What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Teraq]

And by all means, explain how a man who didn’t know of Dynamis at all is supposed to come up with a counteract. Tell me how beings that couldn’t hear Meteions cries could fight against a being of pure Dynamis. Let's hear it.

I have to say I am not entirely convinced you want to hear it.

But the answer is knowledge and creation magic. Elpis's #1 resident depressed edgelord is stated not to be the only one with expertise in Dynamis. Is it so far-fetched to imagine working together and researching Dynamis-capable familiars, refining them so they don't go nuclear when encountering negative emotions perhaps? This isn't taking into account a system like they have in Ktisis, which seemingly gives Ancients access to Limit Break, but that might just be a contrived integration of a gameplay mechanic.

Speaking of Ancients and Dynamis, we have Seat of Sacrifice too. Yes, he was drawing power from Dynamis-capable beings. But then, this fact opens up the possibility to consideration at all. After all, a Primal is, again, a twist on creation magic, with souls. Areas of expertise of Lahabrea and Emet-Selch.

There is just... a lot that could have been done and explored.

[OhNooo]

Snip.

Honestly I don’t think it matters to people who defend the story so hard. Like I truly believe that if the writers had done what you suggested with the dynamis familiars and other things, and if the story had a different ending, all it takes is for someone to say they didn’t like the story and list all their reasons why before you get someone saying “You didn’t understand the story…the reason why we needed the dynamis familiars was because…and see if you had paid attention to the lore…” The devs can write anything and people will defend it.

The reality is that for a lot of us who have problems with the story, no amount of quotes and showing screenshots of lore is going to change a perception or opinion. If I say this is the way things looked to me, this is the vibe I got, I didn’t like this character because they came off as this to me…someone showing me quotes from the lore doesn’t do anything to my perception that the story came off as convoluted, rushed and in some parts ridiculous to me.

But at this point I just break out the popcorn and watch the show lol people get so worked up.

[Skyborne]

Honestly I don’t think it matters to people who defend the story so hard. Like I truly believe that if the writers had done what you suggested with the dynamis familiars and other things, and if the story had a different ending, all it takes is for someone to say they didn’t like the story and list all their reasons why before you get someone saying “You didn’t understand the story…the reason why we needed the dynamis familiars was because…and see if you had paid attention to the lore…” The devs can write anything and people will defend it.

The reality is that for a lot of us who have problems with the story, no amount of quotes and showing screenshots of lore is going to change a perception or opinion. If I say this is the way things looked to me, this is the vibe I got, I didn’t like this character because they came off as this to me…someone showing me quotes from the lore doesn’t do anything to my perception that the story came off as convoluted, rushed and in some parts ridiculous to me.

But at this point I just break out the popcorn and watch the show lol people get so worked up.

Agreed, some of the ardent defenders have really backfired in regards to my opinion. I call Hydaelyn/Venat a sparkleprincess mary-sue as mostly a joke, but their need to tear down a fictional race that happens to be superior to mortals in some aspects but also have their own downsides (that I like) seems pretty real.

All this talk of Venat/Hydaelyn being genocidal. To be frank those that survived the sundering were just as bad..

For sure, they did awful things and I wanted to smack Emet and Eldibus for their hypocrisy at some points. I found their motivations to be more compelling and relatable in the end and to be more entertaining than most other characters, though, even if they ended up having to look silly thanks to memory wipes and time loops.

[EaraGrace]

I have to say I am not entirely convinced you want to hear it.

But the answer is knowledge and creation magic. Elpis's #1 resident depressed edgelord is stated not to be the only one with expertise in Dynamis.

So let me lay out why I personally believe this to be untrue.

First, there the fact that the existence of Dynamis is not widely known at all. Emet and Hythlo, both scholars and experts in their own right, lack any knowledge of its existence until Hermes explains it to them. Venat as well didn’t know until we told her. It’s rational to conclude then that the vast vast majority of the Ancient world possess no knowledge of Dynamis.



Second, there’s the fact that as far as has been said entelechies have only been created in Elpis, with both the flower and Meteion hailing from there. Meteion as well is the most special between the two, being the only one possessed of a will or the ability to effect change in Dynamis.



Third, even in Elpis the researchers we speak too lack any understanding of how Meteion or Dynamis functions.

Ismene: I understand that she is able to able to read emotions and communicate directly with one's mind. Exactly how she was created with that talent, however, is a mystery to me.

Timaios: Dynamis and...entelechies?
Those terms do sound vaguely familiar... Was there not a flower made here in Elpis which exhibited properties of one or the other?
It must have been centuries since I last heard anyone speak of such things. Has there been a resurgence in interest?

Timaios: Despite my admiration for Meteion as a concept, I have never delved too deeply into the inner workings of her nature.
I know that she has a gift for communicating via emotions, but otherwise, her abilities are a mystery to me.

Hermes, being Meteions creator, is thus unique for both knowing of and having experience working with Dynamis. He’s in fact the only one we know of.

With this we can make objective statements.

1. Dynamis’ existence is known only by a handful of scholars.
2. Hermes is the only one to have created a being able to control Dynamis on a massive scale
3. There are no Entelechies outside of the Elpis Flower (an accident) and Meteion known to us
4. Interest in Dynamis may have existed in a limited way at some point, but much time has passed since then, and no other concepts have been submitted using it since Hythlodaeus began working at the Bureau

Thus I think it’s fair to conclude that Hermes is the only expert on Dynamis.

