6.0 Story Speculations

[Turethir]

I could perhaps see Sharlayan Isle being a zone with Sharlayan the attached city, much in the same way as Lakeland and The Crystarium.

In the keynote they said that the role quests were going to take place in the larger city, and since they'll start at 80 I think it's likely that we'll be going to this city very early on (if the way the role quests worked in SHB was any indication).

I also think that if the Scions are going to be for the most part retired at the end of 6.0 to make way for new stories, which I fully expect, it only makes sense to go there now while we're still travelling with them, as it'd be our last real chance to explore their backstories and the lore associated with their time there.

I think there have been more than enough hints in 5.3 (Archon bread), 5.4 (the conversation with Alisaie in Azys Lla) and now 5.5 (Krile's departure) that Sharlayan is coming, and I fully expect it.

[Bright-Flower]

We'll likely get to the main city fairly quickly yeah. HW and SHB we got there almost immediately, and even Kugane we get there pretty quickly after doing the level 61 dungeon. So whether the new city is Sharlyan or something else, I expect we'll have access to it pretty quickly. If anything i could see Thavnair potentially taking a while as the 'endgame hub city' and while we had full access to RR pretty quickly, Idylshire and Eulmore we didn't until later in their expansions.

[Veloran]

This has been my worry ever since they announced all of this. They’re introducing a looooot of things and areas and i’m really hoping it doesn’t turn into split expansion stormblood 2.0. Or i at least hope the Hydy Zodi arc is given enough time(if we go to sharlayan i can’t even imagine what kind of family squabbles we’d have to waste time with).

People keep bringing up this "split expansion" idea, but it's very flawed. The issue in Stormblood was that the narrative was not only split between Ala Mhigo and Doma, but that the pacing made it so that the Ala Mhigo portion itself was bookending the huge stretch of Far Eastern stuff. Things just begin to heat up in Ala Mhigo when you're forced to suddenly restart the story in Kugane, after which there's a full arc with a climax, and then you go back to Ala Mhigo to start over again and rush to the final final climax.

Consider this - In Shadowbringers, each of the zones in Norvrandt are basically separate from each other. They're all self-contained aside from dealing with the overarching worldwide issue of the Sin Eaters. It seems to me that in Endwalker it's exactly the same, with the issue here being the Final Days. Stopping that will be the thread that connects the journey between each area.

Additionally, another failing of Stormblood was it's zones and the pacing therein. The Gyr Abanian zones are all way too similar to each other. Ruby Sea is an abysmally bad zone that feels as though half it's plot (Sui-no-Sato) was cut and slapped back in as optional content. Practically every zone repeats the same story of working with the locals to try to get them to unite against the Empire - Only the Azim Steppe really stood out, and that was because it had a unique culture and characters beyond "downtrodden villagers".

Basically, I don't think Endwalker cutting between several different locations will be a problem so long as it's properly paced.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Basically, I don't think Endwalker cutting between several different locations will be a problem so long as it's properly paced.

The pacing is the big part yeah, that’s what a lot of people are worried about, if it’ll be paced correctly. It’s not only that but also they have a lot of things to cover based on each specific zone they’ve shown so far.

[WhiteArchmage]

There IS a chance that 6.0 will have one of its cities be less relevant for the 6.0 "finale" story and is added to prepare/tease for the 6.1 "new season" story. However, Radz-at-Han seems more fitting for THAT role than Sharlayan, given that one is a center of commerce and is right in the middle of Eorzea and Othard, and while Ilsabard IS also between them, Thavnair has apparently remained neutral enough to host peace talks between the different nations. Plus, as a "small city" Radz-at-Han is also likely to be the endgame hub, so it'd also fitting for us to spend more time there post max-level.

[Cilia]

The devs already said Radz-at-Han would be the endgame hub if I remember right.

Typically the main hub city is visited pretty early, so I'm expecting that to continue. Ishgard and the Crystarium are the utter first places visited (after a short trip through a tiny bit of Lakeland in the latter's part), while Kugane is visited after just a short while in Gyr Abania. While it remains unconfirmed, I am now fairly confident the main hub is going to be Sharlayan.

I also recall Yoshi-P stating that as opposed to Shadowbringers' story focus on morality, Endwalker is going for a pure epic feel; as such I'm expecting some globetrotting and less of a focus on the villains antagonists. Both have already stated their goals and motives, and neither have much of an air of mystery to them.

