Theory: We are Azem

[TheRealQuah]

We definitely are Azem, and the game doesn't even make it subtle.

The only question remaining is that are we the sundered reincarnation of Azem? Or are we directly Azem, in that at the end of our journey, when we are fully rejoined, do we travel back to Elpis and become Azem in that age.

I think the signs point to the latter and that we are in a time loop. Not only backed up by the fact that all the time travel in this game is time loop based, and there is lots of it, but also that Azem told Elidibus to go to Pandaemonium and meet us there. The only way Azem would know that is if they were us. Emet also says we look just like Azem, it's because we are one and the same.

Tenzen and Ramza were also previous reincarnations of Azem. When each they died, their soul was returned to the aetherial sea to be reborn. If we had ended up dying in the 8th Calamity, the same would have happened to us. I feel it's likely we will learn of another past reincarnation in the final part of the 24 man.

[Denishia]

We definitely are Azem, and the game doesn't even make it subtle.

The only question remaining is that are we the sundered reincarnation of Azem? Or are we directly Azem, in that at the end of our journey, when we are fully rejoined, do we travel back to Elpis and become Azem in that age.

I think the signs point to the latter and that we are in a time loop. Not only backed up by the fact that all the time travel in this game is time loop based, and there is lots of it, but also that Azem told Elidibus to go to Pandaemonium and meet us there. The only way Azem would know that is if they were us. Emet also says we look just like Azem, it's because we are one and the same.

My greatest fear is that the final quest before this game goes into sunset mode in ten years or more is that this will be true, because the fanservice would make it an easy choice and because it would be the thing to sour me on FFXIV and make me horribly sad and dissatisfying for the fate of my WoL. Would rather it be completely open-ended or dying, because consigning my player character to Amaurot and a lifetime railroaded into friendship with Emet and Hythodeaus is appealing to many but revolting to me. Would pray for another 8th Calamity AU where we decline Venat's offer to become the next Azem. Bad enough they went with 'a piece of our soul has its roots in this important Azem figure so it's a Chosen One via luck of random magic inheritance rather than chosen actions'. But that's why people don't like closed time-loops when the possibility otherwise exists and why I hope it stays open-ended so everyone can be satisfied with personal head-canons, even those that want the closed loop Rejoined and Time-Traveled Azem instead of their WoL.

[Iscah]

I wonder whether the shards of Azem are strictly one per world-shard or if Hydaelyn has the power to shuffle them around as necessary? Maybe Tenzen and Ramza are different shards of Azem.

(Hydaelyn: "Another one dramatically sacrificed themself to seal away terrible evil? How very Azem. Let me see if there's another shard that isn't busy right now...")

Any which way, I really don't want the story to end with the WoL tracking down all their shards, regardless of exactly how it would play out.

[Lyth]

That's a fairly smart idea, and plausible. In the absence of any further elaboration around 'what Azem was up to' (and any further time travel mechanics around this), it's more than likely that each of their fragments have been through multiple lives over the past 12000 years, and there's not necessarily a need to account for all of them individually. Any heroic spirit through the ages could have been an Azem fragment.

My personal hope is that when the game wraps up down the line, the Fourth reflection from the Source turns out to be Earth, with the implication that the players all have a little bit of Azem in them.

[Iscah]

My personal hope is that when the game wraps up down the line, the Fourth reflection from the Source turns out to be Earth, with the implication that the players all have a little bit of Azem in them.

I've never liked plots where long-standing fantasy words suddenly turn out to have been linked to Earth all along.