Tethlaen¶
Tethlaen (pronounced "teth-lay-een" or "teth-lain") is the Aspect of Fear. He is one of three children of Khive, who represent the three Primal Emotions—Fear, Pain, and Pleasure.
Tethlaen disappeared from the realm in early Av2, with many rumors circulating that he simply flew off the edge of the disc and was lost, falling off into space.
| Titles | The Ever-Fear (The) Harbinger |
| Classification | Minor Aspect |
| Family | Khive (Parent) Maen and Moen (siblings) |
| Gender | Masculine (he/they) |
Description¶
Tethlaen's passage in Theogony Volume III is shared with their two siblings, and reads:
Maen, Moen, and Tethlaen, the three Aspects of Emotion
Created and maintain the Primal Emotions, all three of which are vital for functional souls. Moen lives on Lo'Dahr, Maen is shackled to Loruhn, and Tethlaen is widely believed to be dead after disappearing.
A passage from the Uninvited Guests book depicts Tethlaen's physical form as such:
Tethlaen preferred the form of a great flying lizard in the days of legends and heroes, and he struck quite a hideous figure. Upon his four scaled legs were swordlike talons. His two great wings were as black as night. He had eight piercingly blue eyes and a maw with three rows of evenly-spaced razor-edged teeth.
Tethlaen's characterization differs based on the source, with some clearly painting him as a villain (such as the book quoted above) while others depict him as a more noble force.
Color/Build Scheme¶
Tethlaen's color scheme is black and white, with occasional gray. Builds referencing him typically lean more into the black.
Role & Powers¶
Like his two siblings, Tethlaen seems to have created his respective Primal Emotion of Fear, and is implied to have some control over it, effectively managing the fear of the world. This likely extends to the ability to force others to feel profound fear, as well as take it away.
In-Map References¶
Tethlaen is one of the most commonly referenced Aspects in the map, and his disappearance is a central issue within Drehmal's lore.
In Sahd, the ancient Zedoh Clan seems to have worshipped Tethlaen.
The very first holotext in the game, at the Stasis Facility, states that the "Ever-Fear is no longer cooperating", and other early-game holotexts also mention some kind of disturbance with Tethlaen.
As told by the book A Divine Pet Project, Tethlaen mysteriously disappeared in approximately Av2 32, very shortly after the first recorded appearance of Mt. Yavhlix. Several myths around the disappearance were formed, including the idea that Tethlaen had simply flown off the northern edge of the disc for some unknown reason. In the following centuries, the culture of Faehrcyle's tribes began to develop around the concept of fear, with worship of Tethlaen becoming commonplace throughout the north, from Faehrcyle to Highfall.
A cult devoted to Tethlaen inhabits a tower in the Frozen Bite, where the Dreams of Fear book can be found, with a cultist known as "The Dreamer" claiming to hear Tethlaen in dreams. Books in Faehrcyle such as Fear Was Once Noble and Call to the Clan are also written from the perspective of northerners who worship Tethlaen, painting him as a martyr worthy of veneration. Tethlaen worship was slowly outlawed outside of Faehrcyle, as Virtuo's faith became the official state religion in Highfall.
The Uninvited Guests book in Hevhlak paints Tethlaen as a much more nefarious figure, stating that he took advantage of Drehmari anxieties in order to infiltrate kingdoms and spread fear, and that the Wingmakers were founded to spread Aspect religion in the same way he did. However, it ends with the Wingmakers strongly denouncing Tethlaen.
Late-Game Info¶
More information about Tethlaen is revealed steadily in the late-game and end-game.
Post-75% Content¶
You feel an arcane presence...
This page or section may contain significant spoilers for Drehmal: Apotheosis. Read the additional messages below for specific spoiler information.
This article/section contains significant spoilers for the 75% completion event and its associated late-game areas.
Unless you have FINISHED the 75% Completion Sequence, ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE "Apotheosis" ADVANCEMENT, we strongly advise that you DO NOT continue to read this article, as this will interfere with your ability to discover crucial aspects of the map for yourself.
Tethlaen does not have a domain on Lo'Dahr, although there does appear to be a tower dedicated to him in Ytaj. There is more written information about Tethlaen on the moon, as well.
Books such as Hymn to Fear in Rihelma's Domain and O Tethlaen in Ytaj (the latter presumably written by Moen or another Aspect) paint Tethlaen as a noble, humble figure who was well-liked and even beloved by his kin.
The community reconstruction of the Codex Celestus sees Khive mention Tethlaen somewhat close to the present day, stating:
One of my children is missing near the leak, and though I feel the purity of their soul still as clearly as the day they came into existence, I fear they are (sicke/weake/darke/decli/loose)ning.
This suggests that Tethlaen is still alive.
End-Game (Yav+)¶
WARNING!!! This article/section contains EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT spoilers for end-game areas (after the Mt. Yavhlix sequence).
If you have not FINISHED THE MAIN STORY OF THE MAP IN ITS ENTIRETY, we strongly recommend that you DO NOT read the contents of this article.
Note: The true end of the storyline will take you to a dedicated credits room, NOT the vanilla Minecraft end credits.
As players make their way through the Primary Energy Collection Facility inside of Mt. Yavhlix, they will find themselves in The Nothing. Here, they will find Tethlaen, now Lost to Nothing, trapped inside of the void outside the realm. Tethlaen must be fought and killed in order to progress.
This also gives a very clear depiction of Tethlaen's physical form, as he is the only Aspect who actually appears in-game. He is, for the most part, a re-texture of the vanilla Ender Dragon, with extra white markings and eight eyes, now bright yellow following his corruption. Tethlaen will briefly speak to the player, but it is clear that his mind has deteriorated. His death marks the beginning of the true end-game.
The end-game brings many revelations about Tethlaen and his relationship to Avsohm. In the Resonant Halls, players find a litany of resources that reference Tethlaen and his relationship to Orix Cehein, including transcripts of the Resonant Eye's dives, which contained conversations between the two. (1) Avsohm first contacted Tethlaen by attempting to peer into the Spiral Anomaly inside the mountain, confused as to why the flow of Primal Energy had slowed down. A group entered the tear and were initially massacred by the Ever-Fear, but after further unmanned dives, Orix was able to negotiate peace with the Aspect. Avsohm continued to draw a small amount of Primal Energy, and built towers that helped to heal Tethlaen, reversing some of the decay that the Nothing caused his body and mind.
Tethlaen, who had been reclusive and avoided contact with Drehmari during his time in the realm, grew fond of Orix over time, coming to respect him and speak to him nearly as an equal. He told Orix the story of how he ended up in the Nothing: around Av2 32, Noha informed him of mutations to wildlife in Faehrcyle near the new mountain, and Tethlaen dutifully went to investigate. Discovering the tear, he attempted to close it from the outside, but was unable to, and came to the conclusion that he would have to do so from within. Believing himself to be expendable due to his lack of direct involvement in Drehmari affairs, Tethlaen chose to sacrifice himself to the Nothing indefinitely, disappearing without a trace.
Avsohm's ruin would leave the Aspect without medical care or companionship once again, however, and he gradually lost his mind over another millennium in the void, until being killed by the player(s).
The Mythoclast later states that he attempted to persuade Tethlaen not to make this sacrifice, knowing the toll it would exact, but Tethlaen refused to heed this warning, determined to save the realm. This seemingly makes Tethlaen the only figure in the realm besides the player that has been directly spoken to by the King of Nothing.