Thread: Creepy possibility... [4.3 spoilers]

I'm worried relations with Garlemeld are going to get worse if Zenos manages to keep his resistance soldier disguise and say, ruins any attempt at a ceasefire made at Ala Mihgo.

I can't get excited for another war, especially when they feel manufactured.

Originally Posted by Kallera

I'm worried relations with Garlemeld are going to get worse if Zenos manages to keep his resistance soldier disguise and say, ruins any attempt at a ceasefire made at Ala Mihgo.

I can't get excited for another war, especially when they feel manufactured.

I doubt that would be the result if Xenos were to brazenly assault us in Ala Mhigo or whatever. If he comes after us, he'll likely come after us alone - after all, what he wants is a one-on-one confrontation with us, not a battle royale with many participants. He also doesn't seem at all interested in hiring on other Garleans; if he wanted to be part of the Garlean machine, he could have laid low, hidden his identity, and played along with the other Garleans. Instead, he slaughtered a soldier, and stole an airship. I'd say his Garlean bridges are burned at this point.

And if a single soldier barges in... A nation LOOKING for conflict, like the Garlean Empire, might eagerly jump at the chance to go to war over it, but the Eorzean Alliance wants peace. They'll be more interested in treating it as an isolated incident, a renegade Garlean soldier who just couldn't stomach defeat, or whatever. And if the renegade displays Xenos-like traits during his assault? The Alliance will be far more keenly interested in HIM than they will be in what uniform he's wearing.

If it were the other way around, a solitary soldier wearing Alliance colors and making an assault on the Garlean empire, I'd say you'd have cause for concern of it sparking another war. The Alliance, on the other hand, is much more vested in keeping things civil.

I think it's important to remember in the case of the Black Rose scientist we're dealing with the Eorzean Alliance and with Yotsuyu, Doma. Their motivations for their crimes differed too--not that it excuses either of them. I just think it's a bit fruitless to compare, different people who committed different crimes and sentenced/given judgement by different bodies of authority in different parts of Hydaelyn. The amnesia is the only common factor for these Imperials, and while a pretty compelling basis for comparison I feel things would've played out different had, like, Tahla Molkoh petitioned Brookstone that Grillairmais' crimes could be excused/his survival in part of the Elemental's will etc. etc.

Originally Posted by LineageRazor

... if he wanted to be part of the Garlean machine, he could have laid low, hidden his identity, and played along with the other Garleans. Instead, he slaughtered a soldier, and stole an airship. I'd say his Garlean bridges are burned at this point.

I think you're getting the armies muddled - are you thinking Zenos('s body) is a Garlean soldier? He's dressed as an Ala Mhigan Resistance fighter, as is the other soldier that tried to stop him from stealing the airship. They're in a Garlean facility but it seems to be the captured Castrum Abania.

Originally Posted by Jonnycbad

It was probably a Doman soldier that was conscripted to fight for the Empire, we fight tons of them through the various dungeons and they use katanas.

I don't think there's any need for the person to have been a katana user previously. Zenos is now in control of the body, and he fights with a katana so he acquired one. (And I think you're also thinking he's a Garlean not Ala Mhigan soldier?)

Also, while it doesn't guarantee anything, I don't think we've seen any native Doman Elezen.

Originally Posted by Cilia

All of his lines strongly hint that it's Zenos, he has the same eye color, and the move he uses to KO / kill the Resistance captain is the very first move we see Zenos use on-screen.

It's Zenos.

He also smirks at the end of the scene and it's very much Zenos's expression.

Originally Posted by Iscah

I think you're getting the armies muddled - are you thinking Zenos('s body) is a Garlean soldier? He's dressed as an Ala Mhigan Resistance fighter, as is the other soldier that tried to stop him from stealing the airship. They're in a Garlean facility but it seems to be the captured Castrum Abania.

Yes, I may be. I certainly thought they were supposed to be Garlean while I was watching that scene, but that was likely due to the surroundings, and I wasn't paying much attention to the uniforms. However, that makes it even less likely that a solo assault by Soul!Zenos on an allied base would cause the Alliance to renew war with the Garleans.

It's possible that Zenos could have taken that airship to head home to Garlemand - but I find it unlikely. He's no fool, and he knows that it would be quite a struggle to prove that he's the real Zenos, even if he's unaware that there's an imposter using his body - and even if he's able, he's likely aware of his father's distain for him. His father might very well prefer his son stay dead, especially considering the considerable mismanagement Zenos displayed in his "defense" of Ala Mhigo (aka, laying out the red carpet for his destined foe). He'd most likely have to slay his father, somehow convince the Garleans to accept himself as the new ruler, etc, etc, etc. All of that hassle would be a dreadful waste of time when he COULD be using that time to track down his one true love for a rematch.

The guy who came up with Black Rose is an elezen, but he was fully cooperating with the Garleans the entire time. Furthermore, he hid a few containers of Black Rose in the Fringe and gave himself amnesia as one last "Fuck you!" to Giaus after Giaus shut down his his pet project. Giaus is recorded as being very annoyed that the XIVth Legion would never find all the manufactured Black Rose since killing off the population whole-sale was never his goal. From all accounts, when the scientist was in his right mind he didn't have a problem with what he was doing, if anything he enjoyed it too much...