Thread: Patch 3.4 - Soul Surrender

Would be funny if there actually isn't a fight against Derplander and co...

We're going to Xelphatol why exactly? Actually seems too early to be pushing towards Ala Mhigo, so perhaps somebody stirred up the Ixali, by slaying their Primal perhaps, and we're checking what's up... If so... Thanalan looking region... Dark sky... Flames in the background... Are they perhaps putting down Ifrit?

After Unukalhai gave us that little tale of heroes capturing Primals and eventually turning bad... I can't help but think Derplander and pals are walking talking Heart of Sabiks... Y'shtola mentioned that the aether moved strangely around them, right after they slew Ravana... The tale featuring Alisaie made mention that a group was doing the work of the Scions, so presumably they've been slaying more Primals than we know about... Ixali getting mad because Derplander split Garuda like a log and now they can't summon her perhaps? Speculation aside, it is likely they've taken down Garuda... Whether they absorbed her or anything like that is pure speculation, but either way... They must have slain more than just Ravana to get a reputation for Alisaie to tail them, so them taking out Garuda seems like a good justification for a trip to Xelphatol... By extension, that "trial" screenshot could easily just be them against Ifrit...

Back to the speculation though... Soul Surrender... Is the patch title referring to them having, IDK, surrendered their souls to Elidibus, or is it referring to what they're doing? We watched Ravana surrender to them... Good reason to suspect they've been taking on other Primals as well... Doesn't necessarily mean they're absorbing them I guess, but damn it! Any chance to raise my hype alarms for FC Primal summoning, I'll take! It's finally happening! Derplander is using that power for evil. We'll kick his butt and use that power for good in 4.0! It's happening! I can feel it...

@Cilia:
Interesting analogy. I actually began replaying Devil May Cry very recently. I'm a Vergil fanboy, admittedly, mostly because I find him much more interesting than Dante and his cockiness. Though I do think this game is sorely in need of allowing our rivals/enemies to win from time to time and stick around in the background for quite some time.

I mean...they didn't kill off Rufus after FF7 because he was so memorable/popular. He also never really 'lost' against the protagonists either - he withdrew during the only direct battle featuring him and his silver tongue/allies got him out of trouble during other opportunities. Plus he wasn't without redeeming qualities either and was pragmatic enough to not go 'all the way' with the destruction of the planet...unlike Sephiroth.

Furthermore I've also been playing Witcher 3 recently. That game is awesome in regards to making morality more complex than 'good' and 'evil'. Sometimes doing the right thing leads to the bad thing happening. Which is super refreshing.

But I'm rambling.

Also Kingsglaive releases in a few days. I've been told by a Japanese friend that it is very morally complex and at least one of the antagonists has sympathetic motives so hopefully that'll be the case with FFXV. If that does well too then hopefully it'll be embraced by FFXIV as well.

Perhaps we need to secure a safe entry to that area, and the only way is to diplomatically talk to the xelphatol branch ixali- the tribe as a whole has been know to build their own avian devices(hot air balloons? airships?) I could see the ixali chief of chiefs with those guns being all im gonna show you, i got these from killing eorzeans from the machinist guild, ill win no matter what" And apparently this would be the diplomatic end to this is to beat them in a battle of cap=cap? Anythings possible at this point so i wont rule out either

To be fair I wouldnt be surprised if, hes referred to as the lord of snakes, and we get all this garuda lore to go with it

About the Rising event, there is something which could be interesting.
When you choose one of the many paths where Bahamut is defeated, you see Bahamut come again and say "Now I'am Bahamut 2.0 and if i die again you will see me again as Bahamut 3.0 and after as Bahamut 4.0".

The thing is Bahamut 1.0 is defeated by Louisoix, Bahamut 2.0 is defeated by WoL, but what about Bahamut 3.0 and 4.0 ???
Could it be possible de face again Bahamut ?
Or maybe Bahamut 3.0 is our Nidhogg, which mean we will have to deal with another dragon at the next expansion.

For the Ixali from Xelphatol, it could be possible they invoke a new version of Garuda because these Ixali are not the same than those in Cohertas (cf. interview with Koji which said it's possible to have several versions of the same primal depending by their summoner, the region, etc).

Originally Posted by Alisa180

Theodric, I think it's far past time that you come to the realization that FFXIV is *never* going to be the 'morally complex' story that you want. Every other post I see you make here in the Lore forum is about how you wish for more 'sympathetic' antagonists. That you wish for something more complex then 'good and evil'.

