Revelations from Keynote II

[Lauront]

I think at this point in time, there's several key points in the plot which could have a number of different interpretations, which I'll recap with my own speculative views.

1. The true nature of Zodiark/Hydaelyn. You can divide this into a number of possibilities:
a) Everything we've been told about Zodiark is true and he willingly sought to overpower Hydaelyn; b) it was true that he was growing in power but that this was the natural result of how he was constituted in some way (fits with how he's portrayed in some other FFs); c) the High Seraph in Orbonne is emulating a little more than just Hydaelyn's appearance (an assumption of mine, but the stance of the body with the crossed arms, attachment to crystals and the halo-like crown on the statue, all of which are analogous to Zodiark's depictions, suggest something is going on here) but her demeanour, too; d) some other scenario.

I don't think these are equally probable, and of these I'm inclined to believe b), and that Hydaelyn has had good reason for remaining silent on what is going on with the floods of Light and chosen to deal with them only now via Minfilia. I have a hunch that unless the two Crystals are rejoined (albeit not by the methods the Ascians are pursuing), the floods will be recurring and eventually unstoppable, until all worlds fall to them, and so we will have to find a way to deal with this Gordian knot that neither the Crystals nor the Ascians thus far have been able to resolve.


2. The motivations and plans of Elidibus. This hinges strongly, IMO, on Zodiark's nature, and how much he himself knows. I like the hypothesis that the Ascian Overlords are individuals who, though perhaps were WoLs, caught on to the possibility of the light/dark imbalance and, with Zodiark's "dormant" state, came to the conclusion that they needed to become WoDs, only to later transcend into Ascians. They possibly did not realise they could go overboard with spreading darkness, until the 13th fell, and at that point Elidibus was tasked with reining them in.

He had intended for the WoDs to deal with matters on the Source, but that's not an option, so I think his plotline could be leaning to him taking direct action to rectify the imbalance, even though he would not typically be so hostile to the WoL, as to allow the Source to fall to the imbalance would jeopardise Zodiark's resurrection permanently, along with any other ill effects it would have. What I think has made matters more urgent is that the Light being "absorbed" by Minfilia isn't just going into Hydaelyn but permeating the entirety of the Source. I don't think he had really foreseen this possibility. It also ties in with what Moose mentioned about what Solus may be planning re the Black Rose. His role will thus depend on what steps the Zodiark plotline would require to resolve, and could cast him in the role of enemy, ally or someone we're forced to cooperate with for a time. I think if we do fight him, one will "die" but neither will perish, as a result of the Echo, and we'll see the catalyst for the transition to the WoD.

3. Solus/the other Overlords. Is he really on board with everything Elidibus is doing? Or will he turn the moment that he sees Elidibus is working with the WoL, either due to raw opportunism or a belief similar to Nabriales's, that Elidibus was working with the enemy? His admission to Varis that he planned for the chaos in the war of succession make it obvious that he relishes in causing it. I have to wonder if Elidibus is putting on appearances to keep the other Paragons at bay, and whether this attempt at luring out the WoL is an intended means of getting him to meet with Zodiark... or maybe he is just following Zodiark's master plan. All depends on Zodiark. Lastly, is he Emet-Selch as we've been assuming? We know he is an Overlord due to his mastery over possessing bodies and reviving himself, but is he that Paragon - a Paragon of the Source, no less - or another? If so, what signifance will the attributes associated with Emet-Selch (Gemini; seraph of death; angel of truth) take on, if any?

4. The mysterious figure in the right corner of the expansion image. G'raha Tia looks like a very good fit and he has a trait which would make him possibly very useful to an Ascian (Elidibus? Emet-Selch?) seeking to use the Crystal Tower in some way. The body is mutated in several ways and the robes are highly suggestive of an Ascian. To what end would they seek to use the Crystal Tower? Possibly to sustain gateways to other worlds and maybe across timelines. Even if Zodiark possesses mastery over the domain of time, it may be one of his agents who actually gets the ball rolling.

5. The mysterious voice. I'm listing it here, because I think so much of who it might be depends on the above, including the significance of phases such as "throw wide the gates"; "let eon become instant", and "History must be changed.

