Thread: Patch 4.4 (Prelude in Violet) Speculation Thread! (Possible spoilers [NO LEAKS])

Originally Posted by DreamAngel-Ren

I can't help but feel that the WOD are coming back because something BIG is coming and they are probably going to step in to keep whatever that's coming from happening ooor they gonna add fuel to the fire. Who knows...

Hm. The voice of the guy who is asking for opening the door. Now as you say it, this voice could be the same as the one of the WoD.

Whoa.

Just... whoa... where to even begin?

First: Reactions to the quality of the trailer:

• Excellently delivered and the quality is on par with the type of trailers we should come to expect from launching a full expansion. Bloody well done.
• The music and sound effects were brilliant. How should I say this... Soken and his crew have completely outdone themselves on this one. I was however unable to understand some of the dialogue and anyone who manages a full transcription should please share. Again, brilliantly done.
• The lighting effects and the environs shown were great... serious attention to detail. Love it.
• The exhibition of the characters shown was also solid; compelling and the feel of the trailer gives one the deep dark foreboding sense that something massive is about to occur. It is just loaded with suspense and makes me drum up speculative questions like mad.

The characters:
Y'shtola having prime time in quite a few of the scenes is really great. Remember, she's always been the very first Scion we met even though we all never knew it at the time-- I'm referring to the original FFXIV trailers at E3 2009. What worries me is that when the Devs do something like that, its sometimes bad news... and I have been wondering when the issue with her eyes would be fully addressed. Dunno, maybe just me worrying about her. And I agree, the trailer shows her unleashing some serious energy in front of the House of the Coin (in Yanxia). But is it a portal to somewhere? A shortcut to the Burn? A place for her to get her sight back? Why is she is a lot of the scenes? This is indeed a red herring, I completely agree with Moose on this one... by the way, really great discussion with you in-game last weekend. Yep.

Next is Thancred. Seeing him returning was great to see... and I'm still impressed that he continues to try ever so very hard to prove his excellence and incredible worth. Ever since he was "possessed" by Lahabrea all the way back in 2.0, I think he constantly pushes himself to the limits, perhaps as a way to forgive himself for letting that happen. Dunno.... but its great to see him.

The voice over in the trailer discussing the "dark" stuff... I agree with the Arbert camp. My instincts (and hearing) tell me that is indeed Arbert and the accent is there; which leads me to wonder if we are on a dangerous course that will bring Eorzea to the fate that met the "first" star (WoD team's home). Now that I think of it much harder, the last lines of both verses of the poem from the Rising seems to lead me to think there is a hint of darkness being necessary to quench the fire. Is the "Darkness" from the Ascians or... from us, the WoL??? And is the "Fire" from the future civil war in Garlemald?

Zenos strolling off from his father has a sense of chilling purpose to it... which again makes me glance at the patch 4.4 poster and contemplate the hint of a sly smile on his face. Is he about to go make an example of someone? Some poeple? Some place? A show of Imperial strength? Or he has he just snarled at Daddy never to interfere with his plans ever again? There are so many ways their relationship could go that I am now officially thinking out loud that Zenos just might commit regicide. Varis is an extremely competent chap but Elidibus has been more and more sinister lately. I'd also love to see future flashbacks of Titus and other members of the royal family... after Titus' death, did the rest of them truly swear full allegiance to Varis?

Which, of course, brings me to Varis himself. Thancred discloses that "the empire's more liberal voices are being drowned out by the fearful clamour for retribution". This right here nails down the summary of what could be going on in Garlemald between the Optimates and the Populares. How exactly is he holding his empire together when internal civil war is obviously on the cards, dealing with Elidibus, losing two excellent Legati and the insult of the rebels "attacking" his heir? What could really be going on in the minds of the average Garlean citizen right now? The position of the Garlean Emperor is akin to the Divine in their eyes (since the average Garlean shuns eikons and the Twelve). Thus is stands to reason that they might see the Emperor as their "radiance". This reminds me of a really fantastic thread started by Azury back in 2012 (RIGHT HERE).

