Appearance
Thanatos takes on the form of a cosmic anomaly—a black hole, with his body resembling an event horizon. Swirling shadows of stars, distant nebulae, and collapsing celestial bodies gravitate around him, sucked into the endless void of his being. His presence is marked by the slow collapse of matter, space, and energy, all drawn irresistibly toward his singularity. Though incorporeal in form, his influence can be felt as an unseen force that warps space, time, and existence itself.
Origin
Thanatos was born from the volatile and destructive aspects of Azhorra'tha's eternal dream, embodying the cataclysmic forces that tear apart galaxies, destroy stars, and unravel the cosmos. As the Eldari of Decay and Destruction, Thanatos was the embodiment of entropy—the inevitable force of ruin that comes with the clash of the elements. While other Eldari focused on the creation and order of the universe, Thanatos sought its disintegration, seeing in every birth the seeds of destruction. That is to say, however, Thanatos did not wish for Primordial Pandemonium to return as it was, he wished for the return to nothingness...
Existence
Though an essential part of the cosmic order, Thanatos was not content with being just a part of creation. He conspired to destroy everything, attempting to undo the universe even before it took form. During the Solis Singularity, when Ael and Prism sought to create the ordered cosmos, Thanatos betrayed his fellow Eldari, attempting to consume all of creation in one catastrophic moment. His goal was the complete annihilation of the Eldari and the cosmos, reducing all to the void.
Ael foresaw this treachery, and in his final act, merged his essence with Thanatos to stop the destruction. This fusion split their essence into Helios (the God of Life) and Deimos (the God of Death), creating the eternal balance of life and death—each with a fragment of the other within them. The two gods embody a harmony that reflects Thanatos’ destructive nature and Ael’s creative spirit, ensuring neither can exist without the other.
Powers and Abilities
As the catalyst of decay, Thanatos wielded destructive energy capable of unraveling anything within the cosmos. His abilities extend across multiple realms, allowing him to break apart elemental forces, trigger the decay of matter, and accelerate the natural process of death and destruction. Galaxies decayed under his influence, stars perished in his wake, and even time itself bent around his presence.
He holds a unique bond with Nox, the Eldari of Void, as the two are intertwined forces of destruction—Thanatos as the cause, and Nox as the aftermath. Together, they represent the unmaking of the cosmos, with Thanatos tearing matter apart and Nox consuming the remnants.
Connections
- Nox: Thanatos and Nox are deeply connected as forces of destruction. While Thanatos triggers decay, Nox consumes the remnants, plunging the universe into the void.
- Ael: Their merging during the Solis Singularity led to the creation of Helios and Deimos, symbolizing the cosmic balance of life and death.
- Helios and Deimos: Both gods were born from the union of Ael and Thanatos. Helios represents life, while Deimos symbolizes death and judgement—yet they are bound by Thanatos' destructive influence.
Legacy and Legends
Thanatos’ essence was transmuted into the Plane of Oblivion, a desolate realm where souls are sent for judgment after death. Here, Deimos rules as the god of death, while Verdictus, the Judge of the Dead, presides over the fate of souls. The Plane of Oblivion is a realm of darkness and decay, a reflection of Thanatos’ essence, where all things end in ruin. It is a realm both feared and revered by mortals, for it represents the final destination of life and the inevitability of death.
Though Thanatos was shattered into Helios and Deimos, his legacy of destruction endures. His betrayal at the Solis Singularity is one of the most infamous tales of the Eldari, serving as a reminder of the thin line between creation and ruin. The forces of destruction he embodied continue to affect the cosmos, from the death of stars to the collapse of civilizations. His influence lingers in the Plane of Oblivion, where his power can still be felt in the decay and rot of all things.
Destruction
Though Thanatos did not meet a traditional death, his essence was forever altered during the Solis Singularity. In an act of betrayal, Thanatos sought to consume all creation and reduce the universe to nothingness. Yet, rather than allow this destructive act to undo the very fabric of reality, Ael—knowing Thanatos’ treachery—sacrificed himself, merging his essence with the Eldari of Decay and Destruction.
This fusion did not annihilate Thanatos but fractured him into two new entities: Helios, the God of Life, and Deimos, the God of Death. In their creation, the destructive essence of Thanatos was bound to the cosmic cycle of life and death. Each of the two gods carries a part of Thanatos within them, symbolizing that destruction and decay are necessary for the cycle of creation and rebirth to continue. It is through this balance that the universe endures, even in the face of inevitable decay.
In essence, Thanatos never truly died; he was transformed. His legacy of destruction lives on, woven into the cycle of life and death that perpetuates the cosmos. His death was not an end, but a transmutation into the eternal forces that guide the fate of the universe. His shattered essence endures in the Plane of Oblivion, where the decay of all things is inevitable, and in the hearts of Helios and Deimos, whose intertwined destinies carry the weight of his destructive will.
Even in his fragmented state, Thanatos’ influence remains undeniable, shaping the eventual decay of stars, civilizations, and life itself, ensuring that all creation is tempered by the inevitability of destruction.