But are we actually to be considered 9/14 aether-wise?

[RavLandslide]

I still get the idea that the souls in Zodiark were actually fully intact, and just separated. Real Hythlodaeus seemed the same all three times we met him, after all.

That's definitely something to consider, another thing that supports this is HOW Zodiark looks when we face him. He (supposedly) isn't smaller, he is physically missing some of his parts.
It just seems weird to me that Venat/Hydaelyn would choose to sunder him that way, seeing how she seemed to have control over it. But I mean who knows, I don't work for Squeenix.

[Lium]

Off-topic, but I wonder what the people of the First call their world. The Source as well? I don't think it's a widely known thing that there is a source star and thirteen reflections. Not even people on the Source know, except for scholars.

[Rannie]

As Rannie stated earlier, the line is from Beq Lugg, and the quest is Lv.80 'A Welcome Guest':

'Any other time, and I would have dismissed your stories as balderdash and flummery. But upon closer inspection, 'tis plain their souls are far denser than is normal. And that they do not possess true bodies.

Save you. Your body is your own. And your soul is the densest of them all.'

thanks for that I was asleep by then... Btw for anyone who doesn't just want the words it can be rewatched in the INN under that quest since it is a voiced cutscene

[Lady_Silvermoon]

Not that it disproves your argument, but do remember that those Ancients were also sundered together with Zodiark. So there's moreso a bigger pool of souls to pick from than other souls being rejoined.

I assumed that too, but it seems the souls were divided among the shards rather than the individual Ancient souls being sundered or that would have been addressed when asked about the Ancient souls entering the lifestream.

[Lady_Silvermoon]

Off-topic, but I wonder what the people of the First call their world. The Source as well? I don't think it's a widely known thing that there is a source star and thirteen reflections. Not even people on the Source know, except for scholars.

Most people hearing the story probably think the Warrior of Darkness is an alien. I mean if someone told you the WoD was from a different world, that's what you'd assume, right?

[Lium]

Most people hearing the story probably think the Warrior of Darkness is an alien. I mean if someone told you the WoD was from a different world, that's what you'd assume, right?

Yeah. But did the populace know the WoD was from a different star? I know G'raha's group in the Crystarium did, but I mean everyone else. I don't know, this thread got me thinking about that. No one knows about the Sundering except for a select few and certain scholars and historians. But it is not a widely known thing. Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread any further.

[Vallavia]

Off-topic, but I wonder what the people of the First call their world. The Source as well? I don't think it's a widely known thing that there is a source star and thirteen reflections. Not even people on the Source know, except for scholars.

You're right, most people on the Source don't even call the world Hydaelyn, they just refer to it as the star or the world. The only people I think would reasonably understand the cosmology of Etheirys would be the Sharlayans who had communicated with Hydaelyn and Urianger/the Scions who learned it from the Ascians.

There's a funny bit at the very beginning of Shadowbringers where you can tell Lyna that you came from 'the Source', which also happens to be the name of the lake directly behind you, hence why she immediately distrusts you, so I think it's safe to assume at least that they don't call it that.

Yeah. But did the populace know the WoD was from a different star? I know G'raha's group in the Crystarium did, but I mean everyone else. I don't know, this thread got me thinking about that. No one knows about the Sundering except for a select few and certain scholars and historians. But it is not a widely known thing. Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread any further.

They all seem to allude that they only know that the Exarch's 'friends' come from some place very far away that none of them have ever heard of.

[Lady_Silvermoon]

Yeah. But did the populace know the WoD was from a different star? I know G'raha's group in the Crystarium did, but I mean everyone else. I don't know, this thread got me thinking about that. No one knows about the Sundering except for a select few and certain scholars and historians. But it is not a widely known thing. Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread any further.

I imagine plenty of people know, but few people understand. The WoD and the Scions saved their world. A world that has been reduced to one continent, so when told that must "return to their world," most people would likely assume they WoD comes from one of the stars in the night sky. The fae definitely know where we're from because their King can visit it due to her connection to us. The Night's Blessed know Y'shtola returned to "her world," but they probably don't fully grasp what that means. Same with the people of Eulmore and the Crystarium. I'm betting the people of the Crystarium have the firmest grasp on where we're from because they know there is a second Crystal Tower with a second G'raha in it.