Calamities explained

[Naria]

Just because an Ascian post could be refilled, doesn't mean that an Ascian wasn't killed. The WoL has killed three Ascians in the MSQ, and is partially responsible for Lahabrea's death, since he weakened him to such an extent that he was powerless to resist Thordan. More Ascians added to the belt loop if you do the SMN line, as already said.

As for how folk are raised to the station, I imagine it would involve selecting a suitable, powerful individual with The Echo, and then bringing them before Elidibus so they may be tempered by Zodiark or bestowed the knowledge and power that befits their station.

I suppose the disagreement is a matter of semantics. I don't view any shard's destruction as the same as the death of that Ascian. True death or destruction, I mean. Even if that shard is completely destroyed, the rest of that soul is still intact and it has been at best been further maimed (unless that was the very last shard). Unless destroying one shard destroys them all (maybe it does?) then only that particular aspect/shard of the Asican is gone. I mean say Ardbert's shard was killed via a blade of light, unless that act killed the player character and the other 5 shards as well, the Ascian/Amaurotine soul that they originally were would still be existent.

Edit:
If destroying one shard destroys them all, however, you'd think that the Ascian's would have weaponized that in their own favor against Warriors of Light. Hmm this is getting into a bunch of metaphysics that the game hasn't really explained yet.

[Vyrerus]

I suppose the disagreement is a matter of semantics. I don't view any shard's destruction as the same as the death of that Ascian. True death or destruction, I mean. Even if that shard is completely destroyed, the rest of that soul is still intact and it has been at best been further maimed (unless that was the very last shard). Unless destroying one shard destroys them all (maybe it does?) then only that particular aspect/shard of the Asican is gone. I mean say Ardbert's shard was killed via a blade of light, unless that act killed the player character and the other 5 shards as well, the Ascian/Amaurotine soul that they originally were would still be existent.

Edit:
If destroying one shard destroys them all, however, you'd think that the Ascian's would have weaponized that in their own favor against Warriors of Light. Hmm this is getting into a bunch of metaphysics that the game hasn't really explained yet.

When we kill Nabriales, we do not know which shard he hails from, just that he is not of The Source. He alludes to the fact that the shard based Ascians could not come to The Source prior to us losing our Blessing of Light. This implies that they had no Source counterpart for the unsundered to raise up, meaning that all that or most of what was left of their original soul was with their shard body. Of course, nothing is certain, because this idea that all souls are split across the 14 worlds just in different bodies with different minds is so relatively new. I often wonder if they remember or review their old plot points as they wrote Shadowbringers.

Of course, we are shown black masked Ascians on The Source which raises many questions. Though it's probably easily answered as nobodies who were raised to basically be Ascian servants/henchmen. I suspect that the Convocation shard members are chosen and raised up from shards that constitute the majority of the soul in question, for in my mind, it is possible that the souls were sundered unevenly. For example, perhaps no portion of certain souls reside on the 3rd, 4th, or 5th shard, but there are soul portions on every other shard, with those 3 missing ones all being constituted on one of the other shards or The Source.

[Veloran]

Nabriales doesn't say he was blocked from coming to the Source, he says he was blocked from entering the Rising Stones. In some ways that makes less sense, but no, sundered Ascians seem to come and go from the Source as they please.

[Ilenya]

The question I want to pose is why have they seemingly sped up their plans so much since the 7th Calamity? Could the 8th Calamity really be all that is needed for Zodiark to get enough power to dethrone Hydelyan, if so it would explain their haste for it.

I know this is a tad late and may have been pointed out, but I feel like the Ascian's haste isn't so much "We're having issues, we need to hurry" and more "Oh hey, we don't need to wait for everything to rebuild this time, sweet!"

[Vyrerus]

Nabriales doesn't say he was blocked from coming to the Source, he says he was blocked from entering the Rising Stones. In some ways that makes less sense, but no, sundered Ascians seem to come and go from the Source as they please.

Nabriales's exact dialogue:

"The Blessing of Light kept you and your fellow meddlers safe. It was that which prevented my kind from entering your domain."

"My kind, I say, though it had no power over the likes of Elidibus and Lahabrea. Being of this world, they could come and go as they please, while I could only look on..."

Maybe it's different in the JP text, but in English it conveys that he's talking about the realm at large.

[MrThinker]

Nabriales's exact dialogue:

"The Blessing of Light kept you and your fellow meddlers safe. It was that which prevented my kind from entering your domain."

"My kind, I say, though it had no power over the likes of Elidibus and Lahabrea. Being of this world, they could come and go as they please, while I could only look on..."

Maybe it's different in the JP text, but in English it conveys that he's talking about the realm at large.

Remember that Nabriales was already on the Source BEFORE Midgardsormr stripped us of the blessing. It is implied he was the one who taught Ysayle how to summon Shiva, and he is seen after our battle with her observing from a distance.
Not to mention how we first encounter him face to face: He is literally ghosting us in Northern Thanalan and only when we confront him does he notice "Oh, hey you don't have the Blessing of Light anymore. Cool, I can now enter your base and steal magical macguffin exhibit A for my plans."

So even though the English text may seem like it is implying 'world' when it says 'domain', in context, it literally just means 'The place you consider your home".

