#. main ( azem of the fourteenth )
NEW MUSES: Final Fantasy XIV Edition
Adding the following muses:
Azem - Work in Progress
Emet-Selch (Hades) - Work in Progress
G'raha Tia - Work in Progress
I will work on their pages later on, but here are their tags. Dunno if anyone here really knows of them but eh, they're here now.
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WoLposting on main for what (and how) he's doing after Endwalker-
He's starting with changing his hairstyle from the long braid with bangs to a shorter ponytail/shaggy bob cut after Endwalker because it feels like. The end of an era. And he's mourning losing his friends' constant presence, a little (even if he and G'raha are now courting and being idiot catboys about it). It's just. Cutting away what was out of grief. He's losing the Scions, at least ostensibly, because they're all splitting up and going different ways, and he's. A lot lost without them.
But also the haircut is because he doesn't want to be some folk hero and only that. Like he's cool with it, but also- he wants time to be Corrain, to figure out who Corrain is. He became the Warrior of Light when he was seventeen and has been that ever since, and before that was just a Keeper foundling in Gridania trying to complete a conjurer apprenticeship so he could get citizenship - he hasn't had the time to figure out what he wants. And sure, being adopted by Edmont and House Fortemps helped - he had a home and a family and a nation finally, even if he's sort of in the same sort-of son category Haurchefant was - but he's got little snippets of Azem's memory bleeding through, he knows there's a wanderlust in him that won't settle, and he needs Corrain de Fortemps to be someone who has the space to find out who he is. And for that he can't be clocked as the WoL everywhere he goes!
So he takes a knife and chops off his braid and then Y'shtola and Krile find him sitting in front of a mirror with this awful fluffy mess and help him shape it better, and when it's long enough to put up he just ties it back in a ponytail. And he just- wanders aimlessly. He helps G'raha a lot, they're definitely dating in a Halone-sanctioned way lmao, and he trails around visiting Scions.
And he's almost invisible. The people who know who he is know Corrain and not just the Warrior of Light, and now the bards' stories don't describe him perfectly and- he's got space to breathe. Space to discover he genuinely likes archaeology and researching bygone eras and writing about them, space to go around and record the mechanical particulars of his forays into ancient ruins and alternate worlds and etc, space to polish his knowledge about foraging and botany and learn how to travel with cookware only and make meals from the land rather than carry food with him-
And all of this to say he finds that - outside of being the Warrior of Light - he genuinely likes the kind of adventuring that comes with learning opportunities. He likes studying the things he's found, likes the challenge of discovery in the first place. He likes the kind of work the Students of Baldesion do, likes working with scholars. (especially G'raha. Nobody saw that coming 🙄) And more than all that- he's genuinely good at it. He gets to realize a lot of his own archaeological/adventuring skill, while supplemented by time-period experts, is in fact it's own branch of knowledge.
So by the time Dawntrail kicks off - I think he's fully considering trying to write a thesis on it, and maybe try to see if Sharlayan would give him an Archon's mark about it. Sure- he's not a Sharlayan citizen, he has strong ties to Ishgard in the vein of being an adopted son of one of the four high houses. But he's also openly dancing circles around G'raha and Artoirel is definitely interested in having a no-inheritance-threat adopted baby brother with a foothold in Sharlayan and- well, House Fortemps approved of G'raha already anyway, they're expecting that to happen.
He's definitely found himself in a lot of ways by the time the next expansion will kick off. Of course part of that is being an actual adult and a twenty-something instead of a teenager, but also- coming to terms with being nine-fourteenths of Azem, coming to terms with defining himself rather than letting what he can do define him, coming to the realization that he's allowed to like what he does and who he is.
That the hope he found in Ultima Thule is actually allowed to feel like his own, and it's not selfish of him to feel that way. That he's allowed to live for himself.
And. Like damn. Finally! but also I'm proud of him. He turns out alright in the end.
