[Spoiler] Alliance Raid: Deryk...

[Cleretic]

I'm pretty sure the Shoebill is/was Emet-Selch's Familiar no? It would explain why it followed us throughout Shadowbringers, and why it appeared in Elpis just after we did. We first see it there after we go off with Meteion when he's meeting with Hermes. It would be very on brand for Emet to keep an eye on us, considering he is technically responsible for allowing us into Elpis at that point.

Or was this debunked somewhere that I missed?

Literally never once stated at any point in the game, just assumed by players.

[kaynide]

Literally never once stated at any point in the game, just assumed by players.

While technically true, it is heavily implied to be connected to Emet in some way, as it appears in situations where he might want to keep an eye on you. Moreover that it is the minion dropped in the dungeon leading up the final confrontation with him.

Doesn't necessarily mean anything, but similar things are done in other dungeons such as the Starbird in EW.

[EaraGrace]

While technically true, it is heavily implied to be connected to Emet in some way, as it appears in situations where he might want to keep an eye on you. Moreover that it is the minion dropped in the dungeon leading up the final confrontation with him.

Doesn't necessarily mean anything, but similar things are done in other dungeons such as the Starbird in EW.

I do worry for the Emets mind then, considering what Meteion said about the shoebill :P

[kaynide]

I do worry for the Emets mind then, considering what Meteion said about the shoebill :P

The line about it being void of feeling? That just reinforced it for me as a familiar. Of anyone, Emet strikes me as the type who would make en entirely functional “camera drone” familiar without need of its own thought. Essentially he would be the guy who has security cams but not AI operating it.

[EaraGrace]

The line about it being void of feeling? That just reinforced it for me as a familiar. Of anyone, Emet strikes me as the type who would make en entirely functional “camera drone” familiar without need of its own thought. Essentially he would be the guy who has security cams but not AI operating it.

I guess I just assumed after the shoebill sidequest that they were gonna leave it ambiguous on what exactly is going on there. Like the beavers lol

Part of why I doubt Deryk is Oschon is just the obviousness of it. Then again… there was the Exarch and Graha

[Alleluia]

The line about it being void of feeling? That just reinforced it for me as a familiar. Of anyone, Emet strikes me as the type who would make en entirely functional “camera drone” familiar without need of its own thought. Essentially he would be the guy who has security cams but not AI operating it.

Eh, if that was the case then it wouldn't get irritated at us for touching (hugging? I forget.) it in that one quest in Elpis. The annoyance is brief, but its there. lol


Either the shoebill is gonna turn out to have been one of the twelve in animal form, or its just never gonna get explained, imo. (Or it'll show up 7 years from now to lead us to a reincarnated Hyth and Hades as a character intro.)

Speaking of things that aren't explained, that ball of green light was left in the post-explosion ultima cutscene, even after the revamp of the MSQ dungeons. I still hold a tin foil torch for that thing being a real Thing and not just a visual glitch. Maybe one of the residents in the omphalos who regularly turn into green balls of light will make mention of it? Especially if the twelve really did have some kind of connection/deal with Hydaelyn. She had just gotten done shielding us (4 times, counting the new fight's mechanics) and draining her power in that scene. Maybe one of them sensed the disturbance in the force and came to investigate.

[Tobias_Azuryon]

I was thinking more along the lines of Oschon because of his green color theming and the fact that he's an explorer.

The opo-opo is obviously a thing, unless either it or Deryk are red herrings but funnily enough ever since 1.0 I thought that Llymlaen's symbol looked more like a monkey than waves/wind and both Oschon and Llymlaen are wind.

Coincidence?!

If you combine this with the quest explicitly having you go to the opo opo first and then later showing you that the gods become cute critters in Rhalgr's yeah it all adds up.

My other theory is that the 12 are actually the original convocation with Venat who made Hydalen a thing because it always seemed odd that they left that part out of EW's campaign.

They also have had a lot of things pointed out that the spiral structures from Amarout are seen in the raids including the little hubs when you first walk in.

[EaraGrace]

Eh, if that was the case then it wouldn't get irritated at us for touching (hugging? I forget.) it in that one quest in Elpis. The annoyance is brief, but its there. lol


Either the shoebill is gonna turn out to have been one of the twelve in animal form, or its just never gonna get explained, imo. (Or it'll show up 7 years from now to lead us to a reincarnated Hyth and Hades as a character intro.)

Speaking of things that aren't explained, that ball of green light was left in the post-explosion ultima cutscene, even after the revamp of the MSQ dungeons. I still hold a tin foil torch for that thing being a real Thing and not just a visual glitch. Maybe one of the residents in the omphalos who regularly turn into green balls of light will make mention of it? Especially if the twelve really did have some kind of connection/deal with Hydaelyn. She had just gotten done shielding us (4 times, counting the new fight's mechanics) and draining her power in that scene. Maybe one of them sensed the disturbance in the force and came to investigate.

Nophica just watching us with popcorn

[Seraphor]

I agree with Oschon, and I'm going with the Opo-opo being Llymlean, as it appears they travel in pairs of their respective element.
There's a lot of focus on Deryk as the guiding agent here, but I think Llymlaen, the Opo-opo if I'm right, is the real mastermind. We do gravitate towards the Opo-opo first after all, and Llymlaen is the Navigator.

I'm expecting the 2nd tier to follow Menphina > Halone > Althyk > Nophica, as a reverse order cycle of the first one. (the gates being on the opposite side of Omphalos in that order)
It also suits the mood of the raid too, we've faced the most aggressive elements under the impression that they were a real threat. Now that we're aware it's simply a "trial", the more passive elements of Ice and Earth suit for more reserved characters, the stoic warriors in contrast to the passion of Fire/Lightning.
Menphina: Skillet or Shield, defensive stuff with a lunar twist like Tsukiyomi.
Halone: Spear obviously, lots of Shiva similarities, maybe even dragon-adjacent Dragoon inspired mechs, stardiver/akh morn etc.
Althyk: Greataxe, time/space manipulation, more direct Earth-element content, think Titan/Sephirot.
Nophica: Scythe, more plant-based motifs, think Sephirot/Titania.

The 3rd tier then following Nymeia > Thaliak > Oschon > Llymlaen. Completely mixing up the order, but it does follow a pattern, each element has it's city-state patron as the 2nd fight, with the starting city-states as the final of each raid so that they can have their own battle theme.
Nymeia: Spinning Wheel, probably mechs that involve flowing fabric that transforms into water.
Thaliak: Staff and Scroll, gonna be hard pressed to differentiate this from Seiryu mechanically, lots of flooding.
Oschon: Bow, Bard stuff obviously, we haven't really fought any Bard enemies have we?
Llymlaen: Harpoon, sea/ocean setting with more direct wind stuff, so Garuda style tornadoes, chyrabdis, etc.

On second watch, it seems Deryk refers to the opo-opo as a 'He'. Not entirely out of the question that "he" is misgendered but it does seem less convincing.

[Denishia]

I'm firmly in the theory camp now that the Opo-opo is Oschon - but Deryk is a servant like Rhaglr's eagle or Azemya's lions, in a fun twist.