I have even more to rant about Varis, but I realized that it was all basically just repeating the same points that I've already made, just in different ways. I'll just say that now I do realize how it feels to essentially not understand a given side of a debate, which is less an indictment of that other side, and more a sign that I should re-examine my biases.

Quote Originally Posted by ObsidianFire View Post
Ivalice Raid
Nice explanation for Ultima's existence. And it again runs into the whole plane/planet/star overlap in Omega. Also, it makes it sound like Ultima is like Omega and Midgardsormr where it's an alien that got the Hydaleyn before the Allagans got there. Given that there's hardly any historical records from before the Allagans, there's very little chance we'll ever know where exactly Ultima came from. Although I now am wondering what it is about Hydaleyn that attracts aliens to her... Also... Hydalyn imprisoned Ultima... who else does that sound like?
Spoilery speculation:

Ever since I read the dialogue about Ultima The High Seraph and how Hydaelyn somehow sealed her away some unknown time ago, I've been thinking that there has been a major missed opportunity to place Seraph Ultima not in Ivalice in Othard, but instead deep under Silvertear Lake.

We've had all this hinting from Koji Fox about how there was originally supposed to be something else that was sealed in Silvertear that Midgardsormr was guarding, apart from the aether nexus, that was to play into the 1.0 storyline. We've had questions about why Midgardsormr roused for the Garleans, but not, say, the Allagans or Omega. We've seen the dialogue linking the Ultima spell with the Ultima Seraph.

Placing Seraph Ultima under Silvertear Lake would solve so many of these dangling plot threads. It gives a solid reason for Hydaelyn to want someone to guard the seal. Midgardsormr roused for the Garleans because the Garleans are descended from Ivalice and Goug, and so plausibly had knowledge of Ultima (he probably would not know that the legends of Seraph Ultima would be lost in the interim). Ultima the spell could now be used in the Praetorium, after Midgardsormr was KOed fifteen years ago, because the seal is broken.

The timeline might be wonky with respect to Ramza and Delita and all, but that can be explained by Seraph Ultima being awakened from time to time and needing to be sealed away again, but never achieving her full power due to Midgardsormr standing guard. Midgardsormr might have been concentrating on stopping the Ascians from using Ultima's power (both spell and Seraph), which applies to the Garlean Empire, but might not apply to the mortal politics and wars of the Zodiac Braves.

Sadly, I can't think of a way to transport the Ivalice setting of Seraph Ultima to Aldenard, without going into handwavey "spatial anomalies mean we enter in Orbonne but exit in Silvertear".