Excited to start Dawntrail with this version of Corrain. He's just so much less- desperate to prove something. He proved everything he needed to prove to himself already. And now he finally just adventure for adventure's sake.
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Herein I commit the chronicle of the traveler. Shepherd to the stars in the dark. Though the world be sundered and our souls set adrift, where you walk, my dearest friend, fate shall surely follow. For yours is the Fourteenth seat—the seat of Azem.
I thought about making an official post about this for a bit and know that other wol also have similar thought that the wol is reincarnation of Azem. I do love this because it allows us to add so much more to our wol stories.
It's important to note that the backstory I have for Azem Stella goes a bit off canon, but mostly diverging into my own thing for her. A lot of Azem backstory is a mystery aside from small hints we get throughout Shadowbringers and Endwalker. The biggest one is when people refer to wol as looking very similar to Azem. They will always refer to Azem as either a man or woman depending on the gender of your wol. I thought long and hard what I wanted Stella version of Azem to look like and after some debate eventually came up with this.
When the way forward is hidden even from the mind's eye, look not to the invocation, but within yourself. These were the words of the crystal's original bearer.
I do want to cover Azem history before Final Fantasy XIV, as we know the seat of Azem used to be held by Venat, who didn't return to the aetherial sea after completing her duties. The next Azem was Venat's friend and protégé, who is noted being less than half Venat age when they first spared. This is mentioned during the main story quest where wol spares with Venat, who seems to know that the Warrior of Light is reincarnation of her friend.
Azem is also confirmed to be friend with Hades, also known as Emet-Selch and Hythlodeaus. As someone who tended to solve problems they fan into without seeking counsel or approval from the other Convocation members. This caused them to become quite a problem to their fellow Convocation members. A lot of Azem Stella Story runs same as much of what is revealed in the game. One thing I do want to point out is Azem opposed the Convocation's plan to sacrifice Elidibus and sacrifice their own people just to advert the final days.
It was during this time that Azem's soul and being were split into fourteen by the sundering, the ultimate result of Hydaelyn and Zodiark's battle. It was because they were against this plan that the Convocation considered Azem unworthy of having their memories preserved in a constellation crystal like the other members. It was only because of Emet-Selch acting behind his brothers backs did he create Azem's Crystal and imbued it with his friend's signature incantation, the ability to summon allies from a far. Which as we have seen the Wol has used multiple times to call fourth other Wol's from afar to assist them in various battles. It's stated that the greater part of Azem's soul would be reincarnated as the Warrior of Light, while the First's fragment would be Ardbert. It's why our Wol was able to see Ardbert when he visited them as a ghost. It is also why Ardbert was able to help stop the light progression in the final fight with Hades. Ryne makes a mention after better that Warrior of light soul is healed, which we can assume supports theory that the Azem soul in Ardbert merged with the Warrior of Light's soul.
Anyway, for my Azem backstory like stated it follows a lot of what is stated above aside from the fact that I do head canon that it was during this time that Stella Azem met and fell in love with G'raha's Ancient. I know a few people have thought of a similar thing but this relates to my overall story that they meet and fell in love with each other no matter what life time it is. First being before FFXIV, the next with Mako and T'sori and finally Stella and G'raha. They have a powerful love that surpasses time itself and keep meeting each other. It also adds to angst part of story when they are separated by fate.. I am a sucker for reincarnation stories and since ffxiv pretty much confirmed it is possible in this universe I am running with it.
I do also like the theory that Emet and Azem cared deeply for each other maybe more than friends but this would depend on the writer. I am up for writing any ships with Azem-Stella as long as writer and I build on that dynamic and follow the rules I have for shipping. Would love to write stuff prior to the final days too. I see so much cute stuff related to Azem and their time with Venet, Emet, and Hythlodeaus.
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. CHARACTER INFORMATION: 𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐒 / 𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐌 l ᶠᶠ ˣⁱᵛ.
my flora is based on seasons 1 - 4, with few things taken off from the later seasons, &. also based on my own headcanons.
not affiliated with fates nor the later seasons!!
