Realization: Is the WoL a primal?!

[Felis]

Who's to say we don't temper people? We're the most trusted people in Eorzea. Everyone trusted us almost innately. Yes, we killed gods but that can only get you so far. We're trusted more than millennium old traditions in Ishgard, more than grudges between species, more than grudges against other city state militaries.

I can't remember Lolorito trusting us.

The WoL is Hydalin's champion, not primal. She gifted everyone with the echo who have heard her call "hear, see, think". Then she choosed under those who followed her call her champion.

[Kallera]

While I'm not sure if we are a primal, there is something that seems off about our character and their abilities. One man's savior is another's demon.

[Urthdigger]

Of course we're not primals, I mean it's not as if we consume vast amounts of crys--

*thinks back to all his time spent crafting*

...hold the phone, I think you may be on to something here.

[Malzian]

This question was asked of the dev team during one of the Live Q&As and the definitive answer from them was, "No, they are not a primal."

[Berethos]

Its just when you manifest something, it can't be 'cloned'. Like say the beastmen summon ifrit. Another tribe can't summon their copy of them.

That's sort of how it works, and was explained in an interview in the last year or so.

Basically the summoning of a specific primal based on a specific belief set uses a specific essence/aether to create that primal (though how the initial essence is chosen is, afaik, still a matter of theory). Once it has manifested as a primal, future summonings based on that belief will use that same essence (which is why Ramuh has memory of older days, for example), and thus a second identical version can't be summoned while the first remains.

[Jandor]

That's sort of how it works, and was explained in an interview in the last year or so.

Basically the summoning of a specific primal based on a specific belief set uses a specific essence/aether to create that primal (though how the initial essence is chosen is, afaik, still a matter of theory). Once it has manifested as a primal, future summonings based on that belief will use that same essence (which is why Ramuh has memory of older days, for example), and thus a second identical version can't be summoned while the first remains.

Have you got a link? I think I must have missed that one and it sounds interesting.

[caponesavage]

Ive always just read Thordans expression of "what are you" as just utter disbelief considering he fancied himself at that point a god.. How could a mere mortal defeat a god

[Kiyouma]

You all bring up some really good points that the WoL is not a primal! Thanks!

One thing I noticed that was said was we don't drain the land of aether? Don't we drain some of the essence of every primal we vanquish, and in doing so make ourselves stronger?

What originally made me think about this topic was the fact that we are the most powerful single individual in the realm. What makes us so different than more seasoned characters that also possess the echo such as Yda or Y'shtola?

However I do now think that we aren't primal (darn...).

[BokoToloko]

I don't think so, since our power comes mostly from the Echo and we're empowered by the world itself (unlike Thordan, who just became an overpowered Primal).

Apart from a reduced number of in individuals, most Eoerzans are unaware of the Echo and almost nobody knows we're avatars of Hydaelyn. To the eyes of many, we are just absurdly powerful mortals. Thordan didn't know that we're the chosen of Hydaelyn and underestimated us, hence why he got astounded at his defeat.

And, though this might be sort of unrelated

I'd hands down like if we had to fight a primal that is a copy of us. Eorzean have such an unmovable faith in the WoL that I'd not discard the possibility of them being able to summon it if we get to dissapear for some time or something because some reason.

Gameplay wise, I know it'd be a pain to programm (because he doesn't have to just be us, but also use the skills of our class/job or, going further, having a skillset based in all the classes and jobs we leveled)

[myahele]

I don't think we're Primals.

But if the WoL manages to master or control the echo in some capacity they could be nearly immortal in the same vein as the WoD and the Sahagin priest (and Asciens) were able to do with their echo.

Who knows, maybe the twist is that the WoL is already "dead"