ARDEN & HELIOS

• Arden's Bio

• Helios's Bio

Life as a Young Veena

Born to the Veena tribe in a village hidden deep within the Skatay Range, they lived there until they came of age. However, unlike most Viera, their sex remained indeterminate. Uncertain how best to handle this situation, the village elders gave them a choice; leave, and become a warder—or remain in the village with the women.They chose to become a warder, undergoing training with a mentor for some while, before receiving an assigned territory to preside over near The Burn. Their new home hid ancient caves, which they were told never to enter—a warning they promptly ignored, eager to sate their curiosity. Within, they discovered paintings detailing the early days after the Sundering. Deeper still, they found their way to a sealed door—one that opened at their approach, a broken machine attempting to greet them in fragmented words.Though they learned much of the truth of the world from the ruins, they chose to remain in the Skatay Range. To think. To learn. To practice. They couldn't bring themself to abandon this hoard of knowledge.It wasn't until years later, when a mysterious visitor attempted to sneak through their territory in all his shadowy glory, that they first found themself willing to leave.

Life in Garlemald

Choosing to ally themself with the then-incorporeal Emet-Selch, Arden chose their name and allowed the Ascian to share their body until he could find a suitable vessel. It was then that the pair made their way through the mountains to return to Ilsabard, so Emet-Selch could begin acting upon his plans to build the Republic into an Empire—with his new, unusual companion at his side.They had not been in the capitol terribly long before hearing word that a young Solus had gone missing. At Emet-Selch's request, Arden took on the commission of finding the wayward Solus, tracking him north of the capitol and deeper into the frozen wastes. It was there that they discovered a fresh corpse, and an ambush laying in wait. Whilst Arden took care of the assassins, Emet-Selch mended the corpse and took it for his new vessel. After all, with the assassins dead, no one had to know the young man had died.Arden helped the 'young master Solus' back to the Galvus family's estate, where 'Solus' promptly declared that Arden would be his new retainer and personal guard as reward for their benevolence. From then on, 'Solus' and Arden worked together to build the empire—and the beginnings of the relationship that would prove to be their undoing.

The Warrior of Light

Having been betrayed by Emperor Solus zos Galvus's wife, Arden found themself trapped in the cargo hold of a ship bound for Limsa Lominsa. It was there, away from Ascian influence, that Hydaelyn was finally able to reach out to Her Champion. Arden heard Her Call, and from then-on had their memories of Garlemald and their will alike suppressed. Hydaelyn knew that a shard of Helios, especially one that had already formed a bond with Emet-Selch, would never agree to Her plans if given free rein.By the time the ship reached Limsa Lominsa, Arden knew nothing but their time in the Skatay Range, that they had chosen to name themself 'Arden Talivere' upon leaving their ancestral home, and that they had heard a strange voice and seen odd visions on the ship. With an inkling of adventure planted in their mind, they shambled into Eorzea as a fresh adventurer, the pelt of the Crimson Hare shed.Eventually, they found themself working with Louisoux and fighting against the invading Garlean forces. Alas, they were unable to stop the Meteor Project, and the Seventh Umbral Calamity occured.

Post-Endwalker

Endwalker and Post-Endwalker has some canon-divergence going on for Arden, so stay tuned for more on that as I write it! :3

Life as a Young Ancient

Born to an isolated tribe far beyond Amaurot's purview, Helios's early years were hell. Their tribe was far behind Amaurot in terms of all forms of advancement. Paranoid, primitive, and highly superstitious.Due to the strange abilities they displayed even as an infant, the then-unnamed child was sentenced to isolation within the island's largest mountain. The tribe believed the child to be an ill-omen, touched by the Underworld; yet they couldn't bring themselves to harm the infant directly. The child's family, however, they easily put to death.After a handful of years, the islanders continued to experience misfortune, and braved the cave they had left the strange infant in. There, they discovered the infant had become a toddler, and had acquired shadowy guardians from the Underworld to care for them. The tribesmen barely escaped with their lives.Repeated intrusions from the islanders pushed the Underworld and its guardians to take a firmer stance in protecting their young charge, teaching the child to protect themself with magicks and blades alike. Whilst protecting them, the Underworld sent dreams to a similarly-gifted child far away on the island of Aeacus.That faraway child begged the current Azem and Emet-Selch to seek out the isolated child, and so it was that Hyperion and Theia traveled across the star in search of the subject of Hades's nightmares. Upon finding the accursed island, Azem and Emet-Selch discovered the islanders practicing twisted forms of magick—such as necromancy—in an attempt to attack the Underworld itself.Enraged, Emet-Selch sentenced the twisted souls to death and cleansing, before torching the village in an attempt to eradicate the corruption seeping into the very soil. Then, they followed the trail into the mountains to find the imprisoned child.After gaining the child's trust, Emet-Selch and Azem worked to break them free of the magicks binding them to the mountain. Then, they gave the child a name:Helios.

Life on Aeacus

Arriving in Aeacus was not easy for young Helios. They had led a life of mistrust, fear, and isolation. A life that had kept them alive. Trained by the Underworld to serve and guard the so-called 'Lord of the Underworld,' Helios was far more a denizen of the Underworld than they were a child. Even upon meeting Althaia, whom was to be one of their teachers, they displayed primarily skittishness. They did not fare much better upon meeting Hythlodaeus and Hades; though they were more inclined to listen to the boys.At the first opportunity they got, they ran away from the seaside village.Alas, Hythlodaeus and Hades were persistent in their attempts to befriend and comfort the troubled child. And, eventually, they won Helios over. In Hades, Helios found someone who 'suffered' from similar gifts—and witnessed that he was treated as a person. Not as a monster or thing. In Hythlodaeus, they found a comforting and encouraging friend, eager to support them and Hades alike.Though their life in Aeacus was not without its troubles, Helios slowly began to open up to their two close friends. They hunted together, studied together, and the boys even taught Helios how to play.Eventually, tragedy struck Aeacus and the island's population was evacuated to Amaurot. In the wake of those events, Azem and Emet-Selch took Helios away to get their growing abilities under control, leaving Hades and Hythlodaeus to acclimate to their new home without Helios.

