Alexander and tempering

[Morningstar1337]

Okay so I decided to get Alex NM done today and I learned several things

• The obvious: Axes is a primal inhabiting a glorified mammot., The Illuminati/Blue hand is using is and they are intent on using it to hoard all the knowledge (I;m sure they and Sylvestre would either get along swimmingly or become bitter rivals)
• The reason: Alexander is not an actual deity but seems to be an amalgamation of the Illuminati's ideas in the form of the fortress as shown it the Enigma Codex

Which leads me to ask, Is Alex a representation of the concept of Utopia, as the Illuminati and Mide see it, the amagalgination of the illumnati's hopes and dreams, The Codex Deified, Or is it a primal of a different being altogether?

[Frederick22]

Hard to know really :/

Alexander's the first primal that doesn not act like a living being ( for now also, if we dont count the sword of Odin )
There is not enought lore about Alexander so far I think.

But beacuse Cid and that Aura came with us, I vague think that Alexander cannot temper. Like a machine, if no one operates him is not a danger ( I could be wrong, maybe it will become alive eventually lol )

[CyberGoblin]

Well, its stated that Alexander at this point is incomplete, perhaps when/if it does get completed it will be sentient, capable of tempering and probably mildly ticked off

[Februs]

At the moment, this is really the only mystery that Alexander has to offer... which is probably why a lot of people are disappointed with him. The Goblins are the primary threat (at the moment), and we know what their goals are. So, there's not enough mystery and intrigue to keep us interested at this point, and the end cutscene of A4 did nothing to warrant a renewed interest in the story like T5 did with Bahamut (most people could not wait to get into the Second Coil after seeing that).

That being said, it is an interesting question. Personally, I'm assuming that the codex is simply an object, and Alexander is the Eikon. Further, I'm also assuming that Alexander is the means to an end for Goblins. He's what their hopes and dreams are riding on (quite literally); however, I don't think they truly know what they have gotten themselves into.

So far, Alexander has mimic'd Bahamut in his implementation. First stage is dormancy. This was the same for Bahamut. He did not speak to us and all of the threats presented to us in the First Coil were of Allagan design. Second Coil showed us a bit of Bahamut's intent. The menacing feeling of the unknown and suspense was replaced with a raising of the stakes and a concentrated will. Bahamut himself became involved. Final Coil was the show down. Basic story structure 101: Introduction -> Rising action -> Conclusion. I think we can look forward to the same design for Alexander. The first stage of Alexander (suspense/tension and mystery) were utterly lack luster by comparison to Bahamut's version, but I'm hoping that the second stage makes up for it with a deeper sense of threat from Alexander himself. As he becomes more complete and aware of what's happening, he stands to pose a much more troubling threat to the immediate infrastructure than Bahamut did.

[Morningstar1337]

I forgot to this this in the OP (site you know, the title) But I have another question, Do you think the Illuminati are being tempered?

[Frederick22]

I forgot to this this in the OP (site you know, the title) But I have another question, Do you think the Illuminati are being tempered?

Hard to say.

[MilesSaintboroguh]

I think they're just that crazy. If they were really tempered, they'd try to force other Goblins to add to their numbers.

[Belhi]

Tempering appears to be an active thing. Its not something that just happens from being close to a primal. If that was the case, the Company of Heroes never would have had a chance to kill one, let alone two, primals.

Further, I suspect tempering is something that requires the Primal to use Aether so generally I think Primals only do it when necessary or when they intentionally want to. I point to Garuda's attempt to temper the WoL as well as Ifrit. It was an active thing.

For this reason I wouldn't be surprised if the Goblins aren't tempered. Either Alexander isn't aware enough to be tempering at this point or it feels no need to temper the Goblins who summoned it.

The other alternative is the actual Primal may be the central component of the Fortress. I wouldn't be surprised in the least to discover that the actual primal is the heart of the structure rather than the structure itself in the same way Odin uses a host.

[Morningstar1337]

The other alternative is the actual Primal may be the central component of the Fortress. I wouldn't be surprised in the least to discover that the actual primal is the heart of the structure rather than the structure itself in the same way Odin uses a host.

You mean the Primal is the Gordian Knot, the thing where Mide, Biggs and Wedge were in close proximity to? (and the thing that further entrenches my belief that the recurring Alexander is based on Alexander the Great)

[Kotemon]

Like others said, "hard to tell". I'm just going on the belief that Alexander isn't an actual being like the others or because its not finished it has no sense of self.

Theory-craft: If the summons like Bahamut, Shiva, Ramuh, King Moglemog etc are manifested on a perception or mental image. Then they will be manifested based on that image despite the real life being they were based on.. In theory you should be able to summon an object instead of a whole being. If the Illuminadi figured that out then they could have used existing material as a base/host and summoned whole components. They may not be able to summon the whole thing at once but over time they should be able to create the segments, use less crystals etc, and sustain it on their belief in a goblin utopia. Alexander may well be a summoning of sorts but as it currently is, its not complete or whole. Other than its effect on the Aether there's nothing more to it now other than a really big robot with a possible separate power supply.