Thread: 8.0 and World

Originally Posted by Chasingstars

And that is the point, explore the subject matter, where maybe there is a person who doesn't want to be rejoined to have their autonomy taken. That is a goldmine for storytelling. Not engaging with that content, by contrast, is just leaving a plot thread dangling for no other reason and could be considered wasted potential in writing. After all, if goes unexplored, then why was it even brought up in the storyline? Sure it tells us we are an incomplete version of Azem, but if we do nothing with that storyline, then I could snip it out of the story and no harm comes to the story. See what I mean?

I'm sure that other Azem shards will appear in the future and that there is a reason why they were introduced to the story. But there's a lot that can happen with these characters apart from rejoining with us. They aren't objects to be picked up and used, like the crystals of light we collected in ARR.
As long as the story hasn't established that we need to absorb other Azem shards, there is no need to do it, not to mention that the WoL would never agree to it without good reason.

Just because something would be interesting in a story doesn't mean it should happen, especially if it doesn't make sense for it to happen.
I could see a villainous Azem-shard trying it though.

I believe the WOL becoming fully rejoined in order to fight the last evil of the game is a valid endpoint that I wouldn’t be surprised if the game is working towards and is one I’m not opposed to but it has to be one that is handled appropriately because as with ardbert he was the one who chose to rejoin with us not the other way around

We know that the game specifically doesn’t condone the ancients but their power wasn’t really the problem, it was their societal philosophy which we know they don’t all share (besides Azem and venat oschon is another very strong example of an ancient who holds the more modern viewpoints of the WOL)

I can also see the WOL rejoining and then deciding to somehow forcibly split themselves back into their shards to return each of their agency to them.

So yeah I do think ultimate rejoining is on the table but it depends on how they handle it

Originally Posted by Supersnow845

I believe the WOL becoming fully rejoined in order to fight the last evil of the game is a valid endpoint that I wouldn’t be surprised if the game is working towards and is one I’m not opposed to but it has to be one that is handled appropriately because as with ardbert he was the one who chose to rejoin with us not the other way around

We know that the game specifically doesn’t condone the ancients but their power wasn’t really the problem, it was their societal philosophy which we know they don’t all share (besides Azem and venat oschon is another very strong example of an ancient who holds the more modern viewpoints of the WOL)

I can also see the WOL rejoining and then deciding to somehow forcibly split themselves back into their shards to return each of their agency to them.

So yeah I do think ultimate rejoining is on the table but it depends on how they handle it

To be honest, I hope it isn't. I'd prefer the story to focus on 'us' and who we are rather than shifting narrative to focus on our ancient identity. As Emet-Selch said, "The future you seek is not the past we loved. That is why we fought. And why I lost."

Originally Posted by Carin-Eri

To be honest, I hope it isn't. I'd prefer the story to focus on 'us' and who we are rather than shifting narrative to focus on our ancient identity. As Emet-Selch said, "The future you seek is not the past we loved. That is why we fought. And why I lost."

I never said we were aiming to become Azem again (as in the person sundered who was Azem and not us dubiously being pseudo Azem) I was more referring to us gaining strength via soul density

The ancients were more powerful, it’s hard to deny that, their flaw came in their world view

Because it also creates interesting dynamics with the other shards of Azem, like the dynamic of the WOL and ardbert was one of the single best things about ShB’s storytelling and even in the state he is in ardbert choosing to give up the last of his consciousness to save the WOL was a fantastic piece of storytelling

I’m not one for directly retreading plot points but the dynamic of the WOL with the remaining 4 (5 if OG golbez isn’t Azem which can be debated either way) shards of Azem is one of the points about the other shards I’m actually interested in

And for all the fact that we are the WOL not the warrior of power the WOL still holds immense physical and magical power. Calling them the strongest known human isn’t a stretch. That dynamic of what the WOL would or wouldn’t do with the power offered (or not depending on the shard) of the other shards is something interesting to me. That’s why I’d support it. What the WOL chooses to do and how they draw inspiration from their other shards sounds good to me especially if they aren’t as equally altruistic as ~~YUYA/YUTO/YUGO~~

And like what DQ11 is doing with its most recent arc I quite like a game that’s willing to endlessly make the protagonist stronger even if it gets a bit funny towards the end. I would actively hate another midgardsommor situation