- "You must be ruthless, merciless, relentless. There is no room for failure in our name. Use the Leviathan's power to your advantage; for the one purpose for which you were born. Our family's supremacy will be upheld, and all who stand in our way will be crushed underfoot, the memory of their suffering and deaths a mere amuse-bouche for our hearts."
- — Bethesda to a young Hellsa.
Great Queen Bethesda Von Eldritch of Envy is a supporting antagonist in Hazbin Hotel: Journey to the Light.
She serves as a supporting antagonist in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. She is also the main antagonist of Hellsa's character arc and the secondary antagonist of Seviathan's character arc.
She is the Queen of the Envy Ring and the matriarch of the royal Von Eldritch family, being the wife and widow of Leviathan, and mother of Seviathan and Hellsa. The Lady Macbeth of Hell, she is a manipulative and completely pitiless woman who was determined to help Leviathan in his goal of conquering the seven rings, and the ultimate source of Hellsa's cruelty.
Following Leviathan's death, Bethesda had Seviathan excommunicated from their family and banished from Envy to prevent him from ascending as King of the Envy Ring, and began devising schemes on how to kill the former prince, enraged that her son had virtually ruined her chances of becoming Queen of Hell.
Biography[]
Background[]
Bethesda's origins are shrouded in mystery, though it is implied she has came into existence during Leviathan's reign over Envy ring. One day, Leviathan came into contact with her and proposed her that she could ruler over Envy as a queen in exchange for her serve him as his procreation. Being a power-hungry and a selfish demon like Leviathan, she agreed. In secret, they have mated and she gave birth to their offspring, which her husband held and crushed them to death. For several years, every time Bethesda gave birth to their children, Leviathan would ritualistically sacrifice them, killing them to satisfy Azathoth's thirst to have the tears of living things that never got to live.
After Lucifer's and Lilith's daughter and heir to the throne, Charlotte Magne was born, the King of Envy realized he could gain more from his children then the sensation of killing them. So they agreed to spare the last of their children, which were twins with the oldest one being Seviathan and the youngest being Hellsa and decided to use Seviathan to marry the Princess of Hell, which would grant him the position of being the Prince of Hell, while they become the King and Queen of Hell and would only make their relationship with the Magne family closer before Leviathan slaughters them all.
While Leviathan was busy preparing Seviathan to find a way to make Charlie marry Seviathan and torturing the prince whenever he spotted a "weakness" in him, Bethesda was busy both psychologically and emotionally manipulating and abusing Hellsa, both to maintain her public image and to make Hellsa the extension of her own being. As a result of Bethesda's constant blackmail and emotional manipulation, her daughter became how she still is in the present.
Events of Hazbin Hotel: Journey to the Light[]
Chapter 5[]
In "A Complete Shitshow", Bethesda attends the gathering of Hell's nobility at Castle Magne called by Lucifer in the wake of her husband's death and attempt to usurp Lucifer's throne. In an attempt to save her reputation, Bethesda fakes tears and tries to gain sympathy from the other nobles by claiming that Leviathan was violently insane, and she had been trying to keep him under control for centuries out of blind love, though Lilith, Stolas, Octavia, and her own children silently see right through her ruse.
While Seviathan and Octavia catch up with each other at Castle Magne's balcony, Bethesda stares down at her son with a burning glare from one of the overlooking windows.
When Stella confronts Stolas about their recent divorce, causing a scene, Bethesda places her hand on Stella's shoulder before she could get physical with him, taking Stella away and telling her to act like a lady. After taking her to another room, Bethesda invites Stella to the Envy Ring for a meeting between.
In "Make New Friends But Keep Roo", Bethesda awaits Stella's arrival in her new royal castle. Once Stella arrives, Bethesda has a servant make them tea as they talk about each other's lives in the longue. It is not long before Stella turns Stolas into the topic of conversation, prompting Bethesda to suggest that Stella should have him killed. When the princess replies that she has attempted to have Stolas assassinated to no avail, Bethesda says that it would be more effective to make Stolas suffer before killing him herself. The Queen of Envy suggests torturing and killing I.M.P, before hurting Stolas even more by turning Octavia against him, and then killing Stolas once he loses everything, if he hasn't offed himself by that point. Stella loves Bethesda's ideas and compliments her, leading Bethesda to passionately make out with Stella, revealing that the two had established a secret relationship with each other.
In "Over the Moon in Ecstasy", Bethesda is invited by Stella to the Stolas Clan mansion, which has been taken over by Stella and her brother Andrealphus after Stolas had been labelled a fugitive by Lucifer. Bethesda and Stella bath together in a comically large bathtub filled with bubbles while enjoying some wine. They discuss Stella's plans now that she has Stolas' authoritative power, and Bethesda takes note of Stella's cocksure attitude. While Stella is enjoying wine, Bethesda slowly descends underwater before resurfacing right in front of Stella's face, using her tentacles to drag the startled Goetia underwater. She drags and pins Stella to the bottom of the bathtub, creates an air bubble for her, calmly tells Stella that she cannot get complacent until Stolas has been completely dealt with. Bethesda gets very close with Stella, wrapping her tentacles around her and fingering her as Stella writhes in pleasure. Bethesda tells Stella to use Octavia to bring Stolas out of hiding, which Stella nods to. They begin passionately kissing each other, causing them to unknowingly resurface to a confused imp servant who has brought the two more champagne. Upon noticing the imp, Stella freaks out at him, and Bethesda grabs the imp with her tentacles and starts drowning him, shushing Stella and offering another lesson that leaving no witnesses is important to getting away with schemes. The two royals continue making out as the imp's violent struggling slowly becomes weaker.
