I wonder how Gaius is going to play into all of this? That he survived the events of ARR is mysterious enough, though he also now apparently has the power to track down and slay Ascians. That in itself implies that someone or something is pulling his strings, though despite his noble intentions it may backfire since simply defeating all the Ascians risks bringing about disaster. That could be where the whole Warrior of Darkness angle comes into play, though perhaps the long term goal will be to become the Warrior of Balance.

I'd have preferred Arbert to stick around and play the part of the Warrior of Darkness but I suppose that can't be helped now.