Some wild speculation about a certain macguffin from 7.0

[Shookbeast]

I do find Calyx’s interest in our Azem crystal/powers both interesting and ominous. For a while I thought Sphene was going to be our soul shard from the 9th - given her rather portentous lines about “with your strength... without sacrifice.” But now that we know Calyx programmed her… maybe he’s the WOL of the 9th? Maybe he’s our twisted soul reflection, bent on “saving” as many people as possible?

I’m not sure if this is true, but I suspect he’d need a legitimate Azem soul shard to use our crystal. But if Calyx is just a computer driven memory - then he’s got no soul to work with.

So where is the hypothetical Azem soul from the 9th, that used to be Calyx?

If only there was a flesh and blood character with a soul from the 9th who also was sickly like Calyx and recently came into the story with a giant red flag regarding how they can’t use regulators - so if they were to die, their soul would be up for grabs…

[mallleable]

Some reiteration, we know that The Dimensional Key is capable of dimensional travel when it allowed the Milalla to flee through a portal from The Source to The Ninth. It is also capable of dimensional fusion, allowing The Golden Gate, and The Dome to fuse to The Source. So it might be the case that The Key is simply capable of dimensional manipulation magicks, so it could be possible to use it to do the opposite of fusion, dimensional splitting -- or sundering.

I think Venat could have used the crystal within The Key to sunder the world. This could explain a couple of things like why Azem's sigil appeared on it as well as give Calyx, and Preservation the detailed knowledge about the shard system. Venat's memories of the sundering could have been seared onto the crystal, and Preservation could have found them when they made The Key. Which leaves a couple of possibilities: Venat made the crystal to sunder the world or she repurposed the crystal. I'm unsure she made it because otherwise there would be 'Venat magic' on it, not 'Azem Magic.' It also seems a bit odd to include other spells on it like dimensional travel, and fusion when designing a thing to sunder the world. So the possibility that she simply repurposed it remains.

I still think it might be some kind of Auracite that contains a dimensional fusion spell (like how the Auracite within the Heart of Sabik contains Ultima), and Venat crossed paths with it during her time as Azem and put a protective ward on it to mitigate its corruption, and would later repurpose it to sunder the world. I think we should go to Elpis, and pay Ventat another visit.

Its sundering capabilities could also explain the weird pocket dimensions that are present like The Strayborough Deadwalk, and the space that would become Sareel Ja's Vana'diel. They could have been created when Preservation started experimenting on the crystal.

[Cleretic]

Its sundering capabilities could also explain the weird pocket dimensions that are present like The Strayborough Deadwalk, and the space that would become Sareel Ja's Vana'diel. They could have been created when Preservation started experimenting on the crystal.

Sareel Ja's Vana'diel isn't a pocket dimension, it's a holodeck. That holodeck's exact location isn't clear, but it's by all evidence somewhere near Yak T'el, he made it out of electrope in/around the Skydeep Cenote. There is the matter of the Vana'diel that he saw when he went through the portal, but that seems to be Actual FFXI Vana'diel, which was known.

[mallleable]

Sareel Ja's Vana'diel isn't a pocket dimension, it's a holodeck. That holodeck's exact location isn't clear, but it's by all evidence somewhere near Yak T'el, he made it out of electrope in/around the Skydeep Cenote. There is the matter of the Vana'diel that he saw when he went through the portal, but that seems to be Actual FFXI Vana'diel, which was known.

"Fortunate, then, that that world between worlds was filled with structures made from electrope. More than I could ever hope for."

You're probably right about it not being a weird pocket dimension created by potential localized sundering, it's still a bit unclear but it seems like there is a lot of electrope floating around in the rift around The Gate's fusion point.

[Iscah]

So could electrope be a sort of crystallised dark matter that comes out of the rift – like a solidified version of the mist we see around voidgates – and it has formed so much in Alexandria because it has some major "cracks" letting it in?

Though I suppose we should expect to see it in Alzadaal's Legacy as well if that were its source. Though perhaps it would accumulate more quickly in an aetherially thin shard, and with a less contained gate.

[mallleable]

I think it might be time to bump this thread with new info about The Key from 7.3, and 7.4.

7.3

During the escape room puzzle section in the Preservation labs, we learned that the actual Key is the white crystal, and the rest is an electrope housing made my Preservation. There was also some documents that demonstrate the volatility of The Key during Preservation's early experiments on it.

"Nothing of note. The mystery of the key's activation condition remains unsolved.

The key triggered an explosion today. Temporary interdimensional portal verified. Continue attempts to stabilize the core's energy reactions.

Thirteen researchers sustained fatal injuries in the explosion. Memory faculties of four personnel sufficiently intact for Endless conversion. Remaining nine designated for aether reclamation processing.

Nothing of note. Rejected resignations of two Milalla researchers.

Major incident. Details in full report."

It describes The Key causing an explosion big enough to kill 13 scientists, and violent enough that most of the scientists could not become Endless as a result.

7.4

While no definitive answers were given, we did get some statements about The Key from a direct descendant of the original Speaker, Miayli, and rather ominous ones. Miayli is also Alayla's sister.

Miayli: But be that as it may, my sister gave up not only her life, but her darling daughter to prevent its misuse.

Miayli: They devoted their lives to understanding the key so that future generations would not be burdened by it.

Miayli: A word of caution, keeper of the key.
Miayli: As you know, it is a relic that has traveled across centuries and worlds, passing through countless hands...
Miayli: ...Oft beckoning to those ruled by ambition or avarice. Indeed, some have wondered if it chooses its master.
Miayli: But I believe differently. I believe that some inexorable force─call it “fate” if you will─ushers it from one bearer to the next.
Miayli: Be wary, for fate's regard now falls upon you.

At one point she asks the Warrior of Light what they would do with The Key if they can get it to work, and the player has dialog choices.

'Travel'

Miayli: For some, that might be a self-serving end. But your deeds are proof that I needn't worry.

'Herosim'

Miayli: For some, that might be a self-serving end. But your deeds are proof that I needn't worry.

'I don't know'

Miayli: The very fact that you don't have an answer is proof that you understand the weight of this power, and do not take it lightly.

The 'I don't know' option is the only one where Miayli has unique dialog.

While these are all Miayli's feelings, there doesn't seem to be a reason to doubt her given her relation to The Key. The Key seems as dangerous as ever, especially with the idea that it may have 'chosen' the Warrior of Light. Perhaps that is what was happening when the Azem symbol appeared on it at the start of the Queen Eternal fight. The idea of it being a burden, and not a gift is very much alive still.