala Mhigo. (I have a thread around here somewhere analyzing the intro vid pretty closely). After this, the empire went dormant until now.

My guess? We're both right. The empire was always at war with the false gods (and their king), but when they downed Bahamut they had no reason to fight any longer...

At least not until the Paragons showed up and taught the beast tribes how to drag them back through the aether and set them loose...

That might sprun the Empire back into action and account for everything that's happened since up until the Seventh Umbral Era began with the arrival of Urianger (POSSIBLY THE SAME ENTITY THAT TOUGHT THE PRIMALS TO SUMMON THE FALSE GODS IN THE FIRST PLACE.)

Not to harp on Uri so much; I like him - I hope he's not a bad guy. Still, he's sketchy as sh!t when you look back on it.

[Azalyn]

The whole historic timeline isnt that much... about what? 700 years? so the spaceship (call it the arc) crashed on on this world inhabited by tribal creatures. From this Arc are the several playable classes that and groups, which forged each independet nations (maybe it was first several task forces to explore this new world). With time they lost the knowledge to use all the stuff you would now labeling "magic" (magitec anyone?). So.... lets assume that this seventh umbral(?) is a kind of event happening every 100 years (crashed reactor chain reaction consuming the materia around it; and like forging on an ambos; creating the surroundings, and possible alternative worlds anew (maybe explains the echo-power). If you see all the previous storys of Final Fantasy everything is possible.

About the Primals.... what if ALL creatures on this world slowly learning to use magictec (crystals etc) in some way or another. If you did the Ifrit Pre-Quest you have been told that summoning the primals is slowly consuming the worlds energy (Hello FF7 Shinra Corp!). So... lets assume that the Garleans are pissed and want to take off of this planet asap (more advanced technologie) most of the people want to stay on this world (may it be they simply like it, don't know anything else OR some of the twelve know what happend in the passed -> maybe old world exploded) and the primals don't know what they are doing (summoning = killung the planet). It would be like giving naive childs some nuklear warheads to play....

Here we are.... more or less 3 Factions fighting for different views of the future... who will win? We don't know....

[Anonymoose]

The whole historic timeline isnt that much... about what? 700 years?

I just started reading your post, this is all I've read so far - but you might want to adjust your perception of time. The Grand Companies of Eorzea were established in the 1561st year of the Sixth Astral Era in the wake of Ala Mhigo's fall to the Garlean Empire. That's over 1500 years in just the MOST RECENT astral era alone.

/goes back to reading.

EDIT: actually, /goes back to class

I'll catch up at 10est lol

[Akoree]

If you did the Ifrit Pre-Quest you have been told that summoning the primals is slowly consuming the worlds energy (Hello FF7 Shinra Corp!). So... lets assume that the Garleans are pissed and want to take off of this planet asap (more advanced technologie)

Well, obviously anything that involves consuming Aether crystals would slowly kill the planet, its energy that will never flow back into the core. But I don't think the empire would be "pissed" by this killing the planet more than they would find the summoning of Primals a huge threat to their supremacy as a very advanced and powerful machine of war. They are advanced but I highly doubt they are capable of space-travel yet.

[VydarrTyr]

Some time ago, someone started a thread collecting lore. I'm not sure whether there was a specific section on Mor Dhona. I might have to search my posting history to see if I can find it.

[Alerith]

I see Bahamut's name being tossed around quite a bit. But based on the design of the dragon and the consistency of the FF universe, I'm more inclined to say it was more of a Shinryu than a Bahamut.