Revelations from Patch 5.5 (Part 1)

[Lauront]

Okay, here's my theory with the towers (specifically the big one in Garlemald)

As Urianger pointed out, being tempered to a nation instead of a primal is something we've never seen before. And then, we learned that the towers are summoning primals. My theory is Fandaniel and Zenos are trying to, or already have, use the biggest tower in the capital to summon the concept of Garlemald itself as a primal. A primal embodying the idea of Garlemald and what it stands for, explaining how people could become tempered by a nation. And then the beams coming from the smaller towers are broadcasting its tempering to other locations beyond its immediate vicinity.

I don't know how the Lunar Primals fit in, but that's what I think is going on in the imperial capital.

It's a reasonable inference IMO...

Not least of all because if you put the Garleans under a scenario where their beloved homeland is in danger, a saviour figure begins to make sense (this is not too dissimilar to the return of Xande from the grave, even if the means used for that revival differed.) Many things can serve to give rise to a Primal, even fear as in the case of the High Seraph.

As others have mentioned, they do revere their Emperor, but I wonder if Varis's short tenure will be eclipsed in that regard by the founding father's image - Solus, the same man who elevated Garlemald's status in the world after its harsh past. His clones remain an unresolved matter. Someone they could easily use as an embodiment of the concept, although an abstract design for the primal would work. Zenos would technically have the strongest claim to being Emperor, with the civil war abetted, so it may even serve to empower his image directly in such a scenario. Not too dissimilar to Thordan, drawing on the faith his nation had, with some extrinsic power sources on top of that to form a Primal.

It'd imply that their plan isn't so much to use Zodiark as the Primal of choice but as a fuel source for this other Primal, and it also makes sense of Zenos's words about the Empire. They wouldn't need to be so cryptic about Zodiark, I believe, because he is already widely expected to be the Primal whom Zenos takes hold over. This newly revealed approach to deal with "tempering" would also sidestep a lot of the risk that trying to control Zodiark would entail. All this would also be doubly anathema to Emet-Selch, our narrator for 6.0's trailer, so it ties in nicely there too... throw in his dark scion equivalent, Zalera the Death Seraph, and you have a way to tie One Winged Angel to Zenos, for however long he can keep it up...

I am also of the view, as some others, that they're saving Nerva as the "inside" contact for Garlemald, especially as his family had ties to the Populares. Gaius has been put to other uses, and Maxima seems to be more of a bridge character.

[Fenral]

It's a reasonable inference IMO...

I am also of the view, as some others, that they're saving Nerva as the "inside" contact for Garlemald, especially as his family had ties to the Populares. Gaius has been put to other uses, and Maxima seems to be more of a bridge character.

Thirded! If only because...

Nerva is Legatus of the IIIrd, and Larsa's oldest in-series prototype was Alus, from Final Fantasy III. Even Zenos, who was a subversion of the numerical parallels at first, is now following in the footsteps of Vayne Solidor as an unrepentant evil with an immortal puppeteer.

We had literally no reason to care there even was a IIIrd legion specifically, so if Nerva wasn't important, they could have saved us the trouble by not mentioning them at all.

[Veloran]

I am also of the view, as some others, that they're saving Nerva as the "inside" contact for Garlemald, especially as his family had ties to the Populares. Gaius has been put to other uses, and Maxima seems to be more of a bridge character.

I would have to guess that the bridge character won't be Nerva himself, but rather his kid Titus. If Nerva is either dead, tempered, or just uncooperative, Titus would be the last remaining heir to the Garlean throne.

[Lauront]

Nier...

I haven't played the games in the series, but I found the Tower to be the best so far, be it in terms of aesthetics, music or the bosses - especially enjoyed the third one and the creative use of mechanics. Story-wise it does seem to resolve to alien invaders using a portal, so doesn't seem to touch overly much on XIV lore, beyond some thematic parallels with the main story stuff. Dwarf babysitting was sort of funny.

I would have to guess that the bridge character won't be Nerva himself, but rather his kid Titus. If Nerva is either dead, tempered, or just uncooperative, Titus would be the last remaining heir to the Garlean throne.

Titus is Solus's second son. As far as I recall, lord Nerva is a cousin of Varis (therefore he'd be the son of Titus.) The reference in the story to Titus having no "ready heir" as at the time he attempted to assassinate Zenos could imply a considerable age gap between father and son (and possibly also first son of Solus and second, therefore allowing a sizeable age gap with his cousin, Varis.)