The Masked Mage

[Jinketsu]

I'm not sure if it was the beta programming or what, but we do think we saw a shadow under him...

Forgive my uneducated guess here, but are we sure "shadow" is literal? It would seem that from the depiction of Ascians in 1.x, they're complete demons that, while rarely seen, are apparently seen enough to strike more fear into people's hearts than Bahamut himself. These Ascians in ARR are more human-like in nature. Perhaps their 'non-shadow' description is more to say that they're not quite true Ascians? That they're having to overcome a trial or something in order to "evolve" into or something.

In any case, I just don't feel like "shadowless" should be considered literal, or have to do with their actual shadow on the ground. Correct me if I'm wrong, please. I don't have as much knowledge on the matter ^^

[NoloeTazier]

Forgive my uneducated guess here, but are we sure "shadow" is literal? It would seem that from the depiction of Ascians in 1.x, they're complete demons that, while rarely seen, are apparently seen enough to strike more fear into people's hearts than Bahamut himself. These Ascians in ARR are more human-like in nature. Perhaps their 'non-shadow' description is more to say that they're not quite true Ascians? That they're having to overcome a trial or something in order to "evolve" into or something.

In any case, I just don't feel like "shadowless" should be considered literal, or have to do with their actual shadow on the ground. Correct me if I'm wrong, please. I don't have as much knowledge on the matter ^^

Travanchest in 1.0 was an Elezen without a shadow. He was an Ascian or is at least associated with them and we were told my Ferne to watch out for "Shadowless" people in Cutscenes. Which prompted us Loremongers to go back and check, but as far as I know we never found any other Shadowless characters.

As I've stated in a few threads now, I feel Paragons and Ascians are the same thing but also different. Paragons are "human" (such as Travanchest being an Elezen) and the Ascians are the Grim Reaper-like monsters, who the Beastmen are afraid of -- after all the Paragons taught them to summon the Primals and they clearly weren't scared of them as compared to the Ascians. So in terms of hierarchy I think I'd say it goes Paragons on top with Ascians under them. Both of which are probably from the Void and working for the same goal. Though the Paragons gave the Beastmen the power to summon their Primal and destabilize the aether flow..but when the Ascian appears (Future's Prefect I think was the quest?) it doesn't really seem to have any ultimate goal, cept for maybe to scare the Beastmen there meeting for a common ground with the Path of the Twelve..scaring them into wanting to use their Primal's power maybe? Which resulted in hoarding the Crystals instead of trading them.