FFXI Plot-holes and unclear issues

[Ophannus]

Is that spiral thing shown in the artwork Razkanar? It's hard to tell because it looks more asymmetrical withh a desending spiral while razkanar seems more like a building with 90degree walls and such. Also if you look at the original SoA naalual artwork mural by Amano, there are several blueish-white Wyrm things. The one in the center bottom could be Saj but isn't he north of Kamhir not south? There's another one on the left that resembles leviathan a bit and another in the east in the sea. On the top left there seems to be a black serpent and the top center looks like some kind of cobra thing.

Could also be a plot twist that the serpentine labrynth is itself the last naakual kinda how alzadaal ruins were the original body is alexander

I have a feeling the inner razkanar will be the site of the final battle as well as the area for the final dungeon crawl content like Walk of Echoes/Limbus/Nyzul Isle were.

[Priran]

Is that spiral thing shown in the artwork Razkanar? It's hard to tell because it looks more asymmetrical withh a desending spiral while razkanar seems more like a building with 90degree walls and such. Also if you look at the original SoA naalual artwork mural by Amano, there are several blueish-white Wyrm things. The one in the center bottom could be Saj but isn't he north of Kamhir not south? There's another one on the left that resembles leviathan a bit and another in the east in the sea. On the top left there seems to be a black serpent and the top center looks like some kind of cobra thing.

Could also be a plot twist that the serpentine labrynth is itself the last naakual kinda how alzadaal ruins were the original body is alexander

I have a feeling the inner razkanar will be the site of the final battle as well as the area for the final dungeon crawl content like Walk of Echoes/Limbus/Nyzul Isle were.

Spoiler: show

Black=Known Naakuals
Green=Sajj'aka
Red=Unknown but significantly represented on the map

If I'd have to guess, Xol is the one peeking in from the top between Achuka and Kumhau.

Also, the one on the right might be Darrcuiln.

The other two in red might be the other two of the triumvirate (which are ostensibly still aligned with Hades)

[Damane]

Spoiler: show

Black=Known Naakuals
Green=Sajj'aka
Red=Unknown but significantly represented on the map

If I'd have to guess, Xol is the one peeking in from the top between Achuka and Kumhau.

Also, the one on the right might be Darrcuiln.

The other two in red might be the other two of the triumvirate (which are ostensibly still aligned with Hades)

Hades will be a Demon.
Sajj'aka is a Dragon oposing Hades.

The triumvirate will consist of an Undead, Arcana and an Amorph just to close the whole eco-system. My bet is that Xol is an amporph and can take on several forms (like a shapeshifter), most likely currently as Teodor, maybe he shapeshifted also into melvien, but that doesnt make much sense if he is still faithfull to augustine.

[Seha]

Don't forget Hades being under Arciela's feet! Could be hinting at the fact that hell's mouth is actually in Rala! (Sealed by the tomb of the king and supposedely guarded by Theodore)

[Malithar]

I think thats just something they'll eventually get into.. especially if they ever explain the deal behind Melvien as well, who alludes to the notion that he was possibly being possessed by someone as old as Morimar. (it isnt likely himself because according to Grenniths diary he grew old together with Ygnas and the rest of the cool kids.

I'd assume he was possessed by Hades' with his comments towards the tiger, something like "damn beast, I'll put you down like your father" or some such. Seeing as how it's father sacrificed itself when August's group was swarmed by Hades' minions, it's what sprang to mind.

Teodor is definitely a wild card in all this. As has been said more times that I can recall, he's carrying too many "bad guy" traits to actually be a bad guy. I really, really wanted to believe that he's actually August's spirit watching over the city when in one of the CSs you see August hold up the wine glass, just like Teodor does when you first meet him. But he could just as easily be Xol, some other unrevealed character, or even Hades. Slip into the city and help guide pioneers deeper into Ulbuka to vanquish more Naakuals/open up Ra'kaznar. Who knows, but I look forward to his reveal either way.

I hope Vort steps up in some way to take a role in the story. He's always been kind of that creepy priest guy, but that one CS where it's obvious he's hiding intentions and greater plans from everyone, including Ingrid, well, it just set him up to be something big. And he's had nothing to do with the story since. :/

[Tarage]

So per the datmined stuff... has that crazy feminine looking clown demon thing been shown anywhere? I was expecting to see it during the missions but it was nowhere to be found.

