Quote Originally Posted by Raven2014 View Post
Because that's exactly what it is? I mean ... that's why Herme was so reluctant to take over the Fernadel's office due to what it is implying for the current office holder. Venat was CLEARLY taken back and uncomfortable when she was pressed for "her own end". She is someone clear want to continue living, yet being pressured toward her death. And yes it is death, call it whatever you want, but if look like a duck, walk like a duck, and quak like a duck then it is a duck.


Like I said Herme and Venat represented the "normal" view toward death to contradict the "warped" view of the ancient society. I mean ... Milteon was doing what she did also due to a warped view of life and death. She's not killing the world out of malicious intent, she think she's simply saving men from the suffering of living.
Disney managed to teach small children the circle of life so I didn't think I'd need to explain it on the forums.

lions in the lion king: Antelope eat grass, lions eat antelope, when lions die their bodies nourish grass. Their death is an important part of the circle and that circle keeps their lands healthy.

ancients in the unsundered world: Live a long life to better the planet, die and send soul into the lifestream, soul finds new life in reincarnation. The reincarnation cycle keeps the planet healthy, it needs souls (hence why Meteion hoarded them to "kill" planets. No souls = no new life could flourish). It was "beautiful" for 2 reasons:
1. It marks the end of one great journey and the inevitable start of a new one
Paraphrasing Hythlodaeus:
"I want to dedicate my life to helping my friends achieve their dreams. When we're all old and feel fufilled, we will leave [this world] together."
Its not that he was happily gunning towards their death or that he was fantasizing about a suicide pact, it was the idea that 3 close friends would acknowledge their journeys end together and inevitably give way to 3 new journeys.

Venat felt her journey was not over. The ancients did not force her to continue the reincarnation cycle, it was her prerogative to continue her life as she saw fit for as long as she wanted to continue. Hermes focused exclusively on death being loss. To him, death was the end of all ends. We know otherwise. The ancients know otherwise. The scions know otherwise. To quote this expansion's theme song: "Though you will weep, the winds rise again, for this journey’s end is but one step forward to tomorrow". When we part with Hyth this final time he tells us that he hopes to see us in this life or in the next. When Amon sinks into the sea we tell him we'll help him find his answers in his next life. Death is not the end. The last 2 expansions have beaten us over the head with the idea that death is not the end.


2. They could physically watch a soul join/leave the lifestream
The physical act of witnessing a soul join the lifestream is a thing that they could do. Some ancients could see souls clearer than others (Emet + Hyth), but the ability to see souls was not uncommon. Emet's short story shows that he used to enjoy watching the lights and colors flow. If every soul has its own unique color then to those that could see the lifestream it likely looked akin to a great rainbow river.