What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Lauront]

I mean, the information we initially got about the third sacrifice was essentially from Emet-Selch, so I guess I have to assume that's what he thought the civil war was about. Soft-hearted as he is, perhaps he was projecting, and truly felt terrible about having to sacrifice those chickens? Heck.

The JP version of the Hyth shade dialogue, coupled with what we know now of Zodiark, strongly suggests they were creations, which yes, would put them in the flora/fauna ballpark by and large. What makes me say this? Well, the primal is said to have seeded new life, and we know that their primary method of introducing new species into the world was creation magicks. As a primal, Zodiark appears readily able to materialise concepts, such as the ones Fandaniel invoked while controlling him. The star, provided they met its criteria, would then imbue them with souls.

There were possibly some potentially sapient creations amongst those, but the star is rather selective about what it sticks souls into and familiars as well as other arcane entities generally did not qualify, barring exceptions (potentially) like Meteion. This is all reading between the lines, but my intuition is that her meeting with the WoL in Elpis (given that this all forms part of a time loop now) may have allowed her to spin/believe in a story whereby certain types of creation, including some familiars could, with (a lot of) guidance, grow sapient and inherit the star, particularly the forebears of the 'beast tribes'. But yes, the combined evidence we now have is strongly suggestive of ensouled creations one way or another, and not ancients, as such. And like others, I suspect it was mostly just something she latched onto as a pretext, as her primary focus was avoiding the fate of the Plenty and the sacrifices could be argued (on her view) to result in that... which was definitely the impression the Anamnesis scenes gives, as well as the answers in the LL Q&A. I don't think the writers saw much of a point of focusing on them, so switched the focus onto the whole "suffering" theme.

In any case, I very much agree that the condition of the souls on the moon adds to the emotional dimension of pressing forward with the sacrifices. Opposition to the plan went from dividing their population to dwindling to her group between Elidibus's emergence and her summoning, and given that he was the primal's heart, one can surmise he was in a position to relay the souls' sentiments. If the post-Elpis fast-forward flashes are any indication of the arguments her faction were making, I think it's clear why they would not get very far, particularly given that she did not share the truth of what was motivating her concerns with them.