No matter how many bodies it steals, its wish remains unfulfilled. Like those who seek the medicines of immortality, it craves an imperishable vessel, one that will rid it of its fear of destruction. And yet, it knows this is a dream that will never come true.
The heliobus,[Note 1] plural heliobi, also known as the Shapeless and Starfire Essence, is a shapeless species made of pure energy that appears as flames capable of cognizant speech.[1]
Description[]
Classification[]
Heliobi appear to be closely related to Wubbaboos, as the latter belongs to the Heliobus species of the Spirit Essence family and are categorized as Kingdom Spiritual Organisms, Class Astral Spirits, Order Shapeless.[2] They are also known as a type of energy lifeform.[3]
Origins[]
The planet they originate from is unknown.[4] On the Xianzhou Zhuming, heliobi slowly spawn from the Flint Emperor. The Flamehunt Judges of the Zhuming Ten-Lords Commission then capture these newborn heliobi before they come into contact with emotions and tame them with gentle dreams. These harmless heliobi are passed to the Artisanship Commission's Temperaflame Office, which matches the heliobi with various artifacts to make them into lamps, vehicles, weapons, and various spectacles on the Zhuming.[5]
Behavior[]
Possession[]
The heliobi love to parasitize and control bodies, especially of sentient humanoid races. This is to experience the various changes of the nervous system triggered by emotions. This behavior of "emotion consumption" satiates them. The host will uncontrollably conduct stimulating behaviors — such as binge-eating, impulsiveness, self-mutilation, or destruction — to please the heliobi within them, in exchange for the heliobi's powerful abilities. They are also capable of making their hosts experience "wild delusions." The process of heliobi taming the host's psyche is a process that expends the host's physical body without replenishment.[4]
A heliobus disrupts a host's nervous system to communicate and exploit their vulnerabilities, causing hallucinations and intense emotions. Initially, the host perceives an additional presence within their mind, but over time, they struggle to distinguish between their own thoughts and those of the heliobus. Driven by the heliobus, the host increasingly acts on their deepest desires—whether through endless battles, excessive indulgence, or unrestrained lust—losing all self-control and morality. This descent into madness, similar to "mara," ultimately leads to the host's body being drained and spontaneously combusting, often fatally.[6] Even without possession, people will deteriorate and die from exposure to heliobi who unconsciously consume their body.[7]
Cursed Swords[]
Cursed Swords
Hanguang, using the heliobi, created a total of 1,382 cursed swords, with 182 of these having unique designs. With these swords, the wielders were granted strength and valor, and could even have the weapon make decisions. Yet the heliobi infused within these weapon had absorbed anger, fear, and bloodlust, turning the wielders into bloodthirsty puppets, possessed by the sword.[8]
Emotions[]
Heliobi perceive the emotions of their hosts in a manner similar to how humans perceive flavors, such as "delicious," "sour," "sweet," or "bitter". They possess the ability to easily discern the emotions experienced by their host. As such, they are drawn to individuals with intense desires, those who have undergone profound life experiences, and those harboring many unfulfilled wishes. Hosts possessing such properties are particularly enticing to heliobi due to the abundance of emotions and experiences they contain. However, it is worth noting that heliobi do not exhibit discernible preferences when selecting hosts, as evidenced by the distribution of victims in documented cases.[6]
They've displayed an aversion to possessing long-life species, considering the Xianzhou people as "indigestible" when interrogated. It can be inferred that the longevity and robust physical resilience of long-life species hinder heliobi's ability to subjugate their hosts' will.[6]
Culture[]
Politics[]
It has been at least six thousand years since the heliobi were subdued, making it virtually impossible to study their social organization.[4]
The people of the Zhuming are able to coexist with the heliobi without falling under their influence.[9]
Food[]
Heliobi appear to enjoy Phase Flame ash.[10]
Abundance[]
Though heliobi are recognized as an Abomination of Abundance, they rarely appeared as a part of the Denizens of Abundance's legions. On the contrary, they had once allied with Xianzhou, but only for a very short duration under specific circumstances.[4]
Physiology[]
Appearance[]
Without possessing a body, a heliobus generally looks like a greenish-blue ball of flame.
