Quote Originally Posted by Mihana View Post
Rydin that whole read seems like it came from someone hyped up on crack or something, no offense. I'll go the whole basis of the cutscene and everything here.
Awww... come on... how many crack heads write plot analyses???
And I guess only crackheads are witty and clever

The cutscene that played was of present day. What we see happen is rather like a flashback, the Echo taking place. The Hyur male finds himself amongst a different party there facing a giant Malboro. As they defeat it one of the magitek machineries of the Empires crashes and unintentionally takes our Echo-minded friend for a ride. The airship is the one and same we see in Mor Dhona. The scene that plays out here is actually a replay of the battle that happened that fateful day.
I just can't accept that. There isn't one good reason why a) a Guildleve (AKA guild TASK) would be set in the past, b) The Echo would be performed on a guildleve plate or c) The adventurers guild would require that you be a part of the super secret "Path of the twelve" and thereby have Echo abilities to do leves

Occam's Razor has taught us that if all evidence points to these events being in the past... They're probably in the past

Every single guildleve is something that needs to be done... not some joyride into the past.... To even suggest that is quite a stretch

Midgarsormr, the guardian of Silvertear Falls Lake (Check the Monk AF Storyline NPC he tells the whole thing.) rose up out of the lake as the Garleans were attempting their assault on this area. As the story goes, the dragon brought down the massive dirigible but the cereleum on board ignited and caused an explosion that killed the guardian along with it. With that it either summoned or released the Primals which shot across the sky. Perhaps they'd had been sealed away, maybe they had been there to aid Midgarsormr with their power. Either way its death seems to have released them.
Yea.. this is true... I just like saying he was old and ready to die...

Since the dragon appeared, the empire chose to retreat from the realm. Through storylines (I wish I knew what ones.) we learn that the empire has gotten their hands on Allagan technology and at the same time, used it to take control of Dalamud. It's also strongly speculated that Dalamud is really a massive man made moon. My own theory is this:
You are thinking of "Two Vans are better than one"
But thats the thing... they didn't retreat from this event...
they have maintained a presence in Mor Dhona ever since...
I contend that this is NOT what halted the Empire's attack
There is an Echo scene where the The Legatus is chastising Cid for defecting while in a special cave near silvertear falls... the empire never left Mor Dhona....
I do think this battle prompted Ishgard to close its doors though
Bozja Citadel seems much more likely to be the reason for the empires retreat
Although they didn't withdraw at all... they still occupy Ala Mhigo

With the emergence of Midgarsormr and the Primals the Empire retreated to form a new plan. They see the Primals as a possible threat against their plans to conquer the realm thus desire to rid Eorzea of these Eikons (Garlean term for the Primals.). The real plan is that is deep underground in Mor Dhona lies a massive crystalline structure, the Crystal Tower. Mor Dhona has already been speculated via storylines to be the epicenter of all atherial magic, could be because of that tower. Using Dalamud the Empire plans to either crash the moon into the realm to unearth that tower, or perhaps when it's close enough it causes a chain reaction that will bring the tower to the surface (Think like the odd structures we see in the 2.0 concept art.) for them to enter.
Close, but I get the feeling Conquering Eorzea isn't the plan anymore...
possibly never was.... Eorzea will just be collateral damage
In which case, I don't think they see them as a threat to their "invasion plan"
instead I think the primals (Or maybe even destroying the primals) are the key to whatever power is there...
You're right, Crystal tower could very well be the means for accessing or even harnessing that power though

The constant attacks on the realm we see now may be meant as a diversion to keep the Grand Companies from interfering with their overall true intentions. The magitek devices we see in the dungeons could even be what the Empire is using to track the flow of aether in hopes to find the exact location of the tower, I think that was mentioned before it's what they do...
This I agree with completely