the soul of Azem

[Savagelf]

i long theorized that the soul of the one who sat on Azem was fraction i theorized it was the Venat goal to fraction know only the one sit of her formal seat could complete the task over end conflict between her and Zodark. you only have two peice of the soul of Azem picture an expansion of retreive all them

[TheMightyMollusk]

We actually now have nine of the fourteen fragments of Azem's soul. In addition to the part that would've been on the Source to begin with, there have been seven Calamities/Rejoinings, plus merging with Ardbert.

[Gemina]

Nay. Both group Zodiark (Elidibus), and group Hydaelyn (Venat) tried to recruit and coerce Azem to their respective causes, and she(he) basically said all of you have lost your lids, and bailed on all of them. That's what we learn before Endwalker.

We still have a lot to learn about Azem, but my own theory is Azem's opposition to ANY summoning, especially after witnessing all the sacrifices given up to Zodiark, and becoming sundered as a result of Hydaelyn's set something off in this particular soul. That something manifests in the current Azem and their uncanny ability to best primals with ease. We may even find out that Hydaelyn's blessing was just an insurance policy we never needed in the first place.

Venat's true opponent was always Zodiark and keeping his power in check. Azem's fight is with the Endsinger, and is an anti-primal.

[Jeeqbit]

My understanding is that people with the Echo have it because more of their souls have been reunited than normal. This is how the Echo is given to Fordola. They simply killed lots of people to retrieve their souls and meld them into Fordola. That's why you find a massive room full of bodies in Stormblood. So by merging with Adbert, all of the fragments were reunited and Hades recognises Azem but dismisses it as a trick of the light.

[Gemina]

We actually now have nine of the fourteen fragments of Azem's soul. In addition to the part that would've been on the Source to begin with, there have been seven Calamities/Rejoinings, plus merging with Ardbert.

Something interesting about this is we don't know when exactly it was we received Hydaelyn's blessing. It is assumed that those who heard her call receive it by default, but I don't think so. Not after the events in Elpis. It is very possible the enchantment was made before the sundering, which would mean the 14th fragment would not have been lost to the void in the World of Darkness. At least not to aetherial corruption. There very well could be an intact shard of Azem fighting endlessly in the WoD.

[Silver-Strider]

My theory is that the RPR avatar of Zenos is the fragment of Azem from the 13th that fell to Darkness. The reason Zenos was capable of possessing our body, despite Venat's Blessing supposedly being able to prevent that type of thing, isn't because of Zenos' Artificial Echo but because the Avatar is a Fragment of Azem and thus can freely join with our body. The reason that it was expelled was a combination of Fandianel's Tomfoolery and Zenos' own desire to fight us that he willingly left the body, taking the avatar with him since I doubt it would've been powerful enough to overtake Zenos as it was. Now that Zenos is "gone" that Avatar will now possess Zenos' Body, being the only thing that was actually a capable threat to us and will use it to traverse to other shards to forcibly rejoin the remaining fragments of Azem before trying to overtake us itself.

Maybe I'm totally off base but that's my theory at least.

[Iscah]

My understanding is that people with the Echo have it because more of their souls have been reunited than normal.

That is not how it works.

Everyone from the Source has the same amount of soul restoration – one fragment per Rejoining – with the exception of us and G'raha having picked up an extra fragment through unusual circumstances. (We merged with Ardbert; G'raha lived through an extra Rejoining in the other timeline and so acquired an extra fragment, which was transferred over to "our" G'raha along with the rest of the Exarch's soul.)

The Echo is awakened by triggering memories of Amaurot and its destruction, and even the single-fragment souls of the First are susceptible to those triggers.

The people sacrificed for the Resonance technology are apparently being used as aether batteries for the process.

[KageTokage]

My theory is that the RPR avatar of Zenos is the fragment of Azem from the 13th that fell to Darkness. The reason Zenos was capable of possessing our body, despite Venat's Blessing supposedly being able to prevent that type of thing, isn't because of Zenos' Artificial Echo but because the Avatar is a Fragment of Azem and thus can freely join with our body. The reason that it was expelled was a combination of Fandianel's Tomfoolery and Zenos' own desire to fight us that he willingly left the body, taking the avatar with him since I doubt it would've been powerful enough to overtake Zenos as it was. Now that Zenos is "gone" that Avatar will now possess Zenos' Body, being the only thing that was actually a capable threat to us and will use it to traverse to other shards to forcibly rejoin the remaining fragments of Azem before trying to overtake us itself.