[Priran]

So per the datmined stuff... has that crazy feminine looking clown demon thing been shown anywhere? I was expecting to see it during the missions but it was nowhere to be found.

No, but it is red and black and has a skull for a face.

Spoiler: show

[Malithar]

There's the (presumed) concept art of Hades as well. Whatever it is, it does share the head of whatever is below Arciela's feet. Second pic up from the bottom right.

Spoiler: show

Whenever Xol makes their appearance as the 7th Naakual and WKR, I wonder how they'll tie it in storywise. The other 6 Naakuals we just defeated indiscriminately, because well, they were in our way. But after this most recent batch of missions, you'd think Adoulin's stance would be to at least steer clear of the Naakuals. Being allied to August and possibly one of the last remaining forces standing in between Hades bursting fourth seems like a solid reason not to defeat them. Or is it already too late? Sajj'aka had the line "So you've vanquished the Naakuals" which is a bit more than just defeated or weakened. But at the end of the missions, he ensures us that Leafallia would be safe because Kumhau was in any intruders way.

With that in mind, and knowing that Xol too is on August's side (unless he was re-corrupted or something), and has a mission given to him, what reason will we have to defeat him? For the shinies? Suppose we'll see in July.

[Seha]

I have to say I really didn't like how they wrapped the end of the current missions lol. After all the reveals and Melvien's betrayal+death(as far as they know) Arciela just goes ah whatever see you around sometimes.

So anticlimactic lol.

[errantfish]

There's the (presumed) concept art of Hades as well. Whatever it is, it does share the head of whatever is below Arciela's feet. Second pic up from the bottom right.

Given what it looks like, maybe we'll finally find out what the Caturae are and where they come from.

[Damane]

Given what it looks like, maybe we'll finally find out what the Caturae are and where they come from.

does that mean hades invaded the Aybessa-Dimension too? I mean the Hades version of abyssea?

If I remember correctly SE refered to them during the abyssea time, as enemys/beeings from a different place/Dimension, noone knows where they came from.

[Priran]

I can't put into words how excited I am going to be if this storyline I've been enjoying ends up going down the path of being an excuse to try to make abyssea make sense

it's like 'fetch', SE. it's never going to happen.

[Prothescar]

Well, seeing as there's already strong evidence to suggest that Ra'Kaznar either belongs to another dimension or is a gateway to one, extradimensional beings such as Caturae and Ironclad being from the other side would make sense. Dullahan may also be a part of these extradimensional arcana.

[Priran]

the secret of inner ra'kaznar is that that's where they've been hiding the crags! silly shinryu, stealing is wrong!

[Tarage]

Well I mean, isn't the whole story of Abyssea that the end of CoP failed? Wouldn't that mean that because the main character is missing, Alex/Odin have their epic rematch and ruin the east, and likewise Adoulin goes to hell.

It would explain why random monsters from other continents are playing in the middle.

Also if Odin is to blame for all this I swear to god...

[Ophannus]

We will probably fight sajjaka. SE said they'd planned on introducing a holy wyrm(unless they meant provenance watcher) and other elemental wyrms (was about 3-4yrs ago they said that tthough. Need more light based NMs anyway and besides with RUN and 8 elements being a theme of SOA I cant see how we wont eventually have to face a light based NM. He'll either betray us or become corrupted. Would be cool to have an all dragon delve with him being the last one but he's not a naakual so he will probably be a mission fight which is a shame.

[Priran]

Well I mean, isn't the whole story of Abyssea that the end of CoP failed? Wouldn't that mean that because the main character is missing, Alex/Odin have their epic rematch and ruin the east, and likewise Adoulin goes to hell.

It would explain why random monsters from other continents are playing in the middle.

Also if Odin is to blame for all this I swear to god...

caturae just getting loose because the player isn't there to stop hades doesn't explain why caturae seal off the empyreal paradox. it also doesn't really explain why they play such a big role in Provenance, which I always interpreted as some kind of hint that caturae were creations of Altana. I hope that was just a lazy early render based on the caturae model and SE isn't going down that route, because they might as well be trying to tie in A Crystalline Prophecy.

