About the Emperor [Major Spoilers for 4.4]

[Cybylt]

At the moment I'm leaning on Solus the man became Solus the ascian because there's less steps in that, and because he outright tells us and the game isn't too big on straight up lying like that.

If the goal in this is telling Varis, and by extension the players, that the empire was founded by Ascian design, why present it like this if an already named Ascian could have said "Yeah I directed Solus" to communicate the same thing without the additional, "I, Solus zos Gavlus, am an Ascian" adding pointless complication unless, "I am/was an ascian all along" was also part of the message.

A bit over a year ago a crazy man was telling us, "I'm going to summon a Bahamut!" and players were jumping hurdles for their personal explanations about why it could be anything, but lo and behold, he summoned what is basically a Bahamut, like he said he would.

[Jonnycbad]

Also to note: Ascians were prior Echo users and/or Warriors of Light that for some reason decided to side with Zodiark upon realizing some epiphany.

[Anonymoose]

Well, we know via Thancred that Ascians can possess corporeal still living bodies. Thancred's body wasn't a corpse when it was taken over and he used the body as his own. Now presumably he could have used Thancred's still living body to have sex if he wanted to and presumably it would function like any other living male body and be capable of impregnating a female.

"Don't leave me, baby, I swear I've never seen that Miqo'te in my life! Her and I have never... Unless... oh, lords, the Brings of Chaos have done it again!"

I've gone back and forth on whether I think it's more likely Solus became an Ascian or whether he was, in one way or another, replaced by an entity that is (for some reason) keeping up the act. Prior examples are insufficient to fully interpret the hints. I'm just gonna wait it out. That said, I agree with Cybylton vis-a-vis parsimony. Every language says: "I am Solus zos Galvus. I am an Ascian. I, Solus zos Galvus, Ascian, founded the Garlean Empire." If he was replaced, they could have just said that without it being any less of a twist, right?

[Balipu]

"Don't leave me, baby, I swear I've never seen that Miqo'te in my life! Her and I have never... Unless... oh, lords, the Brings of Chaos have done it again!"

I've gone back and forth on whether I think it's more likely Solus became an Ascian or whether he was, in one way or another, replaced by an entity that is (for some reason) keeping up the act. Prior examples are insufficient to fully interpret the hints. I'm just gonna wait it out. That said, I agree with Cybylton vis-a-vis parsimony. Every language says: "I am Solus zos Galvus. I am an Ascian. I, Solus zos Galvus, Ascian, founded the Garlean Empire." If he was replaced, they could have just said that without it being any less of a twist, right?

Yes, that's the thing. He didn't say Solus was replaced by an Ascian or was controlled by one. He WAS an Ascian. And it would have been a twist either way. We just don't know the life-cycle of Ascians. At any rate you can't be born an Ascian. As far as we know anyway.

[Khalithar]

I've gone back and forth on whether I think it's more likely Solus became an Ascian or whether he was, in one way or another, replaced by an entity that is (for some reason) keeping up the act. Prior examples are insufficient to fully interpret the hints. I'm just gonna wait it out. That said, I agree with Cybylton vis-a-vis parsimony. Every language says: "I am Solus zos Galvus. I am an Ascian. I, Solus zos Galvus, Ascian, founded the Garlean Empire." If he was replaced, they could have just said that without it being any less of a twist, right?

Yes, that's the thing. He didn't say Solus was replaced by an Ascian or was controlled by one. He WAS an Ascian. And it would have been a twist either way. We just don't know the life-cycle of Ascians. At any rate you can't be born an Ascian. As far as we know anyway.

You can't be born an Ascian and that's exactly my point. We know that Ascians can possess bodies but there's been nothing in the lore (to my knowledge) that says they can simply create a fully functional corporeal body with all biological functions intact and working correctly.

Which leads me back to my original theory for this and it comes down to one major point:

The physical body had to come from somewhere.

Solus was born to an esteemed Garlean family of high rank and rose to prominence, became dictator, and eventually Emperor where he learned about the danger posed by primals and you know the rest.

To me, there's no doubt that the Ascian took over Solus' body, whether it was when he saw the potential of this young man as he rose to power or simply took over the body when he was young because the esteemed highborne from a powerful family was the perfect vessel. It's not like Solus suddenly appeared one day and took over, he has an entire history recorded of his rise to power.

[Cybylt]

Yes, it's his own, that he was born with and then ditched when its natural death came to pass.

We're told that Ascians are just people with sufficient mastery over the Echo, they don't just come into being as the darkness ghosts we contend with. So he was born Solus the corporeal being, gained the Echo in some fashion (perhaps granted it by Elidibus since the Sahagin priest suggests that's something he can do) joined the Ascians and from that point on went to found the Empire for the sole purpose of spreading chaos.

[Remedi]

You can't be born an ascian, but you can be elevated to one.
Perhaps the most logical answer is that there never was a Solus zos Galvus to begin with

[Balipu]

You can't be born an ascian, but you can be elevated to one.
Perhaps the most logical answer is that there never was a Solus zos Galvus to begin with

I'm sure he was called something similar when he was still a human. Don't know what naming conventions were before Garlemald became the Empire it is today.

Offtopic but if Sufficiently powerful Echo users could become Ascians, wouldn't it be kinda nasty if Tenzen turned out to be an Ascian now? Probably not Solus but maybe Travanchet or even Lahabrea.

[Remedi]

I meant that there wasn't a Solus ever, going by what Elidubus said about perception it could be possible that ppl were influenced of his existance.
Now we know that Zenos and Varis aren't related, he choose Zenos as heir (adoption was used in ancient Rome, Brutus and Augustus were both adopted sons of Caesar) Perhaps Varis' father was adopted by Solus too.
As things are now I'm positive to say that Solus didn't exist and anything regarding his family might as well be fiction.
Until ofc proven contrary and I expect an answer during 5.0, but atm considering the reveal I think it's safer to say that everything about Solus was a lie (even his old visgae might aswell be the perception of others trough the echo)

Remember Elidubus said that we've never seen the ascians true form (well perhaps ascian prime was a true form but maybe there's more)

[Mieck]

I meant that there wasn't a Solus ever, going by what Elidubus said about perception it could be possible that ppl were influenced of his existance.
Now we know that Zenos and Varis aren't related, he choose Zenos as heir (adoption was used in ancient Rome, Brutus and Augustus were both adopted sons of Caesar) Perhaps Varis' father was adopted by Solus too.
As things are now I'm positive to say that Solus didn't exist and anything regarding his family might as well be fiction.
Until ofc proven contrary and I expect an answer during 5.0, but atm considering the reveal I think it's safer to say that everything about Solus was a lie (even his old visgae might aswell be the perception of others trough the echo)

Remember Elidubus said that we've never seen the ascians true form (well perhaps ascian prime was a true form but maybe there's more)

But the Lore Book explicitly talks about House Galvus being a prominent family. For an established house to be an elaborate fabrication is a massive leap - and there are too many weak links; there would be whispers of the illegitimacy of House Galvus, rumours of power behind the throne, and everything we've heard out of Garlemald prior to 4.4 doesn't back this up, in my view. The Lore book is effusive in its praise for Solus, in fact; he is credited with reshaping the military around warmachina, and this is what gives them the edge against their neighbours. "...[he] was a self made man, and history will remember his success."

I think it points to an Ascian wearing the meat suit of a well respected, up-and-coming member of the establishment from a good family, or simply that he became an Ascian, though that would imply ability to manipulate aether that pureblood Garleans (another thing stressed in his EE profile, page 178) lack. At what point that happens is open to interpretation, but my view is that Solus existed as a boy and man for a number of years, until possessed.