Revelations from SHADOWBRINGERS

[Enkidoh]

Are you sure about the identity of the third person? The WoL in trailers and the like has always been represented by "Derplander" who looks very much like Ardbert - not like the person in the picture.

There were strong hints during Shadowbrings that our soul came from the 14th member of the convocation in Amaurot, with Eldibus being another member. So it seems extremely unlikely that Eldibus would be same person as us. Eldibus is the only remaining unsundered Ascian, so his soul won't be shared by anyone. (Lahabrea and Emet-Selch were the other two)

Derplander's appearence has changed in ShB though - that appearence matches his scruffy, worn-down, 'dad-bearded' look in the ShB opening movie, whereas Ardbert still retains Derplander's WAR appearence from the 'End of an Era'/'New Beginning' ARR trailers.

As for Ardbert and Derplander's appearences in the logo are probably alluding more to the revelations someone or something is getting around in his physical body (remember, his deceased physical body remained on the First when he travelled to the Source under Elidibus's manipulation), and Derplander there is pretty obvious as he's the standin for the player's character. ShB made it pretty clear that the player character's original Amaurotine identity was the mysterious dissenting 14th member of the Convocation who is a completely different person to Elidibus - they're two totally different characters. So Elidibus appearing in the centre merely shows he's taking 'centre stage' in this patch so to speak (I agree though that the one getting around in Ardbert's meatsuit is probably Elidibus, but we'll find out soon enough anyway).

The top is basically the end of the Amaurotine civilization,

I'm not really sure that is actually meant to be the end of the original Star, as it looks far more closer to Dalamud, specifically moments after one of the 'keys' burst out and impacted with the ground explosively leaving a gaint hole in it, with Bahamut bursting free moments later- it has the same spikes sticking out, the ringed 'tron lines', even the same big glowing hole in it. Why Dalamud would be included in that logo... is anyone's guess... but if it is Dalamud, would be enough to create tinfoil theories aplently alone.

I couldn't find a specific image of the scene in question, but it's at this point in the 'End of an Era' trailer. This image is close, but it's taken before the Key dislodged and left the glowing hole at the bottom of Dalamud (but you can see where it is, it's the section glowing aetheric blue and violet near the bottom).

It also matches very closely to the artwork of the old FFXIV Legacy Campaign logo as well, but I think that's just coincidence....

[Ardox]

The special site for 5.2 is up. Anybody else overly reading the art as having a deep meaning? 3 sides of a crystal and its top visible. The top is basically the end of the Amaurotine civilization, the three on the crystal being Ardbert, Elidibus, and us. My tinfoil hat is on tightly, as we and Ardbert are two parts of the same soul. The fact that Elidibus is there is making me think...perhaps we and Elidibus are the same person or in fact twins? Hydaelyn and Zodiark are basically two sides of the same coin, so it'd be interesting to find out that Elidibus is either another us, or is our original self's twin.

Elidibus is unsundered: he and us can't be the same person. We also have no idea what Elidibus family looks like, so we could be related, but there's nothing in the lore that hints to it.

Derplander's appearence has changed in ShB though - that appearence matches his scruffy, worn-down, 'dad-bearded' look in the ShB opening movie, whereas Ardbert still retains Derplander's WAR appearence from the 'End of an Era'/'New Beginning' ARR trailers.

As for Ardbert and Derplander's appearences in the logo are probably alluding more to the revelations someone or something is getting around in his physical body (remember, his deceased physical body remained on the First when he travelled to the Source under Elidibus's manipulation), and Derplander there is pretty obvious as he's the standin for the player's character. ShB made it pretty clear that the player character's original Amaurotine identity was the mysterious dissenting 14th member of the Convocation who is a completely different person to Elidibus - they're two totally different characters. So Elidibus appearing in the centre merely shows he's taking 'centre stage' in this patch so to speak (I agree though that the one getting around in Ardbert's meatsuit is probably Elidibus, but we'll find out soon enough anyway).

I gotta rewatch ShB final cutscene, but I think Elidibus made a comment about pitting warriors of light against us, the warrior of darkness. I really think the mysterious "WoL" from 5.1 (and in the artwork) if from of another shard and is sent by Elidibus to the 1st.

[Enkidoh]

I gotta rewatch ShB final cutscene, but I think Elidibus made a comment about pitting warriors of light against us, the warrior of darkness. I really think the mysterious "WoL" from 5.1 (and in the artwork) if from of another shard and is sent by Elidibus to the 1st.

He did say that, but, if he is getting around in Arbert's body, that would be irony and actually make sense in a weird way. "To fight a Warrior of Light, become a Warrior of Light", in that he posesses Ardbert's corpse and basically assumes his identity (after all, there are only 4 remaning Shards that are not Rejoined meaning there would only be four other worlds whose heroes he could potentially mislead and manipulate (the seven worlds already rejoined mean the souls of whoever the WoL was on those worlds are already a part of us, along with Ardbert, and the 13th is the Void and we already know who the WoLs were there and they're also accounted for). And remember, he's done this already with Zenos, taking over his body and spending a good deal of time being him.

