Patch 5.4 Trailer, Predictions, and Hints

[LalafellDown]

The trailer always makes the story more than it really is. Nothing exciting will happen and the story will cut off with another cliffhanger. Another mysterious figures face hidden,”it can’t be, but you’re supposed to be...” next time on dragon ball Z.

[Kesey]

What do the Floating City of Nym and The Lochs have in common, if anything?

Both are sitting on top of a vast body of water. Not sure this means anything though.

[MrThinker]

I can't decide whether or not Merlwyb confronting the Kobolds is integral to the strange void-like towers plot or if it's red herring.

You can see a small kobold in between the two, probably Ga Bu. Is she returning Ga Bu as a 'show of good faith' to try and end hostilities? Depending on whether or not the solo instance is before or after, this might end very badly. And why are they returning Ga Bu? Is it indeed something to do with the towers? or do they appear later?

What do the Floating City of Nym and The Lochs have in common, if anything?

Nothing much. Lochs have Skalla, which was another city-state in the 5th Astral Era, but not something on the level of Nym, Mhach or Amdapor

[Payadopa]

Haven't looked at the trailer but read that it didn't appear to be setting up for Garlemald and I swear if they do another expansion of "Meanwhile in Garlemald"s I'm going to scream.

At this point I'd be happy they just end it within a trial or dungeon so we can move on to other things. I'd love to see more of Ilsabard but boy do I tire of Garleans.

[OdrN]

Nothing much. Lochs have Skalla, which was another city-state in the 5th Astral Era, but not something on the level of Nym, Mhach or Amdapor

Considering these towers looks very Mhachi, there might be a hint. We'll see if there is more towers close to other old city-states.

There's a lot void in this trailer: Potentially these tower, the dragon looks very voidsentish, we're fighting again the Cloud of Darkness in the raid, the new role quest may involve Unukalhai who's from the Thirteen...

What if the Mhachi had an ultimate plan to surge the void in our realm that were never used due to calamity? So, in order to prevent this, we'll had to use the technology of the only other civilisation that mastered the void: Allag?

Another interesting theory concerning Eden suggest that Gaïa could be...

...an ascian, possibly Mitron.



On this enlargement, we can see two uncovered acians, the right one seeming to have long black hair...
We can see the characteristic image shaking of an echo vision during this scene, so it's obviously in the past. Could the other ascian be Pashtarot, the only blond acian that we saw or quite simply Loghrif, Mitron's associate in the First? An other possibility could be Lahabrea, the other blond acian even if we can find him without his hood only on the web, that could explain his presence on the artwork.

[Vyrerus]

Whatever happens, I hope that Gaius and his chaperones get some new clothes. I am tired of them wearing hobo clothes.

[Lauront]

I haven't really got any strong predictions on it but my thoughts are...


MSQ

Fandaniel is at least shaping up to potentially be more interesting than Zenos - not a strenuous feat to achieve, but still.

Judging from Zenos crushing his katana, and the fact that there is a figure in what appears to be the Menagerie in Ala Mhigo, where the main character had their big fight with him, I reckon that figure may well be him. The dark dragon form, in turn, looks to be a reprisal of what he did with Shinryu, only this time he is the primal, with Zodiark's power.

The towers spread out in Eorzea look to be for the purpose of summoning Zodiark. An interesting difference in the French version of the trailer is that Y'shtola references the promise made to Emet-Selch directly, so it's good to see the remembrance theme is still there. As I thought, the way they are presenting this is to prevent a tool for salvation from being abused for destruction. A shame that the English version omits that part, but perhaps there's more to it that just wasn't in that specific line.

Moving along, with 5.3 ending on notes of an apocalypse and speaking of the beast, the biblical version from Revelation had the mouth of a lion on the first beast and the second was a dragon. Fandaniel's mask is that of a lion (and corresponding star sign is Leo), and Zenos is presumably assuming a dragon form. The second beast's role was to promote the authority of the first.

