[Vyuru]

Well, IS ToAU really "done"? The way that SE left the end of the ToAU missions seems to leave it rather open to come back to and fiddle around with avatars.

Unless.....

It would be interesting if the Far East that is always at war with Aht Urhgan is a land of summoners, or something similar, while Aht Urhgan is a land that went the science route. It could be there was something more to Aht Urhgan's biological experiments, but it could also be there wasn't.

The reason that came to mind was remembering SE's responses on inventory. "No, no more increases in inventory, it's maxed out due to PS2 limitations!" and then, "Oh, but we can add new inventory in chunks of 80, enjoy your Mog Locker/Satchel"

Makes me wonder if when SE says a certain expansion is done, if it is really done.

Also, whatever happened to the Phoenix? My memory is a bit hazy on that. Especially when that kid started flying with fiery wings.

[Ziero]

SE never said they couldn't add more storage space, they just said they can only add so much inventory. Since the system works on blocks of 80, they can add as many new storage systems as they want, but direct inventory will never go past 80 spaces.

And yes, ToAU is done. PW and Mythics were the last things that were going to be added to ToAU's content. It's why they really haven't touched ToAU in about a year and a half.

On topic, my guess is that the new equipment and non-white glowy weapons come from WotG's endgame event. Possibly something relating to Zhavl S or something. I'm hoping it's more of a customization system where you can pick which piece looks best while choosing some of your own Augments, but it probably won't be as awesome as that.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

p.s. there's also that little fact that SE said the next two Avatars wouldn't actually be traditional Avatars, but a new type of being all together. Guess who fits into that description and who doesn't.

Whatever floats your boat. SE has said varying things about these new avatars in the two years they've been promising them.

Also, I can't lay sarcasm on any thicker than I already have, try to see it where it is instead of taking everything I say seriously and think in too literal terms.

That aside, Odin and Alexander are technically in a class of their own - Awakened.

If contracted in the physical world, they require a physical host to possess. This makes them Awakened.
If contracted in the Avatar Realm, they must sleep. This would make them Celestials and complete the 8.

If Atomos is one of his own kind, though, what is the other of his kind? And where is the crystal for either? All avatars have one, be it a protocrystal or mothercrystal.

And since Phoenix is classified as Terrestrial, she cannot be the same class as Atomos.

[Armando]

All avatars have one, be it a protocrystal or mothercrystal.

I've never touched SMN so I don't know about its backstory, but since when do terrestrials have corresponding mothercrystals?

[Ziero]

Odin and Alexander are Celestial Avatars. Nothing more, nothing less. Awakened, asleep, they're still Celestial Avatars. And SE said what we would be getting would be something that's not even an Avatar at all (which Atomos is not), but an entirely new class of summonable creatures. Much like the Elemental Spirits Summoners have access to aren't Avatars, neither will these next two be Avatars.

Also, Avatars do not need crystals, only the Celestial ones have them because it is where they slumber. Terrestrials have lairs and domains, places where their spirits can be found. Fenrir in Full Moon Fountain, Diabolos in the Shrouded Maw, Carbuncle in La Thiene, these sleeping Terrestrials are capable of giving us their power just like the sleeping Celestials. But Bahamut, who much like Odin and Alexander, is fully awakened and not giving anyone else their power. Why do they need to grant other people their power unless those people are being used to further their own goals? We can sway the minds of the six elementals, but Odin and Alex are fully awakened and set in their ways.

But Atomos, he's just a tool right now, one anyone can potentially have access to.

edit: and how in the hell did Phoenix get involved in this?

[Yellow Mage]

Originally Posted by Ziero

Odin and Alexander are Celestial Avatars. Nothing more, nothing less. Awakened, asleep, they're still Celestial Avatars.

Following you so far.

Originally Posted by Ziero

And SE said what we would be getting would be something that's not even an Avatar at all (which Atomos is not), but an entirely new class of summonable creatures. Much like the Elemental Spirits Summoners have access to aren't Avatars, neither will these next two be Avatars.

