Like usual, that was a great chapter. The land of Morytha was so eerie, but at the same time so freakin' cool-looking. I love apocalyptic city settings, so it was extra awesome for me. Finally seeing the inside of the World Tree was really special too, and the enemies in there were really interesting. I especially liked the motorcycle robots.
Amalthus's backstory was really messed up too, and those staring eyes will haunt my dreams for quite some time. As suspicious as Amalthus is, I really like his character. Just what is his goal?
I also took the liberty of answering some of the questions that I feel we can make a very educated guess to the what the answer could be, such as why Pyra destroyed three titans 500 years ago. I feel like it's pretty obvious at this point that she didn't intend to kill them per se, but that they were destroyed as collateral damage in the battle against Malos. If that somehow turns out to be wrong, I will of course update the answer for that chapter.
Current Theories:• I think the Divine Architect didn't cast out humanity from Elysium, because it doesn't make sense that they would later send the Titans to help them. My guess is that something probably happened to make Elysium uninhabitable, and humanity was forced to flee.
• As for who the Divine Architect is, my wild guess is... Shulk! Wouldn't that be an insane twist!? Though I did guess Shulk was involved in XCX too, and we all know how that went.
• Regarding Rex, I suspect he is a descendant of Addam, hence why he could open Addam's crest and Malos recognized his eyes.
• (Updated!) Amalthus is getting more and more interesting. I'm really curious what led to him and his mother being chased like that. And it seems he really hates the world, sort of like how Jin feels. I think he might have stolen the Aegis Cores from Elysium in order to use them to destroy the world, and that is the reason he awakened Malos. I wonder what made him change his mind though...? Because while he seems super suspicious today, it doesn't seem like he wants to destroy the entire world any more. I was right about him having stolen Fan's Core Crystal at least!
• I think Torna knows something about the world that very few other people do. The way Jin spoke about Blades embodying the very nature of the world combined with Malos's philosophical questions about whether Jin was actually there or not made me think it's gonna be something really insane. Maybe everyone is Alrest is being controlled by people up in Elysium, and they are actually just empty shells. Or maybe the Architect is actually the driver of each and every living being in Alrest, and Torna wants to break free from the Architect's control? I have no idea, but I'm having the time of my life thinking about it!
• (Updated!) At this point it seems very likely this is in fact a real sequel to the first Xenoblade Chronicles, which is completely insane. Malos using Monado arts was basically evidence in itself, but the fact that there's a ton of returning enemies from the first game as well as the fact that the game is called "XC2" makes it even more likely. Something I'm very confused about it the Land of Morytha though, since it looked very similar to a real world city. It can't be a city on Earth, since Earth was destroyed by Klaus, so maybe it's a city in the world created at the end of the first Xenoblade? Maybe hundreds of years have passed, and human civilization advanced a lot in that time?
• I also suspect that the old person we got some glimpses of is actually the Architect. What's interesting is that there seemed to be three Aegis Core symbols on the triangular machine thingy that was also shown... Could there be a third Aegis that is still in Elysium? Or Maybe Amalthus actually brought three cores with him instead of two, and he still keeps one with him?
• (Updated!) I can't help but feel like Jin isn't completely convinced of his ideals, despite all the awful things he's done so far. I was right about him changing sides partly due to something that happened to Lora, and I still think he's gonna have a change of heart eventually.
Questions for Chapter 8:Elysium and Alrest: • Why did the Divine Architect cast humanity out from Elysium?
• Why did the Architect send the Titans to help humanity after casting them out?
• Who is the Divine Architect?
• Why are the Titans suddenly going extinct?
✔ Why is Ophion guarding the World Tree? ANSWER: Tantal revived Ophion after it fell during the Aegis war, and are currently using it to prevent anyone from going to Elysium. • Why was Cole so surprised that anyone would want to go to Elysium?
• Why was Elysium empty when Amalthus explored it 500 years ago?
• Why can only an Aegis open up the path to the World Tree?
