Thread: Predictions for 5.3?

My predictions, wishes and theories:

• Elidibus' plans for the first will come to fruition, causing the Exarch to do something drastic and move Norvrant to the Source.
• However prior to this, plans to return the Scions to the Source will suceed, and they are thus sent to Present Day CT with two purposes, Waking up G'raha Tia, and preventing the Calamity Source Side.
• The result is that the First is merged with the Source in a more literal way with Norvrant becoming part of Hydaelyn, however it will also reuslt in the space being compelty occupied by Sin Eaters much like the !3th is occupied by Voidsent, and also let the Ironworks know that it is possible to cross the threshold of the time-space continuum. This will set up future arcs as they seek to (re?)create the Tycoon, and as Norvrant adapts to their new surroundings and its source counterparts. Especially since Garlemald has one new continent to add to their conquests.
• The First's WoLs will be relevant through, first as a Crystal Braves analogue (group founded with good intentions turns bad via manipulation) and than once they realize that they'd been played like hellbound string instruments, will work with the Scions as ardent allies.
• The Warrior may or may not be called the Warrior of Twilight.
• 5.4/5 Will then tie up loose ends while setting up for a Chrono Trigger crossover or a story in that vein, attempts to restore the 13th or an incursion into Garlemald. Either way Ryne, Cyliva, and G'hrara will join the Scions.
• On that note, Unukalhai might also return to the spotlight if the 13th becomes relevant, in which case the WT storyline would be required.
• 5.55 will introduce the first and last HM dungeon of the expansion. As well as the first MSQ relevant one, Aumarot (Hard), where the Scions are tasked with preventing Garlean forces from destroying Emet-Seltch's recreation and it'll tie into the Weapon arc as Gaius ironically must help defend the Ascian creation from the Diamond Weapon piloted by the last of his orphans, naturally THAT arc will become required, much like the HM primals in ARR (Diamond will of course be based on Varis and Hades, which means you get to fight the late emperor thrice in the same xpac :P) (Diamond is a Trial ofc)
• The story shall end depenignon what route it takes, If Garlemald is the focus of 6.0 than the Alliance, and allies (Norvrant and Othard) poised to end the war, if the 13th is the focus, then the Scions and Ironworks will work to create the Tycoon use the CT's gate to the WoD to travel there and find a way to restore. If were going the Chrono Trigger route, then the Tycoon plot still stand and then they use it to travel to one of the other shards.

The prospect of a Rejoining happening one way, or another, just not along the usual lines, is intriguing and I am betting they may end up using something like that to link the First back together. Harder to see how they'd do it for the other worlds, but there may be a way.

Originally Posted by Cilia

It will be revealed there is only one Elidibus - the one we're dealing with is both the "heart of Zodiark" and the original from the Final Days. Venat mentions before becoming the "heart of Hydaelyn" that she would not vanish from the world and retain a form of her choosing; if that's the case it's entirely plausible Elidibus simply chose to keep his current form, and being Zodiark's "heart" just means he is in direct communion with the primal.

That's what I'm hoping, i.e. that something about being the "heart" of the Primal means the host was able to escape the sundering and reform once the Primal was gone. It's rather strange for them to have Y'shtola question Urianger's response without knowing why, and it hints at foreshadowing, IMO.

Still, it's hard to shake off the feeling that they're going for some manner of pre-ordained destiny with Zenos, especially with the revelation that he has long had visions of Amaurot's doom.

It could be that they're just trying to suggest he's always had something like the Echo, thus explaining his power prior to the Resonance... at the end of the day, it's not like Elidibus to leave loose ends hanging around, and thus I think it's unlikely he'd just let Zenos roam the world with no guidance on his part (in the form of the white-robed "Asahi".) In which case, his role might be for "Asahi" to lead him to Elidibus, revealing the fact that he is the one and only Elidibus/Zodiark, who in turn could empower Zenos for one last rematch with the WoL/D later down the line. There's a lot in the earlier 2.x scenes (particularly in Japanese), which we're now seeing touched upon again, e.g. in the epilogue to 5.2, which points to Elidibus having both a distinct purpose/duty and identity compared to the other Ascians, so I'm keen to see that expanded upon.

I'm honestly believing that the Elidibus that we are dealing with is Zodiark, just from the way he worded how we could see him as. I mean he straight up tells our character and the scions that he is there to fulfill the will of the convocation and that if we wanted to think of him as another Ascian then we could. (Not the exact quote from when we confronted him in Rak Tika but pretty much the gist of it). So yeah I think that would be a revelation sometime in the future.

*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?

Actually, that has me more worried than anything. Alisaie and Nero have done perfectly fine without their respective origin stories made mandatory. The first and last time they set a hard lock on the MSQ behind a "side story" it kicked off a chain of events that killed off both Paplymo and Minfilia and left the Scions forever changed. Pretty much the only character this lock would affect in the same way is G'raha (Ramnbroes is still on-duty in the Summoner quests, after all), unless they're suddenly planning on taking Koh Rabntah seriously. What about that weekly?

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)