Revelations from Keynote II

[Kalise]

At least we can't die because of eating a fish. XD

No, but I'd be careful about the wine that might come with a fish meal

[Lauront]

Regarding Matoya, it could be parsed as soul transfer into a currently uninhabited body, given what we learnt in 4.5. I think Y'shtola's history, both recent and as far back as ARR, gives us reason to suspect her soul has been more taxed than most.

Thanks for posting this; I was going to ask about it.

Specifically, is the person on the top right anyone we know? I can't recall who they're supposed to be off the top of my head.

Possibly this Emet-Selch in a mutated and possessed G'raha Tia. The gemini/twin aspect often coincides with monstrous mutations and fusions in FF games. I find the choice of colourations in the robes equally interesting, as it's the three major types of magic (black, white and red, their fusion), but probably not something an Ascian would care much about (as these are taxonomies - albeit objective in nature - devised by mortals), hence possibly stylistic in choice, or explained by something else.

Probably just some Ascian.

Doubt it's just "some" Ascian if it's on the front of the expansion cover and with such an unusually contorted host and outfit. Likelier than not a Paragon of the Source.

not keynote related, but this was written on the high seraph Ultima figure:

Interesting. The similarities between Ultima's upper body, with the crossed, golden arms, and Zodiark's, in the same position and the same changes in colouration as arm goes to hand, make me wonder if she (or her worshippers) did not glimpse Hydaelyn and imbue herself with the same form, which would fit her heretical vibe from XII. The statue even has the same halo-type crown.

I'm not sure on the specifics, but the scene with Solus and Varis seemed to show Solus getting an idea. He's watching Varis decide to deploy Black Rose and musing over how "dear grandson" is making the "right" kinds of decisions and coming up with justifications that'll impress the people to boot. Then he thinks about Black Rose a little deeper ... it kills silently ... it moves like a shadow. Then he considers the fate of The First, and how ever since the Flood of Light began over there, it's been causing effects over here. Mulling that over for half a second he wonders "What if they could synergize?" and then he excitedly walks away like, "Varis, I leave the rest to you! I'm off to the First!" It's hard to imagine that is not gonna be 50% (at least) of 4.5 going sideways.

That's a good guess and it hadn't occurred to me that he may have meant the First. It's still vague, what exactly he means by it, but I am guessing it comes down to what Black Rose actually is - this quest line is interesting in this regard, but it still refers to a diluted form of it being ingested. The fact that this induces madness/a frenzy could be specific to how it's being consumed or the species consuming it, but it suggest it is messing with the neurological system in some way, or alternatively, one's aether, since the mind is associated with the soul in this setting.

A possibility is that the aetheric depletion these floods cause weakens the bond between the soul and body further, making it an even more efficient killer, but the way he described it made me think more of pouring gasoline on a fire.

[Fenral]

Alternately, Emet-Selch is in Solus like we currently assume, and G'raha has traveled back in time from The Future™ to warn us of things to come (getting a bit crystally in the process), after waking up and realizing that we done broke it. This could have something to do with the calamity Salina foresaw and her true plan for the Crystal Tower, or it could be him trying to undo the mistake of thinking he needed to use the Tower to travel further down the timeline when really he just needed to join the Warrior of Light's band of exceedingly competent merry men. Since G'raha's arc was loosely patterned off of Desch from FFIII, "coming back to save us when no one else can, after we thought he was gone forever" would be a perfectly valid card to play without invalidating any established references.

Or he could even do all that and then get bodyjacked by Elidibus after he leaves Zenos, because the last heir to the Royal Allagan blood is almost certainly too sweet a host to pass up.

Of course, we technically don't know who that is, but the facial structure and voice from the future stuff going on have suddenly made G'raha Tia the Occam's Razor answer to the question of who is under that hood.

[Lauront]

I'm currently hoping they keep the time travel to a minimum. I'm still holding out on the hope that any talk of "let expanse contract, let eon become instant", "history must be changed" etc. is referring to how Zodiark perceives time, seeing it as a compressed singularity, and therefore able to foresee how current choices will affect future paths.

With that said, it could be any of the Paragons, including Elidibus, as he'd make a tempting host for any of them. Elidibus was my first guess, but they've also integrated the gemini theme into some monstrosities in past FFs. I think the thing with Solus is that it really is just an assumption that he is Emet-Selch; there is nothing specific tying the two together, other than the fact that Emet-Selch as an esper is also associated with death (via its dark analogue, Zalera) and this vaguely ties into the Black Rose train of thought. At any rate, if it's G'raha it'd explain the crystalline corruption, at least, and as you say it could have interesting plot direction for the tower. I won't deny that he could well be the missing link in all this echoing, mysterious voice stuff, although I am still leaning to it being Zodiark.

Makes me wonder if the body-jacking could occur precisely to put the Crystal Tower to some such use as you described.

[Lambdafish]

I think the biggest revelation is that SE europe breaks technology often

[Iscah]

Alternately, Emet-Selch is in Solus like we currently assume, and G'raha has traveled back in time from The Future™ to warn us of things to come (getting a bit crystally in the process), after waking up and realizing that we done broke it.

If it really does turn out to be G'raha, it's going to be a fantastic "called it" moment for me. I'll have to find the post I made suggesting it during the 4.4 discussion...

I don't think it's necessary for him to travel back from the Future to our time though - would make just as much sense (and put us in less danger of setting off paradoxes) if we go forward in time to where he emerged from the tower.

Any variation is possible at this point, of course.

B-besides, we've already seen Urianger unmasked during our final showdown with the Warriors of Darkness!

For all of about four scenes before he was straight back to the cowl and goggles. I was only just starting to get used to the fact that yes that's actually him after wondering what he looked like prettymuch the entire time up until then.

(And similar thing with Estinien. I was really quite distracted throughout Heavensward that I had no idea what he actually looks like under the helmet.)

[Fenral]

If it really does turn out to be G'raha, it's going to be a fantastic "called it" moment for me. I'll have to find the post I made suggesting it during the 4.4 discussion...

And I'll get to go back to the comment I made to Moose (years ago) about wanting Gaius and G'raha in the same expansion.

[DarthSanguine]

The hooded character on the top right has a very Male Miqo resemblence. I know there aren't any ears, but just saying that the rounder face and the lips and nose especially looks just like one of the Male Miqo face base options.

Hooded Y'shtola from the trailer didn't have visible ears when her hood was up, so...

[DarthSanguine]

Is it just me or does Titania resemble Alisaie a lot?

Nope, not just you. That was the first thing I thought as well. Given that Titania is important to the plot, and we're becoming Warriors of Darkness, maybe in this expansion we have to encourage the summoning of Primals, but in order to control them we use incarnate summoning (like Shiva, Thordan, and Tsukuyomi). Maybe Alisaie becomes Titania, and Alphinaud becomes the Nu Mou's Primal. After all, we didn't see either of them in the trailer.

[DarthSanguine]

The thing is... it's implied the Allagan manikins are soulless but flesh-and-blood beings. The YoRHa units, debatably, are the exact opposite - mechanical beings with genuine souls.

The most advanced Allagan machina we've seen aren't anywhere near as advanced as the YoRHa units. We do have some mammets that, arguably, have souls (Gigi the Goldsmith and "Vivi" from Hildibrand's 3.x story), but they're even less advanced. The YoRHa units are physically indistinguishable from ordinary humans.

That said, if I had to wager a guess now I would have to agree that Allag will probably have something to do with it (again...).

The alternative is, if we are indeed going to the First Shard in Shadobringers (though I hope we aren't), then perhaps the new 24-man is set on another shard.