Secrets of the Relic Laid Bare, Final Fantasy XIV Lore

[@karlrassmann4604]

Its worth noting that when the Milala prayed to the relic, it transported them from a realm aspected to ice to a realm aspected to levin (although not as greatly at the time). Aetherically speaking, it sent them to a realm that was as far from their struggle as possible. Perhaps thats why that shard in particular was the destination the crystal chose.

[@MrOniro1]

Damn that's a neat observation!

[@Nurr0]

That's a great insight thank you.

[@SniperKing-O]

Ooh, that's super interesting! 😮

[@davidericcio5378]

Wondering if "Dawntrail" wasn't just a hint, that now we'll be following the trail left by the "Sun" himself, Azem.

[@lievaordiea389]

we were little sun all along ;)

[@EtherealTonic]

Loving this theory 😮

[@Edge2177]

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.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@Edge2177 (proceeds then to do the nonchalant hand wave of dismissal)

[@tehzerp]

Unless you are in a duty finder and the tank doesn't have LB on their bars. ​@@acgearsandarms1343

[@retokazene]

Proceed to play "To The Edge"

[@jackwang860]

The fourteenth...azem walker😂😂😂

[@Fgtr4Life]

My verbal reaction to seeing Sphene flourish the key: whatever power you think you have won't stop me. My reaction on seeing the emblem ignite: Oh, that's *MY* power you're using?! Give that back!

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@Fgtr4Life Reasonably that should be our inheritance so we have rights to claim it.

[@warmachine5835]

That's my crystal! I know you!

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@warmachine5835 “She bluffing! Finish her!”

[@panda6907]

I saw the sigil light up and shouted "That's mine! Gibe me back my toy!" Sacred the poor cat..

[@lucasdude]

when i saw that i said, "hey! thats mine!" out loud LOL

[@Lilybellmusic]

I love that shot of azem’s device sitting on top of the world map at the end of DT. Very symbolic for an adventurer/travelrer!

[@stereotreme]

specifically, sitting on top of Meracydia

[@qiwi9317]

@@stereotreme actually, the map seems upside down. I’m pretty sure it’s on top of Dravania. Or west Eorzia in general.

[@stereotreme]

@@qiwi9317 yeah after a few more viewings that does indeed appear to be northern Eorzea

[@Otacanthus]

The main thing I've talked to some friends when it comes to that crystal is "Did the crystal react to our crystal or did the crystal create that symbol on its own" When it comes to the original creator of the crystal. But with it being laid clear that the crystal we got in the recreated amarot was made by emet selch, the crystal just making the same symbol emet selch ascribed to the seat of azem on a random other crystal, makes me very confident in my guess at least. Before we only really had azem's magics created by another, but if we actually have a relic from azem themselves, that's pretty big. Because it's almost going full circle, we first hunt crystals made for us by an old friend in both ARR and Heavensward. Then going on to get a crystal token of the past by another old friend. To now having one by the person our soul is from, who's also been somehow helping behind the scenes on at least one occation before. It really just feels like a passing of the torch kinda thing. I wonder if we'll ever get to make our own funny crystal too.

[@Tobeh]

Seeing the Azem crystal Hades made for us again I am suddenly stricken by the similarity to a job’s soul crystal. They also have the same purpose. Containing and passing down the memories and techniques of previous holders.

[@WolfysEyes]

The one thing I notice looking at the images and screenshots of the crystal: It looks an awful lot like the sort of aetheryte style that we saw when we visited The World Unsundered. And considering this was likely the catalyst that was trying to be used to teleport all of Alexandria into the Source, well...

[@bigfoxki]

"Does it mean I got 13 more worlds to travel and explore? NICE!" Azem when they hear Venat is about to sunder the world into 14 pieces.

[@catrinastars]

I can see that! lol

[@Aranexorsist]

Yea… 13….. nothing happened to 10 of them…. Nothing at all…..

[@NemesisTWarlock]

Venat: "That also kind of means Everyone's souls will be sundered, Azem. Even yours." Azem: "Oh... Oh, I am SO JEALOUS of my Future soul fragments now!!! Send me a copy of the Concept crystal before you do it, ok? I wanna make a cool new toy for them!" Thus, the Key was made.

[@introspectiveseraphim6251]

​@Aranexorsist 7, actually. We've got about 6-5ish more worlds to explore including the rest of our own. Id love to see what the rest of the Void is like, what tge rest of the First might look like if we can get rid of all the light corruption, and all the different worlds we could find with our new toy

[@jrtime228]

@@Aranexorsist You do realize they were referencing whoever was in the seat of Azem at the time of the sundering right? Not "modern day".

[@Evnyofdeath]

I personally think that once Azem became aware of the sundering he started working on a way to bloodlessly reuinite the shards. Thus...the Key

[@Wanderingsage7]

I wonder if the relic is what Azem was working on before the Sundering, when they walked away from both groups to find a third way. Like, they might have known what Venat's 'plan' was and started working on it. Because, intended use or not, it can stitch together reflections with out a calamity. As for why the Lala's had it, Azem did like island wine so...

[@maallos334mi8]

I can’t check, but did aloah have grapes?

[@Wanderingsage7]

@@maallos334mi8 might've before the Sundering.

[@maallos334mi8]

@@Wanderingsage7 There still needs to be definitive proof to graduate this from a fan theory though.

[@Ryukai-san]

I always assumed that island is the current day 'Vylbrand'. It IS a volcanic Island and also famous for it's Wine (looking at you Wineport)

[@limpychick4724]

The short story takes place after the events of Elpis, so this is very likely. We don't have an exact timeline between Elpis and the Sundering, and I think it was even implied that there could even be hundreds of years in between them, but in a relative sense I think the Sundering would take place not long afterwards.

