Thread: Revelations from Patch 5.4

It's certainly possible Gabranth could continue into 6.x but I don't see him ever coming into the MSQ. It's one thing to make a single raid series mandatory like they did for ShB, but making all the Bozja grinding mandatory for EW would be insane.

I wouldn't be against Gabranth appearing in the MSQ's. With that said, I'm also hoping that we don't defeat him and come to some sort of compromise instead.

I don't think Bozja would need to be mandatory, either. He hasn't exactly shown up to any major extent...so far, at any rate. He could be introduced in the MSQ's with a nod for those who have done Return to Ivalice and/or Bozja, yet for those who have not he can be discussed slightly differently.

I could see them having Gabranth be MSQ or the very least a story that doesn't need all of Bozja to complete if they don't have him appear before us in Bozja storyline, so there wouldn't be any awkward situations of him not addressing us as having met in a future storyline.

I do wonder what will be next for them. I don't really see Bozja as the final capstone for this story, our forces seemed to have lost too much ground, and since the IV Legion has essentially taken over the Garlean Empire as the conquering force in Othard, seems like a pretty sudden story shift for the rebellion if both the IV and Garlemald collapsed suddenly.

Since Garlemald as we know it will be gone by the next expansion, I wonder if they will keep Gabranth and IV Legion's "New Nation" as a source more "grounded" turmoil in future patches, a threatening, conquering force but without the eugenics baggage most Garleans had since this is supposed to be a "nation of where all are equal" (or at least those who serve and climb are equal).

Crystal Tower is kind of different in that the plot of 5.0 and especially 5.3 makes no sense if you don't do the CT series. We've seen before with Coil that some dialogue changes if you've done the content or not, which seems simple to integrate Gabranth into the MSQ if he's not fought in Bozja and is instead relegated to an "As you know, Noah van Gabranth was the Legatus of the IV Legion, he broke from the Empire and blah blah blah", and removing the "As you know" if you didn't do the content.

Otherwise, I see no problem with his storyline continuing in the next expansion as a sidequest, especially if it involves Dalmasca or Lea Monde.

Well, side quest content is essentially MSQ content for the most part. It's just put elsewhere to make it more accessible and to prevent the MSQ from suffering from pacing issues. I've always operated under the impression that the best way to soak up the game's lore is to dabble in everything at least to some extent. A lot of the side quests and side content offer further depth and elaboration on various matters.

The Warring Triad side quests were meant to originally be a part of the MSQ's back in Heavensward, I believe. It was around that point that the approach to side content shifted.

Originally Posted by Lauront

Hmm that's interesting, that it's ultimately an auracite. It further strengthens speculation that Zodiark and Hydaelyn's "crystals" are giant auracites to power them without the need for constant aether, like regular primals. It'd explain why, even though it's but a sliver, it's capable of yielding such power when put to use by Lahabrea.

That also makes you wonder just how common Auracite was back then, and just how much power it used to be able to hold. Assuming of course it existed way back when.

Originally Posted by Hank_Hotspur

I could see them having Gabranth be MSQ or the very least a story that doesn't need all of Bozja to complete if they don't have him appear before us in Bozja storyline, so there wouldn't be any awkward situations of him not addressing us as having met in a future storyline.

Originally Posted by WhiteArchmage

Crystal Tower is kind of different in that the plot of 5.0 and especially 5.3 makes no sense if you don't do the CT series. We've seen before with Coil that some dialogue changes if you've done the content or not, which seems simple to integrate Gabranth into the MSQ if he's not fought in Bozja and is instead relegated to an "As you know, Noah van Gabranth was the Legatus of the IV Legion, he broke from the Empire and blah blah blah", and removing the "As you know" if you didn't do the content.

I don't think bringing him into MSQ would be that simple - not without making either the Bozja conclusion or his hypothetical MSQ appearance very inconsequential.

Even if he doesn't directly appear before us in 5.5X, the outcome of the plot is surely going to have an impact on the status of his effort to build his new nation. And if the status is unimportant to what he's doing in the MSQ, then what is he there for instead?

Simply enough, while of course it's a long way out, I don't see a particular need to cross those plot threads back over. At home, the Garlean Empire is falling apart and isn't going to be chasing after renegade commanders who've picked a fight in a distant region they're in no state to hold onto anyway. Over in Bozja, Gabranth's army is entirely disconnected from Garlemald and has no established reason to go back.

I think it's more likely that we'll just stay away from that plot in the MSQ entirely.