What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[MicahZerrshia]

Like I said. I'm willing to stop at any time.

Aveyond just has to stop saying nonsense.

Well since a lot of his posts are direct replies to your own, maybe grow up and stop first so we can get back to the discussion at hand.

[Misplaced_Marbles]

Moving into these patches it doesn't seem like we will be dealing with any one clear antagonist for the time being, but then I reread one of Lauront's earlier comments and recognized the mages in the trailer as the lambs of Dalamud, a cult from so early in ARR that I had completely forgotten about at this point. I don't know much of their faith, but I remember the voidsent they called forth.

Their faith was something along the lines of "Dalamud, our god, is about to bring about the apocalypse (Yeah...). The true believers (<that's us) will be saved, while the heretics will d- oops, there goes our god. Time to get revenge by killing all heretics!" So...yeah. Where could the story possibly go with these guys!? Somewhere predictable, I'm sure.

Even if their version of taking everyone with them in a blaze of glory involves the voidsent, it would still be just more of the same. Weren't we supposed to go back to adventuring?

[Lauront]

Added the lore source on them here & here, but yes, basically what Misplaced_Marbles said.

[Theodric]

Wouldn't it be ironic if obscure factions such as the Lambs of Dalamud end up getting a better send off than the game's actual long standing antagonists?

[PawPaw]

I haven't watched the LL but I am struggling to remember the Lambs of Dalamud at all. Vague memories of killing humans in robes when I was extremely low level...I assume that was them. Why go all the way back to such an obscure story offshoot from 2.0? I thought the objective behind ditching an expansion and rushing the story to this point was to clean the slate and leave all of this behind for the sake of the brand new start with their own original content?

[Skyborne]

I haven't watched the LL but I am struggling to remember the Lambs of Dalamud at all. Vague memories of killing humans in robes when I was extremely low level...I assume that was them. Why go all the way back to such an obscure story offshoot from 2.0? I thought the objective behind ditching an expansion and rushing the story to this point was to clean the slate and leave all of this behind for the sake of the brand new start with their own original content?

They're the Dalamud-worshippers that had a headquarters in Northern Thanalan, with some FATEs revolving around them. I believe they make an appearance in one of the Amdapor (?) dungeons as well, and were involved with Voidsent. Funnily enough, we can even wear their cowl... which should be noted are blood red by default, but the ones in the trailer just look dark/black. Unless my eyes are deceiving me, anyway. Could just be generic cultist people for all we know and not necessarily the Lambs.

[Lauront]

Yes, although now that I've looked them up, they had red robes. Still, the robes are rather uncharacteristic of Ascians, even in the lowest ranks.

[FrightfulNight]

I just want a proper conclusion to Garlemald's story. Knowing we were meant to get an entire expansion devoted to it - which would have likely put it well on the path of recovery - simply makes it all the more jarring to see it go from showing up in almost every teaser cutscene to becoming completely irrelevant.

It appears Garlemald only appears in the role quest in 6.1 despite being in the most dire straights at the moment. Sharlyan may have to change some policies but is still whole. Thravnir suffered massive damage as well but it at least still has a leader and viable living conditions. Garlemald has been reduced to Rubble, its residence huddling in a subways (and it was hinted at that a large amount of citizens and soldiers were un tempered and are undergoing treatment after the tower of babel so they need a more viable living location soon) and it has no current leader or government that people can turn to.

You think this would be the prime concern for the WoL due to how they like helping those in need but the recent trailer just shows us helping personal colleges to shard hop and go on a treasure hunt because lol TrEaSuRe and AdVeNtUrE. So very personal stuff over helping people in need. Maybe I am wrong maybe the dungeon serves the same purpose as the one in 4.1 to get an ancient lost treasure to help the economy of those who have suffered the most in the final days and repair some of the damage, so namely Garlemald, Thravnir, and the at the moment unvisited Corvos. Maybe they were to busy trying to get 6.0 finished and used this patch cycle to tune old content from 2.0 and so the story is more filler. Maybe Garlemald will get a similar treatment to Doma in SB where it gets a hub that is repaired over the expansion like the Doman Enclave and story arch that lasts at least 2 patches, which it is at least owed after losing an entire expansion. But still this lack of focus after I now know that a Garlean Expansion was sacrificed to rush the finale is only going to make me be more critical of the lack of content focused on Garlemald, only having 1 zone that is mostly destroyed, no hub like at least the Doman Enclave, and almost no side content at the moment outside of the role quest (which I am so glad I finished all of those so I can play that on day 1, before the MQS I might add).

I can only hope this lack of content is due to an Ilsabard expansion being on the horizon, however if this patch preview is a look at to where the priorities of the characters lie then I am even more worried of them not taking us to Ilsabard and it forever just remaining a cloud covered continent while the rest of the world map is filled out and we leave the people to pick up the rubble and ashes while we gallivant across the sea without a care in the world. This is not how I envision my WoL, I think of and RP Seika Miyumi as a kindhearted, selfless, individual who helps anyone in need and always puts others first.

[KageTokage]

I seriously doubt we're not going to have a proper Garlemald portion of the MSQ, as the twins need to have their piece and they're conspicuously absent from 6.1's scenes.

It's implied there's going to be some bigger reason we're going on this adventure and even this initial destination seems rather important given that Vrtra is getting involved.

[DevonEllwood]

Okay, I'm not caught up but I had to say something about the loporits. Someone posted some blurb about Smileton, and it was something about the rabbits creating a paradise for mankind to enjoy for as long as they need, waiting on them, supplying them with their every need and happily serving them? I know the whole paradise thing is absolutely hypocritical, but did, now I don't want to be looking into this too hard, but did Hydaelin actually purposefully create the happy "servant" caricature? I didn't even consider this because I completely skipped everything for both dungeons because rabbits. Endwalker is just bad comedy at this point, it's hilarious. Yes, intent versus execution absolutely matters. You can't get all the possible bad things in your writing out, but you might want to pay attention to it.

also happy page 300 I guess.