Quote Originally Posted by PotatoTree View Post
Back to the order of events:


I think maybe there's also a bit of confusion on the bubble, the lalas in living memory, etc.

I think the timeline for the 12th was described as follows:

12th:
start -> lalas arrive, bring arcana to the 12th -> electrope found -> Alexandria vs Lindblum -> calamity of lightning -> Alexandria escapes rejoining by being in a electrope bubble -> Alexandria researches inter-dimensional fusion

Source
start -> bunch of calamities, including the 2nd one which is lightning from 12th rejoining the source -> bunch more time passes -> 5th calamity is ice, lalas from alolo escape using the key -> bunch more time passes


Then the timelines align afterwards:
Krile's parents send the key back to the source in opposition to Alexandria's plans to siphon Aether from other worlds -> Zoraal Ja brings the key back, Alexandria's bubble is able to merge with the source -> the top part of Alexandria's bubble is Living memory, and remains in where ever Alexandria was safe, this may be what's left of the 12th or some other interdimensional space


So in the timeline, what's intertwined or unclear is the Alolo lalas, it seems like the order of events is reversed between their arrival in the 12th and the rejoining.

It's hinted with Azem's Orobos theme, and Azems symbol on the key, and how the key is like a miniature crystal tower, that there may be some time loop shenanigans happening.

A few things that are unclear are:
1. when a shard is rejoined, does some husk exist? Does Living Memory exist in this husk?
2. if it's possible to go back in time to a previous version of the shard before a rejoining happens like the Alolo lalas may have done with the key, what are the consequences of this and what was Azem doing? Was Azem like some time traveling planeswalker?
3. Was this all to open up the possibility of us visiting rejoined shards?

Now of course as we learn more maybe there will be some more wrenches thrown in. The 12th vs 11th is interesting, Sphenes world being actually the 11th and affected by the neighboring 12th would be a nice twist.
About that
Living Memory isn't in an interdimensional space since we see the sun shining on it during the end. Which also means it's no longer so lightning aspected.

The Aloalo Lalas most likely didn't go to the 12th, they went to whatever shard Alexandria was in. Cleretic already summed it up in this post https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...=1#post6518280