[Spoilers] The Device in DT msq

[TheRealQuah]

Spoilers incoming

So what's the deal with the key in the MSQ. Sphene tries to delete us, but the key shows Azem's symbol on it and doesn't work on us. Then we just keep it after.

So this is our key then? Did we use it back in ancient times. My guess is that in ancient times it was some sort of teleportation device, but in a sundered world it's so powerful it lets you go to alternate shards instead.

Is this certainly going to be a plot point going forward. Will the cosmic exploration side content be visiting other shards, rather than planets in the source universe.

[Cleretic]

I'm reticent to put forward any proper theories, in part because the questions being raised feel far more interesting if they're not the easy answers.

I don't think the key makes sense to be an Ancient creation, for simple reason that the shards and the Ancients by nature didn't exist simultaneously. The key would've logically done absolute crap-all in the Ancient world; if it was intended for terrestrial transit and just got jacked the hell up by the sundering somehow, then it wouldn't have even been useful because they already have aetherytes (and unlike present-day people, everyone seems readily able to use them). However, it would make absolute sense that the key to travel between worlds would invoke a person with the actual title of 'the traveler'.

That implies that someone post-Sundering knew who Azem was enough to invoke their title and history--which itself would be interesting, because everything we've been told suggests that the knowledge of Amaurot was lost to vague dreams near-immediately. The key itself doesn't resemble any of the works of civilizations we've met; it's closest to Amaurot, but only in that they're the guys that tended to do a fair amount of twists and spirals. Even that's not quite right; compare the key and its internal crystal to the closest comparison we have, Elpis' aetherytes, and you'll see that the key is entirely different. The key twists in its structure, while the Ancients only have spiraling ornamentations.

So yeah, my best theory on this is that we don't have the answer right now. And I find that far more interesting than the notion that we already do.

[jadeharley]

Spoilers incoming

Sphene tries to delete us, but the key shows Azem's symbol on it and doesn't work on us.

You know, I never interpreted it like that, but that's an interesting reading that brings up even more questions.

I initially assumed it was some Azemian artifact, but there's no reason to assume the constellation wouldn't have reacted the same way to e.g. Loghrif or another alive member of the convocation. I'm excited to see what it all means!

Before release, I had a hunch that The Doohickey was of ancient origin, due to the spirally rectangular object in the center, but the black metal confused me. Given that we now know that metal is electrope, the ancient artifact within very much resembles something between Ancient aetherytes or the memory crystals housed in Anamnesis Anyder.

[Luzzu]

I feel as though we are overlooking a commonly used object throughout the plot: auracite.

To Cleretic's point, the key in all likelihood was not made by the Ancients, just as the Heart of Sabik and the Zodiac Stones weren't. It's true that if the key was used for interdimensional travel, it would've served little purpose in the unsundered world, which is why I believe that isn't its function. Interdimensional fusion and the ability to travel between shards is just something within the key's capacity to do in the sundered shards. Auracite is said to "make manifest one's most fervent desires" and given how the Milalla used it to escape a calamity, and Sphene used it to fuse a part of their shard to the Source as well as transform, its uses can vary. It is not solely a tool used for traveling, by the Traveler. In the exact same way, the Heart of Sabik never had one use-case nor has any other piece of auracite in the game, such as: white auracite to contain and destroy Ascians; the same white auracite to transfer souls to and from the First; the Zodiac Stones; the warmachina of Werlyt; even job stones.

Moreover, given how powerful we know it to be now, it could very well be that it has something to do with whatever Azem was doing during the Final Days. I have to believe that if Azem truly did defect as is claimed, what could they have felt was more important than Hydaelyn or Zodiark? What threat did Azem see looming that would overshadow everything the Ancients were capable of?

That implies that someone post-Sundering knew who Azem was enough to invoke their title and history--which itself would be interesting, because everything we've been told suggests that the knowledge of Amaurot was lost to vague dreams near-immediately.

Have we considered that the Milalla, being in possession of the key, were perhaps friends to Azem in some capacity, or venerated Azem not unlike the Xaela?

We only know they disappeared some 5,500-6,000 years ago, right? That says nothing of how long they had been around. My other thought is that maybe they were the ones who stumbled upon the ruins of Amaurot in the Source. They may have found Azem's key and learned of the Ancients there. They share some commonalities with the Ancients, such as their masks in the chamber and the title of Speaker, enough that I can't immediately dismiss they may have been exposed to each other in some way.

[kaynide]

I would say, it’s probably Ascian origin/post sundering Ascian. Possibly Allagan.. Cleretic covers it really well:

1) it is clearly Azem’s symbol shown. Doesn’t mean it is their device per se, but it clearly is recognizing something (our character or the crystal we carry, who knows). Like Cleritic says it could easily have reacted to, say, Logriff.

2) it very clearly has the Ascian spiral motifs seen in Amaurot and Elpis. Not perfect 1:1 but close enough.



But, 3) Of note, we can date the artifact to the 5th Calamity of ice. This is very specifically the calamity following the one that dropped the Allagan. So…while I hate to say it, it could have roots in Allagan tech, and the outer bits of the “chalice” do have that blue/black Allagan feel in color. Perhaps discovered between the 4th and 5th calamity by ancient Lalafel.

If I had to guess WILDLY, I would say it’s the original key to control the Crystal Tower as a dimensional teleporter. Essentially what Psuedo-Alexander was built to be in the dark future timeline.

If we remember, the Crystal tower was meant to collect solar power, so the symbol might be less of a nod to Azem and more just “the sun” in general…but it’s too on the nose I think not to be Azem.

