Source vs Shard lore question

[Kesey]

I think Emet was exaggerating how much difference it makes. He says everything is divided, strength, stamina, intelligence, etc. but that's very clearly not actually the case, at least in so far as the 7/14 of the Source and the 1/14 of the First are concerned.

I think there may be a link between strength and soul, but not in a direct 'getting an extra shard gives your Fire IV more potency' sort of way.
I picture it as the soul being the pilot and the body is the means by which the soul physically interacts with the world. A sundered soul probably isn't strong enough to wield the powerful nigh immortal form of the Ancients, hence why they didn't survive the sundering. The other side of that though is that a strong soul piloting a mortal frame is still stuck with the limits of the mortal body they're inhabiting.

I'm not sure this is outright stated, but I always took it as power to use creation magic and plot related heroics. The practical stats just don't apply.

[Jandor]

I'm not sure this is outright stated, but I always took it as power to use creation magic and plot related heroics. The practical stats just don't apply.

Plot related heroics maybe, but as far as I can recall we can't use any creation magic at all, even at 7 out of 14. I can't remember the exact quest, but I remember one of the shades in Amaurot being slightly alarmed that you show zero potential whatsoever when even a new born should show some limited ability.

I'd guess that creation magic is a distinct 'thing' that is innate to Ancient physiology, in the same way that not being able to use any magic at all is innate to the Garleans. Unless getting a certain amount of soul shards causes you to suddenly change species I expect we'll never be able to use it, not the true original version of it anyway.

Although given how magic works in this setting, with enough aether and sufficient skill a practitioner of modern magic would probably be almost indistinguishable from a creation magic user anyway.