[Vyrerus]

Remember that Nabriales was already on the Source BEFORE Midgardsormr stripped us of the blessing. It is implied he was the one who taught Ysayle how to summon Shiva, and he is seen after our battle with her observing from a distance.

Judging by what he says, it is possible that Lahabrea gave him a way to come to The Source. In the first cutscene with Moenbryda in Northern Thanalan he says, "I suffered the overweening presence of Lahabrea that men might host the power of gods, only for you to undo my hard work."

It's quite possible, similar to how Elidibus gives Ardbert and co. a method to move from a Shard to the Source that the same is done for Shard based Ascians. Though, honestly, it's all a mess. I still don't know if they're ever gonna mention why Ascians no longer use Crystals of Darkness for body possession and the like.

My assumption is that when we beat Nabriales he restates that he may return everyday, for as long as it takes now that the Blessing is undone. He's also shown to immediately return from the rift in that same cutscene. To reconstitute a body without taking a physical host, even. While it is set within the Rising Stones, why would the building itself reject Ascians because we have The Blessing? By that logic, any building we've been in would be sealed to them, and that is incredibly silly.

[MrThinker]

Judging by what he says, it is possible that Lahabrea gave him a way to come to The Source. In the first cutscene with Moenbryda in Northern Thanalan he says, "I suffered the overweening presence of Lahabrea that men might host the power of gods, only for you to undo my hard work."

It's quite possible, similar to how Elidibus gives Ardbert and co. a method to move from a Shard to the Source that the same is done for Shard based Ascians. Though, honestly, it's all a mess. I still don't know if they're ever gonna mention why Ascians no longer use Crystals of Darkness for body possession and the like.

My assumption is that when we beat Nabriales he restates that he may return everyday, for as long as it takes now that the Blessing is undone. He's also shown to immediately return from the rift in that same cutscene. To reconstitute a body without taking a physical host, even. While it is set within the Rising Stones, why would the building itself reject Ascians because we have The Blessing? By that logic, any building we've been in would be sealed to them, and that is incredibly silly.

See edited statement. Also, suffering "the overweening presence" reads to me as "I needed his help to get my plans realized even if I didnt want his help", rather than "he helped me arrive on this world". As for when he returned after his physical body was killed, that was in his spiritual form, not a physical one, which is why it could be bound to an auracite. As for why the building itself would reject Ascians; it isn't, it is a magical protection set over the building by the Blessing of Light because our character considers it 'home'. Think how Voldemort was unable to kill Harry at the Dursely's because of the magical protection residing over his 'home'.

[Vyrerus]

See edited statement. Also, suffering "the overweening presence" reads to me as "I needed his help to get my plans realized even if I didnt want his help", rather than "he helped me arrive on this world". As for when he returned after his physical body was killed, that was in his spiritual form, not a physical one, which is why it could be bound to an auracite. As for why the building itself would reject Ascians; it isn't, it is a magical protection set over the building by the Blessing of Light because our character considers it 'home'. Think how Voldemort was unable to kill Harry at the Dursely's because of the magical protection residing over his 'home'.

I think you mistake his intent on going to the Rising Stones once he realizes we don't have the Blessing as being that he couldn't access the building... for a thereto unforeseen and never again a plot point reason. It makes much more sense if he realized he could now no longer have to worry about Lahabrea or Elidibus shepherding him into a new body on The Source, and allowing him to take part in their plans. Rather, he could fulfill his own ambitions, which is what he is excited to start doing. He detests Lahabera's presence, because he has to kowtow somewhat, since he's only capable of being on The Source until the seal of the Blessing break by Lahabrea or Elidibus's auspices.

As for his new body being his spirit form, sure but it was something Ascians were said to be unable to do without Crystals of Darkness, manifest a body of any kind.

As for the Harry Potter reference, I don't think that's what was going on here at all.

[MrThinker]

I think you mistake his intent on going to the Rising Stones once he realizes we don't have the Blessing as being that he couldn't access the building... for a thereto unforeseen and never again a plot point reason. It makes much more sense if he realized he could now no longer have to worry about Lahabrea or Elidibus shepherding him into a new body on The Source, and allowing him to take part in their plans. Rather, he could fulfill his own ambitions, which is what he is excited to start doing. He detests Lahabera's presence, because he has to kowtow somewhat, since he's only capable of being on The Source until the seal of the Blessing break by Lahabrea or Elidibus's auspices.

Then by this definition, they could have easily done this during times when a person with the Blessing did not exist, i.e. any time before ARR, because the WoL is literally the only person to have a fully powered Blessing.

As for his new body being his spirit form, sure but it was something Ascians were said to be unable to do without Crystals of Darkness, manifest a body of any kind.

I am certain the crystal of darkness was stated to be to how they possess people, rather than manifest a body of any kind.

As for the Harry Potter reference, I don't think that's what was going on here at all.

And in the end, this is what it comes down to, a matter of interpretation, because nowhere else in the story does it imply that the Blessing prevented the other Ascians from journeying to the Source. Nowhere is it stated that the Ascians relied on Lahabrea and Elidibus on providing them hosts to be funneled into to exist on the Source. We can only hope that the other languages carry a more clear meaning, or that this was answered somewhere else.