Thread: Predictions for 5.3?

Originally Posted by Fenral

*ears perk up* What's all this about mandatory Crystal Tower? Could it be? Was making the top 100 FF characters list twice enough to get Moose's least favorite Archon out of cold storage and finally put the "but its side content" argument to rest for eternity in his place?

Wait, G'raha Tia is my least-favorite Archon!? *digs through past comments* Oof, some of these are internet archaeology gold.

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

G'raha strikes me as one of the youngest members, anyway, and he seems to love labels. He's got the keepers of the shelves "archon" tat, he's got the "scions" tat, he's of the Students, hanging out with the Sons, and puts a new label (NOAH) on the combination effort to explore the Crystal Tower. Strikes me as an over-achieving, exciteable kid that grows up a bit as a result of what he learns in the Tower.

*Family Feud DING*

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

If an NPC existed prior, they'll probably return to that neutrality. If they were introduced in that story arc, they'll probably die, live happily ever after, or be "never seen or heard from again". After all, these arcs are written individually. The creator of the Crystal Tower couldn't kill off Cid any more than the writers of the Main Scenario could be asked to shoehorn G'raha Tia into the Scions of the Seventh Dawn...

*Family Feud BUZZER*

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

... for the rest of the game. The sole exception might be if there's an agreement to borrow or take over something that's already over

*DING*

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

As an equal-opportunity pot stirrer, I can totally get behind that [The Mystery Voice] is G'raha just to tie off a loose end and make a rather specific demographic niche of the fanbase happy (as like 100% of the feedback I've seen on him falls either directly on "he has the most punchable face" or "G'RAHA MY SWEET BOY I MISS YOU SO"), but they could at least point out that G'raha and the hooded man share a taste in color schemes.

*tugs nervously at collar*

Anyroad, I wonder what makes CT hard-required. Shadowbringers itself made a "in case they haven't done it" text swap flag for Crystal Tower whereby the Exarch says "we've yet to meet, but one day we will travel together for a time." That worked because it's all future G'raha. Does this mean that the contents of 5.3 must happen after Crystal Tower but before G'raha wakes up? Might this involve royal blood and the explanation of the time shenanigans!?

It's okay, Moose. Anything you may have said on the subject, I only remembered because anything I had to say on the subject was far more embarrassing.


With the Tycoon destroyed, I'm hoping anything else related to time travel comes in the form of explanation, and not further timeline manipulation. Talk of the royal blood will never not bring me back to thinking about Salina, and why she happened to be name-dropped right as the expansion was being prepped, so maybe she'll be the key. We never did get to ask the Exarch about what happened to the dead princess in his head.

I'm really scratching my head as to how Elidibus' little scheme of sending a mess of WoL wannabes running about Norvrandt is going to end up being a thorn in our sides.

Unless perhaps he wants them to somehow throw things out of balance and restart the flood of light... assuming that's even possible.

Perhaps whatever new dungeon is announced in 5.3 might give us some ideas.

Originally Posted by KageTokage

I'm really scratching my head as to how Elidibus' little scheme of sending a mess of WoL wannabes running about Norvrandt is going to end up being a thorn in our sides.

Unless perhaps he wants them to somehow throw things out of balance and restart the flood of light... assuming that's even possible.

Perhaps whatever new dungeon is announced in 5.3 might give us some ideas.

I woudne't pit it past him to speak the half-truth of the Warriors of Darkness clashing with the Warriors of Light once, or do something to the vein of the bloody banquet and frame the current Warrior of Darkness for murder (perhaps of the Exarch or "Ardbert"?) to force a repeat of history (in that those that helped saved the world are vilified for it)

Originally Posted by KageTokage

I'm really scratching my head as to how Elidibus' little scheme of sending a mess of WoL wannabes running about Norvrandt is going to end up being a thorn in our sides.

Unless perhaps he wants them to somehow throw things out of balance and restart the flood of light... assuming that's even possible.

Perhaps whatever new dungeon is announced in 5.3 might give us some ideas.

The problem here is the Flood of Light wouldn't do anything for Elidibus at the moment because without Black Rose there is no pending calamity that we are aware of to allow a Rejoining to take place. That would be counterproductive for Elidibus to do to say the least. My guess goes back to his speech about wanting to 'keep us mired in the first', it seems to be an action more to disrupt our progress specifically. But how he intends to do so? That's still a hard thing to determine, as he basically creating a bunch of people with hero complexes.

My theory he intends to mislead these heroes against us somehow, maybe by creating an illusion of some kind of threat, though I must say trying to pin anything on the "Warrior of Darkness" normally would be difficult. Then again, get enough people who think they're doing the right thing and I wouldn't be surprised on what they could do.

I'm all for speculation, but didn't the Moon Monologues explain it?

Elidibus
Though Your champion has indeed proven the most egregious obstacle to our ascendance─a barbed thorn in my side─he may yet be removed and cast into the abyss.

Oh yes...it can be done. I will keep these “heroes” mired in the First, and victory will be ours at the last.

Warriors of Darkness now, are they? Then their fate is decided.

They shall meet the same end as those who came before─death at the hands of Warriors of Light!

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

I'm all for speculation, but didn't the Moon Monologues explain it?

I remember that bit, but the specifics are what baffles me, since it would take a heck of a scheme to turn people against us after we saved their world.

Not to mention that even if Elidibus did literally turn them against us, from all we could see there was only a handful of WoL wannabes and they're not exactly skilled enough to pose much of a threat...assuming we're actually aware of any potential treachery, since even the weak can be dangerous if they catch someone off-guard.

I suppose it's also possible that he intends actually face us personally as "Ardbert" after rallying their support just for the sake of making the situation harder to deal with.

Originally Posted by KageTokage

it would take a heck of a scheme to turn people against us after we saved their world.

Would it? I harbor some hesitation to have that kind of faith.

Elidibus
At but a word from me, you raise your hands in answer like the puppets you are. Naught has changed. You fail and you fail and you learn nothing─allow that which is most important to slip through your fumbling fingers like so many grains of sand. Again and again and again.

There was a day Ysayle tried to put an icicle through our chest "for Hydaelyn".
There was a day Midgardsormr tried to put a spike through our chest "for Hydaelyn".
Gods save us from half the people who think they're doing the gods' work.

Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Would it? I harbor some hesitation to have that kind of faith.

There was a day Ysayle tried to put an icicle through our chest "for Hydaelyn".
There was a day Midgardsormr tried to put a spike through our chest "for Hydaelyn".
Gods save us from half the people who think they're doing the gods' work.

I suppose the newly awakened WoLs could legitimately be dumb enough to try to off us just because "Ardbert" says so. The revelation that he and his friends were partly responsible for halting the Flood of Light on top of their prior heroics already puts him on a pedestal of a height comparable to our own.

I just struggle to think of any kind of argument he could make to suddenly frame us as the villains after everything we've done though considering the illusion he was able to conjure at the Crystarium, more smoke and mirrors could also be a factor.