Disappointed in one Endwalker Aspect [SPOILERS]

[Vexander]

Have you read the short story An Unpromised Tomorrow?

I haven't! I didn't even know that story existed, thank you!

[Rosenstrauch]

Well in that case, I hope you enjoy it. And the rest of them. The Tales from the (X) short stories are all quite good. New ones are added every year during The Rising, I believe.

[Cilia]

Except we later learn from Argos that we're in a causal loop, so even if we don't have a "script" so to speak one is still in play and the outcome of events on Elpis have already been determined as far as our ability to perceive time goes. There could be other timelines but our objective was not to create new timelines or try to save the World Unsundered; it was to learn about what set the Final Days in motion and why, and in so doing figure out a way to stop the apocalypse on Etheriys as we know it. We found what we were looking for and entrusted the past to Venat, who in some tessellation(s) of time's infinite pathways was able to change things in ways we can only speculate... but our Venat was not.

[Vexander]

We found what we were looking for and entrusted the past to Venat, who in some tessellation(s) of time's infinite pathways was able to change things in ways we can only speculate... .

Headcanon Time: New Game + is a result of our meeting of Venat in Elpis.

[Veloran]

I suppose that Emet doesn't sit well with you either, being the founder of said Garlean Empire and being responsible for pretty much everything you described. Nor does your own character, and the countless lives that you've ruined as the 'Weapon of Light'. Or anyone with authority, for that matter. Someone who can't live with the weight of their decisions has no business making them.

I should think you quite satisfied with such a notion given your obvious criticisms.

It's actually really, really easy to draw philosophical parallels between Venat and the Dark Knight questline. Not altogether surprising when you consider the lead writer.

'To live is to suffer. And in suffering find strength, and purpose, and hope.'
'To walk the path is to suffer. To sacrifice. But we must never lose sight of why we chose to walk it.'

I'll let you tell me who said what.

The highlight tells you why Venat and the ideals in the DRK quests are not equivalent. Dark Knights choose to walk their path. Venat forced all of humanity and WoL on to the path and ideals that she wanted. Venat's deeds are antithetical to the rights of freedom and self-determination, and as such she is not in keeping with the ideals of WoL-as-Azem.

Indeed the differences in thinking and methods between the two are hinted at by the Twelve. Ever since the Azem reveal people have wondered why Azeyma shares the name and symbolism rather than the more clear parallel of the wanderer Oschon. Now though it appears as though Azeyma - A goddess of the scales of judgement that punishes sinners that don't live up to her standards - is clearly in reference to Venat-as-Azem, not WoL. On top of this, while Azeyma's symbol is the sun, her actual title is keeper of the sun, which is a fitting description of Venat/Hydaelyn's relationship with WoL.

[RyuDragnier]

The highlight tells you why Venat and the ideals in the DRK quests are not equivalent. Dark Knights choose to walk their path. Venat forced all of humanity and WoL on to the path and ideals that she wanted. Venat's deeds are antithetical to the rights of freedom and self-determination, and as such she is not in keeping with the ideals of WoL-as-Azem.

Remember, DRKs walk their path and will do whatever it takes to get the job done, even if it means causing undue suffering on others. Venat did much the same, and could almost be considered a DRK (much like Emet-Selch). She sacrificed the honor and kindness, along with a willingness to do things within the rules, to become the blade that would keep going on towards her goal much like a vigilante, no matter how much suffering would become of it to others and herself. To top this, at ANY point she could have just let the Ascians fulfill their desires and get Zodiark back, but did not falter. She CHOSE to keep going, no matter how much suffering her choices had caused.

[Cleretic]

I thought the matter of Hydaelyn tempering us was pretty settled when we learned that the blessing of light was a simple traveller's ward that protects against aetheric corruption.

Indeed, it seems like Hydaelyn'a whole philosphy is about giving you the means to think, wander, feel... etc. for yourself. Something the spirit of tempering goes against.

Also, tempering was something that could be scientifically and objectively measured by characters in the world. And cured. If we were tempered surely someone would have given us a porxie.

Also, the conversation with Y'sthola has her showing up and examining you too see if your aether was corrupted, like it was back in the first. And she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Personally I thought the matter of Hydaelyn tempering us was pretty settled when Ifrit directly and clearly stated that we weren't back in A Realm Reborn. Like, if anyone can be considered a subject matter expert in what tempering looks like, surely it's Ifrit. But since I know not everyone agrees with me that he can be considered an authoritative source, I went elsewhere, since the people that disagree with that usually consider either the Scions or (more often) the Ascians to be authoritative.

Basically the only prediction in all of Endwalker that I absolutely nailed was 'people who think the Blessing is tempering wouldn't believe Hydaelyn herself coming down and saying it wasn't', and sure enough, she did exactly that and people didn't believe her!

[KariTheFox]

To top this, at ANY point she could have just let the Ascians fulfill their desires and get Zodiark back, but did not falter.

Could she? It seemed like she could do very little to prevent the ascians from rejoining seven times over, it doesn't seem like she had any control over the matter one way or the other. And the one who actually stopped them from doing it any more was the WoL, not Hydaelyn.

Edit: There's also the fact that letting the ascians get what they want and bring back Zodiark means allowing at least seven more genocides, which is sort of bad.

[MikkoAkure]

Could she? It seemed like she could do very little to prevent the ascians from rejoining seven times over, it doesn't seem like she had any control over the matter one way or the other. And the one who actually stopped them from doing it any more was the WoL, not Hydaelyn.

The issue is that when it comes to starting a Calamity, the Ascians only have to win once. We know that there have been other Warriors of Light who stopped catastrophic events that could have led to Calamity, but all it takes is for a group to fail for one to happen.

The Zodiac Braves sealed up Ultima and Tenzen sealed Koryu. We don't know how much the Ascians could have been involved since we don't have their point of view, but Hydaelyn did recognize a danger and call people to power who then stopped said dangers.

[Lyth]

...

Everyone chose to walk their respective paths. When you get down to it, Temple Knight A might just be starting their first day on the job, with a family to feed. Perhaps they look after stray cats in their free time and mind an elderly neighbor. They never caused any harm to anyone. And then wham, Azem shows up out of nowhere and kills them. Did they have any choice about how their path ended? 'So many broken by this world, then by you.' You can apply this line of reasoning to pretty much anyone that you dislike in game. Except for maybe Zenos, who would school you with it like he did Jullus.

It's actually Urianger who puts forward the idea that there's a connection between Azem, Azeyma, keeper of the Sun, and Azim, the Dawn Father. The glyph on the Azem soul crystal is the symbol for the sun.

As for the twelve, while there may be a link with the Convocation, most of them stayed within the walls of Amaurot. I'm more inclined to suspect that there's a connection with Radz-al-Han's Tales of the Braves (not to be confused with the Ivalice version):
'In an era long since ended
When chaos reigned o'er all the land
Did valiant souls take up the fight
To bring forth Light and cast out Dark
They numbered Twelve, no more nor less.'[1]

I haven't gone through the Relic weapons lore yet to see which ones are accounted for; it may be that we have ten names from the original relics and Azeyma and Menphina are the two unaccounted for. But who knows.