6.0 Story Speculations

[myahele]

I always thought the horns were an homage to other Final Fantasy Summoners having horns. Maybe those horns were ancient even by the time of Amaurot assuming that's were they originated from?

[Tracewood]

So they did say Radz-At-Han is our destination, though we didn't get any hints on why we should go there first. Unless Krile's Meracydia trek bore some fruit but to gain their favor it would require us to go there first to gather something of importance, or to search for a high ranking scholar. And as usual we have to help this settlement deal with their own problems to "earn their trust" and the scholar or whomever will be long gone to another place. We still have the second half of 5.5 so I can't say for sure if that's the course we'd take.

Halfway through 6.0 we are now required to go to Garlemald, to get to the bottom of the huge structure they have built. This is the second half, and it will eventually lead us to the moon, but before we can get there, we have to go back to Meracydia and gain their help.

As for another wild guess. Zenos will join us as a temporary truce, and possible trust after the end of the game. Fandanny will betray him but dies in the process, and there will be an even bigger bad that will deny Zenos of what he desired. Zenos joins us with the sole motivation for revenge, then turn on the WoL so he could sate his thirst for the ultimate battle to end all things. However the twist is, Zenos was groomed to be the vessel and is unaware, so that betrayal backfires and the real end boss is born...

Or... they're just going to make Zenos some eldritch abomination God thing like Safer Sephiroth and we have to kill it with fire.

[WhiteArchmage]

Snip

I'd like to expand on this in that the Ascians we know don't JUST fit the titles of their correspondent Scion of Darkness, but also their Scion of Light.

Igeyorhm, the Martyr, is the first to actively lose a shard when the Thirteenth is too far gone to be rejoined. Us killing her would also have saved Lahabrea (since we only had the one White Auracite on us) if Thordan hadn't shown up.
Lahabrea the Abyssal Celebrant: Considering he was one of the most involved, especially having the ear of several people in power (Gaius and Thordan), as well as being one of three unsundered. It seems a bit of a stretch but fits him overall.
Loghrif the Transcendent... fits perfectly with the person we know held the seat of Loghrif. She transcended her Ascian life and became an entirely new individual.
Mitron, The Chastiser, spends most of his time raging against the WoL and making them relive twisted versions of their trauma (a fusion of Thancred and Ran'jit for Ryne; the Shadowkeeper for the WoL). Fittingly, Chaos' title of Walker of the Wheel, is a reference to him being stuck in a cycle of death and rebirth. Mitron WAS INDEED locked in the same cycle before Ardbert unintentionally unleashed the Flood of Light with him as Patient Zero.
Emet-Selch, Angel of Truth... need I say more...?
Nabriales, the Majestic... well, he certainly thought of HIMSELF as Majestic.

Ultima and Zodiark/Elidibus notably DON'T have a counterpart, so their only title is "High Seraph" for the former, and "Keeper of Precepts" for the latter.

Now, Fandaniel... his Scion of Light title is THE PROTECTOR. Again, from all we know, it's the exact opposite of Danny. So I'm thinking there's some chickanery afoot in here.

EDIT: If it helps deduce the remaining Ascians' roles. We're still missing:
Pashtarot, Knight-Star, counterpart to The Condemner.
Halmarut, The Arbiter, counterpart to The Judge-Sal
Deudalaphon, The Benevolent, counterpart to The Wroth (THIS should be interesting).
Ultima the High Seraph (again, mentioned above...)

Emmerololth the Holy Queen... counterpart to the Darkening Cloud... got dealt with off-screen in Eureka so idek...

[Lauront]

Most likely the time post-sundering pre-calamity is just conflated with memories of the Ancient era. I don't think the Twelve in any incarnation we would recognize them ever existed, it's just a 12,000 year old game of telephone mixing up the Convocation, Hydaelyn's summoners, and impactful historical figures like Warriors of Light.

I agree. Also, the gradual emergence of the gods, as per the myths, could be viewed through an alternative interpretation: the gradual ascension of the Overlords. My suspicion is that the Ascians may have originally observed man in the 1st Umbral Era, so lingered around for a while, and then decided to proceed with their plan, which would coincide with the supposed departure of the gods. It's also rather telling that the Balance as a card encompasses Azeyma and Nald'thal, who we could say correspond to Azem and Emet-Selch as seats. One to go out into the world (of the living) and provide the Convocation with insight to inform their policies, the other to monitor the aetherial realm (the realm of the souls) and all that occurred in it. I've seen it speculated that the former Emissary may have folded this duty into his in the absence of Azem, which is an interesting take. Either way, I think it is that ancient memory of a body of luminaries in particular fields that guided the star's wellbeing which inspires the Twelve.

