CG Midlander

[NoloeTazier]

While I haven't had time to go through all the cutscenes for primary evidence, I'd like to point out that a couple of theories in this thread contradict.

Specifically, the star shower at the end of the starting city plotlines cannot mark the moment that the primals escape from Silvertear lake if either of the following theories are also true.

1) The echo begins when the primals escape. I can't see any way this idea isn't true. But if so, then 4 members of the circle of knowing, all possessing the echo, had time to travel to Eorzea after gaining this power. Whether they were chosen to join the circle because they had the echo, or the circle can somehow GIVE people the echo, they had it and knew something about it before the main city questline begins.

2) Ascilia is Menfilia. Menfilia is said to have survived the imperial attack on Mor Dhona. If so, then she couldn't also be crying in an Ul'dahn crypt at the same time.

The simplest resolution is to assume that the star shower in the main questlines is either different from the release of the primals (perhaps a vision of the future triggered by an unrelated celestial event) or else it is an echo vision of the explosion at Silvertear Lake, which happened in the past.

One way or another, that last starshower does not mark the Battle of Silvertear skies on the timeline.

1.) The Circle of Knowing knows of the Echo but they do not possess the power. They're in the Circle of Knowing because they're said to be reincarnations of the Twelve, the Archons. Minfilia tells us that 10 years ago the Echo began to appear in mass, same time as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The Echo could have came from the Primals being released, it could be a power that was brought out when the aether was disturbed, it could be the call of the Mother Crystal ("Heed the Crystals Call," could literally be a hint they give us).

2.) First time I've heard of Minfilia surviving an imperial attack in Mor Dhona. If you've read what I posted you will know how everything lines up. Ascilia comes to Ul'dah with her father Warburton shortly after Ala Mhigo falls. We arrive in Ul'dah and step off the chocobo carriage and see the Event (the starshower) during this, everything around us changes. Somehow Grinfarr and the Lala Twins are on the same caravan, Ascilia and her father appear, and Thancred walks away with 2 women. Also Ul'dah is currently celebrating and having a festival. During our ride in, none of this was going on. People were bartering in the stalls and there wasn't so much of a commotion. Simple to say we are in an Echo and everything we experience at the time is an Echo. The whoosh noises we hear during these quests are Echo jumps, we are Echo jumping inside an Echo. At the conclusion of the quests we see a more in-depth starshower and noises ring in our head and we pass out.

Now prior to the crypt scene, spoilers aside, we bump into Minfilia and she says things along the line of she's surprised to see us here. Clearly meaning she's met us before, but we have not met her? There's a reason why their names are similar, same reason Ul'dah and Sil'dih are similar. This is how the world operates. Not only does a name change take place, but in each story there's a name change. Krimm, Ascilia, Sthalman (think that's it, typing this hastily and too lazy to look for the real spelling).

As for the last starshower I can't tell you what it is, but I believe it's a vague premonition for the 7th Verse of Mezaya Thousand Eye's The Divine Chronicles. In Tanaka's story and in Yoshi's story this vague disaster could mean anything and in Yoshi's story it's Dalamud and Bahamut.

Ne'er till land consumes sun can sea bear moons.
Heavens spew crimson flame, hells seep black dooms.
Stray seeds quicken in ash's grey embrace.
Valiant blades forged under the Twelve's good grace.

It's the heaven's spewing crimson flame and it has everything to do with our Echo, as does the first starshower.

When I came up with the theory of Ascilia == Minfilia, I worked very hard on it. I watched every Cutscene hundreds of times and read every line of npc dialogue even more times, looking for those subtle meanings. The conclusion I came up with was that, Ascilia grows up to be Minfilia. Catapult was able to come up with the same conclusion of Krimm growing up and being the Hermit.

[Catapult]

1.) The Circle of Knowing knows of the Echo but they do not possess the power. They're in the Circle of Knowing because they're said to be reincarnations of the Twelve, the Archons. Minfilia tells us that 10 years ago the Echo began to appear in mass, same time as the Battle of Silvertear Skies. The Echo could have came from the Primals being released, it could be a power that was brought out when the aether was disturbed, it could be the call of the Mother Crystal ("Heed the Crystals Call," could literally be a hint they give us).

First, claiming that the Archons are reincarnations of the Twelve is drawing quite a long bow. Are you believing everything that an egg-hatted girl told you? How she interprets her dream is not necessarily reality. And what a wierd and funky dream it was...

Second, saying that the Archons don't have the echo? Well, they ultimately do, but one could argue that the second starshower we see (ie: the one ten years ago in our echo) is when Thancred & co. got it. You could then apply that argument to say that people like E-Sumi-Yan must also now have it and that is how Ascilia and Krimm got it, but I digress.

In the opening video, there is a bit of a pause between the seal being released and the starshower. There is also a short pause between our own awakening (Hear, Feel, Think) and the associated starshower. Now we could argue (and I am making quite the hypothesis here) that the reason we are able to echo-in-an-echo later on is because at that very moment, Midgardsomr has just broken the seal and the echo is awoken in the ten-years-ago time setting. Which in turn makes Thancred say "That was YOU, but that would mean..." meaning, yes, the echo has just woken, so enjoy your starshower, pretty boy, and the echo that comes with it.

