6.0 Story Speculations

[Kesey]

Most likely the time post-sundering pre-calamity is just conflated with memories of the Ancient era. I don't think the Twelve in any incarnation we would recognize them ever existed, it's just a 12,000 year old game of telephone mixing up the Convocation, Hydaelyn's summoners, and impactful historical figures like Warriors of Light.

I would argue the opposite. I think if we saw the true version of "The Twelve" we'd see Azem with his/her comrades in very much the same light we see the WOL with the Scions.

I'm even willing to bet they will take it even one step further and we'll find out that "The Twelve" have all been reborn as our closest allies. Meaning there is probably a corresponding Twelve deity for every member of the scions, who share a small fragment of the original Twelve's soul.

This also begs the question if there is an open spot that would be filled by Zenos?

[Veloran]

I would argue the opposite. I think if we saw the true version of "The Twelve" we'd see Azem with his/her comrades in very much the same light we see the WOL with the Scions.

I'm even willing to bet they will take it even one step further and we'll find out that "The Twelve" have all been reborn as our closest allies. Meaning there is probably a corresponding Twelve deity for every member of the scions, who share a small fragment of the original Twelve's soul.

This also begs the question if there is an open spot that would be filled by Zenos?

Note "in any incarnation we would recognize them". In addition to the fact that there aren't twelve Scions and that WoL alone seems to embody multiple facets of the Twelve in different ways, none of the current Scions correspond to any of the Twelve in any meaningful regard. Furthermore while people like to think of Azem as adventuring around with a party of friends, we really have little evidence they were ever doing such a thing, for all we know they were primarily acting alone while out in the world.

[RyuDragnier]

Note "in any incarnation we would recognize them". In addition to the fact that there aren't twelve Scions and that WoL alone seems to embody multiple facets of the Twelve in different ways, none of the current Scions correspond to any of the Twelve in any meaningful regard. Furthermore while people like to think of Azem as adventuring around with a party of friends, we really have little evidence they were ever doing such a thing, for all we know they were primarily acting alone while out in the world.

I would guess that Azem did indeed have a few friends he brought along often, but they were likely along to deal with problems in their neck of the world. Example, summoning Hien to help with a problem nearby in Azim Steppe or Ruby Sea would be probable, while summoning say Pipin from Eorzea would be unlikely.

[Kesey]

Note "in any incarnation we would recognize them". In addition to the fact that there aren't twelve Scions and that WoL alone seems to embody multiple facets of the Twelve in different ways, none of the current Scions correspond to any of the Twelve in any meaningful regard. Furthermore while people like to think of Azem as adventuring around with a party of friends, we really have little evidence they were ever doing such a thing, for all we know they were primarily acting alone while out in the world.

"in any incarnation we would recognize them" refers to the characters in game. As in they can't plot the trajectory of lives the souls have taken to be where they are now. We, on the other hand--outside of the game, can see the parallels and see with our ever expanding lore that this is probable.

And we do have evidence to support this as all legends of Azem have him/her interacting with others. This why "The Twelve" are all equal gods with Azem, not Azem with 12 servant. Even the stories on the Azim Steppe talk about Azem interacting with others to cause things to happen. Azem did not work in a lonely void. And if you need further proof go back to Rak'tika in the cave with the Everlasting Dark and see that there is a circle of individuals preforming a spell or a summon. I'm pretty confident the people shown in that cave painting is Azem with his followers, as it is placed sequentially before the rise of Ronka and Ardbert and friends saving The First.