The structure of the cave actually implies that there may have once been a fifth mural where the exit to Rak'tika Falls currently exists, and thousands of years of erosion created a passage in that location which washed the image away.



I'd also like to say that examining those murals more closely, I'm about 200% sure Zodiark and Hydaelyn are in fact the same being. Note Zodiark's doubled halos before Hydaelyn appears, and then Hydaelyn's doubled halos when Zodiark is defeated. In the interim panel which shows them contesting each other and roughly equal, they're each smaller and lesser, and only have one, while the cast down Zodiark has none. This would match Hydaelyn's story of how she "excised" Zodiark from herself, fit Lahabrea's description of Hydaelyn as a parasite, and explain how the hell Venat's group were able to summon a being that was equal to a god that it took the sacrifice of half the Ancient's population to create.

Agreed. I think that middle scene is showing the effect her enervation had on him. One way of interpreting the fire behind them is conflict, but in light of all we've seen (and it's been a while since I've given this image a second look), I have to wonder if it's the harbinger of the Final Days. Maybe he had suppressed and caged (but not destroyed) it, and upon his power waning a bit, it re-emerged. Her side may have been concerned about his power, only for the dilution of it to reveal something they did not expect. With the fires around him at the end, again it could've taken possession of him. She tries to sunder it but in so doing inadvertently sunders the entire world with it (this sort of unpredictability might be why Azem was reluctant to lend either side their aid.) Implying if it were to be released once his power is drawn upon by Zenos & co., this thing could be released with it... and then go for her. With that said, another interpretation of the fires is the conflict raging. Either way, the ancients probably would not have realised the precise nature of what was going on in the Aetherial Sea, just that they were warring. It looks almost certain to me now that the Final Days had something set them in motion deliberately. Not to make too much of it either, but the structure in the middle of the scene with the buildings stands out as well, with its crystalline exterior.

There are limitations to this painting in that it's a recreation based on memories within the sundered of the ancient world. Emet does not dispute the overall picture, but possibly only because in broad strokes it conveyed the story correctly. There is also the fact that the Sound and its origins were very elusive even in the ancient world, so that needs to be considered as well - if such a theory were correct, we're talking about extremely esoteric knowledge that not even Hydaelyn chooses to willingly divulge, so that also puts into question whether this represents the sound's cause, or is just representing the violent conflict. The Amano art and their connection by the hip (plus the "no light, no dark" thing - these are interesting in that regard, and particularly the very different vibe the Amano art takes on) may mean the true picture is more complex. I still think Azem's refusal to be involved with either is important in respect of the neutral position this puts them in, and possibly the answer to 5.0's hanging question. Many of us had rushed to assume the 14th led the charge to summon her, but they did not and I think that puts them in a unique position in this whole conflict. I am keen to see how Hades, narrator of the 6.0 trailer and Azem's erstwhile close friend (and in 5.3, rescuer), will feature in it all. Plus, her light (thus, umbral) nature might mean she would be the more perfect prison for a thing such as the sound's cause.

On another note, re-examining this given what we now also makes me wonder. The way it's described there, it shares quite a few traits of the Final Days as a phenomenon. Possibly a red herring, but being an otherworldly summoned monstrosity with such traits, it makes it all the more intriguing.

On a note dealing with Fandaniel, I had a random thought which may explain what's going on with him. It deals with the Ascians we've defeated so far and our fights against them. Each one of them has fit the Scion of Darkness motif in either their actions or their fights, with as of right now, Fandaniel being the outlier (mostly due to screen time).

Lahabrea's Scion of Darkness title is "the Corrupt". From his actions of teaching and encouraging the beast tribes to summon their gods, he is indeed a Corrupter.
Nabriales is "the Impure", and the fight against him involved not only moves that looked wholey unnatural with tendrils of darkness, but he also had a "reverse" realm where the colors were inversed, coming across as completely unnatural. He indeed fits Impure.
Igeyorhm is "the Whisperer", and was the main cause of the 13th being overcome by too much darkness from teaching its warriors dark arts, whispering to them its secrets. In a sense, she fits "the Whisperer"
Emet-Selch is "the Death Seraph", and has not only helped destroy numerous shards, but turns into the literal embodiment of death in his final battle. He definitely fits the title.
Elidibus is the "Keeper of Precepts". Precepts are general rules meant to regulate behavior or thought. He kept all the other Ascians in line with his rules in order to prevent another incident like with the 13th, so he too fits the title.

