The most recent update in Final Fantasy XIV added the four Abyssos raids to the Pandaemonium saga. Abyssos revealed the true identity of Hephaistos, the fate of the gaolers, and Lahabrea's involvement in Athena's death. However, the plot thickened even further once players were given tiny bits of information that may lead to huge revelations about past events.

Final Fantasy XIV is known for leaving a bread crumb trail of hints across updates in order for players to either catch onto truths or become entirely misled, and Abyssos added a lot of context to several working theories that may prove accurate upon the final tier's release in the next major update. At the moment, there are three Buried Memory theories that can be supported by the evidence shown in the Abyssos raids, and they will be game-changing if they become canon.

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Is Themis Actually Venat's Son?

It's Themis' distinct appearance that drives fans to believe that he is the son of Venat. Their shared gray hair and bright blue eyes are unique to the two of them, making it hard to call the resemblance a coincidence. Their similarities also fall in line with Final Fantasy XIV's take on genetics, which entails a tendency for a child to strongly resemble only one parent. The most prominent examples of this include Erichthonios and Lahabrea, and M'naago and M'rahz.

Those who disagree with this theory might point out that Themis has yet to directly call Venat "mother." However, it's clear by how Erichthonios refers to both his mother and father that in unsundered society, people often called their parents by their first names or titles, only elaborating on parentage when asked. With this in mind, it's not that strange for Themis to refer to Venat by her first name. If Venat is revealed to be Themis' mother, then their respective roles as Hydaelyn and Zodiark are even more demoralizing. A mother and son forced to work against each other in order to do what they believe is right for the sake of the planet is a cruel fate for any family to suffer.

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Is the Lahabrea from the Future Actually the Copy?

In Buried Memory, players learned that the mastermind behind Pandaemonium's prison break was in fact a copy of Lahabrea called Hephaistos. To be specific, Hephaistos is half of Lahabrea's soul filled with the dark memories and corruption that arose when he killed his wife. Afraid of Athena's sinister influence taking over when they bonded their souls, Lahabrea decided to shed half of his soul and memories in order to prevent the corruption of his aether.

Although Lahabrea had a minor antagonist role until his demise in Heavensward, he was an unhinged villain who frequently popped up to torment the Warrior of Light and the Scions. He even had a hand in the destruction of the other shards. However, the Lahabrea of days past, a rational and logical man, is completely different from his future self.

While thousands of years and a mass extinction event are enough to change any man, the appearance of Hephaistos as the other half of his soul is indicative of a darker explanation for the Lahabrea fans know and hate. Lahabrea's decision to seal Hephaistos into a stone instead of destroying him immediately may come back to bite him. In the next raid tier, Hephaistos could break free and kill the true Lahabrea. Assuming his identity, those residual dark memories and emotions would lead to the deranged Lahabrea that the Warrior of Light battles and defeats in the present day.

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Is Erichthonios the True Threat in Pandaemonium?

Throughout the course of the raids, players come to know Erichthonios as an insecure young man who misses his mother dearly. He struggles to accept Lahabrea's revelation that his mother experimented on him and Lahabrea was forced to kill her in order to stop both the abuse and her research on surpassing mortal bodies. At the end of the second raid tier, Erichthonios remains silent, pondering this information with a troubled demeanor.

In truth, the existentialism that Erichthonios faces is reminiscent of Hermes and his fall into madness. When Hermes learned of the truth of the stars beyond, he became extremely nihilistic and decided to use Meteion to end all life on their planet and the universe as a whole, destroying souls in order to prevent people from ever being born. Judging by how Erichthonios has taken the news of his mother and her experiments, it's hard to say if he will forsake her misguided research into immortality or embrace it, becoming one of the villains in the next set of raids and perhaps even assuming the mantle of evil Lahabrea himself.

Buried Memory gives players a lot to ponder over the next few months, dropping what may be game-changing hints or just fuel for speculation. While it's still unclear who sent the message to the Warrior of Light or how Pandaemonium began to manifest in the aetherial sea of the present, players can be sure that the grand conclusion of Pandaemonium will see dark truths revealed and the real threat unearthed.