Predictions for 5.3?

[Aeliott]

(sorry, phone, can't edit ><)

...I don't quite subscribe for that reason.

But what if this guy with Zenos is unsundered, but not a convocation member? Is that a possibility? Zenos remarks of his soul when he appears, so to me that says he's either significantly less "sundered" than other souls, or alternatively his hue matches someone Zenos knows....us? (Maybe we're both the defector!). I'm really just spitballing because I want to know more about this guy :P

His 5.1 line "your next prey......Zodiark", implies he wants Zenos to kill Zodiark, which means he at least isn't on the side of the convocation, right?

[MrThinker]

(sorry, phone, can't edit ><)

...I don't quite subscribe for that reason.

But what if this guy with Zenos is unsundered, but not a convocation member? Is that a possibility? Zenos remarks of his soul when he appears, so to me that says he's either significantly less "sundered" than other souls, or alternatively his hue matches someone Zenos knows....us? (Maybe we're both the defector!). I'm really just spitballing because I want to know more about this guy :P

His 5.1 line "your next prey......Zodiark", implies he wants Zenos to kill Zodiark, which means he at least isn't on the side of the convocation, right?

Hmm, I think it unlikely he is unsundered, because his knowledge of the Final Days is "second-hand" as he says so himself. And he seems aware that Emet-Selch was Solus, implying he had some Ascian insider knowledge.

[rainichan]

Hmm, I think it unlikely he is unsundered, because his knowledge of the Final Days is "second-hand" as he says so himself. And he seems aware that Emet-Selch was Solus, implying he had some Ascian insider knowledge.

Yeah, this. It's likely that he's a Lesser Ascian that was raised up to some level from either the Source (if it is indeed Chihuahua Man) or from elsewhere. My bet is on Elidibus since the last white cloak we saw that Elidibus had a hand in was Unukalhai, and he just needs someone to make sure things are going well on the Source while he's away on the First stirring up trouble... so why not raise up an Ascian to do just that?

[Vyrerus]

Yeah, this. It's likely that he's a Lesser Ascian that was raised up to some level from either the Source (if it is indeed Chihuahua Man) or from elsewhere. My bet is on Elidibus since the last white cloak we saw that Elidibus had a hand in was Unukalhai, and he just needs someone to make sure things are going well on the Source while he's away on the First stirring up trouble... so why not raise up an Ascian to do just that?

Chihuahua Man, lmao. I'm totally calling him that when I get to him in my LP.

[rainichan]

Chihuahua Man, lmao. I'm totally calling him that when I get to him in my LP.

LOL glad to be of service! I just call it like I see it

[Cereza]

I think the Exarch is going to die but not stay dead.

Given how the last couple patches have been about research into the soul and developing of special Auracite so that the Scions could be safely returned to their vessels, to turn around and say "just kidding, the Exarch dies and that's it, that's how we solve it, moving on now~" would be a massive slap in the face for the past year and a half of distractions if that research goes unused. Particularly since everything after the climax of Shadowbringers has been "How do we save the Exarch?"

But we do know that the soul infusion process they were going to use would be the same as what Unei and Doga used on G'raha to transfer control over the Tower, and that the Exarch was experimenting with that same process himself with the auracite. And that whatever he did to extend his life with the Tower, he's only got a matter of time even if Elidibus doesn't kill him.

My theory is that the Crystal Exarch is going to die on the First, which will allow the Scions to be returned, but -- given how much importance has been placed on the ties between memory and soul this expansion (including us surfing memories in the Bozjan storyline, the memory of Amaurot, etc), and the emphasis on "memory" in the trailer -- that he will have infused enough of his soul into the auracite that it can be used as a vessel for his own memories to be transferred into another vessel, and that he will give us a means to re-awaken the Crystal Tower to get inside.
Then we'll go back to the Source and give the auracite to G'raha so that we can have a pseudo-Exarch who lives on through him without having to make the same sacrifices. Then G'raha will be honorarily inducted into the Scions and have his own arc about coming to terms with having two lives, maybe even having a bit of a bond with his other soul like we did with Ardbert or Ryne did with Minfilia.

(Something else worth considering is that reawakening the Tower could then lead to an expansion about Meracydia, including what we learned of it during the Warring Triad story. Food for thought.)

I feel *if* the plan is to wake G’raha and have him become a new party member, it wouldn’t make much sense for him to have no knowledge about what happened in the First with his other self and us. He’d need that knowledge to be an adventure companion because future events will be affected by what happened in the First. So if he would be filled in on everything that happened, why not just have him actually remember? I recall in CT, he would experience remembering things he nor anyone else alive should have any knowledge of. Once receiving Unei and Doga’s blood, he remembered specific things much more clearly. Maybe by a similar mechanism, it could happen again?

[RyuDragnier]

I feel *if* the plan is to wake G’raha and have him become a new party member, it wouldn’t make much sense for him to have no knowledge about what happened in the First with his other self and us. He’d need that knowledge to be an adventure companion because future events will be affected by what happened in the First. So if he would be filled in on everything that happened, why not just have him actually remember? I recall in CT, he would experience remembering things he nor anyone else alive should have any knowledge of. Once receiving Unei and Doga’s blood, he remembered specific things much more clearly. Maybe by a similar mechanism, it could happen again?

I would guess this is what is going to happen with Exarch. He'll die in the First, but his memories and everything will be given to present G'raha via a device we give him. This would allow him to live on and also bring our G'raha into the team easily due to now knowing everything that happened in both the future world and the First. It may also give him the ability to "link" to the First and see what's going on there without exactly being there himself.

[Archwizard]

It may also give him the ability to "link" to the First and see what's going on there without exactly being there himself.

While I don't necessarily see that happening (since that is a bit of a jump with zero precedent), that could be an interesting development. Someone else with their own Echo-lite powers on the team (since Minfilia is gone) to serve as a psychically gifted info-dump, without necessarily being a backup WoL.

I know it wouldn't really be the Echo (since the Exarch and G'raha display none) and that's tied to Ascian heritage, but all manner of psychic powers we've seen so far - our/Minfilia/Arenvald's retrocognition, Krile's telepathy, Mikoto's precognition, etc. - have been tied to the Echo so when someone brings up ESP, it's an obvious comparison.

[Alleluia]

Domans storyline came into play in 2.1. Then they're an active part of MSQ plotlines all the way up to the end of HW, where Gosetsu shows up. It wasn't really a matter of if we would go to Doma but when, and so it didn't need as much of a build up in HW.

I think people were really only disappointed with less Ala Mhigo, because most of the leveling and build up takes place in the Far Eastern zones, where the Ala Mhigan ones are the bread to good part of the sandwich. In fact that's a really apt comparison when looking at zone design. Ala Mhigo basically all desert and sandstone with a little garnish. Far East zones colorful and vibrant, stand out in a crowd sort of places.

I keep hoping they'll do something with the Ala Mhighan quarter similar to the rebuilds of Ishgard and the Doman Enclave. Or add Ala Mhigo city proper as a city state. Place is so bare.

[Vyrerus]

I keep hoping they'll do something with the Ala Mhighan quarter similar to the rebuilds of Ishgard and the Doman Enclave. Or add Ala Mhigo city proper as a city state. Place is so bare.

It would be nice, as I've always like Ala Mhigo and all references to it. I don't think they ever will though