So, instead of sucking in a WoL from another Shard (and merely rehash his already tried-and-totally-failed-plan from HW), he instead becomes a WoL by getting around in one's body and pretending to be them. Of course it's a crazy theory and totally made of darksteel foil, but... given how completely off the deep-end ShB has taken the story, I'm willing to believe it.

[Ardox]

/snip

Wouldn't it make Ardbert-ish line somewhat weird tho.. That 'Oath' of preserving the nascent hope of the 1st? I don't know, my brain keeps feeling something doesn't add up, but I can't pretend I have a better prediction.

[RicaRuin]

Wouldn't it make Ardbert-ish line somewhat weird tho.. That 'Oath' of preserving the nascent hope of the 1st? I don't know, my brain keeps feeling something doesn't add up, but I can't pretend I have a better prediction.

I don't remember the exact line, but I do remember that the First wasn't mentioned at all. It was something along the lines of 'preserving the hopes of their friends', which would very well fit Elidibus, too.

[MrThinker]

I don't remember the exact line, but I do remember that the First wasn't mentioned at all. It was something along the lines of 'preserving the hopes of their friends', which would very well fit Elidibus, too.

Here's the english quote of what that guy says:

Hope...?
Yes. So long as I yet live, I would see that feeble flame rekindled.
It is my destiny. To see our dream fulfilled.

He says this after overhearing some of the slum folk talk about finding some hope for life thanks to Chai-Nuzz's plans to restore industry, so I think that is where Ardox drew the connection that his 'hope' was the 'hope for the First'. I personally believe he indeed is talking about 'hope' for a separate group of people from the First's resdients.

[Elladie]

While Ascians do disappear in a puff of smoke all the time, I can't recall any of them doing it during or immediately after a proper fight. Presumably chucking a lot of magic around disables that particular power for a while.

I guess Zenos was still able to do it because, well he didn't look like he was putting in a great deal of effort to be honest, refers to Gaius and Estinien as "the most middling of sport" or something like that.

After the Ascian Prime battle, Igoreyhm tells Lahabrea to gtfo. She actually says words to the effect of "at least we can still escape". She does start 'casting' and a small white prism appears next to her (bit like a glamour prism so what she was doing is anyone's guess...?). At that point the WoL reacts by chucking the white auracite at her. Whatever she was planning wasn't just a 'bamph out' in the sense at least that it took preparation. The WoL saw the preparation and reacted.

Be kinda funny if the glamour system was actually Amaurotine magics ....

[Mansion]

This artwork and discussion just have me wishing we finally get an in-game precise explanation of what it means being Warrior of Light or Darkness, when does it happen, how, to what end, etc.
For me ShB's Warrior of Darkness was more of a "title" people gave us because we absorbed the Light (then spent it), but we were still Hydealyn's warrior. We were still "Light-aspected". So Elidibus' final monologue left me a bit confused.
I mean, we need Elidibus' agenda explained too, at some point.

[purgatori]

This artwork and discussion just have me wishing we finally get an in-game precise explanation of what it means being Warrior of Light or Darkness, when does it happen, how, to what end, etc.
For me ShB's Warrior of Darkness was more of a "title" people gave us because we absorbed the Light (then spent it), but we were still Hydealyn's warrior. We were still "Light-aspected". So Elidibus' final monologue left me a bit confused.
I mean, we need Elidibus' agenda explained too, at some point.

The Warrior of Darkness has also been, IIRC, a prophesied figure in the religion(s) of the First even before the flood of light or our arrival. I'd love for their to be an explanation as to the origin of this prophecy.

[YianKutku]

Derplander's appearence has changed in ShB though - that appearence matches his scruffy, worn-down, 'dad-bearded' look in the ShB opening movie, whereas Ardbert still retains Derplander's WAR appearence from the 'End of an Era'/'New Beginning' ARR trailers.

As for Ardbert and Derplander's appearences in the logo are probably alluding more to the revelations someone or something is getting around in his physical body (remember, his deceased physical body remained on the First when he travelled to the Source under Elidibus's manipulation), and Derplander there is pretty obvious as he's the standin for the player's character. ShB made it pretty clear that the player character's original Amaurotine identity was the mysterious dissenting 14th member of the Convocation who is a completely different person to Elidibus - they're two totally different characters. So Elidibus appearing in the centre merely shows he's taking 'centre stage' in this patch so to speak (I agree though that the one getting around in Ardbert's meatsuit is probably Elidibus, but we'll find out soon enough anyway).

Here's a further puzzler: Ardbert, in all his appearances (at least as "himself"), has a beard.

It's nowhere near the dad-beard of the player character stand-in, but there's still a small beard on his chin. Meanwhile, the "Wayward Warrior" we see at the end of 5.1 is completely clean-shaven.

As for the 5.2 patch site image, I can't quite make it out at this resolution, but I think it has the Bearded Midlander model for Ardbert, as opposed to the Clean-Shaven Midlander.

Make of that what you will.