Revelations from Patch 4.3

[Alleo]

The biggest fallout of "killing an Ascian" is not if the Ascian is actually dead. It's that they are not in whatever host they possessed and can no longer manipulate a situation from that host. The most damage the Ascians managed to do against the Scions stems from the fact that the Scions had no reason not to trust Thancred with all their information. The odds of them manipulating situations elsewhere from possessed hosts no one knows are Ascians is very high (Suishi of the Violet Tides is a good example). The big problem is, so far we've never seen anyone figure out how to tell if people are actually possessed by Ascians... but you'd probably need to be able to do that if you're specifically hunting Ascians...

I think one could identify them thanks to the black crystal. Thancred was wearing one and they need it to bind them to their hosts. Even Minfilia seems to have such a crystal but a white one. (I hope I remember that correctly)

[YianKutku]

Ten character filler to let me edit in my post.

MSQ

Asahi goaded her into incarnating as Tsukuyomi as predicted (I figured out what was in the crates well before then)

I found it amusing that he also had the crates set out in the open in Castrum Fluminis during their first meeting this patch, where he revealed his parents. That didn't trigger Yotsuyu yet, though, so he took the crates back.

I'm imagining an alternate what-if scenario where Yotsuyu refused to give into her despair, so Asahi keeps following her everywhere and needling her, except he keeps getting interrupted by the big Garlean magitek transport also following them around carrying all these crates of crystals just in case.

I figured there must have been a reason they focused on the white mask in the closing scene, and given no Ascian is known to use a white mask there must have been something special about it.

Technically Unukalhai.

Of course, Unukalhai's mask looks nothing like the usual Ascian mask, so your point stands.

I did find it odd that Shadowhunter keeps Gaius's mask on his belt, next to the Ascian masks he keeps as trophies. To what purpose? (Speaking from a Watsonian point of view, I mean. I know the Doylist reason is to let us viewers know that This Is Gaius.)

That said, given that Gaius was the one who was running the place, I don't think it's too far fetched to suppose he knew of other ways to get out of there. As far as opportunities to fake your death go, it's a really good one to take advantage of. It's not like people are going to look for you if they know you're dead.

I'm rather curious why Gaius felt the need to fake his death even from his own legion. (Or did he? It's not like we talked to many XIVth legionnaires after the destruction of the Ultima Weapon.)

The remnants of the XIVth legion are obviously still around, and based on the RDM questline they're still nominally in charge of Castrum Meridianum, so Gaius would have had to escape from there without the knowledge of his own troops, if he wanted to fake his death. Presumably the chaos of the Praetorium's destruction would help, but said destruction happened right on top of Gaius, so that might cancel the advantage.

I'm also curious why Gaius chose here and now to show himself as Shadowhunter. He must have had some way of obtaining information (especially since his spymaster Nero is now working with us), since he was obviously waiting in the middle of the Burn (a huge desolate region with nothing of interest and much danger) at exactly the same time and place as the airship with Alphinaud to get shot down and attacked by the Royal Guard. This was obviously planned, but how is the question.

[Mieck]

Reply to a couple of points and some rambling.

I'm rather curious why Gaius felt the need to fake his death even from his own legion. (Or did he? It's not like we talked to many XIVth legionnaires after the destruction of the Ultima Weapon.)

Going into rampant speculation mode here.



I would put it down to a combination of his hand being forced and him being caught off guard. He would have stayed off radar as long as he could, but I think he was genuinely surprised by Alphinaud's presence, and the remark about "Some small history with your order" was not something he would have intended to say if he had been thinking clearly. He soon recovers and gives them the false name.



Assuming it is Gaius, I imagine his mind changed the instant he saw the Castrum blowing up around him. He curses Lahabrea for the act - "this was not my intention" - and, I suspect once he is rehabilitated, he sets out on this course.



As former viceroy of Ala Mhigo, he would probably know how to cross his own Wall undetected. As a high ranking Legatus, he would still have contacts. Maybe he couldn't trust anyone in the XIVth, or those few with him are the only ones he could trust? Or he's picked them up on the way. He would also know imperial territory very well, and would know the good places to hide.


Last random note on this; Fordola.


Whatever is to come for her, if she lives, a reunion with Gaius is probably on the cards. Maybe she will be the one to actually "unmask" him? I know they're on opposite ends of the world at the moment, but that can change.