The most recent element of the game to touch on this is the fortune teller, who says to ware the words of this echoing voice... but why? I believe it relates to the next fortune they give, that the WoL/D will be dragged into conflict regardless (by whom? the leaders of the city-states and Garlemald? The Ascians? Both?) and that this will force them to walk a path of thorns. So the warning might in fact relate to what accepting this voice's exhortations involves (the "only you can forestall" bit), because the calamity is becoming increasingly evident and no one, not even Hydaelyn, has disputed its reality, so the warning must, I think, relate to what will be required of us, although perhaps the speaker's motives, too. It is worth remembering these incidents began after Y'shtola wove her magic in the House of the Crooked Coin, and I have to wonder whether what was there was a fragment of Zodiark, much like what is housed in the Heart of Sabik according to Lahabrea (also why this weapon could backfire spectacularly if it is what Gaius is using), but different in that it's capable of opening some channel of communication. The voice has appeared at all times when the ensuing war came up, and who it is may explain what's happened to the Scions. It could relate to G'raha's new form (including whoever is possessing it), Zodiark, or someone else, but the way it all started and the nature of it makes me think it's one of the former two.

Lastly, relating this back to the following:



This again refers to what appear to be hints at time travel, because "destiny" I take to mean the trajectory - based on things as they are (again, this ties into how I think Zodiark might view time, as a compressed singularity). It's been suggested the second part refers to the transition to the WoD (darkness joins light), and the first to the possible world and time travel we're going to see. In conjunction with the phrases the voice uses, I find it hard to say there's not very strong hints at time travel. But where? IMO, the "Master Matoya" thing will also become clearer once we get answers to this.

6. Varis. His speech in the tent was jarring, in some ways, because it was so at odds with his beliefs in many respects. He had quipped at Elidibus in the past that the Rejoining would mean the end of life as we know it, with disapproval, and also gone to pains to state that he was only considering the use of the Black Rose to preserve Garlean lives... plus he grew irate at Solus when he mentioned the harm their agenda had caused the Empire and when he said he had planned for the succession war's chaos. The same Varis, later on, is wholly on board with the Ascian agenda, admits this will require the erasure of Garlemald in its present form and then goes on to speak of the dissension of "races" (he really seems to mean souls) following the fragmentation of the shards, and then oddly puts this down as his plan to deal with the Ascians... having wholly surrendered to their terms. I think what was telling here were the flickering lights, with black moths accompanying them, as this is a common trope in movies to suggest observation (or even possession) by another entity. If this was Varis, and not Solus possessing him (the basis for this is the "since we may not meet again in this lifetime"), it's worth recalling he insisted on the presence of the Scions and the WoL. He may be doing this in a way that, to the Ascians, appears he is following orders to the letter, but is actually serving to expose the severity of the situation in Garlemald, maybe hoping it could rid him of Elidibus at the least. If it was Solus briefly possessing him, well then it becomes even easier to parse.

This costs the Ascians very little, because they want this conflict and perhaps need it to carry out Zodiark's revival. They're not stupid, so by now they will have figured out that the Scions will take this as a call to move into the Empire... but this is what they want.

7. Zenos's role. It seems fairly minor. The trailer suggests he's cutting down an imperial troop at some point, no doubt due to being in a Resistance member's body. To what end? To get to his old body? Or to the WoL? Either way, I think one of those will spell his permanent end, albeit after he proves to be an irritant. However, I've also come across the hypothesis that Elidibus might simply return the body to Zenos, since their current agenda aligns - he could then empower him, to try even the odds a bit, and let him go after the WoL, whilst he lays claim to another body. This makes a lot of sense as a possible plotline they might go for, since Elidibus doesn't engage in pointless fights and is a methodical thinker, and I can easily see him putting Zenos to such a use. This could then set the scene for a re-match between Zenos and the WoL.

All of this leads me to think we're not going to Ilsabard as a matter of urgency, where the situation will be very tricky and delicate due to the prospect of the loss of innocent lives on both sides, but will need to deal with matters elsewhere more urgently, and this has been spurred by the revelations in Orbonne that point to imminent moves in Dalmasca, which is where I think the Garlean conflict of the 5.0 will be based initially, with the added complications on other worlds (the First, at least) perhaps taking us there, too, maybe leaving Ilsabard and Garlemald proper for 6.0.

Apologies for the length, but I think there's so many different storylines moving together, in tandem, that their outcomes will have implications for all the rest.

Really looking forward to 4.57 and the next trailer.