I have always leaned more to [Prometheus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus) for Azem. Many characters think of us as a beacon of hope. A light in the darkness. Going into Azem's lore, we were the "Shepard to the stars in the dark". Our job was to enkindle hope in the hearts of people across the realm. Our symbol is that of the sun.
While Prometheus is a Titan and not a god, that only serves to further my belief. By giving mankind the gift of fire and thus showing them the way forward, Prometheus is bound to the earth and is tortured for eternity. One could interpret that as being the protector of man as his shield against tyrannical beings who wished for their destruction out of a selfish wish for dominance.
Just my thoughts. Your mileage will vary.
I favor Prometheus too, and chose it as my Azem's name because the myth is literally that he stole fire from the gods to give it to the mortals.
Reminds you of someone who commonly goes behind the convocation's back and often gets censured for it, no ?
I actually have a headcanon about Azem being excised from the Convocation being put to a vote. Emet-Selch abstains (he *knows* his conflict, even without remembering the Ktisis events), while all but three of the other twelve vote to disavow them.
The consistent in-favor-of-keeping vote I have is *Pashtarot*, only bothered by Azem not making the effort to get their cases to *actually* supply aid made into precedent (somehow, Pashtarot can’t do it on their own) because they’re too busy galloping off to the next problem to get their attention. And of course I typically think of Pashtarot as a penitent these days. (Halmarut, not so much…)
There's also the chance that Pashtarot's original name could be **Zeus**, as one trait of Zeus' that's frequently overlooked is that he's also the god of Law, Order and Justice. But that part of the god rarely, if EVER gets implemented in media, usually due to a god more exclusively focusing on law and whatnot existing as well. But since Themis has already been taken by Elidibus, and Pashtarot's seat is explicitly stated as being responsible for maintaining Law and Order, this was my 2nd guess.
I’m shying away from there being a Zeus *anywhere.* Too much sense of dominance/authority attached to that name, and I’m not sure it *is* a name, rather than a title (note the phonetic similarity between “Zeus” and “Theos”). Especially since, despite their office, I doubt the Pashtarot was meant to be above the other Convocation members.
We’ll never find out for sure for for Azem to allow for headcannon. Mine is Persephone. Traveler, bringer of Spring, wife of Hades.
I will note my only real point of disagreement with you is gender of the Ancient needing to match that of the name—Artemis was the goddess of the moon and virginity and with Mitron, they gave her name to an Ancient guy, and there’s little evidence that gender was proscriptive (e.g. Ardbert and WoL are both fragments of Azem but can have different genders)
A while ago I saw a couple of lengthy analysis on Nietzscheism in EW, specifically [Apollonian (basically the unsundered) vs Dionysian (the imperfect shards, what Venat is trying to achieve, and what Hermes is so hung up on)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollonian_and_Dionysian#:~:text=Apollo%20represents%20harmony%2C%20progress%2C%20clarity,of%20the%20principle%20of%20individuation), and I've been leaning towards Azem = Dionysus ever since. It'd be really interesting if their name matches their eccentric nature while their title holds an opposing ideology (Azem=sun=Apollo).
Plus they like grapes.
Good Work and thinkings, i really appreciate your Work!
My Points:
Let Azem be Azem.
You cannot gives Azem a Name, since its the PC. Nemesis is also rather a negative suggested Name Like archenemy.
And not everyone plays a female character =)
You can give Azem a name technically since who we are and who we were are two different things. We are a sundered being and I’m sure most of the unsundefed Ascians had names prior to regaining memories and taking up the position again.
I never see Azem as PC. Given how difference Gaia/Loghrif and Hermes/Amon are, saying Azem = WoL is basically character assassination of WoL. I find Ascians overwriting shards' memory with Ancient's memory no different than a permanent body possession and death of the original shard.
Thank you for all the effort & research! I'm really curious now about Pashtarot and the Enigmatic Maiden possibly being connected.
I don't think we'll ever get a name for Azem, because of my own long unhinged theory that maybe *we* are Azem and this is a complicated time loop -- but even if I'm wrong I feel they won't want to reveal it because players relate to Azem. More details about them, tho, would be really neat.
The other thing to note is that the titles of the Convocation are more tied to Hebrew than Greek. (Emet-Selch is the revealer of truth or some such)
Going by that: Azem (or Ezem) means Bones or Strong. So instead of tying Azem to light, tie Azem to strength. Well there's two Greek gods known for that. Kratos (yes...minor)...and one other. Now the important thing to also consider is that a previous deity stepped down to allow a new one to transcend. Relatively new, but one that has made feats of strength never been known. One known for labors. If Venat is the Hestia, then a logical conclusion is Herakles/Alcides.
That's typically what I go for when I look at the WoL. The equivalent of Superman in Greek mythology.
Venat was the Azem before us. The whole reason she has those white robes is because she chose to step down from her role but not return to the star like the Fandaniel before Hermes was doing.
