[4.4 Spoiler] Alpha and Omega

[bugmancer]

Alpha gained a soul by developing the ability to care about others and that pushed him to become something more than what he was created to be.

I've never been so moved by a raid story before. Omega has done everything it could to gain strength but eventually realized the kind of strength it lacked was impossible to achieve due to its own flawed design. And when you learn that the only reason behind it all, all Omega wished for, was just to go home… And as it finally starts to attain what it lacks, it disintegrates. It’s interesting that this happens in a way similar to how beings with a soul sometimes turn into crystal dust upon death, so maybe it finally gained some semblance of a soul? At least Alpha managed it and survived to enjoy exploring the world. It was also sad how he behaved towards Omega like a child to its emotionally cold and distant mother.

I totally got that, too. Also I was thinking that maybe Omega really did manifest in the little minion that leaves with Alpha on his journey and that the text-over was actually Omega speaking to us. It would expain the minion springing to life to follow Alpha, the pov shot as it's running, and the confusion the WoL expresses. That would be a perfect closure to me, and for once a happy ending. The way Omega dissolved into aether was significant it seems and whatever planet/dimension it came from is probably long dead.

Also it seemed like the final fight took place in the same place our Shinryu fight did. I liked that touch. Also it's implied that the Shinryu/Omega dynamic might have been Midgardsomr/Omega instead, so we can attribute some of Shinryu's lore to Midgardsomr as well? I suppose it's all subjective. But this was definitly a better raid quest-line than previous.

[ObsidianFire]

Oh cute!!!

You can find Alpha hanging out in the world!

[Bright-Flower]

Cid suggests that while Shinryu was not intentionally based on Midgarsormr, that when it was summoned Midgar's influence on dragon legends in Eorzea may have indirectly caused similarities.

As for the toy, I was expecting some kind of sign that Omega's 'soul' somehow found its way into it but I don't think that actually happened. calls it a 'toy that follows you around' so I think it following Alpha is just what it was made to do. Though Omega giving up the combat thing and following Alph would have made an interesting ending.

[Kallera]

Cid suggests that while Shinryu was not intentionally based on Midgarsormr, that when it was summoned Midgar's influence on dragon legends in Eorzea may have indirectly caused similarities.

As for the toy, I was expecting some kind of sign that Omega's 'soul' somehow found its way into it but I don't think that actually happened. calls it a 'toy that follows you around' so I think it following Alpha is just what it was made to do. Though Omega giving up the combat thing and following Alph would have made an interesting ending.

I think its closer than that. depending on when Middy touched down, couldn't he have inspired the legend and worship of Rhalgr? They kept cutting to that mountain in the distance, and that was connected to Rhalgr, iirc...


So, in its own way, it completes the cycle.


Dragon crashes. Dragon crash is confused as the act of a god. God is named Rhalgr. Man calls upon Rhalgr to come as a primal to strike his foes. Man gets a Dragon Primal.

[Bright-Flower]

I think its closer than that. depending on when Middy touched down, couldn't he have inspired the legend and worship of Rhalgr? They kept cutting to that mountain in the distance, and that was connected to Rhalgr, iirc...


So, in its own way, it completes the cycle.


Dragon crashes. Dragon crash is confused as the act of a god. God is named Rhalgr. Man calls upon Rhalgr to come as a primal to strike his foes. Man gets a Dragon Primal.

Maybe? I think Ilberd's summon being Rhalgr was just speculation by players between 3.5 and 3.55 though. Nothing in the story directly hinted at it that I remember, and Rhalgr is depicted as a bearded man. I did hear that the Sylphs might have borrowed from Rhalgr to make Ramuh though.

[ChaoticCrimson]

Another interesting parallel I noted is that Alpha was instilled with a strong instinct to follow and always return to Omega. With the toy, it's now the other way around.

[Rocl]

They kept cutting to that mountain in the distance, and that was connected to Rhalgr, iirc...

For some reason I had thought there were lines (much to my dismay) that confirmed that the mountain w/ the giant hole was caused by Omega during his battle with Shinryu (specifically Delta cannon, I'd imagine).

[Iscah]

I don't think we ever got an official explanation what happened to the mountain. It does seem to be lined up with the Yawn though? Or maybe Omega made it when it crash-landed on the planet in the first place. Somehow.

I'm a little confused on the Yawn too actually. Estinien's dialogue suggests it was made when Omega landed after the battle, but I remember there was also some minor NPC dialogue that made it sound like it was older? Or maybe I was just extrapolating from it being named like an established feature of the landscape and not "that giant crater that got blown into it a month ago".

[Lambdafish]

Maybe? I think Ilberd's summon being Rhalgr was just speculation by players between 3.5 and 3.55 though. Nothing in the story directly hinted at it that I remember, and Rhalgr is depicted as a bearded man. I did hear that the Sylphs might have borrowed from Rhalgr to make Ramuh though.

The reason for the speculation is that primals are generally brought about through worship, and ala mhigans worship Rhalgr. Under that logic though, Archbishop thordan would have become Halone (or maybe he did! let the speculation begin). At this point I am slightly confused by the worship aspect of summoning. It makes sense for the beast tribes and shiva, but it gets a bit more complicated when you look at thordan and shinryu

Dragon crashes. Dragon crash is confused as the act of a god. God is named Rhalgr. Man calls upon Rhalgr to come as a primal to strike his foes. Man gets a Dragon Primal.

I did hear that the Sylphs might have borrowed from Rhalgr to make Ramuh though.

This is right. I believe it might say in the lore book (citation needed), but if Rhalgar = dragon then Ramuh would also be a dragon.

[Iscah]

I think it's possible that Ilberd's intent was to summon Rhalgr (compare the early-game plot in Little Ala Mhigo where the Ascians are encouraging them to do the same) but somewhere along the line it got mixed with the concept of a dragon - whether because of the dragon's eyes he was using as a power source, or just looking for a more imposing form - or perhaps because his original plan was interrupted by us, he didn't have as firm a grip on exactly what he was summoning.

I also think it's likely he wasn't going to sacrifice himself, but only did so because (due to our unplanned victory over him) he was dying anyway. Thus, he wasn't around to control the summoning as it took form. If we hadn't intervened, perhaps it would have been Rhalgr that manifested.

(Running from memory on all this, though. I haven't rewatched those cutscenes since I first saw them.)