(5.2 spoilers) The Defector

It should be noted that the common theory is that the Warrior of Light is a reincarnation of the defector from the Convication, but this is not confirmed. It is reinforced by the consistently ambiguous gender language referring to said defector, but there is nothing concrete yet. The only thing we can be relatively certain of is that whoever they are, they were of emotional value to Hades.

Venat's sex is not identified in the two conversations stored within Anamnesis Anyder. People are operating under the assumption that this Venat is female because Venat in XII was voiced by a woman, but there is no clear information either way. (The Ancients' "voices" being little more than warbling tones does not help.)

Zenos' new co-conspirator's identity is impossible to pin down with the available information. The only thing we know about them is that Zenos seems to recognize the "hue" of their soul with his Resonance and they have "mostly secondhand" knowledge of the Final Days. The former is ambiguous (though it may suggest a similarity to Elidibus, maybe), but the latter practically rules out an Ancient - any survivors of the Final Days would have full firsthand knowledge of the event.

I've heard that the French version identifies 14's Venat as female but I haven't seen the French text myself.

As for the 14th Convocation member, the gender NPCs refer to them as changes depending on the player's gender. If your WoL is male the 14th is referred to as male, and as female if yor WoL is female. That plus the scene where Emet goes "No, it can't be" when he sees an Ancient in the WoL's place really leaves little room for doubt that the 14th is the WoL. But the 14th is not Venat, an Ancient in the Anyder scene specifically said the 14th was not going to help summon Hydaelyn.

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Originally Posted by JeanneOrnitier

I've heard that the French version identifies 14's Venat as female but I haven't seen the French text myself.

As for the 14th Convocation member, the gender NPCs refer to them as changes depending on the player's gender. If your WoL is male the 14th is referred to as male, and as female if yor WoL is female. That plus the scene where Emet goes "No, it can't be" when he sees an Ancient in the WoL's place really leaves little room for doubt that the 14th is the WoL. But the 14th is not Venat, an Ancient in the Anyder scene specifically said the 14th was not going to help summon Hydaelyn.

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There's also been mention that the VAs are also the same for Hydaelyn and Venat.

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Originally Posted by JeanneOrnitier

As for the 14th Convocation member, the gender NPCs refer to them as changes depending on the player's gender. If your WoL is male the 14th is referred to as male, and as female if yor WoL is female. That plus the scene where Emet goes "No, it can't be" when he sees an Ancient in the WoL's place really leaves little room for doubt that the 14th is the WoL. But the 14th is not Venat, an Ancient in the Anyder scene specifically said the 14th was not going to help summon Hydaelyn.

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Can you recall an instance where the Fourteenth is specifically referred to using gendered pronouns? Every instance I've seen just refers to them using ambiguous language (they). "Hythlodaeus" and Emet-Selch don't ever specify who they're talking about, and it's unclear who Emet-Selch sees after Ardbert merges his soul with the WoL's. I agree that it's plausibly (if not probably) the Fourteenth, but there isn't enough information to decisively conclude as much. Unless JP/FR/DE isn't as ambiguous (English is an unusually gender-neutral language, you know...)

That said the Fourteenth is not Venat. That much is off the table.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

Can you recall an instance where the Fourteenth is specifically referred to using gendered pronouns? Every instance I've seen just refers to them using ambiguous language (they). "Hythlodaeus" and Emet-Selch don't ever specify who they're talking about, and it's unclear who Emet-Selch sees after Ardbert merges his soul with the WoL's. I agree that it's plausibly (if not probably) the Fourteenth, but there isn't enough information to decisively conclude as much. Unless JP/FR/DE isn't as ambiguous (English is an unusually gender-neutral language, you know...)

That said the Fourteenth is not Venat. That much is off the table.

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Hythlodaeus uses your characters pronouns when he talks about the person during his time who shared your soul.

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Hythlodaeus: Hm hm hm... Your connection is hardly a coincidence. In our time, the two of you were one─the color of your souls tells the tale.
Hythlodaeus: A hue that distinctive cannot be mistaken, no matter how thin the soul is spread.
Hythlodaeus: Hah! This is just the kind of fate I might expect for one such as she. Surely Emet-Selch has recognized the hint of “her” in you...?

