Tempering? (Spoilers)

[ICountFrom0]

The act of tempering, as well as the hunger for aether to continue to grow are flaws in the summoning process added at some point by the Ascians.

We know now that Hydalin does not temper, she shields by locking down the aether of a person, her travel warding spell of her own design.

Did Zodiarc temper the others? Was it just the one who was his core who was driven by the need, those who particapated in the summoning, or everybody who became exposed?

When did the summoning gain the flaw as clearly the ifrit made to stop the volcano was harmless, it was not before the depletion of ancient life...

Earliest records we have though are all post sundering, and with all the disasters of rejoining some of them are indeed pretty sketchy.

[Layte_Aeon]

The first tempering was that of Zodiark's followers, the unprecedented scale of Zodiark leaving a mark on all who invoked him. We also know from Altima's stone in 5.3 that at least some of the Ancients were able to tell that their souls had changed. While Hydaelyn was made with the same basic method she was a creation of a smaller scale, enough so that she did not temper.
The tempering was later identified by the Ascians and then this information was used to create flawed summoning rituals, with tempering being an explicit trait not an unindented consequence, that they would spread to certain populaces to wreack chaos.

[Cleretic]

It's hard to say for certain that Hydaelyn couldn't temper so much as that she didn't temper. We don't know exactly why; maybe it really was that she wasn't big enough to do that, or maybe Venat knew that was a possibility and so deliberately avoided it.

[Enkidoh]

More my own theorizing but how much of Hydaelyn was actually a Primal and how much was just

Venat's own natural Ancient transformation ability (think Emet and his 'Hades' transformation at the end of ShB) is a very good question. Personally I think it was a combination of both (Hydaelyn's form taking on Venat's perfered transformation appearence), but provided with considerably more aether that empowered her as a Primal (and allowed the Sundering to even occur).

It would go a lot of the way to explaining why Hydaelyn did not temper, and not just by design - she had no reason to (Zodiark's tempering was something of a mistake, and later Primals had the tempering effect added in deliberately by the Ascians as "extra code" if you will.

But that's just my own theory so please by all means, tear it apart!

[Foxowl]

It's hard to say for certain that Hydaelyn couldn't temper so much as that she didn't temper. We don't know exactly why; maybe it really was that she wasn't big enough to do that, or maybe Venat knew that was a possibility and so deliberately avoided it.

I don’t know, I think it’s kind of the point that Livingway makes— Zodiark was just so big that he changed the aether of those around him. I don’t think it was intentional by him (unless something gets revealed about that in future Pandaemonium stories or something.)

I guess it’s possible but I’m more willing to bet Hydaelyn was just created with the normal creation magic and too small to have that natural aetheric change in people, rather than it be by Venat’s choice. That said, post-sundering she did become the planet core and chose to hand out blessings (aetheric wards) instead of tempering, so maybe you’re right there.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Even the most peaceable primals, like Ramuh, can temper people just by their presence, or by a flawed summoning.

On the other hand, some primals, like Susano, are never shown to actively try to temper anyone. Alisae and Lyse are even present for his summoning, literally only ten feet away or so, and aren't tempered.

So we're left with two possibilities. Either Hydaelyn can simply choose not to temper people; or she can by her presence, whether she wants to or not, which is why she sits in the background handing out Blessings instead.

[Lyth]

Eikonic Corruption: An Overview (Owen's Report)
This report seeks to provide an overview of the mechanism by which eikons corrupt and bind men to their will. The phenomenon we call “corruption” refers to the alteration of the aether of the soul. Said aether ordinarily exists in equilibrium; no one element being more prominent than another.

But when a subject is exposed to the aether of an eikon, this changes, their soul taking on the properties of the entity in question. By way of an example, exposure to the aether of the Fiend, Sephirot, would cause a subject's aether to become aligned with the element of earth. As a consequence, the subject would attain heightened affinity with earth-aspected magicks, as well as preternatural levels of endurance. Repeated exposure would further enhance these traits, ultimately altering the subject's very flesh.