Not sure what to expect on the Moon. While I don't expect lots of IV parallels I am expecting a Lunar Subterrane either as the actual explorable area or as a dungeon, with the Moon's Core (Zodiark's Prison) as the final trial against Zodiark-Zenos.

[KizuyaKatogami]

I have to say it’s interesting to see people think Zodiark will still be the final boss of the arc despite the trailer depicting us as a paladin on the moon...almost like we’re protecting it, while the source glows a dangerous hydaelyn blue...

[Enkidoh]

I have to say it’s interesting to see people think Zodiark will still be the final boss of the arc despite the trailer depicting us as a paladin on the moon...almost like we’re protecting it, while the source glows a dangerous hydaelyn blue...

That's just a deliberate FFIV reference where Cecil (who like our old friend Derplander went from DRK to PLD) ends up on the moon as well at the end of the game (and which is where FFIV's final bosses are fought too), it's nothing to do with "protecting the moon" - we're on the moon to destroy Zodiark for good, even SE themselves hint that pretty hard on the main EW site:

Take heart in the faith of those who walk beside you, and journey ever higher─to the very stars above.

and

Journey to Thavnair, the imperial capital of Garlemald, and even the moon!

Of course they don't say that "Zodiark is the final boss", but as the moon is Zodiark's literal prison, and the aforementioned FFIV references, it's pretty clear that's who we will ultimately be facing at the finale, and where.

[RyuDragnier]

Of course they don't say that "Zodiark is the final boss", but as the moon is Zodiark's literal prison, and the aforementioned FFIV references, it's pretty clear that's who we will ultimately be facing at the finale, and where.

We're still missing what the Sound was, and also why the Moon did not exist during the Final Days of Amaurot (literally, it's not in the final part of the dungeon). We're likely going to discover what the moon is, and the final boss will likely be a form we don't expect (it'll likely be Zenos though, because ultimate battle).

[Cilia]

I'd rather be shooting up bandits with my robot buddy in Borderlands 3, but here I am.

Friendly reminder to those who seem to have forgotten: Zenos' whole plan is to mantle Zodiark the way he did with Shinryu. Consequently, whether Zodiark is "good" or "bad" depending on perspective is, as far as I can figure, a complete nonissue. Further, with his "heart" imprisoned elsewhere (i.e. functionally dead), even if he were made complete again as far as I can figure he'd be either braindead or a mindless, rampaging beast. While Shadowbringers did paint a more benign picture of Zodiark (the threat he poses to mortal life was an extension of the Ascians' will; we don't know what he actually wants or even if he wants) that doesn't mean he's "good" or "on our side." In Zenos' hands his power is without a doubt very bad news bears, and I have little reason to doubt Zenos' plan will come to fruition.

Conversely, Shadowbringers painted Hydaelyn in a more ambiguous light than she'd been before, but that doesn't mean she's a malign force in the world. Her raison d'etre is to keep Zodiark's power in check, including preventing him from consuming extant life as fuel. Telling us a falsified (or rather half-true) account of the origin of her conflict with Zodiark doesn't change that, and she hasn't shown any malicious intent toward the people of the Source or Reflections - on the contrary her whole goal, so far as it's been shown, is to keep them from dying. That doesn't mean she can't do wrong or has never done wrong, but there's been no sign of anything malign coming from her.

There are two important-looking bits in the 5.5 trailer that haven't been touched on yet - the PC meeting the figure of light on Silvertear's shore, and Zenos stating that "[He] will await us on the darkened Moon." I'm expecting both of those to inform a lot of what's going on in 6.0, so I'd strongly suggest waiting for those before deciding who is on what side. I'd also suggest hedging your bets considering, as I remember, Yoshi-P said Endwalker was going to be a more straightforward epic tale.

P.S. "Source glows a dangerous hydaelyn blue?" Pretty sure that's the sun, or if you're talking about in the end the planet being eclipsed by the moon. Either way the trailer opens with an ominous shot of the moon, and near the end associates Zenos with said moon by zooming in on his eye and fading his pupil into it. PLD being on the moon doesn't have any symbolic significance by my reckoning, and it's one of the most straightforwardly heroic and light-associated classes in RPG history. Just... Saiyan.