The Four Lords and the implications (spoilers)

[Belhi]

So while the MSQ this patch focused on the build up towards what is happening next with Garlemald, the start of the Four Lords trail series had I feel a much bigger significance to the nature of Hydaelyn.

Infact the nature of the Auspices and their power opens up a whole new untapped area of lore we previously haven't seen, at least in any detail.

So what are Auspices?

From what I can tell from the dialog, Auspices are animals that due to some particular gift are able to live unnaturally long lives and the longer they live, the more self aware and the more powerful they get. It isn't explained but from Byakko's account the longevity doesn't seem to be intentional or due to a desire to survive. Byakko pretty much was waiting to die. That makes me suspect, at least in some cases, that this is some gift certain animals are born with, similar how some are born with the echo.

So then the question is why do they change over time. It sounds like they grow stronger the longer they live. Genbu seems the only example of this not being the case and they point out he has been maintaining the ward on Koryu for a couple of thousand years which has left him weakened.

My guess is that Auspices absorb Aether from the world around them in a similar fashion to dragons and grow stronger as they get older as a result. Clearly after the change they develop a lot of powers including elemental manipulation and shape shifting including in to spoken races as we see with the Fox fate in Yanxia. Add to that that Byakko feels that it has been long term exposure to a crystal of Light that has lead to the Four Lords growing as strong as they have.

What is the nature of their 'primal rage/eternal calm' though I wonder? Dragons that are alone for a long time can be driven into a destructive rage by it. Alternatively it could be something like the Inner beast or a DRK's darkness but on a different scale. Honestly I am hoping we learn a lot more about this lot going forward.

Also it is curious that I cant think of one example of Auspices from Eorzea. Makes me wonder if it is something in Eorzea that stops them happening or something in Orthad which encourages it.

Other things that stick out to me is the obvious fact that Tensin was quite likely a WoL. They even said it was rumoured he had communed with the star itself and he did have what is almost certain a Crystal of Light. Also the Auspices talk about Susano as if they know the primal. That makes me think they either don't know what a primal is, there is more to Susano than just being a primal or maybe that he has been summoned before.

On a side note, does anyone else get the feeling this might be a means at some point of allowing 'summons' without using actual primals?

[Anonymoose]

Yeah, the whole world-lore side of this came on like a sucker-punch from stage left. However, we're only recently arrived to Othard and this is all rooted existing Eastern mythologies, so I've just been taking it at face value until we get more specifics. I'm not very learned in the nuances but nigi-mitama, ara-mitama, (I guess no saki-mitama or kushi-mitama) and and the auspicious beasts all ring familiar. If you were looking to do some research, start with this: 瑞獣. At the very least, it explains the mentions of Tamamo-no-Gozen and Kamaitachi. (Though the latter, combined with mitama existing as a concept of duality, reminds me of the later, more standardized yokai references, lol.)

At first glance it seems like a logical progression form the crossroads of kami and the Four Symbols, but a deeper connection might actually exist in less basic mythology that I'm unfamiliar with. Whatever these are, they seem closer to kami than Susano, at least.

Though I would also like to point out that "born with the Echo" seems like a misnomer. It's true that Eorzean legend describes "immortal souls reborn on the cusp of each Calamity" but as far as we know people are chosen to be gifted the Echo deliberately - often as adults.

[Eloah]

but as far as we know people are chosen to be gifted the Echo deliberately - often as adults.

Isn't that incorrect though. We know for sure Ysayle was a child when she had the echo, as the vision she had while lost in the snow was what spurred her to become Iceheart; my giess is 8 or 9, old enough to understand the vision, young enough to misinterpret it. And based on his accounts Arenvald was a child when he got his. He's nineteen, one could argue he is still a child, but if we go back 5-7 years that makes him 12-14. I believe he indicated he used what little the echo gave him to help him survive. By his account though weak, he seems to have a bit of foresight, similar to what Fordola has.

Also that begs the question, what is our unique Echo manifestation?

So i just realized you said often... T.T

[ObsidianFire]

I'm wondering if the potential to be an Auspices is limited only to the non-spoken races or not. 'Cause if it's not... that would explain the Twelve only being an Eorzean thing pretty well. And why knowledge of them has survived all the Umbral Eras including the first one.

Then there's all the beast tribe legends the primals are based off of. An Auspice of whatever race doing badass stuff makes a pretty good starting point for most of them (Garuda and Ramuh would be obvious exceptions).

[Keever]

I'm really rather pleased to see all these new mysterious phenomena we're running into in the Far East: the mechanics of the world and aetherology as we knew them were getting a bit too knowable and predictable in my opinion, heh.

I wouldn't rule out the possibility that it is due to some unique aetherial quality of this particular area of Hydaelyn that things like auspices (and, say, Tsukumo from the Kojin quests) can come to exist, much like Eorzea has an abundance of primal-summoning aether around due to the fount of magic at Lake Silvertear, as well as Elemental activity in the Twelveswood.

[Jonnycbad]

Is this Tenzen the FFXI Tenzen? He looks VERY similar, armor and hair. Also, Senri mentions he has a Pheonix blade, which is the weapon Tenzen in FFXI has (it contains the literal embodiment of Pheonix, which is a "Primal" in FFXI. It could be another homage like Krile and Ramza though, but then again, Iroha visited Eorzea too and the name of the orchestration roll given by the Auspices quest was "Iroha"...

[Hinoto-no-Ryuji]

Is this Tenzen the FFXI Tenzen? He looks VERY similar, armor and hair. Also, Senri mentions he has a Pheonix blade, which is the weapon Tenzen in FFXI has (it contains the literal embodiment of Pheonix, which is a "Primal" in FFXI. It could be another homage like Krile and Ramza though, but then again, Iroha visited Eorzea too and the name of the orchestration roll given by the Auspices quest was "Iroha"...

He's Tenzen, in the sense that the Tenzen of Hydaelyn is clearly very similar in appearance to the Tenzen of XI, but unless outright and unambiguously stated, homage characters are never literally the same as their original versions.

As for Iroha, she's a a special case, because she showed up during an event (the only exception to the above rule outside the Omega raids).

[Canadane]

I don't think it's mentioned directly, but since we're outside Eorzea, would it be the lack of dense aether?
If you recall when you first travelled into the game (legacy not withstanding) you're told how thick the aether is here. Primal eat this stuff like candy.
If Othard doesn't have as much, various abberations would have different means if appearing, no?

[Alleo]

I did find it interesting that these animals became that way even without that crystal of Tenzen since Byakko was already changed and quite old when he first came in contact with Tenzen. So did the "crystal" just help them grow even stronger faster than normal or would they have stayed weaker forever?

Also it would be interesting if only animals can become such beings or if this is something the spoken races can become too? Maybe these animals had their own kind of echo that they have somehow mastered thus learned the way to be immortals. (Kinda like an Ascian?) Maybe this way someone with the echo could overcome their limits too and become like them too?

I am interested in seeing how this will turn out. Its nice that they are not primals and seemingly only harm the planet if they lose control of their anger.

[Nestama]

As for Iroha, she's a a special case, because she showed up during an event (the only exception to the above rule outside the Omega raids).

Though she never left Hydaelyn (and was given a Hyur model, rather than her Hume model from FFXI. Kinda makes me feel bad for Shantotto, who remained in her Tarutaru FFXI model), so she's still wandering around somewhere.