In "A Dream Realized", Bethesda watches from a distance as Octavia confronts Stella on what has happened between her and Stolas. Stella notices Bethesda, who telepathically tells Stella to remember what she has told her. With Bethesda's advice in mind, Stella tones herself and down and begins filling Octavia's head with lies about Stolas leaving her and never caring for anyone besides himself. After dismissing the devastated Octavia, Stella and Bethesda share a devious grin with each other.
In "Back in Businesses", Bethesda, wanting to leave the past behind and start a new life with Stella, finally makes good on her threat to cut Hellsa off from their fortune, leaving the princess to fend for herself. This leads to Hellsa being forced to stay at the Hazbin Hotel.
In "The Me Inside of Me", Hellsa, Fin, and Megara become trapped in the Hazbin Hotel's backrooms, which consist of magical doors that show an important memory to whoever opens them. While there, Hellsa is reminded of all the horrible things Bethesda has done to her, including repressed memories of Bethesda saying that she should have let Leviathan kill Hellsa, and another old memory where she told Hellsa never to cry. After Hellsa breaks down crying and is comforted by Megara, she admits that her family is not even close to as perfect as they try to be, and angrily blames Bethesda for robbing her of a true family and being the reason why everyone hates her.
In "A Behemoth of Fun", Bethesda and Stella announce their engagement to all of Hell, forcing their servants to plaster their faces across all of Pride. The evil sapphics celebrate themselves, spending their day drinking and partying until they literally pass out on the floor of the palace. Later, they retreat to their private chamber, where Stella initiates a seductive dance for Bethesda while the Queen of Envy praises her for wreaking havoc upon the less fortunate. As they embrace closely in bed, Bethesda begins stimulating Stella as they share sadistic fantasies about tormenting Stolas and reveling in their wickedness. Their climax is rudely interrupted by Andrealphus, who gleefully embarrasses them by announcing Princess Charlie's arrival, eliciting an eye roll from Bethesda. Disgruntled, Bethesda leaves the manor, shooting a disdainful glance at the passing Princess of Hell, making the bad blood between them quite clear.
In the Greed Ring, Bethesda has drinks with Lilith and a circle of other royals at a palace, discussing recent matters with the queen. After the circle dwindles to just Lilith and Bethesda, Bethesda begins bemoaning what her children, Seviathan and Hellsa, ended up becoming in some vain attempt to relate to Lilith's disappointment in Charlie. The conversation takes a grim turn when Lilith remains cold and indifferent towards Bethesda, partially for her husband's attempt to usurp the Magne family's throne, and also for her victims blaming. Lilith gives Bethesda a reality check, verbally tearing her down and reminding the Queen of Envy that Hellsa was raised entirely by her, and that she has no one to blame but herself for how her daughter turned out, and that crying about it won't change anything. Lilith bluntly tells Bethesda that she is a failure, her husband was a pathetic failure, and her children are also sad, depressed failures all because of her. Lilith abruptly leaves in disgust as Bethesda sits in stunned, embarrassed silence. An imp servant, who had been awkwardly watching the two the whole time, approaches Bethesda to offer her more alcoholic algae, but Bethesda comedically murders him by snapping his neck with her tentacles before hurling his corpse out of a window for witnessing her in her embarrassed state.
In "Tunnel of Lust", Bethesda is spaing with Andrealphus and Stella. Bethesda criticizes the staff for their, in her opinion, sub-par service, claiming that all she wants is to be worshipped and catered to. Shortly afterward, Bethesda is informed by one of her servants that something is happening in the Envy Ring. Bethesda excuses herself from Andrealphus and Stella, teleporting to the Envy Ring to deal with business.
In "Through the Looking Glass of Envy", Bethesda returns to the partially destroyed remains of Castle Von Eldritch, which Seviathan, Hellsa, Fin, and Megara are. Bethesda indignantly asks what brought the siblings back to their home, and Seviathan orders at Bethesda to reveal the truth to Hellsa about the Von Eldritch lineage and that Leviathan had murdered their siblings. Bethesda dismisses the claim, calling it a "tall tale", and notices Megara cowering behind Hellsa. Bethesda refers to the saint as Hellsa's "pet" in disgust, which infuriates Hellsa, who tells her mother that Megara is the best person she's known and that she loves her. Bethesda cruelly says that both she and Hellsa are monsters who do not deserve or need love in response. Bethesda discloses that she plans to kill Seviathan, "reeducate" Hellsa, and corrupt Megara merely to spite Hellsa, before attempting to seize Megara with tentacles. Her attempt to kidnap Megara is stopped by Hellsa and Seviathan, the latter using tentacles to destroy the remains of the ceiling above them, cutting them off from Bethesda. Bethesda destroys the debris, only to find that the group has taken off. She summons an outfit of demonic eels and merdemons, ordering them to find Hellsa and Megara.
Bethesda soon finds Hellsa and Seviathan fighting off her sea demons and traps the both of them in a dozen tentacles. Casually brushing off Hellsa viciously disowning her, Bethesda grabs Hellsa by the neck with a tentacle and tells the princess that she is going to "help" Hellsa remember everything her mother had taught her, before harshly tossing her daughter to the ground. Bethesda then faces Seviathan, ready to kill him. Her attempt on her son's life is interrupted when Megara reappears and hits Bethesda in the face with gold-colored, holy magic before flying for cover at Hellsa's behest. Bethesda laughs off the attack, demonically saying that Megara should have run away. Bethesda orders a shiver of demonic sharks to kill Megara while planning on forcing Hellsa to watch as the saint is killed. During this, a bloodied and battered Seviathan summons several tentacles that burst from the ground below all of them, tearing the flooring out from under them and sending himself and Hellsa plummeting down to the catacombs of Castle Von Eldritch.