[@TheImpolitelad]

It should also be noted that this Azem was also facing sanction by the convocation for their intervention in a volcanic eruption on an unnamed south sea island. Via the short story Ere Our Curtain Falls. Azem in one swoop prevented the eruption, funnelling the explosive earth and fire aether into the creation of Ifirit, saved the natives of the island, and preserved Azem's favorite variety of grapes. So we can easily place Azem in the region indirectly. With a bit of head cannon and wild speculation we may even place them there directly. In the same story, Emet-Selch seemingly covers for Azems motives on the incident. In a conversation with Elidibus prior to the censure hearing, Elidibus seemingly siding with Azem, recounts Azems motives for the criminal intervention and Emet, says he "couldn't bring myself to shatter his faith" before playing along with the perspective. It seems that Azem may have some deeper personal connection to the region. Also, Azem remains the only member of the convocation to not be reincarnated as an ascian in some form or another. I would posit, that in the early days of the sundering that Emet may have awakened a fragment of Azem who simply went rogue almost immediately, or possibly after the fall of the 13th. And the relic may have been intentionally given to the inhabitants of Aloalo by this Ascian. Possibly because of that unexplained attachment. Granted this a massive stretch of cosmic proportions. But I feel the framework is there. From Emet-Selch extreme sentimentality for his friends, the bumbling early days of the Ascian and the rejoining, to Azems surprisingly deep connection to the area, to the entirety of your video.

[@chrisclark8910]

Given that grapes were mentioned specifically on a volcanic island, I always figured the island from the short story was Vylbrand - one of the Aetherytes there is an outpost called Wineport after all.

[@crowdemon_archives]

Lmao Azem-Ascian going rogue immediately sounds like a WoL thing to do ngl 😂

[@Tobiasmarrik]

​@@crowdemon_archivesEmet: "My friend I have found you and brought your memories to the fore so that you might aid us in rejoining the desperate shards of our once beautiful home. You would also earn your redemption in the eyes of the convocation, so what say you...... Why do I hear boss music?."

[@StartouchArts]

After watching this as well as a video that hypothesizes the key is Auracite, I'm thinking: What if it's both? The High Seraph Ultima created this twisted white Auracite (Who's STILL alive and kicking, we only killed a Primal in her image!), and Azem found it, and enchanted it with his magicks to turn it into a mass-teleportation device.

[@Fl0wchart]

Except the primal Ultima is based on Athena, who died at the end of Pandaemonium.

[@ziongamer6905]

I personally believed that the crystal was made by azem, POSSIBLY as their solution to the sundering. They didn’t join either side, possibly because they wanted to find their own answer- hence the crystal The world will be sundered, yes but one day someone will have the wish to unite these worlds together and with this crystal, they could “rejoin” their world.

[@antrezede]

I was really tired of people jumping to conclusion regarding the key, but your video is a real breath of fresh air. You really took the time to explain all we knew about Azem's magic and I find your theory really elegant. No big brain plan, just characters being true to themselves and the consequences of that. (And great job bringing out the side story, I was so focused on the convocation lore when it got released I totally forgot about the crystal)

[@kimaclaret]

Oh my gosh the short story. I completely forgot about the crystal mentioned! You've given me a lot to think about. ❤ So excited to see where we go from here!

[@SynodicScribe]

Definitely food for thought!

[@hexocshade7225]

The Key to content

[@SynodicScribe]

Ayyyyyy

[@acgearsandarms1343]

G’raha did say interdimensional fusion has similarities to Azem’s summoning magic in the MSQ. So I’m inclined to believe the relic, much like our crystal, has the same if not similar principles and activation mechanisms. We have been able to use the magic with no issues across incredible distances in space and through dimensions. So not entirely out of the realm of possibility for Azem’s magic to work across dimensions. If it facilitates travel over great distances, it’s in their purview.

[@Nimoot]

Wait ... is this why we can still travel to the 1st/other reflections with Zero Issue...? o_o

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@Nimoot What do you mean? We could only do cross reflection travel by extenuating circumstances that require considerable effort. Also we have no known aetherytes attuned in the Void.

[@dumbsterdives]

​@@Nimootiirc we can travel to the First on our own because we were the intended target of G'raha's summoning, so there werent any flaws or soul extracting in our version because there wasnt any error involved

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@dumbsterdives indeed. Also we have attuned to several aetherytes in the First allowing for a stable connection even accros the rift. So our access is easier.

[@katarh]

@@acgearsandarms1343 (the WoL, teleporting in from the Crystarium to Kugane, causing a big dent on the aetheryte crystal from the aether blast.) Ah dammit not again. Aetheryte attendant: By the kami, where did you teleport in from, the New World or something? The WoL: Let's, uh, let's go with that. Yeah.

[@tehzerp]

Its interesting that you mention Azem manipulating space. My head canon for along time has been all our bag space, inventory and armor chest isnt actually a backpack or pocket but an aether subspace pocket. Something that we create with our aether to store things. Thats how fish never go bad or food cools. It would also explain how we can walk arounf with tons of ore and be fine while most NPCs cant.

[@hirudemonstrife]

I do like the idea that this grail is perhaps the original Azem crystal concept, one of which Emet-Selch's memory crystal replicates. It makes a lot of sense and you definitely sniffed out some of the links to make it seem legit. I will also say I'm delighted to see more of those direct quotes being highlighted as evidence. Mad respect. Thank you and safe travels

[@WalkerRileyMC]

I disagree. We're bluntly told that Azem did NOT get a crystal made because he "abandoned" the convocation. Emet made one in secret. It would diminish the impact of that if there had been an 'original' crystal made at some point.

[@katarh]

@@WalkerRileyMC That wouldn't have necessarily stopped Azem from making one on their own. "You guys kicked me out of your club and didn't make me one of your toys? Fine, I'll make one for myself. What you gonna do about it, the world is ending anyway, right?"

[@rfactor1502]

The real question is if Azem lost the crystal, or "lost" the crystal, as Azem, with a suspicious amount of future knowledge, might well have decided to ensure that the convocation could not redact the crystal, and made sure it would not be found... until after the sundering. And Azem did save an island from a volcano because they enjoyed the grapes there. What if that island that Azem saved is what would become Aloalo after the sundering? Also, if you do have some education in physics, you know that the warping of space and the warping of time are essentially the same thing. Which really brings into question what power those sorts of spells could have in the hands of a creative user.

