The Reasoning behind The Sundering? (*6.0 Endwalker Spoilers*)

[Rannie]

In-game text explicitly states that Hydaelyn was in part to blame for the Flood as well, albeit unintentionally.

Where does it state that? Curious because I don't remember it saying that. I do remember her saying she couldn't help the first to stop the flood...

[Rosenstrauch]

Where does it state that? Curious because I don't remember it saying that. I do remember her saying she couldn't help the first to stop the flood...

Off the top of my head, the only place that even implicitly linked Hydaelyn to the Flood of Light was back in Heavensward, when Ardbert was explaining how his friends' heroic actions led to the Flood of Light consuming their world. Even back then, it was entirely vague as to what sort of heroics they actually did, and the connection between "being too heroic" and "the Flood of Light consuming all" was not explored in the slightest.

Fast-forward to Shadowbringers, where we learned that Ardbert caused the Flood of Light by failing to kill two Ascians with one Blade of Light, leading to the survivor (Mitron) being turned into the first Sin Eater, while also having Ardbert's will burned into him as a consequence of how umbral/light corruption works (this is also partially the basis for tempering, natch). That will was "Banish the Darkness", an order given to him—much like the WoL—by Hydaelyn herself.

We can't say for sure that Ardbert wouldn't have tried the same thing if Hydaelyn had instructed him better. But "Banish the Darkness" will always be a boneheaded order when coming from someone who doesn't want that to happen because it'll spell the end of life on Etheirys. But if she had ever said she didn't see the Flood of Light coming, well, to quote G1 Megatron, "You are either lying, or you're stupid."

[Rannie]

Then we can't say that it was explicitly stated then, unless someone can direct us to the exact statement ^_^

[Vyrerus]

Off the top of my head, the only place that even implicitly linked Hydaelyn to the Flood of Light was back in Heavensward, when Ardbert was explaining how his friends' heroic actions led to the Flood of Light consuming their world. Even back then, it was entirely vague as to what sort of heroics they actually did, and the connection between "being too heroic" and "the Flood of Light consuming all" was not explored in the slightest.

Fast-forward to Shadowbringers, where we learned that Ardbert caused the Flood of Light by failing to kill two Ascians with one Blade of Light, leading to the survivor (Mitron) being turned into the first Sin Eater, while also having Ardbert's will burned into him as a consequence of how umbral/light corruption works (this is also partially the basis for tempering, natch). That will was "Banish the Darkness", an order given to him—much like the WoL—by Hydaelyn herself.

We can't say for sure that Ardbert wouldn't have tried the same thing if Hydaelyn had instructed him better. But "Banish the Darkness" will always be a boneheaded order when coming from someone who doesn't want that to happen because it'll spell the end of life on Etheirys. But if she had ever said she didn't see the Flood of Light coming, well, to quote G1 Megatron, "You are either lying, or you're stupid."

Fast forward to Endwalker, and we learn she knew about the Flood but had to let it play out, in order to fulfill predestination.

STARRRRSCREEEAAAAAAM!!!!!!!!

[Rannie]

Fast forward to Endwalker, and we learn she knew about the Flood but had to let it play out, in order to fulfill predestination.

STARRRRSCREEEAAAAAAM!!!!!!!!

Eh i dont know if that could be completely said though we don't actually know if she tried or not. She did say she couldn't stop it and that could be taken either way with what we know. That also leans away from unintentional to it being completely intentional on her part and that, I would be readily to admit, to be kupo'd up. *shrugs* maybe we'll get some more info during the letter... maybe... perhaps?

[Cleretic]

It's kinda ridiculous to throw stones at her for not stopping the Flood of Light, given that's the only time we can confirm that she did stop a Calamity. It was set in motion in part by the Ascians taking advantage of her, sure (although the story pretty directly paralleling the fall of the Thirteenth suggests they didn't need that), but the Flood didn't totally take the shard because of her intervention, and she helped us in the Hades fight that ended in actually eliminating the threat of the final axe-drop.

