Revelations from Patch 4.56

[JeanneOrnitier]

I don't think it helped that a lot of the reveals happened after Fanfest when things like us going to the First were already known. It would have been a much bigger twist if we didn't already literally know that.

I wouldn't say it isn't fluid per say because frankly we haven't seen the Shadowbringers half. There is a limit to what they can do at this point as we are still on the source. The need to go to the first isn't without context however. Finding a way to beat the Ascians while avoid a Flood of Light has been a problem we have had no solution too since we found out it was a problem from Albert in 3.4.

As for Zenos, I am afraid if you don't like him much I have a bad feeling that after Shadowbringers will bother you. My hunch is he is going to become a much greater antagonist in the expansion after Shadowbringers which is when I suspect we will deal with Zenos properly. I think it is very likely he will end up on his father's throne.

More MSQ talk.

That's absolutely the case regarding the timing of this patch. If 4.5 had come all at once instead of being divided, and so we didn't know what we know now, the reveal of Crystal Tower at the end would have been a huge bomb drop moment.

It's true we haven't seen the Shadowbringers intro yet, but I'm thinking about how ARR ended with us in Coerthas and a goal of going to Ishgard, and HW ended with the Shinry and Baelsar's Wall stuff and knowing full well war was around the corner. Someone else mentioned it earlier in the thread, but right now we're kind of just left hanging with a "what's next?" and it feels weird compared to the last two expansion endings. It's not necessarily a bad spot to leave us at, but in comparison to the last two it's just out of place. I don't hate it or anything.

Regarding Zenos, I'm also prepared for basically what you said. The thing is I just don't think he's very compelling. Maybe they can turn that around for me, but right now all I see is two-dimensional blood knight. "I love fighting, the thrill of the hunt" is basically the only aspect of his personality. And as things stand right now, with EleZenos having done nothing since his introduction, it feels really unnecessary to have him be revived at all.

[Daralii]

More MSQ talk.

That's absolutely the case regarding the timing of this patch. If 4.5 had come all at once instead of being divided, and so we didn't know what we know now, the reveal of Crystal Tower at the end would have been a huge bomb drop moment.

It's true we haven't seen the Shadowbringers intro yet, but I'm thinking about how ARR ended with us in Coerthas and a goal of going to Ishgard, and HW ended with the Shinry and Baelsar's Wall stuff and knowing full well war was around the corner. Someone else mentioned it earlier in the thread, but right now we're kind of just left hanging with a "what's next?" and it feels weird compared to the last two expansion endings. It's not necessarily a bad spot to leave us at, but in comparison to the last two it's just out of place. I don't hate it or anything.

Regarding Zenos, I'm also prepared for basically what you said. The thing is I just don't think he's very compelling. Maybe they can turn that around for me, but right now all I see is two-dimensional blood knight. "I love fighting, the thrill of the hunt" is basically the only aspect of his personality. And as things stand right now, with EleZenos having done nothing since his introduction, it feels really unnecessary to have him be revived at all.

To be fair, ARR ended with us in Coerthas ready to head to Ishgard for several months after becoming a wanted criminal across Eorzea, with Kan-E and Merlwyb needing to cover for us. It was kind of an awkward transition period.

[Kalise]

To be fair, ARR ended with us in Coerthas ready to head to Ishgard for several months after becoming a wanted criminal across Eorzea, with Kan-E and Merlwyb needing to cover for us. It was kind of an awkward transition period.

To be honest, being a wanted criminal, that very few people could recognize was an amusing concept.

Like, imagine the wanted posters:

Wanted: Warrior of Light
Race: Unknown
Appearance: Unknown
Profession: Unknown
Personality traits: Likes to help people for no personal gain.

[Cybylt]

More MSQ talk.

Regarding Zenos, I'm also prepared for basically what you said. The thing is I just don't think he's very compelling. Maybe they can turn that around for me, but right now all I see is two-dimensional blood knight. "I love fighting, the thrill of the hunt" is basically the only aspect of his personality. And as things stand right now, with EleZenos having done nothing since his introduction, it feels really unnecessary to have him be revived at all.

I've always found him kind of terrifying in a more metatextual sense in that his motivations and style is basically that he's a bored player character and that's probably made it more interesting to me than any in-universe arc.

[Cilia]

I've always found [Zenos] kind of terrifying in a more metatextual sense in that his motivations and style is basically that he's a bored player character and that's probably made it more interesting to me than any in-universe arc.

That tends to go over a lot of peoples' heads...

[ShadowMeowth]

MSQ, regarding Solus and Enigma.

In regards to Enigma and Solus, both characters who flank Minfilia in the Shadowbringers artwork, rewatching some cutscenes I realized something that could be interesting.




Look at their gear. They share the same color scheme. Not just that, but also the white gems in their attires, mainly Enigma's staff and chest and Solus' coat ornaments.

I know enough to realize outfit choices are rarely random. This similarity probably means something. We do know Solus is an Ascian, so what could exactly relate him to Enigma?

I am convinced that Enigma has some connection to Zodiark. His call was tinged with Darkness and he is probably who will make us Warriors of Darkness. He might be even Zodiark himself, or his chosen vessel like Minfilia is Hydaelyn's.