The changes undergone by the subject are not solely attributable to elemental alignment, however. Further testing has determined that the subject's soul becomes umbrally charged, or stagnant during the process. This stagnation of the soul has the effect of diluting the sense of self, rendering the subject vulnerable to the will of the eikon, the thoughts of whom come to consume their entire existence. In this manner do the corrupted become worshipers of the eikon, their prayers serving to further empower the entity.

Having discerned the mechanism of eikonic corruption, my colleagues and I set out to develop a material capable of shielding one from its effects. An endeavor in which we were successful, albeit it at great cost... In the course of testing, many of my assistants ─ good men and women all ─ fell victim to corruption. And in accordance with protocol, they were summarily put to death.

I subsequently submitted a proposal to investigate potential cures for corruption, but it was rejected ─ deemed “nonessential” by Lord Amon. Though I knew it would be fruitless, I protested the decision. And for my impertinence, I have been stripped of rank and title, and will shortly be expelled from this facility. In all likelihood, this report will be expunged from the archives. Nonetheless, I record it in the hope that one day, someone will undertake to do that which I could not, and find a cure for the victims of eikonic corruption. End recording.

---

More generally, exposure to large doses of aspected aether aligns your soul with that element, which can erode your sense of self (I wonder if this is what happened with Elidibus as well when he became Zodiark's Heart). It also can cause physical changes in your body, ultimately resulting in transformation. You don't need to actually have a primal present at all for any of this to happen, as we've seen in Mitron's case with the Flood of Light.

Any primal is capable of doing this deliberately if they choose to, so long as they are able to channel enough aspected aether into their followers. If you're summoning a primal capable of manipulating aetheric currents on a global scale, however, then it's going to tip the aetheric balance of the entire planet in that direction even passively. That's likely why the Ascians are all darkness-aspected, and why we're able to channel a sizeable dose of the First's umbrally-aspected aether through Emet's soul to come out with a net balanced result.

[EaraGrace]

The changes undergone by the subject are not solely attributable to elemental alignment, however. Further testing has determined that the subject's soul becomes umbrally charged, or stagnant during the process. This stagnation of the soul has the effect of diluting the sense of self, rendering the subject vulnerable to the will of the eikon, the thoughts of whom come to consume their entire existence. In this manner do the corrupted become worshipers of the eikon, their prayers serving to further empower the entity

I wonder if the opposite is true for those whose aether is tempered by a being that is astrally inclined. It wouldn’t even need to be nefarious, just a side effect of being tempered. Their motivations and feelings would remain their own, but the level of dedication and need would increase. Sort of like how the Sin Eaters became “Forgiven” versions of their already existing personalities, buttttt instead of losing that personality in service to the primal, it’s instead emboldend while remaining tied to the primals will. For example, Emets love for the Ancient world would become a never ending obsession with its resurrection, Elidibus’ duty as the savior becomes a self destructive and righteous crusade, and Lahabreas devotion becomes fanaticism and religious devotion. All of which helps Zodiark in the end.

[ICountFrom0]

Even the most peaceable primals, like Ramuh, can temper people just by their presence, or by a flawed summoning.

On the other hand, some primals, like Susano, are never shown to actively try to temper anyone. Alisae and Lyse are even present for his summoning, literally only ten feet away or so, and aren't tempered.

So we're left with two possibilities. Either Hydaelyn can simply choose not to temper people; or she can by her presence, whether she wants to or not, which is why she sits in the background handing out Blessings instead.

Notice the mechanic of Susano's summoning. If he is a primal, he was not summoned with the intentionally flawed ascian methid, this lets him be not unto a hole in the world consuming everything, and also not leaking in such a way as to temper those around him.

If we allow this as a possibility, then the 4 lords (5?) who gained power slowly and transformed into primals after such a very very long time are not tempering for the same reasons. They say they are not primals, but as the very definition of primal includes tempering and an endless hunger for aether, can we really blame them for having this small mistake?

For a third example, I give you Enkidu.

[Cleretic]

The Auspices aren't primals.