Revelations from Patch 7.3: The Promise of Tomorrow

[Thighland]

Forgive me for the bluntness hidden under this spoiler tag, but: does it matter?

If I told you that it was Lithander, would it change his character in any way? If it was Robor, would he matter any more than he already does? If it was Demetrios, would he be any more meaningful to you? If it turns out their soul got eaten three months ago to fix an industrial accident, would you feel any different? (Actually I kinda like that last one, but I assume most others wouldn't.)

I'm genuinely (if angrily) asking these, because I literally cannot conceive of a way in which 'OH THIS GUY'S AZEM' does anything at all positive or interesting for the character you heap that on, and I'm kind of annoyed that some people seem to think it's a mandatory element for some reason. It's not really a problem with you, it's a constant thing that I see from a lot of people.

Hell, did you get mad when the 6.x story didn't say this for anyone on the Thirteenth, and it was only ambiguously answered in the EE3? Is this truly an essential box that needs checked every time you hear about another shard? And if so, why? Why is this supposedly important, can't characters just be worthwhile and compelling in their own right?

Counter Question: Did it not matter that Ardbert was an Azem shard?

There were things only Ardbert could do as a reflection of the WoL, and him being one made the relationship he had with us more meaningful. It's like meeting a long lost brother or sister.
Of course people would be excited to see more of them; how is that even something to get confused or irritated by? Especially now that Azem's key is a major focus in the story, the fate and legacy of Azem is more relevant than ever.