Possible clue about the Nier: Automata raid

[KingOfCheese]

Just the other day, I discovered a curious line from one of the side quests in Amaurot. Something that could be potentially linked to the upcoming Alliance series YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse.

The Quest is Responsible Creation, if you’re curious.

Passionate Amaurotine: I’ve been credited with a few popular concepts, I’m proud to say. I’m hoping that my latest will be equally well received: autonomous figures.

I say “my” latest, but really it’s the product of many others’ efforts and individual insights. But such is the case for every masterwork, I reckon.

Autonomy notwithstanding, these creations know no fear. They are wholly devoid of emotion, and will without hesitation or resistance engage in any dangerous activity – even if death is assured.

There’s a beauty in that, I think… and I hope the officials do so as well.

Sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? Granted, this could be a throwaway line to colour Amaurotine society, but when considering the plot to Nier: Automata, this might be an important clue.

Spoilers for Nier: Automata below, obviously.

In the game, one of the earliest plot-twists and source of conflict throughout the story is that humanity is extinct. To the Androids of YoRHa, that means everything from the Council of Humanity, their mission and their very purpose is a lie. They made a god to die for, because the gods they yearn for are no longer with them and will never return.

Since this is a core aspect of Automata’s story, it’s not unreasonable to assume that a similar story thread is going to be explored in the Alliance raid. Thing is, mankind is not extinct in the XIV universe. But who are extinct, the ancient Ascians. (Well, unbroken Asicans, that is. Only Elidebus remains.)

So, maybe the Androids of YoRHa were creations of ancient Amaurot as disposable troops for war, but even after the sundering, they remain and still fight for their dead masters. It’s possible that they were made to fight against the apocalypse that Zodiark was created to stop. Or perhaps they were created to settle disputes with rival cities, so that the Amaurotines didn’t have to war against other Ascians. If the latter, the rival city might’ve created something akin to the Machine lifeform.

Well, this could all be bloated nonsense in the end, but that's what makes speculations fun. What about you? Out of existing lore, what could justify the existence of Nier: Automata in the XIV universe?

[Cilia]

The moment Emet-Selch mentioned his forgotten, fallen civilization of Amaurot I figured that the NieR: Automata raid might have ties to it. That quest just added fuel to the fire.

Until 5.1 actually releases it, my bet is it's either Amaurot or some other civilization that fell to the Flood on the First - but given Eden has ties to the latter, I'm still banking on the former.

[Dualblade]

The Androids for sure seem to have the more obvious origin story now, the real question is whether the Machines are still alien-based or are they from the First, or possibly even from a different shard invading another one. Pulling towards Alien myself given Omega but still.

[Pastahnak]

I've never played nier, but my best guess for how the story will go is we're going to a different star like how we went to the first just so the storytellers can go as crazy as they want and not have to worry about ruining any lore. But I'd gladly take any excuse to spend more time in amaruot, that place is super cool.

[Gula]

I honestly saw it more in the dwarven sidequest.

This line is very Yoko Taro, and I could see it as hinting at Automata or Hildi. But after experiencing Taro when describing his games, this seems like something he'd say.

[Anonymoose]

That was my first impression upon seeing that, as well. If we're all thinkin' it...

[KingOfCheese]

I honestly saw it more in the dwarven sidequest.

This line is very Yoko Taro, and I could see it as hinting at Automata or Hildi. But after experiencing Taro when describing his games, this seems like something he'd say.

I suspect the dwarves will play a part, since their own creations makes me think of the Machine Lifeform. Judging by that dialogue, I'm guessing they are the quest providers.

[Dualblade]

I honestly saw it more in the dwarven sidequest.

This line is very Yoko Taro, and I could see it as hinting at Automata or Hildi. But after experiencing Taro when describing his games, this seems like something he'd say.

The general silliness of the rest of that sidequest must have caused me to forget this specific part. I also thought it was going to be the lead up to a lvl 80 dungeon at the time. Thanks for bringing it up!

[Wyssahtyn]

Figured that Amaurotine just made golems or something.

[Gaethan_Tessula]

I've never played nier, but my best guess for how the story will go is we're going to a different star like how we went to the first just so the storytellers can go as crazy as they want and not have to worry about ruining any lore. But I'd gladly take any excuse to spend more time in amaruot, that place is super cool.

Could be both. Since Amaurot was pre-sundering, its ruins could exist on every shard. Y'shtola hypothesizes that the calamities obliterated them on the source, but then again has anyone actually looked?

I'd be more interested in how the androids react to sundered peoples; meeting non-hostile, non-android or machine entities is something which (for good reason) never came up in Neir: Automata. Or if that question is averted by putting them in a location where ancient and sundered peoples are both extinct (and if that's a shard that isn't the 13th, what does that mean for the Ascian's plan, given that the Void itself already seems a unaddressed stumbling block?).