• Who is the old person we get glimpses of from time to time?
• (New!) What happened in the Land of Morytha that left it in ruins?
• (New!) Who made the World Tree and for what purpose?
Rex: ✔ Why did Malos and Jin need Rex to open the door with Addam’s Crest on it? ANSWER: Addam made sure only a Leftherian could open his crest and find the Aegis. • What did Malos mean when he said he should’ve been more wary of Rex’s eyes?
• What is the meaning of the vision of a planet Rex experienced when he touched the third Aegis sword?
Pyra: ✔ Why was Pyra sealed away in a sunken ship? ANSWER: Addam sealed her away after Malos was defeated so that no one would abuse her powers. ✔ What makes the “Aegis” so special? ANSWER: An Aegis is a Blade created from a Core Crystal from Elysium itself, and they possess amazing powers to destroy. • How could Pyra make Rex appear in her “memory simulation” after he died?
✔ Why does Pyra need to go to Elysium? ANSWER: She wanted to go there in order to ask the Architect to let her die... • Where does Pyra’s powers come from if not the ether?
✔ Why did Pyra kill three Titans 500 years ago? ANSWER: Supposedly the titans were destroyed as collateral damage in the battle against Malos. • Is Pyra’s old driver still alive somewhere?
✔ Why does Pyra get the same wounds as Rex and vice versa? ANSWER: The two halves of the Core Crystal constantly exchange information, which results in their injuries being mirrored on the other person. • Why did Mythra construct Pyra as a different self?
• What is Pyra's secret that Brighid urged her to tell Rex?
• (New!) What did Mythra want Poppi to promise her?
Torna: ✔ Why do Torna need Pyra so badly? ANSWER: They want to use her to erase humankind by letting Malos extract the data from her Core Crystal and regain his full powers. ✔ What was Jin referring to when he said he killed Rex as an act of mercy? ANSWER: He was probably referring to Torna's plan to destroy the entire world. ✔ Why does Malos want to stop Pyra from reaching Elysium? ANSWER: Since Pyra wanted to go there in order to die, he probably had to stop her because he needed to extract the data from her Core in order to regain his powers. • Why does Torna collect Core Crystals?
• What is the “script” Akhos keeps talking about?
• How could Malos just appear in Pyra’s “memory simulation”?
• What did Malos mean by “I exist for [Jin’s] benefit, that’s all I’m gonna say”?
• What is the significance of everything Malos said about their “father” creating them to eliminate humankind?
• What happened to let Malos return after being defeated by Mythra?
• Why do Torna carry the name of Addam’s kingdom, when Addam fought against Malos?
✔ Who is the frozen girl Jin talked to? ANSWER: She is Lora, Jin's driver. • What did Lora mean by "Perhaps there's truth in those words. After all, he... No, rather they..." after Jin said he didn't like fighting?
✔ What is "the Marsanes" that Mikhail is working on? ANSWER: The Marsanes is an old Tornan warship that they repaired. • Who is the man Torna were worried about getting into Mythra's head, and why would that be a problem for them?
• What did Jin realize Malos was right about that made him change sides?
✔ Why did Mythra sealing herself away lead to Jin joining up with Malos? ANSWER: After Mythra disappeared, Amalthus attacked Torna, which resulted in Lora's death and Jin choosing to become a Flesh Eater. • What did Jin mean when he said Blades "embody the very nature of this world"?
✔ Why did Jin suddenly lose his powers and was forced to flee after killing Fan? ANSWER: Being a Flesh Eater means his health is unstable. • What was Jin referring to when he said "You are not a slave. Be free now..." to Fan as he killed her?
• What was Jin and Malos talking about when Jin said "There's still time..." and Malos asked "Is that part of your dream too?"?
• What the freaking heck was Malos referring to when he asked "This hunger I feel, this thirst, it it really my own?" and "Tell me Jin... Are you really here?"!?
• Why does Jin want to kill the Divine Architect!?
