Thread: 3.4 speculation

Originally Posted by Cilia

Hydaelyn had to have known from the first that would be the end result.

Unless she's reached the point of being so weak as to be drifting in and out lucidity and not fully aware of the consequences of what she's doing/asking of us mortals.

Which is a possibility.

And also, honestly, nearly as bad as if it was premeditated, and only not as bad because premeditated suggests callousness at best and maliciousness at worst.

Originally Posted by Velhart

I....have a feeling that Minfilia is going to be herself again down the road.

If you talk to Matoya right now (I don't know if it was the same before finishing 3.3, it didn't occur to me to check), she talks about how Alphinaud was frequently visiting her cave to research, and from what she gleaned from his mumblings it was related to how untangle merged sources of aether.

It could be just related to Estinien...but given the means by which we did that didn't seen to involve any dice rolls for scholarly knowledge checks, it's either one heck of a random piece of conversation or it's hinting at SE's current plan moving forward regarding Minfilia.

I'd actually prefer Minfilia's fate to be sealed and tragic. Imagine how deliciously dark it would be if - after the situation with Estinien - the Scions grew overconfident and believed that they could save Minfilia as well...only for it to go horribly wrong.

It'd also help mitigate the issue of there being a little too many 'close calls' where both major and minor characters are concerned. Death for the sake of death is very cheap and not very desirable but on the other end of the spectrum where death is cheapened by bringing the bulk of characters back from the 'dead' or similarly grisly fates is just as dubious in my eyes.

Originally Posted by Theodric

I'd actually prefer Minfilia's fate to be sealed and tragic. Imagine how deliciously dark it would be if - after the situation with Estinien - the Scions grew overconfident and believed that they could save Minfilia as well...only for it to go horribly wrong.

On the flip side, assuming your Hydaelyn is evil theory, they could rescue Minfillia's body, but that isn't the head of the scions behind her eyes. Let the Characters work their asses off to save their friend. It's not like it'll stop Moenbryda, Iceheart, Hauchefant, anyone that was in the waking sands when the Livia showed up, possibly Doga and Unei... I'm probably forgetting a few more... from still being dead.

Originally Posted by Theodric

I'd actually prefer Minfilia's fate to be sealed and tragic.

Which, to be fair, is a possible result of the direction SE is possibly hinting at anyway. Assuming that it is related to Minfilia (while I don't think it's related to Estinien for the reasons I gave above, it's not something I'm 100% certain about), it realistically only hints at what Alphinaud plans on doing...

Not that he'll be successful.

Originally Posted by Theodric

I'd actually prefer Minfilia's fate to be sealed and tragic. .

This is something I'd like to see. Epecially with how much we've seen Alphinaud mature. I don't he needs any humbling, 2.5 did all that for him, but it could serve as learning lesson to another--maybe to Alisaie? Probably more likely to Y'shtola. I think Thancred already suffered enough from Lahabrea's possession to really get over confident--and he's more pragmatic now. I'm also feeding into Cilia's points about Hydaelyn being malevolent but also have the mind that it may have been unintentional consequences. Also, if were talking about evil!hydaelyn, I would also like to bring up tataru. She's definetely and ascian guys....calling it now.

Originally Posted by Berethos

If you talk to Matoya right now (I don't know if it was the same before finishing 3.3, it didn't occur to me to check), she talks about how Alphinaud was frequently visiting her cave to research, and from what she gleaned from his mumblings it was related to how untangle merged sources of aether.

Huh. So... It isn't a theory I follow, but it IS one I've heard around. That being that Lahabrea will be back. What would be the difference between pulling Minfillia out of Hydaelyn, and pulling Lahabrea out of Niddhog's eye? Beyond his Aether having been used up during Knights of the Round, possibly?

Originally Posted by ChazNatlo

Huh. So... It isn't a theory I follow, but it IS one I've heard around. That being that Lahabrea will be back. What would be the difference between pulling Minfillia out of Hydaelyn, and pulling Lahabrea out of Niddhog's eye? Beyond his Aether having been used up during Knights of the Round, possibly?

As far as I know, the distinction would likely be that Minfilia and Hydaelyn are apparently merged but with aspects of both being present (unless WOTM was lying, which is still a possibility), as that is what the dialog with her after Antitower suggests.

What happened to Lahabrea seems to be the same that happened to the Sahagin Elder, in that in both cases their aether was essentially deconstructed to a more base version of aether by another.