[Spoilers] The Device in DT msq

[kaynide]

I would say, it’s probably Ascian origin/post sundering Ascian. Possibly Allagan.. Cleretic covers it really well:

1) it is clearly Azem’s symbol shown. Doesn’t mean it is their device per se, but it clearly is recognizing something (our character or the crystal we carry, who knows). Like Cleritic says it could easily have reacted to, say, Logriff.

2) it very clearly has the Ascian spiral motifs seen in Amaurot and Elpis. Not perfect 1:1 but close enough.



But, 3) Of note, we can date the artifact to the 5th Calamity of ice. This is very specifically the calamity following the one that dropped the Allagan. So…while I hate to say it, it could have roots in Allagan tech, and the outer bits of the “chalice” do have that blue/black Allagan feel in color. Perhaps discovered between the 4th and 5th calamity by ancient Lalafel.

If I had to guess WILDLY, I would say it’s the original key to control the Crystal Tower as a dimensional teleporter. Essentially what Psuedo-Alexander was built to be in the dark future timeline.

If we remember, the Crystal tower was meant to collect solar power, so the symbol might be less of a nod to Azem and more just “the sun” in general…but it’s too on the nose I think not to be Azem.

If nothing else this sets us up to reunite with the first, as well as future jaunts into the 13th.

[Luzzu]

I would say, it’s probably Ascian origin/post sundering Ascian. Possibly Allagan.. Cleretic covers it really well:

1) it is clearly Azem’s symbol shown. Doesn’t mean it is their device per se, but it clearly is recognizing something (our character or the crystal we carry, who knows). Like Cleritic says it could easily have reacted to, say, Logriff.

2) it very clearly has the Ascian spiral motifs seen in Amaurot and Elpis. Not perfect 1:1 but close enough.



But, 3) Of note, we can date the artifact to the 5th Calamity of ice. This is very specifically the calamity following the one that dropped the Allagan. So…while I hate to say it, it could have roots in Allagan tech, and the outer bits of the “chalice” do have that blue/black Allagan feel in color. Perhaps discovered between the 4th and 5th calamity by ancient Lalafel.

If I had to guess WILDLY, I would say it’s the original key to control the Crystal Tower as a dimensional teleporter. Essentially what Psuedo-Alexander was built to be in the dark future timeline.

If we remember, the Crystal tower was meant to collect solar power, so the symbol might be less of a nod to Azem and more just “the sun” in general…but it’s too on the nose I think not to be Azem.

If nothing else this sets us up to reunite with the first, as well as future jaunts into the 13th.

All the Allagan elements of the relic you're referring to are electrope modifications added by Preservation in an attempt to stabilize interdimensional fusion. The Milalla certainly could have been inspired by Allagan tech given that their civilization was around after Allag's collapse, but the device itself has little to nothing to do with Allag.

The relic itself most closely resembles white auracite, it is a stretch to say it looks very much like anything the Ancients made. It most likely predates them as the Heart of Sabik does.

[EdwinLi]

I would say, it’s probably Ascian origin/post sundering Ascian. Possibly Allagan.. Cleretic covers it really well:

1) it is clearly Azem’s symbol shown. Doesn’t mean it is their device per se, but it clearly is recognizing something (our character or the crystal we carry, who knows). Like Cleritic says it could easily have reacted to, say, Logriff.

2) it very clearly has the Ascian spiral motifs seen in Amaurot and Elpis. Not perfect 1:1 but close enough.



But, 3) Of note, we can date the artifact to the 5th Calamity of ice. This is very specifically the calamity following the one that dropped the Allagan. So…while I hate to say it, it could have roots in Allagan tech, and the outer bits of the “chalice” do have that blue/black Allagan feel in color. Perhaps discovered between the 4th and 5th calamity by ancient Lalafel.

If I had to guess WILDLY, I would say it’s the original key to control the Crystal Tower as a dimensional teleporter. Essentially what Psuedo-Alexander was built to be in the dark future timeline.

If we remember, the Crystal tower was meant to collect solar power, so the symbol might be less of a nod to Azem and more just “the sun” in general…but it’s too on the nose I think not to be Azem.

If nothing else this sets us up to reunite with the first, as well as future jaunts into the 13th.

Personally, I think they maybe building up for the next expansion or the expansion after to focus on learning who Azem as a person was and maybe some other details about WoL we never got the chance to learn about as a way to show us how similar and yet different Azem and WoL are.

The story has always emphasis greatly that all lands we go to currently are not where the WoL is from which is why we never run into anyone who may have known WoL before they began their adventure in 1.0 or 2.0 based on if you're Legacy or not.

If one expansion ends up being about going to WoL's actual home while also learning more about Azem then a slow build up with aspect of what may have been once Azem's own things would be ideal so they do not rush this build up.

[Kesey]

Even though this has Azem's symbol, I don't think we should rule out this wasn't brought forth by one of the remaining Ascians.

Which one and the purpose, isn't really apparent. But the idea that those remaining Ascians who, now without Zodiark, will be more like Fandaniel and have other plans--like stronger loyalty to who they were before being raised up to an Ascian.

It's not really out of the ballpark for one of them be in process of resurfacing in the narrative, have taken Azem's work, and created this key after Sundering.

[Cleretic]

Even though this has Azem's symbol, I don't think we should rule out this wasn't brought forth by one of the remaining Ascians.

Which one and the purpose, isn't really apparent. But the idea that those remaining Ascians who, now without Zodiark, will be more like Fandaniel and have other plans--like stronger loyalty to who they were before being raised up to an Ascian.

It's not really out of the ballpark for one of them be in process of resurfacing in the narrative, have taken Azem's work, and created this key after Sundering.

The problem there--and I should say it's not a 'this theory doesn't work' problem, more just something that'd have to be addressed--is that the key first turned up four thousand years ago at the earliest. So this can't be the product of a post-ARR Ascian trying to get a new project off the ground after we start offing their coworkers; this is right during their ascendancy, when as far as they're aware they've really got a solid system going. Couple that with the fact the Ascians don't need it, because they can shard-hop anyway, and this stops looking like something an Ascian would likely do.

Doesn't mean that they're off the table, it just means that if it were true, the qualifying asterisk next to 'an Ascian did it' would probably be larger than the statement itself.