I've been thinking a lot about the tempering conversation in 5.1 lately and how it may relate to our final encounter with Emet-Selch. In 5.1, the assumption so far is that a tempered individual's soul is aspected too far towards a specific element. To bring them back into balance, would it not make sense to infuse them with a portion of the opposite element? So, in Emet's case, he was aspected too far towards Darkness. Could unleashing our contained Light on him have re-balanced his soul and untempered him?
And if we did truly break his tempering in those final moments, could that have been his intention in facing us all along?
Something that's been bothering me about Emet since the end of 5.0 is that we didn't ever really learn his true endgame. What was he truly hoping to accomplish with us? I didn't buy his Lightwarden schtick simply because his actions went against his words.
On Mt. Gulg, he tells you and the Scions that you're worthless and that he's going to get what he can from the Exarch. But what does he then proceed to do? He tells you exactly where to find him, goes through the trouble of recreating Amaurot in preparation for your visit, and heck, he doesn't even kill the Scions during the final encounter when he has the chance.
Why? If he had truly given up on you, it would have been far easier for him to get what he needed from the Exarch if he hadn't disclosed his location. After he was finished, he could have just simply found you again when he was ready to use you to usher in the end of the First. Instead, he invites you to the Tempest outright, knowing that you and the Scions would follow.
Why recreate Amaurot? If he was content to let you become a Lightwarden, what you learned and did or did not remember about the past wouldn't have mattered once you turned into a sin eater.
Why spare the Scions by knocking them unconscious instead of killing them? Getting rid of them would have made things much easier for him and would have ensured his victory.
Ultimately, we have to remember that this guy is clever. Probably the smartest Unsundered out of the three. He knows how to play the long, slow game and he does so very well. His empires are proof of that. This is someone who can see many steps ahead, predict possible outcomes, and adjust for them. As he should, considering he was elected to the Convocation as chief Architect, a position that specializes in proofing out advanced concepts.
I think it very likely he had a greater plan in mind, something that was connected to his desire to work with us. Throughout 5.0, he talks about possibly working with us to find a path of lesser tragedy. But what was that path exactly, and could he have even walked it with us in his tempered state? What if his reason for wanting to keep the Lightwarden's power from leaving the First was not because he was afraid he would no longer be able to use it to end the First, but because he wouldn't be able to use it to break his tempering?
Breaking free of his tempering would release him from the burden of bringing back Zodiark, and it would allow him to reunite and make amends with his old friend (you) at long last. He would finally be free to make his own choices and his own judgements, completely free of Zodiark's influence.
Facing you would be risky, and I'm sure he calculated those risks and accepted them. If you succumbed to the Light and/or died, then he could just simply pick up where he left off on the First. But if he could goad you to face him, the pitting of your Light against his Darkness could give him the re-balancing that he needed.
Of course, there's one major issue with this theory. Which is that of his death. But I'm starting to suspect that he may not be as gone as we think.
The biggest reason?
We now know that Emet and his gift of soul sight is associated with the Underworld (the Ancients' term for the Lifestream). This is most certainly going to have greater significance later on. There's a lot of interesting ideas being established in terms of how souls work, how they can be preserved outside of the body, and how they can even reassemble themselves given enough aether. How far did Emet's powers over the Underworld extend exactly? Is it possible that Emet had more control over his soul than the average person (beyond his abilities as an Ascian)? Could he reassemble himself in the Lifestream? Pure speculation, of course, but there it is.
Something else that caught my attention was the phoenix imagery associated with Emet/Hades in the Through His Eyes short story. I thought it was interesting that out of ALL the possible things the trapped soul in the story could have been, it ended up being a phoenix. A creature that is usually associated with rebirth and reincarnation. How this may play out in the future, I'm not sure. But I feel like that choice was intentional.
Finally, a shoebill was spotted during the 5.1 MSQ. For those that don't know, while looking for Chai Nuzz in the bottom level of Eulmore, you can spot the shoebill on an awning above Kai-Shirr. When you target him, it says:
"You find a shoebill gazing in Kai-Shirr's general direction. Silent. Vigilant. Plotting...?"
This, of course, could be nothing. But at this point, I'm pretty sure that the shoebill during 5.0 was most certainly Emet-Selch keeping an eye on us throughout our adventures on the First. The 5.1 shoebill either indicates that he possibly still lives, or it could just be a nod/easter egg by the devs.
Overall, this is all just massive speculation. But with all the talk of souls in 5.1, the references to Hades, and the themes of forgiveness and understanding (particularly in the pixie beast tribe quests), I can't help but get the feeling that something big is brewing in regards to Emet-Selch. I don't think we're done with him yet. Either we're going to discover the truth of his intentions and seek to pull him out of the Lifestream OR he's going to reveal himself to us and come to our aid in a critical moment.
