Emet-Selch Is Not That Tragic

[Alleo]

What other solutions were there that the Ascians could have proposed, exactly? The one miracle that Urianger painstakingly orchestrates involves summoning Hydaelyn and begging her to save the First. You really think that would have worked out for Emet and the Ascian's situation? Hey, god who destroyed our world, give it back, please!

No, the game did not spin their actions as good, but neither did they spin them as pure evil, or black, or unforgivable, once their circumstances were laid out. The strongest statement the game gives after the situation is laid out is Alphinaud lamenting that the WoD are struggling with "an impossible choice." Ardbert's resolution has him declaring that he can finally be proud of what they had done to try to save their people. There is no indication that they ever regretted their actions. When challenged, they REAFFIRM their actions, that they are dead-set determined to carry it out, and Ardbert's character arc in Shadowbringers is about "being proud of himself" regarding it.

I think it's a little presumptive to argue on the part of dead people, whose deaths we are benefiting from, as far as what they would have wanted. Furthermore, the Ancients who were destroyed via Sundering were certainly not willing. In either case, it's not absolute, but every indication we get from the game so far indicates that the Ancients also want to live, they want a future, they want their world restored. They say as much when their Shades are summoned, Emet draws power from their wishes, hopes, and prayers to live, and he's connected directly to the Underworld. And no, as far as we understand, the plan was not actually to sacrifice Ancients, but the "new life", whatever that means - we don't know yet.

And if it turns out the Ancients do truly wish to live, and are in anguish over their fate, what then? Does that make Emet's actions more acceptable to you?

I'm a little baffled at the implication that "we don't know if it would have worked to fully restore them" (when we've SEEN people successfully returned from the dead in both the Allag story and in the Alchemist quests) is used to argue moral superiority over "yeah, they'd still be dead, but at least they'd be dead but a part of them would EXIST kinda-sorta" I'm honestly not sure how to reconcile that, since it seems blatantly obvious to me that the latter is more questionable than the former, whereas to you it seems the opposite. Different perspectives, I guess!



Uh, yeah, that's literally putting forth that the WoD's mass slaughter of innocents is more acceptable than Emet's because to save their world they were required to commit less numerical slaughter. This seems. A very strange basis to argue a morality case around, to me. Like. The footnote of (that wouldn't be that much) after "the millions of people Ardbert would kill" is kinda. Strange.

Wait I did not say that the Ascians had other solutions I said that the Ascians gave the WoDs only one solution even thoughth other solutions would be possible (but that would go beyond their goals) Also theoretically the Ascians with their problems could have simply accepted the sacrifice and live on. Just like our characters and the scions move on after death. Even some of the old Amaurotines were for this and I wonder how much of that wish to even save those they lost came from being tempered and Zodiark needing more aether.

About their actions: That was my point. The WoD count as morally grey. Their actions were not good but also not done out of pure evil intentions. And when another path was shown to them they took it. Afterwards Ardbert has done anything after suffering for lots of years to save his world without destroying another. They are morally grey.

The Ascians only care about their lost people. They dont care about us, they even look down on us. They have already destroyed billions of lifeforms and made on shard into the void. They are ready to sacrifice the souls of ancient ones even those from Amaurot only to get the sacrifices back. And you say that people came back from the death but were did one ever came back with the help of a primal? We have not a single case of primals bringing them back completely to live. (And how would that even happen if the souls are in the primal and used as fuel) The twins grandfather was still just a "ghost" and never really alive, the daugther of the queen was brought back by Lakshmi as an empty shell. Which death do you mean that came back from the death by a primal and was completely normal and stayed alive?

No I dont think their actions would be better if they would be in anguish over it because I doubt that they are even alive. And they knew what they were doing. The Amaurotines who survived it all and choose to side with the Ascians may not have liked it but ironically they too will be killed of as a sacrifice when the source is complete. Wonder if they like that? (And yes the original plan was to sacrifice the new life, but now they said that they plan to sacrifice the whole source when everyone is complete again. This inlcudes people like us that does have the souls of ancient ones. Its nearly 100% confirmed that those are also reborn)

And no I am saying that in the whole view of things the WoDs are better than Emet because they choose to no go through that slaughter when they saw a different path. They were also fighting for people that are still alive and for the souls that still can be saved. Its their redemption, especially with Ardbert in Shadowbringers that changes them from our villians to tragic heroes with a moral grey nuance.

Edit: Man some of those ad hominem attacks in some posts.