Occult Crescent speculation

[Iscah]

I can't comment on the larger theory since I haven't played FFV, but regarding this bit...

what's in the other tower, considering Flare is just a level 50 BLM spell, Ultima?

If Flare is just a level 50 BLM spell, then Holy is just a level 45 WHM spell. So if you're speculating that there's some special sort of Holy spell then there can equally be a special sort of Flare spell.

[mallleable]

Okay, this has me extra spooked.

From the sightseeing log of the Ziggurat in The Peaks.

"The Sixth Umbral Calamity wreaked havoc upon the realm's aetherial flow, giving rise to unstable weather patterns. Desiring to correct the disturbance, descendants of the Amdapori and the Mhachi set aside past differences and came together to build the Ziggurat, which served as a weight to still the land's writhing currents of aether."

This may have have been a 'wedge driven into the serpent's back' that was recalled by the Golden Dhyata. Maybe there are six more out there. If it is a 'wedge' then it also implies that The Peaks may be an aethericly significant location geographically.

The entry also mentioned "unstable weather patterns" so I speculate that the effects could have manifested on other shards as well considering that the lifestream seems to be linked across shards given how Minfillia was able to take the Warriors of Darkness back to The First. I think the The War of the Magi wreaked so much havoc for the planet that it caused the aetehric disturbance on The Ninth which would be the catalyst for the Storm Surge. With some handwavy time dilation of course.

[Chasingstars]

The south-western area with the abandoned ascent and other archtitectures like where the mud fate spawns or the cloistered demon spawn seems to have a uniform look to it, gray stones with indigo blue accenting. Although according to the records it is an unknown fifth era city state and its architecture is unfamiliar to us.

The braziers record goes on to talk about Nald'Thal as a god of fire but also the forge, which seems to be a first to refer to him as such a patron deity of something. In addition how braziers and bonfires were created to act as ways to give offerings to Nald'Thal. Although it also makes mention how those same braziers are found at the abandoned ascent, that area of the unknown city state.

Aside from being near marshland, the only notable symbol about this unknown city state would be this:

My apologies since there is a pillar in the way on the right, but reassured its a complete symbol. What relevance it has to ffxiv I don't know except what appears to be primary obsessions appearing to be blue, of course, but also a strange mathematical fascination with the integer of 8.

[Cleretic]

The south-western area with the abandoned ascent and other archtitectures like where the mud fate spawns or the cloistered demon spawn seems to have a uniform look to it, gray stones with indigo blue accenting. Although according to the records it is an unknown fifth era city state and its architecture is unfamiliar to us.

The braziers record goes on to talk about Nald'Thal as a god of fire but also the forge, which seems to be a first to refer to him as such a patron deity of something. In addition how braziers and bonfires were created to act as ways to give offerings to Nald'Thal. Although it also makes mention how those same braziers are found at the abandoned ascent, that area of the unknown city state.

While the record claims to be unknown, that pyramid is the record that triggers Archive's dialog about Karnak.

We don't have much more to add from that other than a name and the vaguely middle-eastern vibe Archive describes (turbans and the like), but there you go.

[Chasingstars]

While the record claims to be unknown, that pyramid is the record that triggers Archive's dialog about Karnak.

We don't have much more to add from that other than a name and the vaguely middle-eastern vibe Archive describes (turbans and the like), but there you go.

Oh yeah true, so possibly they were also nald'thal worshippers based on the brazier's lore text about them also having braziers. And they might've viewed nald'thal as a fire and forge god.

If the enemies that are present are reflective of the culture of a given city state, then Karnak's has a present mix of seedkin, scaleskin, elementals, wavekin, voidsent, and unclassified (aka chimeras). With what seems to be a strong emphasis on fire-elementals and fire-scalekin and voidsent. Which feels very Ul'dah at least to me.

Mostly pondering on the emphasis on Karnak. Like is our tonberry friend from there? Also can't be Belah'dia which would later be Ul'dah and Sil'dih. So maybe some precursor desert civilization that would later inspire Mhach survivors in the 6th era to adopt?