An ominous premonition? (Slight spoiler for the Studium quests)

[KageTokage]

If you did the quest line for ARM/GSM/BSM, you repair the Golden Dhyata (A mammet specializing in the translation of languages), which in the wake of the quest repeats these words stated to have been taken from a book detailing the manipulation of the Lifestream using magicks.

"The serpent that sleeps in the deep slowly sheds its skin of old.

Eventually, the serpent devours its own tail, and renders new flesh using its own. The pain felt with cause the earth to quake, the mountains to crumble, and the rivers to run dry. Thus, seven wedges must be driven into its back."


It's also mentioned that there were anomalies in the Lifestream that were under investigation in the same questline.

I can't help but wonder if perhaps Zodiark's destruction and the subsequent return of countless Ancient souls to the Lifestream is going to have some unforeseen effects in the near future.

[Nekaru_Infitima]

...

MY FRIEND I think you might have found the mystery I've been looking for: https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-the-new-story (Read the part in the post about the interview text).

This might be it. Especially with what Elidibus says at the end with the raid hint.

[RyuDragnier]

If you did the quest line for ARM/GSM/BSM, you repair the Golden Dhyata (A mammet specializing in the translation of languages), which in the wake of the quest repeats these words stated to have been taken from a book detailing the manipulation of the Lifestream using magicks.

"The serpent that sleeps in the deep slowly sheds its skin of old.

Eventually, the serpent devours its own tail, and renders new flesh using its own. The pain felt with cause the earth to quake, the mountains to crumble, and the rivers to run dry. Thus, seven wedges must be driven into its back."


It's also mentioned that there were anomalies in the Lifestream that were under investigation in the same questline.

I can't help but wonder if perhaps Zodiark's destruction and the subsequent return of countless Ancient souls to the Lifestream is going to have some unforeseen effects in the near future.

Pandaemonium may also fill in the blanks on what we're going to be dealing with. But from that description...I guess the Source's version of The Great Serpent of Ronka is not as benevolent.

[EaraGrace]

Pandaemonium may also fill in the blanks on what we're going to be dealing with. But from that description...I guess the Source's version of The Great Serpent of Ronka is not as benevolent.

In the quest line, it’s confirmed that the Serpent is a metaphor for the lifestream by one of the characters. So hard to say.

[Iscah]

In the quest line, it’s confirmed that the Serpent is a metaphor for the lifestream by one of the characters. So hard to say.

But if the serpent is a metaphor, what "wedges" might need driving into the Lifestream?

[Illmaeran]

But if the serpent is a metaphor, what "wedges" might need driving into the Lifestream?

The seven different Rejoinings?

[CKNovel]

In the quest line, it’s confirmed that the Serpent is a metaphor for the lifestream by one of the characters. So hard to say.

And what if it still was the same serpent?

"The lifestream that sleeps in the deep slowly sheds its skin of old.

Eventually, the lifestream devours its own tail, and renders new flesh using its own. The pain felt with cause the earth to quake, the mountains to crumble, and the rivers to run dry. Thus, seven wedges must be driven into its back."

EW brought a lot of informations about the Aether current, that "serpent" could be those aether current.
And it would make sense for the earth to quake and rivers to run dry if the aether itself is disturbed.

[KageTokage]

Given Zodiark was reshaping/redirecting the world's aether currents to ward off the Final Days, some manner of negative feedback from everything suddenly snapping back to how it was before seems expected.

The FSH quests bring up how fish all over the world were suffering from bouts of aether sickness due to the aether being shifted back from the heavens to the earth below, which was an immediate symptom, but perhaps something deeper about the world's workings has been disturbed.

I also noticed that the number of "wedges" that need to be driven into the figurative serpent's back also happens to match the number of shards that are remaining...which is stirring up even more thoughts about the potential implications.

safety spoils for EW ending

What if the world was only able to sustain itself to Zodiark and Hydaelyn's presence and now it's due to slowly unravel unless the shards are somehow "linked" to the source to stabilize the flow without destroying them?

[LystAP]

I also noticed that the number of "wedges" that need to be driven into the figurative serpent's back also happens to match the number of shards that are remaining...which is stirring up even more thoughts about the potential implications.

safety spoils for EW ending

What if the world was only able to sustain itself to Zodiark and Hydaelyn's presence and now it's due to slowly unravel unless the shards are somehow "linked" to the source to stabilize the flow without destroying them?

The shards have always been kind of unstable. Given the circumstances, Hydaelyn might not have had time to really be detailed with how she sundered the worlds. While the Ascians are gone, arguably you might not need them to cause a calamity, mankind has no issue with causing a calamity for their own selfish reasons. In the past, the Ascians would occasionally create heroes or act to restore a world out of balance, and of course you have Hydaelyn creating warriors of light.

Now both are gone, who is working to ensure that the shards are stable?