So the wandering minstrel.... [The Path Infernal spoilers]

[Zero-ELEC]

The wandering minstrel has always been oddly aware of things, not only because of the Warrior of Light just telling him stuff, but by his nature as pseudo-canon self-insert. But in The Path Infernal he a) brings up the fact that the crystals that dot the landscape of Eorzea following the Seventh Umbral Calamity are from the Phoenix even when he should have no reason to know this, and b) sends the Warrior and Clive into a simulacrum of their memory and eventually enchants a horn to summon a facsimile Torgal that can fly.

Now, besides the obvious, Doylist answer that he's a developer self-insert who is there to facilitate the quest and its rewards (like he does for the EX trial mount rewards and the idea behind many EX trials and Ultimates to begin with), from a Watsionian perspective.... what the heck is he? Besides magic, he's clearly magic.

[Enkidoh]

He's Yoshi's alter ego. What more needs to be said? (Hence why he's involved in the Rising quests too).

More mundanely, it's a crossover event, like the Hildibrand quests it exists in it's own private lore bubble. Don't take it seriously.

At this point in the story though, it can be easily handwaved away that "he read reports by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn/Sharlayan about Phoenix" - remember, he's a minstrel who, in real world history naturally were highly educated (aka literate and thus also highly read). And of course he's 'magic' - everyone can use aether in some shape or form in Hydaelyn to some extent aka, magic, (unless of course you're either Thancred, pure bred Garlean, or the black sheep of the THM's Guild) and even BRDs do so with their songs, and the Wandering Minstrel is a master of using words/song to manipulate aether. The FFXVI quest was just another example of it.

[Ancalagon_Blacktalon]

actually like, it made me wonder if there's a whole lot of side quest lore I'm missing...

people praying for salvation gave rise to phoenix, but when you think about it, nearly all primals that come about do so in which the worshipers have a very clear idea of what their god is. It's a little strange then that the prayers of Eorzea really didn't manifest a version of the twelve, but Phoenix instead. This implies that maybe there's a generalized belief or symbolism in Eorezan society about the phoenix, but uh, whether that is actually in the game or not I have no idea.

edit: now that I think about it, phoenix could also be a representation of the Astral/Umbral era cycle, which at least is a concept the average Eorzean knows about. hmmmm

[Cleretic]

Phoenix's Triple Triad card does describe some reports of people seeing the thing, but with the actual reports of the Calamity being so frantic and scattered it's never entered official record, it's not confirmable enough.

Taking the Minstrel as a character instead of as a self-insert, he's always been the type to big up the dramatic elements of a story rather than stick to the raw facts of the thing; it's why the Extremes are like that. So he's absolutely the type to hear about the tales of the Phoenix rising out from the chaos of Dalamud and just act like that's undisputed fact; it's just that this is the one time that he happens to be actually right.

[Vyrerus]

what the heck is he? Besides magic, he's clearly magic.

Well, his magic has always been to re-imagine the WoL's tales of battle and heroism. He's been doing it since Ultima Weapon: A Minstrel's Ballad back in ARR.

Given that he is this magical and can basically 1 for 1 recreate memories, I wouldn't put it past him to have talked with enough people who remember seeing the Phoenix defeat Bahamut, as that is what actually occurred when Louisoix, "summoned The Twelve" at Carteneau. This is laid out at the end of The Final Coil of Bahamut Turn 3 aka Turn 12, where you actually fight Louisoix as Phoenix. A literal primal tempered by a stronger primal. Bahamut was able to temper Louisoix, because after Louisoix defeated him using the power of Phoenix, he let go of the aether to return it to the land, but Bahamut clung to life still and just before dying and being redistributed back into the Allagan reconstitution system, he enthralled the dying Louisoix, who would then come back because of how Phoenix works.

So basically this quest is saying that the inhabitants in Thanalan didn't all lose their memories of Carteneau and such. And Wandering Minstrel states it as fact because he has recreated their memories before. Cause as far as I'm aware his magic doesn't extend to creating things without a memory of them. But I haven't been keeping up with my XIV lore and don't care as much as I used too.

[Jade_Tyrant]

The Minstrel only says that the Phoenix being involved was a theory, albeit one he seems to believe, according to the dialogue on Gamer Escape (which matches what I remember from playing the event): https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/T...ernal#Dialogue

Some years ago, Eorzea was visited by a cataclysmic disaster known as the "Seventh Umbral Calamity."
Yet even as fire and ruin threatened all we held dear, the world underwent a mystical renewal. 'Twas as if the star was reborn.
One theory attributes the miracle to a benevolent entity, claiming that the undying Phoenix flared into being to save us in our hour of direst need.
[...]
The Burning Wall itself is a scar left by those events, it's crystal ridges having erupted from the earth overnight. Some believe these monoliths of solidified flame to be proof of the Phoenix's deliverance.
The bond with your brother, the Phoenix of your world, may have been the connection which brought you to this sacred place in ours.

[JepMZ]

Didn't we told him the stories of the Coil event so that he can sing for you?