#aetheon

[hana-sketch]

It's been over 20 episodes and I'm still not over that scene

[inwytt]

The giant celestial monster angel trapped in the basement 🪽

[cassafrasscr]

So, I've seen a couple posts suggesting that Yanessa Halovar might not be a true-born Halovar, and that she was actually born a bastard, and/or may have originally been a servant in the Halovar household prior to the Shaper's War. And I think there's a lot of merit to this theory.

Yanessa is a known conwoman, and she speaks with a working-class accent with her family when they're behind closed doors (presumably her natural accent, since she puts on a much more upper-class accent when speaking publically). She's also quick to drop any semblance of upper-class decorum in private. But she's familiar enough with the culture and politics of noble society to be able to play their games with great skill. If she was actually a bastard of the original House Halovar, I wouldn't be too surprised, especially if she was the only surviving member of the family following the Shaper's War.

However. I don't think she's a Halovar child born out of wedlock. I think she's not a Halovar at all.

The theory that Yanessa was originally a servant of the old Halovars who passed herself off as a Halovar following the extinction of the House in the Shaper's War ties back to a lot of the evidence I mentioned already. However, I think there's one more piece of evidence that may have been overlooked. One that could be the clincher in solving this mystery and proving this theory fact.

The ritual the Tachonises were using to create an angel of death doesn't work on Halovars.

Now. Initially, I had thought this might have something to do with the Halovars being Aasimar instead of humans. However, an Aasimar descendant of the human house of Halovar would still carry the bloodline of the priestly houses, which was (if I'm remembering correctly) the only major stipulation for the sacrifice required to make the angel. Also, Goddard, Wick and his siblings should be the only Halovar Aasimars, since angelic blood was only introduced to the family with Yanessa's child/children. Filoneus (and any kids he might have) could also potentially be part-angel - though if he is, he bears very little resemblance to his brother, which makes me think he and Goddard might be half-brothers.

(We also know that the ritual apparently doesn't work on sorcerers - or at least, not on Tachonis sorcerers, but based on the correspondance between Primus and Segundus, that might have more to do with their connection to the underworld than with their innate bloodline magic.)

Now, a bastard of the Halovar family may not be eligible for inheritance (under normal circumstances), but they would still carry the bloodline. King Gus was likely made king of Timmony because he was the direct descendant of the previous ruling lord. If the previous ruling lord had no other legitimate children who could inherit, then, bastard or not, Gus would still be next in line for the throne. The bloodline is what matters here.

HOWEVER. If Yanessa is lying completely about being a Halovar, then of course the ritual wouldn't work on modern Halovars. They're not ACTUAL Halovars. They're frauds. And, given Yanessa's propensity to flat-out lie to even her own family, they don't even know yet that they're imposters.

[brendafromaccounting]

The names in CR 4 are so good. Here are some fun things I noticed.

The name Lloy is a reference to "alloy".

Zebani Halovar’s name is likely a reference to Zabniyah, angels called the “wardens of hell” who carry out torture on the souls of the dead.

Occtis is the eighth son of Primus. Primus or "prime" typically indicates "the first" and "oct" the eighth.

Ethrand being another Tachonis son’s name means the naming convention may be after gasses since "eth-" is a prefix within gasses, being the second. In this case "oct-" is still the eighth.

The name Bolaire could refer to bolar earth, which is a ferruginous clay purified by grinding in water and then decanted. Lethalia contains the term "lethal" and wearing the mask proves lethal for many.

Azune's name may be a reference to “azure” which is a term used to describe the blue of the sky, typically.

Wiccander is a reference to a candle wick. The piece of the candle that burns and produces light. Additionally, you can be “burned down to the wick”.

The last name Halovar includes the word “halo”

Felonious is possibly a reference to "filament". And also, yeah, felon.

Godard is pretty clearly a play on “god”.

Aetheon means “burning”, “blazing”, or “shining”. Could also be a reference to “aether” or “ether”.

