An 7.2-7.5 Speculation

[MikkoAkure]

Not to veer entirely off topic, but I still believe that the original Archons who founded Sharlayan were either a) the actual Twelve in human form or b) acting on direct behalf of the Twelve, either of which put them on the trail of eventually making contact with Hydaelyn and thus solidifying the Ancient association (there's also the very conspicuous shots of the assembled Forum in their identical robes and obscured faces being direct parallels of assembled Ancients, but that could just as easily be entirely within the context of Endwalker's story).

One of the original twelve archons was indeed used as a basis of imagery for Rhalgr, but the same guy also defected to join the Ascians. Though that was 1.0 lore and I'm not sure how much carried over.

Relm was a member of the archons during this time period as well and she seemed to otherwise be a normal person so I don't think they're the actual Twelve. The Twelve also said that they don't interfere with the world.

[Vallavia]

One of the original twelve archons was indeed used as a basis of imagery for Rhalgr, but the same guy also defected to join the Ascians. Though that was 1.0 lore and I'm not sure how much carried over.

Relm was a member of the archons during this time period as well and she seemed to otherwise be a normal person so I don't think they're the actual Twelve. The Twelve also said that they don't interfere with the world.

I'm fairly certain that Ahldbhar has been mentioned again since then but not by name, though the imagery inspiration seems to have been retconned directly in favor of direct glimpses of the phantom realm (ostensibly the Ascian connection as well, but who knows?). I wish they hadn't, it was one of my favorite extracurricular lore tidbits (and could explain why Halone is consistently depicted as a Hyur and Thaliak as an Elezen).

I don't really think there's enough of Relm shown or described to make a determination either way, and I could conjure any number of characters saying something contrary to the things they do, most notably Hydaelyn herself, ie. their boss, who freely admits in her first direct conversation with you that she has repeatedly misled you or overly simplified her accounting of past events. The Twelve themselves also already lied straight to our faces to get us to do battle with them, which is admittedly a much different situation.

Granted, there's no reason for the Twelve to lie to us after Hydaelyn and Zodiark are gone and their missions fulfilled, but given their directive to guide and safeguard life on Etheirys I don't think it's out of the question that they might have given history a nudge when there's a particularly existential threat. The aforementioned direct Rhalgr sighting came after Rhalgr guided people to Gyr Abania with a comet. I'd call that an interference with the world, but Halone in her discussion of the matter with Menphina notes a delineation in their philosophy between 'aid' and 'intervening' in the affairs of mortals all while remaining unseen in their true forms. This suggests to me that certain measures of sending guidance or assistance are acceptable in certain circumstances.
I suppose there's a fair case against them being the literal Twelve, but certainly not against the Twelve's direct involvement or incitement of the post-Sixth Umbral Calamity recovery. Perhaps in the draft where one of their chosen Archons went off to become an Ascian they revised their policy on intervention in mortal affairs to be even more stringent, but who can say?

[eloralora]

With Heritage Found going through a 30 year time skip, (Alexander manipulates time.) and dealing with the Kingdom of Alexandria, which the whole kingdom was the primal in FF9. (Eidolon in FF9's terminology.) Do you think we will have a lore correlated with the lv60 raid series? Or is this just all electrope, and Alexander will have no references to this at all?

I feel it could fit into the MSQ, but I also think it could not work, so I wanted to know what you all think about the return of Alexander? Even if its just a slight mention of it?

I imagine it'd be really cool for IX fans to see Alexander envelop the castle, even in a flashback — but I don't actually think they'll make an intentional connection to the raids. I really hope they do, though!

The recreation of the castle in Living Memory is in an area called Proto-Alexandria, which is the naming convention for a tier of the normal raid gear. A few things in Yesterland have names that seem to draw from German, like a lot of Alexander's adds. Enigmatic maiden vs. Enigma Codex... Many souls, one heart, Alexandria vs. True Heart... A lot of Alexander's interior looks like a golden city... Big robot being that cannot continue to exist without draining the world(s) of aether sentences itself to death by Warrior of Light... Swords with wings... Fun with dimensions, spacetime, gravity...

Things I noticed only because I was looking for them, I know, but things that are keeping my copium tank full LOL. Also, this is totally just pareidolia on my part, but the dark blue piece on the back of Sphene's dress is shaped exactly like Cruise Chaser from a top-down view... Which is interesting but almost definitely nothing.

[MikkoAkure]

7.2 site updated with 3 of the fighters we’ll be facing in the raid series. Any speculation on what the fourth fight could be?