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Also I believe they called Venat "she" or "her" after the CS if you talk to the NPCs but it's too late to check back on that. I thought there must've been something there because I had forgotten that Venat was female until that quest.

Back on topic, I'm thinking now that the reason for us being the defector may be to make us sort of an anti-ascian who will be as powerful but not necessarily on any one side. We've already shown shades of this throughout the game as we've put down ascians one-by-one and even Thordan is scared of what we are.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

Can you recall an instance where the Fourteenth is specifically referred to using gendered pronouns? Every instance I've seen just refers to them using ambiguous language (they). "Hythlodaeus" and Emet-Selch don't ever specify who they're talking about, and it's unclear who Emet-Selch sees after Ardbert merges his soul with the WoL's. I agree that it's plausibly (if not probably) the Fourteenth, but there isn't enough information to decisively conclude as much. Unless JP/FR/DE isn't as ambiguous (English is an unusually gender-neutral language, you know...)

That said the Fourteenth is not Venat. That much is off the table.

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It's not clear, yeah. The clear part is that we (the WoL) used to be Emet-Selch's friend, and the gender changes depending on our character, but it's not explicit that Emet-Selch's friend was the Fourteenth.

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Originally Posted by MikkoAkure

Hythlodaeus uses your characters pronouns when he talks about the person during his time who shared your soul.

Hythlodaeus: Hm hm hm... Your connection is hardly a coincidence. In our time, the two of you were one─the color of your souls tells the tale.
Hythlodaeus: A hue that distinctive cannot be mistaken, no matter how thin the soul is spread.
Hythlodaeus: Hah! This is just the kind of fate I might expect for one such as she. Surely Emet-Selch has recognized the hint of “her” in you...?

Also I believe they called Venat "she" or "her" after the CS if you talk to the NPCs but it's too late to check back on that. I thought there must've been something there because I had forgotten that Venat was female until that quest.

Back on topic, I'm thinking now that the reason for us being the defector may be to make us sort of an anti-ascian who will be as powerful but not necessarily on any one side. We've already shown shades of this throughout the game as we've put down ascians one-by-one and even Thordan is scared of what we are.

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While I am a proponent of the Warrior being the Fourteenth, that quote in particular does not specify us as the 'Fourteenth', simply as an old friend of Hythlodaeus and Hades. I too, like Vulcwen, heard rumours that the French version is more explicit in using gendered pronouns to refer to the Fourteenth them self, that change depending on the player character, but again, have not seen any concrete proof.

Also, in regards to Venat, the Scions do not refer to them in any gendered way in English. Again, maybe other languages are more explicit, but no proof atm.

I did quite like the idea of us being the original summoner of Hydaelyn.

"Going to give this new life a chance, get me and the lads together and summon our own mega-primal."
Hydaelyn splits the world, Zodiark imprisoned, everyone lives happily ever after... except oops, missed a few Ascians and now Hydaelyn has to spend the next couple millennia desperately trying to wake you and your mates up to fight a battle you're massively outmatched for.

That we stayed neutral though, and someone else did it, is rather intriguing. Wonder what the original ancient WoL was thinking.

I also wonder what role they played. I mean if they had found another solution then why not answer the call of Venat and talk to her? She seemingly only summoned Hydealyn because Zodiark was a problem and that he would not solve anything. If they had no idea how to do it then I dont like that they stayed neutral especially in a situation like that.

But we also have to be careful. We only saw a little glimpse of Venat and her group and at that point they only had the plan. Maybe we did join them later. Or (and this might sound too strange) we were the one that gave Hydealyn the ability to split. Maybe Venats plan too would not have helped and thus we waited until the point where she summoned Hydealyn and then somehow worked into her that she needs to split the world to stop the calamity from happen again.

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Originally Posted by Cilia

Venat's sex is not identified in the two conversations stored within Anamnesis Anyder. People are operating under the assumption that this Venat is female because Venat in XII was voiced by a woman, but there is no clear information either way. (The Ancients' "voices" being little more than warbling tones does not help.)

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I have to watch it again later but I think in german they made Venat a female. She also sounds more female unlike the one she talks to.

They don't really have to refer to Venat as female explicitly for people to assume she's a she.

If she is really the heart of Hydaelyn, then it sort of logically follows that Venat was female, we've been calling the big crystal she's stuck inside 'goddess' and 'mother' for several expansions now.