And then I realized... (ShB Spoilers!!)

[Shougun]

"remember us"

Next expansion: Eme--
Players: Who?
SE: You know Emet-Selch the main--
Player: Imma let you finish but Livia sas Janius is the best bad guy.

:3

Idea entirely being born from a selfish biased desire for instanced houses (pocket worlds, key point without going on too much that the wards would not be destroyed or left out), an idea that I felt might be a fun way to introduce that and play around with stress at the same time was having Emet-Selch suddenly appear nonchalantly as he does and telling he wants to show us something, wants to teach us something.

"Well if this is the best we got I suppose we'll have to make do, too bad we don't have any better" type of remarks lol. As you travel around the whole of the game to specific locations of plants, weather, and history, as he tells you some lore and even referencing old-old events (like unknowable history for most of us, creations, etc)- for the purpose of imprinting these objects you cross to your mind and materia-izing. Then he begins to teach you how to create some of these objects from these gathered memories, perhaps at the place of his great creation magic (final zone) as a way of power boosting as if you were at a crafting station sort of aspect. Weaving in his own creation magic remnants like one weaves in HQ materials for a better chance at a good product, that way it's explained that we're not lords of creation magic but getting a bit of help by having a huge resource on hand. The whole time the game plays with you to determine whether that's him, a fragment of him, his own magic recreating it's master in an attempt to live- somehow aware of it's demise and not welcoming it, or even sort of a traumatic response to everything that's happened (figment of your imagination attempting to cope and yet still march forward, echo and other magics twisting the experience further). Preferably the truth not being they actually are back already though lol, I'd rather lean towards magic that has fragments of the owner left (he dead, but remembered) + trauma to make some sort of magical PTSD. Of course you can include the other members of that final area, especially the one who knows they're a memory.

Besides that I also see perhaps having our echo / role-play experience being a fun way to visit these characters again, like it would be interesting getting to play as Emet himself (and others), perhaps getting to absolutely own the WoD party lol. But mostly for that unique view of their experience. Might be fun to have one where long ago they attempted to parley with Hydaelyn but for whatever reason (preferably a good one) she was unable to help and had to stick strong even though it pained her to do so