Shadowhunter and his camp... I can see the distraught look on his face BUT notice that the dead soldiers are not wearing the same garb as himself and his two "assistants". It does remain possible that they are people he knows but may not necessarily be his men. But where in the heck are they? That area looks suspiciously similar to Dravania... or am I looking too hard?


More random stuff I'll just park here:
Maxima's picture being shown at the end hints that he will have a larger part to play... just please don't be missing. I have high hopes for him being yet another Garlean with tempered common sense (I'm still hoping he's a descendant of House Darnus). Hopefully, its one of those things that he helps us to Garlemald and then he disappears for a little while and returns to our fold. Just don't kill him or Alphinauld... I'm beginning to like their rapport.

Magnai and Sadu are back... excellent. Can they just stop the bickering already and get married? Soon?

And was that Midgardsomr??? That's another character that knows soooooo much and is not telling.

Nero in a very contemplative mood (which is unusual for his trademark witty character) and Cid being very rattled about something truly sinister... is that the "prelude" to the effects of the Darkness coming in to our realm? Will the WoL and Echo users also experience this massive trembling to the physical being? I have to rewatch that part again.

Originally Posted by Enkidoh

I just want to point out this is actually false. Y'shtola did not actually appear in the original E3 2009 1.0 trailer, the scene on the boat with the sea monster that were part of the opening scenes for a player who started in Limsa Lominsa, (where Y'shtola actually appeared in the full 1.0 game) was instead actually taken by a placeholder npc (a generic grey haired miqo'te in a brown doublet and thigh boots).

I got you.



For good measure, here's early Y'shtola for comparison



Neither are the release Y'shtola, but the 2009 model does indeed look to be the placeholder Demo'qote.

Looking this up reminded me Carvallain used to wear Siren colors pre-launch. Gets me every time.

I got a theory after watching the trailer quite a few times.
We know that SE's trailers are made to be deceiptives by nature and the voices often don't match the images.

For me, the begining point is the meeting with the Dom-orzea Alliance.
We can see Thancred in there, meaning he's back from the empire with brand new informations like the status of the empire and the disparition of Alphinaud's ship.
As news in the Empire would akin to : " Doma's primals killed the envoy and his whole crew, would you like to know more ? "

During that meeting, Arbert contact us.
By us I mean all the peoples who were present during their departure from the Source.
As we can see in that Merlwyb isn't affected but Y'shotla, Alisae, Urianger and us, are.
I add Urianger in that because the effect around his surprised face is oddly similar.

Then there's a scene where we are far more detached from the physical realm than anyone else, I think we were the only one able to reach the " place " needed to converse with Arlbert properly aka where we store our crystals of light.
By reaching, I mean our soul left our body, hence the dialogue with Kan E-Senna saying she couldn't sense a soul within the body as she's talking about us while we were passed out.
It's the first time she's there during this kind of event so maybe all this time our soul was leaving our body when we reached for Hydaelyn place.

Then, two possibilities.

1 - We'll be affected in some way by this, in a way akin to the seal Midgardsorm putted on us before Heavensward.
2 - We need to find a way to open the gates between our worlds to allow them back in.

Alisae is then blaming herself because she couldn't do anything to prevent us from being harmed right in front of her eyes (Theory 1) nor prevent her brother from disapearing.
I kinda expect her to be in the mood to go to extreme lenght to become stronger at that point.

And that's why we are heading for the steppe.
To track down Alphinaud at first, then Y'shotla learn from our passage with the Dothral on our way to the burn that souls are erased at the house of the crooked coin.
What's sure is that something is affecting the soul within that structure and Y'shtola want to go there to find some kind of cure for us (Theory 1) or a way to bring soul here (Theory 2).

That's what provoke the date... I mean, the conflict between Sadu and Magnai where they plan to hit each other until a deathmachine is born!
Because for some reasons Magnai will be tired of us or Sadu casually walking around or is just looking for a fight, really.
But Sadu said her soul has never burned that bright since the naadam, meaning there will be a serious encounter waiting for us on the steppe.