What exactly is going on with the Xaela's civilization?

[Lurina]

With hindsight from ShB and EW, Xaela mythology is weirdly accurate compared to other cultures. Their creation myth is the only one on the Source which specifically describes the Hydaelyn vs. Zodiark factional conflict (they even get Venat's former title right, despite the genders being backwards) with the two clans of Au Ra identified by which side they were on. They're also the only group we see that has mythologically preserved (as opposed to scientifically re-discovered) reincarnation as the accurate form of the settings afterlife. And Temelun, the chieftess of the Mol, displays a weird understanding of what's going on with the big-picture plot whenever you visit her at varying points in the story.

If you look closely at the landscape of the Azim Steppe, it's obvious it used to play host to a much more advanced civilization. The Dawn Throne seems like it's only the top of what was originally a massive superstructure; we only see the fingers of the giant sculpture surrounding it protruding from the ground, while going underwater seems to reveal it's just the top of a buried tower. And of course the Dusk Throne is almost completely underground.

So what do you think is up with them, specifically? Ishikawa wrote the Azim Steppe content herself right before Shadowbringers, so it's hard to believe she didn't have anything in mind.

[Iscah]

I don't think the origin story for Azim and Nhaama was quite close enough to Hydaelyn and Zodiark to say it must be preserving that exact tale. I would think it more likely that they were visited by an Azem at some point (be it Venat, our past self or some unknown predecessor) and something happened that was significant enough to become part of their mythology.

[Lurina]

I don't think the origin story for Azim and Nhaama was quite close enough to Hydaelyn and Zodiark to say it must be preserving that exact tale. I would think it more likely that they were visited by an Azem at some point (be it Venat, our past self or some unknown predecessor) and something happened that was significant enough to become part of their mythology.

I dunno about that. It's a war between a light and dark aspected deity (of which the dark one is associated with the moon) which involved the creation of the first mortals. While it's obviously corrupted, that seems like Hydaelyn vs. Zodiark to me.

Plus, the Au Ra didn't even exist until the Sundering, like all the other modern races.

[RyuDragnier]

I dunno about that. It's a war between a light and dark aspected deity (of which the dark one is associated with the moon) which involved the creation of the first mortals. While it's obviously corrupted, that seems like Hydaelyn vs. Zodiark to me.

Plus, the Au Ra didn't even exist until the Sundering, like all the other modern races.

The problem with that idea of it being Hydaelyn and Zodiark is that Nhaama and Azim fell in love in the myth, something that cannot happen with the Hydaelyn/Zodiark thing. That is the big flaw in the idea.

[Lurina]

The problem with that idea of it being Hydaelyn and Zodiark is that Nhaama and Azim fell in love in the myth, something that cannot happen with the Hydaelyn/Zodiark thing. That is the big flaw in the idea.

Legends are by nature created retrospectively. The Hydaelyn vs. Zodiark conflict eventually ended with the Sundering and Zodiark stuck in the moon, and even if the Au Ra kept on fighting for a while based on fragmented memories of the original ideological division, its actual source was resolved (well, outwardly) and would inevitably fade into the past. At some point over the subsequent centuries it would be natural for an explanation to evolve in their culture for why the now-mythologized battle was over.

[RyuDragnier]

Legends are by nature created retrospectively. The Hydaelyn vs. Zodiark conflict eventually ended with the Sundering and Zodiark stuck in the moon, and even if the Au Ra kept on fighting for a while based on fragmented memories of the original ideological division, its actual source was resolved (well, outwardly) and would inevitably fade into the past. At some point over the subsequent centuries it would be natural for an explanation to evolve in their culture for why the now-mythologized battle was over.

What I mentioned is just one of the myths. The other mentions that Azim changed into a mortal form and helped create one of the tribes (making them his offspring), before changing back to his normal form and leaving. Combine this myth and the previous one I mentioned, and Hydaelyn/Zodiark doesn't sound plausible. The real Azem before the Sundering, very likely.

[WhiteArchmage]

I do find it intriguing how the Xaela are accidentally (the Dotharl in particular) right about the world, even if the details are off: they got the cycle of reincarnation right, though it doesn't work quite as they think; and the house of the crooked coin DOES(did) syphon aether, which would in theory prevent them from reincarnating. The Mol khadun (or... Cirina's grandma, I forget if she was the khadun of the Mol) regularly has snippets that foreshadow future events. The Sun and Moon imagery and the Azim name are a bit too fitting to be discarded off-hand.

[KageTokage]

Hopefully it's something that's touched on in the next tier of Myths of the Realm.

Having some exposition from the Twelve about how they influenced beliefs in the Far East would be nice...though I think Menphina is the only one of the five appearing who might have a connection to the Xaela.