6.0 Story Speculations

[YianKutku]

I do have a speculation about the beginning of 6.0: we'll be heading to Old Sharlayan first, and then due to their intransigence or perhaps some emergency, we'll go to Radz-at-Han. I think the "emergency" possibility is less likely, because in the Endwalker trailer, Urianger and Thancred are apprehensive about a coming disaster, but one which has not yet happened.

As for why we will go to Old Sharlayan first, there's a picture from the recent Fanfest (and probably before that, but the screenshot I have is from Fanfest):

(Spoilered for size.)

That's a Sharlayan-style aetheryte, in a location labelled as Thavnair.

The first thought I had was that this may be a Sharlayan enclave in Thavnair, perhaps in Radz-at-Han proper, or perhaps some short distance, and thus we have to go through a zone story to get to Radz-at-Han, the way we go through Kholusia on the way to Eulmore.

So if this is indeed a Sharlayan enclave, we might be going to Old Sharlayan first, get stonewalled by the Forum, and then some sympathizers contact us and recommend we go to Radz-at-Han for some reason. And this Sharlayan enclave in Thavnair is our initial support base there, allowing us access into Radz-at-Han with some diplomatic weight, instead of just being travellers and tourists.

Admittedly, I could be wrong. The biggest point against this speculation is that the buildings shown in that screenshot are very much Thavnairan in style, rather than Sharlayan. And we know Sharlayans like to basically copy-and-paste their architectural style anywhere they make a presence, like in the Dravanian Hinterlands and Idyllshire.

[Steppie]

I really like this theory! I definitely feel like Radz-at-Han comes before Sharlayan in terms of locations we can visit. I'm feeling Radz-at-Han being the Crystarium of Endwalker whilst Sharlayan will be the more endgame Eulmore zone.

I also have a theory that the reason we get pushed away from Sharlayan is tightly linked into this "Coming Disaster" that we keep hearing about. I think Sharlayan have also looked into this, predicted the outcome and have discovered how to avert it. Them intervening at this current stage actually causes the disaster or causes it to be much worse and so they have to push us away for the time being. This is why Fourchenault took such strong actions towards the twins in the most recent MSQ to attempt to push them off the current path they are walking.

[Tensaihime]

I do have a speculation about the beginning of 6.0: we'll be heading to Old Sharlayan first, and then due to their intransigence or perhaps some emergency, we'll go to Radz-at-Han. I think the "emergency" possibility is less likely, because in the Endwalker trailer, Urianger and Thancred are apprehensive about a coming disaster, but one which has not yet happened.

As for why we will go to Old Sharlayan first, there's a picture from the recent Fanfest (and probably before that, but the screenshot I have is from Fanfest):

(Spoilered for size.)

That's a Sharlayan-style aetheryte, in a location labelled as Thavnair.

The first thought I had was that this may be a Sharlayan enclave in Thavnair, perhaps in Radz-at-Han proper, or perhaps some short distance, and thus we have to go through a zone story to get to Radz-at-Han, the way we go through Kholusia on the way to Eulmore.

So if this is indeed a Sharlayan enclave, we might be going to Old Sharlayan first, get stonewalled by the Forum, and then some sympathizers contact us and recommend we go to Radz-at-Han for some reason. And this Sharlayan enclave in Thavnair is our initial support base there, allowing us access into Radz-at-Han with some diplomatic weight, instead of just being travellers and tourists.

Admittedly, I could be wrong. The biggest point against this speculation is that the buildings shown in that screenshot are very much Thavnairan in style, rather than Sharlayan. And we know Sharlayans like to basically copy-and-paste their architectural style anywhere they make a presence, like in the Dravanian Hinterlands and Idyllshire.

I confess I don’t even have a guess of where we’re going first and why, but I do like how Thavnair is looking! Can’t wait to go there! ...hopefully the Terminus beasts won’t level more than fifty percent of it...

[Kesey]

I do have a speculation about the beginning of 6.0: we'll be heading to Old Sharlayan first, and then due to their intransigence or perhaps some emergency, we'll go to Radz-at-Han. I think the "emergency" possibility is less likely, because in the Endwalker trailer, Urianger and Thancred are apprehensive about a coming disaster, but one which has not yet happened.

As for why we will go to Old Sharlayan first, there's a picture from the recent Fanfest (and probably before that, but the screenshot I have is from Fanfest):

(Spoilered for size.)

That's a Sharlayan-style aetheryte, in a location labelled as Thavnair.

The first thought I had was that this may be a Sharlayan enclave in Thavnair, perhaps in Radz-at-Han proper, or perhaps some short distance, and thus we have to go through a zone story to get to Radz-at-Han, the way we go through Kholusia on the way to Eulmore.

So if this is indeed a Sharlayan enclave, we might be going to Old Sharlayan first, get stonewalled by the Forum, and then some sympathizers contact us and recommend we go to Radz-at-Han for some reason. And this Sharlayan enclave in Thavnair is our initial support base there, allowing us access into Radz-at-Han with some diplomatic weight, instead of just being travellers and tourists.

Admittedly, I could be wrong. The biggest point against this speculation is that the buildings shown in that screenshot are very much Thavnairan in style, rather than Sharlayan. And we know Sharlayans like to basically copy-and-paste their architectural style anywhere they make a presence, like in the Dravanian Hinterlands and Idyllshire.

I like your theory, but it is well known lore that Sharlayan constructed all of the aetherytes in the world, which they learned about from excavating Allagan ruins containing aetherytes. Given this note, there could just be a jovial trade alliance between Thavnairia and Sharlayan, say an aetheryte for any rare thing Thavnairia can get it's hands on. It may not play into the plot at all, just be a side note building lore.