Where Was The Crystal Tower Hiding?

[Klutz64]

So according to the game, the Crystal Tower appeared after the Calamity. But the researchers in the area believe the tower was built by the Allagans, meaning they have reason to assume it has been there for eons. At one point, a researcher mentions underground. And while it stands to reason that a lot was unearthed right around Cartenau, it doesn't make any sense that a structure that dwarfs Midgardsormr (which was fully exposed before the calamity) was just under some rock.

[Kirosuu]

go to mor dhona(revenant toll) and you will see it
its there for long time now

[Klutz64]

That's, um... not what I meant.
I was wondering where it was *before* the calamity. Theoretically, of course.

[Fleurette]

Underground, as far as we know!

Back in 1.0, there was a place in Mor Dhona called the Crypt of Xandes (who I think was an Allagan king back in the day.) Here's a picture of it:

I...think this was the most concentrated place of crystal in 1.0's Mor Dhona, and after the Calamity, the impact and the imbalance of aether made a lot of the crystals in Mor Dhona go crazy (as you can see with the huge bunches of overaspected crystals, especially at Old Revenant's Toll), and I think this is what triggered the Tower to appear from the Crypt.

don't quote me on this, but i do know the general theory was that the Crypt was going to turn into the Crystal Tower.

[Alaltus]

It was known as the tomb of Xandes (i think) in 1.0 it shot of the ground during the calamnity. Catapult would be the one to ask i think, i tried to look through his post history because i remember a discussion about the crystal towers location coming up before 2.0 launched but i couldn't find it. But bassically Erik had some dialogue in 1.0 that explained about the tomb's location and that he predicted the tomb was constructed out of crystal due to the readings it was giving off if i remember right.

[Anonymoose]

The only explanation I know of so far is that which we get from Erik: It was underground for roughly 5,000 years and was "awoken" by the events of the Calamity, causing it to slowly rise from beneath the earth ever since.

[Enkidoh]

Underground, as far as we know!

Back in 1.0, there was a place in Mor Dhona called the Crypt of Xandes (who I think was an Allagan king back in the day.) Here's a picture of it:

I...think this was the most concentrated place of crystal in 1.0's Mor Dhona, and after the Calamity, the impact and the imbalance of aether made a lot of the crystals in Mor Dhona go crazy (as you can see with the huge bunches of overaspected crystals, especially at Old Revenant's Toll), and I think this is what triggered the Tower to appear from the Crypt.

don't quote me on this, but i do know the general theory was that the Crypt was going to turn into the Crystal Tower.

That's a nice theory, but I'm pretty sure that it's not correct. The tower is not a 'random materialization' of crystals. It was specifically constructed as Xandes' Tomb - the development team have mentioned this, and there is concept art in the artbook that came with the Collector's Edition which depicts the tower as originally constructed, surrounded by a colonnaded wall and fountains, definitely regal in it's construction and very much something a vain, egomaniac king would have built as his 'final resting place'.

Additionally, the front door to it is clearly man made - there's nothing natural about it. And as for the Thaliak deity stone, in ARR that's now out in the open on a crystallized ledge in the south west of Mor Dhona (it's not too difficult to get to), so that kind of also blows out the theory that the little cavern where it was located in 1.0 was actually part of the Tower, as where the Deity stone is, is actually on the other side of Mor Dhona from where the tower is (the Deity Stone is in the south west, the Crystal Tower in the south east).

[Torquil]

Underground. Confirmed in patch 2.3 by Doga and Unei's speech.

[Velox]

Given that large concentrations of aether (disturbed by natural/unnatural means) can cause things to float (the boulders around the impact site in the North Shroud, the city of Nym, etc), it's not too far-fetched that the lore can have the Tower rise up out of the ground by said aether disturbed from the Calamity.

[Orophin]

It was underground until Bahamut's onslaught influenced the change in Eorzea's geography. There's a pretty good chance the massive earthquake during the Allagan's rule opened up a chasm and swallowed it.