The State of the Ascians (Assume Spoilers as of TODAY)

[WhiteArchmage]

I think it will become problematic and I am hyped. I keep thinking about some point where Moenbrydah relays that she finally understands (something) before she dies. And Urianger is very comforted by that. But not sure what that means.

I so want to use my golden tablets as Dionysus/Persephone and summon my new old ween-woon bros and have a final meal with them while we kill gods and alien spaceships thank you.

She finally understands why Louisiox left her. She mentioned previously that she wondered why Louisiox had hand-picked the students that followed him to Eorzea and left Sharlayan, and left her in the dark; why he would abandon everything for a backwater region that couldn't even consider uniting against a common threat. She felt hurt by his actions, but she realized that he did it to protect her, because anyone who followed him would be a pariah in Sharlayan society; at the end, she realized it was self-sacrifice Louisoix was doing, he just loved Eorzea that much (or at least had enough of a sense of Duty). Urianger was comforted because at least she didn't die thinking she had been abandoned.

More on topic: I'm very much intrigued about our remaining Ascians. Especially Altima, who has the potential to be either one of the most interesting Ascians or the least developed, and that's counting Deudalaphon not appearing AT ALL outside of the convocation crystal name-dropping him. Bringing stuff from other games: Hashmal (the Leo Lucavi) orchestrated the entire plot to bring back Ultima, so I wouldn't discount Fandaniel (the Leo Ascian) being backstabbed by Altima at the last second.

I won't count on it, but I won't discount it, either.

[Dawn_FF14]

As of 5.55, this is still the case, and we still haven't told any of our friends so far that we are part of this collective and entrusted with the responsibility to eventually reunite the convocation. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

I really love the idea of secrecy about multiple group memberships. Who we open up about this to is going to be really interesting. It feels like we are on equal footing to Urianger's secrecy at this point.

Do you think we “read” each of those memory crystals before handing them to Elidibus? I think we did.

I was surprised when I saw our PC kneeling down and giving the crystals to Elidibus. It would make more sense if we’ve read them and wanted him to remember too.

Well, we are good at keeping secrets. Did we tell anyone about Ardbert besides Seto?

[Vindenak]

As of 5.55, this is still the case, and we still haven't told any of our friends so far that we are part of this collective and entrusted with the responsibility to eventually reunite the convocation. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!.

It's very clearly implied that we told them off-camera when Urianger explains his theory on Azem/Azeyma/Azim after the 5.3 MSQ because the only way he could know about Azem is if we told him

[Cleretic]

Do you think we “read” each of those memory crystals before handing them to Elidibus? I think we did.

I was surprised when I saw our PC kneeling down and giving the crystals to Elidibus. It would make more sense if we’ve read them and wanted him to remember too.

Well, we are good at keeping secrets. Did we tell anyone about Ardbert besides Seto?

I think giving the crystals to Elidibus served two purposes, given they disappear into the Tower with him. Granted, I'm not sure if the WoL is canonically smart enough to think of both (not a dig at the WoL, they just aren't exactly depicted as the Scions' idea guy):

1. A way of granting a bit of psychological peace at death for a person who... I'm gonna be honest, did nothing to deserve it, but apparently the WoL is more forgiving of that than me.

2. Disposal. Those crystals disappeared into the Tower with Elidibus, and can be presumed lost. Which is good, because that's the way Ascians have been returned to 'active duty' in all but one very-near-case, and generally speaking you want less omnicidal megalomaniacs rather than more.

Presuming those crystals were the real ones (and there's nothing to suggest they weren't other than 'well, that was a real dumb thing to give us'), disposing of them with Elidibus was the best way to ensure the Ascian problem essentially has a 'cap' put on it; without a way to replenish their numbers, they will eventually all be dead and gone, or at least the ones willing to act are. It's possible someone like Pashtarot has something resembling self-preservation and just isn't gonna go rattling a saber anytime soon now that nobody can bring them back.

[SentioftheHoukai]

1. A way of granting a bit of psychological peace at death for a person who... I'm gonna be honest, did nothing to deserve it, but apparently the WoL is more forgiving of that than me.

Well, that's a disturbing thing to hear. Nobody needs to "earn" the right to be treated with respect upon their death, death is largely sacrosanct amongst the various civilized cultures. The ones that do not practice it don't bear thinking about. It is incredibly disheartening to hear such a thing, what's next? Need we begin to start executing wrongdoers utilizing methods that cause as much pain and misery as possible? The Inquisition and it's methods ought to stay in the past, anything less is unthinkable. Don't pay evil unto evil.

[dreamfisher]

Well, that's a disturbing thing to hear.

Even on a less serious note, I personally find the game — and, mind you all, it is a game, full of fictional characters and impossible scenarios — to be a lot more enjoyable when I actually bother to acknowledge nuance, rather than refuse it.
Though... Maybe that's not for everyone.

As long as they remember it's a game, I think it's fine to let people express whatever cherry-picked hatred/disgust they'd like.
Or, conversely, I think it's fine to let people shower their favourite characters with whatever cherry-picked adoration they'd like.

My only request is that people keep this attitude within the confines of the game and its characters, rather than attacking one another for liking/disliking what they like/dislike.

Edit: As I am wont to do, I'd like to append something of relevance.

We can speculate on the state of any given Ascian's memories (or at least the unsundereds' memories of said Ascians), but I'm much more curious about their souls. If we obliterate a sundered soul, does that mean that the remaining shards would never be able to be whole again?
In an alternate reality in which the Ascians succeed and the worlds are rejoined, is it believed that Nabriales/Igeyorhm would simply remain incomplete?

[Iscah]

Well, that's a disturbing thing to hear. Nobody needs to "earn" the right to be treated with respect upon their death, death is largely sacrosanct amongst the various civilized cultures. The ones that do not practice it don't bear thinking about. It is incredibly disheartening to hear such a thing, what's next? Need we begin to start executing wrongdoers utilizing methods that cause as much pain and misery as possible? The Inquisition and it's methods ought to stay in the past, anything less is unthinkable. Don't pay evil unto evil.

There is a vast difference between "disrespecting the dead" or inflicting deliberate torture on people versus simply not agreeing to carry out your enemy's dying wish.

You are assuming malice far beyond what was said in the post you quoted.

[Cleretic]

There is a vast difference between "disrespecting the dead" or inflicting deliberate torture on people versus simply not agreeing to carry out your enemy's dying wish.

You are assuming malice far beyond what was said in the post you quoted.

Yeah, this isn't really malice on my part. In my book, while you absolutely don't need to earn respect being given upon your death, you can absolutely lose right to it, and at this stage in their lives, the Ascians absolutely have. That doesn't mean I'll look for their graves to throw a party about smashing the headstone, but when the majority of their deeds in life consisted of making lives worse or outright ending them, they don't really deserve the good graces they gave nobody else.

[Kaliesto]

Are the Devs. telling us that these other Ascians were just a fever dream at this point? Because the Ascian Storyline is pretty much over, but there was still Lesser Ascians unaccounted for and some didn't even have names.

I kind don't like them ignoring loose ends like this unless Gaius defeated them off screen somewhere.

[iheartlove42]

Are the Devs. telling us that these other Ascians were just a fever dream at this point? Because the Ascian Storyline is pretty much over, but there was still Lesser Ascians unaccounted for and some didn't even have names.

I kind don't like them ignoring loose ends like this unless Gaius defeated them off screen somewhere.

I think we can safely assume they have been killed by people like Gauis. Or they killed themselves with the Tolophoroi.