Now, it has been pondered if Emet-Selch, the Ascian that most likely is Solus, might be actually two related entities, since Emet-Selch is the counterpart of Zalera, the esper associated with the Zodiac sign of Gemini. Could Enigma be an opposed part of Emet-Selch's being, trapped within the Crystal Tower? Or this similarity might underline something different? What are your thoughts?

[KarstenS]

We do know Solus is an Ascian

Maybe its a little bit to separated, but

Solus is a garlean body with an Ascian Soul.

I still see there a difference.

[Lauront]

MSQ, regarding Solus and Enigma.

In regards to Enigma and Solus, both characters who flank Minfilia in the Shadowbringers artwork, rewatching some cutscenes I realized something that could be interesting.



Look at their gear. They share the same color scheme. Not just that, but also the white gems in their attires, mainly Enigma's staff and chest and Solus' coat ornaments.

I know enough to realize outfit choices are rarely random. This similarity probably means something. We do know Solus is an Ascian, so what could exactly relate him to Enigma?

I am convinced that Enigma has some connection to Zodiark. His call was tinged with Darkness and he is probably who will make us Warriors of Darkness. He might be even Zodiark himself, or his chosen vessel like Minfilia is Hydaelyn's.

Now, it has been pondered if Emet-Selch, the Ascian that most likely is Solus, might be actually two related entities, since Emet-Selch is the counterpart of Zalera, the esper associated with the Zodiac sign of Gemini. Could Enigma be an opposed part of Emet-Selch's being, trapped within the Crystal Tower? Or this similarity might underline something different? What are your thoughts?

On the above...

The thing about "Enigma's" outfit is that it looks much closer to outfits associated with the Garlean Republic (e.g. the Signifier or Medicus set) than anything we've seen out of the Allagan Empire, but it could just be a similarity in design. There are elements in the design, such as the hood and the rod, which do appear to be Allagan, and given how long the Allagan Empire lasted, it could have been characteristic of what was worn in earlier time periods. Could even be civilian apparel that we simply haven't seen yet. If so, then maybe Solus's outfit's design draws on Allagan designs, given his own fascination for the Allagan Empire.

Given all that we know about the Allagan Empire, with the Ascians teaching them how to bind Primals, and the fact that the Heart of Sabik, powering Ultima Weapon, contained a sliver of Zodiark's essence, their ties to it are strong. We don't really know which Ascian(s) oversaw it, but there is every possibility it was Emet-Selch, especially as one of the Overlords tied to the Source. Although the Allagans were an ingenuous bunch, whenever they ran dry with ideas, the Ascians very helpfully stepped in, and I wonder if this also applied to the Voidgate itself, since they are intimately familiar with travelling shards and the Void itself, electing to then impart their secrets to the Allagan magi. Funnily enough, like Xande, he too was cloned, but by Varis, probably concerned about what would happen with the war of succession in Solus's absence, which makes the reasons a bit similar to Amon's for bringing back Xande to deal with the empire's stagnation.

This isn't necessarily G'raha we're dealing with, but a time traveler version of him does seem plausible - could also be something else, like a clone. Either way, a connection to Zodiark remains a possibility. A vessel of Zodiark would be an interesting prospect - also not impossible, since Elidibus plays a different role to Minfilia in his capacity as Emissary, and isn't her Ascian equivalent, leaving the role open to someone else, but I was expecting that to be Unukalhai, if anyone, which also acts as a reference to him being kept child-like in the Ivalice universe. The way he throws the question at you, as to how might you accomplish your goal on the First, when you're a Champion of Light, almost seems like an open taunt. It just seems like a fitting destiny for him. A link between this Enigma and Solus would certainly possible, given Ascian involvement in the Allagan Empire, however I'm reluctant to draw too much from a similarity in the outfits, since it could just be the usual Garlean love of all things Allagan - and Solus is no exception there, Ascian though he may be.

On another note, the Tower presumably has to be powered by something to allow it to function as a sustained portal to other worlds - if that's what it will be - and I'm guessing that will be whatever power source Nero had hoped to find beneath the Tower, which his discarded device picked up on. Probably won't require as much power as sustaining the Voidgate took, but still a considerable amount.

Emet-Selch's star sign being linked to Gemini is something I hope that they will embellish and draw on a bit more, since they do appear to inspire the Ascian Overlords' personalities a bit from their associated FFXII espers, but on a selective basis and only in certain regards. I've no doubt they'll make use of the Death Seraph aspect.

All that said, the destination of the expansion has me pretty psyched... the cutscene toward the end of 4.56, rising up with the Tower, evoked some old FF nostalgia, especially for IX. I'm hoping that the actual method of travel won't require the Echo and will allow travel between the worlds, assuming the end-game isn't them merging with the Source (rejoining them but without the destruction the commonly understood method results in), in some capacity. The interesting thing is that this time, the Tower will actually serve as a beacon of hope on the First, and fulfill that purpose.

I've always found him kind of terrifying in a more metatextual sense in that his motivations and style is basically that he's a bored player character and that's probably made it more interesting to me than any in-universe arc.

It comes across quite strongly, but I'd have to say I am far more intrigued by the in-universe arcs at this point.