In the Lore, it seem we can split ourselves into 4?

[Alise]

So we are cheating Lyse, Hien, and Gosetsu then. We walk in together, but they decided to all split up to test this trial solo, except us who suddenly call for another 3 friends to help... <_<;

[Alleo]

I am not at that part of the story with the solo trial but its kinda interesting that in the German version Lyse and Alisea dont talk about other adventurers that are near us. They kinda make it sound like they will take care of the Kojin and the WoL has to slay the primal alone. I am kinda curious how the Japanese version handled this text? Because I got the feeling that the "joke", with adventurers fishing nearby, is again a change in the English version.

Also if the situation that the OP described is truly a trial to test us..well wouldnt that mean that the WoL cheated? Is that the way they want to show the WoL? Being able to slay Thordan solo yet needs others in a trial that should be done solo?

Really if they truly meant this as a way to show that we have people with us I just shake my head..make up your mind..dont go around and say that we fought some nearly impossible beasts completely alone and need others for something that the other NPC have to do solo. (I also cant believe that there are that much adventurers in lore that are around our strength, possess the echo and at the same time are not famous enough since they are not even mentioned by name by the scions, who would surely want such fighters on their side. And if those adventurers exit why exactly are we the ones that have to take care of all the primals all the time? I am talking purely from a lore standpoint, not from a "its a game" standpoint)

[thegreatonemal]

It's common courtesy to spoiler tag things for a couple weeks after release, or at the very least mention that you're going to spoil early on in the post.

That said, I encourage you to read the Duty Finder descriptions of, like, every dungeon and read carefully. Every trial and dungeon this patch has done a fantastic job of answering this question: you don't "split into 4."

To wit, from the Mettle

Canonically, some of our adventurer friends might've insisted on helping us in the Mettle. You might not have any friends to help you too, if you wait a year or two and unsync it.

Some of those are clearly just poking fun at it the same way that lyse and aliasie did when you go to fight susano.

[Alise]

Really if they truly meant this as a way to show that we have people with us I just shake my head..make up your mind..dont go around and say that we fought some nearly impossible beasts completely alone and need others for something that the other NPC have to do solo. (I also cant believe that there are that much adventurers in lore that are around our strength, possess the echo and at the same time are not famous enough since they are not even mentioned by name by the scions, who would surely want such fighters on their side. And if those adventurers exit why exactly are we the ones that have to take care of all the primals all the time? I am talking purely from a lore standpoint, not from a "its a game" standpoint)

Well speak.

As from lore stand point. It doesn't make sense to have 7 other primal slayers at all. Else, sometimes they could ask for their help instead of just us.

[Alleo]

Well speak.

As from lore stand point. It doesn't make sense to have 7 other primal slayers at all. Else, sometimes they could ask for their help instead of just us.

Exactly and lets remember that we had no such adventurers with us on the boat otherwise why not show them? So we traveled to Othard only with the scions. It takes months to travel to Othard so its not like they could simply travel to us that fast. Also how did they know where we are? With susano we are completely surprised by his appearance and the other two are holding the red Kojin back. We simply have no time to wait for others to come to us. Also they would need to be able to survive under water to even get there.

Also we already had quests where we had to gather other NPCs to help us in a fight and we saw that quite some adventurers did not want to risk their lives against dragons. (At that time we did not even know that it would be such a big dragon) If we already have so many "friends" that are as strong as us why did we need to find others?

Really if you take a look at this it just does not make sense, so I get the feeling that this is more like breaking the 4th wall. (I mean if we take whats said ingame for granted..does that mean that the WoL really knows that this is just a game when they visit that special room in that one event?) Also lore book and story indicates that we did most if not all things in HW alone. Why would we suddenly need other people in a trial that should be done solo to prove oneself? Especially since this would mean that the WoL is no honest person that just leeches of its reputation and fame from others. (Nobody mentioned the other people by name ingame yet they would do at least the same amount of work we do if they fight by our side..)

[EdwinLi]

This is why i think this who story since 2.0 to now is just one big Echo of our character experiencing the life of the Warrior of Light with the other "party members" being other Echo users who are seeing the events as well.

Yoshi-P did say that once they finish the Zodiark/Garlean vs Alliance/Ascion Story Arc they want to move on to a new Storyline and one of that Storyline he mentioned is to discover who is the Warrior of Light we play as throughout these past MSQ.

basically they have some plans for a big Reveal Origin Storyline as a sequel storyline once the current 1st Story Arc is finally over. The other Story they plan to be the possible sequel after 1st Story Arc are rather interesting as well but I guess I was always more of a fan to Origin Story Arcs.

[Alleo]

@EdwinLi: Do you mean this in a way of: We see everything of the past but we are at the same time still the WoL and are just remembering it, or do you mean it as: We are someone else and see the life of a WoL, thus separate characters?

If its the latter you will have lots of people pissed off, that believed all the time that we are that person. Also they tried not to give the WoL too much emotion and character since they know that people play their WoL in a different way and as their own character. Coming out and telling us that the character we saw all these many years is not really us, or that we were only in the shoes of the WoL thanks to the echo and are not them and did not do anything of that would be horrible..(I am going to be truthful, if they decide to do it that way I would quit. Because everything you saw and thought to be your own doing would have been a lie..)

[EdwinLi]

----

Honetly I think it may be a bit of both....

We are the WoL but we are also not the WoL. We know the process of reincarnation in the world of FF14 already so it would not be far fetch that at some point the WoL may die and then reborn thus everything our character experience was our past life since the Echo is showing who our character once was before they were given their current appearance and life in the future storyline.

Thus if they ever make a story point when the WoL must die they have the story covered with the process of reincarnation but of course they will need a time jump story wise without needed to age the world. The Echo after all can be more called "Echo of the Soul" as it can only show visions of a person's past through their soul.

[Alleo]

Well at least this would mean that we are still us. And that we did all those things in ARR + expansions. So I would be fine if we "die" and get back thanks to the echo. Just like that sahagin priest.

Oh and I did that dungeon in the steppe and there was no talk about any other adventurers in the German text. Not in the journal, nor with the NPCs.

[Emeriss]

snip...

I don't think this is exactly the case, but it's at least something similar. I'm not sure that we are seeing the events through the Echo, but we are most definately reliving past events so to speak. The events of HW were complete before we ever stepped foot in Isgard, we were simply replaying events as told by the Count in his book. Similarly with Stormblood we seem to be going through the events as told by Lyse. I think our characters are definately us and the Warrior of Light, but we are certainly not playing through events as they happen, rather after the fact as someone tells the story. As for 1.0 and ARR I'm not sure, I did t play in 1.0 and ARR had no diolauge to elude to this, however given that HW and Stormblood are clearly set up this way it's not a stretch to assume those were as well.