There's been speculation as to why Fandaniel's sigil is inverted, maybe reflecting that his title is the inverse of that of his Scion of Light namesake from XII. In any case, I think it does look like they're pushing out Zenos as a boss fight sooner rather than later (how soon is anyone's guess, but at the least 6.0 rather than 6.3... maybe sooner), and Yoshi had said in a recent interview that he's just part of the puzzle.

Fandaniel does appear to be the mastermind in the whole affair, and I still wonder if this extends to ancient times. E.g. did he have something to do with the sound that ravaged Amaurot? Did he seed ideas into Venat's faction that would lead to summoning another Primal-in-the-Star with disastrous results? Or is there a disconnect with his ancient self and his current self in his relish for chaos? He is aware of what happened to the ancient world, but keeps distinguishing himself from the ancients (and apparently the main cast now?), and the matter of Zenos's visions remains in want of further explanation. Maybe Dan is the lead villain in the star's whole tragedy, or at least an accomplice, since the origins of the sound remain elusive.

An intriguing idea is that he's potentially the same soul shard as Zenos's, since the Overlords tend to be recruited from other shards. I wonder, then, if he's motivating Zenos to action in order to get him in a vulnerable position where he can force a merger with the Zenos soul shards and emerge as the dominant "persona" in the whole affair.

Either way, he interests me much more than Zenos, and I'm hoping it's not too long now that we'll be rid of the latter. I'm at least glad to see the remembrance theme with Emet and Elidibus isn't being dropped yet. There was also a glimpse of what looks like a big glowing blue crystal - Hydaelyn's chamber, maybe?

Sad to hear Garlemald has been ravaged, but in a way I would prefer that than some dumb liberation plot that forces too much compromise on it as it becomes another yawn-inducing variation on a theme. This doesn't rule out Ilsabard for 6.0, IMO, as Garlemald's end as a political force could actually make it easier to go there, but coupled with the hints at the end of 5.3, I believe we're headed to Sharlayan next, possibly with some other zones involved across the world to resolve the H/Z arc - just not an outright story split like SB's but more thematically connected.

On Eden...

So Mitron's the Ascian they're involving in that storyline. (I'm left wondering where's his bosom buddy, Loghrif?) Still makes me wonder if Lahabrea will appear in some other area of the story. The scene with Zodiark may be a flashback to do with him, but there's plenty of areas he could come up in besides (and possibly including) Eden. Also someone pointed out the second individual, on the right, is wearing the Shadowless female set, which is hoodless, so it's the hair which is so dark... possibly Lahabrea and Gaia, then. I imagine he could be getting a redux fight via Eden but we'll see.

Eden has tapped into the memories of the WoL - including the newly joined Ardbert fragment, I'd think - and the French version has a line about unleashing the memories of the world. So I'm of two minds whether it's actually Mitron, or just Eden aetherically reconstructing him based on memory, as she does with Primals. He was not put down using the white auracite method, so strictly speaking, his soul has not been forced to the Lifestream and he could remain at large.

Yoshi had mentioned that the sundered Overlords vary in clustering around the motivations of the unsundered Overlords (e.g. Igeyorhm), with others having their own agendas, so I am curious to see where Mitron fell on that spectrum. The warg boss is clearly picking up from the fates in Lakeland, and Cylva's involvement in instigating those, so perhaps Mitron is appearing in that context, since he helped her scheme.

As for Cloud of Darkness and the imagery of the Void, could be that Eden herself has devised the idea that a primal of darkness is what is now needed to "enliven" the elements in the Empty, and so scanning your memories she devises that. If that's the version of CoD the WoL remembers, he/she has a very filthy mind indeed.

I still believe the final boss will relate to Ultimecia in some way, especially the unknown voice's comment about drawing on memories. Yoshi saying this is XIV and not VIII, when this game has taken entire storylines from other FFs, just modifying them a bit, as well as bosses, borders on a ridiculous statement, but as a misdirect it makes sense.

Bozja and Werlyt

Not much to say on these. Keen to see how the Bozja story progresses and what Gabranth's role is. The next part will be focusing on Missija and the Queen of Blades (I'm guessing that's what the Asura-like figure with the multiple hands and swords is, although that female figure with the insectoid appendages is pretty close to the mural as well...) I am guessing the theme at the start is Bozja's and the latter half is for the MSQ.

