Quote Originally Posted by DarkJester View Post
I thought Urianger worked for the Ascians?
Why then would he give you white auracite to utterly detroy said ascians?
Urianger met with just Elidibus. In fact, he was surprised (and kind of honored, in a way) to receive a direct invitation from "The Emissary." It doesn't necessarily mean he's switched sides, it just means that they've had some level of contact that further complicates our understanding of what's going on and capitalizes once again on Urianger's awkward mix of book smarts, wit, and lack of worldly experience. When you start the Extreme quests, Urianger uses the phrase "the fate of this star," which is exactly what Elidibus asked to speak with him about (and the white-robed scholar is suspect alone), so this may be the beginning of a larger exposition on that revelation.

Quote Originally Posted by DarkJester View Post
Why did the Archbishop go to Asyz Lla at all?
It seemed he had everything to achieve godhood without going there...
Azys Lla was an offering of the Ascians - a great power that he could use to further his ambitions as he saw fit. Think of it like the Ultima Weapon - it was exactly what Gaius needed for motivation and empowerment to get him off his ass and causing chaos. With the knowledge on Azys Lla, the Archbishop would be able to control dragons and battle primals, thus pulling his nation out of a thin-stretched stalemate and allowing him to essentially build the Ishgardian Empire with himself as a God at its head. The Ascians just didn't expect him to turn on them as part of the plan (I actually imagine they thought he'd sooner go for the Warrior of Light to get them out of the way early); he was far more ambitious than they gave him credit for.