Revelations from Patch 5.2

[Eyvind]

We don't know how the system with the upload of combat data works. If it also scanned and uploaded biological data and DNA, it could easily replicate the appearance.

Edit: Woman can't rise higher than Praetor? What about Livia?

As far as I can tell her rank of tribunus augusticlavus is equivalent to praetor. It is messy comparing the Roman ranks these are based on, but a clue to the writers' intentions is the "sas" rank name she shares with Rhitayn.

Tribunus augusticlavus seems to be a field commander at the same level as a base commander.

[RicaRuin]

While the Lorebook states that non-Garleans can reach the rank of sas at most, where does the Information that women can't reach all ranks come from? Did I miss this in the Lorebook?

After all, the personal guards of the Emperor, certainly a very high rank, are female.

[MrThinker]

While the Lorebook states that non-Garleans can reach the rank of sas at most, where does the Information that women can't reach all ranks come from? Did I miss this in the Lorebook?

After all, the personal guards of the Emperor, certainly a very high rank, are female.

The twin guards have the epithet of 'quo', designating them as centurios, which means they are lower in rank to Livia who had 'sas' as tribunus. Remember that the epithets are ascending in rank via alphabetical order with 'aan' being the lowest ranked epithet, used for slaves and the peoples of conquered territories, and 'zos' being the epithet used for the emperor. There are 24 epithets with each of them aligning to one letter of the alphabet, except for the letters 'u' and 'x'.

Also the sexist angle comes more in the fact that women can't become heirs to the throne, being automatically being given the epithet of 'wir', designating a member of the royal family that has no right to the throne. Whether that translates to women being unable to become Legati, I have no idea.

[Evraeh]

Well, Gaius didn't do all good things but when you are sure about your own nation is "right" when you are a soldier, you'll do everything for make win your own nation, even if the power used is too expensive... Gaius didn't break any lives (intentionally), he is doing what he thinks is good. Livia wanted to go with him, (like what happened in Wherlyt quests). For Fordola, she makes her own decision, Gaius didn't force her to become anything, and what happened to her parents is very sad but isn't the people of Ala Mhigo who commited that tragedy ? I don't say Garlemald is clear but accusing Gaius only is bad for me. Gaius is a good person who didn't see the true before we beat him. Like Regula, he wanted to please his nation/Emperor, even if things wasn't good for us.

If I can say, first time I saw Estinien in Heavensward with so much hate for the Dragons without knowing them, I couldn't stand with him. Really. But we helped to open his eyes as well.

I don't know if Gaius will lead anything from Garlemald still, but I hope he will do. I like him a lot and I found him so much interesting and hoping to become friends and see his story.

[Lord_Umbra]

Well, Gaius didn't do all good things but when you are sure about your own nation is "right" when you are a soldier, you'll do everything for make win your own nation, even if the power used is too expensive... Gaius didn't break any lives (intentionally), he is doing what he thinks is good. Livia wanted to go with him, (like what happened in Wherlyt quests). For Fordola, she makes her own decision, Gaius didn't force her to become anything, and what happened to her parents is very sad but isn't the people of Ala Mhigo who commited that tragedy ? I don't say Garlemald is clear but accusing Gaius only is bad for me. Gaius is a good person who didn't see the true before we beat him. Like Regula, he wanted to please his nation/Emperor, even if things wasn't good for us.

If I can say, first time I saw Estinien in Heavensward with so much hate for the Dragons without knowing them, I couldn't stand with him. Really. But we helped to open his eyes as well.

I don't know if Gaius will lead anything from Garlemald still, but I hope he will do. I like him a lot and I found him so much interesting and hoping to become friends and see his story.

Estinien's hate was well justified the fools of Dragons targeted the Sons instead of the Fathers, instead of going after the criminals they punished the entire nation & never told them why, which was also that arrogance that cause the mess by essentially telling Humans you'll rule them cause they're weak. I personally see more as opening the Dragons eyes then Isghardians, people who say they remember always & wont forgive are quite the arrogant fools.

As for Gaius guys ruined so many lives wanted to run Ultima Weapons across Eozera which he would've killed any who wouldn't bend, Gaius has probably ruined many lives & killed many parents which may lead many deaths of kids who could've survive without support. I honestly don't want a happy redemption ending for him & if they do he better be killed off even if killed off in a heroic manner I'll accept that, though I know it probably wont go that way cause introduced these orphans to be like look how nice this mass murderer is!

[JeanneOrnitier]

Ronka background stuff from the quest to reach Trusted with the Qitari.

I hope we get a lore book 3 for Norvrandt's nations.

[Evraeh]

Estinien's hate was well justified the fools of Dragons targeted the Sons instead of the Fathers, instead of going after the criminals they punished the entire nation & never told them why, which was also that arrogance that cause the mess by essentially telling Humans you'll rule them cause they're weak. I personally see more as opening the Dragons eyes then Isghardians, people who say they remember always & wont forgive are quite the arrogant fools.

As for Gaius guys ruined so many lives wanted to run Ultima Weapons across Eozera which he would've killed any who wouldn't bend, Gaius has probably ruined many lives & killed many parents which may lead many deaths of kids who could've survive without support. I honestly don't want a happy redemption ending for him & if they do he better be killed off even if killed off in a heroic manner I'll accept that, though I know it probably wont go that way cause introduced these orphans to be like look how nice this mass murderer is!

