#hephaes

Designer's Reflection: Flames of Dawn

Obtained: Tides and Flames hell event

Rarity: UR

Attribute: Green/Fresh

Awakened Suit: Silence of Twilight

Story - transcripts from Designer's Reflection

Chapter 1 - Birth of Starfire

Chapter 2 - Lakelight Mirage

Chapter 3 - A Time of Trial

Chapter 4 - A Moon of Change

Chapter 5 - To Ashes

Story - summarized

Hephaes was the youngest of the Elf Gods to be born. Materializing at the Tree of Life, They were greeted and blessed by all the other Elf Gods.

One stood off to the side. It was obvious that the other elves would not let this one join the ceremony. "Arionus was not born at the Tree of Life," they all said. "They are an outsider."

That didn't stop Hephaes from approaching Arionus the Water Elf. No one had ever reached out to Arionus, so this was a shock to the older Elf God. Nonetheless, They blessed Hephaes in Their own way.

As Hephaes grew in age and power, They noticed strange things surrounding Arionus - mainly that the Water Elf always disappeared during the New Moon. Determined to find the truth, Hephaes searched the depths of Lake Bovaly, where Arionus had hidden. Hephaes' power still wasn't strong enough to fight back the tides, and They almost drowned.

Arionus saved Them, scared and concerned that someone had followed Them. It turned out that Arionus was cursed with pain and darkness from the Abyss, and They were trying to deal with the curse and break it by Themself. Above all, Arionus did not want to hurt anyone.

Hephaes promised to always be there to help. Even when it came time to design the Elf Gods' Holy Instruments, Hephaes was adamant that the Holy Grail would never be used as a weapon, and instead serve like a lighthouse: it would guide the lost back home.

With their Holy Instruments in hand, Hephaes and Arionus returned to the Tree of Life, eager to start their new lives as guardians of the holy tree - Hephaes became a guardian, while the other elves still disregarded and abused Arionus as a curse and an outsider.

That didn't stop the two friends from working hard to protect the elven forest and all the creatures. But the Abyssal Power was getting worse and racking Arionus with intense, excruciating pain. Hephaes opened the pathway to the holy tree's Source Spring, where Arionus could find Their Seed of power and use it to close off the Abyss; while the Tree of Life was connected to the Ocean of Memories, it meant it was also connected to the Abyss.

But the Wind Elf saw Hephaes open the passage, and They immediately summoned the other Elf Gods. Hephaes was trapped far away from the holy tree, and by the time They broke free and rushed back to the Tree of Life, it was too late. The Elf Gods had confronted Arionus, and now Arionus was in deeper pain.

The Elf Gods blamed Hephaes for everything and tried to convince Them to kill Arionus. But They would never kill Their friend. Instead, Hephaes summoned Arionus back to the Altar of Fire, where They used the power and strength of a sun to seal both Themself and Arionus away in the Holy Grail.

Connections

-During the Moon Memories leading up to the hell event, Ophelia finds the Altar of Fire, where not just fire emits from the Holy Grail. When the young queen disappears into the Holy Grail, Arionus is released.

-The Elf Gods never let go of their bigotry. When Nikki, Momo, you, and Loen enter the meadow leading to the Tree of Life, the Wind Elf accuses you all of serving the "traitors" and tries to root you in place, just like with Hephaes.

-Neither Arionus nor Hephaes betrayed the other. Hephaes' Reflection and Arionus' Reflection Lost Tides work together to show the duplicity of the other Elf Gods: forcing the Fire Elf away, ambushing the Water Elf and telling Them they were sold out, antagonizing the issue of the Abyss, and trying to get one friend to kill the other.

-Hephaes ends Their story by deciding to share Arionus' fate, to keep Them from being alone. One of the turning points in the hell event is Hephaes deciding to use up Their Fire Seed. As the two Reflections explain, giving up one's Seed meant one would eventually become mortal. And at the end of the Tides and Flames event, both Hephaes and Arionus fade away.

-Even though the Fire and Water gods are dead, they aren't truly gone. First, Leonid's Prophecy explains that all gods go through a cycle of death and rebirth. And second, their powers and colors intertwined to create the Flower of Eberne, an important item in Love Nikki in one of Orlando's memories.

Fun Facts

-Hephaes' name is taken from the Greek god Hephaestus, who was the God of Fire and Crafting.

-The Wind Elf called Hephaes' friendship with Arionus "self-righteous" and "blind trust." If anything, Fire Elf Hephaes is the only one who saw clearly: understanding Arionus' plight, learning as much as They could about the forest, seeking solutions beyond just violence. The other elves were self-righteous, arrogant, and blindly hateful.

-Only Hephaes and Arionus get names. The other Elf Gods are just referred to by their nature element, like Rock or Wind.

-In the Reflection and event, Hephaes is presented as gender-neutral, but Their voice actor is masculine.

Exclusive Collection

2nd Anniversary Shining Nikki Game 2021

【 Shining Nikki CN+TW 】

Exclusive Collection

2nd Anniversary Shining Nikki Game 2021

Let's go to the pigeon forest with Nikki and follow the guidance of the fire butterfly to explore the secrets buried deep in the forest

When the carols of the world sound,Hephaestus, the god of fire, and Anos, the god of water, They are listening and will respond.

The tide embraces the flame, and the light kisses the darkness.

These two are originally two sides of one body.

Through the deep and cold fog, not only the blazing flames, but also the direction of the water flow can guide the way back.

Fire and water, good and evil, have always been entangled with each other, coexisting and coexisting.

Either the abyss or the curse,The god of fire, Hepheus, will eventually bring a fiery and warm light to purify every inch of chaos and darkness

"Anos, I will take you back to the tree of life."

PV 1

PV 2

PV 3

PV 4

Suit Display ::

Original :: Flames of Dawn (朝焰初临)

Recolor :: Silence of Twilight (荐火沉取)

Collection :: Exclusive

5th Exclusive • Tide and Fire • 汐與焰

2nd Anniversary Shining Nikki Game 2021

Designer :: Hephaes (赫菲斯)

Rarity :: UR

Attribute :: Fresh

Date :: 03—16/08/2021

Type :: Pavilion

Design Concept ::

The First Arrival of Hephaestus

There are flames beating in his ears, and the hottest rays of light are wrapped around his body, and the flames are endless, and the hope is not extinguished.