The Void: Bungle or Gamble?

[LineageRazor]

Ever since we learned that Hydaelyn would be working to stop the advance of the Flood of Light on the First Shard, an idea has been percolating in the back of my mind. It's finally formed a shape that I think I can articulate, and I was wondering what folks here would think.

We know that the loss of the Thirteenth Shard to the Void is considered to be Igeyorhm's great failure. She pressed her agenda too energetically, the Balance of Light and Darkness shifted too to quickly toward the latter, one-time heroes wielded the power of Primals and were twisted in body and mind, and the chaos of it all ushered in the great Flood of Darkness that tore the Shard apart, leaving only the Void and the aether-thirsty remnants of those who'd once lived upon it.

We know that it was a failure, but lately I've started to wonder if it was a deliberate and calculated move on Igeyorhm's part. We know (or, at least, it is implied) that Hydaelyn can slow or stop a Flood of Light - but is there anything she can do about a Flood of Darkness? Presuming she cannot tend to Darkness like she could Light, it seems logical that the one who COULD would be Zodiark.

That, I think, was Igeyorhm's plan. Zodiark had only very recently been imprisoned, Hydaelyn was at or near the height of her power, so the odds were very much against the Ascians at that point. The worlds post-Sundering were relatively new, not yet two millennia old. Igeyorhm decided on her own initiative that she wasn't interested in the long game that the other Ascians were playing, and decided to force Hydaelyn to release Zodiark NOW, by creating a crisis only Zodiark could avert: A Flood of Darkness. Hydaelyn would be forced to either free Zodiark, or allow the world to fall to ruin.

Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on the fact that Hydaelyn had become attached to the new life that flourished on these new worlds. While Hydaelyn did not want to see a world destroyed, neither was she willing to sacrifice all the rest of the worlds to stop it. She empowered Unukalhai to try, but it was far too little, far too late. Igeyorhm, too, was unable to stop the ball she'd started rolling, and that was that.

I'm sure that, had it worked, the other Ascians would have applauded her bold move - but since it didn't she was marked as incompetent, and her failure catastrophic.

What do folks think of the idea that the Flood of Darkness was a calculated move on Igeyorhm's part?

[ObsidianFire]

I don't think it was calculated. In fact, I have a sneaky suspicion that before the Flood of Darkness happened, the Ascians were not aware that "too much darkness" was even something they had to consider when trying to cause Rejoinings. The 13th Shard would have been the first Shard to be Flooded with Darkness since it had more darkness in it then the other Shards did to begin with.

I also think it's significant that it is not Hydaelyn herself that stopped or slowed down the Flood of Light on the 1st Shard. It was Minfillia acting as Hydaelyn's Emissary who did that. To me, it indicates that it probably should have been Elidibus' job to deal with the Flood of Darkness on the 13 Shard and that for some reason he decided not to stop it. Weather that was because he didn't know how to or didn't want to is up for debate. We do know that he was aware of the Flood as he was the one to "save" Unakalhai. I really hope why he chose to "save" a WoL and not save the Shard gets addressed in ShB since the Ascians would also have benefited from the Shard not being Flooded.

[MrThinker]

...should have been Elidibus' job to deal with the Flood of Darkness on the 13 Shard and that for some reason he decided not to stop it. Weather that was because he didn't know how to or didn't want to is up for debate. We do know that he was aware of the Flood as he was the one to "save" Unakalhai. I really hope why he chose to "save" a WoL and not save the Shard gets addressed in ShB since the Ascians would also have benefited from the Shard not being Flooded.

My gut instinct is that he let it happen on purpose to enforce his importance to the other ascians, and consolidate his position as 'someone whose advice we should listen to'.

As for Unulkalhai, he was just a useful pawn he got in the bargain.

[SuperFlorinjin]

I also think it's significant that it is not Hydaelyn herself that stopped or slowed down the Flood of Light on the 1st Shard. It was Minfillia acting as Hydaelyn's Emissary who did that. To me, it indicates that it probably should have been Elidibus' job to deal with the Flood of Darkness on the 13 Shard and that for some reason he decided not to stop it.

The impression I got was that Hydaelyn couldn't stop the Flood of Light because she needed a conduit, which Minfillia headed over to the First to act as. So even if Elidibus was needed in the same manner to stop the Flood of Darkness, he wouldn't have been able to because Zodiark is locked up.

[SannaR]

Or just maybe Hydaelyn and Zodiark really know what the states are on the shards. To me it feels like at least on Hydaelyn's side of things didn't know how bad it was on the first, but that might be because of how weak she has become. My head cannon is that until they learned a flood doesn't allow a shard to rejoin is that Zodiark just didn't care and might not still. Since everything we know seems to point at him being a jealous very angry jerk. As right now no one has told us why him becoming free is a good thing for anyone except for Zodiark.

[LineageRazor]

I have a sneaky suspicion that before the Flood of Darkness happened, the Ascians were not aware that "too much darkness" was even something they had to consider when trying to cause Rejoinings.

I had considered this possibility - but if this is the case, why is Igeyorhm being punished? If none of them had any inkling that a Flood could happen until it did, it's not really logical to hold her accountable for what happened. Then again, I suppose logic might not be a part of it. They may just have wanted a scapegoat.

The impression I got was that Hydaelyn couldn't stop the Flood of Light because she needed a conduit, which Minfillia headed over to the First to act as. So even if Elidibus was needed in the same manner to stop the Flood of Darkness, he wouldn't have been able to because Zodiark is locked up.

This would mesh with my theory; whether an emissary is required as a conduit, or whether Zodiark could handle it personally, in either case a solution wasn't available as long as Zodiark was imprisioned. Igeyorhm could have been trying to force Hydaelyn's hand to free Zodiark, so that he could empower Elidibus to stop the Flood.

Or, if we assume that the act of freeing Zodiark would necessarily undo the Sundering, the Thirteenth could be salvaged in that way, as well. If it was reabsorbed into the Source, the Flood would no longer be a problem. (Essentially, the same solution the Warriors of Darkness were looking for with the First Shard.)

Either way, Zodiark is free, and the Ascians victorious. Too bad Hydaelyn didn't want to play along...