Great info, thanks! It might be a bit of a stretch to call Dissidia canon for FF12, of course, but it's an interesting insight into what the writers likely intended. And I agree that it suits the way they interacted, if Noah saw his older brother as a fallen idol.

I was also a bit baffled by Venat's comments. Even though the age of stones ended and the cryst+shards were the Occuria's way of manipulating humes (and others), are the Occuria really only able to meddle with humes through the cryst+shards? They seemed much more powerful than that. :/

I am really glad that this is not just me! It really seems to me that the Occuria could find another way to meddle if they wanted. Also, in a way you could even say that Venat "won" -- the stones are destroyed and the Occuria's influence over humes is at the very least diminished, even if it's not Venat's chosen ones in charge. It's curious. It doesn't help that I've never really felt exactly clear on what Venat actually wanted to accomplish.