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

[Sicno]

I didn't follow the entire line of this but the Ancients knew about dynamis. Hyth mentions it. He says it constitutes a certain percentage of the universe. It's a similar percentage of the real life amount of dark energy in our universe so I think one of the writers was low key making a science joke.

Hythlo and Emet were in the dark about it, and when further questioning about why they've never heard of it (it's a lot weaker than aether and is impractical) and then why bother about it Hermes provided those numbers.

And yeah this argument has been going for a while but I'll try to recap: the original argument was that if the ancients had known about Meteion and that dynamis was the key for the Final Days they could have solved it but Venat held that info from them. Then someone argued that no, that because neither Emet nor Hythlo ever heard about dynamis and because of their stations that outrules other researchers from existing, so that means only Hermes-senpai was sugoi enough to do it and since he later sat in the Convocation that would have prevented Venat from convincing them of anything, he'd work against her. To which I replied that no, they mention it IS known to a small number of scholars, and that the obscurity of its knowledge could be attributed to impracticality so they would have pursued that knowledge as a mere hobby and that would explain why no entelechies were ever submitted to the Bureau so that neither Hythlo nor Emet know of the concept. But that if it was known that dynamis was the key they could have researched it more seriously, no longer as a mere hobby but as something vital for their survival and getting more people involved in such research. And the conversation has spiraled around that, trying to prove or disprove the possibility.

[Kozh]

So that means even herself could have somewhat helped if she had really intended to instead of sitting on her high horse, instead of becoming a 2nd judge in the "judgment of humanity".

It feels like pre-Kairos Venat and post-Kairi Venat are written for different story direction. During the Hermes boss fight in Ktisis, she said "this world (the Ancients) is not perfect, but I'm going to save it, warts and all". Not too mention the "there's nothing impossible". Meanwhile after kairos, Venat basically went "you know what, nevermind that lol."

Did he one day wake up and came up with all of that on his own?

That's the power of being the writer's favorite character.

[Teraq]

Did he one day wake up and came up with all of that on his own?

Yes, and because he's such a kooky scientist he never took any notes that could be used by anyone to reproduce his experiments.

So that means even herself could have somewhat helped if she had really intended to instead of sitting on her high horse, instead of becoming a 2nd judge in the "judgment of humanity".

You know what really bothers me about the level 89 trial, other than everything about it? It's the fact that she's judging us for being worthy of taking on Meteion or not, but we're talking about a being of pure Dynamis here and Venat is an Ancient Hydaelyn is an elder primal made of Ancients. How is fighting you technically supposed to test us for this?

Eric certainly doesn't seem to be him. I think the NPC who gives you the quest is a better candidate, for being his sundered fragment, maybe. As for Themis? He is not donning a red mask, but he is donning the robes of an Emissary, so I wonder if he's perhaps working for something like the Words of Elidibus, assuming such exists. Once he's joined the Convocation he gets to know Lahabrea personally, so everything thus far suggests it's before then.

Yeah, I found the Sharlayan scientist to be way too knowledgeable about Ancients and ridiculously excited about everything, there's something going on here, I'm thinking he's a reincarnation of Eric.

The thing about Themis and the timeline that bothers me the most is that tidbit about Azem cryptically telling him about, seemingly, our coming. But this plot point is really vague for now so there isn't much solid ground to go on, here. I had interpreted it as the Pandaemonium events happening after Elpis because Azem seems to know about their time-traveling sundered self somehow, but also this whole thing could just be down to Themis interpreting Azem's bullshit as "well I guess it's got to be you".

As for Themis himself in the hypothesis that this happens after Elpis and that he is therefore already Elidibus (as Hythlo mentions the volcano incident in the MSQ), I had just figured he was shamelessly Clark Kenting his way into a restricted facility like, fake white mask, possibly a Groucho glasses-nose-moustache combo as well. I mean, if we're going with Ancients being kinda dumb and naive, might as well go all the way!

[TaleraRistain]

Yeah, I found the Sharlayan scientist to be way too knowledgeable about Ancients and ridiculously excited about everything, there's something going on here, I'm thinking he's a reincarnation of Eric.

Me too. They have the same eyes.

As to the Azem thing, given what we know of Azem it's entirely possible Themis was just like "Yep, that's Azem again"

Though there's a wild theory out there called the Infinite Azem theory where we managed to become a fully rejoined Azem and go back into the past to become our own Azem, lol.

I think Azem just either has true future sight or somehow we're all connected so they can get flashes or senses or whatever about their different future shards. Hopefully this isn't just a throwaway point and will get some further exposition down the line.

[Teraq]

As to the Azem thing, given what we know of Azem it's entirely possible Themis was just like "Yep, that's Azem again"

Azem just keeps bullshitting Themis on every mission they do together and this is the one single time it came true by complete happenstance, poor Themis

[Lauront]

As for Themis himself in the hypothesis that this happens after Elpis and that he is therefore already Elidibus (as Hythlo mentions the volcano incident in the MSQ), I had just figured he was shamelessly Clark Kenting his way into a restricted facility like, fake white mask, possibly a Groucho glasses-nose-moustache combo as well. I mean, if we're going with Ancients being kinda dumb and naive, might as well go all the way!

I don't buy that they are (more so the writing is just bizarre because it's trying to tie together so many competing plot points), but I think if they were going to have him disguise himself, the white robes also stand out, so it seems like an oversight not to have those swapped as well, but perhaps there's a reason for this like I mentioned.

[TaleraRistain]

Azem just keeps bullshitting Themis on every mission they do together and this is the one single time it came true by complete happenstance, poor Themis

I love him but you can definitely say that Themis is very impressionable, especially with those he looks up to.

[TaleraRistain]

I don't buy that they are (more so the writing is just bizarre because it's trying to tie together so many competing plot points), but I think if they were going to have him disguise himself, the white robes also stand out, so it seems like an oversight not to have those swapped as well, but perhaps there's a reason for this like I mentioned.

They could be well aware but humoring him. Pointing out that his disguise didn't work would be like kicking a puppy so they let him innocently think he's fooling them.

[Teraq]

(more so the writing is just bizarre because it's trying to tie together so many competing plot points)

Ah but that's the thing, we are talking about Endwalker!

But yeah the white robes definitely stand out lol. They're supposed to be worn only by Elidibus or someone who has resigned from their public office, though like you I've also headcanoned that there is a Words of Elidibus and that they might wear white robes as well, but as far as I know there's nothing official on this front. And still the NPCs that meet him absolutely do not question who he is or what office he used to hold, even though it's apparently a somewhat rare occurrence.

[Kozh]

You know what really bothers me about the level 89 trial, other than everything about it? It's the fact that she's judging us for being worthy of taking on Meteion or not, but we're talking about a being of pure Dynamis here and Venat is an Ancient Hydaelyn is an elder primal made of Ancients. How is fighting you technically supposed to test us for this?

Well duh, because she knows that outside of special events where dynamis does whatever the story needs it to, dynamis and aether are basically the same. The winner will be the one who could punch harder.