[Ophannus]

Is Odin really the dark divinity? Could it be hades? Odin comes from Valhalla and has undead Valkyries as his servants. Hades making an evil pact seems more appropriate(being satanic/hadean). Also it was never stated anywhere in the lore where a demons came from. Demons are not beastmen nor are they natural fauna of vanadiel. Doesn't make sense they'd hail from odin's realm of Valhalla since that's a realm of noble/brave warriors. I don't even ever think it was stated that Odin was "evil" he is aligned with dark element but he isn't really an "elemental avatar" he isn't shrouded with dark energy or shoot dark beams/clouds really. Even his 2hr is physical/non-elemental. I wonder if Hades is the real avatar of darkness.

Just doesn't make much sense for Odin to be in charge of the kindred/imps/gargoilles/taurii. Those seem more hellish than Odin. Maybe hades can give people powers and posses them too like Melvian, so stands to reason he could have done it for Raogrimm too and gave him an army of kindred as well. In retrospect, giving someone an army of kindred isnt really odin's style and shadow lord looks more demonic than valkyerian.

[Damane]

Is Odin really the dark divinity? Could it be hades? Odin comes from Valhalla and has undead Valkyries as his servants. Hades making an evil pact seems more appropriate(being satanic/hadean). Also it was never stated anywhere in the lore where a demons came from. Demons are not beastmen nor are they natural fauna of vanadiel. Doesn't make sense they'd hail from odin's realm of Valhalla since that's a realm of noble/brave warriors. I don't even ever think it was stated that Odin was "evil" he is aligned with dark element but he isn't really an "elemental avatar" he isn't shrouded with dark energy or shoot dark beams/clouds really. Even his 2hr is physical/non-elemental. I wonder if Hades is the real avatar of darkness.

Just doesn't make much sense for Odin to be in charge of the kindred/imps/gargoilles/taurii. Those seem more hellish than Odin. Maybe hades can give people powers and posses them too like Melvian, so stands to reason he could have done it for Raogrimm too and gave him an army of kindred as well. In retrospect, giving someone an army of kindred isnt really odin's style and shadow lord looks more demonic than valkyerian.

the shadowlord made a pact with odin, luzaf made a pact with odin, heck the whole wotg builds around a pact of lilisettes father with odin. Odin is the dark divinity/Avatar

Hades might be the counterpart to Altana. Many people assumed Promathia is, but Promathia is the "father" of vanadiels childs and altana the mother. Hades is probably to complete counterpart to Altana and not a divinity/avatar, but most likely a god like Altana from another plane/dimension.
Hades isnt tied to demons at all, for all we know only the umbrils are his minions (and maybe the cutarea). Imps/Demons/etc are Odins minion (especially imps).

Dont compare the Valhalla from real myth in our world with Odin in FFXI. The avatars might be named after goddess/myth from our world, but they definitly dont follow the same pattern/rule/behaviour.

[Priran]

Is Odin really the dark divinity? Could it be hades? Odin comes from Valhalla and has undead Valkyries as his servants. Hades making an evil pact seems more appropriate(being satanic/hadean). Also it was never stated anywhere in the lore where a demons came from. Demons are not beastmen nor are they natural fauna of vanadiel. Doesn't make sense they'd hail from odin's realm of Valhalla since that's a realm of noble/brave warriors. I don't even ever think it was stated that Odin was "evil" he is aligned with dark element but he isn't really an "elemental avatar" he isn't shrouded with dark energy or shoot dark beams/clouds really. Even his 2hr is physical/non-elemental. I wonder if Hades is the real avatar of darkness.

Just doesn't make much sense for Odin to be in charge of the kindred/imps/gargoilles/taurii. Those seem more hellish than Odin. Maybe hades can give people powers and posses them too like Melvian, so stands to reason he could have done it for Raogrimm too and gave him an army of kindred as well. In retrospect, giving someone an army of kindred isnt really odin's style and shadow lord looks more demonic than valkyerian.

artwork in the latest batch of missions clearly show's hades's "army": umbrils, dullahans, and something that sorta resembles a gargouille but definitely isn't

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zaqZB6K8Zp...E/s1600/i7.jpg