A bit of a digression - but has it been postulated that the “new life” to be the third Zodiark sacrifice might have been prototypes for the current “non ancient” races?

I have a going theory that the taboo of ancient “shape-changing” was introduced to let the developers use our WOL as the Azem model - and handwave Azem’s non-ancient look as being their chosen form.

Add in the prototypical new races - and we might find out Azem was siding with these newly created races as a third party - rather than with the Venat or Zodiark followers…