Now we come to Fandaniel, whose Scion of Darkness title would be "Bringer of Order". Notice instantly the problem? He's not bringing order at all, but sheer chaos, and takes delight in it. This would be the opposite of what his Scion of Darkness title is. If I were to make a wager on what's going on, he is likely corrupted by that which caused The Sound. This would explain why he had to be kept in line so much by Elidibus, and why he's perfectly willing to destroy the world by recreating The Final Days, something that would be the complete opposite of what the Ascians want. It's very likely his death or his plot will result in the return of The Sound's creator.

It was mentioned earlier that there may be FFX vibes in this expansion. If so, then expect The Sound's creator to be a Yu Yevon expy, something that possesses others and corrupts them into doing what it desires, which is apparently full on destruction of everything.

I'd like to expand on this in that the Ascians we know don't JUST fit the titles of their correspondent Scion of Darkness, but also their Scion of Light.

Igeyorhm, the Martyr, is the first to actively lose a shard when the Thirteenth is too far gone to be rejoined. Us killing her would also have saved Lahabrea (since we only had the one White Auracite on us) if Thordan hadn't shown up.
Lahabrea the Abyssal Celebrant: Considering he was one of the most involved, especially having the ear of several people in power (Gaius and Thordan), as well as being one of three unsundered. It seems a bit of a stretch but fits him overall.
Loghrif the Transcendent... fits perfectly with the person we know held the seat of Loghrif. She transcended her Ascian life and became an entirely new individual.
Mitron, The Chastiser, spends most of his time raging against the WoL and making them relive twisted versions of their trauma (a fusion of Thancred and Ran'jit for Ryne; the Shadowkeeper for the WoL). Fittingly, Chaos' title of Walker of the Wheel, is a reference to him being stuck in a cycle of death and rebirth. Mitron WAS INDEED locked in the same cycle before Ardbert unintentionally unleashed the Flood of Light with him as Patient Zero.
Emet-Selch, Angel of Truth... need I say more...?
Nabriales, the Majestic... well, he certainly thought of HIMSELF as Majestic.

Ultima and Zodiark/Elidibus notably DON'T have a counterpart, so their only title is "High Seraph" for the former, and "Keeper of Precepts" for the latter.

Now, Fandaniel... his Scion of Light title is THE PROTECTOR. Again, from all we know, it's the exact opposite of Danny. So I'm thinking there's some chickanery afoot in here.

EDIT: If it helps deduce the remaining Ascians' roles. We're still missing:
Pashtarot, Knight-Star, counterpart to The Condemner.
Halmarut, The Arbiter, counterpart to The Judge-Sal
Deudalaphon, The Benevolent, counterpart to The Wroth (THIS should be interesting).
Ultima the High Seraph (again, mentioned above...)

Emmerololth the Holy Queen... counterpart to the Darkening Cloud... got dealt with off-screen in Eureka so idek...

Good observations - I think that Fandaniel is indeed the most dissonant and it is likely no accident, given his inverted sigil and faded/broken memory crystal.

[Kesey]

Most likely the time post-sundering pre-calamity is just conflated with memories of the Ancient era. I don't think the Twelve in any incarnation we would recognize them ever existed, it's just a 12,000 year old game of telephone mixing up the Convocation, Hydaelyn's summoners, and impactful historical figures like Warriors of Light.

I would argue the opposite. I think if we saw the true version of "The Twelve" we'd see Azem with his/her comrades in very much the same light we see the WOL with the Scions.

I'm even willing to bet they will take it even one step further and we'll find out that "The Twelve" have all been reborn as our closest allies. Meaning there is probably a corresponding Twelve deity for every member of the scions, who share a small fragment of the original Twelve's soul.

This also begs the question if there is an open spot that would be filled by Zenos?

[Vyrerus]

Why horns? Who knows.

In our ancient world, horns had two practical uses: Drinking or Signaling. In some places they were used for a long time to call meetings. Y'know, to summon an assembly.

