Zodiark: Good or evil? thoughts

[EaraGrace]

I actually think she does temper people. If you look at the cutscene where the warriors of darkness meet with the Minfilia. Ardbert attemtps to cut her down, she stops him with a touch and a blue glow. Every primal tempering we have seen has generally been with a blue glow. After this touch Ardbert turns from enraged to placid, he is suddenly motionless for a moment as if confused.

It is easy to miss because Minfilia starts talking, but it certainly on a second look seems very out of character for Ardbert. So much so that i truly think he was tempered at this point. Essentially i think Hydealyn uses WOL to achive a goal and then casts them aside. Thats assuming she actually creates them, rather then just wakes them up and then claims to have "blessed" them.

If a tempering did occur then that would’ve been Minfilia doing so, as she was by all means in control of her decisions.

I do not believe for a second he was tempered. Ardbert only relented after Minfilia explained that Hydaelyn knew of their plight. And even still, he only full acquiesced once his companions pointed out that they weren’t going to succeed at their original plan. The blue glow was there for longer than her talking and yet he was inches from cleaning her in two.

Not to mention none of this would make sense both thematically and in the story. A plot device like that would thoroughly undermine not just one but several characters arcs as well as a major part of the Shadowbringers story.

To say nothing of the fact that the blueprints for summoning Zodiark were not likely to be common knowledge, thus it raises the question as to how Venat came to piece together the ritual to bring forth Hydaelyn.

The “ritual” was earlier established in Akadaemia Anyder with the summoning of Phoenix, which was the original inspiration for a soul based summoning. Given the Ancients penchant for sharing information among themselves (the ones who summoned Zodiark told them much) and the respect and sway Venat clearly had, it isn’t at all surprising they knew. Hell, the Ancients probably never conceived there’d be conflict in their ranks, so why bother being secretive?

[Anvaire]

If a tempering did occur then that would’ve been Minfilia doing so, as she was by all means in control of her decisions.

We cant actually substantiate that Minfilia was fully in control of her actions as her being the "word of the mother" or that she was even Minfilia at all. Though she does appear to act and speak as though she is, the original time we met her she spoke like hydealyn. Given the substantial changes to her, through being merged with hydealyn or maybe acting as her host. But even if the tempering was done by Minfilia, it still wouldnt make it right. As for Ardbert calming down because she heard his pleas... i think the issue is that he was angry and outraged enough to attack her at sight. He didn't want to "suffer the farce" any longer and yet despite all that emotion he didnt speak when the bonds holding him in place were released? I cant say for certain that he was tempered, but at best its odd behaviour.