Predictions for 5.3?

[Rosenstrauch]

It really does seem like what we're going to have to do is run around Norvrandt dealing with would-be heroes, doesn't it? On the one hand, I'm not terribly surprised—I fully expected we'd be pitted against them. On the other hand, the idea that we have to travel across at least a good chunk of Norvrandt to deal with these folks is pretty huge in scope. It's a little hard to imagine that Elidibus has caused that much chaos. And on the third hand, it could very well turn out to be a totally shocking swerve. I mean, the preview boss's outfit is so out there that my immediate reaction was "Is she related to Scathach?" and that was followed up with "Whoever she is, she's not from Norvrandt".

Mystery Trial is still a mystery, natch. Even given the Crystal Tower requirement going forward, it's hard to guess what it's going to entail. Or if the mystery trial is even going to be tied to it. Were they this cagey about the Final Steps of Faith and Castrum Fulminis? My gut instinct says we're going to have to fight the Exarch, but I can't imagine why we'd fight him to begin with—if he's really so keen on sacrificing himself, why would he force that on us instead of taking his own life?

Finally, though this is less speculation and more grumping, I've been doing a lot of writing in the past few months, and that writing has prompted a lot of reflecting on my past thoughts and bits of Shadowbringers' writing in regards to Ryne. She's still my favorite new character from this expansion, but I sincerely hope we don't get a repeat of Eden's Verse: Refulgence* with her. I doubt there's even a chance of it happening in 5.3, as she's basically been pushed out of the main character slot there, but I feel like there's a high chance of it happening in 5.4 when we get the final Eden wing.

To elaborate:
Ryne's decision to become Shiva is half-baked and her reasoning for doing so is nothing but wishful thinking.
She brushes off everyone's misgivings with her plan.
The Warrior of Light is not allowed to argue against her in our only dialogue choice, not that it matters because Ryne strong arms everyone into getting her way anyways.
Ryne not only loses control instantly, but seemingly empowers Shiva due to being the Oracle of Light, and as a result Shiva is able to try and kick off a new Flood of Light on two separate occasions.
If not for Gaia's intervention on the second attempt, Shiva would have killed literally everyone.
Ryne, of course, apologizes, but her own words on the subject: I'm so sorry, everyone. I clearly have a long way to go before I can handle that kind of power.

In other words, the lesson Ryne has taken from this is not "wow, that was actually a terrible idea. I should never do that again.", but "I need a bigger power level next time I try this." Even her further dialogue on the subject just reinforces this outlook. The consequences for her failure beyond "Shiva tried to kill the WoL" and "I might've been stuck as Shiva" are completely ignored, and every character interacting with her encourages her to just get over what little hangup she even has with her failure.

The stunt Ryne pulled is one that really deserves to bite her in the backside in 5.4—not that I want it to, but I would appreciate it if the gap between 5.2 and 5.4 gave the writers time to reflect on what they did with Ryne's character and in response they actually try to fix the issue going forward instead of ignoring or, gods help me, repeating it.

And because I've been thinking some more on this, what I'd like/not like to see going forward with Eden, in order from "Worst" to "Best".

Worst:

- Ryne gets another half-baked idea and pushes ahead.
- It blows up in everyone's face and results in 1-all of the third wing's bosses.
- This leads to Gaia having to sacrifice herself to fix the situation.
- This is played off as bittersweet, and the weight of Ryne's failure is once again overlooked.

Second Worst:

- The writers continue to treat Ryne's failure as being inconsequential.
- That's it. That's the last we hear of it. Moving on!

Not What I Want:

- That "ice" crystal that Ryne wanted to make into necklaces for herself and Gaia?
- That's Shiva's still living core, and the consequences of that should go without saying.
- But I'll say it anyways: Remember what Bahamut was doing beneath Carteneau Flats?
- Well, think that, but also with a lot more tempering.
-- I'd find this interesting, but I genuinely believe this would hurt Ryne's characterization to go through. She doesn't need to suffer like this.

Acceptable:

- Ryne acknowledges just how dire her failure really became, and vows not to let it happen again.
- Ryne still believes she needs more power to ensure the above.
- Ryne is proven right. Getting more power DOES save the day.
-- I'm not a fan of this, obviously, but I'll take it over the above.

Good:

- See above, but Ryne is proven wrong and acknowledges it.
-- To elaborate: One idea I had is that she failed to control Shiva because Shiva's goals were entirely at odds with Ryne's.
-- Ryne summoned Shiva with the intent to have her die, but Shiva was born with the goal of using her power to usher in peace.
-- In other words: Ryne failing is the result of her flaws, not her power level.
---EDIT 03: A neat idea I had here is that Ryne, having solved the problem behind Shiva's summoning, sees us backed into a corner for the final raid boss and willfully intervenes to support us... as Shiva. And it actually works because she's changed her approach in trying to control her. Bonus points if the writers acknowledge Shiva as a character distinct from Ryne herself, and have them working together for this. That said, this might just step on the toes of the whole "More power wasn't what she needed" thing, because this is still more power, y'know?
- Ryne also acknowledges her habit of charging ahead on a whim has only ever caused her trouble in the past.
- She resolves to take a more measured approach in the future because of this.

Great:

- See above, but Ryne also acknowledges that she's been pursuing power as a crutch instead of growing out of her bad habits.
- In other words, her pursuit of the Oracle's power may not have been as pure-minded as first presented.
- And her attitude in regards to summoning Shiva was because she let that power go to her head.
- She resolves to stop seeking more power, instead trying to use the power she has more responsibly.

Best:

- See above, but Ryne resolves to permanently give up the Oracle of Light's powers, both because of the aforementioned power-acknowledgement and because those powers are no longer needed.
- Minfilia's soul is—somehow—sundered from hers, allowing her to return to the lifestream. Could be Eden what did it. Could be Hydaelyn. Could even be that their souls never really merged.
- This is setup for Ryne's appearance on the Source in 6.0 as an older and more experienced version of herself...
- ... while also being setup for Minfilia's return in the buildup to dealing with Zodiark. This is both a final new lease on life for her, and a chance to return home—not posthumuously, but for real.

Just Self-Indulgent:

- The WoL gives Ryne and Gaia a crash course on Primals 101. The purpose? To drill into their heads that summoning primals is a necessary evil in only the best case scenario.
- And in anything other than the best case scenario, it's always a net negative for the world at large.
- This is just because I'm not too thrilled with the whole "Summoning Primals for Fun and Profit"-esque approach Eden has had thus far.
- It's like everyone involved just sort of forgot fundamental details like "Primals suck up tons of aether from their surroundings" and "Primals irresistably and irreversably bend the wills of those around them".