Sundering stuff established in the Q&A

[Lurina]

A thematically appropriate way for the Ancients to fight Meteion without creating beings able to influence Dynamis or becoming able to do so themselves would probably be for them to have instead used their power and privileged existences to spread life and hope across the universe instead of being so inward-looking - beat despair with sympathy instead of empathy. Meteion is not a monster unto herself, but rather reflects the vibe of the surrounding universe. Change the vibe, and you can stop the crisis without ever setting foot in Ultima Thule.

[Lauront]

A thematically appropriate way for the Ancients to fight Meteion without creating beings able to influence Dynamis or becoming able to do so themselves would probably be for them to have simply used their privileged existences to spread life and hope across the universe instead of being so inward-looking - beat despair with sympathy instead of empathy. Meteion only reflects the vibe of the surrounding universe. Change the vibe, and you can stop the crisis without ever setting foot in Ultima Thule.

Yes, I like the idea as well. Provided they could harness enough aether to provide shields to these worlds so they were not immediately overwhelmed, it could work and would also shift their purpose from perfecting the star to re-seeding life in the universe on other stars. If they had understood dynamis (=were given all the knowledge required to begin seriously researching it), it may follow they could measure it and determine how much of Zodiark's power needed to shield Etheirys and how quickly (or rather slowly) it was degrading, and thus how much it was safe to divert to other worlds, or otherwise find ways to stimulate the world's production of aether... he was a dark primal, after all. In the alternative that this, for whatever reason, would not work? Selectively sunder some of their own and prepare them, experiment with primals and familiars, etc. I still find Ktisis Hyperboreia's suppression system intriguing, but there are many ways to pluck a despair bird's feathers, and this particular suggestion has the merit of reversing the downbeat message the expansion left many with.

[Absimiliard]

In the alternative that this, for whatever reason, would not work? Selectively sunder some of their own and prepare them. .

Just a bunch of heavily trained Azems being sent into the vastness of space to confront a bird.

[Rannie]

Just a bunch of heavily trained Azems being sent into the vastness of space to confront a bird.

For some reason I think of Azem being sundered and then Emet freaking out from worry when they go out to fight the blue bird of unhappiness.... because of friendship and just how many of them there are (meaning Azem).

[EaraGrace]

Disclaimer that this is simply my interpretation, but my read was that physically Ultima Thule is only given form due to our companions sacrifice and their desire to survive, a desire given form by dynamis. Without that capability, one would never be able to give form to the Dynamis and in turn resist its flow without Zodiark (and even then not forever). Whether one could have enough aether to get to Ultima and then have enough to overwhelm the flood of despair there is… unlikely. But hey, it’s not so unlikely to be impossible so I guess you could create an au where that worked and now the Ancients are doing their best Ra’la and Ea impresssions.

[SilversLyu]

At the end of the day we can all do any mental gymnastics to show an alternative way for the Ancients, Venat etc, but it is what it is. Azem did not side with either Venat or the Convocation.. there is still a third perspective we are missing, perhaps just looking for an alternative. What's right or wrong? I would have liked to see what you decide at the Final Days in a matter of days or weeks at best, with the only knowledge being what Venat and the Ancients knew. It was still a gamble, but the alternative (which is looking for different solutions or trying to speak with the Ancients - would be no less a gamble? And it's not like Venat didn't try. So in Conclusion.. nobody knows.

The only thing that leaves a bitter taste is that she let the unsundered willingly escape, but even that has it's answers. We can all agree to disagree tho.

[EaraGrace]

The only thing that leaves a bitter taste is that she let the unsundered willingly escape, but even that has it's answers. We can all agree to disagree tho.

This is the big thing I still have questions on. We have numerous examples to draw from showing Venat working to prevent the calamities the Unsundered brought about, and we have her own statements pre and during Endwalker where she says she’s working against them. All of this would suggest she doesn’t want them to happen, so then why leave the crack for Emet? If she only intended Emet to make it through, perhaps due to his role in Elpis, then it’s all relatively self explanatory. If not, and she intended all three to escape, then we have a contradiction.

So idk lol

[Cleretic]

If she only intended Emet to make it through, perhaps due to his role in Elpis, then it’s all relatively self explanatory.

Good news, this is exactly what was said that she did. Her only aim was 'give Emet a window to live', the other two just lucked out.

Which confirms what we all knew: that nobody actually wants Lahabrea around, he just stubbornly persists despite that.

[SilversLyu]

This is the big thing I still have questions on. We have numerous examples to draw from showing Venat working to prevent the calamities the Unsundered brought about, and we have her own statements pre and during Endwalker where she says she’s working against them. All of this would suggest she doesn’t want them to happen, so then why leave the crack for Emet? If she only intended Emet to make it through, perhaps due to his role in Elpis, then it’s all relatively self explanatory. If not, and she intended all three to escape, then we have a contradiction.

So idk lol

That's the tricky one. Mayhaps we will see more about it in the story or Pandaemonium but I doubt the latter. The harsh answer is that she needed them as part of her plan.. two sides of the same coin. As in allowing conflict and chaos as a means to provide a new striving for the sundered world and it's people and not fall into the perfection trap. I admit that this answer does not satisfy me and neither most of you I guess. Because they are "flawed" anyway and perfection does not really exist. Then there is the argument that she didn't seem to care about the people on the shards. I can say that there is still a few things left that need to be discussed. Or it's up to us the players, as Hydaelyn never truly was intended to be the always correct being. Especially as the story went on, of course they had to give her some sympathy too.

[Lauront]

At the end of the day we can all do any mental gymnastics to show an alternative way for the Ancients, Venat etc, but it is what it is.

I agree that what's done is done; but I wouldn't call it mental gymnastics to explore those threads the writers left in the story as possible avenues for how the ancients might have gone about it if things went differently. If this is frustrating to some people, they're free to ignore it, but they need to understand that twisting the words of the writers to try shut this down is not going to work.

What I like about this is, that Emet is the hero of his own people. Venat on the other hand gave it all for a new way of life, wether you agree or not. So it's quite feasable that the people of the new world (also us) would be more positive towards her than Emet. But that would be an entire different debate, cuz they dont have a clue as to what happened and probably cant comprehend it.

Sure, we can frame it as a matter of perspectives, as the writers have. Of course, as a player I am not bound to associate more closely with one or the other. In fact, my preference between the two is for the ancients.

Because she is a hero to them. shes the reason theyre alive and have a chance a winning. still a gray situation though.

Might be why they don't want to lean into Azem too much. Besides forcing an interpretation the player might not agree with on how their character's ancient self would've reacted, Azem also had stronger ties to the world back then.