Solution 9 - Unfounded Speculation!

[Iscah]

I’m actually really curious if a “rejoining” is just the shard dissolving into ..say..an atomic level and being reabsorbed

We've already been told that's the case, and logically that has to be correct.

Rejoining isn't just an effect on the planet but on every living creature, body and soul, and we're not having random chunks stuck in people.

Every aetherial atom must snap into place, like for like, pinpointing its matching shard.

[kaynide]

We've already been told that's the case, and logically that has to be correct.

Rejoining isn't just an effect on the planet but on every living creature, body and soul, and we're not having random chunks stuck in people.

Every aetherial atom must snap into place, like for like, pinpointing its matching shard.

Yeah, but is it -actually actually- the case with the land itself? With the rate established lore seems to change (Dynamis; the Elementals now being some kinda Ancient creation, etc), I’m not sure if I fully believe the narrator, so to speak.

In other words, are we sure the land itself doesn’t warp in the vein of FF5?

As an example, I get that it’s easy to pass off the upheaval of the Shroud as a result of Bahamut’s destruction, but a lot of where he caused damage resulted in crystallized blast rings like in La Noscea. Rather, lots of established places completely move between 1.x and 2.x. Places like the Lifemend Stump.

(I know it’s because map design was bad in 1.0, but in-game explanation is weak)

[fulminating]

Solution 9 is the moblin base of operation. Moblins are so named because they use magitek, in the way Goblins are named for their gas (steam) themed technology. This of course implies the existence of Soblins (not soblyn) who have a stone based society. Said Soblins may have access to the ability to manipulate crystals (possibly making them Coblins), which is of course a fundamental underpinning of the hydaelynian setting. With this advanced ability, the Coblins will pose enough of a threat to be a plausible antagonistic force for the foreseeable expansions.

That or solution 9 is an early ascian attempt at rejoining on an individual level. It's just like a blender where corresponding kidnapped people from each shard are put and whooshed together. It also doesn't work but looks cool and that's what really matters. Since the ascians couldn't get it running, they left and the locals moved in, similar to idylshire.

[kaynide]

With this advanced ability, the Coblins will pose enough of a threat to be a plausible antagonistic force for the foreseeable expansions.

[Tracewood]

My new joke speculation. The succession story of Dawntrail will conclude about halfway or near 2/3's into the MSQ. Solution 9 will take up the last chunk.

That being said, the final boss is some Etheryis impression of a "v-tuber/holo-idol" gone completely bonkers and we have to destroy it to free the denizens of the place. You'll see it's likeness plastered all over the area. If anyone watched the Simpsons, it's sort of like that TreeHouse of horror where Flanders takes over the earth and brainwashed everyone.

[Cleretic]

The Dawntrail promotional website doesn't give us a whole lot of new story info (except about the field operations, which I'm EXTREMELY excited about but that's not related to this), but it does give us a description of the actual storyline of the Arcadion.

Here at the Arcadion, you'll find a grand spectacle unlike any other. The realm's greatest fighters pit fist against fist and magick against magick, putting their lives on the line as crowds howl and clamor, each clash more visceral than the last. Step into the arena if you dare, and either rise to become champion, or fall forever in ignominy.

It's a tournament arc! A straight-up no-nonsense tournament arc, too, no extra weirdness like Omega's. At least, that we know of at this point. Which, incidentally, does start explaining those billboards; we're not looking at viruses, or sigils. We're looking at fighter promo art.

Still no clear evidence that the Arcadion is in Solution Nine, but we're still in 'where else could it be' territory.

[MikkoAkure]

FFXIV's official Instagram is posting sections of Solution Nine artwork piece by piece and someone on Reddit pasted them together to show the picture we have so far.

Anything anyone can glean from this? I notice a bunch of viera but I'm not sure if that means anything.

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=htt...c1qq9tc4d1.png
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7wEdHbxHot/

[Cleretic]

FFXIV's official Instagram is posting sections of Solution Nine artwork piece by piece and someone on Reddit pasted them together to show the picture we have so far.

Anything anyone can glean from this? I notice a bunch of viera but I'm not sure if that means anything.

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=htt...c1qq9tc4d1.png
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7wEdHbxHot/

Definitely unclear how much any of this means, but I can see every playable race except miqo'te, roegadyn and hrothgar here; the viera are obvious, you can make out the horns of both xaela and raen, the person below the southmost tree is too small to be anything but a lalafel, and there's some exaggeratedly pointy ears that definitely read as how you'd draw 'this is clearly an elezen' from a distance.

So, sadly a net cast too wide to read much into, but it might be worth noting that au ra and elezen weren't visible in Tulliyolal, while elezen were.

[MikkoAkure]

Definitely unclear how much any of this means, but I can see every playable race except miqo'te, roegadyn and hrothgar here; the viera are obvious, you can make out the horns of both xaela and raen, the person below the southmost tree is too small to be anything but a lalafel, and there's some exaggeratedly pointy ears that definitely read as how you'd draw 'this is clearly an elezen' from a distance.

So, sadly a net cast too wide to read much into, but it might be worth noting that au ra and elezen weren't visible in Tulliyolal, while elezen were.

I spotted at least one and maybe three or four total miqo'te in the picture, you can see their ears and the one that's turned around has their tail clipping through their cloak.

A previous Solution Nine artwork also showed what seemed to be a miqo'te's eyes in a holographic advertisement.

[WhiteArchmage]

I don't think we can glean much from the artwork considering we had similar for Radz-at-Han and, I believe, Eulmore before expansion drop... because they're the endgame hubs and the artwork is meant to represent adventurers hanging out together in said hub.