Relationships

ANCIENTS

Emet-Selch

This is pretty much a condensed version of the relevant portions of the Shadowbringers writeup. So check there for more!

At first, Pyr is equally wary and intrigued by his offer of cooperation—and by him. Though they try to maintain a healthy amount of caution concerning the Ascian, they cannot help but trust him and remain near him. Pyr would assert this fascination only extends to the information he shares, not the man himself; more of a lie to themselves than anything.

Emet-Selch's mercurial behavior is intriguing, but they can make little sense of it. He flits between familiarity, coy provocation, disinterest, and even earnestness, all in the blink of an eye. And so, so very often, tauntingly smug. Even more puzzling are their reactions to him; their sadness at his glib cruelty, their hurt at his dismissal, their joy at his approval. Pyr wants so terribly to earn his favor, to ask the right question, to learn more. The glimpses he offers into the world unsundered only spur them further, the idea of a much kinder star captivating after all they've seen.

Emet truly does grow fond of them, that fondness at times even eclipsing the truth of what they are; an incomplete thing, a mockery. Worse still are his hopes for what they might become, should they survive. It's then that he must toy with them, treat them without regard, remind them how very little they are in his eyes. It wounds Pyr, each time he does so. It is not enough to drive them away, to stop them from hoping anew; but the sting worsens, once they become involved.

The aftermath at the Crown of the Immaculate is a terrible thing. All the hope they'd dared to have given Emet-Selch is turned upon them as volatile, mocking cruelty, a punishment for their failure. Pyrciel is scarcely aware of anything as they lay dying, but some ancient part of Azem within them knows him, knows he will help. When their reaching hand is met with the heel of a boot, they simply cannot understand. Why, they think, as their world fades to white.

In the Tempest, they plead with him; whatever it was that they could not do, surely the Scions together could. There still must be another way, if he'd just try.

Emet-Selch will hear none of it. To him, Pyrciel is nothing more than a monster-to-be, not someone worthy of demanding something from him, as he viciously reminds them. It's only the Scions' arrival that spurs them to take up their weapon, unable to leave them to face Emet-Selch's trials alone.

Pyr is lost in the wake of it, the reality of what they've done becoming clearer and more crushing the more they learn of their past. When Elidibus makes his challenge, they intended to surrender; it's only Emet-Selch's wish that they live which pushes them to fight.

Should he return from Ultima Thule, they both struggle immensely with how he was willing to dispose of them once they failed to meet his standards. Pyr cannot help but think any affection is temporary, and that it is inevitable they will again be seen as not worthy of him.

Hythlodaeus

WIP, to come with the Endwalker writeup.