lets analyze answers!

[Delsus]

I've been asking myself this question: are The Twelve really gods at all?

During the End of an Era trailer, when The Twelve are summoned to seal Bahamut, they DO show up, but they don't have a bodily form. They appear as symbols. What's more, their sealing "magic" looks more technological than magical (lightning bolts, cold blue colors, weird runes or "code" all over the place), and they're really not that almighty.

After seeing this, I started to wonder the following: why would The Twelve appear as symbols during the sealing unless they specifically REPRESENTED something? So far, there have been 6 astral and 6 umbral eras, so a total of 12 eras... right? And there are twelve gods. So, perhaps each of the twelve is a techonological entity that represents the most advanced civilization from each era? Each prior civilization would have probably excelled at something, and that would explain why each god represents a certain ability or trade... It would also explain the part of the lyrics. Why are we meant to die? Perhaps to become something else.

Maybe the reason for these civilizations becoming these Twelve entities is related to keeping bahamut sealed, which gives more sense to the lyrics in Answers: "look to those who came before to guide those who come after." That is, do what they did and save the world for other future civilizations.

The Archons are the mortal manifestations of the twelve, so perhaps they can only have one corporeal form, the Archons, there were only 5 Archons involved in the summoning ritual, assuming they all have an Archon their power would have been weaker when summoned than if they had 12 all Archons involved. Perhaps if they had all Archons involved in the summoning they would have disappeared and the twelve would have come in their actual forms.

We know the twelve once had corporal forms prior to the 1st Umbral era because that was the end of the time of the gods, and the beginning of the time of man, after the twelve saw men after the 1st Umbral era they knew we were worthy of the twelve's protection. Also on the summoning everything was white and very light blue which would indicate more of a holy summoning.

Finally on your theory of 12 eras one representing each of the twelve, the 6 Umbral eras are represented by each element. They are

1st Umbral era of wind
2nd Umbral era of lightning
3rd Umbral era of fire
4th Umbral era of earth
5th Umbral era of ice
6th Umbral era of water

It was because all elements had been represented the denizens of Eorzea believed there would be no more Umbral eras, until they discovered the 7th verse that told of a 7th Umbral era which would be none elemental, because Bahamut is a none elemental primal.

-Exactly, was just thinking that Tanaka's story still had Garleans invading.
-We were figuring out who the spy in Uldah was.
-Spy escapes, girl of dead father contact) was left behind.
-It just seems Tanaka's story was taking longer to flesh out than what Yoshi did, as he speed it up to get to 2.0.
-Because we were heading in the direction of going to Almihgo to go after the spy. At least it seemed that way to me.

Hmm is the fact your siggy and my wallpaper are identical coincidence?