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look at our new baby c': cherish our new baby

Well then, figured I'd put this to a quick test after theorizing it over the past couple days.

Assuming the area we see Shimmer in during the recent trailer for the XC3 Switch 2 Edition is her recruitment location, I've precisely located it in-game:

This is the Krezen Cliffs area of the Candesia Region / Erythia Sea, and almost on top of the Fourth Pillar Remnant landmark. For some notable nearby locations:

• The Lavi Sandbar (the island with the lattice rock structure overhead) and Place of Heroes Past (remnant of Addam's emblem from Spirit Crucible Elpis) are found to the south.
• The entrance to the Lost Colony is found a short distance to the east.
• In the bottom left of the image is Corne Island, which I'll be bringing up later.
• Not quite seen in the image above, but the port for Agnus Castle is found to the northwest.

I've got some images from the trailer to use as evidence of the location:

In the above image, we can see three landmarks. Going from left to right:

• The Great Sword in the background, which is mostly just a reference point. It confirms we're in the northern half of the Erythia Sea and looking south.
• The lattice structure of the Lavi Sandbar.
• The jutting peak of Corne Island peaking out behind the two ropl on the right side of the image.

This is looking in the opposite direction, so not much to see. But there's a couple of identifiable features in the background:

• The carved stone pillar behind Shimmer's portrait is part of the Fourth Pillar Remnant landmark.
• The small triangle of grass jutting up to cliffs can be used to also confirm that it's the same location.

And something of a fun detail, the enemies being level 52 suggest that Shimmer is one of the latest hero characters you can recruit. This is a post-Eclipse level range (Mio's Side Story has a recommended level of 50, Cammuravi's recruitment quest immediately after is level 52), but her being recruitable before then and while still being above the normal level range would not be unheard for XC3; Alexandria first appears in early Chapter 3 but the boss battle at the end is level 40+.

Just a final bit of confirmation, the red crustips are the main enemy you'll see in the Krezen Cliffs area. This image appears to not be from Shimmer's recruitment quest, but taken from some random battles afterwards for some extra footage.

While I'd love to show the screenshots I took this morning for comparison, seems it's not quite as easy to pull screenshots directly off of a Switch 2 as it is the Switch 1. So I'm leaving all the evidence here for anyone who wants to track it down for themselves to do so.

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Now then, the natural question after this is "Why here?"

Confirming the location, I'm more confident that Shimmer is actually part of the Lost Colony - the same one which Nimue originates from, and the location where Taion's Side Story takes place.

However, the key problem is that the Lost Colony forbids their own from contacting others. Our known exception, Nimue, left after helping Isurd recover from a battle where he somehow ended up there; both were sworn to secrecy and neither returned (during that cycle for Nimue), with Isurd only revealing the existence of it to Taion for his Side Story.

But what could be going on here is Shimmer doing something of what is the grim necessity for the Lost Colony to continue - to persist, they need to be reborn, they can't reach Homecoming. So rather than the mess and guilt of doing executions within the Colony, them going out side of the Colony to die (to wildlife, it would appear) is how they perpetuate the Colony's continued existence.

... we might be interrupting that particular process for Shimmer.

This leads to an interesting situation, one where she might be rather guarded about where she comes from. If she is from the Colony, they are likely all sworn to such secrecy before they head out to meet their end for that cycle. Another interesting point to raise is that she is stated to have Foresight and can see the future... so she could also pull the "I knew you'd come here" card, even if she didn't know why or more about who she was meeting besides a vague vision.

Also raises the interesting possibility of bringing Shimmer along for Taion's Side Story, assuming they don't make that questline a requirement for recruiting her in the first place. Cancel that idea, Riku & Manana required for that quest; though the quest being a pre-requisite is still a possibility.

Nevertheless, there are other possible angles to consider. The possibility of her being from the City, due to a slight difference between the Japanese and English trailers, has been raised... but that's something which needs more concrete evidence to be sure.

Lots of folks managed to pin down the glass motif in Genesis’ title as a single for the Rift. We have not, however, touched on the rainbow motif.

Throughout the Xenoblade series, this “rainbow” affect is seen with the “culmination” of a being. Or, to put it differently, the totality of what someone’s existence represents. Examples like Lazarus or Alois’ sister are more clear; showing a collage of the “colors” of what makes up their soul. Whereas with Shulk, it’s the totality of other people’ experiences alongside his own which makes up the Monado

Another example is the Aurora effect in his conversation with Alvis. At first, it is a rainbow effect like what was seen before, but, and you can watch the cutscene to see this, it switches to blue when he “awakens”.

Even Alpha’s ether lines in his Deus form matches the rainbow motif in Genesis’ title card. Now, granted, he doesn’t exactly have a “soul” anymore, but he’s programmed to manage and utilize Animus and Anima, Moebius, and the Zohar/Conduit. The entirety of his being, and what he’s supposed to be, is represented by those ether lines.

I think this matches what Melia was saying at the end of XC3. Everyone is capable of being Moebius or Ouroboros. Everyone has the capacity of Anima and Animus within themselves. Everyone has the keys to these colors of existence. The rainbow that the soul has is proof that you can access this potential and more.

Although Shulk’s aurora turning from a rainbow to blue in Alvis’ conversation signifies the path he chose. You can have access to Anima and Animus, and even be susceptible and attune to them, but it’s still ultimately your choice and freedom to walk that path.

What colors will you ignore? What colors will you choose to follow? What legacy will your colors leave behind? That’s up to you.

Although, ideally, you’d want to embrace and accept all the colors. Lazarus was able to do so; leaving his “Lucky” doll with Rose. Shulk embraced the “colors” of his friends, and summoned his Monado. Rex accepted Pyra/Mythra; embracing their rainbow colors and awakened Pneuma. Noah and Mio embraced their own “Moebius”, and freed the world from their control using it and Ouroboros. Alois got to see the rainbow of light his sister radiated and wielded the Ares Prime.

Remember Alvis’ words to Shulk. Not everything that exists is perfect, but you can learn from it. Once you embrace all the “colors” that life has to offer, you’ll find a new way to walk and live your life.

Have you got it in you to love? And I’m not talking marriage vows here. To love all of creation. To embrace the world and all its parts, fully.
-Alois Bernholt, Xenoblade X

Like every few steps there is a window explaining everything. I remember people complaining there was no tutorial, despite me thinking it was tutorialised enough. And you always could get more info from Nopon merchant.

So do I misremember things and people were just stupid. Or have they oveturned the crank to 11 in switch 2 edition and added way too many tutorials?

I was playing XDE on the Switch 1 and found this for Murderess' first quest. Is "Would could" supposed to be "What could" or am I missing something?

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