Quote Originally Posted by Denishia View Post
We don't know if the life that would have been sacrificed that third time to reverse the first two sacrifices were non-sentient or not. Considering that the Ascians later on with the Rejoining plans have no qualms sacrificing the sentient Sundered life, it's not a stretch to assume that they were. The reversal of XIV's theme about how the Final Days Ancients and later Ascians are willing to sacrifice those that will walk after for those that walked before.
We can reason that it was a significant and troubling sacrifice even if it wasn't of sentient lives. Not only does the story not really play right if it's not (it makes the Convocation look real stupid for not doing that the first time, and makes Venat look ridiculous for going to extremes to stop the less dangerous plan), but what we know now about the task put forward for it suggests an extremely huge amount of aether required; they're essentially looking to relieve the 75% of the population now in Zodiark, that's gonna require a lot of flora and fauna to replace it.

Quote Originally Posted by redheadturk View Post
By that time they had suffered twelve thousand years of unimaginable mental and emotional torment. That changes a man.
Actually, remember that it's twelve thousand years between the Sundering and now, but that the Ascians have been all-in on the 'bash planets into each other' plan for a VERY long time. We don't know how long ago the first Calamity was--the first Calamity we do know the time of was the Fourth, five thousand years ago--but given how long it takes to build up a Calamity, I think it's reasonable to assume that they weren't exactly being nice about it right out the gates.