[@althelor]

It's also worth noting that not only did the crystal take the lallafel to another reflection, it sent them back in time as well since they were running from the calamity of ice which was the 5th, and the fall of Alexandria's world would have been the calamity of lightning which was the second. So that just adds more fuel to the "azem knows the future" theory of their artifacts can literally send people back in time.

[@Author_Gamer]

@@althelordo we actually know with absolute certainty that Alexandria actually came from the same reflection that caused the lightning calamity? While I did originally also think this, after Living Memory I’m far less certain about that. Personally I think it’s more likely to be a situation similar to the First where the world was on the verge of a rejoining but did not quite go all the way to rejoining.

[@rfactor1502]

@@Author_Gamer We don't, but there's some potential for it. But it could be anoshard that shared a lightning aspect problem.

[@jaesaces]

​​@@althelor The shard that Alexandria belongs to most likely isn't the shard that was destroyed in the second umbral calamity, given that the shard still exists and sustains life. Remember that there are thirteen reflections, so certain elements would need to be used in more than one rejoining.

[@althelor]

@@jaesaces I'm fairly certain that sphene specifically said that their home world does not still exist and sustain life. They literally compared the history of Alexandria to an umbral calamity and said that the dome was the only reason that Alexandria survived.

[@aaronlefebre5060]

This video made me realize something that I'm slapping my forehead for not realizing for over a decade: Teleport, Return, and the ease of our use of the Aethernet systems are so easy for us because the magics involved would be something that Azem the Traveler would have as native abilities. It's not that we have boundless aether to Teleport so easily, it's that the magics involved are as effortless to us as breathing. The costs are negligible because they're practically instinctual for us.

[@Gloomdrake]

You teleport by manipulating your anima, not your aether. Teleportation in FFXIV works on similar rules to Star Trek. You dissemble and the re-assemble yourself at your destination. The WoL is unusually good at putting themself back together

[@maallos334mi8]

Except that it’s a pretty common form of travel, and return still has a cast time mechanically. It’s a good connection to bring up, but while not everyone can do it (see thancred), unfortunately it’s not a unique skill.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@aaronlefebre5060 Only notable thing other NPCs mention is that we have a high amount of anima for consistent teleportation whereas normal people can at best do it 2-3 times a day on average.

[@XieRH1988]

It's easy for us because it's a gameplay design not a lore thing. No one wants to play a game where you can only fast travel once every hour because repeated frequent fast travel contradicts the rules of the lore. Notice how even in cutscenes, the WoL is never seen using the aetherytes to fast travel, not even in urgent emergency situations where they need to reach somewhere ASAP.

[@Gloomdrake]

@@XieRH1988 this is the most boring kind of answer

[@IslandFenix]

It seems that a lot of Ancient Azem's magicks and concepts centered around spatial manipulation, specifically point to point teleportation to either move themselves and any personnel/materiel needed to a particular destination or to call other people to their side. It's like they were essentially running a civilian rapid response brigade, especially given what we learned at the end of Myths of the Realm. This does beg the question though: what was the fate of our/Azem's shard in Alexandria's reflection? At best, only the souls within Alexandria were cut off from the Aetherial Sea since the soul energy was recycled/expended to fuel the regulators, so the rest of the shard may be intact albeit corrupted into essentially a lightning version of The First/Thirteenth. (Also sidebar: Is my math off or should Krile still technically be short a shard in her soul? Her ancestors were essentially 6/14 rejoined, and while she was present for the 7th Umbral Calamity, she nor her ancestors were present on the Source for the 6th. So she should be a 7/14, while most people on the Source are 8/14 and the WoL and G'raha are 9/14 with the WoL fusing with Ardbert and G'raha fusing with Crystal Exarch that survived the 8th Umbral Calamity from the other timeline.) What does seem clear is that this Key is just a bigger part of understanding the prototype gate that Preservation created. If we can figure out how THAT works, we can make stable connections to the other reflections which might keep them from collapsing into the source per if Y'sthola's theory from the end of Endwalker holds. I'm excited to see how this plays out since it's partly going along my headcanon of what would happen in the next 10-year arc.

[@darkmindaustin]

I think another hint as to being what you said it could be is that... spoken by Hythlo himself in Elpis, was that Azim would rush headlong into an erupting volcano to rescue the people in its wake. Knowing that the world's continents wouldn't change TOO drastically without great cataclysmic events, and even those tend to just be ecological changes, what if... the event they described was the events that left one of those crystals, in a very volcanic area. The South Seas Isles. Mayhap a stretch, but I think it is somewhat funny that they mention him directly doing volcanic rescue, while a relic of his, is found by a people on a volcanic archipelago.

[@barisaxman2]

I only just realised that the Azem Crystal summoning looks like a Sun. It also looks very much like the Milala sun mural, however theirs has 8 circles surrounding the centre. Ours has 7.

[@aronth]

Azem is supposed to be "The Traveller" it would make sense Azem's magic enables the user to go everywhere possible. Which might also explain the WoL can travel back and forth to the First without any issue.

[@DJ_Bonebraker]

I think this theory is highly plausible. Funniest part was, I've been using an Azem glamour for my character's main job (WHM) since the end of the 6.0 EW MSQ, and I even updated it first thing upon entering DT early access (I used the second dye channel on the Sophist's Robe to dye the mask black, like Azem's in Elidibus' echo flashback in SHB 5.3 MSQ). I also bought a RL replica of Azem's constellation stone from Etsy a couple years back, so as soon as I saw that symbol appear on the key, I was like, "Why the hell is my symbol appearing on that relic?!"

[@Addonexacy]

My theory is it was created for the very purpose of cross-reflection travel by Azem. Since Azem wasn't helping the Convocation summon Zodiark nor Venat summon Hydaelyn, we are left wondering what exactly they were doing during the Final Days. Yoshi-p was once asked this very question and his answer was along the lines of "whatever you (the player) see yourself doing during that time, Azem was probably doing." I betting Azem was informed by Venat of her intentions to sunder Zodiark and Etheirys. I think they used the time leading up to/during the Final Days to create this "key" capable of bridging the many reflections of the soon-to-be sundered Etheirys. I'm very excited to learn more about the key and Azem. I think this is going to lead to us exploring the other reflections, giving XIV a ton of potential content to delve in to in the future.

