Where do you think the msq is headed? Spoilers a thoerycrafting

[sindriiisgaming]

So in dawntrial a few new artifacts were discovered, one being the key which was created by azem and one being spheres crown. Now there was a very interesting lore video by lore lines that questioned if the crown was infact actually a crown or a broken piece of azems mask.

I'm not saying "yes" definitely it's azems mask, but it certainly looks like * a mask * not a crown. Sphene at one point was also regarded as "possessing a regulator" but as an endless she has no use for one, not only that but sphene died before they and solution nine were ever created. So what is the regulator she had(has)? Perhaps it's the crown itself, another Creaton of azem maybe? Maybe the regulators were backwards engineered from the crown? We know azems true power is the ability to connect people and bring them together, he specialised in magics and concepts that brought people together who were separated.

So how does this tie into the key. Well, it may have been created to rejoin the shards together through interdimensional travel, but why would azem the ancient create this? One possibility is that azem did it for after the final days. During the msq and some of the online tales, were told to just assume azem wasn't doing much. That he was just enjoying his last remaining time before the suffering accepting his fate. Doesn't sound very azem does it? Infact even hades was deeply heartbroken that azem "abandoned" then... so why would the hero of the hour do this? After all this is the same soul who risked the lives of himself and his comrades for some stinking grapes... Unless; he knew the sundering was going to work out alright.

During the wols time in elpis a co vengeance of events happens and many ascians meet somebody they think is a concept of azem, During the pandaemonium raid series a line is delivered from elidibus that says "azem is aware of your presence here" as he seemingly doesn't care whatsoever. Honestly msq really has painted this guy as sort of a jerk. But if azem knew that by your presence you would avert the final days permanently that it makes sense why he didn't act. After all you could only be back In elpis a second time is you triumphed against the endsinger. So then what was he doing?

Well perhaps he created this key to be of aid to us in future, if the shards couldn't be rejoined (something neither you, hydaelyn and probably even azem himself don't want) then maybe this key was his way of letting us explore these shards
Its an azems job to explore the world, document its mysterious cultures and report it back to the higher-ups. But it's more than a job, it's part of who an azem is and what makes them such a suitable candidate for the role. Its also our wol's legacy.

So with this information. What do you think is going to happen with msq? Do you think azem will wind up getting a villian arc that so many are asking for? Or might ultima make her return like pandemonium foreshadowed? What could be the promised importance of the crown? And most importantly... WHEN IS ZENOS COMMING BACK

[Mecia]

The crown and key are very likely the next MSQ direction but im more interested in Ultima and Meracydia. I want more of what P12S was aesthetically.

[Jeeqbit]

I feel like I'd remember if there was a lore bomb about something being made by Azem...

The keys to the gate were made by Sharlayan, as was the lock.

The key to the portal inside that, I've no idea, but it was possessed by the people of the south sea isles. I remember nothing like Azem's symbol on it so I revisited all the cutscenes of it and there is nothing Azem-related on it at all. The lid could look similar but I think it is just meant to be a lid. The Azem symbol is just a circle after all and lots of things are a circle, such as lids...

I think it's a giant stretch to suggest a crown that is obviously just meant to be a crown is somehow a mask. It looks nothing like a "piece of a mask". It looks like just part of her attire really.

As for Azem, Yoshi-P said they would be doing exactly the sort of stuff we're doing. So fishing, crafting and making millions of useless gil and AFKing in their version of limsa with something that shows off what they've done like a title or ultimate weapon.

[EusisLandale]

I remember nothing like Azem's symbol on it so I revisited all the cutscenes of it and there is nothing Azem-related on it at all.

Quest: Dawntrail, Cutscene 2

[Carin-Eri]

Firstly, I'd say it's fair to assume that the 'key' will be closely studied by Y'shtola, and probably G'raha, since the closing dialogue indicated that "such a device is well with the Scion's field of expertise".

May also be fair to assume that some method of activating it will be discovered, though to what end remains to be seen - I mean, from what little we've seen thus far it's more a key for opening portals rather than a method of creating them itself.

And in terms of pure speculation - could we possibly come into conflict with Preservation (or the remnants of it)? We never did discover exactly how Robor and Alayla died (nor Cahciua for that matter) but we do know that Preservation were after them.

