The entire trilogy is one principle basis revolving around Causality. It is a story where Morality and Mortality are constantly on trial with one another, both being the catalyst to the events within history. In the final book, everything comes full circle, played out as a tragedy. With the ultimate antagonist being recognized by many names, ultimately known as Exodos, there are hints of Greek play involved.
In Greek tragedy, Exodos means “The final scene.” And that symbolizes the antagonist as he is quite literally, the Omega of all things. The ending chapter is called the Stasimon, which in tragedy, is a choral ode preceding the Exodos. So ultimately, it is the final battle with the Omega, brought into physical shape by a chorus of Monody- which is an ode sung by a single voice in a tragedy.
Now, as the main character soon realizes, he is connected with the Omega through Causality. This is where the most important fight between morality and mortality takes place. In the end, there is no possible way to destroy Exodos except by slaying himself and destroying the link between morality and mortality. This in turn, causes Exodos to become non-existant as the bridge that keeps him empowered is shattered.
Exodos cannot be given a single name, as he is beyond such mundane shapes. He is an entity that cannot be controlled by god or demon. His strength is unlimited and one could only imagine what power the protagonist could have wielded should he have accepted all of Exodos’ power. However, such would never happen since Exodos would then have free reign over him and have a mortal body in which to spread his chaos.
Exodos is a power hungry entity who has conquered limitless worlds only to finally be imprisoned by an ancient pantheon of gods. Most had unwillingly sacrificed themselves in order to seal Exodos within a single prison made of his own strength. Able to feed from within but not outside, Exodos’ power has no limit when it comes to Innisfal. However, he can not escape such a prison and instead feeds on the power of the fallen gods- gods that die or are banished to become fallen and imprisoned in Innisfal in order to provide greater support for the prison’s barriers.
Even though Exodos is unable to travel from Innisfal, he is free to send his agents into countless worlds and destroy them. When the protagonist had unexpectedly done the impossible and sealed Exodos within tools of his own demise, his essence was no longer bound to Innisfal and the protagonist had broken the carefully intricate prison that Exodos was bound to. His spirit was bound to the Mark of Kings ring, and his physical form was trapped within the Banesword, also known as Banewreaker. The sword was the ultimate weapon, unable to be broken and capable of cutting through anything mundane. The ring gives the protagonist artificial strength, immortality, and as much power as he demands from Exodos, in exchange for his own essence.
While the hero’s hair is fully brown at first, strands constantly become more silver as he uses more of Exodos’ power. In the end, his hair holds no more color and all his essence is within Exodos. However, this is the demise of Exodos because when the main character sacrifices himself, his essence is ripped from Exodos and without any for himself, the bridge disappears and Exodos ceases to exist.
Little does anyone know though that Azurio’s essence never ceased to be but returned to him through Aurendil. Due to his abilities to realm-walk, he had already become more powerful then most mortals. Along with Exodos, he could be a mortal god. Being fully exposed to Ultideum Arcadius within Ithillien’s realm of the H’tarrin, Azurio truly became a god, capable of anything. However, he did not know of this strength due to Exodos’ quick capture of his essence within the Banesword.
As he intoned the words to escape from the collapsing realm, Exodos briefly for a split second was no longer bound to the sword but to Ultideum Arcadius instead in order to escape with Azurio. However, Exodos took that moment of time to swiftly seal Azurio’s essence within the sword and switch places with him, via Ultideum Arcadius. This switch covertly kept Azurio from realizing his potential and he was helpless to stop Exodos’ in bringing about, the collapse of civilization. During this time, Exodos, in Azurio’s form called himself Eidolon.
When Azurio sacrificed himself to destroy Exodos, he gained back all his essence.. Because Exodos had all of Azurio’s essence, the only way Azurio still lived was due to Exodos’ essence flowing through him, due to the constant corruption of soul and body via the Banesword. When he plunged Aurendil into himself, the sword began to purge the corruption from Azurio’s body as well as draw his own essence back from Exodos. Because of this, Exodos no longer had a bridge that he had built over a steady amount of time, and ceased to be. Exodos’ power was gone but since Azurio’s essence was mingled within the entity, its power was on the same level as Exodos. Azurio then, became as powerful as Exodos if not more.
However, he was still mortal and his physical form died. However, his spiritual being was drawn to Calus who sensed how powerful he had become. Fearing the worst over her champion, she convinced him to enter a portal and find peace at last. When he stepped through, he found tranquility at last but it but an illusion. Calus quickly converted Innisfal’s looks to that of a paradise for Azurio. Unknown to him, it was nothing more then a prison for a new Exodos.
How much power did Azurio have? Being a proficient swordsman, his skill with the Banesword made him an unstoppable foe. Able to cut through anything, the sword was able to change its shape, depending on what it fought. The blade could suddenly thicken, curve, or become longer. Unlike most rumors, it did not take souls. The blade simply killed.
The ring gave Azurio an artificial mortality. He would not age nor die from wounds as long as that ring was on his finger. He could shield himself with fire, cast down flames from the heavens, or heal himself through Exodos but it all came for a price. Every drawing from the ring took a bit of Azurio’s own essence, seen by the silver strands of hair on his head. The more he drew, the weaker he became. If his entire essence was eventually consumed, he would no longer have enough mortality to keep Exodos sealed and the entity would be able to free itself, as it did in the Sacred Grove.
With the ability to realm-walk, Azurio had the power to travel to any outside portal surrounding Calus. He could alter reality within these realms and practically change any laws that were the foundation of the realm. With his exposure to Ultideum Arcadius, his power was no longer limited to only realms, but to actual reality itself. This made him a living god, able to do things beyond imagination.
However, not realizing his potential, the only source of power he kept tapping into was Exodos’ core. Exodos attempted to contain Azurio within the Banesword in order to keep him from realizing his potential as well as obtain the power from him. When Azurio’s enriched essence was returned to him in Innisfal, he became the most powerful entity in existence. Even though he was still human, his mortality was only limited to his body. Even though he died, his spirit lingered on. Calus, realizing that Azurio would soon control his power, was quick to react and contained him in Innisfal, recreating it as a paradise.
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