History Characters / FinalFantasyXIVTheWorldUnsundered

** Hermes thinks that he's the only one who loves the creations in Elpis and that the others make and destroy them on a whim. It's true that some researchers were rather callous, but while doing the side quests, the player can see that many others love the creations and want the best life for them, even to the point of putting themselves in danger or grieving and performing funerals when the creations die. Many experiments were also stopped because they were proven to be harmful to the ecosystem and other beings (such as how the wolves that Hermes's group had to put down were killing other animals indiscriminately in every possible situation) instead of just from whimsical discontent of their creators as Hermes thinks.

The mysterious fourteenth member of the Convocation who refused to participate in the summonings of both Zodiark and Hydaelyn.

* MythologyGag: He's an Ascian counterpart to [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Fusoya]] in role if not name -- a member of an ancient civilization that lives on the moon keeping watching over a SealedEvilInACan as well as the remnants of his civilization that are waiting for the day they can be "reborn" in a sense. He also wears a unique variant of the usual Ascian robe with a blue gradient at the bottom and a purple gradient around the top, mirroring Fusoya's robes.

* TheMcCoy: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] by way of [[DeconstructedTrope being a deconstruction]]. When players meet him, Hermes seems to be the only Ancient with any empathy towards their creations, lamenting how others see them as disposable and that none of his kin seem capable of sadness about anything, let alone the treatment of their charges. This leads Hermes to look externally for answers, creating the Meteia and sending them to contact other races to essentially discover ''the'' meaning of life. When they discover naught but countless dead civilizations that led themselves to ruin no matter how their society evolved, Hermes [[DespairEventHorizon becomes overwhelmed by existentialism]]. He decides that if all beings are flawed, even the Ancients, then it holds fair that they should be disposed of the same as the flawed creations they destroy on a regular basis (despite how [[{{Hypocrite}} he'd just prior felt the creations were worthy even with their flaws]]). To this end he sets up a "test" to see if humanity can overcome despair and prove themselves worthy of existing, and if they cannot, then the Meteia will destroy them. Ultimately, Hermes proves himself more TheSpock than TheMcCoy -- he's trying to find a logical, rational reason to give meaning to life and justify his empathy, and when he can't find such a reason he embraces nihilism and condemns all creation to suffer and die, including himself.

[[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVPrimals Primals]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVRaidAntagonists Raid Antagonists]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVOmega Omega]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheTwelve The Twelve]])) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVAntagonists Other Antagonists]]\\

''Class and Job Questlines'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVDisciplesOfWar Disciples of War]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVDisciplesOfMagic Disciples of Magic]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVDisciplesOfTheHand Disciples of the Hand]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVDisciplesOfTheLand Disciples of the Land]]\\

''Antagonists'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVAscians Ascians]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVEmetSelch Emet-Selch]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVGarleanEmpire Garlean Empire]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVZenosYaeGalvus Zenos yae Galvus]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVBozjanGarleans Bozjan Garleans]]) \\

* ReincarnationFriendship: A strange variant of this appears in ''Endwalker'', [[spoiler:as he and Emet-Selch bond with the Warrior of Light, , who traveled to the past and is the future reincarnation of their other very close friend Azem. Despite the Warrior's troubling news about their future and Emet-Selch's reaction, the three of them are shown to naturally build up a friendship with similar dynamics to the ones they had when the Warrior was still Azem. Their bond stays so strong that it culminates with Hythlodaeus and Emet-Selch making a ReunionVow with the Warrior, as they leave to be reincarnated, hoping to invoke this trope between the three of them once more. It's arguably played up even more in the japanese version, where Hythlodaeus insists that their trio should reunite happily, no matter how many times they reincarnate.]]

''Nations of Hydaelyn'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheEorzeanAlliance The Eorzean Alliance]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVIshgard Ishgard]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVDragonHordes Dragon Hordes]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVOthardAndHingashi Othard and Hingashi]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVSharlayanAndThavnair Sharlayan and Thavnair]]\\
''Other Realms'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheVoid The Void]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheFirst The First]] | '''The World Unsundered''' ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVPandaemonium Pandæmonium]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVUltimaThule Ultima Thule]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTural Tural]]\\

''Other Realms'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheVoid The Void]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheFirst The First]] | '''The World Unsundered''' ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVPandaemonium Pandæmonium]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVUltimaThule Ultima Thule]]\\

See Hydaelyn's entry in [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVAllies here]] for her post-Sundering identity.

