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

[FrightfulNight]

I know there is a lot of speculation that it will be Meracydia but for me there just does not seem to be any pressing issue there for it to be the location of the season 1 story line. It may have a rich history but at the moment there really is not much there, i do imagine we will go there someday, perhaps as a time travel X-pack but i do not se that being the case right after ShB.

If it is the season 1 finale then it has to be either Sharlyan or Islabard, with Garlemald included of course, and in fact i feel it Needs to include Both for the finale other wise there will be some loose ends, since Sharlyan is small i imagine it will be our main Hub city similar to Kugane of it being only a hub city and maybe one zone and the rest will be Islabard, not all of it but obviously Garlemald and 4 or 5 other zones. I do not imagine it will be as spilt as SB though i imagine Sharlayn will serve similar prominence as Ishgard did in HW and then the zone exploration and endgame city will be in Islabard. maybe the final zone will be the moon, I felt it would be for years but now i am not so sure, it might just be a dungeon trial and raid series.

In my mind we need both Sharlyan and Garlemald for this to be the finale, that way we can move on to new story arch's, antagonists, and territories in 7.0 and maybe there can be a larger time gap between 6.0 and 7.0 for them to fix up some spaghetti code issues in the game and work on other goodies since it will feel as though most current arch's are wrapped up

[TheMightyMollusk]

I'm not convinced Azys Lla is going to have anything to do with it. The Vanu know of the location - vaguely - but they've never been shown to visit or watch over it.

According to the Heavensward allied beast tribe quests, the Vanu know where it is, but they consider it cursed ground and going there is a huge taboo. Probably because of all of the murderous alchemical monsters.

They had the key, but other than that and Allag implicitly creating them like the Ixal there's no known connection between the two.

Where was it said that Allag created the Vanu? I don't recall that coming up, and they don't particularly resemble any Allagan creations.

[Morningstar1337]

Where was it said that Allag created the Vanu? I don't recall that coming up, and they don't particularly resemble any Allagan creations.

Might be because of the Ixal which like the Vanu are avian bipeds but unlike them were confirmed to be created by Allag. Plus y'now the key being on their turf in the first palce

[Cilia]

Where was it said that Allag created the Vanu? I don't recall that coming up, and they don't particularly resemble any Allagan creations.

Key word "implicitly." Their protection and veneration of the key to Azys Lla suggests the Allagans charged them with the task, the truth of which has since been lost to history. Given the Allagans' creation of other slave races (Ixal / Iksalion, not to mention myriad other creatures) it's a plausible conclusion. (Again, implicitly, not explicitly.)

[MikkoAkure]

Might be because of the Ixal which like the Vanu are avian bipeds but unlike them were confirmed to be created by Allag. Plus y'now the key being on their turf in the first palce

Allagan stuff was found where the Au ra (Azim Steppe) homelands are too but that doesn’t mean they were fabrications like the Ixal were. The fact that Ixal are Allagan-made is explicitly stated in the game. But I don’t even think there’s anything that implies that Vanu are the same.

[Seraphor]

If 6.0 is going to tie up loose ends with Hydaelyn, and I think it's gotta be a Sharlayan focused expansion.
There's hints that they, or someone there, knows something, or there is some ancient Sharlayan knowledge that could pertain to her.
I'm not too sure Sharlayan alone is enough for an entire expansion, so I'm expecting a split again kinda like SB's Al Ahmigo/Othard split, and where it is split with I have no idea. Could be Islabard, could be Meracydia, could be the New World.
But I'm thinking now that they'll save the meat of Meracydia for a future expansion.

Coming back to Matoya in 5.4 could be paving the way to going to Sharlayan, or it could be a red herring, seeing as I wouldn't expect anything concrete until 5.5, but you never know, it could be a longer build up. Scions started disappearing at 4.4 didn't they?

[Erendis]

Yes, Thancred was gone as soon as Y'shtola tampered with allagan relics in Azim steppe.

