Lahabrea & Nidhogg **Spoilers**

[Akiza]

If you play the Summoner quest line AKh Morn can vaporize in Ascian so a Primal can kill an Ascian since they are just a mass of pure aether.

[Mholito]

If you play the Summoner quest line AKh Morn can vaporize in Ascian so a Primal can kill an Ascian since they are just a mass of pure aether.

It was also mentioned that those ascians are weaker, and don't have as many means of survival without a body.

[Nestama]

It was also mentioned that those ascians are weaker, and don't have as many means of survival without a body.

Though if they were an Ascian lord like Lahabrea, a Primal would still be able to absorb them if they were in a weakened state (or at any time. If the Echo makes them to be made of Aether at all times, then a Primal could easily feast on them).

[CyrilLucifer]

I don't think we know that's necessarily true. The Overlords have Dark Crystals to not be immediately killed when banished or absorbed. The only other example we've seen absorbed by Primals, the Sahagin Elder, did not. It is noted exactly in the scenes that the Sahagin lacked precisely what made the Ascians immortal.

We were able to kill Nabri because we had trapped him completely, unable to escape using his Crystal, then we destroyed the object he was trapped in. That's why this entire debate has stemmed; Laha's Aether might be trapped but not "used up" so to speak. The object that traps him still exists, as the game very obviously pointed out to us.

(Though I totally admit I subscribe to the theory that the reason BisEx kills you when you're on his back for too long is because his sheer size allows him an abnormally powerful ability to absorb your character's Aether essence. But this actually supports the arguments he's deaddeaddead).

[Cilia]

If we want to use the Dark Crystal bit, remember that before absorbing Lahabrea King Thordan launched a sword wave at him that disintegrated his physical form and before that Igeyorhm needed time to use hers, enough that we were able to throw the White Auracite. It is, apparently, not an instantaneous thing (or dependent on how worn out they are at the moment).

[Heavensword]

I see a lot of interesting points being presented here. So I am going to share my own thoughts into the discussion. Now, I am going to hazard a guess that most (if not all of you) listened to the story cutscenes in English or other translated language. But if you watch them in original Japanese, one can pick out subtle variations in verbs, nouns or even how a character is referred that might be a hint or foreshadow to future content.


For example, the names of the "important" dragons, Midgarsormr, Hraesvelgr and Nidhogg. In English, they are just referred plainly by their respective names. But in Japanese, each of them have special "titles" attached: Gen-ryu(Origin-dragon), Midgarsormr; Sei-ryu(Holy(?)-dragon), Hraesvelgr; and finally Ja-ryu (Evil-dragon), Nidhogg (or Nizu-heggu if you are pronouncing in JP style >.<).

I maybe speculating too much but Nidhogg's "title" does not get mentioned until the post-credit scene where your character lands in Ishgard on the back of Midgardsormr, and it was Midgardsormr, himself, that coins the term "Ja-ryu". The dialogue roughly translates as:

Midgard: ... his vengeful spirit claimed the soul of your Azure Dragon-knight and thus manifested himself as "Ja-ryu". Ja-ryu Nidhogg now seek to continue his campaign of revenge etc. etc...
Aymeric: It can't be... Estinien....!?

My point is, since Midgardsormr, who apparently accompanies the WoL everywhere and see/hear/experience what he/she does, would NOT have remained ignorant to the fact that Nidhogg's eye absorbed Lahabrea's soul. Yet, the fact that he made no mention of the Ascian and only the merging of Estinien and Nidhogg maybe seen as evidence that Lahabrea is indeed destroyed for good. Also, it maybe for some of us to understand, but when titles are given to an individual it actually means a big deal in Japanese. For example, throughout the game, Midgardsormr is rarely referred to as his full name, but rather always referred to as "Gen-ryu". This stipulates that there is not other "Gen-ryu" out there except for Midgardsormr, and only he alone can claim the title.

So, which means, by claiming Estinien's essence, Nidhogg had "promoted" himself into a new and more powerful being called "Ja-ryu", thus becoming the ONE and the ONLY representation of Evil Dragon there is. So, I get the feeling that Nidhogg will be the center of the focus in the up coming stories. Whether SE chooses to free Estinien or not, I think that part is not important. I mean, face it, the writers have so much freedom that if they want to, they can invent whatever cockamamie reasons/ways to bring even Haurchefant back to life.