3.4 Urianger's scheme and Minfilla's sacrifice

[LitheSuxman]

Just replayed the quest in NG+ and I still fail to understand the reasoning.

So in the cutscene where you, fellow scions and the five warriors of darkness see word of the mother (Minfilla), Urianger says:

'Full long did I search for a means to save this world, concluding at the last that the answer lay in the power of blessed crystals. And thus did I labor to set Light against Dark.

Yet I knew from the beginning that this salvation would not come without sacrifice, for the instrument of the First's deliverance would of necessity be required to journey thither... there to remain, mayhap forever'

Alphinaud replies:
'You orchestrated all of this not to save her, but to send her away?

So when Urianger says "set Light against Dark", does that mean he knew about the ascian's plan with the warriors of darkness even before the banquet that ultimately took minfilla's life? Else what part has he orchestrated in the whole plot? And even if that was the case, how did he know Hydaelyn would call to Minfilla to her side at that moment, if at all?

[Iscah]

He had nothing to do with Minfilia being pulled into the aetherial sea in the first place.

Elidibus came to him at the end of 2.55, after the banquet, and offered to reveal deeper truths to him. It's quite possible that Elidibus intended to recruit Urianger to the Ascians – a truly terrifying thought to have him as an adversary – but in any case Urianger was just playing along and seeing how much valuable information he could get from it.

Then through late Heavensward into 3.2, we learn of Minfilia's fate of being pulled into the aetherial sea by a weakening Hydaelyn, last known to have been struggling to hold her form together at the Antitower.

Meanwhile, because he was working with Elidibus, Urianger got assigned to assist the Warriors of Darkness, as we first see at Xelphatol. This is the "Dark" he laboured to set against (the Warrior of) Light – quite directly by suggesting Ardbert should try to kill us rather than fiddling about with primals – resulting in us bringing the six crystals together, getting everything into position without Elidibus catching on until it was too late to do anything about it.

[LitheSuxman]

He had nothing to do with Minfilia being pulled into the aetherial sea in the first place.

Elidibus came to him at the end of 2.55, after the banquet, and offered to reveal deeper truths to him. It's quite possible that Elidibus intended to recruit Urianger to the Ascians – a truly terrifying thought to have him as an adversary – but in any case Urianger was just playing along and seeing how much valuable information he could get from it.

Then through late Heavensward into 3.2, we learn of Minfilia's fate of being pulled into the aetherial sea by a weakening Hydaelyn, last known to have been struggling to hold her form together at the Antitower.

Meanwhile, because he was working with Elidibus, Urianger got assigned to assist the Warriors of Darkness, as we first see at Xelphatol. This is the "Dark" he laboured to set against (the Warrior of) Light – quite directly by suggesting Ardbert should try to kill us rather than fiddling about with primals – resulting in us bringing the six crystals together, getting everything into position without Elidibus catching on until it was too late to do anything about it.

I see. But how about Alphinaud saying "orchestrated all of this" and "send her away"? If what you said is what happened, then all Urianger did was he provoked the WoDs to hunt our WoL. Hardly be described as "all of this".

[Kordarion]

I see. But how about Alphinaud saying "orchestrated all of this" and "send her away"? If what you said is what happened, then all Urianger did was he provoked the WoDs to hunt our WoL. Hardly be described as "all of this".

It probably means that Urianger orchestrated the Warriors of Darkness and the Scions coming together in such a way that we could communicate with Hydaelyn to allow her to send the WOD and Minfillia to the first.

The "send her away" part likely refers to the other scions wanting to bring Minfillia back to life on the source but that Urianger's plan requires that Hydaelyn sends Minfillia away to the first instead.

[LitheSuxman]

It probably means that Urianger orchestrated the Warriors of Darkness and the Scions coming together in such a way that we could communicate with Hydaelyn to allow her to send the WOD and Minfillia to the first.

The "send her away" part likely refers to the other scions wanting to bring Minfillia back to life on the source but that Urianger's plan requires that Hydaelyn sends Minfillia away to the first instead.

That line 'You orchestrated all of this not to save her, but to send her away?' is still very puzzling to me, because what he orchestrated was setting the WoDs to meet the WoL, which has nothing to do with sending her away, it was Hydaelyn's doing.

The line would only make sense if by "sending her away", it actually means removing Minfillia from the Source, but not about she losing her corporeal form and absorbed by Hydaelyn.

Then that also explains why Urianger was absolutely disgusted by himself. His scheme of using Minfillia to save the first won't be completed without Minfillia actually leaving to the First. And he chose to reveal everything in front of everyone including the most affected Minfillia herself. Knowing full well that she would still go to the First, not because she just promised the WoDs a moment ago she would go, but because that has always been the chance to save the star she long for, which no other scions would want to see.
It's almost like she knew what Urianger has been planning all along. Or did she really?

And that makes Alphinuad's line even more confusing.
Why would he say that to Urianger? It was Minfillia herself decided to go save the First.
And also by the time he says it, Minfillia was still there with them. Unless he was so certain that Urianger's speech wouldn't deter Minfillia or perhaps even bolster her determination to leave for the First.

[Mieck]

In 3.2, Alphinaud is shaken by news of Minfilia's fate becoming the Word of the Mother. Matoya is pretty direct with him. My reading is that, upon seeing her in 3.4, he is hoping Urianger's plan would save her and bring her back to them. But it doesn't.

At the end of 3.4 / start of 3.5, the Scions begin (at Alphinaud's instigation) to alter their structure, to do without an antecedent.



This line is the death of his last hope of her return.

[LitheSuxman]

In 3.2, Alphinaud is shaken by news of Minfilia's fate becoming the Word of the Mother. Matoya is pretty direct with him. My reading is that, upon seeing her in 3.4, he is hoping Urianger's plan would save her and bring her back to them. But it doesn't.

At the end of 3.4 / start of 3.5, the Scions begin (at Alphinaud's instigation) to alter their structure, to do without an antecedent.



This line is the death of his last hope of her return.

I see. It's a reasonable interpretation.