On Venat's Role in the Story

[Erendis]

The Plenty are just shallow people that became bored with everything. Removing all sad/bad/whatever things does not mean you can't still be interested in something.

[KageTokage]

One of the fish guide entries for Ultima Thule mentions it was first discovered by the Ea during the "space time exploration" phase of their civilization, which would suggest they've seen...a lot.

The Plenty are just shallow people that became bored with everything. Removing all sad/bad/whatever things does not mean you can't still be interested in something.

I didn't notice it initially, but down below their supposed paradise you can see the barren, broken husk of what was presumably once their star, and the roots of their World Tree reaching down to it. It makes me wonder if perhaps the tree itself was engineered to somehow grant them the perfection and enlightenment they sought but at the cost of their star, though perhaps that answer will be given as the "cultural restoration" project of Stigma 4 progresses; presumably through the Omega questline as it hasn't done anything new just yet.

Given how deeply the Ancients cared for their world, I struggle to believe they would allow it to meet with a similar fate willfully, nor do I think they would suffer from stagnancy with the aid of intelligent creations to introduce fresh ideas into their society.

[Rulakir]

Given how deeply the Ancients cared for their world, I struggle to believe they would allow it to meet with a similar fate willfully, nor do I think they would suffer from stagnancy with the aid of intelligent creations to introduce fresh ideas into their society.

Not only this, but the Final Days were literally seared into the aether of their souls. Going back to 'normal' was never a realistic possibility regardless of how much they would've wished it (kind of reminds me of the end of Krampus). Plus, I found it difficult to believe based on what we knew of their society that had they been told of potentially disastrous future outcomes that they wouldn't have actively worked against those possibilities. I disliked the premise that we're not going to tell people why they should change, expect them to anyway, and then condemn them for not living up to expectations they weren't aware anyone had.

By the way, am I the only one who noticed the similarities between The Plenty and this scene from the movie Knowing?

[EaraGrace]

I didn't notice it initially, but down below their supposed paradise you can see the barren, broken husk of what was presumably once their star, and the roots of their World Tree reaching down to it. It makes me wonder if perhaps the tree itself was engineered to somehow grant them the perfection and enlightenment they sought but at the cost of their star, though perhaps that answer will be given as the "cultural restoration" project of Stigma 4 progresses; presumably through the Omega questline as it hasn't done anything new just yet.

Given how deeply the Ancients cared for their world, I struggle to believe they would allow it to meet with a similar fate willfully, nor do I think they would suffer from stagnancy with the aid of intelligent creations to introduce fresh ideas into their society.

One small note on whether the Ancients would stagnate. Hermes raises that idea in his speech following the Lykaons euthanizing, and Emet says that he understands his argument but finds the reasons behind his pain hard to understand. Venat as well seems to conclude that too, given the post expansion a and a.

But the idea of the Ancients running out of concepts is actually raised in Shadowbringers as well, by the Ancient npc we meet in the Community Cohesion side quest.

Gentle Amaurotine: All things considered, it could've been worse. Just the other day I was attempting to conceive a white-haired lion, when all of a sudden this exquisite eagle alighted on the nearby railing, giving me quite the shock─and dramatically altering my initial concept!
Yes, indeed, it was a most unexpected development, but not an altogether unwelcome one. Great strides are often born from unexpected impetuses.
But even inspiration has its limits. For all the wonders we have wrought, I do wonder if there will come a time when we have fully explored the potential of our powers─when there is truly nothing left unmade, and only iteration and imitation and stagnation remain...
But such esoteric matters need not concern you, little one!

Just thought this was an interesting piece of dialogue in hindsight, especially given this is a creation of Emet as well.