The Abyss, in Erebus's humble opinion, was an ingenious creation.
The concept of it came to him when he was young. At a few hundred years of age, once his innate gift manifested, it gave his quite temperamental mind ideas. Easily able to force anyone around him to speak only the truth sounded easy enough on the surface. And a few – for a reason – understood the nuances of that ability.
The truth, in concept, was a complicated and dangerous idea that few were brave enough to think too deeply about. In his opinion, Abyss was a logical conclusion of both his idea of the truth and the essence of his gift brought to the very pinnacleof its potential.
Not that the Bureau of the Architect agreed, obviously. Once he presented the concept of it for the examination, it was shoved – the blueprint – into the archives of Pandemonium at dizzying speed... leaving him quite annoyed by that – for him – unfair decision.
Ages later, after his unfortunate mishap with Damon's temper, he did understand that a little better. Forced to face all the ugly truths of their society nearly drove him insane for a reason.
The most basic lie – a fundament the so-called perfect society of Eitherys was built on like a house of cards – was the idea their people clung to. Invented all of their rules and customs around – honestly believing that their command of creation magic gave them the right to play gods. They create sentient creatures and, by their standards, judge their worth.
The truth was that the hubris of their people was boundless and the true doom of their world.
Perhaps his dismay with that notion – as few times accused by his beautiful wife – was what brought him to improve over the initial idea of the Abyss in secret. Once he had a good grip over his twisted gift, he intentionally imbued Damon's 'tweak' into the first naïve version of the concept. Mixing the power of creation with dynamis, turning the idea to work not unlike a natural element, he never had the occasion to test it, however, before their world ended.
In the little over a year since his re-awakening in the new, broken version of Eitherys, he never suspected that that concept would be useful.
Not until the literal storm of elements attempted to tear his host's soul asunder.
While experiencing their new world besides intrigued Nemesis was undeniably fun, he swiftly came to understand Ares's and Damon's undeniable care for their hosts. And while their new freedom to express their thoughts and desires however they pleased was intoxicating by itself, Erebus came to appreciate his circumstances far more than he would expect.
Rahm, being at times a sweet and naïve boy, quickly earned himself his Ancient's unyielding favor. Not only because he was always true to his heart – something Erebus couldn't not appreciate – but also for his boy's honest rage when faced with the ugly truths of their world.
While for him – Erebus – many new concepts of the broken Eitherys were something he only learned through his host, as did his wife through hers, the mating bond between their hosts taught them far more than anticipated.
Frankly, Y'shtola Rhul being older and far more experienced in the way their world worked, inevitably led O'rahm Xoorcha to face the ideas that for both Erebus and Nemesis were a bitter pill to swallow.
The first lesson in those jumped out on them quite unexpectedly, though. While initially turning mostly among Shtola's friends and being quite overwhelmed with the idea of finding his place among them, Rahm very swiftly came to appreciate something that his mate saw as the most endearing trait of Scions' Champion. While she undeniably saw Senri as an younger brother, Rahm quickly came to regard older Seeker as both mentor and older sibling – especially when a few of Senri's traits inevitably reminded him of his real siblings behavior.
(Even Shtola agreed with that notion after their trip to Golmore Jungle and meeting his tribe!)
So perhaps that's why their very first crash with the reality of Senri's circumstances was that painful - and yet teaching – to face. Raised among O tribe and his people undeniable care, Rahm had only vague idea that it wasn't a norm. Logically, after arriving in Eorzea and before meeting people of other Seeker tribes, he knew that the rules he was brought up with were different. But only after learning more about older Seeker's own tribe did he truly understand that perhaps the way his tribe was run was a result of his father facing the same ideas during his travels that Rahm now had issues gripping with.
A few moons after that party in Radz-at-Han that changed his life – their life – Rahm and Shtola joined her friends at a celebration held by the Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo in Ul'dah. While Rahm initially couldn't understand his mate's apprehension with that, he quickly became aware of the fact that there was something very of about the behavior of 'nobles' in that city-state. His sharper-than-average hearing – even for their species – worked to give both him and Erebus a potent lesson in the filth spewed behind the elegant fans.
After his diligent lecture of Raha's novel... Shtola often teased him about... he did have the idea of Senri's history with the desert city. But that party being ahead of the chapters dealing with the details gave him a whole new understanding of his new friend's behavior. Knowing by then how Senri's childhood looked like before he left the T tribe, and then confronting that notion with the idea of the behavior of those spoiled bitches in Ul'dah... Taught the boy a wholly new level of rage.
This led Erebus to gleefully teach his host a little of the capabilities of invented by him element.
Abyss—fittingly named—is a force of creation and emotion that dragged the consciousness of its target into a void of truth. It forced them to face the pure truth of their own hearts—and, more often than not, resulted in insanity. Shtola, once Nem explained the concept, invented an even more fitting name for the wholly new set of Rahm's skills.
Nightmare.
And Esteem – the Primal being sharing in both Rahm's and Erebus's convictions – Shtola playfully nicknamed Nightmare-weaver, with the being gleefully using that element to invade and trample others' minds.
Once carefully approached about it, Rahm - with his innate sense of balance and vicious streak – happily joined in on Senri's and Raha's 'side activities.' Using Erebus's innate gift and with his curious take on Dark Knight's abilities, quickly earned him a highly valued spot among the circle of Senri's friends. And Erebus – watching that develop – was relieved to see the initial hostility of Raha's Ancient lessen toward both him and his host.