Well I don't agree really. Gaius didn't say he will kill everything ( men, women or children ) to get Eorzea, He wanted to use Ultima to stop Primals first but did he say he will kill everything in his way ? If you did the quest in Gyr Abania, you will see he didn't want to use Black Rose and stopped all productions already there. And I don't see where it said he ruined so MANY lives ? Tell me when it said ? Why should it be ONLY Gaius' fault ? Garlemald did a mess. But Gaius did what he had to do, in his vision of justice ( who is wrong ). Or maybe, you would like to kill ALL Garlemald ? He deserves his redemption now for opening eyes and I hope he will.

For Estinien and Dragons, why it's justified ? Ishgardian killed so many dragons without know the truth about Thordan's treachery. It's just a mess, Dragons are arrogants but it was right to kill Ratatoskr who wanted to be friends with men ? I can see Estinien to be angry with them but Dragons got their losses as well in children and all. And in french version, Dragons never said they wanted to rule on humans. They are just very arrogants.

[MoofiaBossVal]

Estinien's hate was well justified the fools of Dragons targeted the Sons instead of the Fathers, instead of going after the criminals they punished the entire nation & never told them why, which was also that arrogance that cause the mess by essentially telling Humans you'll rule them cause they're weak. I personally see more as opening the Dragons eyes then Isghardians, people who say they remember always & wont forgive are quite the arrogant fools.

As for Gaius guys ruined so many lives wanted to run Ultima Weapons across Eozera which he would've killed any who wouldn't bend, Gaius has probably ruined many lives & killed many parents which may lead many deaths of kids who could've survive without support. I honestly don't want a happy redemption ending for him & if they do he better be killed off even if killed off in a heroic manner I'll accept that, though I know it probably wont go that way cause introduced these orphans to be like look how nice this mass murderer is!

Agreed.

Personally, I can't accept Gaius as my friend because he straight up massacred my old Scion friends. He sent Livia into the Waking Sands and she executed almost everyone there. And then Gaius kept sending soldiers after us all throughout 2.0, even trying to get Biggs and Wedge. Then he was going to use the Ultima Weapon to start blowing up cities until Eorzea surrendered.

Post ARR, it feels like the game is trying to retcon him as "misguided but not evil", with him shutting down Black Rose and being presented as "the good governor" of Ala Mhigo before "the evil Zenos took over". The game is presenting him as a cool character, but there is just no getting around the "he murdered hundreds of people and was planning on murdering hundreds more" part. I hope the game doesn't try to force him to become our buddy. I've praised this game before for avoiding the usual anime/JRPG problem of there being a lack of accountability (as most villains in the game tend to meet a timely demise; Zenos and Elidibus are really the only guys left), but the way they're handling Gaius is making me nervous.

[Naria]

On Gaius

While I like Gaius as a character, the WoL's continued dislike and mistrust of him is completely justified. I feel that if SE was going to take the easy way out with Gaius they wouldn't have shown that continuing distrust. Nero also started out as an enemy and is now an ally, and we didn't instantly trust him either.

In 1.0 Gaius was presented as at least being capable of reason and restraint, and served as a foil for Nael. I don't really feel that that "misguided but not evil" is a retcon of Gauis's character in 1.0 and ARR rather that we are learning more about the character (and the Empire) than what we knew before. Characterizing them as misguided doesn't justify what the Gauis (or the Empire) has done which is something that Gaius himself seems very aware of. I think that evil actions can be done by people who aren't inherently evil or for reasons that aren't or at least don't begin as inherently evil is one of the big themes of Shadowbringers as a whole.

I was skeptical of Yotsuyu's patch arc in Stormblood when it began but ended up liking it. The writing overall has been excellent in Shadowbringers (although I think the Eden story in 5.2 was a weak point) so I have hope that whatever arc they have planned for Gaius will make sense within the FFXIV world and plot and not just be shoehorned in because he is a popular character.

/10character

[Lium]

Agreed.

Personally, I can't accept Gaius as my friend because he straight up massacred my old Scion friends. He sent Livia into the Waking Sands and she executed almost everyone there. And then Gaius kept sending soldiers after us all throughout 2.0, even trying to get Biggs and Wedge. Then he was going to use the Ultima Weapon to start blowing up cities until Eorzea surrendered.

Post ARR, it feels like the game is trying to retcon him as "misguided but not evil", with him shutting down Black Rose and being presented as "the good governor" of Ala Mhigo before "the evil Zenos took over". The game is presenting him as a cool character, but there is just no getting around the "he murdered hundreds of people and was planning on murdering hundreds more" part. I hope the game doesn't try to force him to become our buddy. I've praised this game before for avoiding the usual anime/JRPG problem of there being a lack of accountability (as most villains in the game tend to meet a timely demise; Zenos and Elidibus are really the only guys left), but the way they're handling Gaius is making me nervous.

I agree with this. Gaius looks and sounds cool, but this is the same guy that advocated wholesale genocide in order to get what he wanted. Which was essentially, to rule. It didn't matter if he thought he was actually saving Eorzea and making the people there stronger. He wanted them to submit to his will. Period.

Just because he had a change of heart after he realized he was a pawn of Lahabrea's, and then got beat down by the Warrior of Light, does not excuse his past transgressions. Or the fact that he sent his lieutenant in to slaughter several Scions.

People may not like Zenos as a character, but the one thing he does right, is own who he is. Just before the Shinryu fight when you're talking to him, he asks you if you accept him or reject him. If you say you accept him he says something like, "Are we to dance now and be friends?" Basically saying that after everything he's done, are you guys just supposed to let bygones be bygones and be pals? No. You are going to fight to the death.

That was good writing, in my opinion. I hope they do something like that with Gaius.