• What did Jin mean when he told Rex "If you saw the last state of humanity, you would understand..."?
• Where does Jin get his amazing energy from if not the ether?
• What are the answers Malos wants from the Architect?
• What is the sword Malos was using, and how can he use Monado Arts!?
• (New!) What is the promise Jin said he had to keep?
Nia: ✔ Why did someone as nice as Nia cooperate with Torna? ANSWER: She was on the run and didn't feel like she belonged anywhere, and joining up with Jin was the only hope she saw. ✔ What led up to Jin rescuing Nia from the prison cell in her flashback? ANSWER: Nia was hunted down and captured by the Praetorium for reasons unknown. ✔ What did Nia mean by “even people like me” when talking to herself? ANSWER: She was probably referring to the fact that she had been on the run for a long time and didn't feel like she belonged anywhere. ✔ What is Nia’s relationship to Jin? ANSWER: Jin was the only person she saw some hope in. ✔ What is the secret Nia didn’t want Mythra to tell the others? ANSWER: Her secret was that she's a Blade. • How could Nia resurrect Niall like that?
• What really happened to Nia that resulted in her becoming a fugitive?
• What did that man mean by "Her life is tied to yours"?
500 years ago: ✔ How does Malos and Pyra know each other from 500 years ago? ANSWER: After Malos was awakened, Addam awakened Mythra in order to defeat him in the Aegis war. ✔ What was the Aegis war? ANSWER: It was the great battle between Mythra and Malos that ended in Malos’s defeat. ✔ What role did Cole play in the Aegis war, and why did he call Malos his “comrade”?
ANSWER: Amalthus is the driver of both Cole and Malos. • Why was Malos awakened in the first place?
• What happened to Addam after Malos was defeated?
✔ Who was Lora's original Blade that she mentioned when sparring with Addam? ANSWER: Her original Blade was actually Jin! • Who was Brighid's driver from 500 years ago?
• What did Addam mean when he talked about humanity deserving to "live alongside you" with Pyra?
Blades and Drivers: • Why do only some people have the aptitude to be drivers?
• Why do Blades exist in the first place?
✔ Why do Core Crystals come from dying Titans? ANSWER: It's all part of the life-cycle of Titans; Blades are born from the Cores grown inside its body, and those Blades then return to its body to grow into new titans. • Why do Blades forget their past if their driver dies?
• What is the significance of “Flesh Eaters” and how are they different from regular Blades?
• What does it mean that an Aegis Core contains the blueprints for all life?
• (New!) Why do the monsters in the Land of Morytha have Core Crystals?
Amalthus: • Why is Amalthus not stopping Malos even though he's his driver?
✔ Why is Fan's core crystal broken in half? ANSWER: Amalthus stole half her core in order to gain her powers. • What is the small artifact Amalthus held in his hand before he climbed the World Tree?
• Why did Amalthus run away from Elysium in a panic?
✔ Why did Rex have a vision that it was Malos talking when they were talking to Amalthus? ANSWER: Apparently Amalthus also hates the world and has a strong wish to destroy it, just like Malos, and that is why Rex thought they seemed similar. ✔ Why did Amalthus suddenly agree to let Rex into Elysium when he's never let anyone else go there? ANSWER: He didn't want anyone making the same mistakes he made 500 years ago, but with Torna on the rise he decided it was time to make an exception for Rex. ✔ What did Jin mean when he said that it was ironic that Fan spoke Amalthus's name in that manner? ANSWER: He was most likely referring to the fact that Amalthus's actions resulted in the death of Fan's earlier driver, Lora. • How come Fan didn't revert back to her core crystal when Jin killed her?
• What is the ceremony Amalthus is preparing?
• (New!) Why was Amalthus and his mother chased back then?
• (New!) What happened between Amalthus and Malos that resulted in Amalthus suddenly wanting to stop Malos?
• (New!) Who are "the brothers" Amalthus said he would gather?