Maybe I'm totally off base but that's my theory at least.

The blessing protects the bearer's soul from corruption, so I don't think it actually does anything to protect our body in absence of said soul.

I'm also more inclined to think the avatar is going to become an issue in the immediate future considering that we historically have a MSQ-related trial.

[Calysto]

I have a conspiracy theory...
Maybe wait after 6.1, it's either spoiler or wrong

Azem didn't split it 14 with the sundering.
They split themself in 12 instead ; that's why at the start of the game you get a affinity with one ot the 12th ; that's your fragment of Azem

[Riastrad]

I have a conspiracy theory...
Maybe wait after 6.1, it's either spoiler or wrong

Azem didn't split it 14 with the sundering.
They split themself in 12 instead ; that's why at the start of the game you get a affinity with one ot the 12th ; that's your fragment of Azem

Something I feel has yet to be brought up is that the Auri of the Steppe seem to think that "Azim" created an Avatar to walk with their and "Nhamaa's children". That sounds an awful lot like summoning to me. Granted this could be a reference to Hydaelyn's creation as the supposed goddess of the world with Venat taking the roles of both Azim and Nhamaa within the legend. However, they firmly believe these were two distinct individuals with a disagreement and resolution to their conflict. One that ended with Nhamaa returning to the Moon and Azim to the Sun. Leaving behind a being to walk and watch over the children.

An old post of mine about the Auri creation myth. You can see where I was wrong even.

I would hazard to guess that Azem became Hydaelyn's chosen almost immediately after the fracture. Something of a final wish, a wanting almost, by Venat in their final moments before the summoning was carried out, made manifest by Hydaelyn.

I also have to ask. Was Venat (the T is silent right?) the Nhamaa to Azem's Azim? Without going into bad fanfiction of course, what could the possible connection be between that legend to the "real events" of the final days?

Hien: Aye. I would know more of the Oronir─of their creation, and of Father Azim.

Udutai: As you wish. Come, let us sit.

Udutai: Before we begin, tell me: what do you know of the Au Ra, and how they came to be?

[“In the days before men, Azim and Nhaama waged a bitter war…”]

Udutai: Yes, yes. A common tale, and one believed by many tribes.

Udutai: But what it does not mention is this: Azim and Nhaama were lovers.

Udutai: Oh, they fought in the beginning, as did their creations. That much is true. But when they saw how the Xaela and the Raen rose above their hatreds and joined hands in harmony, their hearts stirred, and the love their children shared became theirs as well.

Udutai: Alas, he was of the sun and she of the moon. Apart they must remain, lest day and night cease to be, and with them all creation.

Udutai: With sadness in their hearts they returned to the heavens─he to the day, she to the night, destined to walk before and after, never to meet.

Udutai: As time passed, Azim’s yearning for his beloved grew deeper still. Was there truly naught that could be done, he wondered. At last, he knew.

Udutai: “If the Father cannot be with the Mother, then he shall go amongst her children. Now and ever after.“

Udutai: So it was that Azim took a fragment of his being and with it fashioned an avatar. Clad in scale of midnight, he descended, and sought out the Xaela.

Udutai: Yea, he was the first Oronir. We are of his flesh and his blood. We are the children of Azim, and it is our duty to watch over and keep the Xaela safe.

Hien: …I confess, I did not expect the tale of your people’s beginnings to be quite so romantic.

Hien: Yet I must ask: if it is your duty to defend the Xaela, how can you go to war with them in the Naadam? Is that not a contradiction?

Udutai: If a father disciplines his son, does that mean there is no love in his heart? Xaela are not wont to kneel. They must be made to─only then will they heed reason.

Hien: I see… Such is the way of the Steppe.

Hien: Thank you, elder, for sharing with us your wisdom.

As for the Reapers pet voidsent being the fragment of Azem from the 13th? I still say its

Cyella, the other survivor of the shard who is still alive and well on the first working as a bar maid "happily" helping those overseeing the salvation of the 13th.