Heavensturn

[Enkidoh]

Right, it's just fun theorycrafting based around how the Twelve correlate to the Chinese Zodiac (and the Western Zodiac too for that matter).

And, in keeping with that:

HAPPY NEW YEAR
hey guys - i want to summarize the list from moose:

2010------------Tiger
2011--Halone----Rabbit--1.x War with the Empire
2012--Althyk----Dragon--1.x Beyond time and space
2013------------Snake---N/A
2014--Nophica---Horse---2.1 A bountiful rebirth
2015--Menphina--Sheep---2.4 Off to Coerthas
2016--Thaliak---Monkey--3.1 Preoccupied in the Dravanian hinterlands
2017--Rhalgr----Cock----3.4 Off to Ala Mhigo
2018--Nymeia----Dog-----4.1 The fate of the Star
2019--Naldthal---Pig
2020--Byregot---Rat
2021------------Ox
2022------------Tiger

so there is only Oschon, Azeyma and Llymlaen missing

Giving it some thought, the Tiger could very well fit Azeyma, the Warden, the goddess of the Sun, and 2010 was when the game first launched, the 'new day' dawning. And as Yoshi has stated in the past that he wishes to wind up FFXIV's original 'Hydaelyn/Zodiark/Ascians/Empire' storyline which we have definetely seen inroads made with SHB's main scenario and so.... 2022 thus seems a very good fit for the sun going down (and thus a 'new dawn' with a new story direction for the game), and thus a bookend for the story.

As for the remaining two, 2013, the Year of the Snake, fits Llmylaen the Navigator, the goddess of the seas and the winds, and it was the transitional phase between 1.0 and ARR - 1.0 servers were shut down for good right as 2013 was rung in, the ARR Alpha test was completed and the Beta test began, and the game was launched properly. And story wise it was the 'five year' gap between the Seventh Calamity and the start of ARR's story in a figurative way, so metaphorically Eorzea was navigating through the turbulent first few years of the Seventh Umbral Era, leading into ARR's story proper. And incidentally, there was a story that Llmylaen had giant sea serpents as her guardians, one of which is believed to be that fossil in Outer La Noscea, as well as the sea serpent that appeared in the opening to 1.0's Limsa story....

That just leaves next year, 2021, the year of the Ox, as the last remaining one unaccounted for, with Oschon the Wanderer the last one.. and... given next year will be a year where ShB's story will be ultimately resolved, as well as the potential launch year of the hypothetical 6.0 expansion which ShB's story will begin to lead into, "wandering into" if you will... yeah it works. The worlds are in a transient state: the First is recovering with the defeat of the Sineaters and the permenant return of the night, while on the Source Eorzea is still in a stalemate with the Empire (that is collapsing into civil war, and Zenos continuing with his 'hunt'... also remember that line from Shadowbringers in the last paragraph about "Wand'ring' ended, futures aligned".... hmmmmmm)

Also, the two years given corresponding gods but no story 'explanation' do fit: firstly 2019, the year of the Pig, does indeed fit Nald'thal the Traders, the god of commerce, and the underworld. Not only is Nald'thal a twin god counted as one, and what did ShB's story involve? Heading from our version of Hydaelyn, the Source, to the First, so the twin worlds are a perfect fit. The balance between light and dark is also given a whole new spin with us taking on the mantle of Warrior of Darkness, yet still using the Light as our power source, with Light shown in both a postive and negative aspect. And the real kicker? Nald'thal is among other things, the god of the dead and the Underworld, and... who was it we fought at the end of ShB's storyline?

none of than Hades!

So yeah, Nald'thal is definetely the fit for 2019, and the story reason: travel between two worlds, and revelations about the balance between Light and Darkness, the Star, the nature of Hydaelyn and Zodiark, and the cycle of life and death.

And secondly: this year, 2020, the year of the Rat, fits Byregot the Builder, the god of crafting and construction, and it's early into ShB's post storyline, with the First as mentioned now starting to recover from the brink of destruction, it's rebuilding both physically and socially with Eulmore switching to a new government and the Crystarium leading the way politically in Norvrandt, as well as beginning to turn the Light-overaspected wastelands of the Empty back into elemental balance, paving the way for their restoration back into livable regions. And patch 5.1 did also bring the Ishgardian Reconstruction as well. So it's a natural fit for this year, and the abbreviated story reason: reconstruction, recovery and restoration in Norvrandt and Eorzea.

Of course, there is no 100% comfirmation and is just my musings, and others might have their own thoughts and ideas... but it works for me.