[NoloeTazier]

First, claiming that the Archons are reincarnations of the Twelve is drawing quite a long bow. Are you believing everything that an egg-hatted girl told you? How she interprets her dream is not necessarily reality. And what a wierd and funky dream it was...

Second, saying that the Archons don't have the echo? Well, they ultimately do, but one could argue that the second starshower we see (ie: the one ten years ago in our echo) is when Thancred & co. got it. You could then apply that argument to say that people like E-Sumi-Yan must also now have it and that is how Ascilia and Krimm got it, but I digress.

In the opening video, there is a bit of a pause between the seal being released and the starshower. There is also a short pause between our own awakening (Hear, Feel, Think) and the associated starshower. Now we could argue (and I am making quite the hypothesis here) that the reason we are able to echo-in-an-echo later on is because at that very moment, Midgardsomr has just broken the seal and the echo is awoken in the ten-years-ago time setting. Which in turn makes Thancred say "That was YOU, but that would mean..." meaning, yes, the echo has just woken, so enjoy your starshower, pretty boy, and the echo that comes with it.

I said

They're in the Circle of Knowing because they're said to be reincarnations of the Twelve, the Archons.

Didn't say I believed they were. As for the Archons having the Echo I still don't think they do. They have the knowledge of the Echo but that's because they're suppose to. Wouldn't be the Circle of Knowing if they didn't know about these things. When Thancred says "The Echo...but that means," the Echo knowledge is there in history, clearly not the first time the powers have been awakened. I just don't believe the Archons have the Echo, they're magical and have ways of knowing things but I don't think the Voice would have chosen them.

No, I'm pretty sure you had it right in your timeline. It begins with the First Umbral Era because that was the turbulence that marked the end of the reign of gods. The next era was the First Astral Era because it was the first era that belonged to man. That's how I always understood it, at any rate.

See the reason why I got confused by it all because the "official" FFXIV Storyline started with the Twelve in Eorzea, the wandering tribes come, the Twelve bless the tribes and thus it was the First Astral. But for the Eras to work, I had to change them around. Giving the "first era" the Time of the Twelve era.

I had been wondering if Umbral Eras are really short. Like, perhaps they end as soon as the disaster ends. In other words, I'm wondering if it'll even still be considered Umbral in 1577 or if just the destruction was considered the Umbral Age and we'll already be past that. Seems kind of short to be an "era" though. Perhaps it lasts until the water completely recedes, which in this case would be the defeat of Bahamut.

Yeah this one confused me as well. The Grand Companies (not the ones we know of today) came together at the end of the Fifth Astral because they knew the Sixth Umbral was coming. We don't have a the Lore to know when the Ice of the Fifth Umbral melted away after forming. But it had to last relatively long considering animals were able to walk across the oceans with the Miqo tribes right behind them. Did the people of the Fifth Astral Era live the entire time with the Ice, then the Ice melted and gave way to Flooding?

Also along with the time thing, it's really confusing. 1500 years ago (it's 1572) the Sixth Umbral flooding happened, which would make it 72 Sixth Era. Hopefully Ferne can explain to us how the Eras change.

[HiirNoivl]

That seems correct. The Alpha text in the video of the quest that was revealed referred to those who lost their lives in the Seventh Umbral Era, meaning that the era was already over.

[Soukyuu]

That seems correct. The Alpha text in the video of the quest that was revealed referred to those who lost their lives in the Seventh Umbral Era, meaning that the era was already over.

Yeah, that's something that confused me. Calling a "disaster" an "era" seems kinda off... When I think of an "era" I think of a pretty long period of time

[HiirNoivl]

Same /tenchar

[Warlock]

I have come up with a new theory in what happens at the ending of "End of an Era" Trailer ...we see the hyur WAR,elzen BLM,mi'qote BRD,lalafell WHM and roegadyn PLD been frozen in time ...right before the Megaflare...what we don't see is what happens with usas Fernehalwes stated in the lore bomb post these guys are not a direct representation of us the player adventurer in other words they are not placeholders ..we didn't meet with them simply because the world is too big or something...so what if the white light at the end of the trailer involves the actual us? Its not the first time SE allow us to deflect Godlike power ...Chains of Promathia did it in FF11
we stopped an attack from the god Promathia with the help of Altana ..so what if we do the same here? wouldn't it be awesome if we pull off a "specto patronus" kinda move to deflect the megaflare? Gotta remember the closest friendship Lousoix had was with us not the party in the CGI thus his final smile? idk what you guys think?


EDIT I just read in a thread someone saying Yoshi-P at some point said Odin was once a man and that he is connected with the Allagan Empire..so that put me to thinking..what if Odin is the sleeping Allagan King himself who is awoken by the Bahamut incident? and Odin makes the Crystal Tower come out the ground right as Bahamut is ready to throw that megaflare...would explain that horse noise at the end of the trailer.. thoughts?

[Bowen]

I would really appreciate some clarification on how the eras actually work...

(* Turns on the Fern signal *)