Revelations from the Shadowbringers E3 Trailer

[RyuDragnier]

Maybe, but that calls into question the Ascian’s actions. Why merge two primals? If they aren’t as important as we are led to believe then why even bother?

Because of what will HAPPEN when they merge. We may not know what will happen now, but them merging is pretty much their endgame. Elidibus himself also stated long ago that once we knew what he knew, we'd have no reason to fight them (which has yet to happen). Something will happen when Zodiark and Hydaelyn merge, something big, something probably beneficial yet at the same time world shattering. We can only speculate until the pieces come together or the answer is thrown at us.

[EaraGrace]

Because of what will HAPPEN when they merge. We may not know what will happen now, but them merging is pretty much their endgame. Elidibus himself also stated long ago that once we knew what he knew, we'd have no reason to fight them (which has yet to happen). Something will happen when Zodiark and Hydaelyn merge, something big, something probably beneficial yet at the same time world shattering. We can only speculate until the pieces come together or the answer is thrown at us.

It’s that other thing happening that poses problems though. If they were simply summoned by people, then that means existence and life preceded them and is thus not dependent on them. Which means whether they are there or not is unimportant to existence. So why not simply destroy them and revert things back to before the summoning? Why this complicated rejoining plan?

Edit: Hydaelyn herself says that light and dark dwelled in the aetherial sea before they’re was life. Unless she’s lying, which is possible I admit, then that begs of the question of how Hydaelyn and Zodiark were formed.

[Theodric]

It’s that other thing happening that poses problems though. If they were simply summoned by people, then that means existence and life preceded them and is thus not dependent on them. Which means whether they are there or not is unimportant to existence. So why not simply destroy them and revert things back to before the summoning? Why this complicated rejoining plan?

If they're more along the lines of parasites then digging them out may not be possible without causing immense harm and destruction.

[EaraGrace]

If they're more along the lines of parasites then digging them out may not be possible without causing immense harm and destruction.

Maybe. Though I can’t help but think the Ascians would struggle to even spell “collateral damage.”

And I can’t help but think if I was dealing with a harmful parasite, the last thing I would want to do is make it stronger and harder to kill.

[Cilia]

Maybe. Though I can’t help but think the Ascians would struggle to even spell “collateral damage.”

And I can’t help but think if I was dealing with a harmful parasite, the last thing I would want to do is make it stronger and harder to kill.

In the very beginning (or, well, close to the beginning), Lahabrea commented that Hydaelyn was indeed a "parasite" responsible for "aetheric disturbances [threatening] to warp aetheric and natural law beyond all recognition," and that She needed to be "burned out if the planet is to recover."

While it's easy to forget this and/or dismiss it as bunk... if Solus speaks truth, it's been there from the very beginning, up with Ifrit's comment that he couldn't temper us because "[our] soul had already been claimed by another." (Of course, given Hydaelyn hasn't used her claim on our soul to compel us to actually do anything, it feels more like an inoculation against other primal influences.)

So. F/GO Babylonia-style rebellion against Mom incoming? And we still don't know why the Ascians serve Zodiark and consider him the "one true god," if he too is a primal like Hydaelyn...

[RyuDragnier]

And we still don't know why the Ascians serve Zodiark and consider him the "one true god," if he too is a primal like Hydaelyn...

Maybe he's the original personality and voice of their combined form?

[myahele]

Maybe he's the original personality and voice of their combined form?

The WoL did get a echo vision of a Black Crystal which is probably Zodiark

[EaraGrace]

In the very beginning (or, well, close to the beginning), Lahabrea commented that Hydaelyn was indeed a "parasite" responsible for "aetheric disturbances [threatening] to warp aetheric and natural law beyond all recognition," and that She needed to be "burned out if the planet is to recover."

While it's easy to forget this and/or dismiss it as bunk... if Solus speaks truth, it's been there from the very beginning, up with Ifrit's comment that he couldn't temper us because "[our] soul had already been claimed by another." (Of course, given Hydaelyn hasn't used her claim on our soul to compel us to actually do anything, it feels more like an inoculation against other primal influences.)

So. F/GO Babylonia-style rebellion against Mom incoming? And we still don't know why the Ascians serve Zodiark and consider him the "one true god," if he too is a primal like Hydaelyn...

Right, but Solus seems to be following Elidibus lead on this, and I may be forgetting but I don’t believe he has ever argued it that way. If both Zodiark and Hydaelyn are primals, and Lahabrea knew this, but still only wanted to eliminate one, then there must be something else that’s the issue.

[Cilia]

Right, but Solus seems to be following Elidibus lead on this, and I may be forgetting but I don’t believe he has ever argued it that way. If both Zodiark and Hydaelyn are primals, and Lahabrea knew this, but still only wanted to eliminate one, then there must be something else that’s the issue.

It comes back the new driving question: if Hydaelyn and Zodiark are both primals (false gods), why do the Ascians denounce one as a false god(dess) and revere the other as their one true god?

Awakening Zodiark may simply be a matter of returning the world to equilibrium to prevent catastrophes like Floods of Darkness or Light, but that driving question remains, and it's going to gnaw at me for three more weeks.