The OTHER side effect of the Star Shower (spoilers)

[ICountFrom0]

There's a discussion about the echo, about Hydalin's message (here, think, feel), and how apparently we had it wrong for quite a while.

Notice though, while most people heard her, and some people didn't awaken at all, there was another group.

These others, they felt a deep empty longing.

This feels far more significant then the star shower and the revelation about the echo. It also seems to not be discussed anywhere that I can find.

So, those who awaken are drawn in one of two directions, one to Hydralin, to light, are these others, who feel loss and longing, thus drawn to Zodark, and shadow?

Parts of the lyrics in "To the Edge" feel like they echo this.

Anyway, it all feels so important, but there's so little to say about it.

[Cilia]

It's a matter of collective unconscious. Since souls are recycled through the Lifestream, a lot of people have subconscious memories of the Final Days; however only those who inherited an Ancient's soul that maintained its integrity through the ages and the cycle of souls can actually awaken to the Echo.

So if you've got a mostly intact Ancient's soul you'll awaken to the Echo, if it's been degraded too much you'll just have the feelies, and if you've got a soul born after the Final Days you'll feel and hear nothing at all. (Beyond the starshower itself, which may or may not be illusory.)

[Iscah]

It's a matter of collective unconscious. Since souls are recycled through the Lifestream, a lot of people have subconscious memories of the Final Days; however only those who inherited an Ancient's soul that maintained its integrity through the ages and the cycle of souls can actually awaken to the Echo.

So if you've got a mostly intact Ancient's soul you'll awaken to the Echo, if it's been degraded too much you'll just have the feelies, and if you've got a soul born after the Final Days you'll feel and hear nothing at all. (Beyond the starshower itself, which may or may not be illusory.)

I'm pretty sure that's still speculative. A reasonable conclusion, but not confirmed.

[Cilia]

I'm pretty sure that's still speculative. A reasonable conclusion, but not confirmed.

Point taken, but I doubt they're going to actually explain that unless questions from players are fielded again. (I'll ask like I asked about Raubahn and a cyberarm.) There's no other logical explanation though.

[ICountFrom0]

Could be, it fits, but it also fits that those who have the intact memories, they might connect to Zodark, rather then Hydalin. If the darkness gains a foothold on the first, we will see....

[Rannie]

Honestly even Yshtola during 5.2 speculated that the echo was due to an extreme form of a type of PTSD or something like that left on an Ancients Soul because of the Final Days, but brushed it off as speculation with out any given proof.

[Iscah]

Honestly even Yshtola during 5.2 speculated that the echo was due to an extreme form of a type of PTSD or something like that left on an Ancients Soul because of the Final Days, but brushed it off as speculation with out any given proof.

That half of it seems likely to be the intent, yeah - it's the "people who don't receive the Echo don't have ancient souls" bit that's speculative. We still don't understand enough about the writers' intent of how souls work and whether all/most/few people have ancient souls vs created through some other route.

[Rannie]

That half of it seems likely to be the intent, yeah - it's the "people who don't receive the Echo don't have ancient souls" bit that's speculative. We still don't understand enough about the writers' intent of how souls work and whether all/most/few people have ancient souls vs created through some other route.

True sorry was half tired when. I typed that up

Edit still half tired and need to go to bed that is lol