Ascian Masks on Gaius’s belt: Fandaniel and….?

[kaynide]

Rule of thumb: any character speculating about in-universe mechanics and motivations are undoubtedly correct, unless its presented as an ambiguous mystery to solve.

If a scholarly-like character goes on to detail things intimately and end their speech with "but that's just speculation, tho", assume they're 100% right.

Call it the Law of Conservation of Detail if you will, but its the only way to have story not be a convoluted mess full of red herrings that go nowhere.

Of course, (hard) retcons can also be a factor, but until such a time they contradict what they established, assume things hold true to what is explained to you.

Yep, more or less what I said at the end:

Then again, it is a game… and it’s hard to make a solid story with unreliable narration.

Buuuut, then again the devs are practically begging us to ask questions because Lahabrea on Pandemonium, which calls into question a lot of established "Facts".

[Vyrerus]

Wasn't everyone going into a fevered pitch for Lahabrea showing up in the patch artwork for 5.4, only for the Ascians involved to have nothing to do with Lahabrea? I know that the M in Pandemonium is stylized sort of like Lahabrea's Ascian mask, but mayhaps that's just what the dev team wants us to think?

As for the question of whether or not Gaius could truly unmake an Ascian... Hmm...

It seems weird that he'd have more knowledge than the Scions on Ascian's and their hierarchy, without having some means to do them in. I somewhat suspect that Gaius may have gained the ability to manipulate aether on his own or some special power by having been the pilot for the Ultima weapon when it activated the Heart of Sabik. We do know he at least came up with completely new techniques as observed with the technique he used to defeat Valens.

Of course, with what we've been shown and told since he made his debut as Shadowhunter, I've been disappointed. I thought for sure that the Elvaan thaumaturge by his side had perhaps resurrected him, or actually held sway on him magically rather than with a life debt situation.

Upon rewatch of the involved Stormblood cutscenes, it comes to mind that he brought us Alphinaud's body. Then proceeded into his exposition dump, and I had to wonder how much of his info was gained from Alphinaud, but then that opened up further questions. As far as I am aware, Alphinaud has never laid eyes upon an Ascian directly, until Shadowbringers. Of course, he had secondhand info on the likes of Elidibus, Lahabrea, and Nabriales from the Scions' info, yet the way that Gaius talks it's as though Elidibus and his robe of white are common firsthand knowledge for anyone. Nevermind that people without the Echo cannot even see Ascians, unless they make themselves known.

*taps foot impatiently*

I somewhat wonder if we're not in store for a big big big BIG twist with Gaius. Imagine if he'd been under Ascian possession this whole time by Fandaniel's partner. Almost baseless speculation, I know, but it'd go a long way towards explaining how he knows what he knows, and why he seemed so blasé when explaining it to us. It'd fill in so nicely how he really "lived" through Praetorium. And it'd also maybe setup something along the lines of the Telophoroi cleaning house, as well as trying to point us at the Unsundered. It'd also make for the best Ascian actor to date, but I know it's just wishful thinking on my part. Not too mention all the scenes of genuine emotion and what not with him acting against the Ascians' plans well before we got rid of Emet/Elidi etc.

[Cleretic]

Wasn't everyone going into a fevered pitch for Lahabrea showing up in the patch artwork for 5.4, only for the Ascians involved to have nothing to do with Lahabrea? I know that the M in Pandemonium is stylized sort of like Lahabrea's Ascian mask, but mayhaps that's just what the dev team wants us to think?

The reason we thought Lahabrea was involved in 5.4 was because they used him as (likely stand-in for Mitron) art right in the corner, barely visible. It's rather different from him being front-and-center, unambiguously, in Pandaemonium, complete with a logo referencing him.

Which, incidentally, I also wish we weren't getting. Lahabrea tried twice to be an interesting antagonist, and failed both times; why are we excited to give him a third, when other characters were much closer to hitting the mark with their one chance?

Rule of thumb: any character speculating about in-universe mechanics and motivations are undoubtedly correct, unless its presented as an ambiguous mystery to solve.

If a scholarly-like character goes on to detail things intimately and end their speech with "but that's just speculation, tho", assume they're 100% right.

Call it the Law of Conservation of Detail if you will, but its the only way to have story not be a convoluted mess full of red herrings that go nowhere.

Of course, (hard) retcons can also be a factor, but until such a time they contradict what they established, assume things hold true to what is explained to you.

I like the way you're putting this, and I agree. It's not a universal rule of fiction (detective stories, for example, absolutely love outright lying to you), but FFXIV is, as a rule, not a game that decides to be flat-out wrong for fun.

Any fact we are told is either correct, or wrong in an interesting way. And if it's the latter, there are always hints; we won't suddenly find out some base fact told to us a few expansions ago is wrong, we will have been given evidence. The reverse is also true: you cannot declare a stated fact to be wrong with absolutely no evidence, because the writers just don't do that. That last part's unrelated and is mostly just my constant minor annoyances at baseless theories, but it's also a useful thing to keep in mind.

[kaynide]

The reason we thought Lahabrea was involved in 5.4 was because they used him as (likely stand-in for Mitron) art right in the corner, barely visible. It's rather different from him being front-and-center, unambiguously, in Pandaemonium, complete with a logo referencing him.

Which, incidentally, I also wish we weren't getting. Lahabrea tried twice to be an interesting antagonist, and failed both times; why are we excited to give him a third, when other characters were much closer to hitting the mark with their one chance?

As much as I want my wild theories to work, I also wouldn't be surprised if Pandemonium turns out to be his legacy of horrors that we have to deal with. Or something where he orchestrated the Telophoroi for some purpose that has now gone wild without a "master". Or, it could just be expanded lore into the 13th shard via Unukalhai/Cylva.

I just hope they don't go full Jojo and pull a "It was ME, LAHABREA, all along!"

[Vyrerus]

The reason we thought Lahabrea was involved in 5.4 was because they used him as (likely stand-in for Mitron) art right in the corner, barely visible. It's rather different from him being front-and-center, unambiguously, in Pandaemonium, complete with a logo referencing him.

Yes, yes, and the 5.3 art shows Crystal Exarch with a Crystal of Light rather than what he has in game(the spirit vessel auracites). Concept art/introductory/promo art isn't always concrete representation of what we'll be getting, however explicit it seems to be.

I mean, I assume they'll reference him heavily. Maybe even go full bore FFII. But it's also true that black masked Ascians share the same mask shape, albeit with a mouth covering, as well as their red energy masks sharing the lower half's three pronged M(to an extent it's a little wider/longer more pronounced at the prongs). But I also lean towards the fact that they've stated he was killed completely upon the complete destruction of Nidhogg's eyes, so until I see him again concrete in game, my brain is inclined towards the promo art for Pandaemonium following the rule of cool/what makes people buzz (yes, even with Pandaemonium being a reference to Hell/Underworld etc).

One way it might be interesting is if there's some part of him still latent in Thancred, and he repossesses Ye Olde Thancred again. Then again, maybe not. We'll wait and see!