Gerun Oracles

[Kuwagami]

Interesting to see that Nabriales calls himself a "true servant of Zodiark" when comparing himself to Lahabrea. I wonder if the ascians are really united, even without considering "special snowflake" Elidibus

[Anonymoose]

What he said was 'Things are tipping too far towards Light, any further and *our goal will fall out of our reach*'

That's the way I see it, as well, at the moment. However, there's enough resistance to my impression of Elidibus that I continue to doubt and attack my own views. If it's wrong, I'd rather it fell apart quickly and helped me get on to something better, lol.

To be fair, Lahabrea didn't really seem like he was going for the deathblow in that first fight. He did state his intent to kill, but he was hardly trying compared to his performance in the Aetherochemical Research Facility.

Aye, it's hard to gauge. Unleashing Ultima, at least, didn't seem like an attack on anything but Hydaelyn's protection, shattering the "shield of Light" with the "hammer of Darkness" and leaving you vulnerable. After Gaius fails to take you out and he steps in, though, he does appear to change gears (from toying with you earlier) and at least declare intent, saying that the Castrum will be your tomb. I'd prefer harder evidence that he never really expected you to die before leaping to that conclusion, though. He was pretty convincing.

The growing imbalance afflicting the planet must be redressed. If it is permitted to worsen, the very laws of existence─both aetheric and physical─will be warped beyond all recognition. Know you the root of this corruption? Hydaelyn! Like a parasite, she must be burned out if the planet is to recover. And naught but the return of the one true god will ensure her complete excision. Yet to pave the way for the master's return, a chaotic confluence of untold proportions must needs be brought about. And that will necessitate the presence of the primals. Needless to say, both you and your Scion accomplices can not be suffered to interfere in this endeavor. You will not leave this place alive.

EDIT: Retroactive donning of the Darksteelfoil Hat.

If the "logic" of Elidibus about equilibrium cannot be trusted (and, again, I just can't hop on board with that premise while the conclusion seems to be hitting the RESET button on Creation) perhaps they're referring to the cycle of the eras itself; that Hydaelyn's interference in Zodiark's first coming (which I assume is the world their souls ascended from) has sent a ripple through the universe where the "unworthy" mortal element has spent ~10,000 years rocking the boat of a new Creation in a way that they feel will inevitably capsize; annihilating even the "spark" in the Darkness from which a new Genesis could be formed.

If so, pretty much everything they say finally makes sense. They think things were better off under the "old order" and that the inheritors of the universe are going to ruin it, so they join up with the bitter, exiled god - the "true" god - and give the mortals the nudges they need to fulfill their destiny as awful custodians of the planet, aiming to burn out Hydaelyn and hit the reset button. But... the fall of Zodiark's first coming and the subsequent rise of mortals happened for a reason. Theoretically, if we cast down the Ascians, prevent His resurrection, and stop rocking the damn boat, the Seventh Astral Era can last for all time with the reins of history in the hands of man. (Until a subsequent expansion.)

Okay, so maybe that's a pretty big leap, as well. I kinda let that get away from me for a minute there.

Interesting to see that Nabriales calls himself a "true servant of Zodiark" when comparing himself to Lahabrea.

I didn't see it as implying anything too meaningful, myself. Nabriales stated pretty clearly that he felt he was much more qualified to sit at Zodiark's right hand than Lahabrea was. How could he see him as anything but an inferior servant? Seizing Tupsimati and initiating a Rejoining all by his lonesome was a great way to say, yeah, but look what I can do - I'm not wasting any time; I'm just winning. Incidentally, it was also a great way to get himself treated to the business end of an auracite Pink Floyd laser show, which is decidedly not winning.

[Fenral]

Theoretically, if we cast down the Ascians, prevent His resurrection, and stop rocking the damn boat, the Seventh Astral Era can last for all time with the reins of history in the hands of man. (Until a subsequent expansion.)

I'm actually not in support of this notion. For one thing, rocking the boat is human nature, for another, far to much of Final Fantasy as a series has taken pains to insist that there is no great evil that can be defeated to bring about eternal world peace. Nothing stopping that from happening here, sure, but somehow I don't think we're going to loop around into "we were right all along" because as myself and other have pointed out, we're wrong on a lot already.

I'd like to think there's a way to fix equilibrium without trashing our Mothercrystal (she does mean well), but beyond that I just can't see killing all the Ascians as a viable or even a worthy goal.