[[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheWarriorOfLight The Warrior of Light]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTankClasses Tank Classes]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVRangedClasses Ranged DPS Classes]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVMeleeClasses Melee DPS Classes]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVCasterClasses Caster Classes]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVHealerClasses Healer Classes]])\\

''Antagonists'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVAscians Ascians]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVEmetSelch Emet-Selch]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVGarleanEmpire Garlean Empire]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVZenosYaeGalvus Zenos yae Galvus]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVBozjanGarleans Bozjan Garleans]] \\

''Antagonists'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVAscians Ascians]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVEmetSelch Emet-Selch]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVGarleanEmpire Garlean Empire]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVZenosYaeGalvus Zenos yae Galvus]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVBozjanGarleans Bozjan Garleans]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVPrimals Primals]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVRaidAntagonists Raid Antagonists]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVOmega Omega]]) | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVAntagonists Other Antagonists]]\\

* StarfishLanguage: The Amaurotine language consists of a bunch of droning tones that echo in one's mind. Although the words themselves may startle those unused to hearing it, they are able to convey meaning even to people from other worlds born millenia after Amaurot fell. Similarly, the Amaurotines have no issues understanding the CommonTongue spoken on the sundered worlds. [[spoiler:When the Warrior visits the unsundered past, the Ancients instead speak normally.]]

[[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVGarlondIronworks Garlond Ironworks]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVHildibrandAllies Hildibrand Allies]] | [[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVAllies Other Allies]] ([[Characters/FinalFantasyXIVGrahaTia G'raha Tia]])\\

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Beneath his grumpy attitude, Emet-Selch always thought of him this way, to the point where he thought Hythlodaeus would be a better fit for the "Emet-Selch" title than even himself. In fact Hythlodaeus was nominated for the position, but reportedly turned it down in favor of Emet. [[spoiler:He would eventually reveal that he ceded his nomination to Emet-Selch because while he possessed unparalleled skills in seeing aether, his ability to use creation magicks paled to his friend's, and what good would his sight be if he could not act on it?]]

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Hythlodaeus is a whimsical and blithe spirit prone to acts flightful fancy simply because [[ItAmusedMe it amuses him]]. His own secretary [[spoiler:who would later become the basis of Byregot]], had to pick up the slack when Hythlodaeus was in one of his carefree moods. But his unparalleled aethersight and the precision of his creation magicks had him recommended for the esteemed seat of Emet-Selch, which Hythlodaeus turned down in favor of Hades.

* ThePowerOfCreation: All Amaurotines possess the ability to spontaneously create anything they can imagine by using their aether. Y'shtola compares it to the summoning rituals used to birth primals from myth and legend, but the Amaurotines possess so much aether that they have no need for external sources of aether to power their creations. That said, they are limited by their own imaginations, and the Amaurotines relinquish concepts they are unable to fully realize on their own to the community in hopes that the combined vision of multiple Amaurotines will be able to accomplish what one could not. This ability is so ingrained in the Amaurotines' society that a clerk is very concerned when they hear that the Warrior cannot and does not know how to use creation magicks.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: In order to help the Warrior of Light escape from Kitsis Hyperborea before everyone within gets their memories wiped, he uses his aetheric sight to locate a "confluence" and walks in the exact opposite direction of it, and pretends to take aim at it, counting on Hermes trying to stop him, the Warrior of Light jumping the way of the attack, Venat to arrive in time with Argos to prevent them from falling to their death, and Emet-Selch realizing what his friend is planning and taking advantage of the distraction to open the actual confluence. The plan works like a charm, resulting Venat and the Warrior of Light being able to escape with their knowledge of the Final Days intact.]]

* HumbleHero: Hythlodaeus considers himself less talented than his friends and a lesser fighter than them. Doesn't stop him from supporting them in their time of need and kicking asses when wielding a bow. [[spoiler:Even as a disembodied soul, he's able to dispel the other souls harassing the Warrior on the moon simply by asking them to step aside as he strides up to the Warrior.]]

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Discussed by one of the memory Amaurotines, who mentions rumours a seat in the Convocation of Fourteen being left vacant - that is, the previous throneholder has left, and no one has been assigned to succeed him. The Amaurotine mentions that such a thing is unprecedented, but admits that it speaks to the gravity of the Convocation's "current" situation (trying to avert the Final Days).

* ThePowerOfCreation: All Amaurotines possess the ability to spontaneously create anything they can imagine by using their aether. Y'shtola compares it to the summoning rituals used to birth primals from myth and legend, but the Amaurotines possess so much aether that they have no need for external sources of aether to power their creations. That said, they are limited by their own imaginations, and the Amaurotines relinquish concepts they are unable to fully realize on their own to the community in hopes that the combined vision of multiple Amaurotines will be able to accomplish what one could not. This abilty is so ingrained in the Amaurotines' society that a clerk is very concerned when they hear that the Warrior cannot and does not know how to use creation magicks.

* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: The ancients' biggest flaw. Because so much of their lives were based around their magic, when the noise created the Terminus, everything they could use went crazy, only adding to the fire. The same could be said about Zodiark, because ''half'' the population sacrificed themselves to create a sentient will for their dying star, and then half of the survivors sacrificed themselves to create new life to fix the broken world. Those who remained were torn about whether or not to sacrifice the new life for all who died. Those who opposed the plan proceeded to do the same thing themselves, making another Primal to combat Zodiark.

* BigGood: As the woman who ''is'' Hydaelyn, she's the one who empowers the [=WoL=] and a few select others (Arenvald, Krile, Ryne, Minfilia, etc) into being her champions on the Source and its Shards, and is ultimately responsible for giving the heroes a chance against Primals, Garlemald, Sin Eaters, and the rogue Ascians.

* OneExtraMember: In 6.3, [[spoiler:it's revealed one exists for the Twelve who is nameless and assigned a charge to watch over alone. The Watcher fits both criteria, causing G'raha to immediately suggest him as the most likely candidate.]]

* ThreeAmigos: Azem was particularly close to both Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus. In "Through His Eyes", the latter is quick to tease Emet-Selch about his then new seat of office before asking if a "certain individual" had gotten the news. In "Ere Our Curtain Falls", Emet-Selch can already see Hythlodaeus cheerfully handing Azem the concept of Ifrita before sending them off to battle with a smile and a wave.
** ''Endwalker'' reveals that--[[spoiler:as members of a race who return to the star voluntarily once they feel they've accomplished all they felt they could]]--Azem, Emet-Selch, and Hythlodaeus were so close they'd decided [[spoiler:they wouldn't pass on until all three of them were ready so that they would be able to go together]].

* ContrivedCoincidence: He looks startlingly similar to Asashi sas Brutus, who is pointedly ''not'' Fandaniel's original form, but the body he is possessing at the time of his physical death.

** Hermes' sanity is undone by [[AimlesslySeekingHappiness his desire to find reasons be happy and content]] and [[ShrinkingViolet inability to open up to others about his troubles]]. Although Hermes is a brilliant mage and creator hand-picked by his mentor to join the Convocation, he's constantly troubled by how his people create and destroy life on a whim, wondering if he's insane for being concerned about mankind's treatment of their creations. Unwilling to confide in his colleagues, he creates the Meteia and sends them out into the stars with [[WideEyedIdealist a hopelessly naive]] question under the belief that other civilizations would help him formulate an answer to what it means to find happiness. He's so desperate to find this answer that he forces Meteion to report on her sisters' discoveries despite her obvious discomfort and pain. And when that report is nothing but soul-crushing nihilism, Hermes' mind shatters and he descends into BlackAndWhiteInsanity.

** It’s subtle, but Hermes shows many signs that he cares more about his feelings than what others actually feel. He bemoans that people celebrating his mentor’s death and that accepting the Seat of Fandaniel will constantly remind him that he no longer has his mentor by his side, never mind that said mentor had lived a fruitful life and chose to die to begin a new life on his own accord, not that Hermes is holding their life in his hands. A series of side quests also shows that another researcher is fearing the day she has to part with her mentor, who is going to return to the Star after her training is done. This means Hermes’s trouble toward people choosing death is not an exceptional event, but most others are simply emotionally mature enough to accept it and carry on the deceased's legacy, unlike him.
** In the short story [[https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/tales_from_the_dawn/sidestory_03/#sidestory_03 A Question of Life]], Hermes saw Meteion experiencing great trauma from connecting to one of her sisters while the latter was dying and being ripped apart in the dark of space. Even though she was the one who actually feeling said death herself, ''Meteion'' had to comfort ''Hermes'' as he lamented that this would traumatize him greatly, all while simultaneously dismissing Meteion’s own trauma as something that wouldn’t cause lasting harm. ''That was not the first time Meteion had to go through that.''

* MentorOccupationalHazard: Though he wasn't the mentor in question, he was well aware of what being chosen as the new Fandaniel meant for the then-current one, and was deeply disturbed by it. While it was tradition for the Ancients who felt they had done their duty to the star to "return to it", and the then-Fandaniel was willing to do so gracefully, Hermes simply didn't ''want'' his mentor to die, and while Emet's attempt to console Hermes by having him ascend to the Convocation and taking him away from Elpis was well-meaning, it also ground salt into the wound. He might no longer have to unmake "failed" creations, but from then on he would have taken the place of someone he cherished who had died and every day have to hear and use their "name" as a constant reminder of his loss.

** Related to the above, it turns out that a lot of the worlds with sentient life reacted to Meteion in the worst ways possible - when she appeared from the heavens and asked her question about living, some either decided that they didn't have an answer beyond "we don't have one, let's die then" or "this chosen being came to us, so we should nuke our enemies." Not only that, the insanity that Hermes caused both himself and Meteion ended up being his own doing, as he caused a cyclical reaction (planets die, Meteion reported it, he snapped - all of which could have been avoided if he'd never done the experiment to begin with).