So, what do you all think? Has anyone else gotten similar impressions from the story so far? If not, how do you think things are going to play out?
submitted by /u/Meralien90
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Continue reading...
And if we did truly break his tempering in those final moments, could that have been his intention in facing us all along?
Something that's been bothering me about Emet since the end of 5.0 is that we didn't ever really learn his true endgame. What was he truly hoping to accomplish with us? I didn't buy his Lightwarden schtick simply because his actions went against his words.
On Mt. Gulg, he tells you and the Scions that you're worthless and that he's going to get what he can from the Exarch. But what does he then proceed to do? He tells you exactly where to find him, goes through the trouble of recreating Amaurot in preparation for your visit, and heck, he doesn't even kill the Scions during the final encounter when he has the chance.
Why? If he had truly given up on you, it would have been far easier for him to get what he needed from the Exarch if he hadn't disclosed his location. After he was finished, he could have just simply found you again when he was ready to use you to usher in the end of the First. Instead, he invites you to the Tempest outright, knowing that you and the Scions would follow.
Why recreate Amaurot? If he was content to let you become a Lightwarden, what you learned and did or did not remember about the past wouldn't have mattered once you turned into a sin eater.
Why spare the Scions by knocking them unconscious instead of killing them? Getting rid of them would have made things much easier for him and would have ensured his victory.
Ultimately, we have to remember that this guy is clever. Probably the smartest Unsundered out of the three. He knows how to play the long, slow game and he does so very well. His empires are proof of that. This is someone who can see many steps ahead, predict possible outcomes, and adjust for them. As he should, considering he was elected to the Convocation as chief Architect, a position that specializes in proofing out advanced concepts.
I think it very likely he had a greater plan in mind, something that was connected to his desire to work with us. Throughout 5.0, he talks about possibly working with us to find a path of lesser tragedy. But what was that path exactly, and could he have even walked it with us in his tempered state? What if his reason for wanting to keep the Lightwarden's power from leaving the First was not because he was afraid he would no longer be able to use it to end the First, but because he wouldn't be able to use it to break his tempering?
Breaking free of his tempering would release him from the burden of bringing back Zodiark, and it would allow him to reunite and make amends with his old friend (you) at long last. He would finally be free to make his own choices and his own judgements, completely free of Zodiark's influence.
Facing you would be risky, and I'm sure he calculated those risks and accepted them. If you succumbed to the Light and/or died, then he could just simply pick up where he left off on the First. But if he could goad you to face him, the pitting of your Light against his Darkness could give him the re-balancing that he needed.
Of course, there's one major issue with this theory. Which is that of his death. But I'm starting to suspect that he may not be as gone as we think.
The biggest reason?
We now know that Emet and his gift of soul sight is associated with the Underworld (the Ancients' term for the Lifestream). This is most certainly going to have greater significance later on. There's a lot of interesting ideas being established in terms of how souls work, how they can be preserved outside of the body, and how they can even reassemble themselves given enough aether. How far did Emet's powers over the Underworld extend exactly? Is it possible that Emet had more control over his soul than the average person (beyond his abilities as an Ascian)? Could he reassemble himself in the Lifestream? Pure speculation, of course, but there it is.
Something else that caught my attention was the phoenix imagery associated with Emet/Hades in the Through His Eyes short story. I thought it was interesting that out of ALL the possible things the trapped soul in the story could have been, it ended up being a phoenix. A creature that is usually associated with rebirth and reincarnation. How this may play out in the future, I'm not sure. But I feel like that choice was intentional.
Finally, a shoebill was spotted during the 5.1 MSQ. For those that don't know, while looking for Chai Nuzz in the bottom level of Eulmore, you can spot the shoebill on an awning above Kai-Shirr. When you target him, it says:
"You find a shoebill gazing in Kai-Shirr's general direction. Silent. Vigilant. Plotting...?"
This, of course, could be nothing. But at this point, I'm pretty sure that the shoebill during 5.0 was most certainly Emet-Selch keeping an eye on us throughout our adventures on the First. The 5.1 shoebill either indicates that he possibly still lives, or it could just be a nod/easter egg by the devs.
Overall, this is all just massive speculation. But with all the talk of souls in 5.1, the references to Hades, and the themes of forgiveness and understanding (particularly in the pixie beast tribe quests), I can't help but get the feeling that something big is brewing in regards to Emet-Selch. I don't think we're done with him yet. Either we're going to discover the truth of his intentions and seek to pull him out of the Lifestream OR he's going to reveal himself to us and come to our aid in a critical moment.
So, what do you all think? Has anyone else gotten similar impressions from the story so far? If not, how do you think things are going to play out?
submitted by /u/Meralien90
[link] [comments]
Continue reading...