Revelations from the Shadowbringers Promotional Site

[RenewalXVII]

The Hrothgar lore we do have seems so odd. It doesn't say each clan has a different queen but it also doesn't say that the Helions queen is also the Lost's queen. If it's the same ruler then why is she so icey towards the Lost as it came off that's the reason why their more wild and nomadic. If the Lost have their own then why not over throw her besides the whole ladies are rare part. If it's the same then does this mean their queen can be of either clan? Are there half-breeds of the two clans out there?

My take on the Hrothgar lore seems to be that the clans used to be both structured like the Helions--matriarchal queendoms--but that in time the Lost did away with that, losing their reverence to the institution of the crown in favor of nomdaic lifestyles. Or perhaps the Lost are explicitly splintered from the Helions after forswearing the queens, like how the Duskwight Elezen are those who rejected the nascent Gridania and remained in Gelmorra.

[Cilia]

The Hrothgar lore we do have seems so odd. It doesn't say each clan has a different queen but it also doesn't say that the Helions queen is also the Lost's queen. If it's the same ruler then why is she so icey towards the Lost as it came off that's the reason why their more wild and nomadic. If the Lost have their own then why not over throw her besides the whole ladies are rare part. If it's the same then does this mean their queen can be of either clan? Are there half-breeds of the two clans out there? [...] Which side do people think the Hrothgar are on the history of the Garleans. Are they one of the races that bullied them and thus pushed them into Northern Islaberd or the ones that helped them not die until they found curelium?

I didn't think the Hrothgar were all that complicated...

The two clans, the Helions and the Lost, simply live different lifestyles. The Helions live in a centralized society and work for their queen, while the Lost live as itinerants. Regardless of whether there's only one queen or the clans each have their own separate queens, the Lost don't seem to particularly care about that kind of authority - in a disorganized group titles have no meaning. The implication behind the Lost is that they're naturally filled with wanderlust, and they distanced themselves from the Helions (and their queen) as a natural consequence.

Would the Helions accept a Lost queen? Dunno, we... don't really know how the choose their queens. Half-breeds are likely viable as with the Au Ra, though also likely to be very rare so we're unlikely to see one.

None of this is strict truth, but... If the Helions hail from southern Ilsabard without more information it's relatively safe to assume they are, in part, responsible for pushing the Garleans out of southern Ilsabard. Relatively safe. (Without a timeline it's hard to say - the Garleans were pushed out of the region ~1,200 years ago. Who's to say the Helions didn't arrive after that?) If the Lost wander across that area, they would likely help or hinder the Garleans as befits their own needs.

[Wyssahtyn]

I get that Hrothgar as Gunbreaker Origin seems weird, but I guess there's an obvious explanation. They are (or some of them, at least) lion-like.

Where did the Gunblade get its prominence from? Final Fantasy VIII. You know, the one with a Lion GF, Squall Leonhart and the 'Maybe I'm a Lion' Track.

Final Fantasy XIV loves referencing older titles, after all.

Who was the lion guardian force? Just flipped through my old prima guide and none of them looked particularly leonine.

[MrThinker]

Who was the lion guardian force? Just flipped through my old prima guide and none of them looked particularly leonine.

Griever, the winged lion GF summoned by Ultimecia during the final battle.

[Daralii]

Griever, the winged lion GF summoned by Ultimecia during the final battle.

Also, while it was mostly dropped from the English version's dialogue, the GF is formed from Squall's thoughts about what the ultimate GF would be. Considering his surname is Leonhart, he has a winged lion on Revolver, Lion Heart, his ring, his necklace, and his gunblade's case, it's not exactly surprising how Ultimecia pulled what she did from his mind.

Anyway, now that we know more about Eden, I'm wondering if Gaia having Rinoa's face and hair is a coincidence or not.

[Mieck]

I've had a careful look over the videos and images in light of the information that the Crystarium is a city built around the Crystal Tower, and how it is a safe haven against the Sin Eaters.
From the 1.05 second mark in the tour video for the zone, there's some white stone buildings, trimmed in black metal, very reminiscent of parts of Eulmore (and, natch, Limsa). I think these might be visual hints of a city defined by an influx of people from all across the First, and how they brought their aesthetic with them. I'm still trying to see if there are any obvious similarities with the architecture seen in Ahm Araeng, Rak'tika, and Il Mheg (there are a handful of ruins in the accompanying video which presumably belonged to those who abandoned the area when the Flood of Light began).


Edit: In fact, it might well be that Eulmore built the original settlement, because the two locations (at least the posh bit of Eulmore) share variations on the same theme song.

[Vorlonshadow]

Any else think the Crystarium will be the main hub for shadowbrings?.

[Nalien]

Any else think the Crystarium will be the main hub for shadowbrings?.

I'm torn on this, I want Crystarium to be the main city... Eulmore doesn't really appeal to me in any way (perhaps by design), but I think Crystarium will be the Kugane of the expansion; Hub for various quests. Where the Wandering Minstrel sets up, where Hildibrand pops in, etc.

Eulmore I think will be the hub for tomestones, though... Just based purely on its backstory; Given it once housed a powerful military, that even managed to push back against the Sin Eaters, it seems the logical place for us to go to trade tomestones for equipment... Allagan Tomestones of Grapes, perhaps... Allagan Grapestones?

If I had to guess, Eulmore will be involved with the Eden Raid, much the same way Rhalgr's Reach was with Omega. Granted we don't see much at all of Kholusia, but that big old cliff in the concept art does scream Tidal wave of Light to me, and the structure letting us climb above it? Seems like a logical place to set off Eden. YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse, on the other hand, I can see jumping on the back of Crystal Towers apparent new TARDIS capabilities, so much like Return to Ivalice set off from Kugane, I can see YoRHa kicking off in Crystarium. Granted, we know nothing about YoRHa still, but I think "Dark Apocalypse" and the Apocalypse weapon (notably the description in the lore book) might be connected, a dark timeline where Garlemald won, perhaps? It's a plagiarism raid, so having the nation of plagiarists (according to Azys Lla nodes, at least) involved seems fitting to me.

Crystarium also seems much larger, which lends itself to a quest hub like Kugane, while Eulmore seems much more on the scale of a zone like Idylshire or Rahlgr's, although it still seems larger than both... Which now that I think about it, is odd... Presumably, unlike the previous two hubs, it wont be housing the gathering and crafting Scrip hubs? I'd assume that'll be in Ishgard...

[Vorlonshadow]

I hope so, imo stormbloods hub was why too big. I always thought it made the game seem empty

[Rocl]

Allagan Tomestones of Grapes, perhaps...

Don't you mean Ronkan Bookrocks of Grapes?