If 6.0 is truly the end of the Garlemald/Zodiark vs. Hydaelyn story arc, I sincerely hope we'll actually be going to Garlemald and I think we probably will. I know a lot of people took Yoshida's comments of looking back at Heavensward to get an idea for what is coming next to mean we'll be dealing with more dragons and that Meracydia would be the next location, but I thought of it more as a continuation of theme of HW of not just defeating villains but also mending relations.

While killing Thordan and Nidhogg were integral to ending the Dragonsong War, convincing the citizens and noble houses of Ishgard that the thousand year war every level of society focused on was wrong and that change must come was another huge step and I think a similar sentiment would be carried in a hypothetical Garlemald campaign. Going into Garlemald means not just facing the military, but the civilians for the first time and so far we've only heard only some thoughts that they have toward the empire, such as truly believing that they are helping the "savages", they don't like the conquest but ending the eikon menace is truly a benevolent thing, and fear of speaking out against the empire in general. I think actually going through Garlean territory to stop whatever machinations Zenos and Fandaniel have planned will allow the Eorzean Alliance to actual make their case directly to the people and help stabilize the chaos the empire has been thrown in to.

I know there is some sentiment that Garlemald is too "obvious" of a next expansion and that there will be another curve ball like The First was for Shadowbringers, but now that we are in 5.3 I think of Shadowbringers as less of curveball and more as the long thought of "Ascian expansion" when all is said and done. For the immediate threat of Ascian machinations, the end of the Unsundered has pretty much tied up all the original plans they had for the rejoinings in restoring the world that was. With Fandaniel gleefully acknowledging their absence and freedom to do whatever he feels like, while there are still ascians around, I feel like the "Ascian" part of the "Ascian/Garlemald" storyline has concluded.

As for Sharlayan, I strongly suspect whatever caused the sound that ended the world of the Ancients will be the next "story arc" as the Ascian/Garlemald menace was for ARR (and before) to 6.0 and I think Sharlayan will probably have a role to play in discovering what that is all about. For all their reputation of collecting knowledge, they might have the greatest repository of information about the world of the Ancients since Amourot itself and they have seem to keep Ascian interference out of their society if Emmeroloth is any example. I wonder how interacting with them will turn out if they are truly hellbent on keeping all their secrets to themselves.