An Eorzean Timeline.

[Catapult]

Now I'm wondering if the whole affair with the Order of the Fist of Rhalgr was actually stirred up behind the scenes by Gaius.

It would be genius.
Stir up trouble, lead a city to topple its own strongest military force, give them a few (5) years to mop up or exile the remnants of the order, get them properly complacent with a little misguided diplomacy and then just waltz on in with the army you've had ten years to establish while they were occupied with internal banter.
FTW!

[NoloeTazier]

Now I'm wondering if the whole affair with the Order of the Fist of Rhalgr was actually stirred up behind the scenes by Gaius.

It would be genius.
Stir up trouble, lead a city to topple its own strongest military force, give them a few (5) years to mop up or exile the remnants of the order, get them properly complacent with a little misguided diplomacy and then just waltz on in with the army you've had ten years to establish while they were occupied with internal banter.
FTW!

I know right, that would actually be an amazing plot for the Ala Mhigo storyline. I can see SE navigating that kind of road as well. A 'crazy' Holy See in Ishgard and a power-hungry 'King' in Ala Mhigo. Definitely covers those bases of storylines people can really get into.

Topic wise, I'm not sure if we'll learn about all the Astral and Umbral Eras, but I atleast expect to learn about the Third Astral and the Fourth Umbral as they pertain to the Allagan Empire. So hopefully atleast those gaps can be filled in by interesting Lore and dates. I feel like a lot of information will come from Ishgard and it's Library and the city or ruins that are left of Sharlayan...that's if the Circle of Knowing doesn't tell us the things first or atleast what they know about the Astral and Umbral Eras. Then again they might know nothing, but I feel like Urianger was in a little inner-circle with Louisoix that Thancred, Yda, Papylamo, and Y'Shtola were not.