DOSSIER.
𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄. : sarastus.
𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. : the warrior of light. / previously held the seat of AZEM.
𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒. : unknown. amaurot.
𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒. : hyur. / amaurotine before the sundering.
𝐀𝐆𝐄. : +23, if not counting her life as Azem.
𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. : bisexual.
𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓. : 160 cm
𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃. : athletic, toned.
𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑. : light.
𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑. : golden blonde, with lighter blonde highlights.
𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑. : grey, with specks of almost ethereal, serene light.
𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘. : kind, always ready to aid those in need. an adventurous soul, not giving a second thought to what she puts her mind to. she is passionate, always giving everything she has. she is charming, even without realizing it. humorous, &. her smile has been described to resemble the sunlight. she is emphatic, which some can claim to be a weakness.
she can be naive at times, even if she claims otherwise. she is stubborn, &. yet, she can be indecisive. she suffers from survivor's guilt, which shows in her in different ways. she has a tendency to put herself on almost impossible tasks &. fights.
ABILITIES.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐎. : a gift from hydaelyn. the ability grants many traits : the power to transcend time, meaning she can mentally travel back in time to witness occurrences experienced by another. the power to transcend worlds, can pass into the aetherial plane &. communicate directly with the will of the planet herself. in extreme cases, the echo can be empowered to grant immortality to an individual.
𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐍. : dragoon is sarastus’ main fighting style. dragoons wield a lance, &. their fighting style &. abilities were made to fight dragons. the attacks &. abilities hold some ability, excluding sarastus’ own magic.
𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐌'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂. : as an amaurotine she is capable of creation magic. even then, her preferred weapon upon her travels was a lance. emet - selch also created a crystal for azem, with the ability to summon allies, even the stars to her aid. sarastus has light - themed magical abilities as azem, some of these survived the sundering.
STORY. THE WORLD THAT WAS BEFORE.
LONG AGO, when ‘ etheirys, the star’ was whole, a planet rich in aether, one of the two fundamental forms of energy that make up the universe. there resided AMAUROTINES, beings also rich with aether. immortal beings, who held the power to weave anything into existence, … SARASTUS being one of those very ancients. though her true name spoken only by those close to her, ———— for she held the title of AZEM, THE TRAVELER, ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUN &. LIGHT. she held the fourteenth seat of the convocation. azem was a person of action, a reckless thing. she often solved problems without seeking council, causing headaches amongst her colleagues. but she was respected for her skill, &. her unending kindness. the world was perfect … not lacking any adventure
( for she’d surely find some. ) &. that is how her life was filled, journeying, aiming to explore &. aid those in need, her friends by her side ———— but there was a dreadful horror looming, waiting for the perfect moment to strike … &. when it did? it struck hard, &. without mercy.
THE FINAL DAYS, … death &. despair everywhere. a calamity, that threatened the fate of the star. the convocation decided to summon a god, zodiark, &. sacrifice half of the surviving population to achieve this. &. the sacrifice was too much, &. Azem openly opposed the idea, fought against it. but when the rest of the convocation was headset on proceeding, Azem left her seat vacant. an act that the former allies considered defection. she ran away, deeper into the broken world ———— dear friends sacrificed, &. one friend abandoned to remain on a side she couldn’t associate herself with. SHE WAS ALONE, FIGHTING TO STAY ALIVE IN WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE WORLD. she did not give an answer even to her former mentor, the former ancient who used to hold the seat of Azem … Venat. the woman who gathered followers who opposed the summoning of zodiark, &. in the end, SUMMONED FORTH &. BECAME HYDAELYN HERSELF. the fight between the two gods ended in the sundering : splitting the world into fourteen shards, different worlds.
AND SHE WAS SPLIT, a feeling she could not even describe, … how could one, when your soul is torn? regret filled her, for she was meeting this fate alone.