Wait wait wait wait wait. What?

It's apparent that you don't listen to Pet Food Alpha, because one thing that they just love to constantly harp about is how S-E clearly mentioned Summoner getting "new avatarSSSSSZZZ." And to be fair, that wasn't exactly a forgettable distinction.

I just couldn't follow anything you said after that. Hint: I'm posting from a school computer right now, just to tell you how out of left field that was.

[Vyuru]

If contracted in the physical world, they require a physical host to possess. This makes them Awakened.

If that is the case, why couldn't SE release awakened avatars for players?

Ziero makes some arguments for why we can't have Odin or Alexander, but I have to ask why not?

Odin: Grants you his power to create more conflict and strife.

Alexander: Grants you his power to combat the forces of Odin, and well, just about everything else.

Now I'm not saying that Alexander and Odin have to be the next two avatars, but I don't think your reasoning is sound. Demons are abundant in the northlands, and we have learned that they are Odin's creations. Imps are running rampant in Aht Urhgan. Undead seem to be implied to have something to do with Odin as well with the Ephramadian Shades, which makes me wonder about Fomor and other forms of undead. So it seems to me that there are plenty of Odin's forces for Alexander to combat through you, and if you happen to kill anyone else extra well then, that just gets us that much closer to a perfect order. Odin would probably have as much fun beating on beastmen as any of the other various races.

Alexander now... You mentioned earlier that

He wants perfect order and the only way to do that is to destroy anything that can disrupt that order (i.e. life).

I don't recall that from the ToAU mission line. I do remember Alexander mouthing off about worshiping him, tremble before him, something about not trembling enough, those who do not worship shall be judged. I didn't get the impression he wanted perfect order there.

edit: and how in the hell did Phoenix get involved in this?

'cause I asked where the Phoenix lies in all of this, I'm still not totally clear on what happened to her.

[hexx]

Phoenix's last bit of power was used to temporarily stop Bahamut after the Airship fight in CoP. Bahamut was summoned by Nag'Molada and was about to fire off a Mega Flare when Tenzen pulled out his GK and fired off what was left of Phoenix's energy at Bahamut. She pretty much sacrificed herself to buy the player and the rest of the characters more time to do what she felt needed to be done to stop Promathia without destroying the world and its inhabitants.

As far as Atomos, honestly to me he seems like the most likely candidate since A) his potential avatar model already exists in the form of the Maw in the past (has that funky outline and everything), B) his abilities have already been displayed in battle (i.e. one of the last fights in WoTG that you can do), C) Odin and Alexander just arent practical when it comes to summoning them seeing how they are too big and ungainly to be summoned into and dismissed from battle. Thats my opinion though.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Originally Posted by Armando

I've never touched SMN so I don't know about its backstory, but since when do terrestrials have corresponding mothercrystals?

It was explained in CoPs along the Quests that directly involved Tenzen. They don't have power within these crystals, they try to maintain power over these crystals to protect them from being connected by the Zilart, otherwise they can be used to open the gate to paradise, the celestials awaken, the world falls into chaos and terrestrials become nothing but mere animals to them.

However, the battle between Zilart and the wyrms has two consequences: Al'Taieu's defense system transfers the city to the dimension of Lumoria. The mothercrystal becomes separated and falls into the sea. Bahamut was the protector of Al'Taieu's mothercrystal and the Zilart princes were trying to open the gates to to paradise.

But the Zilart princes never knew that Al'Taieu had to be connected to its mothercrystal for the gods to awaken and for the mothercrystals to rejoin as one, the two princes just thought if they opened the gate of the gods the rest would take care of itself. They opened the gate of the gods, but since Bahamut saw to it that Tu'Lia could never again align with Al'Taieu to connect to its mothercrystal, the celestials cannot awaken proper to the designs of Paradise.

