Post-Palace Questions (SPOILERS)

[TheSamplingParadise]

I think honestly, this has nothing to do with ascians, but will have to do with Nybeth Obdilord from Tactics Ogre - Let Us Cling Together.

Palace of the Dead was lifted from that game, and this game has already borrowed several elements from Tactics (See: Valerian set from the first Lv 60 dungeons)

In Tactics Ogre, Nybeth was a powerful necromancer, whom had the ability of reviving people in his quest for immortality. His experiments were never moral, and in the process of reviving, turned his subjects into mindless thralls under his complete control.

It was only at the moment of the thrall's demise, that they gained perfect clarity and sanity of who they were as a person before they vanished forever - just like Edda did when we defeated her.

In the story, he flees to the Palace of the Dead, and turns into a Lich, and camps out on the 100th floor of the PotD as the final boss. On the 100th floor, is an altar called The Altar of the Beyond, which is before the gate of the Abyss. He is defeated there - but then the DLC for Tactics Ogre extends Palace of the Dead by another 100 floors.

Yoshi P says the story will continue to Floor 100, and from that point onwards it's an optional challenge ending at Floor 200. This lines up with how it was on Tactics Ogre.