Will we ever... (t9 related)

[Anonymoose]

I guess in future we have to go and face the empire at their own home base. maybe then we will learn more about Nael, Gaius and whoever else we will kill to achieve our goal protecting eorzea...

<4.0 Ala Mhigan dungeon; Garlean records abandoned>

"Hold up, I wanna read this sparkly thing."

[As requested, Lord Baelsar - all information pertaining to Nael van Darnus of the VIIth Legion, scheduled for arrival within a fortnight to assume command of Ala Mhigan conscripts. His Radiance bids the XIVth act in a supporting role until the Meteor project concludes.]

"Oh, man, answers! Stop, stop! Here's another one!"

[Nael of House Darnus; assumed lordship upon father's death under suspicious circumstances. Past deployments mostly Othardian in nature. Confirmed killer of Bradamante. Age and gender appear to be smudged.]

"FFFFUUUUUUU."

[Nalien]

I'm incline to think it is his mother.

The possibility of Nael desu Darnus being the result of Naels dying thoughts was a possibility mentioned directly by Alisaie (or was it Urianger later?), and after regaining his senses, Nael makes a passing mention that he was once a weak child. He suggests that he had a fairly traumatic childhood, considering that he only even brought the topic up with regards to the "trauma" Alisaie would go through continuing her quest. Something terrible happening to a beloved elder? I'm incline to think Nael had a good relationship with his mother, as a weak child one would certain seek their mother for comfort, and at deaths door I'd imagine he'd think back to her (he was once again "weak") and confuse Bahamut. Can't imagine babby Nael would confide with his father, considering what is suggested he did to his father, if anything I'd imagine his father did something to his mother, hence the bloodshed and heartlessness...

I really kind of hope they expand on the White Ravens history at a later date, there is a fair bit more they could do with the character, even if he is dead. Heck, Gaius could also do with some fleshing out, considering right now I get the distinct impression that he was basically crucified in order to rebuild the realm... I just found him to be so very badly written in 2.0... At the very least I'd like to know what drove him to such an obsession with conquest... Nael we know got corrupted by Bahamut, but Gaius? He just ran off on a failed conquest and left the Emperor to die, although I'm starting to doubt that Gaius wielding Heirsbane was in anyway relevant, considering the weapon seems to be standard issue now (here's a fun game, how many copies of Heirsbane did you spot in Azys Lla?).

[Anonymoose]

The possibility of Nael desu Darnus being the result of Naels dying thoughts was a possibility mentioned directly by Alisaie (or was it Urianger later?)

You had surrendered your physical form, and collapsed into aether... But Bahamut denied you death, and imprisoned what little was left of you in an aetherial shell resembling...what, I wonder? Images from your memory, perhaps?

That's what originally led me to Bradamante, falling back on a family member once that was denied. It is heavily implied that Nael was responsible for the elder Darnus' death, so the mother theory could have some story-connection to it. Because of the language differences, I'm not of the opinion that much can be puzzled out with known information. What do the "I was once a weak little girl." languages say if it is his mother? Personally, I've given up for now and figure if they want us to know more, they'll let us know, lol.

[Dererk]

There's info saying that his gun lance is named after a war maiden he killed maybe its this person. You don't name your weapon after some one you killed on a whim.

[Fenral]

My crack theory that will (probably) never be able to be verified. Nael van Darnus was of House Darnus, who were keepers of the knowledge of Dalamud passed down by the Allagans themselves. We've met exactly one other person who can make a similar claim (yes, him), though due to a glitch in the system he never knew about it until it was far to late for us to help him sort it out. When that knowledge properly awoke inside him, though, he began to act according to a will that was, by his own admission, not his own, towards a purpose he didn't care to explain, and he left us with only a name:

Salina.

We know she used the royal blood to pass her memories on to the line that resulted in G'raha Tia, but we have no idea what happened to Salina herself, just that she was the last surviving member of Allag's royal line. So where did she go, and was G'raha's ancestor the only one she assigned a "purpose"? But if you think back on House Darnus, factor in the possibility of a second inherited will, add in Nael's own confusion as to the female form he took...

Bahamut recreated the form of the dominant will residing in Nael's body, and it wasn't Nael. Maybe.

[Grayve]

Alright. I've been wondering for a while, but Fenral, I have to ask, what is the deal with CT and G'raha Tia and you? I didn't feel the story was incomplete, beyond the obvious 'potential future plot hooks' that all MMO's have... so what about it am I missing?

[Fenral]

Alright. I've been wondering for a while, but Fenral, I have to ask, what is the deal with CT and G'raha Tia and you? I didn't feel the story was incomplete, beyond the obvious 'potential future plot hooks' that all MMO's have... so what about it am I missing?

Entirely too much prior literary baggage concerning tropes relating to free will, self-determination, inherited memories, and the role the past should have in shaping the future. Much of it coming from Final Fantasy games, some that even seemed to be referenced in the story itself. And it *kupo*d all over all of it at the last minute as a means to permanently "resolve" a character I was hoping to see a lot more of. ("Get it? He's Desch!" Uh, no. Not even close.) If you had gone into it thinking in the way I did, it would feel wrong to you, too.

What I posted above, though, is legitimate speculation based on what we know about the Allagans so far. Please forgive me for wanting to believe that some part of it somewhere was actually meant to have significance beyond the end of the storyline.

EDIT:
Long story short, I feel that trying to discuss Allag without bringing up G'raha at all would be like if Heavensward took us to meet Hraesvelgr without Ysayle, or had us confront Nidhogg without Estinien in the party. Yes, it can all spin on without him (or Doga, Unei, or Noah), and quite possibly will, but so long as he remains our only link to the people of Allag in the entire (original) cast, major or minor, it feels weird to treat him as a fully resolved character who never needs to show up again.

[WyrahFhurrst]

I don't think it's Salina. That's a story left to CT. I wonder if it's not from Nael's memories, but from Bahamut's, and if the form is the person who slew Bahamut all those eras passed.

[Kallera]

don't think too hard about it.

Its bahamut's waifu.

No, not tiamat! his waifu....

Because even a dragon gets lonely.

[Zohar_Lahar]

They really should go into the backstory of the three Legatii (plus Varis) sometime.