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

[Vyrerus]

You continue to claim this with very little evidence. Especially that last part, which is directly contradicted.

Anyway, as to the thread, it's Garlemald confirmed. Assets and art for a Garlean aetheryte were recently datamined.

A Garlean aethereyte huh. That doesn't make very much sense.

[Veloran]

A Garlean aethereyte huh. That doesn't make very much sense.

I think the lore books say that over 30% of the capitol's population is non-racially Garlean. Supposedly if you count non-citizens the actual proportion of ethnic Garleans is relatively low.

[MrThinker]

She blows up one of the pylons around Zurvan just before Regula was killed, and it must have been with Stone III at the time, but she's only shown with her cane out and the pylon exploding.

Doesn't she also fight briefly in the Fate of Stars solo instance as an ally npc?

[Vyrerus]

Doesn't she also fight briefly in the Fate of Stars solo instance as an ally npc?

Yep, she chucks Stone IIs and Stoneskin up until she gets grabbed by the iron claw!

[Vyrerus]

I think the lore books say that over 30% of the capitol's population is non-racially Garlean. Supposedly if you count non-citizens the actual proportion of ethnic Garleans is relatively low.

Sure thing, but then where did they get the aethereytes from? In the Far East, there's an organization responsible for theirs. In Eorzea they were brought in by the Sharlayans. For Garlemald though? Did the purebloods decide, "Yeah, we need our slave population and second citizens to have access to their teleportation magicks." Gonna be more than a bit trite if there just so happens to be some aethereyte smith organization that convinced them to have aethereytes just for their citizenry, and then built them to match Garlean aesthetics.

[Veloran]

From the concept art, they based their own on Allagan aetherytes.

[Vyrerus]

The origin of design is less important than the, "Why?" and then the, "Who is maintaining this network?"

[Kesey]

You continue to claim this with very little evidence. Especially that last part, which is directly contradicted.

Anyway, as to the thread, it's Garlemald confirmed. Assets and art for a Garlean aetheryte were recently datamined.

I'm sorry. I didn't realize that when Emet says that the Final Days were the Ancient's hubris that I couldn't use that as evidence to claim the Final Days were the Ancient's fault...

And this is in no way a Garlemald expansion confirmation. If what you've shown is Garlean, and since the expansion is at least 7 to 8 months out, what you've shown is something that will most likely be in Werlyt or Bozja (which I guess could also include Landis and Dalmasca too).

And in the event it is for the unannounced expansion, I really looks more Allagan than Garlean. Like it would be technological ruins, like a spaceport on the moon or a space rocket facility on the source. And this synchs up with what we know lorewise about Allagans using aether and Garleans can't.

[FrightfulNight]

I'm sorry. I didn't realize that when Emet says that the Final Days were the Ancient's hubris that I couldn't use that as evidence to claim the Final Days were the Ancient's fault...

And this is in no way a Garlemald expansion confirmation. If what you've shown is Garlean, and since the expansion is at least 7 to 8 months out, what you've shown is something that will most likely be in Werlyt or Bozja (which I guess could also include Landis and Dalmasca too).

And in the event it is for the unannounced expansion, I really looks more Allagan than Garlean. Like it would be technological ruins, like a spaceport on the moon or a space rocket facility on the source. And this synchs up with what we know lorewise about Allagans using aether and Garleans can't.

Except it is black like Garlean architecture, we see an Allagan design to show that it was probably what inspired it then we see the Garlean design with the black less advanced magiteck on it. Besides the coloring there are other markers that point to it being Garlean design such as the architecture around what appears to be the ventilation system, or perhaps it is just decorative, resembling other works of Garlean design such as their buildings, armor, and machines that are tell tale signs of it being more Garlean than Allagan. there is also other Garlean art in the picture as well such as what looks like a new armor design (it was explained in SB that there a multiple variants depending on what part of the world they are in).

As for why they have an Aetheryte it is possible that they had other purposes besides just teleportation, also as mentioned before even in the Garlean capitol I believe there is a large no Garlean population, either elites from throughout the empire that have risen to that status, like Yotsuyu's family or Jeromis's wife, or even holdouts from the Garlean republic.

Also you have made it known that you do not want the expansion to be Islabard so this does not add credence that it is not a Garlean Aetheryte since that would confirm it is in fact Islabard. But by that same token I am also pretty biased in wanting it to be Islabard so what I say cannot be taken as 100% fact either. But we are less then a week away from a possible 6.0 announcement and that artwork looks really authentic so we will just have to see come Friday and see if we can gaige if it will in fact be Islabard or not. And just because it is does not mean Sharlyan will not play a part in the expansion as well. I have pointed out I still expect it to be the main hub city, just with the Exploration zones and Endgame hub all being in Islabard (except the final mystery zone which I still imagine will be the moon).

[EdwinLi]

I'm sorry. I didn't realize that when Emet says that the Final Days were the Ancient's hubris that I couldn't use that as evidence to claim the Final Days were the Ancient's fault...

