So... Is Lahabrea REALLY dead-dead?

[Jojoya]

for most Ascians I think ending up in the Lifestream is game over (for that version of them in the case of the Sundered) but Emet-Selch is named after the God of the Underworld for a REASON.

Except we know that there is also rebirth after entering the lifestream. It's the same soul, lacking memories but those can be restored.

I wonder how many people are catching the significance of Emet's voiceover in the launch trailer when he says "Treasure every moment, every step of your descent, and there in the depths where souls and stars rest, find your truth." He's not talking about stars in the sky (we would have to ascend to find those, not descend). He's probably talking about preserved memories, like those we collected in Amaurot in 5.3.

Also may pay to remember that those collected stars (except Azem's) were gathered up by Elidibus at the end and appeared to be drawn with him into the Tower. I don't think that's pertinent to 6.0 but it may be important to story in the future.

This is interesting! Thank you for the link.

What she is describing with the Eye is definitely a retcon. The death of Lahabrea has been referred to by both Emet-Selch and Elidibus in light of the permanent and irreversible death of Nabriales. If he was merely trapped in an auracite (or in this case, the Eye) they would not have said the various things they said about his demise, or spoke of him with such finality and regret.

This makes me think a pretty crazy idea. This actually explains some things I had been wondering about...

It's not necessarily a retcon.

From their perspective, he disappeared. I don't think they know what exactly transpired there. His "final" death might have been an assumption on their part when he did not reappear. It could be that the amount of aether concentrated within the Eye was so vast that Emet wouldn't be able to sense Lahabrea's soul within it. Elidibus wouldn't know either way, he was not sensitive to souls. He would rely on what Emet told him.