Upon recovering from the fall, Hellsa finally sees the mountains of bones belonging to her past siblings. Bethesda gracefully enters the catacombs, using tentacles to pin Seviathan to the wall violently. Bethesda finally tells Hellsa the truth now that she has seen the monument to Leviathan's bloodlust. Horrified, Hellsa begs Seviathan to tell her that Bethesda is lying, but Seviathan confirms everything, telling Hellsa that they, and all of their siblings, were merely toys for Bethesda and Leviathan's amusement, in their parents' eyes. Seviathan apologizes to Hellsa for being too afraid and angry to tell her the truth, acknowledging that she is just as much a victim as he is; telling her that he played right into Bethesda's game by hating her. Seviathan reiterates that he and Hellsa are disposable to Bethesda, which their mother proudly confirms before going to kill Seviathan once and for all.
Clearly affected by Seviathan's genuine apology, Hellsa stops Bethesda from killing Seviathan, standing up to her mother for her brother and Megara. Hellsa engages her mother in a brief fight, and is soon joined by Seviathan after he escapes. Despite the siblings' combined power and Bethesda being taken by surprise, the Queen of Envy defeats her children without much effort and uses her tentacles to force the two to kneel before her. Bethesda revels in her moment of triumph and rubs it in Hellsa and Seviathan's faces. However, her moment is interrupted when Seviathan summons an army of Envy's sea life using telepathy, leading to hundreds of deep-sea demons barging into the catacombs through the walls.
Bethesda reacts quickly and creates a wall of water to repel and block the sea creatures off, allowing Hellsa to break free from her mother's trap and bring the entire castle down using demonic magic, shielding herself and Seviathan while Bethesda is crushed and buried in the castle's remains.
Personality[]
- "If I could love anybody... I would choose myself without a moment's hesitation. To love anything else would be a foolish risk of betrayal and disappointment."
- — Bethesda.
A mistress of evil with the malice of a classic Disney villain, Bethesda is an eloquent, manipulative, status-conscious, pychopathic and utterly heartless socialite of posh nature and elegant poise, carrying herself with a constant air of superiority. She is very cold and has a icy disposition, almost never showing any emotion. Despite her poised nature, She revels in chaos and destruction, seeing these as the intended natural order of the world. Her attitude towards love and relationships is dismissive, treating others as mere objects or pawns for her amusement. She takes pleasure in the suffering of others, showing no remorse for the cruelty she inflicts.
Proudly referring to herself and her family as "monsters", she cares more about maintaining the reputation and popularity of the Von Eldritch family than she does the happiness of her children, and maintains a sham of perfection in her family name. While putting on the façade of a flawless monarch, she is truly heartless and devoid of any benevolent traits, enforcing her will onto anyone below her and destroying anything that stands in her way. She has proved to be every bit as monstrous as her husband, willingly giving birth to thousands of children fully knowing that they would be slaughtered by Leviathan, and molded Hellsa into the cruel demon she is in the present by blackmailing and psychologically abusing her. Later on, she claimed that her only woe in allowing Leviathan to kill their spawn was that she never got to personally kill any of them herself.
Much like her family in general, Bethesda is deeply insidious and manipulative; she effortlessly swayed the majority of Hell's nobility into believing that her family deserves respect and admiration and is more than capable of feigning love and affection for others, as shown by her public interactions with her husband and children. She often expresses her beliefs in a calm and motherly fashion to her children, only to become annoyed and flustered if her "ideals" are questioned. She displays superficial fanatic tendencies and seems to practically worship Leviathan as a god at times, believing that she and her children are obligated to assist him in taking Hell from Lucifer since he gave her the position as queen in the first place. Although, given that Bethesda has displayed no true, romantic love for Leviathan and uses him for power, she likely only behaves this way to mislead Seviathan and Hellsa into obeying him, rather than actually believing it.
Bethesda shares her husband's classist and Darwinistic outlooks, as she loathes the lower classes of Hell, relishing their misery and state of poverty, and ordered Hellsa to never associate with "plebeians" in any way. It is even implied that she delights in killing poor people in her spare time by feeding them to the Kraken. As a socialite, Bethesda only associates herself with other high-class demons such as Lilith and Stella. Bethesda has also displayed a clear hatred for men, telling Hellsa that men were "all the same", and disparaging them all as little more than obedient and simple-minded animals, as well as telling her daughter to never become emotionally attached to them. This led to Hellsa treating her boyfriends like slaves and never developing true love for them. Unsurprisingly, Bethesda is also very shallow and vain, as she instilled in her daughter the belief that appearances were everything and micromanaged everything about Hellsa's childhood.
Bethesda seems to have a fascination with the macabre and anything dark, such as death, decay, and destruction. She loves being the absolute worst person she can be and coaches Hellsa to be the same way. She also read Hellsa ocean horror stories for bedtime, and she reminisced on Hellsa and Charlie burning down a part of Hell School during one of their squabbles as if it was a happy memory.
She is a control freak in every sense of the word; She moves with precision and poise, walking with her head held up high, always makes sure to cling on to Leviathan to present themselves as a power couple, and hovers incessantly over her children and dictates their hobbies. When Seviathan and Hellsa were attending Hell School, Bethesda demanded perfect grades from both of them, and required that both children attend high-society gatherings with Hell's nobility to increase their family's reputation. She also stomped on any individuality Seviathan or Hellsa displayed in front of her, subtly snapping at the former when he implied that he did not want to marry Charlie, and threatening to cut Hellsa off every time she insists on making her own decisions.
