Revelations from Save the Queen

[Iscah]

So... I replayed the "When It Rains" MSQ chapter with the sin eater attack on Lakeland and there's actually something in there that explains AoE markers and debunks the Echo future-sense theory.

At one point in the battle, Alphinaud announces he can feel a surge of aether coming, and is immediately marked with a stack marker.

It sounds like it's more of a general aetherial sensitivity that doesn't even require the Echo. It doesn't explain physical attacks, but that could just be a matter of reading the enemy's movements.

[BasicBlake]

What little they gave us of the story so far really has me interested. I always thought that the story just dropped off after the Ivalice 24 mans so I am very happy that we are exploring more about what is going on in Othard. It seems pretty big for just side content (at least the buildup of it is), will it incorporate into the main scenario at all? Or will we just be coming back every other patch to help out here and there for this weapon and some story tidbits?

[Anonymoose]

From what I can gather, it's meant to be MSQ-parallel. Matsuno-san designed areas under imperial rule, now he's liberating them from it, and Bozja gets to come.

[BasicBlake]

From what I can gather, it's meant to be MSQ-parallel. Matsuno-san designed areas under imperial rule, now he's liberating them from it, and Bozja gets to come.

This makes me incredibly happy. I cant wait to see where this goes. July can't come soon enough.

[Iscah]

It seems pretty big for just side content (at least the buildup of it is), will it incorporate into the main scenario at all? Or will we just be coming back every other patch to help out here and there for this weapon and some story tidbits?

Side content doesn't mean unimportant content. Remember we've just had an entire expansion with previous "side content" elements at its core, and Cid's personal story has been unfolding over various storylines. (The groundwork for his appearance here, particularly for a non-legacy player, was really laid during the Omega quests which aren't even a prerequisite here.)

Actually tying back into MSQ events seems unlikely, since its optional and can't be reliably referred to as happening, but it certainly forms part of the larger narrative.

[Anonymoose]

I think a society with as much bureaucracy as Amaurot would just devise a test for determining prophetic sensitivity and then give the person who got the highest score a red mask, so either we're running away with our assumptions or Mikoto just indirectly introduced Elidibus's character development, lol.

[Vyrerus]

I think a society with as much bureaucracy as Amaurot would just devise a test for determining prophetic sensitivity and then give the person who got the highest score a red mask, so either we're running away with our assumptions or Mikoto just indirectly introduced Elidibus's character development, lol.

It was Frieza Planet 419. Teach the controversy!

[Morningstar1337]

Though considering that the Ancient ones are practically confirmed to have oracles, it does make me wonder if there were any Jor-El figures among them, since by extension they would have been among the first to know of that their would would soon end because of nighmarish tuplas manifested against their will by their own magics.

[Meloncat]

Late coming to the OP, but
"In terms of real-world connections, am I picking up some Persian vibes? The geographical names, the historical themes, even the concept of fancy religious writings on swords! Perhaps this is where that real-world inspiration went now that Thavnair feels closer to India than the Middle East."

This seems like a shift relating to Thavnair since lore book 2 wherein various weaponry of Thavnair are evocative of India and the Uznair we see in Heavensward or Stormblood is full of not-India motifs (namely big ol elephants). Lorebook 2 mentions Thavnair having military castes, use of jamadhars (katars), Bhujs (Indian dagger/knife), Kaman Bow (Mughal). The noble houses can apply to Persia or India or Arabia hypothetically, but South Ilsabard is the place that the same lorebook mentions using Jambiyas (Curved Gulf Arabian daggers). Yet Othard mainland is mentioned using Vajras, which is Sanskrit ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajra ). And right next to Dalmasca is Corvos which is clearly from the little we can gleam Greek-ish (They had a colossus a'la Rhodes). And the Shikari are Indian but originate with Ivalice/Rabanastre (in FF12) and seem Othardic given the Ivalician Shikari vest ingame is, well, Ivalician!

That said, the south-east section of Bozja/Dalmasca/Thavnair seems to be less easily applied to a single Middle-Eastern area and more to the area as a whole.

As to Anonymoose, it's possible or is just my hope this could weave back into the MSQ given we saw how Alexander/Omega (time travel), Crystal Tower (Exarch and time travel) all folded back into the main story. Having this secessionist "Garlean Technology + Eikon weaponization + standard magic" Gabranthian state would make for one hell of a new nemeses, especially if the ever-present Ascian hand is involved.

[EdwinLi]

Late coming to the OP, but
"In terms of real-world connections, am I picking up some Persian vibes? The geographical names, the historical themes, even the concept of fancy religious writings on swords! Perhaps this is where that real-world inspiration went now that Thavnair feels closer to India than the Middle East."

This seems like a shift relating to Thavnair since lore book 2 wherein various weaponry of Thavnair are evocative of India and the Uznair we see in Heavensward or Stormblood is full of not-India motifs (namely big ol elephants). Lorebook 2 mentions Thavnair having military castes, use of jamadhars (katars), Bhujs (Indian dagger/knife), Kaman Bow (Mughal). The noble houses can apply to Persia or India or Arabia hypothetically, but South Ilsabard is the place that the same lorebook mentions using Jambiyas (Curved Gulf Arabian daggers). Yet Othard mainland is mentioned using Vajras, which is Sanskrit ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajra ). And right next to Dalmasca is Corvos which is clearly from the little we can gleam Greek-ish (They had a colossus a'la Rhodes). And the Shikari are Indian but originate with Ivalice/Rabanastre (in FF12) and seem Othardic given the Ivalician Shikari vest ingame is, well, Ivalician!

That said, the south-east section of Bozja/Dalmasca/Thavnair seems to be less easily applied to a single Middle-Eastern area and more to the area as a whole.

As to Anonymoose, it's possible or is just my hope this could weave back into the MSQ given we saw how Alexander/Omega (time travel), Crystal Tower (Exarch and time travel) all folded back into the main story. Having this secessionist "Garlean Technology + Eikon weaponization + standard magic" Gabranthian state would make for one hell of a new nemeses, especially if the ever-present Ascian hand is involved.

I have a feeling this side story may play parallel to whatever story is going to be our Prologue to 6.0 in 5.4 to 5.55 MSQ. This is after all about the war in another front being the Doma side of the War while the Weapon Saga is about the Ala Mhigo side of the war.

Resistance and Weapon both seem to be focus on showing the War progress of the game through the perspective on the two war fronts we learned about back in 4.X being Eorzea (Weapon Saga) and Doma (Resistance) side.