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| “ | Bring the fire when they call you "traitor". If you're going down, they'll break as well. To the ones who don't deserve a savior, they've been ruined by the rebel yell. Take the suffering and plague away now, let the madness become the truth. 'Cause it's never too late for mercy when the red tides rise to you. | „ |
| ~ The Elder angrily condemning anyone who stands against him. |
The Elder is the main villain of the artist Aviators' "The Bleeding Sun" story that spans at least three albums and individual songs. An opportunist and cult leader who after gaining a large following let a holy war break out which led to a nuclear war, anticipating this The Elder planned to rule the ashes. As the bombs went off a god known as The Watcher offered him everything he wanted and more in return for helping humanity out of desperation. The Elder now being given immortality and godhood betrayed their pact and will stop at nothing to remake the world where all bows before him, his only threat is three godlike beings with one being The Hunter who vows to kill him personally.
History[]
Not much is known about The Elder's past other than he started a cult in the South of the United States of America, he did this by taking advantage of everyone who was afraid that the apocalypse was going to happen by claiming he was able to save them if they followed his instructions. In truth he was a man who was studying the occult in attempts to gain immortality and godlike power but while his followers grew, he started to neglect their needs as he only cared about his own power and ruling the world forever. He did eventually gain a lot of power through his group but feared his own demise, believing he was beyond redemption he clung to his own delusions of grandeur even claiming he was already a godlike being to his followers but admitted he would never give up any power. As people started to question him, The Elder at first helped start a genocidal holy war between nations that would help purposely orchestrated a nuclear war believing if he survived, he could rule the survivors.
As this happened, he was summoned to a god known as The Watcher, desperate the save civilization and being unable to understand humanity The Watcher offered a deal to The Elder in return for helping the survivors. If The Elder agreed to help humanity rebuild the civilization and humanity to prosper The Watcher would not only forgive all his crimes but also give him the godhood he had been trying to gain for years by giving The Elder his own soul. That said the Watcher did warn The Elder if he were to betray this deal by abusing the power there would be consequences. The Elder eagerly agreed but upon The Watcher giving the Elder all his powers as promised he immediately betrayed The Watcher. The Elder realized that now that The Watcher had given up his soul, he could no longer punish The Elder for any crimes. Using his now godlike powers The Elder created cybernetic demigods known as The Ascended to enslave the survivors, while this was meet with resistance, he eventually was able to conquer most the world. As a few heroes started to rise up and defy him, The Elder was unafraid as he knew no mortal could ever kill him but soon learned that three individuals known as The Hunter, The Rogue and The Traveler had godlike power. To his anger The Hunter was one of his slaves who was transformed into one of The Ascended when he needed a strong enforcer in the past.
Fearful for his own life he actively encouraged others to kill them and embrace their darker nature. As The Elder did so he had himself and a few followers constantly guarded even to the point he'd have entire cities locked down while sending the troops to kill the resistance. Anyone who would sympathize or attempt to rebel were to be executed even implied through crucifying them. Hoping to secure his own immortality The Elder would use all his resources to corrupt humanity further hoping to kill the heroes or at least make them lose hope in saving humanity. Not caring for anyone else he did this for over a century until he eventually heard The Watcher warn him that this was the consequences he was warned of if he betrayed their deal all those many years ago. Even after hearing this from The Watcher and how he'd soon be killed by The Hunter under the new alias of The Godhunter, The Elder was still unwilling to repent. Forever defiant The Elder would try to kill the only threat to his life and hoped if he failed to take as many with him to the grave with him out of pure spite, while not specified when at some point he was killed by his enemies.
Appearance[]
The Elder's appearance is rather vague, in his youth based off the art we see in "My Church" he once had brown hair and seemingly a clean-shaven face, his clothes being mainly a blue and black robe. Based the concept art of the album "Godhunter" he seemingly gained his immortality at a much later point as he's shown to have a white beard and hair, he also seems to have at least one cybernetic hand and a bandage covering his right eye along with a good portion of his head. His outfit also now primarily consists of black clothing outside a blue cloak with his personal sigil on it. While he is shown sitting on his throne there appears to be either snakes or some sort of wires either attaching him to his throne or coming out of his body.