[@katarh]

That's a very good point - the key was probably made by Azem at full strength, which would make it pre-Sundering. But the shards didn't exist pre-sundering, so what purpose would a dimensional key of that kind serve when there weren't any superstring dimensions yet?

[@DrMrUncleJohn]

Another fun thing is there could be a path of reasoning of when/how this item was left behind as well. It is tenuous and thus conjecture but this could tie into the 'Ere Our Curtain Falls' story, galivanting out to a remote island to ensure the impending eruption becomes an eruptn't. I can't say I recall any grapes being on Alo Alo to make this more solid than just serendipity but I would be at least a little amused if this connection panned out.

[@daikontaiko]

That’s a lot of seemingly throwaway lines and ideas that completely make sense! They’re so easily missed when paired with everything else that we’ve been dying to know about our Azem. At the same time I think we’re now valid for being angry at our unsundered self for leaving all these relics around carelessly leading to the events of Alexandria fusing with the Source….

[@LupusArcavius]

I’ve been thinking this Crystal could have been a creation of Azem to aid in their travels and I completely forgot about the short story. Hell I don’t even remember if I read this one… I’m convinced. If this isn’t the crystal from the story it’s something like that. A tool used by Azem to aid in their travels around the star

[@Tsuba_Nick]

Lovely video, thanks for structuring all thoughts in a concise and clear to digest manner. You should also check the japanese original of the tales story, because it is mentioned that the crystal reflects in a blue color.

[@MMOPC78]

One thing that a friend of mine commented on. She ponders that the crystal also contains another power. The action of "Flow" from ARR and the ability to pull one back from the Aetheral Sea. If Azem had mastered "Flow" beyond how we have seen it work: wouldn't it also be possible for to use such a spell to "flow" on cure we start of aether to a different place or even time? She postulates the second point on the time difference between the Source and the First. The crystal of Azem maybe more than just a crystal of remeberence; but, a key to time, space, and aether itself. I'm not lore theorist; but, part of what she said seems to make a bit of sense.

[@Sky_Ler2000]

My interpretation, after some thought, is that we’re dealing with two different spells with similar means of activation; that being fervent prayers. The crystal of Azem’s spell pulls what you desire to you. The key’s spell meanwhile brings you to what you desire.

[@umo7043]

Not only do I get amazing lore from these videos but they are just so damn cozy to listen too. I feel like im at a campfire with a wise sage story teller.

[@SkullM]

My pet theory thats a little more off the wall/VERY likely to be wrong: When Sphene mentioned it responding to prayer, my mind went to "primal" immediately. Specifically: Eureka. Maybe Galuf finding Eureka wasn't just a coincidence, maybe it was during his search for more information regarding the 'Golden City' and his new granddaughter that he found something more dangerous than he was expecting. Maybe the key is another "trigger weapon" like Odin or Excalibur, just with a very different purpose? Admittedly, that seems unlikely since nobody (as far as we know at least) has been tempered by the crystal. That plus with Azem's symbol showing up on the crystal that makes it even more far-fetched, but its still possible considering Eureka was made two astral ages earlier than the Milala transporting themselves (I think?). Edited for grammar/spelling.

[@Silvershadowfire]

This was my theory when it first reacted to the crystal and our aether. It's reacting to its creator - that was something Azem made. There are hints (In the Pandemonium raids) that Azem could see into the future, though with how much clarity is up for debate. They may have created it to help merge together the worlds after Zodiark was defeated, in such a way that millions of lives wouldn't be lost. Or maybe just so that their future self could travel from world to world. Or both.

[@Thundertron55]

I think this is my favorite theory of what the key is. I'd much rather it be a creation of Azem than a random piece of auracite like the Heart of Sabik or something. Sounds a lot more interesting, and I hope this is where they take it. I would like more Azem lore.

[@Narnio01]

I would love for it to potentially be a combination of both

[@SirVyre]

The one thing that runs at odds with the crystal being specifically about space. It responded to Zoraal Ja's earnest desire for power. He had no desire to travel at all. Honestly, though, the thing it most reminds me of is the Zeal Pendant. Schala and then Marle's pendant from Chrono Trigger. By itself it could not open the gates, but with the right magic, tech, or desire it surely did. Lucca was genius enough to create a, "Gate Key" that was entirely separate from the pendant which created the same effect to open the gates as her Spatial Telepads did when they interacted with Marle's pendant. It even follows what the artworks of Elpis reminded people of when they saw them for the first time, that being The Magical Kingdom of Zeal. Which calls to mind why the pendant had its powers in the first place. That being that it was made of Dreamstone which was a mineral capable of channeling vast quantities of magical power, and when it was exposed to Lavos's energy, it could be influenced to make dreams tangible, permanently. To me, that's all I see. Square has some old development team members who know what they are referencing, and they continue to reference it as we push forward. I believe that the key is going to utterly obliterate our setting, in that it will be a way for us to experience even the lost shards, and that it does have a component in its workings that allows for time travel as well.

[@Lrbearclaw]

If you think back to Endwalker, we find out that Azem was dealing with a volcano... and we know the Malala island housed a volcano. I think this is how they found the relic. Maybe it fell from Azem's pocket into the magma to be erupted to be found by the Malala centuries later.

[@limpychick4724]

I've been of the same mind about the crystal in the short story, but you've reasoned it out much more conclusively! Great video :) As far as how it got to the Aloaloans, I suspect Hythlodaeus may be involved there too actually. The short story does take place after the events of Elpis, and the story ends with Hythlodaeus not being able to return the crystal to Azem before they take off on another adventure. We don't know how long there was between then and the Sundering - it's possible that was the last time that Azem saw Hythlodaeus and Hades, as the latter half of the story implies that they hadn't seen Azem for a while right before summoning Zodiark.

