Thread: My prediction for 4.3 (Obvious Spoilers)

Originally Posted by Mieck

I've been interested in Asahi's dialogue in the trailer - about striking an emissary, and giving into anger.
Are we, the Warrior of Light, responsible - at last - for what comes next? Is it our "mistake" - slaying a high-ranking Garlean citizen simply for revenge, that leads to imperial reprisals?

I am not sure if that is going to happen, at least not in 4.x. We do know that this patch will finish the Doma side of the story, so having Garlemald attack them again would feel a bit strange. Maybe Maxima will cover up the accidents around Doma because he is against Asahi and thus we are saved from any counter attack. This way we would also have a person that might help us if we ever get to Garlemald, so I would be fine with such a NPC. (As long as he does not betray us on the way)

About the content that will surprise people: There was a reddit post about recent interviews that hinted that maybe the new stuff will be with the beast tribe. But its not 100% confirmed.

Originally Posted by SicariusSeven

That one theory that Gaius Van Baelsar might not be dead might have a sliver of possibility. Those who managed to do the SB DRK campaign might notice a certain someone missing from the the final DRK quest. Why is Gaius missing when his two lieutenants are there, the Heavensward, and even the Warriors of Darkness? Yes the Ascians are absent from this quest but I'm assuming that is because their connection to the WOL transcends this particular encounter. What I'm getting at is there is that minuscule possibility that MAYBE he's out there and more hints or even an appearance might take place in this patch. I did find it very odd that they had a side quest that mentioned Gaius with its own little flashback in Stormblood. It's as if they were 'reminding' players that this particular character existed.

Gaius is also absent from the lower levels of the Palace of the Dead, lending further credence to this hypothesis. However...

The Palace of the Dead is, supposedly, only able to manifest spirits of the restless dead. While he didn't get what he wanted, Gaius seemed pretty accepting of his defeat and death.

As for Stormblood's DRK campaign, the thing to remember about it is that the phantoms summoned during the story are not the actual spirits of the dead. They're copies made out of memories, which is why Ser Ignasse is kind and amiable when made from Millie's memories but a vicious enemy when made from the Warrior of Light's. The phantoms summoned by Myste were all of people the Warrior of Light presumably regrets having to kill; by extension, that would mean they just don't feel much guilt over killing Gaius. (The Warrior of Light isn't even technically responsible for his now-supposed death; they did defeat him, but he was killed by the exploding Praetorium, which only happened due to his use of the Ultima Weapon and Lahabrea's machinations.)

Gaius is repeatedly brought up during the Ala Mhigo portions of Stormblood because he is heavily woven into the background of the region's recent history. He's also something of a fan favorite, and as Haurchefant showed this can elevate a character beyond their initial seeming scope of importance. I'm still not sold on the idea that he's still alive just because we don't have his head on a pike, but that 4.3 trailer stinger has me wondering...

My suspicions of Gaius showing up is influenced by how similar Zenos' introduction cut-scenes are to Gaius'. The camera-work/blocking for when we meet Zenos' in Rhalger's Reach is almost identical to the camera-work/blocking used in 1.0 when the WoL meets Giaus in Mor Dhona. Both of them come at you for one-on-one one combat that the Scions join in on, but the reason you're fighting them is flipped. In 1.0, the Ala Mhigan Resistance is trying to ambush the XIVth Legion; in 2.0 the XIIth Legion is ambushing the Ala Mhigan Resistance.

The XIIth Legion's intro scene is also very similar to the XVIth Legion's intro scene in 2.0 when it comes to what kind of events are happening. Only the details surrounding those events are very different in tone between the two legions.

Basic Events (and what's different)

• What the Legion as a whole is doing (bringing in a superweapon vs waiting for their enemy to make the "correct move")
• What the Legatus is doing (making sure his plans go though vs. playing head-games for his own amusement)
• How the officers feel about the Legatus (respectful vs. terrified)
• Someone gets killed (taking out an enemy infiltrator vs. killing your own men for not engaging the WoL)

They're similar enough for me to think it was done on purpose.

Furthermore, Zenos and Gaius have very similar ends. Both take control of primals and both die afterwards because the WoL is stronger then the primals are. Both of them even acknowledge that you are stronger then they are and say that you are on their level. However, their reactions to your strength couldn't be more different.

Gaius admits that not only are you stronger then him, but that your strength means you have as much the right to rule as he does. He even gives you advice about the nature of ruling (as he perceives it) as he's dying. And when he does die, it has the feeling of a "captain going down with his ship". You've beaten him, he knows it, and he respects you enough to not rob you of your victory.

Zenos thinks that you're on his level because you're just as good at killing things as he is. When it's obvious you've surpassed him, he's gotten what he wanted and practically decides to end it all so that his feeling of fighting something on his level isn't lost. He throws the fact that you gave him what he wanted in your face and then makes sure there's no way for you to be satisfied with how he died.

It just seems there's a lot of set-up that contrasts how Gaius and Zenos approached similar circumstances for it not to be going somewhere from a narrative point of view. I wouldn't be surprised for Gaius to not be dead, and the next expansion to center on the different ideas he and Zenos have regarding what Garlemald's future would be. Having no "safe choice" to take would be interesting.