Dawntrail Character Motivation [Ending Spoilers]

[Ellariel]

The Amaurotines weren't living people either in the context of ShB. They too were to be brought back at the cost of everyone's lives the same way the Endless were to be sustained.

The parallel of continuing the existence of one's beloved people even at the cost of those who are alive. The idea is the same save that we didn't personally go around erasing every shade. Why not just let them run their course, let them run out of aether and fade away the same way reconstructed Amaurot may fade.

Anyhow I loved Wuk Lamat. And I loved Bakool Ja Ja. I found her to be adorable and great and him to be a phenomenally compelling character especially with regards to the reveal. The skill in writing it must have taken to effect an authentic character arc for Bakool Ja Ja was incredible. There isn't a blanket forgiveness, it's still a commitment to do better, to improve. There's so much thought, care and effort put into making it feel right.

I would have started a rewrite by deciding on what Zoraal Ja's problem is and therefore what is arc must be. I like the idea that he wants war for the wrong reasons. Zoraal Ja fundamentally believes differences always lead to conflict, whereas Wuk Lamat fundamentally believes differences always lead to understanding. He needs to be the mightiest and the strongest because he believes the only reason the people of Tural respect his father is because they respect his strength.

I love that he dismisses the Garlean empire. I love that he's suspicious of outsiders and I'd openly have him suspicious of Eorzean colonial impulses. When Zoraal Ja loses to his father's shade(and Wuk Lamat wins)he is absolutely devastated. His secret shame-that he was born with one head-brings out a bitter insecurity. He does not show up at the coronation as a way to spurn his sister, but instead does something desperate, making a Deal with the Devil by going into the Golden City with a retinue of Mamool Ja extremists/separatists(thus explaining his kid).

They take over, Zoraal Ja forces Sphene into a position of obedience(because again he believes power is the only way to rule). 30 years of listening to the whispers of a machine have tainted his humanity. Now it's believable that he wants peace by taking over the world. He attacks Tulliyolal to prove his sister is incapable of defending her people, then retreats back into his Golden City.

Sphene is coerced into fighting us to save her people, but you and Erenville and Krile save her from her worst self by showing her that remembering the lost and building on their legacy is how you save them.

As a result Zoraal Ja makes good on his threat and devours the lives of nearly every Eternal. Now Wuk Lamat is faced with an impossible choice: will she kill her own brother?

In the final raid we don't go through Alexandria. We go through Zoraal Ja's psyche. And we realize there is a tiny part of him that still just wants to be loved. But we have to tear through the machine to get to him.

[Kes13a]

The Amaurotines weren't living people either in the context of ShB. They too were to be brought back at the cost of everyone's lives the same way the Endless were to be sustained.

The parallel of continuing the existence of one's beloved people even at the cost of those who are alive. The idea is the same save that we didn't personally go around erasing every shade. Why not just let them run their course, let them run out of aether and fade away the same way reconstructed Amaurot may fade.

I am afraid you misunderstood what the "rejoining" was meant to accomplish.

the Ascians were going to bring the people back to life. not as copies, not as digital facsimilies... as real breathing living people.

the recreations in Living Memory.. were just memories. the entire point of conquering everyone was to get their aether to power the continued existence of the memories of dead people.

the Endless were dead already and would continue to be dead... Emet reconstructed Amaurot for comfort, but the "people" there were just illusions he constructed of the real people he wanted to bring back. he wasnt bringing the things in the reconstruction back, he wanted Zodiark to save his people, not the reconstructions