[@Alpacalips]

Great video!! I really cant wait for them to give us the Azem expansion. I still think it'll be the very last expac, but fingers crossed they dont make us wait that long

[@MrSpiderspider12]

11:42 Have you heard of the stereotype "Bumbling fool, hidden badass"? Knowing Pandemonium, Azem is keenly aware of what happens in the distant future so far that Azem doesn't join Hades and Hythlodaeus on Elpis right before we arrived there and guide Themis to wait for WoL

[@cobaltwolfknight]

The key that unlocks the gateway that joins both our worlds is to be a unifier, a bridge who'd connect those rejecting what needs to be done.

[@TalkeXIV]

I honestly did not know what to think of the relic when it resonated with our crystal during the Interphos, other than positing that it was a device of Ancient construction and very likely related to the Convocation of Fourteen. Random musings after the fact made me wonder if there was a shard of Azem among the Milalla and that is how the portal that saved them opened, while considering the possibility that it's specifically attuned to our crystal or soul, but I'm not sure there's much logic to this idea to begin with. I really appreciate your thoughts on this topic, since I think it will be a matter that greatly impacts where the story goes as we start on this arc. Great video!

[@linkshellvendor]

cant wait for an 8 man encounter where you fight with a part of Azem who is a slightly different version of your character in a fight where it splits into other different versions of your party members.

[@maallos334mi8]

I’m calling for the final Arcadian teir. Having them read our memories is definitely gonna bite us in our 2B stockings

[@Fl0wchart]

Whose to say Azem didn't split his mask like Lahabrea did and make himself two beings, and we are a fragment of one of these split Azems? It would make sense why there has only been TWO Warriors of Light out of the FOUR Reflections we have travelled to. (WoL and Ardbert) Maybe because Azem already split himself two ways, the sundering could only split one of them into 7 beings instead of 14.

[@orciencor6001]

I've always personally assumed there has been a WoL in every fragment, and that they just didn't win against the far far more powerful Ascians at the time, or just weren't alive at the time of the calamities on the shards to even try preventing them. And that it took all those rejoinings to reassemble their soul enough to actually stand a fighting chance in the Source. As for who they could be on the shards we've been to; Golbez (either of them) or Zero are a reasonable guess on the 13th's WoL fragment, though who knows for sure there. And it's anyone's guess for Alexandria's. Maybe Otis, or one of the Arcadian fighters, or any one of the numerous souls stored in the Unlost. Of course, absolutely nothing says they ARE either, and you certainly don't need to be a fragment of Azem to be the sort to try to save their homes. Sadly, unless we're ever told outright, we'll probably never know for sure either one way or the other.

[@darrensanderson1031]

Okay, I am *totally* down for a solo trial where you come face to face with an Azem splinter from another shard, who sees us and our multiple-rejoined Soul, goes “Oh shit! An Ascian!!” and pulls out their own crystal and summons seven duplicates of themself before attacking us. Essentially make *us* the single boss of the right person Trial of a weaker Azem shard lol

[@hypertdog]

Honestly I can see this coming into play with future updates. Especially with y'shtola's desire to travel between the reflections. They are already getting closer and closer to the answer they seek.

[@kilrathi827]

This is definitely a plausible theory with what we know at the present time. I would like to know more about Azem for certain, but i love the bits and pieces of lore & conjecture we are getting too.

[@dustinhatfield8373]

You know, the lore lines posted a video very similar to this one not long ago and I listened to it this morning. And afterwards I said "this is fascinating I wonder what the Synodic Scribe would say about this?". They told me we'll find out soon since youre collaborating with them! That's exciting I look forward to that.

[@SynodicScribe]

Oh they're great. I'm looking forward to the collab next month!

[@NobutakaFairclough]

I am glad we had the same thoughts about the relic. At first I had a hunch. Then the moment I saw the reaction and symbol I was like "AH HA!"

[@Vfanatic1]

I personally believe the Key was made by Emet Selch himself after he had already made the Azem Crystal and gained an understanding of the spell and was in fact part of one of his original plans to rejoin the worlds, given that Interdimensional Fusion is in essence a forced rejoining of Alexandria's Shard and Xak Tural but he gave up on it seeing the method as flawed.

[@kouathalla9040]

Maybe the reason Azem was away from sundering is that they're finding their own way of averting the Final Days that doesn't sacrifice anyone, by using their crystal to teleport away Etheirys beyond Endsinger's reach. That's why the crystal is capable of teleporting an entire reflection. Basically, I'm saying Azem is using the Patrick approach of taking Etheirys and pushing it somewhere else using that crystal.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

Azem: PUSH! (everyone struggling)

[@soldierorsomething]

This is some good stuff, it got me really excited to see what the patch quests will bring us!

[@25xxfrostxx]

I think the "chalice" was just stuff preservation stuck on it to get it to work. Since it reacted to our crystal, it's very possible it was only meant to work for Azem and they had to mess with aether to sort of "spoof" the signature to trigger it. The reason I think it's only meant to work for one person is Emet-Selch clearly knew what he was guiding us toward when he specifically mentioned the south sea aisles and other relevant locations. Yes, he's incredibly sentimental, but he's also tempered and would have had a hard time leaving a device out there that could merge reflections either whole or in part without a calamity. He was sentimental but only to a point. They renamed Zenos to "Viator" after he essentially became the most destructive traitor the empire had ever seen. So the Garlean word for traitor is the Latin word for "traveler". The Millala had the crystal for "ages" and the representation of their ancestral homeland that we saw in Living Memory was a volcano. I seem to remember a story about a certain someone, a volcano, and some good grapes.

[@aerialdive]

@@Lady_Moonsong the south sea isles are in aloalo

[@acgearsandarms1343]

Robor did say Preservation augmented the relic with electrope so it’s more or less a given. Interesting though is they never figured out the inner workings, just how to use it in a rudimentary fashion.

[@Gloomdrake]

@@aerialdiveother way around

[@maallos334mi8]

It could also be that it required a lot of Aether, and the reverence of the South Island people over generations probably stored in the crystal for them to escape, something they could not recreate before the discovery of electrope.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

@@maallos334mi8 Enough aether for an Ancient to expend being equal to that of several modern day people?

