Where's the aether? (Spoilers)

[NegativeS]

We know that, in the beginning, each ancient Etheiran had their soul divided across ten and three reflections (and the Source) by Venat. So aetherically dense were these ancients and their world compared to how we are now, compared side-by-side we are mere faded specters of a will.

With each reflection Rejoined to the Source, so too does the life on that reflection perish in a world-consuming cataclysm. However, the souls of these lost lives do not immediately seek their Source counterpart to rejoin with--instead, we know that they enter the Lifestream again to be born anew. This was the sole goal of Golbez in the 6.X patches, who attempted to force a Rejoining by literally breaking down the barrier between worlds--the ramifications of which would still be unknown, as previous Rejoinings have only resulted in the reflection's aether flooding the Source, not the world itself actually colliding with the Source.

However, despite seven reflections having been Rejoined up to our current point in the story, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between the Source and the reflections. We've traveled to two (three if you count Alexandria) thus far, and despite their obvious problems, the people there seem no more or less 'complete' than us. You'd think, the Source having been rejoined seven times, the denizens and worlds of Norvrandt, the Void, and Alexandria would be as faded to us as we were to the ancient Etheirans of Elpis. In fact, they pose just as much a threat to us as any being from the Source does.

So, the aether from Rejoinings isn't going into the people of the Source or its new life, nor does it seem to be suffusing the world. Hydaelyn certainly wasn't getting any of it (or she wouldn't have been on death's door since the end of ARR).

So, uhhh... where's the aether?

[Kes13a]

there must be enough of it to create a sea somewhere.....

[kaynide]

There might be some misunderstandings;

The souls of these lost lives do not immediately seek their Source counterpart to rejoin with--instead, we know that they enter the Lifestream again to be born anew.

As far as we know, the rejoining does cause the souls to merge onto their source counterparts. Whether it happens on that particular souls next birth or not I'm not sure, but considering our character had 7 and then 8 "souls worth" of aether post Shadowbringers, I'd say evidence leans towards soon after a calamity.

This was the sole goal of Golbez in the 6.X patches, who attempted to force a Rejoining

My understanding was that Golbez was not trying for a rejoining- he was just trying to cause mass-death of everyone in the void since they essentially could not die.

previous Rejoinings have only resulted in the reflection's aether flooding the Source, not the world itself.

The "Source" is the actual world itself. (the non-reflection world)

[Musashidon]

i mean if we are going to question anything how did venat make all those suns/moons i mean unless the sun/moon was like 13/14 times larger and she just split them into pieces also.

[NegativeS]

As far as we know, the rejoining does cause the souls to merge onto their source counterparts. Whether it happens on that particular souls next birth or not I'm not sure, but considering our character had 7 and then 8 "souls worth" of aether post Shadowbringers, I'd say evidence leans towards soon after a calamity.

This confuses me, though. If we, 7- or 8-times-rejoined, were faded specters to the complete ancients, why were the 0-times-rejoined denizens of the First and Thirteenth exactly the same as us?

The "Source" is the actual world itself. (the non-reflection world)

Sorry, by 'the world itself', I meant the reflection. As in, the reflection's aether is returning to the Source, not the literal planet that is the reflection colliding with the Source, like what seemed like what was about to happen at the end of the Void quests.

[Jeeqbit]

there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between the Source and the reflections.

This does bother me to a degree. Why aren't people on the First smaller? Why is there not a clarification that using magic is harder for them due to lack of aether?

You'd think, the Source having been rejoined seven times, the denizens and worlds of Norvrandt, the Void, and Alexandria would be as faded to us

The Void can be explained by the joining of beings merging together. Alexandria can be explained because its people originated from The Source. But Norvrandt can't be explained so much unless they at least struggle with magic and summoning.

the aether from Rejoinings isn't going into the people of the Source or its new life

I think it's supposed to be going into people on the Source. Krile even questioned at first why her aether wasn't weaker after learning she was from a shard.

