A simple yet disturbing theory on who the following PotD bosses are [Spoilers]

[Erudito]

I looked around with a search and found nothing like this around here so here goes nothing.

So down we went 50 floors of the Palace of the Dead and we found and fought Edda, then she was slain (again) and was later laid to rest in a somewhat feels inducing quest.

Now, during the scene where she regained her senses after the battle, I was hit with a rather... disturbing feeling. I don't have proof but it would hurt me dearly if I was right.

My theory is: What if the following bosses in the Palace of the Dead were... those we could not save. The lad from Little Ala Mhigo that tried to unearth the Crystal Brave conspiracy and died trying. Our dear Lady Iceheard and... beloved Haurchefant.

I know I am just throwing around this idea but wow it would hurt my heart something fierce if I had to fight those guys.

What do you guys think? Discussion time

[Anonymoose]

I think it'd be an emotional trip through "those we couldn't save", though some of the NPCs that have appeared so far are people whose deaths I sort of didn't mind (and maybe sort of caused). Janremi in particular. (Who attacks a moogle!?) The first few floors of the Palace of the Dead make sense, as chunks of Gelmorra were converted into catacombs for the deceased once the Pact was put into effect. But how deep does this thing go? Two hundred floors seems a little unrealistic - wouldn't you hit solid rock? The water table?

The names for this dungeon Palace of the Dead and Deep Dungeon are references to Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics. In the former, this was a location associated with necromancy and contained a gate to the "Abyss". In the latter, it was a Lucavi stronghold held by Elidibus. Both of these hint at Darkness and Ascians (though the latter a bit less tangibly), so I'm stoked to see what's at the end.

My first impression was that the robed figure might be an Ascian, but it might just be a regular ol' necromancer. But remember how I said 200 floors into the earth might be unrealistic? What if it's not real at all? What if Nightmare is literal? Diabolos has already established his hatred of the Amdapori and the white mages, there could be some sort of "dreamworld" action going on here - but with him already firmly rooted into The Shadow of Mhach, it seems less likely.

I also had a passing thought, "LOL WHAT IF THIS IS KOJI BRINGING BACK THE LAMBS" but that seems like a 4.0 thing.

All in all I have no idea.

[Erudito]

You make a very interesting point about the actual depth of the place, Anonymoose. But that made me think of something, if Gelmorra was the place where people in the Shroud lived before Gridania during the time where magic was off limits (if I remember my lore correctly), why would we need teleporters and transfer magics to move around? There are no stairs anywhere. The design of the actual devices don't look like something native of the place either. At most, the space that is Gelmorra is now a warped space that is not quite rational.

All we know about floors 51 and beyond is that there is this powerful black robed figure who enchanted the place without triggering Elemental security, and the Elementals are one with all The Black Shroud.
The robed figure being an Ascian doesn't quite feel right because, as far as we know, they need chaos, conflict and mass aether consumption so as to make the land itself convulse to cause a Rejoining. Palace of the Dead is an isolated incident in an even more isolates space so no dice. Still, not ruling it out as of yet.

As for who they are going to bring back from the dead to bar our way from progressing to the deepest floor, we don't know. We do know that we WILL see dead people we know come back to try and kill us, question is how many and who. The youth from Little Ala Mhigo from the Crystal Braves ( I still can't remember the name, I am so sorry >_<) could be one as he died in Shroud Soil in the very same area where the Palace entrance is.

Hmm, any more hints in the dialog?

[Anonymoose]

Hmm, any more hints in the dialog?

Only one that I damn near forgot about - you enter the Palace of the Dead via a portal in Issom-Har, not through the ruins themselves. That, combined with the fact that the layout changes every time you look away, might be further evidence that we are dealing with a literal nightmare... Though, who's to say that that isn't just another effect of the "unfathomably powerful mage's" magicks?

[WhiteArchmage]

I'm still holding up hope for the Necromancer angle, especially if it turns out to be another Tactics Ogre reference. Going WAY out of the left field, it could lead to teases that the Necromancer job (don't look at me like that, it appeared in the FFV remake) would use scythes.

Back to the point, while I wouldn't discard the Lambs of Dalamud, they dabbled more into Voidsent while PotD is more into undead, reinforcing either the Necromancy or Ascian angle. However, I think there's little chance of us finding either Ysayle or Haurchefant. From a story point of view, their deaths were already used for emotional value and milking it further would probably not have the desired effect

(not to mention we've already seen their "spirits" in the MSQ, real or not, it's unlikely they got "spirited away" into floors 51+ so soon)

[Alaltus]

The names for this dungeon Palace of the Dead and Deep Dungeon are references to Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics. In the former, this was a location associated with necromancy and contained a gate to the "Abyss". In the latter, it was a Lucavi stronghold held by Elidibus. Both of these hint at Darkness and Ascians (though the latter a bit less tangibly), so I'm stoked to see what's at the end.

My first impression was that the robed figure might be an Ascian, but it might just be a regular ol' necromancer.

Since you mentioned Elidibus... The robed figure could be Urianger.

[MilesSaintboroguh]

Since you mentioned Elidibus... The robed figure could be Urianger.

How the heck did you come up with that conclusion?

[Alaltus]

How the heck did you come up with that conclusion?

Urianger is a robed figure, Urianger has been seen with Elidibus.

[Nalien]

It's probably Ascians, though I don't think it'll be some no-name grunt, given this is its own piece of content and that makes for a lackluster boss... So... Who do I put my money on...

Emet-Selch... Should be one of the Ascian leaders, up there with Lahabrea and Nabriales, if we're following the Ivalice reference... Where else does that reference take us? Well, it pairs Emet-Selch up with Zalera, the Death Seraph, which is just too fitting to ignore... Then again, Nabriales shared absolutely no connection to Cúchulainn, the Impure, so what the hell do I know...

Ideally I'd like this to be the work of a Primal though, although then I guess it was still ultimately Ascians... The Palace of the Dead could double up as a Castle Pandemonium reference (gib me dat remix, Soken!), so we could have the Elder Primal Mateus, the Corrupt down there... The way Edda remembers herself kinda almost not really reminds me of how Nael van Darnus acted once Bahamut released him from his tempering... Presumably a fella like Mateus, the Corrupt has a habit of corrupting people, which I can see having happened with Edda, perhaps the Blackbosom naming is even a sign of that...

[myahele]

Yeah, I can see many dead NPC returning in PotD. Thought, I think only those that died either an untimely and/or refret-filled death will return. I don't think Haurcefant and Ysayle will return since they gladly sacrificed themselves and don't seem to hold much regrets.

Someone did mention how the whole thing reminded them of Bloodborne, especially with the whole ___ Slain in the end and with the whole nighmare mobs. Maybe it might be similar to the Hunter's Dream/nightmare dimension?

I also find it the Stone of Transference suspicious, too. It doesn't really resemble Amdapori/ Gemorran design and if anything it looks somewhat similar to what Forgall rides on.

If it weren't for the E-Uma-Kotor, PotD would be an effective death trap with it's ever changing rooms and how it saps the aether of those inside with proper protection.