( oh, what wouldn’t she give to be by her dear friend’s side. ) everything had been so loud, the atmosphere in the air made hot by the flames &. destruction all around, the pain sharp deep within her, she could hear her heart beat rapidly! ———— &. suddenly, it was all silent. DARKNESS TOOK HER, &. KEPT HER. it was all so quick … though these memories would hide away, deep within.
STORY. THE NEVER - ENDING JOURNEY.
A VOICE SO FAMILIAR, YET SO DISTANT … ‘ hear, feel, think. ’ a mantra that echoed in the sea of stars she found herself to be gazing at. warmth filled her being, a tingling sensation, AS IF SHE HERSELF WAS FILLED WITH LIGHT. ———— but within a blink, she was somewhere else. she found herself laying on the ground, within the forests of gridania. she, SARASTUS, a name that she felt to reside within, it felt like it belonged … when little next to nothing else remained. somehow she knew so much of what surrounded her, but little next to nothing about herself. HOW WAS SHE HERE, WHERE DID SHE COME FROM, WHAT WAS HER PURPOSE? ———— THE LATTER IGNITED A SPARK! … a yearning to explore, to experience adventures! stange, she didn’t feel any fear, any doubt when she marched forward, … a lance behind her back. ( oh, what awaits you. )
&. ADVENTURES WERE CERTAIN TO FIND HER PATH, … one could wonder did she seek them more than they sought her? SHE AIDED THOSE IN NEED, THE WHO SWEPT IN JUST AT RIGHT MOMENT. hydaelyn had her champion : &. it was her. SHE WAS BLESSED WITH THE ECHO, an ability to see into peoples’ past, among other qualities. ( she prefers not to mention the amount of times she fainted during the first experiences of the ability. ) ———— she was starting to make a name for herself, ‘ the slayer of eikons, primals, &. all foes! ’ … scions of the seventh dawn were the ones to welcome her to their ranks ; a secret society developed to serve the realm in tasks beyond others. ( BUT THEY WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHOS’ INTEREST SHE CAPTURED! ) no, … for the ascians, ones who serve zodiark &. aim to bring calamity to the worlds, to make the world whole again, … they had a keen eye for hydaelyn’s champion.
COUNTLESS TIMES SHE HAS SAVED THE WORLD, hell, she has saved even another reflection of one,
‘ the first. ’ it is there, where she encountered an old friend, now an enemy. ———— it was then when the flashbacks struck. flashbacks of someone’s memories, THE ECHO FORCING THEM TO FLOOD IN. but they were from her perspective, … she was not witnessing the flashback as an observer as always before. it made her dizzy, &. when her friends called out to her, she tasted salt. tears had streamed from her eyes, without even realizing. SHE HAD PEERED INTO HER OWN PAST.
THE CONFLICT IS A TALE OF ITS’ OWN, … only adding to the ever - growing list. SHE HAS SLAYED EIKONS, PRIMALS, ASCIANS &. GODS. a force unlike any other. yet her tale is far from over, ...
VERSES.
𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄. : set on various timelines throughout the events of final fantasy xiv. my preferred timelines are shadowbringers &. endwalker.
𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐎. : set on the timeline of the star, when the world was whole. here, Sarastus has taken the seat of Azem, part of the convocation of fourteen. as Azem, The Traveler : tasked with exploring the larger world of etheirys &. becoming intimate with its myriad peoples &. cultures.
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Going on a rabbit hole here, but I have 5.3 thoughts, and theories for the story ahead going into 6.0. I’m sure others have probably thought about this before, but it just crossed my mind, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.
Lots and lots of spoilers for Shadowbringers below the cut. Don’t open it if you’re avoiding end game spoilers.
It’s interesting that Shadowbringers confirms a suspicion that Hydaelyn and Zodiark are Primals.
That to some extent, the Ascians were tempered in their summoning of Zodiark, and by proxy, that offshoot group that summed Hydaelyn.