As for Werlyt, my only question is how it will be addressing the news of Garlemald's fall to some of the key players, like Gaius. So far its storyline doesn't interest me much. Maybe Nero will spice it up, if that's where the story he's showing up in... he's always following Cid around.

Lastly...

Digging the new tomeset and raid gear, but I do wish we casters got the tomeset healer set this time. ;.; Just throw us casters a serviceable hood already for an Ascian set!

[KageTokage]

Considering these towers looks very Mhachi, there might be a hint. We'll see if there is more towers close to other old city-states.

There's a lot void in this trailer: Potentially these tower, the dragon looks very voidsentish, we're fighting again the Cloud of Darkness in the raid, the new role quest may involve Unukalhai who's from the Thirteen...

What if the Mhachi had an ultimate plan to surge the void in our realm that were never used due to calamity? So, in order to prevent this, we'll had to use the technology of the only other civilisation that mastered the void: Allag?[/HB]

I don't feel like the void has anything to do with the MSQ shenanigans considering that the dragon was referred to as a primal in the German version of the trailer.

The towers look to me as though they're siphoning aether down from somewhere up above...and the moon happens to be the closest celestial body available. Seeing as black magic fundamentally draws aether out of the environment as opposed to the caster, I'd think the Mhachi likely would've experimented with finding ways to give them access to more aether for their spells.

My guess is Fandaniel intends to use what bits of Zodiark's aether he can draw out without breaking the seal to create a weaker, but still horrifyingly powerful incarnation of the primal. Considering that Bahamut didn't even need to come into close contact with Cid's father to temper him, it's possible something similar is going to happen here and simply drawing Zodiark's aether down to Hydaelyn could potentially temper enough thralls (Unassuming beast tribes likely being the prime targets) to allow a physical form to manifest and start going on a rampage.

[Seraphor]

So on Eden....

We've finished restoring the elements, what plot threads are still hanging?
Gaia's memories.
Gaia's "faerie".

How could Eden be involved in that?
Eden was used to create primals by reading WoL's memories and giving them form.
Gaia's faerie wants her to remember something she's forgotten.

I think that makes it pretty obvious that CoD and this Scylla/Cerberus/Warg thing have been created from Gaia's suppressed memories that somehow involve the 13th/Void and somehow 'unleashed' upon the world.
The scene with the various crystals surrounding them with images of the current Eden primals could be someway of manifesting memories that goes wrong, or gets hijacked by her faerie.

[FrightfulNight]

(Damn, how long does it take to "confirm login?" I had to spend hours logged in to get this thing to acknowledge me!)

Ahem.

There aren't many hints regarding the Eden storyline, I don't care about the Bozja storyline, and the Weapon storyline will be what it is. (I just hope for no Aire Tam Storm from Emerald!)

MSQ: ahh, a good chunk of the Garlean capital is rubble! Seriously doubt we're going there now!

Ahem. The only thing I can say with any degree of certainty is the towers that appear to have been deployed in various places around Eorzea do have a striking similarity to Mhachi architecture (e.g. Void Ark). Combine that with a quick shot of the World of Darkness and the general "Void-y" feel from the Bahamut... thing... and all the blue fire and shit, and yeah, I get the feeling the Void is going to be involved moving forward. In what capacity, and who else will be players on the stage, I could not yet say.

Speaking of which, Fandaniel's use of theater terminology (referring to the cast as such verbatim) has me even more interested in him than before. Really hope he doesn't get backstabbed by Zenos, that'd be a big waste in my opinion.

There is actually a possibility the Void storyline will be wrapped up this expansion as well, there is a shot where it looks like Eden is in the Void, there is a scene that you have to complete all the role quests and the Warring triad to see, no doubt a reunion between two major players from the void, and i doubt it will be to heavily involved in the next expansion since we already traveled to the first, helped restore it, and dealt with beings similar to voidsent. plus this will help pave the way for the conclusion of the Zodiark storyline as it will no longer be unusable.