Overall, Bethesda is a toxic and emotionally abusive entity with nothing resembling empathy; She uses her husband for power, views Hellsa only as an extension of herself, and allowed Seviathan to be horribly mistreated by Leviathan during his miserable childhood. The only things she truly values are her public image and power. Her methods are more insidious and subtle than her husband's; she has never physically abused Seviathan or Hellsa, allowing her husband to perform the more barbaric acts of punishment while she herself opts for verbal and emotional abuse. She denied Hellsa and Seviathan any affection or praise in order to keep them vying for her favor, threatened to cut Hellsa off from their family's fortune if she disappointed her, and her response to Charlie defending Vaggie from Leviathan and Seviathan's criticisms was to chuckle softly, viewing the Princess of Hell's empathy for others as laughable. Despite her claims of her family's benevolence, it is painfully obvious that she has no actual understanding of what love and empathy is like.
It is worth noting that Bethesda had little to nothing to gain from merry Stella (someone far below her class) and involving herself in the Goetia family drama. Even in the end, deciphering her motives for doing so - beyond simply being there to be chaotic - is near impossible.
Appearance[]
Bethesda is a tall, slim, grey-skinned demon with bright green, pupilless eyes and long, flowing white hair with dark spots underneath, akin to a cephalopod's tentacles. She has black eyelids with long eyelashes, black lips, bright green claws. She has a bright green, sharp-toothed mouth on the left side of her mid-section that is always open. One of Bethesda's most distinguishing characteristics is that the lower part of her legs appear to be fused together, giving her the appearance of having a fish-like tail, rather than legs. Like the rest of her family, she has green, additional eyes and mouths throughout her body that open whenever she is enraged.
For attire, Bethesda primarily wears a long, black gown with a slit down the length, black evening gloves, and wears black fishnet stockings under her dress. The lower part and underside of her gown is decorated with black dots, giving it the appearance of tentacles.
Powers and Abilities[]
Natural Powers[]
- Aquatic Adaptation: Bethesda can survive and thrive in the darkest, deepest, coldest depths of the ocean deep and suffer no ill effects whatsoever.
- Demonic Transformation: Bethesda is capable of shifting into a more aquatic form when needing to traverse underwater. She is also capable of transforming into a gigantic, monstrous, and intimidating form (which is also her true form) at will or whenever she is greatly enraged.
- Immortality: Bethesda possesses an infinite lifespan, having existed for thousands of years. Despite this, she has retained a relatively youthful appearance.
- Nigh-Invulnerability: Bethesda's body is incredibly resilient and is impervious to supernatural and physical attacks that would easily kill a human. However, holy weapons and divine power are capable of severely wounding her permanently and potentially bringing about her end.
- Regeneration: Just like all demons, Bethesda possesses a powerful regenerative factor that guarantees her to regenerate from any source of damage, including the destruction of her entire body. However, she cannot regenerate from being wounded by holy weaponry or divine power.
Unique Powers[]
- Eldritch Power: Being the Queen of Envy and an ancient demon, Bethesda is a very powerful entity whose eldritch powers completely eclipsed that of lower demons and many of Hell's Overlords. Her physical power allows her to be considered an equal to the other members of Hell's nobility, notably the Goetia family.
- Amphibiousness: Bethesda can metabolize oxygen from the water, allowing her to travel under water for as long as she desires in addition to easily living on land.
- Enchanted Senses: Like all the member of his family, Bethesda possesses hidden eyes all across her body, allowing her to watch multiple directions at the same time.
- Hydrokinesis: Bethesda can manipulate and shape water using her mind, at one point using said power to create a life-sized figure of Seviathan made out of water to visualize him becoming the Prince of Hell. While underwater, she can also create air bubbles around herself and others so that they can communicate underwater.
- Summoning: With a simple gesture, mainly a clap of her hands, Bethesda can summon objects or even living entities to her, such as when she summoned the Von Eldritch family's demonic crocodiles to dispose of the corpse of a servant Leviathan had murdered.
- Supernatural Endurance: Bethesda possesses far greater endurance than the average demon. While conceiving children with Leviathan, she was capable of laying thousands of eggs all at once with little difficulty, and recovered as if nothing had happened.
- Telepathy: Bethesda can mentally telepathically communicate with other entities, from hundreds, or possibly millions of Hell's oceanic life, to the other members of her family. She typically uses this ability to keep her children in line, or conspire with Leviathan in public locations.
- Tentacle Manipulation: Bethesda can create and conjure grey, disembodied, cephalopod-like tentacles of various sizes that appear out of magical portals, often using said appendages to hand her objects that are out of reach. She can also transform his hair in tentacles.
Abilities[]
- Authority: As the Queen of Envy, Bethesda is the second highest authority in the ring of Envy, possessing limitless power over her children as well as Envy's inhabitants. Her status also gives her a lot of sway over those outside of Envy, and renders her a highly respected and reputable figure among Hell's nobility, allowing her to get close to demons such as Lilith Magne. She has also managed to somehow prevent Seviathan from succeeding his father as King of Envy. However, her control over the ring of Envy is not infinite, as Leviathan carries higher authority as the supreme ruler of Envy and one of the Seven Deadly Sins, as shown by him ordering Bethesda to dispose of a servant he had murdered. The members of Magne family also overrule Bethesda's control if only they so wish.
- Intimidation: Bethesda is capable of using her intimidating appearance, powers, and emotional abuse to coerce others in obeying her whim. She instinctively resorts to bullying Hellsa and threatening to cut her off and leave her in the streets whenever the princess dares to disobey her, knowing that the princess is aware that Bethesda is without feeling and would go through with her threats.
- Manipulation: Bethesda is an expert manipulator, capable of duping even the Magne family (sans Charlie) and entire populace of Hell into believing that she is a helpful ally and reputable authority figure.