What’s interesting is that the 13 reflections correspond to the Convocation/Seat of the 14 (minus Azem).
We don’t know how many of the off-shoot group Venat lead there were, and whether they would mirror the Convocation or not. There’s not enough information yet.
But The Source has its 12 reflections. Each of these a sundered aspect of Aumarot.
(The Source also has its main diety The Twelve).
And then you have Azem. The Fourteenth Seat.
Or rather, the Warrior of Light. Hydaelyn’s chosen, and as many have said ‘your Mother’. Which always struck me as odd.
Bear with me, I am going somewhere with this.
Azem left the Convocation of the Fourteen because they didn’t agree with sacrifcing their people, and the subsquent new life afterwards, to summon a Primal. Zodiark.
By that extent, Azem wouldn’t have joined Venat’s group either for the same principle reasons.Sacrifice to bring forth a Primal at the cost of those living is Not Good.
Now, here’s where I’m going with this:
In summoning a Primal, the Ascians were, to an extent, tempered towards it and their goals. Convocation to Zodiark, Venat’s Opposition to Hydaelyn.
Azem was a neutral party. Beholden to neither Primal.
But the WoL is Hydaelyn’s chosen. A Primal, who ironically uses the Echo to awaken Aumarot memories and have us fight for Her cause to keep Zodiark in check?
Well... Hydaelyn isn’t a Primal the WoL worships. The WoL/Azem isn’t tempered by a Primal, and neither are their reflections (us).
Because The Echo protects us from being tempered.
Which is interesting because, Elidibus tried to summon WoL’s around the reaches of time and space to essentially be the equivilent of crystals for Zodiark/Himself. Worshippers, who belief would power him and make him stronger.
And, accordingly, the many WoL’s answered the call to protect the world and save people. But that’s the thing, this was the voice of Elidibus, Heart of Zodiark, reaching out to Existing Warriors of Light from other worlds, who would have already been Hydaelyn’s Chosen.
The Warriors of Light aren’t tempered. As said, The Echo protects us from that. On top of that, if they were tempered to Hydaelyn, they wouldn’t be able to answer Elidibus’s call for conflicted worship interest, as Hydealyn is a direct opposite to Zodiark.
The Warriror of Light is an actual neutral agent in all of this. As Azem’s reflection, they’re continuing Azem’s neutrality. If anything, the cause the WoL works towards, is the self-same goal of Azem’s.
Travel the world. Talk to the people. Listen to, learn from, help, and have faith in the communities of civilisation around you. Protect the things worth protecting, and that is, first and foremost, life and the people living.
Azem disagreed with sacrificing people. This doesn’t line up with what created Hydaelyn and Zodiark. The goals of the Ascians.
The WoL too strives only to protect lives, and the inherent value of those lives.
Y’know. Shepard to the stars. A traveller whose guiding light brings people together.
I know I’ve circled the same points in different worded sentence, but I’m not great at thinking linearly. All i’m thinking is, that if this holds true, and the WoL/Azem is a neutral centre point, with no temperance towards Zodiark or Hydaelyn...
Then I’m truly interested in seeing how the story for 6.0 will play out. With Fandaniel being a chaotic agent with no allegience to the now dead Unsundered Ascians. With their own views on Zodiark, and w/e hellscape Zenos will bring.
And us. Warrior of LIGHT and DARKNESS. Neutral, yet Hydaelyn’s Chosen. Yet able to answer the call of Edlibus, Heart of Zodiark.
Whilst Hydaelyn was made as a counter balance to Zodiark, to shackle him.
We’re a true point of balance. And despite our lack of actual game play choices, narrative-wise the WoL/D can *choose* to answer the call of 2 opposing Primals. Because we’re a free agent to have that choice. (We, as in, all aspects of our shards across the 13).
And i’m really excited to see how that will play out.