Abilities[]
When heliobi appear, electrical equipment will detect some sort of highly-intensive electromagnetic wave emission. As creatures of the Shapeless order, they can avoid the emission range of visible light and disappear from human sight. However, in situations when they need a host to notice them, they usually appear as a ball of heatless teal-colored "fire."[4]
Like how humans push physical objects, individual heliobi can also alter the energy balance of an area, freely converting energy from one type to another. By manipulating energy, they can create visual images, make fire or ice, and produce vibrations. This made heliobi appear as gods or demons to primitive civilizations.[4]
Based on the size of an individual's "fire," one can judge the strength of that heliobus and how much energy it can master.[4] Heliobi are able to merge together and combine their strength, as the heliobi which made up Ignamar once did in the fight against general Teng Xiao of the Luofu; however, when defeated, they scatter into fragments.[11]
As Starfire Essences, heliobi do not die, and the only permanent way to render them harmless is to trap them indefinitely.[11] There are means to completely eradicate a heliobus, with one effective method being to confine it within an intangible force field, isolating it from other beings. Alternatively, its power can be harnessed as an inexhaustible energy source using the Creation Furnace. The Ten-Lords Commission provides sacred vessels designed specifically for capturing heliobi.[6]
Stellaron[]
Once a heliobus comes into contact with a Stellaron, they feel a burning sensation.[11]
Personality[]
As an individual heliobus possesses more and more hosts over time, it also slowly develops a personality and becomes distinctly different from its kin. The Ten-Lords Commission surmised that this race learns from the hosts' brains through their parasitism.[4]
When a heliobus possesses a human host, it adopts the personality and behavioral patterns of that host, leading to the development of a distinct individual awareness that hinders bonding and "fusion" with other heliobi.[6]
According to ancient manuscripts, heliobi exhibit behaviors akin to swarms of bees. These fiery essences possess the ability to divide and merge, exchanging information and experiences with each other, and enhance their collective strength against adversaries.[6] This process is known as heliobic homogenization.[12]
While heliobi that have merged together may still be perceived as individual entities, the conglomerate maintains internal hierarchies (reminiscent of ancient Xianzhou beliefs that attributed three souls and seven spirits within one humans). Within the cluster, certain heliobi specialize in combat, while others engage in contemplation and debate, and the most powerful oversees strategic coordination.[6]
They have a certain level of repulsion against advanced technical equipment, and have never developed any technology, due to the race's ability to manipulate energy.
Most heliobi struggle to cooperate harmoniously with each other due to how they've been tainted by human nature. This weakness can be exploited by posing complex and thought-provoking questions to them, causing them to splinter from within. However, ancient records mention the existence of formidable individual heliobi, such as the Flint Emperor and Phantylia. These individuals possess unwavering self-awareness and, over time, are able to resolve their internal differences and form an indissoluble whole (the heliobi call this process "fusion"). Weaker heliobi harbor immense fear of getting close to these great elder beings, for once absorbed, it will equals to the death of the weaker heliobus.[6]
History[]
The Lone Voyage Era[]
The Xianzhou first came to contact with the heliobi during the Lone Voyage Era, before the Xianzhou Natives turned into a long-life species. They appeared before the Xianzhou aristocrats, introducing themselves a shapeless and rootless race, beseeching Xianzhou to give them a safe berth. The species were adept at creating mirages and illusions to tempt humans. Thus, the people of Xianzhou became addicted to these wondrous creatures of pure energy and indulged in frolicking with them.[4]
The Possession Tragedy[]
The Heliobi soon exposed their true colors as the they tried to take humans' bodies, drain their emotions, and control their will. This was known as the Possession Tragedy, or the "Occupation Tragedy," from which the Xianzhou Zhuming suffered the greatest. The Xianzhou artisans ultimately bound the heliobi within shapeless prisons and sentenced them to provide energy for Xianzhou for all eternity.[4]
During the Heliobi Wars, the Heliobi formed a red micro-star in an attempt to capture the Xianzhou fleet. A suicide squad, led by an anonymous hero, believed to be Lan prior to their ascension to Aeonhood in certain myths, disassembled and weaponized the ship's auxiliary engines to fight them. The Xianzhou's suicide squad sent the weaponized auxiliary engine straight into the red star, causing it to undergo early decay and implode into a black hole. At the end, the Flint Emperor was imprisoned and sentenced to serve as the power source for the Xianzhou Zhuming for the rest of their eternal life.[13]
The Flaming Catastrophe[]
The Flint Emperor’s imprisonment lasted till the end of the second war against the wingweavers, when the hero broke the seal binding the rest of the heliobi, made an alliance with them, and relied on their power to defeat the army of Muldrasil. After that campaign, the heliobi were also severely diminished. The Flint Emperor was heavily wounded and left behind part of its body. Its leaders were once again imprisoned and sealed in the various Xianzhou ships' Shackling Prisons. There have been almost no traces of them found in the universe since, except on the Xianzhou Zhuming.[4][14]
It is rumored that the Creation Furnace in the Xianzhou Luofu is powered by an imprisoned heliobus.[15][4] In recent history, Master Gongshu of the Luofu Artisanship Commission had developed a weapon that utilizes heliobus energy called the Luminflux Pyxis.[16]
1000 Years Before Present Day[]
Prior to Jing Yuan's promotion, the previous Luofu General, Teng Xiao, defeated a powerful heliobus known as Ignamar and sealed it away. Ignamar shattered into many smaller fragments of itself, after which they were all sealed in the Creation Furnace by the Ten-Lords Commission until it was damaged, setting the fragments free. Due to Ignamar's defeat, its fragments were unable to take on physical forms and wanted a rematch with the Luofu General. Most of these fragments would convene at Fyxestroll Garden.[11]
Unknown Time Period[]
One of these fragments, Tail, refused to possess anyone and was on the brink of being extinguished when Huohuo came upon him, deciding to take the flame, resulting in Tail possessing her. Hanya, a judge of the Ten-Lords Commission, soon arrived and realized she could not expel him without hurting Huohuo, decided to seal him instead.