[Lady_Silvermoon]

Shard hopping and Azem and the Convocation stuff. At least that's what it looks like to me.

[BakoolJaJa]

I think tying everything to Azem is a mistake. At this point I'm hoping it's "our" mistake, as in we are assuming too much. But if not then it's the writers' mistake.

Azem is inherently ascian and everything we did inevitably ties back into the ascian storyline which we are supposed to be done with. Yes, there are in fact open plot lines related to Azem, like whatever we were, or were not doing during the Final Days. Something I remember desperately wanting to learn about back during Endwalker and later starting to think that I guess we'll just... never know.

But so what, am I supposed to assume that the writers decided to ignore this stuff back during Endwalker (when they really could have elaborated more) and are going to instead start shoving more ascian, convocation stuff into Dawntrail AFTER they kept on stating "the ascian ark is OVER, it's OVER I tell you!"

And is the end result simply going to be... us going to other reflections? Like we've done before? Whenever the story called for it? Without any keys?

Nonetheless I would hope that the key eventually leads to a wrap up of the whole First thing. Give it to Y'shtola, let her finally go back to Runar and let her stay there. Same with Thancred. They've been talking about it and searching for ways to go back since forever. Then eventually we'll need to continue with the Void, at least that's my impression. The patches did tie things up in a way that let us ignore it for an undermined period of time, but the story is clearly not "over." That said I don't think this is coming soon.

How is Meracydia going to tie into everything? Seems almost certain that it should be the next destination expansion wise. But why are we going to go there? Was it the Allagans all along? Alisaie was right? Idk. Judging by some of the last interviews, CBU3 also aren't exactly done with where the story is going, so it's no wonder things are still so open.

[RaideDuku]

I think that Preservation will play a role somehow. They keep being brought up, but not like they're a past thing. Another idea is that it's hinted that Sphene managed to fire off the key a bit during the final battle, and it might have affected other reflections. Given that time's constantly in flux between shards, what if one got messed up bad, rebuilt, figured out what happened, pinpointed the Source as the...well...source of the damage, and develop a way to cross the rift (maybe with Preservation's help), and start a war with the Source in retaliation? Eh...bit of a stretch, but an idea.

[Ryvick]

It is possible the Key can be used more reliably by Ancient Ascians and the flare up of the symbol is recognizing the WoL as near enough to a full Ascian so as to trigger it. Nothing mentions it being made by Azem so that is very much a leap.

[Khryseis_Astra]

It is possible the Key can be used more reliably by Ancient Ascians and the flare up of the symbol is recognizing the WoL as near enough to a full Ascian so as to trigger it. Nothing mentions it being made by Azem so that is very much a leap.

*nods* it definitely reacts to us, but that doesn’t necessarily mean our Ancient self made it. Also, Azem is an office of the convocation… so while the symbol of Azem was last associated with our former self, it was also associated with Venat before us. Could be she had a hand in it, especially knowing what she was planning to do… at any rate, I really hope they will explore a bit of the key’s mystery: who made it and why, exactly what it’s full capabilities are, how the Lalas ended up with it (which could take us to the South Sea Isles, just a hop away from Meracydia in time for 8.0! Please! lol). Instead of just ignore it and now we have a shiny new key (plot device) to travel between shards.

As for the mask… I remember seeing a lot of speculation before release about the Arcadion symbol looking like Altima, while Sphene’s mask and some details on her dress looked more like Pashtarot… suggesting that maybe the original Sphene was a sundered Ancient from the convocation. At any rate the Sphene we knew wasn’t the original, but Ascian or not, it’s possible that Preservation as an organization or even Living Memory itself could’ve been part of an Ascian scheme… whether to prep shards for rejoining or just an experiment to find another way of restoring their lost loved ones.

At any rate, I don’t think Sphene’s mask is related to Azem… they have no problem sticking that symbol on the key, on our crystal, even on the throne in the Crystal Tower! (Which I still don’t think I’ve ever seen an explanation for, though I have theories!) I think if Sphene was connected to Azem, we would have seen the symbol on her somewhere, rather than patterns that seem to point to another Ascian.