Predictions for 5.3?

**Mansion** · 04-23-2020 06:47 PM

Since 5.2 there is something odd to me in the Warriors of Light awakening schemed by Elidibus.

If he wants to set them against us :
- We literaly just saved them from doom. And since then, we have tried to help them even more with politics in Eulmore for instance. That shift against us would be a 180 turn difficult to explain.
- I'm not sure they would be that much of a threat anyway. And that's just a bunch of people, but I believe we would still have the support of Lyna and her "soldiers". I don't think we would be outnumbered.
Also, I don't understand how people would also let themselves be so easily manipulated. I understand that a lot has been goin on, but we are talking about people with life-long trauma of excess of Light, perhaps even the feeling of having been abandoned by Hydealyn in the last 100 years or so. But they would forget that 30 seconds after they supposedly heard Hydealyn, being presented by supposedly a former public enemy... It is a bit too much for me.

So the only way this is a good plan on Elidibus' behalf in my opinion, it would be drawing our attention to the wrong target. I imagine the Scions and all those in the know about Elidibus' plan will be closely watching what these new WoLs will be doing from now on. Leaving Elidibus some occasions to pull out yet another trick.
I'm afraid it might turn this character into a meme at some point. 3.X "What if we sent Warriors of Darkness ?" 4.X "Nevermind, I'll just wear that corpse to bring chaos." 5.X "Nevermind, What if we sent Warriord of... Light?" That's a lot of build up to make us understand we are the thorn in his side, or to delay the final act of the Ascian plotline.

**Fenral** · 04-24-2020 08:42 PM

"Reflections in Crystal" and the key art is the Exarch. Ah, s[kupo]t. I'm not going to like this, am I?

**MrThinker** · 04-24-2020 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by Fenral

"Reflections in Crystal" and the key art is the Exarch. Ah, s[kupo]t. I'm not going to like this, am I?

RIP G'raha, it was a beautiful dream.

also that image of the ancients is apparently of the convocaton. Colour correcting the image ends up with this https://gyazo.com/78fc61afb004329cc7c94b789129c825

**Iscah** · 04-25-2020 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by Fenral

"Reflections in Crystal" and the key art is the Exarch. Ah, s[kupo]t. I'm not going to like this, am I?

I think we already knew we weren't going to like it.

Also feeling like I maybe want to step out of the speculation at this point before anyone gives me ideas of what might be coming... I think I just want to be entirely surprised by whatever is coming.

*wibble*

**Fenral** · 04-25-2020 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by Iscah

*wibble*

If it helps, we here in Lore have a tendency to overshoot plot twists by one or two steps. So, we have a pretty good track record of inferring the immediate twist before it becomes text, but then assume any twists that happen must be relative to that inference, when the inference itself is, in fact, the only actual twist. Even though certain possibilities are only vaguely hinted at for now, so long as the outcome foreshadowed in 5.0 has yet to be properly solidified in text, it is perhaps vain to assume a twist that would derail it is coming.

At least I hope...

*wibble*

**Lauront** · 04-25-2020 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by MrThinker

RIP G'raha, it was a beautiful dream.

also that image of the ancients is apparently of the convocaton. Colour correcting the image ends up with this https://gyazo.com/78fc61afb004329cc7c94b789129c825

Well Y'shtola is still trying to harness more information from Anamnesis, so perhaps it's another cutscene from there. Could be exploring the point where the 14th left. The mask in the centre is hard to see properly but looks black to me.

Originally Posted by KageTokage

We also have a MSQ-related trial that they claim is against something/someone we won't be expecting...so I think that probably rules out Elidibus as our final foe (Though it wouldn't surprise me if he was still the endboss for the MSQ dungeon).

I think they're veeeery unlikely to shove Elidibus as an end boss there, unless it's like the Ghimlyt fight, i.e. he takes his leave only to return later. Given the English name I wonder if it'll be some kind of testing ground for the new WoLs - maybe one where the main character needs to go bail them out.

