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

[RyuDragnier]

Am I the only one who thinks Zenos has long overstayed his welcome and needs to be perma-dead before 6.0 comes out? At this point I don't care where we go as long as Zenos is gone and we're onto something new. I feel like his story would have been much stronger if he never came back from the Royal Menagerie and that was it for him. Yostuyu's return from the grave was a nice surprise, but having both villains coming back after supposedly dying felt a little goofy and made it feel like our efforts weren't well rewarded. Zenos continuing to be doing Zenos things gets a little tiring for 2 expansions when he's not even that interesting of a character.

It would be nice if Zenos finally kicks the bucket in 5.5 and then we go to Garlemald to finish the fight in 6.0. 7.0 can be time for something completely different like Treasures of Aht Urghan was for FFXI. The preceding expansion, Chains of Promathia left with us killing god and finishing all the known story ties to the MSQ and ToAU sent us across the sea for a story that had almost no relation to the Crystal War and the Shadowlord and it was new and refreshing. Maybe we can have a vacation from Allagans, Ascians, and Garleans and new players could start this story directly after ARR and won't necessarily need to go through the row of expansions or pay for a skip.

He won't be dead at 6.0, it's likely we'll just kill Fandaniel, and Zenos will only die at 6.3, ending things with him, while also allowing an Author's Saving Throw.

[KageTokage]

He won't be dead at 6.0, it's likely we'll just kill Fandaniel, and Zenos will only die at 6.3, ending things with him, while also allowing an Author's Saving Throw.

If they're sticking to the pattern, I feel like both of them are liable to be dealt with by the end of 6.0 and a new problem is going to arise in their wake.

There's going to be a huge mess to clean up in Ilsabard/Garlemald in the aftermath of their meddling as it's extremely unlikely that all of the Garleans are going unanimously agree on who their new ruler is going to be, nor will they readily accept peace with Eorzea and their other neighbors.

[Kesey]

If they're sticking to the pattern, I feel like both of them are liable to be dealt with by the end of 6.0 and a new problem is going to arise in their wake.

There's going to be a huge mess to clean up in Ilsabard/Garlemald in the aftermath of their meddling as it's extremely unlikely that all of the Garleans are going unanimously agree on who their new ruler is going to be, nor will they readily accept peace with Eorzea and their other neighbors.

I think this is the goal, with Gaius as the likely candidate to take over the Empire. Although the Empire may galvanize under a more solid, not Ascian aligned, ruler, as Zenos and Fandaniel have seemingly dealt with the Populares and stopped the civil war off screen.