[@Law-gnome]

I did not know about the origin of the Azem crystal. I think this makes a lot of sense. It's funny, but I've never thought about Azem just being really excited about teleportation. Makes sense for the convocation member focused on travel. That said, how would any of the ancients make a spell or device capable of dimensional travel when the different dimensions presented in the game are all specifically created following the sundering? Or was Azem alive following the sundering to research and create a dimensional teleportation spell/device?

[@duskblade1119]

The crystal probably wasn't meant for traveling between reflections seeing as they didn't exist at the time of its creation. It's more likely that it is a result of the sundering being caused by Azem's mentor and predecessor. Azem and Venat probably specialized in similar fields and it is implied that they continued to associate closely with each other even after the torch was passed. Whether the sundering was done in a way that would intentionally allow Azem to pass between reflections or coincidence due to both spells working on the same fundamental principles would be up in the air even after all of the assumptions to reach this point.

[@redcloud16]

Omg i love this, im so excited to see what comes next!

[@QuantumDelta]

Minor note; Nabriales; is there a canon source that cites his magic as time? The Chrysalis fight very much seemed like to me; we were getting sucked inside a black hole. Upon entering the event horizon time is very compressed and we're fighting inside some artistic impression of what might be on the inside/otherside of a black hole.

[@SynKVoice]

The gold/bronze decorations on the crystal itself look amaurotine in design

[@jessicawoodley9577]

it reminds me of the ancient lamp and amaurotine spire chandelier, but combined

[@VesperOfRoses]

Very likely, whatever the device is, it will most likely be the means by which we can travel to other Shards. Without the Ascians to bring about any more rejoinings, perhaps future expansions will involve us traveling to shards and possibly finding a way to restore the ones that have been overrun with aether like the Thirteenth

[@itsmefirefox]

We can move ather so its possible just likely unless we can extend our life not likely

[@crowdemon_archives]

​@@itsmefirefox I don't think WoL would want to live forever like Ascians lol but I won't know for sure tbh

[@GaleGrim]

The crystal is a dead ringer for white auracite. But it's twisted like a taco bell cinnamon twist. My guess is that it in fact contains one of the fragments of Azem in a similar way we once contained the Ascians, perhaps we aren't the first reflection of Azem they had to quarrel with. It's twisty form I theorize is an innovation to allow it to hold on to Aether, a feature normal white Auracite is sadly missing.

[@DalithaMW]

I think it's definitely a crystal forged by Azem-- AND, I think, it may have been created in the final hours of the ancients. It's said, from what I recall, that Azem fled *both* the convocation and venat, to try and seek an alternative path i think the key, as we call it, is part of this path Perhaps, a way for wayward travellers, cast wingless, adrift, to find their way home again?

[@DalithaMW]

ALONGSIDE THIS, I think Aloala was the island that Azem saved with ifriti And because of that, it became a sort of. Second home, for Azem-- much like ishgard has for the WoL, or the island sanctuary Perhaps this is why they found the crystal there-- it was once azem's home, serving as a laboratory to experiment with this spacial bridging magick A lot of conjecture, but I think it fits!

[@blankdeservedbetter6796]

My personal headcannon is that the crystal was handed to the milala by ascians to send to to the reflection of alexandria, seeing as how imperative they were in advancing that world's technology, spurring it towards lightning more and more, making it a vessel ready for rejoining

[@Liltama]

Since we're yet to hear or know about why Azem didn't choose a side between Hydaelyn and Zodiark, or what they were doing in the Final Days... I like to believe this artifact might've been part of a solution they were trying to come up with

[@nataliet4293]

Ah boy I've been thinking we're going to go back in time and find out that we're the original azem

[@IzanaKunigiri]

It's also a WHITE crystal. And it's description is incredibly close to that of WHITE AURACITE. So, An Auracite-Powered Ancient-Origin Magitek Travel-Cup of sorts?

[@ironwolfsaber2739]

The embolization of the metal setting the crystal within the eletrope chalice is very amortine in style as well.

[@breakleaf21]

I was thinking this too, with how heart of sabik which is an auracite, said to have a limitless amount of aether, Azem could've tinkered with it and imbued it with their own magick which now can move bigger area to other place instead of calling people to their sides.

[@henriquebarreto4552]

Awesome video as always Scribe. As for my theory I agree with all you said but I'll add some of my observations, you see the story of pandemonium is still fresh in my mind and after hearing that the key responded to the desire of the speaker I couldn't help myself of remembering that Auracite and mostly important Ultima has had an impact on Etherys for far longer than we anticipated. So I wonder if Azem in their travels came across Ultima's Auracite and used it to create the artifact.

[@Lyn685]

I like to think that Azem left the key behind deliberately.

[@Otacanthus]

If Azem really is the space person, I wonder if they had something to do with aetheryte technology

[@randomgenretalk8151]

Based on what we knew about the conversation with Themis at the start of the Pandaemonium questline, Azem knew that we might come. The question is how Azem knew that and i don't think Venot told Azem about their sundered version. Space and time are connected with each other and mastering the one might lead to the other. Azem might not just mastered space but maybe space-time. That would explain why Azem knew about us, because being connected to space-time allows Azem to see the past, present and future at the same time. WHich is possible in real life aswell. If you are 50 light years away from earth and you travel in direction of the earth and you are somehow connected with the people there, going towards earth is going towards earths future, you arrive later in time. Going away from earth and you see the earths past because only the light of that time has yet reached you. But you live in the same present as the people on earth. If aliens exist and they are multiple light years away from us depending on how far away they are, if they look at earth the might still see dinosaurs. If Azem mastered space-time, Azem saw the world of old and of new and might actually leave certain keys behind for us and others to find because of their nature it will eventually come back into their hands. Maybe Azem was ok with the sundering because Azem knew it might be the right choice and Azem was happy to travel again in sundered form and discover themself to become eventually a complete being and having so much new memories and friends. Maybe Azem was a fan of the Scions from what they saw and don't want to deny their alternative self that experience to be friends with them. At the end it could've been a plan of Azems to leave knwoledge behind and help the shards to reconnect or Azem was just too carefree, the volcana story suggest them being somewhat carefree. There is one thing that gave me some sort of conspiracy about Azem, we heard that Azem liked to make familiars. Back in Elpis Hythladeus said it was unusual for us to have a souls because they thought that the Warrior of Light is one of Azems familiar. Based on their reactions it was unusual but not unheard of and this leads to a interesting thoughtprocess. What if Azem is still unsundered and somewhere and in reality not Azem got sundered but one of their familiars. What if Azem had some sort of bigger plan and needed more time, so Azem created a perfect familiar to take their place and it got sundered in their stead! Maybe Azem was close to master Space-time and needed more time to manage it or Azem discovered something by mastering it and had to leave to further investigate. Isn't it weird how all the events, Finals Days coming back, Golbez, Pandaemonium and now Alexandria, how all of these events happen right one after another but not at the same time. Imagen to deal with Sphene while having the Final days or Golbez on our throat. Maybe Azem did a lot of preperation to lead all of the events to a specific point in time for us to deal with so that not only all the things that still need to be resolved could be resolved but also for us to have no unfinished business anymore so we could deal with the major thing, whatever it may be. I like that idea but it's just an idea and not really something that i can proof but it would be a nice twist if Azem is indeed somewhere fucking around.