- Natural Weaponry: Bethesda can use her sharp claws and teeth as offensive weapons against others. She can also form her hair into tentacles and use them to restrain or attack others.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Leviathan Von Eldritch[]
Leviathan was the King of Envy and Bethesda's husband. Sometime after Leviathan was granted power over the ring of Envy, he encountered Bethesda within the depths of the ocean of Envy. Leviathan proposed that if Bethesda served as a means of procreation to the King of Envy, he would allow her to reign over Envy by his side. Naturally, Bethesda agreed to the deal and bared thousands of children with Leviathan so that he could kill them for pleasure. After Lucifer and Lilith had Charlie, Bethesda and Leviathan agreed to spare a couple of their children and use them to their advantage.
After establishing their family, Bethesda and Leviathan carried the public image of a loving and powerful couple comparable to Lucifer and Lilith themselves. In reality, however, Bethesda and Leviathan were mostly apathetic to each other and shared a pragmatic and loveless marriage. Although Bethesda seemed to outright worship Leviathan as a god at some points, this was mostly to remain in his favor as he granted her the position of Queen of Envy. Although they were capable of acting as if they loved each other in front of others, such as sharing laughs and kissing each other, they truly had a view of each other more akin to two co-workers, rather than a wife and husband.
Bethesda was furious at the death of Leviathan, and was noted by both Hellsa and Seviathan to have become more bitter and violent following his demise. With Leviathan dead and Seviathan no longer subservient to his parents, she had no real means of conquering Hell, her life-long goal. Shortly after Leviathan died, Bethesda took ownership of all his possessions and treasures, and had Seviathan excommunicated from their family and banished from the Envy Ring.
In "Make New Friends But Keep Roo", it is revealed that Bethesda had been cheating on Leviathan for possibly years with Stella, likely without his knowledge, sharing how little their marriage meant to her.
Seviathan Von Eldritch[]
Seviathan is Bethesda's son. Bethesda and Seviathan had very little interactions during Seviathan's childhood, mostly due to the prince being raised by his father. Bethesda's treatment of her son is less hands-off than Leviathan, but no less despicable; she possesses no respect for the prince's freedom or personal choices and is constantly overriding him for the sake of their family's image or power, including his consent when it comes to his romantic relationships. She also appeared neglectful and apathetic towards him whenever he was mistreated by his father or sister, believing that he brought all of his misery upon himself by defying his father's orders. During a conversation with Charlie, Seviathan confessed to the princess that he feels like he does not even know his mother as a person.
Following Leviathan's death, Bethesda began to despise Seviathan, though it is unknown if this is because she is aware of his hand in Leviathan's death, or if she merely needed a scapegoat to vent her anger on after her plan of becoming Queen of Hell had been dashed. She disowned Seviathan as a son, prevented him from becoming the King of Envy, and began plotting ways to exact revenge on him. Following this, Bethesda and Seviathan made their mutual hatred of each other more open and apparent.
Bethesda later confronted her exiled ex-son and Hellsa at Castle Von Eldritch, eager to kill Seviathan for dashing her aspirations to become Queen of Hell. Bethesda made several attempts on Seviathan's life until the prince was able to show his sister the dark truth about their family history. Bethesda cruelly confirmed Seviathan's claim the the Queen of Envy's children were expendable to her, before gleefully trying to murder Seviathan once and for all.
Hellsa Von Eldritch[]
Hellsa is Bethesda's daughter and her pride. Bethesda is an extremely toxic influence over Hellsa, coaching her since she was a hatchling to be a queen - thus putting crushing expectations on her -, and has poisoned the princess' mind with the belief that their family's power and status was more important than anything. All of Hellsa's shallow and malevolent traits - such as her narcissism, hatred of the poor, and tendency to treat her boyfriends like mere slaves - can be sourced back to Bethesda.
Bethesda raised Hellsa with the false belief that their family had a long bloodline where if two siblings were born, the lesser sibling would be killed, and told Hellsa that Seviathan was aware of this tradition and wanted her dead. This was so she could turn Hellsa against the prince and make her daughter follow everything she said. As a result, Hellsa initially shared her mother's manipulative and cruel nature, and Bethesda always favored her over Seviathan. Bethesda spoiled the princess, giving her everything she wanted in terms of material possessions. Bethesda was one of the few demons that Hellsa actually respected and viewed as her equal (the only known other being her father). Their relationship was far more tranquil than Leviathan's relationship with Seviathan, as the two even spent a deal of their free time with each other, as shown by them lounging and gossiping around the Von Eldritch family pool.
During her childhood, Bethesda was a "pageant mom"-type parent who would force Hellsa to compete in various competitions and would not accept her ending anywhere else than first place. Whenever Hellsa would come up short in these contests (mostly to Charlie), Bethesda would berate and harshly scold her, calling her an embarrassment to their family, and locking her in her room for days because "no one wants to look at a failure". This left Hellsa scared to death at the price of failing her mother.
Despite her pride in Hellsa, it is very much clear that Bethesda does not truly value Hellsa whatsoever, solely viewing her daughter as a trophy or means to preserve her false reputation of a loving mother. She sees Hellsa as an extension of herself and thus is very controlling of her, and ensuring that her ideals are reflected in her, and barring Hellsa from doing anything that might tarnish their family's image. Though Bethesda decided that Hellsa would be the few Von Eldritch that would be spared, it was more of a move to extend the game she and Leviathan were playing, with their children as the pawns. She refused to show pride in Hellsa while she was developing to keep her and Seviathan fighting for her affection, not to mention psychologically manipulating the princess into the cruel and spoiled demon she is in the present. Bethesda also constantly threatens Hellsa whenever the princess steps out of line, threatening that she will disown her and cut her off from the family's fortune.