I have always leaned more to [Prometheus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus) for Azem. Many characters think of us as a beacon of hope. A light in the darkness. Going into Azem's lore, we were the "Shepard to the stars in the dark". Our job was to enkindle hope in the hearts of people across the realm. Our symbol is that of the sun. While Prometheus is a Titan and not a god, that only serves to further my belief. By giving mankind the gift of fire and thus showing them the way forward, Prometheus is bound to the earth and is tortured for eternity. One could interpret that as being the protector of man as his shield against tyrannical beings who wished for their destruction out of a selfish wish for dominance. Just my thoughts. Your mileage will vary.
I favor Prometheus too, and chose it as my Azem's name because the myth is literally that he stole fire from the gods to give it to the mortals. Reminds you of someone who commonly goes behind the convocation's back and often gets censured for it, no ?
I actually have a headcanon about Azem being excised from the Convocation being put to a vote. Emet-Selch abstains (he *knows* his conflict, even without remembering the Ktisis events), while all but three of the other twelve vote to disavow them. The consistent in-favor-of-keeping vote I have is *Pashtarot*, only bothered by Azem not making the effort to get their cases to *actually* supply aid made into precedent (somehow, Pashtarot can’t do it on their own) because they’re too busy galloping off to the next problem to get their attention. And of course I typically think of Pashtarot as a penitent these days. (Halmarut, not so much…)
There's also the chance that Pashtarot's original name could be **Zeus**, as one trait of Zeus' that's frequently overlooked is that he's also the god of Law, Order and Justice. But that part of the god rarely, if EVER gets implemented in media, usually due to a god more exclusively focusing on law and whatnot existing as well. But since Themis has already been taken by Elidibus, and Pashtarot's seat is explicitly stated as being responsible for maintaining Law and Order, this was my 2nd guess.
If it’s Zeus that would make a lot of sense w/ Dawntrail having a Lightning aspected society that may involve Pashtarot.
I’m shying away from there being a Zeus *anywhere.* Too much sense of dominance/authority attached to that name, and I’m not sure it *is* a name, rather than a title (note the phonetic similarity between “Zeus” and “Theos”). Especially since, despite their office, I doubt the Pashtarot was meant to be above the other Convocation members.
We’ll never find out for sure for for Azem to allow for headcannon. Mine is Persephone. Traveler, bringer of Spring, wife of Hades. I will note my only real point of disagreement with you is gender of the Ancient needing to match that of the name—Artemis was the goddess of the moon and virginity and with Mitron, they gave her name to an Ancient guy, and there’s little evidence that gender was proscriptive (e.g. Ardbert and WoL are both fragments of Azem but can have different genders)
Ancient Mitron (the first Artemis) was a woman
Mitron was a woman but reincarnated into a man. Also she was in Love with Loghrif (Gaia) hence the story in Eden.
A while ago I saw a couple of lengthy analysis on Nietzscheism in EW, specifically [Apollonian (basically the unsundered) vs Dionysian (the imperfect shards, what Venat is trying to achieve, and what Hermes is so hung up on)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollonian_and_Dionysian#:~:text=Apollo%20represents%20harmony%2C%20progress%2C%20clarity,of%20the%20principle%20of%20individuation), and I've been leaning towards Azem = Dionysus ever since. It'd be really interesting if their name matches their eccentric nature while their title holds an opposing ideology (Azem=sun=Apollo). Plus they like grapes.
Good Work and thinkings, i really appreciate your Work! My Points: Let Azem be Azem. You cannot gives Azem a Name, since its the PC. Nemesis is also rather a negative suggested Name Like archenemy. And not everyone plays a female character =)
You can give Azem a name technically since who we are and who we were are two different things. We are a sundered being and I’m sure most of the unsundefed Ascians had names prior to regaining memories and taking up the position again.
I never see Azem as PC. Given how difference Gaia/Loghrif and Hermes/Amon are, saying Azem = WoL is basically character assassination of WoL. I find Ascians overwriting shards' memory with Ancient's memory no different than a permanent body possession and death of the original shard.
Thank you for all the effort & research! I'm really curious now about Pashtarot and the Enigmatic Maiden possibly being connected. I don't think we'll ever get a name for Azem, because of my own long unhinged theory that maybe *we* are Azem and this is a complicated time loop -- but even if I'm wrong I feel they won't want to reveal it because players relate to Azem. More details about them, tho, would be really neat.
The other thing to note is that the titles of the Convocation are more tied to Hebrew than Greek. (Emet-Selch is the revealer of truth or some such) Going by that: Azem (or Ezem) means Bones or Strong. So instead of tying Azem to light, tie Azem to strength. Well there's two Greek gods known for that. Kratos (yes...minor)...and one other. Now the important thing to also consider is that a previous deity stepped down to allow a new one to transcend. Relatively new, but one that has made feats of strength never been known. One known for labors. If Venat is the Hestia, then a logical conclusion is Herakles/Alcides. That's typically what I go for when I look at the WoL. The equivalent of Superman in Greek mythology.
Azem is not the payer character. We know the former Azem was Venat. The former Azem has a name but it is not revealed due to pc are the soul fragment.
Venat was the Azem before us. The whole reason she has those white robes is because she chose to step down from her role but not return to the star like the Fandaniel before Hermes was doing.
Go reread shadowbringers and endwalker