And this is in no way a Garlemald expansion confirmation. If what you've shown is Garlean, and since the expansion is at least 7 to 8 months out, what you've shown is something that will most likely be in Werlyt or Bozja (which I guess could also include Landis and Dalmasca too).

And in the event it is for the unannounced expansion, I really looks more Allagan than Garlean. Like it would be technological ruins, like a spaceport on the moon or a space rocket facility on the source. And this synchs up with what we know lorewise about Allagans using aether and Garleans can't.

In my opinion, I think 6.0 to 6.3 will bring a end to the entire storyline of Zodiark/Ascians which means they may conclude everything related to Ascians and Zodiark through the story of 6.0 to 6.3.

To truely do this, they have to resolve the many questions of what the Sound is, bring the WoL into Garlemald to conclude the long storyline of building towards the eventual arrival to Garlemald, and forever end the Ascian as a threat. The entire storyline for Season 1 (2.0 to 6.3 MSQ) has always been building up for WoL to eventually arrive into Garlemald. It will not feel right if the long Season 1 storyline that has been building up Garlemald does not include Garlemald as one of the explorable regions when it literally ends so the developers can finally move on to the new Season 2 storyline that is meant to be a new storyline separate from the Ascians and Zodiark in 7.0+ MSQ. 6.0 to 6.3 MSQ is after all the finale of the entire Season 1 storyline thus it is expected they have prepared to end everything related to the Ascians and Zodiark there which Garlemald is among many of the Ascians plans.

In 5.0 they already resolved that the Allagan Empire was just another creation of Emet plans which then extends into Garlean Empire being just another attempt in this era.

As for Sharlayan, it is a 50/50 chance in my opinion because there has been little lore showing signs of Sharlayan opening up their gates to outsiders. If anything, throughout Season 1 storyline people may have been leaving Sharlayan but they never return to Sharlayan. Heck they even attempted to assassinate the Astrologian Job teacher simply because she was attempting to bring Sharlayan Astrologian knowledge to Eorzea. However, with the Garlean Empire weakening and the unknown towers appearing all over the world, Sharlayan may consider opening their Gates depending on what happens during 5.5/5.55 MSQ and what they reveal in 6.0 Cinematic trailer.

As for what we may expect, my guess remains that Garlemald is only 50% of the region we will have access to since developers may use the ruined Garlean Empire Capital as the new Reconstruction for 6.X era. The other 50% to my best guess is Sharlayan since it has been a location that had many allies we know now arrive and will fit into being the location where we can gain possible knowledge about the Towers.

Presentation wise, there is only two ways I can see this going in 6.0 being....

1) 6.0 begins with a push into Garlemald but everything goes wrong when attempting to destroy the first Tower thus WoL is forced to go into Sharlayan then return once they gained the knowledge to destroy the tower and free everyone under its control. Of course Sharlayan politics gets involved and WoL with his friends are now stuck in Sharlayan until they can resolve the issue there before they can return to Eorzea and destroy the Towers there so the Alliance can begin their push into Garlemald.

or

2) 5.55 provide us the introduction to enter Sharlayan either by a NPC representing Sharlayan or a current character present us with the reason. Then through half of 6.0 we deal with Sharlayan, their politics to convince them to join the fight, and destroy the tower located their first while we get glimps of the Eorzea's alliance progress into Garlemald. After that we return to Eorzea and go through the locations the Alliance already claimed and make our way into the Garlean Capital only to find little resistance due to how much the place has fallen to ruin. From there the other 50% of the MSQ focus on dealing with Fandaniel's plans as he already prepared the stage where Zenos and WoL will fight in Garlemald.

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As for what type of Sharlayan politcs maybe involved, well I suspect they will remain stubbern with keeping their own knowledge to themselves thus by their laws legally preventing WoL and his allies from leaving Sharlayan with the knowledge to destroy the Towers until WoL and his/her allies can convince the leadership of Sharlayan they are being idiotic and stubbern for letting the rest of the world burn while they remain safe from the destruction happening outside their country due to their isolation policy. Of course there could be intentional attempt to let the rest of the world burn while they remain the only Civilization safe from the Destruction caused by the Towers thus opening up a antagonist in Sharlayan, who will either die there or escape to Fandaniel's side or Zeno's side so he or she can be a boss near the finale.

This may turn WoL and his/her allies that join him/her to Sharlayan into wanted criminals in Sharlayan thus a lot of locations, movement around Sharlayan, and NPCs may treat WoL as a wanted criminal for breaking Sharlayan laws which will be a possible reason why WoL and his/her allies can't leave Sharlayan (and probably restricted to certain locations in Sharlayan due to lore reasons of avoiding places where people can recognize WoL) until a specific moment in 6.0 MSQ. Worst case, WoL may end up being spearated from his/her allies and alone in Sharlayan thus forced into hiding, constantly on the run, and trying not to attract too much attention in the more shady side of Sharlayan where people don't ask too many question and are not fully aware of WoL's status in Sharlayan yet until he/she is no longer marked as a wanted criminal.

If one of the twins or both joins WoL then we may even expect Alphinaud and/or Alisaie to be locked up in their home by their own father since he is established to have always been against the twins leaving Sharlayan to help the outside world.