Originally Posted by Theodric

Well, we've been told that the big fight will be someone that we don't necessarily expect it to be, so I think that rules out both Zenos and Elidibus. The Crystal Exarch, Venat and Theyler are my best guesses at the moment.

I'd say Zenos would count as surprising at this juncture, but yes my main guess would be the Exarch. Possibly one of the newly minted WoLs. He's holding what looks like a WoL crystal - I wonder if we're coming full circle on this from the New Year's greetings:

I thought it was Elidibus which it meant, mainly because of how the French and German versions translate (with words like "even he" or "he too" should be regarded as a WoL), and as it turned out he's controlling Ardbert, but maybe it's (also) pointing to the Exarch.

I wonder if the symbolic connection between the 5.2 and 5.3 crystals is something like this: 1) Elidibus's symbol is depicted on the top of a crystal to signify he's Zodiark's heart, and is in the middle between WoL and WoD as a nod to his role as arbiter; but also 2) Elidibus is, amongst the Ascians, the awakener of souls and does just that in the Crystarium, minting several new would-be WoLs, so 3) the eventual culmination of all this is to turn the Exarch into a WoL to somehow fulfill his plan.

Wouldn't be surprised if he played a part in "activating" Zenos's own visions of the past too.

As for the presence of leafmen in Lakeland, that could potentially be explained by the pixies showing up to help in the battle and turning people into leafmen. They've done as much before after all.

True, and the zones border one another.

Originally Posted by RyuDragnier

I saw a theory on Reddit on who we're fighting, and it's very possible. We could be fighting ourselves, or rather an "illusion" of the 14th Member of the Convocation, in order to regain our own memories of our past life in Amaurot.

Doesn't get much more FF than that! I like the idea.

**Iscah** · 04-26-2020 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Lauront

I'd say Zenos would count as surprising at this juncture, but yes my main guess would be the Exarch. Possibly one of the newly minted WoLs. He's holding what looks like a WoL crystal - I wonder if we're coming full circle on this from the New Year's greetings:

I also noticed that he appears to be holding a Crystal of Light, though I wonder if might happen not as part of Elidibus's scheme but as a contrast in the two possible meanings of the New Year's poem: the reckless (acting without considering the consequence) and the noble (doing the right thing regardless of personal cost). We discussed this as the time the poem came out, but we have another possible application of it in light of 5.2 - the "new Warriors of Light" fitting that reckless interpretation by running off to play the hero without considering the impact of abandoning their original mundane-but-important positions. Meanwhile the Exarch is willing (perhaps too willing) to sacrifice himself if it will get the Scions home... which is more noble, if also reckless for the potential impact on the Crystarium too.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I'm nearing the end of Shadowbringers main game on my alt, and something Ardbert says in our conversation at the lookout during 'In His Garden' struck me as relevant to the question of what Elidibus is trying to achieve with his "creating heroes" scheme:

ARDBERT
But seeing that giant Talos stir to life cured me of any doubts I still had.
Always. Always we took the burden of fighting upon ourselves. That's what heroes do, isn't it?
So we never had the chance to see anything like that - our people, coming together as one.

Proclaiming individuals to be Warriors of Light, calling them to be heroes, encouraging them to stand apart from the rest and take all the responsibility of defending the world alone instead of coming together and supporting each other to achieve something greater... that seems to be what Elidibus is after.

**Iscah** · 04-25-2020 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Fenral

If it helps, we here in Lore have a tendency to overshoot plot twists by one or two steps.

Yeah I know. Just not sure if I even want ideas in mind or keep it blank. There's already been at least one suggestion I'd rather not think might be coming...

5.3 simultaneously should not be rushed and cannot come soon enough.

**Riastrad** · 04-25-2020 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Fenral

"Reflections in Crystal" and the key art is the Exarch. Ah, s[kupo]t. I'm not going to like this, am I?

A reflection in the glass
Recollections of our past...

Shadowbringer's opening lyrics feel really relevant right now.

**ReiMakoto** · 04-24-2020 10:04 PM

Exarch is super ded lol

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