Following Leviathan's death, a bitter Bethesda essentially disowned Hellsa and Seviathan. Upon confronting Seviathan and Hellsa at the ruins of their family home, Bethesda spotted Megara hiding behind Hellsa, the Queen of Envy referred to Megara as Hellsa's "pet", infuriating Hellsa to the point where she lashed out at her mother for seeing everyone as a mere object. Hellsa spat that Megara was her best friend, but Bethesda dismissed Hellsa's claims to care about Megara, and threatened to corrupt Megara's innocence just to spite Hellsa.
This all culminates in Hellsa finally seeing the corpses of the past Von Eldritch children who Leviathan had slaughtered with Bethesda's assistance, revealing that everything Bethesda taught her about their family history was a lie. In reaction to this revelation, Hellsa finally stood up to Bethesda for her tyranny and abuse, refusing to let her kill Seviathan or harm Megara. Hellsa and her brother were able to defeat Bethesda together by sending the remains of Castle Von Eldritch crashing down on her, finally escaping from their mother's grasp.
Allies[]
Stella[]
Bethesda and Stella are close associates, chatting with each other at noble gatherings. They both encourage and bring out the worst in each other. Whenever Stella freaks out in public, such as her confrontation with Stolas at the gathering of Hell's nobles, Bethesda reels her in by telling her to act more "ladylike" and correct her husband in more insidious ways.
Bethesda and Stella overall share a deep friendship marked by their contempt for those they consider beneath them. In their conversations, they often gossip, and discuss plans, with Bethesda offering advice for Stella to undermine and ultimately destroy Stolas. When Stella expressed frustration at failed attempts to kill him, Bethesda suggested a more subtle approach, manipulating and hurting those around him to weaken him emotionally and politically. Their relationship is also very intimate, with physical affection evident in their interactions, and they bond over their shared narcissism and disdain for those they perceive as inferior.
Stella is somewhat intimidated by Bethesda and feels inferior in her presence due to the Queen of Envy's superior rank and power, which Bethesda is aware of and uses to control Stella for her own ends.
Quotes[]
Chapter 4[]
- "Bethesda Ah, ah, ah... Hellsa... What did I say about eating junk food?
Hellsa: (sighs; droning) Don't eat junk food, because I'll get fat and ruin our public image.
Bethesda: And what will happen if you tarnish our image?
Hellsa: You'll disown me, cut me off, and I'll be shunned forever with no one to love me?
Bethesda: (chuckles) Such a fast learner." - — Bethesda and Hellsa in a flashback of the latter's childhood.
- "Bethesda: Just yesterday, some homeless dreg asked me for a sliver of money, you know, for his family or some bullshit like that...
Stella: Oh, PLEASE tell me you proceeded to strangle that little fuck?
Bethesda: Oh, Lady Stella, how dare you assume so little of me! I fed him and his family to the Kraken. (she and Stella laugh loudly) You really think I'd soil myself, touching a piece of shit?
Stella: I just pity the Kraken! (she and Bethesda laugh again)
Lilith: Ever respectable, Lady Bethesda." - — Lilith, Bethesda, and Stella in a flashback, engaging in "rich people talk" at a high-society gathering.
Chapter 5[]
- "Stolas: (grimaces) You...
Bethesda: Yes, the nightmares of all lower creatures made manifest - the Queen of Envy." - — Bethesda and Stolas greeting each other.
- "Bethesda: You mean the little devils that Leviathan and I brought into this world? They're just broken, useless tools. So I discarded them as such.
Stolas: With all due respect, my queen, that is a terrible philosophy to hold. Our children should be cherished as gifts from Azathoth himself. My Via is a treasure made from only the finest stars.
Bethesda: And you spoiled the attention-seeking brat to where she's grown brazen enough to steal your grimoire because her feelings were hurt. It's no wonder she turned out to be such a disobedient wretch.
Stolas: ..Octavia has always been a... Curious child. I've always tried to teach her right from wrong, my queen. As a child, I learned discipline from my father's fist, but... I didn't want that for her, so I tried to raise her in a way I thought right. I'm not perfect, but I do my damned best to teach my daughter the best that I can, for she is my pride and joy, and I wish for her to be prepared for when I join the stars. I'm sure most fathers have had some moments with their children where they aren't proud of what they've done. Every day, I try to make up to her and let her know she's loved. ...She is my child.
Bethesda: (chuckles) Such a sentimental filibuster. Shall I bring you a cookie? (titters) My spawn are not like yours, lower being. The spawn of Leviathan and myself are inherently evil. Why should I care about how they feel or treat them like equals? They are weapons of sin and chaos, and should be treated as such. (Stolas bows his head as Bethesda walks away with her head held high) You are weak, Stolas. Any dignity or legacy your family possessed has been swiftly crushed upon the shores of your incompetence. You live and breathe off of Lucifer's mercy like the puling leech you are. (smirks) You're not a monster. Too weak to carry out cruelty and evil that Leviathan and I have committed, and I hope you are aware that Paimon sorely regrets electing you as his heir." - — Bethesda and Stolas' confrontation at Castle Magne.
- "Bethesda: Perhaps you ought to kill him.
Stella: Don't you think I've fucking tried?! I even contracted some plebeian who managed to get his hands on one of Carmilla Carmine's rifles, and even he couldn't do it!
Bethesda: Well, of course. Why send a lowborn to do a woman's job?
Stella: What exactly are you implying?
Bethesda: Don't be so humble, Lady Stella. You are a learned woman. Why employ such military tactics when you can destroy Stolas from the inside?
Stella: (smirking) Go on.
Bethesda: (chuckles) I recommend you start with that little imp group Lucifer told us about. First the hellhound, the weapon's expert, the cousin-fucking lowborn, and then, of course...
Stella: That filthy, lizard plebeian. I'll kill that little fucker right in front of Stolas, and then he'll follow suit!
Bethesda: Ah, ah, ah... Tad too hasty on that last bit. Rather, just when he's thought you've taken everything you could from him, then you take away his heart.