Selh'teus later comes along and finds a way to infect the Crystal Line and mothercrystals with emptiness, which Bahamut fears will reveal the way things are presently connected, so he just sets out to wipe out every sentient being to ensure this doesn't happen. The other Fenrir and Diabolos are too concerned with their own obligations to get involved - Fenrir has Mindarta to watch over, Diabolos has Dynamis and Pso'xja to watch over. Phoenix is dead and so its on Carbuncle to make sure we do get involved, particularly since he never likes to do the dirty work anyway.

[Vyuru]

Phoenix's last bit of power was used to temporarily stop Bahamut after the Airship fight in CoP. Bahamut was summoned by Nag'Molada and was about to fire off a Mega Flare when Tenzen pulled out his GK and fired off what was left of Phoenix's energy at Bahamut. She pretty much sacrificed herself to buy the player and the rest of the characters more time to do what she felt needed to be done to stop Promathia without destroying the world and its inhabitants.

That much I understand. It's afterwards I don't quite understand. I seem to recall that she went to the Mothercrystal. Selh'teus or whatever his name is, made some mention about the Phoenix. Then the big fight starts and Selh'teus has a fiery wing. I also seem to recall Tenzen making some mention about returning to rebuild his homeland and to work on reviving the Phoenix.

So I'm not quite sure where the Phoenix is at this point.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Just pointing this out - Nag'molada betrayed Bahamut by trying to get him trapped by the Zilart, thus leading Bahamut that his Kuluu allies were no longer worth trusting. Bahamut's attack on the Airship had nothing to do with Nag'molada, they were no longer allied at that point.

Nag'molada's whole motive in all of this was to regain the whisper of the soul and become a Zilart again. He also genuinely wanted to know the fate of Al'Taieu, but felt it was part of the puzzle to restoring the whisper.

[Feba]

I just want to interject while there's a lot of talk about crystals, did SE ever explain what the hell is up with Tele-Altep and Tele-Yhoat? This has bugged me for a very long time.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Originally Posted by Feba

I just want to interject while there's a lot of talk about crystals, did SE ever explain what the hell is up with Tele-Altep and Tele-Yhoat? This has bugged me for a very long time.

Teleport functions and mother crystals aren't mutally exclusive, see also Meriphataud (S) and Jugner Forest (S). The ones at the crags were originally manufactured by the Zilart, but humanity figured out how to make their own to suit their needs at key points of exploration. The one in the northlands could only have been placed by humans since it would really make more sense to place it near Fei'yin.

[hexx]

Originally Posted by Omgwtfbbqkitten

Just pointing this out - Nag'molada betrayed Bahamut by trying to get him trapped by the Zilart, thus leading Bahamut that his Kuluu allies were no longer worth trusting. Bahamut's attack on the Airship had nothing to do with Nag'molada, they were no longer allied at that point.

Nag'molada's whole motive in all of this was to regain the whisper of the soul and become a Zilart again. He also genuinely wanted to know the fate of Al'Taieu, but felt it was part of the puzzle to restoring the whisper.

Right, but at the end of the Airship fight, he sings part of the "Lay of the Immortals" which summons Bahamut to their location.

As far as Tenzen goes, he had explained earlier in the storyline that his sword was infused with the power of the Phoenix at the cost of multiple human sacrifices, so it may mean that we have not heard the last of Phoenix (if and when they release an expansion to the far east, which i doubt).

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Originally Posted by hexx

Right, but at the end of the Airship fight, he sings part of the "Lay of the Immortals" which summons Bahamut to their location.

Yeah, to confirm the mothercrystal was near and try to eliminate his obstacles at the same time. Nag'molada was never one to do the dirty work himself. Bahamut would be just as pissed that we got close to the crystal as Nag'molada.

Everyone exists to be used by Nag'molada to suit his own ends. He's a Revolver Ocelot - better to use everybody if they can reach your goals for you.. So long as you're useful to him, you get to live.