Personality[]
| “ | The Elder of the Godhunter saga sought power through eldritch worship of the cosmos, and as his efforts proved useless but his following grew, he pursued darker means of seeking immortality. As he searched he neglected his people, and the deaths grew quickly. It's too late for redemption, he claims, so he will stoop to any means to save himself. | „ |
| ~ Aviators on The Elder in "Too Late for a Savior" in the YouTube summary. |
| “ | As power tends toward violent ends, I'll choose to give up nothing. 'Cause it's too late to be the hero and it's too late to see the truth. I'm exempt of absolution but it's never too late for you. | „ |
| ~ The Elder admitting he'll never give up power and admitting he's aware that he's the villain. |
The Elder is a charismatic and manipulative cult leader with no issues sacrificing anyone to obtain power, this is best shown with his attempt to wipe out most humanity just so he could gain his "throne" by ruling over the survivors. He also is shown to always had delusions of grandeur as he not only claimed to be destined to save his followers from an upcoming apocalypse but claims he is the only one that can make humanity ascend to a higher plane of existence. Aviators has described The Elder as one who has obsessed with gaining more power and even immortality through studying of the occult and when that failed became more desperate as in the Elder's words he needs to conquer "this cage of flesh and bone" so that he can rule forever. The Elder is however shown very much aware that he is evil and feels at one point he cannot be redeemed so instead of even trying to fix things he rather cling to whatever power he has, this is implied to partly why he why he helped start a nuclear war. The Elder is also shown to be unrepentant as even when The Watcher, god of the dead and implied one of the strongest gods in the setting, offered him a chance to redeem, immortality and godhood in return for helping humanity rebuild civilization he only claimed to do so before immediately betrayed The Watcher once knowing he couldn't be punished. A selfish megalomaniac at heart he is unwilling to ever compromise his power even if it might be in his own best interest, this is shown best in his admitting if he has to go down, he'll take everyone he can with him to the grave out of pure spite just to ensure his enemies never have a proper victory.
Defined by his petty lust for power above all else and ego, The Elder believes he's destined to rule over all creation even the other godlike beings to the point even the gods recognized him as threat as shown by one known as The Rogue being forced to confront him. He is also shown to refuse to acknowledge his own faults at times as shown when he angrily tells people they don't deserve a savior after they crossed him, interestingly he also believes his godlike status was all his own making despite the fact he was given it on a deal he immediately betrayed. The Elder firmly believes those with a lot of rage are inherently strong while those against or shown genuinely compassionate as weak who are to be either enslaved or killed, despite this mindset he is shown to be prone to fits of paranoia to the point he will lock himself away with only those he knows aren't a threat if a significant threat comes around. Ultimately this is his own undoing as he claims his loyal knights "have passed with time" implying he didn't make them immortal out of potential fear they might betray him much like The Hunter after she was given power to protect him and his select followers or alternatively that those knights were his fallen Ascended servants that failed in killing her.
Powers and Abilities[]
The Elder was once a normal man with knowledge of the occult, it is unclear if he had actual magical power as he claimed to have "healing hands" but it has been said his efforts at gaining immortality and ultimate power from the occult and worshipping eldritch beings ultimately failed. Given some of the lines in songs like "My Church" it is implied to some extent he may have been able to perform mild miracles and potentially minor clairvoyance, what is known for certain is he was extremely skilled in reading people and manipulating them into following his lead. After gaining The Watcher's soul he gained godlike power and immortality though the specifics are rather vague on the limits to both, it was enough power to transform normal people into godlike cyborgs with relative ease. It is also implied only a godlike being could kill him as he seemingly had no fear of mortals, rather he only showed any fear when a person with the power he gave betrayed him while they were working with other gods. Based off the cover of the album "Godhunter" he is only shown in mild pain when impaled by an arrow to his chest, this implies he either can't be permanently wounded or has an enhanced pain endurance from his power. It's stated he likes to keep the full extent of his powers hidden just in case of such a threat as The Hunter arises, all this implies he is one of the strongest beings in the series.
Gallery[]