How will our perspective, and the knowledge we still need to learn about Hydaelyn and Venat, and even, the original cause of Aumarot’s downfall that was never confirmed (just the snowballing disasters that followed to its destruction) come to shape the future of our world, and by proxy, us.
There’s so much information left to learn and I can’t wait!
I’m sure there’s information i’ve missed. But this was a rambling thought process, and not a comprehensive essay, lmao. Either way! Exciting things ahead.
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this post will be giving a brief rundown of what i have in store for mana pre - sundering , prefacing this with the fact i’m going to give a short and personal exposition of what my portrayal regarding azem based concepts and interactions will consist of . currently placed under a read more for the usage of spoilers .
as we all know the seat of azem is that of the traveller , and consequently set with the duty of exploring and chronicling the world at large and providing counsel to the many different civilizations encountered . jumping right into it , it seems to me though part of the convocation as the fourteenth seat , it’s still a very estranged and removed one . though other seat members may at large for one reason or another have their own excursions into the world , it is never on the same scale or length as those who have held the seat of azem . they most likely spend more time away from the convocation and amaurot than they ever do within it . and it is in no small amount hinted as such throughout various unsundered npcs when the chance is there . and this , alongside the fact the previous holder of the seat was deemed so , they are always fundamentally different from the rest of their fellows . mainly in their abstract and interpersonal thought processes and beliefs . eccentric and / or a bit odd to say the least — but no less expected , and sometimes , begrudgingly accepted ( as there are npcs within elpis who immediately accept something as true and fine if the name of either venat or the present azem be mentioned , but still have their own opinions to share on the matter ) . a rare breed it seems , for their willingness to go against the grain quite often where others enforce it .
bringing to my next point that i believe there are very specific prerequisites one must meet to become azem that belies a list of responsibilities to them that may not be known most openly to a host of people ( perhaps including a few of the convocation itself ) . aside from providing worldly information , different perspectives , and acting as a more direct connection to the world for the convocation , the seat of azem holds the duty to maintain balance and aid the safety of existence within its entirety . mainly , and usually — as per the personality and perspective of the current seat though it may differ — in the form of its people . a responsibility of which must be upheld be it alongside , against , or while removed from , the intended party .
it invites the acknowledgment to the possibilities to grief and loneliness , among many others , and thus requires a fortitude equal to the weight to bear it ( all in all , though we don’t know how often new seats are chosen since there’s no set periodic time to it anyway like an actual political seat , i view the admissions of new azem’s even fewer in their happenings ) .
and with all that having been said , i can begin piecing out the main bits of mana’s amaurotine self before and then after receiving the seat ( which will be referenced entirely by the name notus ) . though not in elpis itself , notus resided within a facility that nearly ran much the same . though perhaps even more experimental in the creations that preside within such halls . and while they created many of their own concepts — that most certainly have more denied and unmade than allowed to exist and be released into the world — their ‘job’ was entirely more set in the philosophical where they helped any who sought it make the necessary adjustments to their concepts or ideology / theories itself . one who had a generous amount of knowledge in first hand understanding of some geological and ecological points due to an ever present wanderlust . this however , is often not known that notus had retained a pseudo - instructors mantle , when they could be found , before falling into line for the fourteenth seat ( a point within elpis’ msq while bearing witness to the attempted recruit of hermes to the seat of fandaniel reveals that knowing the previous history of a convocation member is not necessary — thus does no one truly know much about each member unless the information is personally divulged — and leaves even more left to the unknown of those who hold a seat ) .
their creations spanned the origin of many of the elements , and for a time tried to situate themselves within that of fire before one came to realize that the innate disposition and desire beckoned them towards wind .
and when first approached to inherit the seat of azem , it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say for at least a few months the seat was nearly left as technically empty — for notus had not fully agreed to take the position nor had they outright denied it , and thus it entered a very long and drawn out transition . where they did not carry on with their new duties but nor did they see to their old ones with the same muted fervor . yet once embraced did it see no end to the tasks that would be taken up and completed .
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