OG Azem (*SPOILERS*)

[Lucke]

I'm re-watching EW cutscenes and after the Hydaelyn duty she quotes "When the way forward is hidden from the mind's eye, look not to the Invocation, but within yourself". She claims these are the words of the original Azem.

Later on before the final Dungeon, Emet implores us to continue exploring, and consider it our duty as Azem "as he had". I might be reading too far into it, but does that mean Emet was an Azem before he took Emet's seat?

Who was the original Azem, and how many were there before us and Venat?

[Enkidoh]

He wasn't talking about Azem as himself but referencing Azem as being canonically your character (Azem's gender is set to the gender your character is.. and... more spookily... even looks like your character, or at least an Ancient equivelant). So Emet was referring to Azem in the third person (for me he stated "as she had").

As for the 'original' Azem (or any of the Convocation members for that matter), we simply have no idea, other than it's hinted the organisation had been around for a long time - the Elpis quests vaguely allude to the Ancients' civilization as not always being around and that Etheirys was originally an untamed wilderness before they were founded, so there would have been a 'first' or founding member of each seat. But we simply do not know.

The only identities of any other former Convocation members known was Venat being the previous Azem, and Fandaniel's predecessor stepping down which is why Emet was at Elpis in the first place (to gauge Hermes' suitability for the seat), although who the previous Fandaniel was was was never stated (other than like Hermes he was also a former director of Elpis), but other than that, it's simply unknown.

Maybe this is a topic for a future lorebook!

[Geriel]

I believe Emet said it was our duty as the bearer of Azem's crystal. He had it before he gave it to us (through Hythlodaeus shade).

[Rulakir]

Emet is incredibly sentimental. I took it to mean he traveled because that's what Azem would have done and he was doing so in honor of them.

As for the quote, I was confused by that as well because Hydaelyn says, "These were the words of the crystal's original bearer." However, Emet created the Azem crystal, so that implies the quote was his even though the scene makes it seem like it was Venat. Edit: Or I suppose unsundered Azem, but that still doesn't make sense given no one 'bore' the Azem crystal before the WoL other than Emet.

[Adeacia]

Emet said that since we have Azem's crystal, he considers it our duty to see the world.

He also considered it to be his own duty when he had the crystal.

[Cilia]

Venat / Hydaelyn actually says they're the words of the stone's original bearer, implying the Azem whose soul or PC inherited a fragment of.

It's unclear how many Azems came before Venat.

[Iscah]

Venat / Hydaelyn actually says they're the words of the stone's original bearer, implying the Azem whose soul or PC inherited a fragment of.

Azem never bore the stone though – Emet created it post-sundering – but it's possible that detail was forgotten or got lost in translation.

[Lucke]

That's another weird thing. All the convocation members had stones made. We give them to Eli at the end of ShB. Azem didn't get one because he was considered a "traitor" because he/she gave up their seat. Emet then made one for Azem. So stones were a pre-sundering thing, but are they an individual thing? Each stone also has the owner's signature spell attached to them. So Did Venat then have her own stone? Prob not because she left her seat as we did.

[Lucke]

That's another weird thing. All the convocation members had stones made. We give them to Eli at the end of ShB. Azem didn't get one because he/she was considered a "traitor" because he/she gave up their seat. Emet then made one for Azem. So stones were a pre-sundering thing, but are they an individual thing? Each stone also has the owner's signature spell attached to them. So Did Venat then have her own stone? Prob not because she left her seat as we did.

EDITED Azem's gender and fat fingered a new post.

[Iscah]

So stones were a pre-sundering thing, but are they an individual thing?

As I understand it, all of the stones were created post-sundering by Lahabrea, Emet and Elidibus based on their memories of their colleagues – but apparently the other two thought Azem didn't deserve a crystal, so Emet later created it alone.