Thoughts on the Wandering Minstrel's song - Rising 2021 edition

[KageTokage]

Scarred by the falling of fiery stars, the land is reborn with new life.♪

God-slayer struck by an echoing roar, heavens ring with the promise of strife.♪

Beast and man, both, seek freedom or death in bloody inferno untamed.♪

By unbroken hopes, from a sky long undimmed shall the darkness of eld be reclaimed.♪

A merciless gale, an unending road, if this be the path we are fated,♪

Then pray be our dawn in the rift betwixt worlds, your soul's splendid light unabated.♪


I feel like the "new life" might be referring to the Terminus beasts and the echoing roar whatever entity is responsible for the towers and by extension the return of the Final Days.

It's the fourth and sixths verse that have me particularly curious, though.

I'd assume the former is referring to Zodiark's awakening/revival, though given that the unsundered Ascians are out of the picture now, those "unbroken hopes" may be referring the current denizens of the Source, rather then the Ancients.

The latter could be referencing where the current story arc meets its grand conclusion...which makes me wonder whether an attempt at a mass Rejoining is going to be made, or perhaps the shards will need to be somehow connected to the Source in order to ensure the survival of all creation, but without a proper Rejoining.

It's nice to get more food for thought prior to Endwalker's release, anyhow.

[SannaR]

Was the notes he played the start of the Endwalker theme?

[Mieck]

First take is that the lines are references to the 4 story arcs thus far, with 2 final lines to hint at the future, though there are always multiple meanings baked into these. I'll be very interested to know what the other language version are.

[Anonymoose]

Agreed that, in English at least, it sounds like a summary.

Scarred by the falling of fiery stars, the land is reborn with new life.♪
God-slayer struck by an echoing roar, heavens ring with the promise of strife.♪
Beast and man, both, seek freedom or death in bloody inferno untamed.♪
By unbroken hopes, from a sky long undimmed shall the darkness of eld be reclaimed.

There's our full day metaphor, bringing us back to the a new dawn with the "fated path" (end-walk).

A merciless gale, an unending road, if this be the path we are fated,♪
Then pray be our dawn in the rift betwixt worlds, your soul's splendid light unabated.♪

Gale is usually a wind-themed word, so that's drawing my attention. As is that we're looking for the dawn in the rift betwixt worlds, but our "soul's splendid light" is a good thing? ...Are we laying siege to the Chrysalis !? lol

I guess I can still hold out hope for a narrative symmetry loop after all ~ maybe Endwalker's plot points rhyme with ARR's, with Venat sacrificing herself to block Zodiark's Ultima cast knowing that, as the coutner-balance to Zodiark, if He is defeated She has to go, too.

[RyuDragnier]

I'm speculating on the last line, that it means the final battle will be in the rift between all of the Shards and the Source. That we're going to have the greatest battle in the one area that could result in collateral damage to all of them if we're not careful.

[Iscah]

...Are we laying siege to the Chrysalis !? lol

It would certainly make sense to revive the Chrysalis setting at some point in this final showdown. There's the statue of Zodiark and that mysterious door...

Quite possibly that IS at the heart of what's on the moon, and Nabriales just let us in through the back door last time... and now we're going to have to take the long way around to get back in through the front.

[WhiteArchmage]

It would certainly make sense to revive the Chrysalis setting at some point in this final showdown. There's the statue of Zodiark and that mysterious door...

Quite possibly that IS at the heart of what's on the moon, and Nabriales just let us in through the back door last time... and now we're going to have to take the long way around to get back in through the front.

It wouldn't be far-fetched. Considering what chrysalis means (the protective layer during the pupa stage of a butterfly), the entire thing where the Ascians hang out could indeed be inside the moon protecting Zodiark's core, at least until it's(he's) ready to "burst out."

[KageTokage]

I feel kind of stupid for not noticing the obvious nods to the previous expansions.

I do hope my hunch about the final zone of Endwalker being something very unexpected like a realm existing in the rift between ends up being true now, though. It's a given it would likely have the usual faculties like aetherytes, fishing holes, and gathering nodes, so I assume it's going at least be reasonably habitable.

[Iscah]

Was the notes he played the start of the Endwalker theme?

It's just the same sound effect always used when characters play the harp.

[Vyrerus]

Well Fandaniel does want to destroy all life, so that means destroying all of the Shards too... Wouldn't it put it past him to weaponize the Rift.