I think that's quite the exaggeration. I do bring up other topics around these parts but as I have said a great many times this particular sub-forum is at best a niche where the same handful of posters are usually discussing the exact same plot points or theories over and over again because the trickle of new information is usually pretty slow and only comes in 'bursts' when there's a new major patch.

Given that I'm a role-player I'm perhaps more heavily invested in the game's lore and story than most. I'm also well aware that the storytelling is very likely to leave much to be desired - but at the same time it is improving over the time. 3.0 was already a vast improvement over 2.0 and I have little doubt that 4.0 will be even better than 3.0 in that regard.

As for Witcher 3. I don't want FFXIV to be as gritty as that game I'm well aware that it isn't going to be that gritty. At the same time, though, there's absolutely no reason why there can't be more moral complexity where major and minor characters are concerned. There's also no real reason as to why consequences for both protagonists and antagonists cannot be meaningful.

Putting aside the tone/post policing that is frightfully common around these parts, though, don't mistake my posts as me not enjoying the game or elements of the ongoing story. I respond to threads that interest me and attempt to get discussions going - something which so far has proven perfectly uneventful elsewhere other than - ironically - the World of Warcraft lore forum and FFXIV's lore forum. Make of that what you will.

It's always funny when people make categorical claims about which direction the lore is going in, including my favourite, "never". We still don't even know that the whole light/dark thing is as clear-cut as we think it is, especially when there is meant to be a cosmic balance of the two, either of which can run into excess. Remaining silent on where you want things to go is a perfect way of ensuring a self-fulfilling prophecy of it going that way.

Originally Posted by Nalien

Would be funny if there actually isn't a fight against Derplander and co...

We're going to Xelphatol why exactly? Actually seems too early to be pushing towards Ala Mhigo, so perhaps somebody stirred up the Ixali, by slaying their Primal perhaps, and we're checking what's up... If so... Thanalan looking region... Dark sky... Flames in the background... Are they perhaps putting down Ifrit?

After Unukalhai gave us that little tale of heroes capturing Primals and eventually turning bad... I can't help but think Derplander and pals are walking talking Heart of Sabiks... Y'shtola mentioned that the aether moved strangely around them, right after they slew Ravana... The tale featuring Alisaie made mention that a group was doing the work of the Scions, so presumably they've been slaying more Primals than we know about... Ixali getting mad because Derplander split Garuda like a log and now they can't summon her perhaps? Speculation aside, it is likely they've taken down Garuda... Whether they absorbed her or anything like that is pure speculation, but either way... They must have slain more than just Ravana to get a reputation for Alisaie to tail them, so them taking out Garuda seems like a good justification for a trip to Xelphatol... By extension, that "trial" screenshot could easily just be them against Ifrit...

Back to the speculation though... Soul Surrender... Is the patch title referring to them having, IDK, surrendered their souls to Elidibus, or is it referring to what they're doing? We watched Ravana surrender to them... Good reason to suspect they've been taking on other Primals as well... Doesn't necessarily mean they're absorbing them I guess, but damn it! Any chance to raise my hype alarms for FC Primal summoning, I'll take! It's finally happening! Derplander is using that power for evil. We'll kick his butt and use that power for good in 4.0! It's happening! I can feel it...

There's also been hints in the story that the main character is becoming excessively powerful, with many primals expressing disbelief at what he/she is. Perhaps the intention isn't to use the power for 'evil'. Who knows. I, for one, would love to see the MC lose their plot armour and really have to struggle, and not just in the way they did after Midgardsormr de-activated the blessing.

Maybe also see some of the "do-good"ing have some disastrous ramifications later down the line. Every action has consequences which are unpredictable and sometimes antithetical to its very purpose.

Hm Soul Surrender and we see Alisea resting on a couch. Maybe they somehow managed to steal her soul to use it in their plans and we try to get it back? Still I am a little skeptic about patch titles since "Gears of Change" did not really brought that much change with it IMO.

I know its kinda a shonen standard that the hero looses against their rivals first but I really hope that its not the case. I don't want our WoL to kick their asses too, so maybe make it so that neither truly wins or loose. (Heck a 5vs1 is also not that fair) I mean if we would get really hurt (like deep wounds and things like that), than I may get behind loosing the fight since it would be a nice change in the story since the others could see that we are still humans too.

I can understand that people want to see their WoL failing since we are really powerful. But at the same time we already lost quite much on our journey (especially in HW) so I am not sure if we really need to loose.

I feel remind the Divine Might (Ark Angels) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mou09L3Azw0 I cant wait see WoD battle ^^