6.0 Predictions: Will it be Garlemald, Sharlayan, or Meracydia?

[Morningstar1337]

First I think that Sharlayan and Ilsabard both will be out, because Garlemald is the current antagonists after the Ascians and because I think that Sharlayan will become the antagonists that would replace both.

I think that once the Garlean threat is over,a faction will rise up in Sharlayan, an antithesis of the Scions that seeks to use their vast knowledge to control the world. Either to steal and seal away all the world's knowledge to prevent another Warof the Magi, a bid for World Domination and supremacy, or both.

I also think that they will try to target the Warrior of Light because they are now privy to knowledge that would help in these endeavors, namely that of creation magicks, the shards and the true nature of the poles. And that the Scions were also be targeted by them for similar reasons as well as their obvious ties to the nation.

With that said this means that 6.0 will see the fall of Garlemald as an empire and the rise of Sharlayan as such, also opening up the possibility to visit the former...in 7.0

But that still doesn't answer the question of where we are going for 6.0. To which I think there are threefold possibilities

• Assuming a correlation between the Heavenward and subversion of expectations statements, as well as the aforementioned theory of Sharlayan being the next villain faction, this leaves Meracidia as the obvious choice. As Azys Lla in general does link it to Heavensward, as well as the Coil raids also being tied to the place (it being Bahamut's home), and would also close the book on the First Brood by introducing the last dragon and Tiamat's peer whose name currently escapes me. (EDIT: Okay So I was wrong on there being only 1 dragon left, there were actually 2, Vitra and Azdaja)
• However, Hingashi is also a likely candidate, as that continent has direct ties to Meracydia, and is in a status simialr to Ishgard in 2.0 (only one zone being assessable, granted its the hub so I'm assuming Kugane is a capital city and that if not, than the actual capital would be like Eulmore) and would serve as a foil to Sharlayan given both are currently isolationists. One side being allied to Erorzea, the other going against it
• However there is the New World as a final possibility (and the most big brained one, as it assumes there is no correlation between the statements and that the HW line was meant as a red herring, or that whether ties to HW that are there are because of more recent developments or minor things overall)

I'm also thinking that AST might have a shot of being 7.0's poster job, as it is Sharlayan in origin but was taught to us against their will, and that it will represent a theme of fate and that as a Job that is forbidden knowledge, that Sharlayan will be the bad guys.