Ambrosial Arbor Crisis[]
During the Ambrosial Arbor Crisis, the Lord Ravager Phantylia, a heliobus, infiltrated the Luofu disguised as Tingyun with the purpose of destroying the Luofu from the inside-out. She gave the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus a Stellaron and told them that the Ambrosial Arbor would bestow upon them undying bodies once it was revived. After Dan Shu, the Master of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, was defeated by the Trailblazer, Phantylia discarded her disguise without leaving its remains behind and left in the form of a flame.[17]
Phantylia headed to the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor and took control of its power and a body created by the Arbor. After the Trailblazers found her, a battle ensued where she tried to convert Jing Yuan into a member of the Antimatter Legion. In doing so, a mental link was formed between the two, allowing Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae to damage her by attacking Jing Yuan. After Phantylia was defeated, she taunted Jing Yuan before leaving.[18]
A Foxian Tale of the Haunted[]
After the Ambrosial Arbor crisis was resolved, the Trailblazer received a message from Guinaifen and arrived at Fyxestroll Garden. Cirrus attempted to collect fragments to cause trouble; the first time it was foiled by Tail, and the second time by Jing Yuan after he agreed to battle it upon defeating his "army". Cirrus would later be sealed in the Suppression Tower, Verdant Terrace, though it still vowed to battle the Luofu General again.[19]
Known Heliobi[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- So far, the Chinese name of every named Heliobus consists of two Chinese characters that describe its characteristics.
Etymology[]
- Heliobus derives from the Ancient Greek ἥλιος hḗlios, meaning "sun." Helios is also the personification of the sun in Greek mythology.
- 岁 Suì in Classical Chinese may refer to the planet Jupiter, and the years of Jupiter's duodecennial orbital cycle is used in the sexagenary cycle (Chinese: 干支) of the traditional Chinese time recording system. 阳 Yáng means "sun" or "yang" in the yin and yang concept. 岁阳 Suìyáng as a term refers to the Jupiter's location in the Ten Heavenly Stems (Chinese: 天干) of the sexagenary cycle.
Notes[]
- ↑ Instances are generally left lowercase in-game.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Heliobus |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 岁阳 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 歲陽 |
| Japanese | 歳陽 |
| Korean | 세양 |
| Spanish | Heliobus |
| French | Héliobe |
| Russian | Хелиоби |
| Thai | Heliobi |
| Vietnamese | Tuế Dương |
| German | Heliobus |
| Indonesian | Heliobus |
| Portuguese | Heliobus |
Change History[]
References[]
- ↑ Readable: Investigation of Ancient Pattern Rubbings from the Luofu: Lone Voyage Era
- ↑ Readable: Species of the Galaxy: Wubbaboo
- ↑ Mission Item: Cognition Chasm: Energy Lifeform
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Readable: List of Archenemies, List of Archenemies, Abomination Scroll: Heliobi
- ↑ Relic, Forge of the Kalpagni Lantern: Forge's Heavenly Flamewheel Silk
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Readable: Heliobus Purging Manual
- ↑ Event A Foxian Tale of the Haunted Adventure Mission, Luofu Myths: Luofu Myths: Soul Departure
- ↑ Companion Mission, Vita Infinita: Swords to Plowshares
- ↑ Trailblaze Continuance, A Foxian Tale of the Haunted (Continuance): Fyxestroll Gathering (I)
- ↑ Tail's Visitor dialogue
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Trailblaze Continuance, A Foxian Tale of the Haunted (Continuance): Sojourners' Ghastly Reverie
- ↑ Idle Quotes: Fyxestroll Garden
- ↑ Readable: Annotations from "Ode to Reignbow Path"
- ↑ Trailblaze Continuance, A Foxian Tale of the Haunted (Continuance): Twins
- ↑ Trailblaze Mission, Windswept Wanderlust: Humming Antlers, Entwined Horns
- ↑ NPC: Master Gongshu
- ↑ Trailblaze Mission, Topclouded Towerthrust: Desolate Depths of Despair
- ↑ Trailblaze Mission, Topclouded Towerthrust: Demise of Immortality, Finale of Calamity
- ↑ Trailblaze Continuance, A Foxian Tale of the Haunted (Continuance): Foxian Dream