Hey forum. This is my theory I'm looking to get some input on. Tell me if you think it makes sense, if it's the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard, or TL;DR, I don't mind. I'm just having some fun with this while I wait for ARR!

So in the trailer, we saw that the Twelve's seal failed. But how could this be? They are supposed to be Gods! If all twelve of them include their powers, then surely they could defeat Bahamut, even if he does possess both Ifrit and Garuda's strength as well. But what if not all of the Twelve actually granted their power to the seal? Just because they're Gods doesn't necessarily mean all twelve of them have pure intentions. I'll get back to this in a moment.

Many have noticed that Louisoux, an Archon, seems to represent Thaliak the Scholar. Louisoux, as well as the other Archons, also seems to know a lot about the past Umbral Eras. Is this simply because they studied them, or is it possible that they were there to actually witness and influence them? Considering the Sixth Umbral Era was said to take place 1,500 years before the game's time, that would be no small feat. However, if they are in fact Gods, then living for such a length of time would be plausible.

In the quest 'Of Archons and Muses', Tyago Moui says this:

'Caught wind of all this Archon talk yet? Some folk make them for the very incarnations of the Twelve, come to Eorzea. Old prophecies and wives' tales say they descend from their heavenly seat whenever disaster threatens Eorzea, see.
Needless to say, many believe the Archons to have otherworldly powers - both of mind and body.'

So, though there is nothing conclusive here, we at least know that there are rumours about the Archons being incarnations of the Twelve. It is difficult to make many connections between the Archons and the Gods -- for example, Thancred is a Bard who uses knives. The closest I could link him to was Oschon, who is depicted as a carefree ranger wielding a bow. This, of course, is pretty far off from Thancred's character, however for now let us assume that these depictions are in some way incorrect, or that the Archons are attempting to hide the obvious connections.

To me, Rhalgr is the most interesting of the Twelve because of his title and symbol. He is known as the 'Breaker of Worlds' and God of Destruction. His symbol is the streaking meteor. Reminding you of Dalamud at all? At first I wondered if perhaps Darnus was Rhalgr's incarnation. He certainly wanted to cause destruction and break worlds, and was the one to order the meteor project. He is not seen without his armor on, so it is possible he also has the Archon tattoo.

However, again from the quest 'Of Archons and Muses', Tyago Moui tells us this:

'They say Ahldbhar was the mightiest of the twelve Archons. Rhalgr the Destroyer himself, taken form in Roegadyn flesh - a bloody mountain of a man, and a fearsome warrior'

Though I suppose it's possible that Darnus was a Roegadyn under that armor, and changed his name to avoid the Rhalgr connection, I think it's a lot more likely that he was actually serving Ahldbhar. Maybe Darnus didn't come up with the Dalamud project, and was just helping Ahldbhar to make it happen.

But why would one of the Twelve want to cause such destruction and death? In the game we are lead to believe that they all protect us. But, once again, we learn yet more interesting information from Tyago Moui:

'Ahldbhar fought relentlessly against a clan of wicked sorcerers that sought only to wreak havoc on the world through their dark powers. But then, something happened… Something that threw Ahldbhar into deep despair. And in the end, he turned and took up with the enemy, though none can say as to why.
What came of him after his betrayal? Well, I confess I haven't heard the end of the tale myself.'

So, what might this mean? It's possible that the 'wicked sorcerers seeking to wreak havoc' may have been those of Garlemald. Rhalgr was the Guardian of Ala Mhigo, so it makes sense that he could have been fighting relentlessly to defend them. Perhaps when Ala Mhigo was defeated, this is what threw him into despair. Or, perhaps he had already taken up with the enemy, and encouraged them to attack Ala Mhigo. It's not clear what could have happened or why, but I think this quest gives us a lot of interesting information, and some points to ponder.

And, let us not forget this line from the Seventh Verse of The Divine Chronicles: 'Divine order roils, fallen corpses writhe.' Divine order roils? Could this imply that somehow, the order between the Twelve was disrupted?

Perhaps this is why the seal could have failed -- it is possible that without all twelve, the spell could not be completed or strong enough to defeat Bahamut. What do you folks think? Could Rhalgr be the real foe?