[SannaR]

The blonde cat boy confuses me. In the scene he's in with Brute Bomber he isn't shown with a regulator on. Which made me suspect that he might be a black regulator wearer. Yet in his introduction splash screen he is shown with a regular white one. He also looks to have a Fenrir model as his beast form. I would have to look at the trailer again as he is in them in a few spots outside of the fight and I want to say he is missing a regulator in every shot of him. Which could also mean that he just fights with one and for whatever reason doesn't normally wear one. Unless they are hiding his black one on purpose.

[Cleretic]

7.2 site updated with 3 of the fighters we’ll be facing in the raid series. Any speculation on what the fourth fight could be?

The rafflesia fighter, the one with the green tentacley design that jumps on the wall, is the one that's missing from the lineup.

...if, in fact, the rafflesia fighter is the fourth Arcadion boss in the first place; I suspect that they cut the MSQ and Arcadion together partly for deliberate disorientation, so it'd be entirely unsurprising to me if we've gotten that completely wrong somehow.

[RicaRuin]

It can be missed, but the Rafflesia fighter is wearing the same bracelet Brute Bomber has on the same arm.



So, my speculation is that he is M6 or M7, fighting him again for whatever reason with another Beast Soul (or his soul corrupted by the regulator usage?). I haven't spotted anything that could be the Beast Form of our Fenrir catboi, so I assume he's M8. (Also because he has this 'blazing' light in his intro art and the M8 song from the Mount Yoshi-P showed accidentally had a few 'blazing' in the lyrics.)

EDIT: I retract my Statement, my brain sorted the Mecha Guy into Occult Crescent but watching the trailer super slowly in 4k made me realise it's the catboi. So, the order of M6 to M8 remains a mystery to me, but I assume Brute to be number 4.

[Cleretic]

So, my speculation is that he is M6 or M7, fighting him again for whatever reason with another Beast Soul (or his soul corrupted by the regulator usage?). I haven't spotted anything that could be the Beast Form of our Fenrir catboi, so I assume he's M8. (Also because he has this 'blazing' light in his intro art and the M8 song from the Mount Yoshi-P showed accidentally had a few 'blazing' in the lyrics.)

EDIT: I retract my Statement, my brain sorted the Mecha Guy into Occult Crescent but watching the trailer super slowly in 4k made me realise it's the catboi. So, the order of M6 to M8 remains a mystery to me, but I assume Brute to be number 4.

I've had a thought that's somewhere between 'prediction' and 'wouldn't it be cool if', that the second leg of the Arcadion could ramp things up by killing one of the recognizable characters and exploring how the regulator memory-erasing affects people on a wider scale when faced with someone on a level of celebrity.

I was thinking about either Wicked Thunder as most likely, or Honey B. Lovely for the maximum player gut punch... but now that I think about it, Brute Bomber would work really well for it; he's already proven to be most likely to turn up for a rematch, letting that moment happen around a big fight, and it kinda seems like we might be building up Mecha Catboy as his friend which would be an important extra element.

I'm not 100% sure if that part of the regulator system is working anymore since 7.1, but if it is, we could be building to that.

[rxantos]

If I had to guess.
More of the writers pet: Wuk Lamat.
More homogenization of jobs.
More homogenization of dungeons.
Less fun.

[Shookbeast]

I don't know about speculation though i did spot some familiar landmarks in the trailer for 7.2 of the occult cresant assuming they weren't the originals. The pyramid from weeping city of mhach and what looks like moss covered towers from the floating city of nym. Don't know why they are there much less in the same place.

As for 7.2 and beyond if i were to speculate to be quite honest we could have by now gone to the "unlost world" supposed ninth shard use a bunch of electrope and create a massive amount water aether i believe to counter act the massive lightning aether on the ninth and send everyone home.

I also wish they would stop beating around the bush with these shades of the thirteenth. From the ninth floor of pandemonium's boss, to Zorral ja becoming a voidsent with all those souls, to now with arcadian, and solution nine's soul use. it is just everywhere. Stop teasing us.

Calyx knows he’s from Reflection 9, and seems integral to creating “Solution 9.” If he knows his Reflection’s numerical designation, then he knows the others - which could mean he’s got a Solution 1, Solution 4, Solution 8, Solution 11, and possibly a Solution 13. Whether he’s put them into play yet is another question…

I bring this up, because it’s possible all the void related stuff is connected to a bigger story arc where souls are being shifted from their Reflections to the Source by Calyx. And it sure would be helpful if he could use Azem’s power to call others from across dimensions/shards - on a massive, industrialized scale.