Stella: And put it on display? What an astute idea!
Bethesda: (shakes her head) No. (she looks at a portrait of Stolas and Octavia) His HEART.
Stella: (gasps) ...Of course! Octavia! I'll ensure she sees Stolas for the pathetic failure he truly is! He'll never see her again, not until she laughs alongside me when I slit his throat! Ugh, but she was also such an ungrateful child, though. She always preferred him, for some unsatanly reason...
Bethesda: If she stays loyal to him, you'll just have to remind the brat of her place. She's only a precautionary heir, after all. Once he's out of the picture, you can do whatever you want with her. Make her an extension of your own being. How do you think I've kept Hellsa on a leash for so long?
Stella: Lady Bethesda, what would I do without you?! (laughs) Oh, I just love the ideas that spawn from that fucked up mind of yours!
Bethesda: (she slowly puts her hair-tentacles on Stella's body, before pulling her into a passionate kiss of several seconds, and pushing her against the wall) Oh... How I've missed these sessions of ours~
Stella: (chuckles) But now we can rendezvous whenever we want. (she lemon Bethesda while she massage Stella's body) No annoying men, no ungrateful children...
Bethesda: (she continue to touch and lemon Stella against the wall) Just... Us... Girls." - — Bethesda and Stella conspiring together.
- "Hellsa: Mommy, I don't want to go on stage!
Bethesda: (she angrily uses her tentacles to grab Hellsa by the neck) YOU SELFISH BRAT! Is this the appropriate behavior of a princess?!
Hellsa: (crying uncontrollably) MOMMY, I'M SORRY! I'M SCARED!
Bethesda: Do you have any idea what you've done?! You've embarrassed us in front of the king and queen! Sullied our family's name!
Hellsa: NO!
Bethesda: Why would Azathoth curse me with you?!
Hellsa: I WANNA GO HOME!!!
Bethesda: You will go back on stage, finish that dance just as you've rehearsed for the past months, and win in honor of our family! Every fuck-up means one of your seahorses killed!
Hellsa: MOMMY, PLEAAAASEEE!!!
Bethesda: (as Hellsa screams in terror) If you dare to embarrass me again, I'll have you out of the castle and in the reefs! NOW STOP MAKING THOSE PATHETIC SOUNDS AND GO!!!" - — A flashback of Bethesda punishing Hellsa for having stage fright in her childhood.
- "Hellsa: (Hellsa lets out a sigh, brushing her "hair" in a mirror) Why does Sev have to be the way he is? I'm starting to think that little freak likes it when Dad punishes him.
Bethesda: (Bethesda says this while applying eyeliner) He's a pathetic excuse of a prince. A disgrace to the Von Eldritch legion. (She stops applying eyeliner and stares at Hellsa in the mirror) ...Azathoth knows I tried to convince your father on choosing you rather than him.
Hellsa: (She stops brushing her hair, interest piqued) Uh, fuck's that supposed to mean?
Bethesda: (Bethesda grins, sinisterly, before walking over to Hellsa with a neutral expression; she takes the brush and brushing her hair) Oh, well... I hoped to tell you when you were a little older, but you're strong. You can handle it. (Bethesda looks out the window, as if this false story is playing in her head) You see, dear, it's an Eldritch tradition to have only one royal born, so that they can hold absolute power over Envy without being suppressed by another. You and your brother broke that rule when you were both born.
Hellsa: (She groans) Why are you telling me this? I know why Sev got his power and all the glory that comes with that. By the luck of just being born. (She growls) I'm not blind or stupid. Good to know Sev really was an accident, though.
Bethesda: Listen carefully... In the event that this occurs, the fate of the lesser sibling is an... Unfortunate one. Any sibling who falls out of favor with their family, who fails to secure a higher rank of power... Is tossed to the trenches of Envy, and left to suffer a miserable death. And that is exactly what your brother wants to happen to you.
Hellsa: W- ...What?!
Bethesda: It's true, I fear. Why do you think he competes with you so often? Why does he try so desperately to impress me and your father. Obviously, because your father taught him this family secret long ago.
Hellsa: (She hides her pain with a spiteful laugh) As if the 'big bad Sev' could ever get something that he wants. He’s weak! He’s worthless without the help of you and Dad.
Bethesda: (Bethesda nods) Who needs a sister when you leech off your father's greatness and have flashy cars and a big home? He's a sniveling, conniving wretch who HATES your existence. And the moment he becomes Prince of Hell and outshines you, I promise you that he will smile and laugh when you get cast to the depths.
Hellsa: (Eldritch eyes appear on her hair and body) I KNOW!!! (Hellsa turns back to Bethesda) ...Mom, I’ve been hearing your doomsaying since I was born. Sev hates me... SeV HatES me, blahblahblah! (She sniffles, hiding her face a bit) He’s a narcissistic, entitled, fucking asshole... But he’s not gonna get me banished, no matter how ‘perfect’ he is. He was a mistake, and that reality is gonna crash in his fuckin', stupid face. Even if dad ever does have a reason to banish me, I’ll handle it. He can’t take me down. I’m unstoppable, and my destiny isn't tied to any FOOL in power!!!
Bethesda: (After a pause, Bethesda smirks) Exactly, dear. Of course, you still will always need my hand, but I won't let anything happen to you. (Bethesda takes Hellsa's hand, bringing her into a hug, which Hellsa seems confused by at first, but eases into nervously) Just follow everything I've taught you, and will teach you, and eventually we both won't have to worry about Seviathan... Ever again." - — A flashback of Bethesda telling a young Hellsa a false family secret about the Von Eldritch as a way to manipulate her into hating Seviathan.
- "Lilith: Crying to me about your own mistakes isn't going to magically change them, Queen Bethesda.