[@zeddoverkill]

I definitely am leaning more toward this being an old relic of Azem's that managed to survive the Sundering. Your theory is, I think, quite plausible.

[@Dastreus]

So I'll be honest. When I beat MSQ, saw the relic on WoL's table in the inn, and remembered it's resonation with the Azem crystal, I immediately had the same idea. "wait a sec... Could that be one of Azem's creations? The devs would normally just give an item like this to a member of the scions, but WE got it, instead, too. Hmmmmm eh maybe but that grand of a thing." Instead of doubting myself I apparently need to get into lore and prediction videos because we're on the same wavelength, here. Though, I wouldn't have thought of manipulation of time to be the key skills of Azem. Good idea, that. (Side note: Azem's most peculiar magic is the power of friendship. Think about it, we would have an echo of their power, as the inheritor of the soul with the echo, and when our party grows, so does our stats. Literal power of friendship lol. And this may be bs on my end, but Endsinger remarks on this power possibly after she sends the scions away, and before Zenos busts in with the steel chair.)

[@AAG_Vanitas]

Another great video ❤

[@yanelisbarrosart]

I agree I believed the same thing analyzing the lore, I can guess and early conclude it is one of Azem ‘s creation.

[@EntityXIII]

I'm curious. How much did the chief's assistants, well, assist with the making of this crystal? And will we have to venture into other reflections to piece together other parts of this crystal to return it to full power? If the Malala took it with them to the Xth Reflection during the Calamity of Ice, then it has missed a shard or two of its rejoining power, has it not? Yet it remain powerful enough to react with enough prayer from enough people. I can see a potential plot thread of needing to join the shards of this crystal in order to avert a greater catastrophe. And since FFXIV is fond of following the chapter format that has more or less affected the franchise, for better or for worse, since the second expansion of FFXI, I can see one such expansion where we enter each reflection for the third, fourth, and fifth zones, and possibly returning to the first or second to track down the shards from the fall of Allag or Bahamut, a major event of slamming all the shards and main crystal body together with a high risk of catastrophic failure, and the sixth zone being wherever the new big bad is hanging out. Where EW's Ultima Thule was the "final chapter of the Tale of our Star," this final zone would be the final chapter of Azem's legacy. I feel like I could pitch whom the big bad might be and write the msq for such an arc. haha

[@thetaClysm]

if the key really was a relic from the time of the ancients, then i wonder... was it sundered? are there more keys floating around in other reflections?

[@Theheadless1858]

The only thing is that Azem’s foreknowledge (knowing we’d find our way to Elpis and knowing we’d be part of the Pandemonium story, and precisely how we’d get there (by falling on Elidibus/Themis)) seems to indicate that Azem did have some power over time or some precognition. Even more strangely he told Themis he’d “send him a star”… maybe he consider his sundered pieces his “stars”. By the time Pandemonium takes place Venat already knows about the Final Days and given she was not only the previous Azem but Azem’s mentor, it would be silly for her not to share her future plans with him. Perhaps they agreed that even should humanity conquer the final days the world would need to be reunited and she enlisted him and his space mastery to commission a way to restore or at least relink that which she knew she’d need to sunder.

[@pll3827]

Instead of just being a creation of Azem, it could be a auracite crystal modified by Azem, similar to how Athena worked on the Heart of Sabik. Ultima, the High Seraph was a extradimensional being that appears on Etheirys before the Sundering, and the auracite she created would react to the emotions/feelings of those wielding said auracite. As something related to an extradimensional being, auracite might be a great foundation to build upon for spells going across space and other realities. I think there's a reason why they linked the lore of Pandemonium and Heart of Sabik with Ultima, the High Seraph, and I'm sure this relic may be another link as well.

[@adrenalinekick]

Don't forget, Hythlodaeus did mention in Endwalker, when in Elpis, that Azem was "last seen running headlong into a volcano." The Milallas found the Azem artifact and where do we find them? In Asyle Volcano.

[@krism7426]

Part of me wonders if the Milala having it is a cute little nod to the story of Azem "saving the grapes" from the volcano!

[@Versudan]

Based on the other auracite pieces in lore, I get the feeling it existed originally in some form, Azem got hold of it and tweaked it and turned it into the relic we know of.

[@Bort-licenseplate]

I believe that key was handed to the milala by the acians. They loved playing the long con and it was only a matter of time before it fell into just the wrong hands. Hands that would use and abuse it just long enough to trigger a calamity

[@ExiaLupus]

I hadn't considered the possibility that the "key" was simply Azem's equivalent of the crystal we have now. If that's the case, I wonder if/how the sundering affected it. Could there be others like it strewn about the other reflections, or was this object somehow exempt? I suppose it's small enough that its potential reflections could very easily have been lost. There could be another one of this relic buried in the ground of another shard after falling into a ditch somewhere 11,000 years ago for all we know.