Akadaemic Life

After suffering various conspiracies to keep Helios and Hades separated, the trio reunited near the beginning of their time at the Akadaemia Anyder. However, Helios had slipped into their withdrawn ways once again; believing that Hades and Hythlodaeus had forgotten them—or worse, hated them—due to the distinct lack of correspondence while they were away with Azem, Emet-Selch, and Venat. They soon learned that the patriarch of Hades's family had accomplices helping keep the boys from contacting Helios, and vice versa.With the trio reunited, they began re-familiarizing themselves with one another, but now as adults. Helios and Hades, much to Hythlodaeus's extreme annoyance, were blind to the other's attraction; and believed themselves to be doing the other a favor by keeping their feelings quiet. Hades, because of his overbearing and controlling father; and Helios, because they believed themself a 'mere guard dog' for the 'Lord of the Underworld.'Despite Hythlodaeus's best efforts, Hades's father arranged a marriage between Hades and the daughter of a prestigious family in Amaurot. Though Helios attempted to be respectful of the circumstances, the woman was ill, and attempted to control every aspect of Hades's life and friendships.Before the marriage could go through, the woman took her own life as a 'punishment' when Hades refused to cut his dearest friends out of his life. Though he had no interest, let alone love, for the woman; her extreme behavior unsettled him greatly, and it was many years before he was able to recover from the experience.To make matters worse, Helios was taken away from Amaurot yet again; and this time, neither Hades nor Hythlodaeus knew where they had gone, nor could they sense their friend's presence on the star.

The Seat of Azem

Although Hyperion eventually yielded the Seat of Azem to Venat, both he and she knew that it would be a temporary appointment. Venat was to hold the title until Helios, who they had long-since identified as a 'Black Sun,' was finished with their studies at Akadaemia Anyder, and had obtained more worldly experience. After Helios's studies concluded and they had spent some time among Amaurot's citizenry, Hyperion and Venat whisked Helios away for training to become the next Azem.This time, however, Helios was not permitted to tell anyone where they were going—or why.Training kept Helios away for several years, in which time they found their letters to Hades and Hythlodaeus unanswered. Believing that they had well and truly ruined their friendships this time, Helios simply...stopped trying. They devoted every fiber of their being to their training, attempting to drown out every little thought of Hades and Hythlodaeus from their mind. Some days, that meant not sleeping for fear of dreaming of their estranged friends.When Helios was finally permitted to return to Amaurot, it was to officially don the title of Azem. Unfortunately for them, their comrades on the Convocation knew that they hadn't seen or heard from Hades and Hythlodaeus in a long while. Hades discovered his friend's return—and their new status—by having them show up to teach one of his extra classes at the Akadaemia Anyder.He was not pleased.Eventually, Hades was offered the Third Seat, and became the Emet-Selch to Helios's Azem—but the pair remained horribly at odds with one another, despite Hythlodaeus's attempts at reconciliation. After decades of stewing in what they each believed to be unreturned, and undeserved, feelings; Hades and Helios could scarcely stand each other's presence.To make matters worse, the Convocation banned them from working together for a time—leaving Helios to complete their duties as Azem utterly alone.Until Themis donned the mantle of Elidibus, and chastised his compeers for separating Azem and Emet-Selch. Alas, it was too little, too late.

The Sundering

Helios began to feel the effects of the Final Days long before the rest of Etheirys due to their deep connection to the star and the Underworld. Though they Saw snippets of the future to come, it was never enough for them to plan appropriately—let alone warn anyone of the impending disaster. They attempted to find the cause of their sudden illness, but never thought to look to the Sea of Stars for answers. Instead, they traveled Etheirys, discovering the early stages of the Final Days.Despite Hades's attempts to nurture and stabilize them, Helios was not the same. They were drained, their aether a mess, and the demeanor hollow and lifeless. Nothing he and Hythlodaeus tried seemed to bring the light back into their eyes. It was as if something had wrung all joy from them.When the plans to combat the Final Days began in earnest, it was Hades who begged Helios to leave the Convocation. Not because they were a candidate to become Zodiark's heart, but because he had recognized that Zodiark might claim and alter His summoners—someone had to remain untainted. Someone who could bring them back from the man-made god's control if necessary. Eventually, Hades convinced Helios; and they left the Convocation.While on their own, Helios sought a way to combat the cataclysm spreading across Etheirys. What they had not counted on, however, was Venat's rebellion—or how far some of her followers were willing to go to see her work done.Venat's followers attacked and captured Helios, imprisoning them in a bound, weakened state where they could no longer contact Hades, Hythlodaeus, or the Convocation. With what Venat had learned from Arden in Elpis, she knew that she couldn't afford to let Helios go—no matter how much it made them hate her. She couldn't risk Helios undoing her plans.And so, she kept Helios imprisoned but alive; until such time as Venat became Hydaelyn, and She required more power to battle against Zodiark. Even as Hydaelyn drew upon Helios's soul, they slipped free of their prison and used their remaining darkness to rush to the aid of Hades, Lahabrea, and Elidibus as they watched the Elder Primals battle.Helios shielded their dear friends from the Sundering, giving them time to escape into the Rift—and an unfortunate front seat to Helios's body crystalizing before being shattered into dust.