Bethesda: (taken aback) My Queen, I don't understand...
Lilith: Of course you do. You raised Hellsa entirely on your own, practically keeping her locked in a gilded cage so you could warp her worldview and get away with it. It's your fault and only yours that she is a disappointment.
Bethesda: (she scoffs slightly) ...And your childish failure of a daughter and that manlet you call a husband aren't as well?
Lilith: (she instantly appears in front of Bestheada, staring at the frightened queen with piercing silver eyes) The manlet who gave Hell form? Who's light created the very dominion that you preside over? Who is the literal embodiment of knowledge and beauty? The true lord of all magic and creation? That... 'Manlet'? Enlighten me... What did your traitor husband ever accomplish beside being a permanent resident in Lucifer's shadow and thrashing his children in petulant anger? And as for Charlotte... As naive and idealistic as her recent endeavour is, it has clearly left a notable impact on Hell itself, while all your daughter has done is make great eye-candy for troubled youths. (leans away from the insulted Bethesda and begins exiting the room) You reap what you sow, Queen Bethesda. You are a failure, and your husband was a pathetic failure. But, I admit, you've done a stellar job in turning your children into reflections of yourselves; pathetic, miserable failures. (exits the room, telekinetically opening and slamming the doors behind her, leaving Bethesda in embarrassed silence)" - — Lilith and Bethesda's confrontation.
- "Bethesda: Well, well, well. {Bethesda appears before Seviathan, Hellsa, and Megara) Feeling homesick?
Seviathan: Just wrapping up some unfinished business, you psycho witch.
Bethesda: (chuckles) What 'unfinished business'?
Seviathan: How about you save me a fuckload of time and just tell Hellsa right now? The fact that you slaughtered all of your children who came before us?!
Bethesda: (Bethesda slowly grins in amusement, hiding a laugh) ...And who would believe such a tall tale? (she chuckles and grows tentacles on the lower part of her dress, elevating herself above them) You two were banished from this ring, and yet you were compelled to return for something gone, buried, and forgotten. (Bethesda notices Megara hiding fearfully behind Hellsa, her eyes widening) What. Is. That? A little pest from the abode of saints? You know, my darling Hellsa, I've never much cared for any of your pets... But this one is the most absurd of them all. Even after I casted you from our family, you still find such creative ways to make me look bad.
Hellsa: (Hellsa growls and wraps her arms around Megara protectively) Pet? A fucking 'PET'?! Is everything an azathothdamn object to you?! Meg is the best friend I've ever known, one of the most important things in my life! You got that?! If you touch a hair on her head...
Bethesda: (snickers) Do you honestly think I give two shits about what you love, Hellsa? Have you discarded everything I taught you? This is the real world, where all things good and pure are to be perverted and destroyed. The only thing of value is the ability to spread pain and chaos like you were born to do. There is no love for monsters like us. You are a weakling. After I kill Seviathan and reeducate you, I will take this 'Meg' under my tutelage. She will do my bidding, and you will be powerless to stop me." - — Bethesda confronts Seviathan and Hellsa at the Remains of Castle Von Eldritch.
- "You had better listen to your mother... (she violently throws Hellsa to the ground with her tentacles) You are going to be spending a long time alone with me, remembering everything that's slipped your mind."
- — Bethesda to Hellsa.
- "She should have ran."
- — Bethesda upon seeing Megara coming back for Hellsa.
- "Hellsa: No... This isn't real! This isn't fucking real! (to Seviathan) Sev, tell me she's lying! Like she always does!!!
Seviathan: (laughs) Why would she lie about something so wicked? (coughs painfully; voice breaking) ...We were just toys to them. And when we were broken, they just moved to the next ones. You and me... We were the ultimate game. Every time we fought or quarreled, we gave them exactly what they wanted. I... I shouldn't have treated you the way I did... Kept you in the dark. It wasn't right. I'm s- ...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hid everything from you. I was just... Afraid, and angry. To them, we are all expendable.
Bethesda: (chuckles and summons a tentacle that strangles Seviathan) Yes. Yes, you are." - — Bethesda and Seviathan reveal the truth to Hellsa.
- "Funny. I spent the olden days watching Leviathan kill our brood. I made the mistake of never partaking in any slaughter myself. (she summons a tentacle, wrapping it constructively around Seviathan's head) That changes now. Why should men get to have all the fun?"
- — Bethesda while trying to crush Seviathan to death.
- "Yes, bow to your queen. (laughs pompously) Honestly, you're both embarrassing yourselves. Even when working together, it ends in spectacular failure. Did you really think you could best me?"
- — Bethesda taunting Hellsa and Seviathan, moments before her defeat.
Trivia[]
- Her name means "house of mercy" in Hebrew.
- Her theme song would be "Evil Like Me" from Descendants.
- Bethesda and Stella's theme song would be "Tough Love" from The Villains Lair.
- Bethesda was meant to be written as a lesbian, though she is not above sleeping with men if she can use them to secure power, as was the case with Leviathan.
- As the Von Eldritch family are meant to serve as a dark counterpart to the Magne family, Bethesda is meant to serve as an obvious counterpart to Lilith. The main difference between the two is that Lilith is capable of love and compassion towards her family, whereas Bethesda is completely devoid of love for other beings.
- One of Bethesda's most distinguishing characteristics is that the lower part of her legs appear to be fused together, giving her the appearance of having a fish-like tail, rather than legs. Thus, whenever she moves, she appears to sway side to side rather than walk.
- The series' creators consider Bethesda and Leviathan to be the only truly evil members of the Von Eldritch family, whereas Seviathan and Hellsa are more victims of their parents' influence.
- According to Leviathan, Bethesda gives birth by laying eggs. She can also lay up to thousands of eggs at once, similar to many aquatic animals.