[4.4 Discussion] "Change the Future"

[Theodric]

I would like to point out that the Warriors of Light throughout the ages have never managed to stop a Calamity from happening. Help save people from it? Yes. Prevent it? No.

What the voice is asking us to do has never been successfully done before.

It should be noted that the previous Warriors of Light had stronger Crystals of Light then we do and most likely had a much stronger Hydaelyn helping them. In terms of the amount of power Hydaelyn can lend the Warriors of Light, we more then likely much less help then "usual". So not only must we do something no one before us has done, we have to do it with less gifted power then they had access to.

Which is, I suspect, where Garlemald factors into the equation. If Garlemald aligns itself with the Warrior of Light then - in theory - it will stand a better chance at preventing something bad from happening. As it stands, Ascians are running the show in Garlemald and Varis is in dire need of some aid. Yet the Eorzean Alliance is assuming the worst and sowing the seeds of chaos that risk sparking another War of Succession. One which will force Garlemald's leadership to act and fight amongst themselves. It could even lead to Varis falling and being replaced with a much more eager, power hungry puppet willing to dance to the tune of the Ascians.

I don't believe it to be a coincidence that the voice began speaking moments after the Eorzean Alliance agreed to go with Thancred's plan. If it has insight into the future, then disaster is likely linked to forcing Garlemald's hand. There's a lot we know that the protagonists don't, of course...but at this point in time it is the Eorzean Alliance that is the aggressor rather than Garlemald. We also now know that Garlemald's past aggression was the result of Ascian meddling.

[ObsidianFire]

There's a lot we know that the protagonists don't, of course...but at this point in time it is the Eorzean Alliance that is the aggressor rather than Garlemald. We also now know that Garlemald's past aggression was the result of Ascian meddling.

No one in the Eorzean Alliance knows that Ascians are directly in charge of Garlemald instead of just working behind the Emperor's back. For all the Eorzean Alliance knows, the Garlean Empire is about to do exactly what Elidibus wants them too; march on Ala Mhigo and overrun it. Again. The protagonists can in no way be blamed for knowing things they have no way of reasonably finding out without breaking the fourth wall.

I mean, what is the Eorzean Alliance supposed to do at this point? Wait for Garlemald to invade them again? Everyone would be complaining about why couldn't they have been proactive about preventing it in some way!

It'd be one thing if the voice told the Eorzean Alliance that spreading that kind of information in Garlemald to cause another civil war would be a bad idea. It didn't. It's as vague about specifics as it can possibly be and until anyone figures out how to verify what it is, nobody has any good reason to even trust what it is saying. Everyone knows that the Ascians love spreading misinformation. They've yet to find any reason this isn't more of the same. The voice is also confirming things the Scions already know, but offering no way for them to solve the problem. In fact, it makes the problem worse. The Scions knew that the signs for a coming calamity were there and were sopped from doing anything with that information. It also in no way stopped the Eorzean Alliance from doing what they had planned to do. They are still going to spread information in Garlemald about Zenos being possessed with the hope to spark another Civil War.

Really, the only new thing the Voice told everyone was that a Flood of Light was coming. But still, what are we supposed to do about it? The last Flood of Light was stopped (assuming this is talking about a different Flood of Light on a Shard other then the First) by getting Hydaelyn's attention and her sending her Emissary to that shard to decrease the amount of light. We (the WoL) really didn't do anything about the Flood. Urianger did. And he's in a coma same as the rest of the Scions.

If the goal of the Voice was to stop the Eorzean Alliance from trying to cause a Civil War in Garlemald, it failed spectacularly. If anything, it galvanized the Eorzean Alliance to try to succeed at it even more given the person who suggested it was knocked out by the Voice.

There are so many unknowns about the Voice that I think getting attached to any one interpretation of what it is and why it did what it did is setting people up for disappointment once we do find out what it going on with it.