If nothing else this sets us up to reunite with the first, as well as future jaunts into the 13th.

[Luzzu]

I would say, it’s probably Ascian origin/post sundering Ascian. Possibly Allagan.. Cleretic covers it really well:

1) it is clearly Azem’s symbol shown. Doesn’t mean it is their device per se, but it clearly is recognizing something (our character or the crystal we carry, who knows). Like Cleritic says it could easily have reacted to, say, Logriff.

2) it very clearly has the Ascian spiral motifs seen in Amaurot and Elpis. Not perfect 1:1 but close enough.



But, 3) Of note, we can date the artifact to the 5th Calamity of ice. This is very specifically the calamity following the one that dropped the Allagan. So…while I hate to say it, it could have roots in Allagan tech, and the outer bits of the “chalice” do have that blue/black Allagan feel in color. Perhaps discovered between the 4th and 5th calamity by ancient Lalafel.

If I had to guess WILDLY, I would say it’s the original key to control the Crystal Tower as a dimensional teleporter. Essentially what Psuedo-Alexander was built to be in the dark future timeline.

If we remember, the Crystal tower was meant to collect solar power, so the symbol might be less of a nod to Azem and more just “the sun” in general…but it’s too on the nose I think not to be Azem.

If nothing else this sets us up to reunite with the first, as well as future jaunts into the 13th.

All the Allagan elements of the relic you're referring to are electrope modifications added by Preservation in an attempt to stabilize interdimensional fusion. The Milalla certainly could have been inspired by Allagan tech given that their civilization was around after Allag's collapse, but the device itself has little to nothing to do with Allag.

The relic itself most closely resembles white auracite, it is a stretch to say it looks very much like anything the Ancients made. It most likely predates them as the Heart of Sabik does.

[EdwinLi]

I would say, it’s probably Ascian origin/post sundering Ascian. Possibly Allagan.. Cleretic covers it really well:

1) it is clearly Azem’s symbol shown. Doesn’t mean it is their device per se, but it clearly is recognizing something (our character or the crystal we carry, who knows). Like Cleritic says it could easily have reacted to, say, Logriff.

2) it very clearly has the Ascian spiral motifs seen in Amaurot and Elpis. Not perfect 1:1 but close enough.



But, 3) Of note, we can date the artifact to the 5th Calamity of ice. This is very specifically the calamity following the one that dropped the Allagan. So…while I hate to say it, it could have roots in Allagan tech, and the outer bits of the “chalice” do have that blue/black Allagan feel in color. Perhaps discovered between the 4th and 5th calamity by ancient Lalafel.

If I had to guess WILDLY, I would say it’s the original key to control the Crystal Tower as a dimensional teleporter. Essentially what Psuedo-Alexander was built to be in the dark future timeline.

If we remember, the Crystal tower was meant to collect solar power, so the symbol might be less of a nod to Azem and more just “the sun” in general…but it’s too on the nose I think not to be Azem.

If nothing else this sets us up to reunite with the first, as well as future jaunts into the 13th.

Personally, I think they maybe building up for the next expansion or the expansion after to focus on learning who Azem as a person was and maybe some other details about WoL we never got the chance to learn about as a way to show us how similar and yet different Azem and WoL are.

The story has always emphasis greatly that all lands we go to currently are not where the WoL is from which is why we never run into anyone who may have known WoL before they began their adventure in 1.0 or 2.0 based on if you're Legacy or not.

If one expansion ends up being about going to WoL's actual home while also learning more about Azem then a slow build up with aspect of what may have been once Azem's own things would be ideal so they do not rush this build up.

[Kesey]

Even though this has Azem's symbol, I don't think we should rule out this wasn't brought forth by one of the remaining Ascians.

Which one and the purpose, isn't really apparent. But the idea that those remaining Ascians who, now without Zodiark, will be more like Fandaniel and have other plans--like stronger loyalty to who they were before being raised up to an Ascian.

It's not really out of the ballpark for one of them be in process of resurfacing in the narrative, have taken Azem's work, and created this key after Sundering.

[Cleretic]

Even though this has Azem's symbol, I don't think we should rule out this wasn't brought forth by one of the remaining Ascians.

Which one and the purpose, isn't really apparent. But the idea that those remaining Ascians who, now without Zodiark, will be more like Fandaniel and have other plans--like stronger loyalty to who they were before being raised up to an Ascian.

It's not really out of the ballpark for one of them be in process of resurfacing in the narrative, have taken Azem's work, and created this key after Sundering.

The problem there--and I should say it's not a 'this theory doesn't work' problem, more just something that'd have to be addressed--is that the key first turned up four thousand years ago at the earliest. So this can't be the product of a post-ARR Ascian trying to get a new project off the ground after we start offing their coworkers; this is right during their ascendancy, when as far as they're aware they've really got a solid system going. Couple that with the fact the Ascians don't need it, because they can shard-hop anyway, and this stops looking like something an Ascian would likely do.

Doesn't mean that they're off the table, it just means that if it were true, the qualifying asterisk next to 'an Ascian did it' would probably be larger than the statement itself.

[NeoZanther]

I sort of get the feeling it was Emit who made it as a means of rejoining the shards together. However, instead of rejecting like he hoped, it was a merger of two worlds, which would not do for their purposes. Thus he abandoned it on some remote island, forgetting about it and the Island Lalafell finding it at some later date. The symbol of Azem being that if you read the short stories, there is a similar concept mentioned as being designed by Azem as a means of travel. Emit could of just taken the design from memory as he did see it, and modified it but to not of the result he was hoping for.