| “ | Darkness guide you, child. You have outgrown this house, of that I am now certain. Should you return again here, I shall keep you safe. | „ |
| ~ Nyx |
Nyx, sometimes referred to as "Mother Night", is the personification of night and a resident in the House of Hades. She gives counsel, directions and reviews the day's work of Chthonic Gods and staff, as seen in her interactions with Megaera, Dusa and the House Contractor.
Nyx is a daughter of Chaos, and mother of the twin gods Hypnos and Thanatos, of Charon, Eris, Nemesis, Moros, the Fates, and many others.
Characteristics and Personality[ | ]
Nyx is the primordial goddess who personifies the night. She co-rules the underworld alongside Hades and is more involved in the state of the realm itself than its inhabitants. She deeply supports Zagreus' desire to leave, and will grant him the "Mirror of Night", which will aid him in his quest for answers and self-discovery.
Although the chthonic gods represent darker aspects of humanity's reflections, and for this reason the Olympians dislike Nyx and fear her, Nyx is considered benevolent, approachable, and maternal towards Zagreus. She was the first to unconditionally support him and contact the Olympian gods to help him escape. She never felt comfortable lying to him, unable to look at Zagreus without feeling guilt and responsibility for the conditions that bind him to the kingdom. It is implied that Nyx may know even more than Hades about Persephone, but cannot tell him because of Hades' prohibitions, so he will have to discover the mysteries behind his mother's disappearance and himself on his own.
Even though supporting him means he will have to leave the "flax" and she will see him less frequently she encourages him. Nyx was able to bring him back from the dead and change his tragic fate, but that did not stop her from reprimanding him or being tough on him from time to time. Zagreus witnessed Nyx being his greatest defender against his controlling fatherhood. She will conspire against Hades and pull the ropes strings behind the scenes.
Despite her compassionate tenderness and attentive parenthood towards Zagreus, she is not usually like this with her own children, treating them with emotional distance and professionalism because it will strengthen them. With ultimate authority, her phrases end with "Are we clear?" She does not like to be contradicted and can be cold, unfair, and commit injustices, as shown by Dusa.
The true reason Nyx chose to help Zagreus leave the underworld to reunite with Persephone is that it was part of a larger plan to end the rivalry between chthonic and Olympian gods. However, she genuinely has good intentions behind it.
Physical description[ | ]
Nyx has pale gray skin, yellow eyes, and very dark purple hair. She appears to be wearing black eye shadow, purple lipstick, and periwinkle nail polish. Her waist-length hair is elaborately fashioned with a braid on either side and a high bun held up in part by a golden crown. Her hair also flares to either side in the shape of a pair of bird-like wings, and the stars of the night sky can be seen on the undersides of these "wings."
She is dressed in graceful robes of purple and gray fabrics with gold accents. The sleeveless robes are long enough to cover her feet and hug her neck, but expose some of her chest. Her golden pauldrons are shaped like a pair of crescent moons, each with one thin, purple bat-like wing shooting outward. Her chest, forehead, and hanging earlobe piercings are decorated with teardrop-shaped Darkness crystals (seemingly identical to the collectible in-game item). She has a skull motif, with three white skull shapes on her chest, each with bright pink eyes. The golden skull on her crown also features the same color eyes. In addition, the crown is decorated with numerous pale star shapes. Nyx wears a golden armguard on her left hand, which also bears three rings: two with purple crystals, and one bright pink. Finally, a long, purple ribbon floats ethereally around her frame, levitating behind her head until it wraps forward onto the inside of her elbows.
History[ | ]
Before Hades[ | ]
Nyx, the night itself, is one of the oldest and most feared deities born from Chaos itself. Long ago, they went their separate ways, Nyx forging her own path and destiny. Having her own descendants, many of whom, beyond her calculation, now reside in realms beyond reach, perhaps even beyond hers, each with specific roles and purposes to fulfill ordained by her.
After the war of the Titans, she found herself compelled to share dominion over the realm with Hades, who acquired it by stroke of luck. Co-managing the underworld alongside Hades, but with the arrival of Persephone, everything became more bearable. Nyx invests more in the state of the realm itself than in its inhabitants.
Following the prophecy of Hades lacking an heir, Persephone bore a lifeless child, leaving Persephone devastated and departing indefinitely. Nyx struck a persistent deal with the inscrutable Fate to bring Zagreus back from the dead. However, the result led to a troubled child, unable to reside in the world above for an extended period. After Persephone left the Underworld, Nyx became the main caretaker of Zagreus, assuming the role of his surrogate mother.
Hades[ | ]
Throughout the game, Nyx reveals to Zagreus that she is not his true mother. Nyx feels Zagreus's desire to depart and find his real mother but does not hinder him. She is his first ally and orchestrates everything discreetly under Hades's nose.
Nyx eventually curried favor with the Olympian Gods and gave Zagreus the Mirror of Night to aid in his escape.
Epilogue[ | ]
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Affinity[ | ]
If given Nectar, Nyx will give you the Black Shawl.
After giving Nyx 6 Nectar, she cannot be given any more gifts until you complete a favor for her.
Once you have completed the favor, she can be gifted Ambrosia, although she does not give a Companion in return.
Nyx's affinity gauge is maxed out at 9 hearts, requiring the gifting of 6 Nectar and 3 Ambrosia total.
If affinity is maxed out with Nyx, there will be unique text above her keepsake. this text states: "from Nyx; you share and eternal bond" as well as "Through sense of duty, she raised you. From the dark of her heart, she loves you."
Favor[ | ]
Nyx's favor is part of the Fated List of Minor Prophecies and requires you to reunite her with Chaos. At some point, she will tell you that she has sensed Chaos' attempts to communicate with her. She will later inform you that the bridge to Chaos cannot currently be accessed through the eldest sigil in the administrative chamber, but you can change this using a certain amount of Darkness. An upgrade will become available at the House Contractor, requiring 3142 
. The reason for the precise value is not known, but it is the constant pi rounded to four digits times one thousand, and also the total number of greek gods according to the Theoi Project. Previously, the value was 8888 . Once purchased, Nyx will then use the eldest sigil to visit Chaos' realm, and you can even encounter her there in your run. When she returns to the House of Hades, her affinity gauge will no longer be locked, and you can give her Ambrosia.
Codex entry[ | ]
Unlocking the complete Codex Entry requires deepening Zagreus' relationship with Nyx.
Quotes[ | ]
For quotes and dialogue regarding Nyx, please refer to Nyx/Quotes.
Trivia[ | ]
- Nyx holds a managerial role in the House, leaving bureaucracy and ruler-ship to Hades and Persephone.
Additional notes[ | ]
For additional information on Nyx that does not pertain to Hades, see Wikipedia's article: Nyx
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