Is it so far-fetched to imagine working together and researching Dynamis-capable familiars, refining them so they don't go nuclear when encountering negative emotions perhaps? This isn't taking into account a system like they have in Ktisis, which seemingly gives Ancients access to Limit Break, but that might just be a contrived integration of a gameplay mechanic.

The exact nature of the Limit Break post Endwalker is complicated. We have reason to believe, based on previous lore statements, that it is aether. But now, we have a potential Dynamis connection. Hell, it’s still possible that it’s both, with the ratio changing depending on the fight and context of it’s use.

On whether the Ancients could use it, Hermes says outright that they can’t “make practical use of it.”

[Sicno]

First, there the fact that the existence of Dynamis is not widely known at all. Emet and Hythlo, both scholars and experts in their own right, lack any knowledge of its existence until Hermes explains it to them. Venat as well didn’t know until we told her. It’s rational to conclude then that the vast vast majority of the Ancient world possess no knowledge of Dynamis.

They simply had no reason to pursue that knowledge at large because dynamis wasn't predominant in Etheyris and it's also weaker than aether, so there weren't "practical" applications. Hermes's was a personal interest in learning about other worlds to try to fill his existencial voids, so think of it as his "hobby". But that doesn't mean they weren't capable of conducting such research if they had REASON to. Like preventing their race and planet from being wiped out from existance.

Second, there’s the fact that as far as has been said entelechies have only been created in Elpis, with both the flower and Meteion hailing from there. Meteion as well is the most special between the two, being the only one possessed of a will or the ability to effect change in Dynamis.

The flowers may have been created there but they're present in other places too. Scarce, but not exclussive to Elpis. But I don't think this is as relevant as you think it is.

Third, even in Elpis the researchers we speak too lack any understanding of how Meteion or Dynamis functions.

And as I've mentioned before, Elpis is just one research facility. And one devoted to testing creations before letting them roam free. Its main purpose wasn't to design new creations inside it, but rather for everybody across the star to bring their creations and test them. Considering dynamis wasn't a practical avenue for them to explore it's not surprising that the only person with knowledge about it has it because of a hobby. But again, Elpis is JUST ONE RESEARCH FACILITY.


Having said all this, the "objective statements" you made afterwards crumble down except for the "other scholars" and Hythlodaeus parts. First one is explicitly stated in dialog, the 2nd can be inferred. Also, just because knowledge is scarce doesn't mean it's old, abandoned knowledge.

[Lauront]

They simply had no reason to pursue that knowledge at large because dynamis wasn't predominant in Etheyris and it's also weaker than aether, so there weren't "practical" applications. Hermes's was a personal interest in learning about other worlds to try to fill his existencial voids, so think of it as his "hobby". But that doesn't mean they weren't capable of conducting such research if they had REASON to. Like preventing their race and planet from being wiped out from existance.




The flowers may have been created there but they're present in other places too. Scarce, but not exclussive to Elpis. But I don't think this is as relevant as you think it is.



And as I've mentioned before, Elpis is just one research facility. And one devoted to testing creations before letting them roam free. Its main purpose wasn't to design new creations inside it, but rather for everybody across the star to bring their creations and test them. Considering dynamis wasn't a practical avenue for them to explore it's not surprising that the only person with knowledge about it has it because of a hobby. But again, Elpis is JUST ONE RESEARCH FACILITY.


Having said all this, the "objective statements" you made afterwards crumble down except for the "other scholars" and Hythlodaeus parts. First one is explicitly stated in dialog, the 2nd can be inferred. Also, just because knowledge is scarce doesn't mean it's old, abandoned knowledge.

Yup. There is no getting around the fact that several scholars are credited with devising the solution they came up with, and not just Hermes, and so this strongly lends itself to what you're saying - and again, the scene with the Watcher premises this on Zodiark, aside from his many other functions, of being capable of using his dark aspect to reinforce those areas where the celestial currents grew weak, to create a shield of a kind, and not so much on dynamis. But certainly, all the same could be said of dynamis.

[dapperfaffer]

But the answer is knowledge and creation magic. Elpis's #1 resident depressed edgelord is stated not to be the only one with expertise in Dynamis. Is it so far-fetched to imagine working together and researching Dynamis-capable familiars, refining them so they don't go nuclear when encountering negative emotions perhaps? This isn't taking into account a system like they have in Ktisis, which seemingly gives Ancients access to Limit Break, but that might just be a contrived integration of a gameplay mechanic.

Speaking of Ancients and Dynamis, we have Seat of Sacrifice too. Yes, he was drawing power from Dynamis-capable beings. But then, this fact opens up the possibility to consideration at all. After all, a Primal is, again, a twist on creation magic, with souls. Areas of expertise of Lahabrea and Emet-Selch.

There is just... a lot that could have been done and explored.

Just as an aside and to add to:
Outside of explaining Dynamis and the 3 levels of aether, which may or may not come in later patches, everything you posted is what Hydaelyn did when she created the Source and the Thirteen shards, the blessing of light, and the story behind EW.