In fact, maybe the lesson to learn from this one is actually that stopping a Calamity is really hard, and that maybe the reason she didn't stop all those others was because it's so difficult that the only time she succeeded was when there was one hell of a star alignment.

[EaraGrace]

Off the top of my head, the only place that even implicitly linked Hydaelyn to the Flood of Light was back in Heavensward, when Ardbert was explaining how his friends' heroic actions led to the Flood of Light consuming their world. Even back then, it was entirely vague as to what sort of heroics they actually did, and the connection between "being too heroic" and "the Flood of Light consuming all" was not explored in the slightest.

Fast-forward to Shadowbringers, where we learned that Ardbert caused the Flood of Light by failing to kill two Ascians with one Blade of Light, leading to the survivor (Mitron) being turned into the first Sin Eater, while also having Ardbert's will burned into him as a consequence of how umbral/light corruption works (this is also partially the basis for tempering, natch). That will was "Banish the Darkness", an order given to him—much like the WoL—by Hydaelyn herself.

We can't say for sure that Ardbert wouldn't have tried the same thing if Hydaelyn had instructed him better. But "Banish the Darkness" will always be a boneheaded order when coming from someone who doesn't want that to happen because it'll spell the end of life on Etheirys. But if she had ever said she didn't see the Flood of Light coming, well, to quote G1 Megatron, "You are either lying, or you're stupid."

The difficulty is that the Ascians were actively manipulating things on the First to bring about the Rejoining. If Venat knew that a Flood would occur, and that doing nothing would not stop it as without opposition the Ascians would succeed, then there’s not really many options. This combined with the fact that by the time Ardbert and company become adventurers she’s already been weakened by Ultima and thus is unable to warn them.

So she’s left with two options. Don’t give crystals and leave the heroes of the First to their own devices, which would leave them defenseless against the Ascians, or give the crystals and have hope they’ll find a way to avoid the Flood. The latter actually worked at first, but unfortunately Ardberts blade of light tempered Mitron and shifted things violently and suddenly, giving rise to the Flood and the Sin Eaters.

[Absimiliard]

and she helped us in the Hades fight that ended in actually eliminating the threat of the final axe-drop.

She actually didn't. We instead burned through all the light we'd absorbed from the Lightwardens over the course of the adventure, which was enabled via Ardbert willingly rejoining his soul - or rather the fragment of Azem's soul he represented - with the larger "whole" from the Source.

Well, I suppose one could technically say she helped in the form of her ward protecting the WoL from having their aether fouled too badly by all that light, although it's implied to be as much because of the WoL's own ridiculous power as it is Hydaelyn's "blessing."

[Jandor]

She actually didn't. We instead burned through all the light we'd absorbed from the Lightwardens over the course of the adventure, which was enabled via Ardbert willingly rejoining his soul - or rather the fragment of Azem's soul he represented - with the larger "whole" from the Source.

Well, I suppose one could technically say she helped in the form of her ward protecting the WoL from having their aether fouled too badly by all that light, although it's implied to be as much because of the WoL's own ridiculous power as it is Hydaelyn's "blessing."

Something can need two things, it would not have been possible to absorb the light without the blessing.

Just a chunky soul alone would have likely resulted in the WoL turning into an extra thicc Lightwarden after the first, maaaaybe the second, boss, and a fully sundered soul would likely have fractured after the first Warden, even with the blessing.

The blessing was mentioned so much and so explicitly, that I'm not really sure why the writers went with primals instead of lightwardens when we meet Venat in Elpis. Even Hades rages about the blessing in the final fight, 'Has the Wardens' Light won free!? No... Damn you... Damn your wretched blessing!'

[Absimiliard]

The individual I was responding to appeared to be implying direct intervention on Venat's part, which she did not offer. Her ward did the work. That said, again, I do repeat that it is implied the strength of the WoL's soul heavily influenced the outcome, perhaps as much as the ward did. Perhaps more.