[kaynide]

This confuses me, though. If we, 7- or 8-times-rejoined, were faded specters to the complete ancients, why were the 0-times-rejoined denizens of the First and Thirteenth exactly the same as us?.

I forget the specifics in game, but my understanding is the sundering caused certain races to develop across all shards and the source itself. So that’s why we all look the same.

If you are talking power or strength or literal levels or why some random dude on the 1st can put up a reasonable fight against you, it’s because it’s a video game. (As unsatisfying as that is)

If the events in game were to be treated as “real”, we can see instances where our heroes do extraordinary things, especially with regards to taking down the Lightwardens- something probably suicidal to the average joe on the source. I don’t know if that’s necessarily because of having more aether or being lucky or just being a highly experienced adventurer, so fair point.

[Lady_Silvermoon]

The people on the Source aren't more powerful than the people from shards for the same reason that 75% of the Ancient population is now in the aetherial sea to be reborn with their full, complete 14/14 souls and it will make little to no difference. I believe YoshiP described it as "maybe they'll be a little cooler, have a bigger mana pool." Their species has been eradicated. Their big thick souls will be stuffed into catboy and bunnygirl bodies, so it won't matter.

[Voidmage]

This does bother me to a degree. Why aren't people on the First smaller? Why is there not a clarification that using magic is harder for them due to lack of aether?
The Void can be explained by the joining of beings merging together. Alexandria can be explained because its people originated from The Source. But Norvrandt can't be explained so much unless they at least struggle with magic and summoning.
I think it's supposed to be going into people on the Source. Krile even questioned at first why her aether wasn't weaker after learning she was from a shard.

You are confusing at few little things.
The Alexandrians are not from the source. Only the Milalla.
Magic itself shouldn‘t be harder because the principle is the same in any world.
It’s more likely that the individual aether reserves would be lower but not by much.
Alexandrians didn‘t use much magic but technology.
Voidsent gorge on aether to get stronger.
The first… hmm do we see many people using magic outside of gameplay on the level of the source?
I only remember the blm from Ardberts group.


I‘m still waiting for my third encyclopedia so I don‘t know if it’s all explained there but this is what I took from the story.

The 8th rejoining seems to be the tipping point for individual strength.
It gave us the power to house the lighwardens aether and it is apparently enough to free Zodiark.
But in Grahas old timeline the people seem to be the same.

I might remember wrong but I was sure to have read somewhere that, even if the Ascians were successful the end result wouldn’t be the Anscients again but a new fully rejoined race.
Not only from a personal level like culture and memory (none of them would forgive the ancients and many of them would abuse those godlike powers) but also from a race perspective.
We don‘t just loose our cute Miqo‘te ears and creepy Lala look and grow in size. That’s evolution according tobte devs and it would take some time if even possible to become Anscients again.
Edit:
Like Lady_Silvermoon said. The Ancients will never come back.
The whole plan of the Ascients was just a dream from the beginning.

It’s implied that all the aether goes into the livestream first and foremost.
The lifestream goes through the entire world and just „end“ in the aetherial sea (teleportation network)
Albert was an exception.

Also on the OP post.
Not every soul gets denser automatically through a rejoining. Only those with the echo.
All else are new souls created in the aetherial sea denser already but they don‘t have a shard counterpart.

Just my takes on all this.


Mind you we still don‘t know everything about a rejoining.

In an interview recently it was said that people can flee before their shard is rejoined. It looks like that’s what solution 9 is because that was what the question was aimed at and we know there was a lightning catastrophe in that shard.
We also see a Gerold reflection there so wouldn‘t that mean that there are individuals that are not as rejoined as others?


Edit 2:
If I remember correctly we are only Sontheim in aether in Elpis because of how we get there. Elidibus said something like that.
But it has been quite long so I might remember wrong.

[EusisLandale]

If you are talking power or strength or literal levels or why some random dude on the 1st can put up a reasonable fight against you, it’s because it’s a video game. (As unsatisfying as that is)

They did to an extent explain that in Endwalker. Being Aetherically thin grants better access to Dynamis, so despite being weaker in one regard the reflections are stronger in another and balancing out.