It wasn't that he was scared of Damon, despite having a healthy dose of respect for his abilities. But the years he spent battling insanity taught Erebus the intended lesson hidden behind the temperamental redhead's punishment. Having Hythlodaeus and now witnessing his son's undeniable happiness with Damon's son... taught him the real severity of his misstep in once following up on Lahabrea's demands. Imagining someone demanding him to give up his child for as incredulous reasons?
Well, he was honestly grateful to see the hostility gradually wane – and for an opportunity to make amends.
About two weeks after waving their goodbye toward their friends' ship in Old Sharlayan harbor, they hadn't expected any particular issues coming their way. With the problem encountered by their initial plans to cross the Rift, Shtola tossed herself into research, bent on being the one to find a solution before Senri and Raha returned from that trip. A succession rite in faraway land held little interest for both Erebus and Rahm – who busied themselves by tending to smaller and bigger issues gripping the Three Great Continents.
That day started like many of the previous ones. After sharing breakfast with Shtola at their home in Mist, they parted, and by the afternoon, a random request found Rahm in the middle of the Thanalan desert. Truth be told, both of them assumed that the building heat increasingly bothering them was due to the sun mercilessly bathing the sands surrounding them.
The first clue that something was very off was Esteem's behavior. That part of their consciousness—most attuned to their instincts—had whined warnings since the moment Rahm opened his eyes that morning. But since even Esteem wasn't clear on what set it off, they ignored it and went about their day as planned. And that part they owed for a swift reaction once their body collapsed with a raging—and unnatural—fever.
On instinct, deciding to bring their body to their mate – the best healer they knew – saved more than their skin. Finding Shtola – and, by extension, Nemesis – similarly afflicted by whatever was happening to them... infuriated them.
And either by instinct or in a blind rage, Erebus released the created by him element and let it consume everything – in a mad bid to eliminate whatever was that surge of aether.
All in all, before Damon arrived in Old Sharlayan, the whole of the island and the huge portion of land around it drowned in truths and nightmares.
Arriving in the middle of the deck of a ship bouncing on waves, Hades wasn't too impressed by what he found.
Mostly confused by Themis's rapid-fire explanation of the trouble his brother's host found himself in now..., it probably should made him more surprised. But at this point?
He wasn't even sure he was surprised by the relief on Alphinaud's young face when the teen-looking Elzen rushed toward him across the deck.
„Hades, thank the heavens!" Alphinaud breathed if his normally pale face seemed suspiciously greenish. Followed closely by two mortals Hades didn't recognize – a tall Viera male of dark shade of skin and a rare sight of Hrothgar female in attire more common on the western side of the globe – he only raised his white eyebrows expectantly.
„What did he do now?" he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. Looking around, the clearly terrified mortals gathered in the middle of the deck and gawked toward him. The reason for their fear seemed obvious enough: A massive bubble of a shield cracking with lightning around the ship was unusual enough to scare them,he imagined.
„We don't know," the Elzen shrugged, then pointed toward the shield. „Last night, there was a massive storm, and while this normally serves to protect the ship... Senri activated it and went down. Then a few bells later whole thing – and sea beside it – filled with storm of elemental magic. They're below deck," he pointed to the dark opening leading to the lower level and sent him a hopeful look. „But before you go, if you could do something about that shield? Keeping peace with it has proven to be a tad... difficult. And we weren't able to deactivate it by normal means."
Hades sighed with resignation, eyed the mortal-invented thing, and scowled. Focusing, he could easily see the issue with it. It was so charged... That level of lightning aether shouldn't be possible on the Source. It being half of what Eitherys once was, this shield looked far too dense.
It reminded him briefly of Calamity of Lightning, and Hades grimaced, then raised his hand and snapped his fingers, forcing the aether to dissolve.
He nodded toward Alphinaud's grateful smile, ignored the other mortals's awed and relieved gasps, and headed toward the entrance of the lower level of the ship.
„Who's that?" he heard the Hrothgar female ask the Elzen boy behind him.
„Um, you remember Ares?" Alphinaud sounded curiously sheepish – not to mention Scions rarely disclosed his brother's presence to strangers – that it made Hades pause and look back.
„Ah, T'senri's father?" the female beamed while Viera narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
„Hades's his son too," Alphinaud stated the half-truth without hesitation, and Hades glared at the boy incredulously.
„Truly? So he's T'senri's brother? They look nothing alike!" The woman looked toward him, suspiciously easily swallowing the lie.
„Half-brother," Alphinaud smiled shakily, perhaps noticing his pause and glare. „And you would be surprised how much they have in common."
'tis what I get from being too lenient, Hades sighed internally, sent Elzen a glare showing he would address that insult later, and turned away on a huff, heading down.
Perhaps if he had paid more attention to Alphinaud's words, he wouldn't have been that shocked by what he had found there. But, again, at this point? Hyth was probably right that Hades was pretty much setting himself up for failure, swearing that nothing the former Warrior could do would surprise him.
When his brother – in his real form – opened the door of the cabin below the deck with his ridiculous grin... Well, the only saving grace he could think of when his jaw dropped was the idea that, at least opposite to his violet-haired husband, he didn't accept his Father's bet about that.