Often, in mythology, they're also said to be given to kings, warriors, or clergy as a sign of investiture by said person's patron deity.

As described in the Alexander raid series by Mide, the horn given to her by Travanchet has a metal tip. This means it is based off of a traditional drinking horn.

The most famous of drinking horns is the Gjallarhorn, from Norse Mythology. Heimdallr and Mimir used it to drink from Mimir's well, gaining intellects far surpassing other gods. It was also prophesized to herald the Ragnarok. When blown by Heimdallr it would signal that the Giants were on the Bifrost, coming to destroy the Gods and Asgard. Its sound would penetrate every nook and cranny of the cosmos, alerting all beings cataclysmic destruction was eminent.

There are also quite a few German and other European fables about, "Fairy Horns." Gaudy, ostentatious drinking horns possessed by Fae-like beings, offered to man as a kindness or trick, and then the horns are abruptly stolen. Some, when drank from, grant superhuman ability or restore all stamina. Others singe all hide and hair. Some are made of metals unknown to mortal men.

I'd say horns were chosen for the Gjallarhorn parallel.

[KageTokage]

I'm kind of wondering how much of a presence the Telophoroi/tower-tempered masses are going to have as enemies in 6.0 with it seeming like the Final Days returning is going to lead to a resurgence of terminus beasts.

I feel like they're a more interesting threat overall, particularly when they could be used as a reason to introduce a multitude of new lesser primals who simply serve as dungeon bosses and such plus they raise a big moral dilemma in the fact that they're all mind-controlled innocents, but their numbers are too great to make saving all of them practical or realistic.

[Veloran]

I would argue the opposite. I think if we saw the true version of "The Twelve" we'd see Azem with his/her comrades in very much the same light we see the WOL with the Scions.

I'm even willing to bet they will take it even one step further and we'll find out that "The Twelve" have all been reborn as our closest allies. Meaning there is probably a corresponding Twelve deity for every member of the scions, who share a small fragment of the original Twelve's soul.

This also begs the question if there is an open spot that would be filled by Zenos?

Note "in any incarnation we would recognize them". In addition to the fact that there aren't twelve Scions and that WoL alone seems to embody multiple facets of the Twelve in different ways, none of the current Scions correspond to any of the Twelve in any meaningful regard. Furthermore while people like to think of Azem as adventuring around with a party of friends, we really have little evidence they were ever doing such a thing, for all we know they were primarily acting alone while out in the world.

[RyuDragnier]

Note "in any incarnation we would recognize them". In addition to the fact that there aren't twelve Scions and that WoL alone seems to embody multiple facets of the Twelve in different ways, none of the current Scions correspond to any of the Twelve in any meaningful regard. Furthermore while people like to think of Azem as adventuring around with a party of friends, we really have little evidence they were ever doing such a thing, for all we know they were primarily acting alone while out in the world.

I would guess that Azem did indeed have a few friends he brought along often, but they were likely along to deal with problems in their neck of the world. Example, summoning Hien to help with a problem nearby in Azim Steppe or Ruby Sea would be probable, while summoning say Pipin from Eorzea would be unlikely.

[Kesey]

Note "in any incarnation we would recognize them". In addition to the fact that there aren't twelve Scions and that WoL alone seems to embody multiple facets of the Twelve in different ways, none of the current Scions correspond to any of the Twelve in any meaningful regard. Furthermore while people like to think of Azem as adventuring around with a party of friends, we really have little evidence they were ever doing such a thing, for all we know they were primarily acting alone while out in the world.

"in any incarnation we would recognize them" refers to the characters in game. As in they can't plot the trajectory of lives the souls have taken to be where they are now. We, on the other hand--outside of the game, can see the parallels and see with our ever expanding lore that this is probable.

And we do have evidence to support this as all legends of Azem have him/her interacting with others. This why "The Twelve" are all equal gods with Azem, not Azem with 12 servant. Even the stories on the Azim Steppe talk about Azem interacting with others to cause things to happen. Azem did not work in a lonely void. And if you need further proof go back to Rak'tika in the cave with the Everlasting Dark and see that there is a circle of individuals preforming a spell or a summon. I'm pretty confident the people shown in that cave painting is Azem with his followers, as it is placed sequentially before the rise of Ronka and Ardbert and friends saving The First.