Thjazi is the name of a god in Norse mythology who could could transform into a giant eagle. He had a daughter named Skadi.

Alogar’s name may be a reference to "allegory".

Hal and Hero play lyres. Hal now carries Thjazi’s weapon, the Liar’s Blade.

Vaelus wears a mourning veil at all times since losing her god, Sylandri, the goddess of life. (Personal note: I played an astral elf named Vela in a spelljammer campaign. Vela meaning "candle")

Could Mag’nesson be an allusion to “magnanimous” which means to forgive a rival or less powerful person?

Toying with the idea that Davinos is a play on "divine".

Please tell me other things y'all may have caught. As a name nerd I am eatin' good.

[see-arcane]

Presenting, Lady Zebani Halovar.

Or, Whoops! I Got Attached to Another NPC Who Appears for One Scene with Two Lines of Dialogue! feat. Bonus Terrible Aspirant being Terrible.

Had to churn this out before her character design officially drops in-game. I got hung up on Yanessa's little comment about Zebani not being set up to be 'the face of much of anything.' Considering her father was born with wings and no eyelids, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume Zebani inherited some notable characteristics of her own; ones that didn't come out as photogenic as her brothers' looks. Maybe birthmarks riddled with Filament.

Luminescent veins glowing in violent routes from eyes, mouth, and hands--the parts of a sorcerer that wield the most power. Not the sort of thing one wants flaunted at the Creed's temples and events. Between that and her magic gifts, she was put to use in the basement, looking after Grandpa Aetheon since she was a girl. Likely with Cruelty already at her back, basking in the child's unfair lot. A aura that doubled when it was announced that Baby Brother Wick was destined to be the Scion of the Candescent Creed.

The coddled Face of the Filament, the true believer, Granny Photarch's favorite. A pedestal likewise given to him by his and Zebani's parents. Her father, at the very least. The same father who said nothing against the glib remarks thrown at his daughter by his own mother.

With time I imagine she had to retreat into herself, covering what she could in clothes and veils. Her style is sharper than Wicander's, both in patterning and the barbed collar elements of her accessories. The tattoos she added herself, maybe nursing an idea that it would make the rest of her face look more intentional. Acceptable. No luck.

The one thing she always wears is her lambent stare. Forever gazing straight ahead. Resigned to being an employee-mechanism of her family rather than anything loved for herself.

tl;dr: I hope that if none of the heroes get to take down Yanessa Halovar, Zebani delivers that blow.

[petvampire]

you joke about tsul’rekshi and aetheon but considering her whole thing is that she is a demon that hates captivity and renders things into paint and aetheon is an angel that is captive and constantly emits highly potent rendable liquid i feel like some crazy shit is gonna go down with those two i want her to jailbreak him soooooo bad

oh I am actually FULLY on board for them, I want a side game that’s all just her and her demon coterie breaking his ass out of the Halovar Hell Basement

it would also just get SO INSANE on account of all the celestials going feral in the absence of the shapers so like: YES DO IIIIIIIT

[kiwimintlime]

I had this thought before episode 4 but it's really crystalized now with the description of the death of Rauwyn. it's said that the Celestials went feral after the death of the gods, but what does that mean? what does it really mean for an angel to go mad? with Aetheon, servant of the lord of the sun, we see something feral in the most traditional sense of the word, wild and untamable, lashing out at everyone and everything. but for an angel of the trickster goddess, who could not be slain with piercing arrow or slashing blade but rather spoken word and sly machination, I'd imagine that madness would look rather different. I'd imagine that while just as bloodthirsty, an angel of trickery ripped from the source of their very being would move quite differently than Aetheon, and perhaps be even more dangerously.

[nastylittleghouls]

"You want to know why people are so afraid of clowns? You know what people say about how their feet aren't the only body part of them that's big, right? And how people who drive huge cars have small dicks? Well, clowns are out there with their big feet and tiny cars...." - Phantom, to Aether, while high as a kite