Quote Originally Posted by Rassa View Post
While I haven't had time to go through all the cutscenes for primary evidence, I'd like to point out that a couple of theories in this thread contradict.

Specifically, the star shower at the end of the starting city plotlines cannot mark the moment that the primals escape from Silvertear lake if either of the following theories are also true.

1) The echo begins when the primals escape. I can't see any way this idea isn't true. But if so, then 4 members of the circle of knowing, all possessing the echo, had time to travel to Eorzea after gaining this power. Whether they were chosen to join the circle because they had the echo, or the circle can somehow GIVE people the echo, they had it and knew something about it before the main city questline begins.

2) Ascilia is Menfilia. Menfilia is said to have survived the imperial attack on Mor Dhona. If so, then she couldn't also be crying in an Ul'dahn crypt at the same time.

The simplest resolution is to assume that the star shower in the main questlines is either different from the release of the primals (perhaps a vision of the future triggered by an unrelated celestial event) or else it is an echo vision of the explosion at Silvertear Lake, which happened in the past.

One way or another, that last starshower does not mark the Battle of Silvertear skies on the timeline.
1.) The Circle of Knowing knows of the Echo but they do not possess the power. They're in the Circle of Knowing because they're said to be reincarnations of the Twelve, the Archons. Minfilia tells us that 10 years ago the Echo began to appear in mass, same time as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The Echo could have came from the Primals being released, it could be a power that was brought out when the aether was disturbed, it could be the call of the Mother Crystal ("Heed the Crystals Call," could literally be a hint they give us).

2.) First time I've heard of Minfilia surviving an imperial attack in Mor Dhona. If you've read what I posted you will know how everything lines up. Ascilia comes to Ul'dah with her father Warburton shortly after Ala Mhigo falls. We arrive in Ul'dah and step off the chocobo carriage and see the Event (the starshower) during this, everything around us changes. Somehow Grinfarr and the Lala Twins are on the same caravan, Ascilia and her father appear, and Thancred walks away with 2 women. Also Ul'dah is currently celebrating and having a festival. During our ride in, none of this was going on. People were bartering in the stalls and there wasn't so much of a commotion. Simple to say we are in an Echo and everything we experience at the time is an Echo. The whoosh noises we hear during these quests are Echo jumps, we are Echo jumping inside an Echo. At the conclusion of the quests we see a more in-depth starshower and noises ring in our head and we pass out.

Now prior to the crypt scene, spoilers aside, we bump into Minfilia and she says things along the line of she's surprised to see us here. Clearly meaning she's met us before, but we have not met her? There's a reason why their names are similar, same reason Ul'dah and Sil'dih are similar. This is how the world operates. Not only does a name change take place, but in each story there's a name change. Krimm, Ascilia, Sthalman (think that's it, typing this hastily and too lazy to look for the real spelling).

As for the last starshower I can't tell you what it is, but I believe it's a vague premonition for the 7th Verse of Mezaya Thousand Eye's The Divine Chronicles. In Tanaka's story and in Yoshi's story this vague disaster could mean anything and in Yoshi's story it's Dalamud and Bahamut.
Ne'er till land consumes sun can sea bear moons.
Heavens spew crimson flame, hells seep black dooms.
Stray seeds quicken in ash's grey embrace.
Valiant blades forged under the Twelve's good grace.
It's the heaven's spewing crimson flame and it has everything to do with our Echo, as does the first starshower.

When I came up with the theory of Ascilia == Minfilia, I worked very hard on it. I watched every Cutscene hundreds of times and read every line of npc dialogue even more times, looking for those subtle meanings. The conclusion I came up with was that, Ascilia grows up to be Minfilia. Catapult was able to come up with the same conclusion of Krimm growing up and being the Hermit.