Something in 5.3 MSQ felt off to me (SPOILERS)

[Ririta]

The blessing of light was always iffy, and it should've stopped at that. But now we're tied to Ardbert and that one super special ascian, too... More and more, I feel like my character isn't really my own and now I'm starting to feel guilty over being a lalafell too. The scenes with Ardbert were supposed to be touching but I didn't feel anything, I don't identify with him at all... same thing with that ascian whose name I still can't remember.

This is why I never complain about the scions, I'd rather if my character is left to be my own while the scions move the plot forward.

[linayar]

The question then: If Ardbert still somehow exist, why is our head not full of the souls of all the other people that got rejoined with us? (We would have been alive at the 7th calamity) Why would he be special?

Maybe because he's also a WoL and he joined willingly with us instead of through a calamity. The previous people may not be WoL and/or they joined because of calamity.

[Saix027]

I find it sad overall how we simpyl got so many vice options but only for emotes, while our character itself is silent, it feels off since you need characters like Arcbert or even the Twins as main chars basically to let them speak for us this way. I really wish we had voice over honestly, i mean we are the main char anyway in the cutscenes, GW2 does this well, tho with corna latest updates not voiced at all but, it feels nicer then just having some grunts honestly. Even more so with other characters having to speak for or trough us in this case. It makes me feel even more of a puppet for Hydalin and others.

[Morningstar1337]

The role quests had put forward the idea that Ardbert's friends' final thoughts were encoded into their crystals and that our retrieving them allows it to "play" these messages. I think something similar was in play for the reunion in Il Mehg but Ardbert's unique circumstances, meant that the message wound't play out in the method depicted in the role quests.

[Latarma]

I also thought the seen with Sento goes back to the MSQ of 5.0 "you remind of him, but you are you" he said or so such. so at the end when he see Ardbert, we are still there but in his eyes he see he partner in crime.

[EtherRose]

We are the 14th. We are technically an ascian. This is basically confirmed by Hythlodaeus when you talk to him after gathering the shards. He talks about the 14th. If you are a female character he says "She" - if male, he says "He". He talks about how the 14th went out and met people, gathered them and did great things. Basically what we do now. So the part where its stated where we and Arbert are part of the same sundered soul "The 14th" are basically true.

[tymora]

As much as I wanted to love the scene with Seto in the epilogue, I just couldn't. Again: Was that literal Ardbert speaking through me? Cause that feels much more like something an Ascian would do, Inhabiting someone else's body to keep living on and I don't think Ardbert would ever want that. If it wasn't Ardbert then, did they just make the WoL play pretends in such a solemn moment? Or was it just Seto's perception and an echo of Ardbert remaining within the crystal? Maybe it feeling open to interpretation was intentional.
-Viv

I thought this part was pretty obvious. Your character asked Seto to close his eyes and "feel" the presence of Ardbert in the crystal.
The fragment of Ardbert is talking to Seto. It could just be Seto's imagination or Ardbert's is really doing it, is up for interpretation. I would personally go for the latter, being a fantasy world and all.

I suppose they could have made Ardbert semi-transparent in the cs.

[DiaDeem]

Thanks everyone who keeps reading and posting their replies!

The role quests had put forward the idea that Ardbert's friends' final thoughts were encoded into their crystals and that our retrieving them allows it to "play" these messages

I love that you bring this up! Now that you mention it, the conversation was very akin to how the crystals of his friends did it, with an old important message "finally being delivered".

So the part where its stated where we and Arbert are part of the same sundered soul "The 14th" are basically true

That's the truth of some previous existence we once may have had, but we're not Azem anymore, and nor was Ardbert. Heck, even if we're their "main remnant" defining things as their gender and apparently ways in which they behave, I believe Azem herself/himself was her/his own individual, not just old us. To me this individuality has always been very important, cause if not, then these characters and our WoL most of all get robbed of their own selves, which is an idea I'll never accept.

Your character asked Seto to close his eyes and "feel" the presence of Ardbert in the crystal.
The fragment of Ardbert is talking to Seto. It could just be Seto's imagination or Ardbert's is really doing it, is up for interpretation. I would personally go for the latter, being a fantasy world and all.

I fully agree with you that the scene is open to interpretation, which I suppose it's intentional as to let each player craft their own story with somewhat-interchangeable pieces of the puzzle! The more I think about it (and after reading someone else's take on the thtread), I beleive Ardbert's was a sort of message kept within the crystal just like it was with his friends, though harder to see and aided by the Amaro's particular skill to see colors and shapes of the soul.

I feel like my character isn't really my own and now I'm starting to feel guilty over being a lalafell too. The scenes with Ardbert were supposed to be touching but I didn't feel anything, I don't identify with him at all...

Agree with this! I really like Ardbert, but his story is not my story. I won't ever accept an idea that forces him into my character. I'll accept that he was once a shard of Azem (14th Congregation Member) and that he had, through his crystal, a final message for Seto, but no more beyond that. And don't feel guilty for being a Lala! Be yourself

I also thought the seen with Sento goes back to the MSQ of 5.0 "you remind of him, but you are you"

It's been so long I forgot that all too important line! Thanks for reminding me of it! It does bring much needed context

I never thought my thread would get so many replies! So many WoLs and so many thoughts about the topic! Once again thanks to everyone who has taken the time to chat about this, it really means a lot to me!

Be well all! <3
-Viv

[Hazama999]

I... Have to agree.
I feel like him being rejoined with us should have perhaps had him dissolved and absorbed within us. I could see us becoming a bit more like Ardbert, although I'm not sure how the game would convey this but eh.

[jazo]

Im ok with our WoL to become Dragon ball Z abridged Piccolo fused with Nail, we is still there in mind, but we take the lead and keep collecting our soul frangments, you are still you and have dead friends go for a ride