[@bendonatier]

The thing that bothers me about discussions around this crystal is the constant assertion that Azem has it at any point after that short story. Hythlodeus had it and watched Azem leave Amurot for the last time. Hades then remakes the spell in that crystal and gives it to the shade of Hythlodeus. I'm pretty sure Hades had the relic at some point, and given the chamber full of masks we see in living memory, I think it's the Ascians that gave it to the Milalla. After all it was their medaling that brought the reflection to the point of being ready for a rejoining.

[@OkamiG15]

I do want to share another bit of lore, another certain object that exists to fulfill its master’s desire: Eureka. A primal in the shape of an object who makes manifest the fervent desire of its user. This crystal could be closer to a primal than a simple crystal. It could have reacted to Azem’s crystal because they both function off the same trigger: wishing upon an object with all your heart. That being said, I do think this has a definite connection to Azem, either in origin or spirit. I just want to bring up the Eureka connection because I don’t see many discuss it, and I think a wish-granting object being in an expansion where Krile is in focus might be more than coincidence.

[@brachyzoid]

I believe the Key (Chalice) is a reference to FF Crystal Chronicles's Crystal Chalice.

[@codypturner]

Can't wait to find out that Krile is also a fragment of Azem, having inherited the fragment of their soul from the reflection she was born in.

[@Nekorook]

I think that crystal is the key to the next story ark. Lots of reflection hopping in the future.

[@Clowd81]

I like this theory, especially with how it ties into the Tales of the Dawn story. As an additional line of thought though, I don't think I have seen anyone speculate about the Crystal having a strong resemblance to White Auracite. This is purely speculative, but an alternative theory I want to propose: The crystal, likely made by Azem, contains one of the shards of Azem's soul (and likely memories) from another reflection (or the OG Azem themselves?), hence the teleportation magic power and its reaction to our summoning spell.

[@TorManiak]

I think this Crystal is a concept holder that is also a multi-faceted tool, but more the way a swiss knife is than magic in its purest form is. I'm sure that within it has multiple ways to QoL Traveling using specific kinds of magic for differing effects(perhaps with one similar to the Kojin ritual that makes people breathe inside Water for example? ). I cna easily imagine it having a ""simple"" teleportation spell that are actually a refined way to teleport to certain waypoints in the world without an Aetheryte, or the concept of a Bubble you mount inside that bounces in great speeds and protects you from harm... Hell, I'd even see a way to share the Echo's visions to those who can't use its hindsight abilities and some creature concepts Azem would use for traversal(aka mounts/Argos equivalent lmao). That way would make a lot of sense for it to have Preservation only uncover one single aspect of it (being some kind of Space Warping Gate spell considering what they did with it), since it would be a commonly used function for Azem to use.

[@KratosAngelus]

With the information that we have so far, that it's an old artifact of Azem's themselves, makes the most sense. We are on the source after all, which is the original world right? We still havn't found any traces of Amurat, but it 'SHOULD' be possible to find.

[@Azdaja13]

When it comes to how the Milalla got the crystal in the first place, while it's likely Azem lost it, it may not have been the South Sea Islanders that found it, but an Ascian instead. An Ascian might recognise its power and see it into the hands of those who might use it. Since we know the Milalla were instrumental in the discovery and use of electrope on the Ninth using their skill at arcanima and calculations, which led to the Storm Surge, it could have been an Ascian ploy to put the crystal into their hands and send them off to the Ninth to then use them to help prime another shard for Rejoining.

[@Water-vk1vs]

B is actually for Brilliant

[@frogvie3624]

a tie in that may be a bit of a stretch, but there’s an anecdote in endwalker about azem stopping a volcano by summoning ifrita and fighting it to disperse the fire-aspected aether. maybe that volcano was alo alo pre-sundering, and she lost the crystal in that fight.

[@Spyrit2011]

Makes you wonder just how powerful Azem really is, with that crystal and the ability to have Emet-Selch at their beck and in both life and death.

[@Ashla29]

My initial thought when learning about the possible relation of the key to Azem was that in the time of the ancients there was only 1 dimension. Azem could indeed use it for quick spatial travel during that time. How would a device created for spatial travel react in the time of 13 shards? 13 dimensions of space that all used to be 1 single dimension. I would suspect it would then work to move between any of those dimensions, perhaps with some glitches. I also thought that perhaps the key would only respond to a shard of Azem, which the original milala leader could have been but and no one else posessed that soul, so they could not make it work other then through technological means.

[@17Master]

The idea that Azem just clumsily dropped an unknown number of space warping artifacts which activate from something as simple as prayer and/or desperation is horrifying.

[@SniperKing-O]

10:15 So, could our adventurer bag possibly have a connection to Azem as well? It's a bit of a low key running joke in the game, but it would be interesting to find out that our bag was slightly altered by Azem and that each reincarnation of him somehow gets ahold of this bag as they gone on their own unique journey of adventure.

[@lauranichols5549]

I wonder if the Milala "Speaker" wasn't a shard of Azem like we are, and that's why they were able to make it work.

[@Unyubaby]

At first, I was of the side that the relic was resonating with our magic, but given the thoughts and points presented here, the crystal being a concept crystal of one of Azem's spells could also be true. We know that structures of the Ancient world survived the Sundering, like Akademia Anyder physically being on the First and not just as a recreated version of it. So it could stand to reason that some other items of the Ancients also survived. Though if this relic is one of Azem's creations that survived the Sundering, I find it strange that Hades didn't reclaim it as he seemed to know exactly what was going on with the golden city when he goaded us into finding it. There's no way Hades would have allowed "inferior lifeforms" to use his best friend's magicks without a good reason.

[@crowdemon_archives]

However, it's just as likely for Hades to miss quite a few of them, I think. 😅 It's also likely he isn't entirely aware of everything the last Azem had made.

[@Unyubaby]

@@crowdemon_archives That's true too, he could have just missed it. I just find it strange he made so many mentions that turned into Dawntrail plot points, unless he was purposely egging us on to find Azem's legacy.

[@thebetterman8027]

honestly this thing was the only thing in dawntrails story that had me interested lol