What could be the reason to go back to Matoya's? Last time we went there was so that Krile could trace scions souls. At this point it does not seem that we would need something from her since everyone is back safely. Unless there's a problem with G'raha after all...

Matoya now says:

Matoya: So, Shtola's back. Has been for a good while now. Yet the girl hasn't bothered to pay me a visit. Hmph.
Matoya: Well, perhaps she has her reasons. Wouldn't be the first time she hid from me after doing something embarrassing. In any case, it makes no odds to me. I prefer my peace and quiet.

[Rosenstrauch]

What could be the reason to go back to Matoya's? Last time we went there was so that Krile could trace scions souls. At this point it does not seem that we would need something from her since everyone is back safely. Unless there's a problem with G'raha after all...

Based on our last two meetings with Hydaelyn and knowing that Matoya's crystal ball is an ancient crystal of light, my gut says we might be trying to contact Hydaelyn—perhaps to have a chat with her over what we've learned, or for some other purpose. Or maybe Hydaelyn's recovered enough to contact us, but no more than that, prompting that chain of events. But it could just as easily be a problem with G'raha's soul, or needing some long-sealed knowledge or device to deal with a problem elsewhere. Or perhaps we're poking around in her basement without her knowledge because she's away from home, having been recalled to Sharlayan out of necessity or by force. Y'know, to see if we can figure out why before we go chasing after her or something.

[Cilia]

The order of the Callings is, in order:

Thancred: Called during an Alliance meeting in Ala Mhigo after sharing his plan of using subterfuge to sow dissent within Garlemald using a rumor about Zenos being possessed. (Funnily enough, this is wholly true.)
Urianger / Y'shtola: Called at the end of 5.4, in the Rising Stones while Urianger tries to share his theories about what's going on.
Alphinaud: Called when we're talking with Hien about Seiryu's Wall, I believe; delivered by Gaius when we go to test the thing out.
Alisae: Called after the battle in the Ghimlyt Dark.
PC: Called proper after clashing with Zenos-Elidibus, but doesn't travel to the First before picking up a beacon in the Syrcus Trench that lets G'raha get a proper lock on them at the outset of 6.0.

Without context, it's difficult if not impossible to say exactly what's going on with "Matoya's Relic[t]" or what Sonu Vanu is doing in Ishgard. All that can really be said is that Matoya being present suggests Sharlayan involvement (possibly; she is an exile like the former Circle of Knowing, after all). Matoya's presence vaguely pushes things toward Sharlayan, but... we'll see.

[Kesey]

Yes, Thancred was gone as soon as Y'shtola tampered with allagan relics in Azim steppe.

What could be the reason to go back to Matoya's? Last time we went there was so that Krile could trace scions souls. At this point it does not seem that we would need something from her since everyone is back safely. Unless there's a problem with G'raha after all...

Matoya now says:

Matoya: So, Shtola's back. Has been for a good while now. Yet the girl hasn't bothered to pay me a visit. Hmph.
Matoya: Well, perhaps she has her reasons. Wouldn't be the first time she hid from me after doing something embarrassing. In any case, it makes no odds to me. I prefer my peace and quiet.

Based on what Matoya says above, I'm assuming that's the 5.4 easter egg. Y'shtola speaking with Matoya about she learned on The First, specifically what she found in the Anemnesis Anyder (because we left her there between 5.2 and 5.3), her subsequent kidnapping from Elidibus didn't give her a chance to explain what she found, followed by the creepy sound made when saying goodbye to Runar, all imply that she has learned something that hasn't been shared with the group. Waiting until she can get Matoya and the Scions in the same room to reveal what she knows is probably the next step.

And now that we know Matoya is associated with the new dungeon lends credence to this.

Let me be clear, I don't think Y'shtola has a hidden agenda, but clearly knows more than she is letting on, and probably needs to talk to Matoya or get something from Matoya to be 100% sure about the secret she is going to reveal.