| “ | Minor goddess? I was old before the Titans were born, you ignorant girl. I was old when Gaea first woke. Misery is eternal. Existence is misery. I was born of the eldest ones - of Chaos and Night. | ” |
| –Akhlys to Annabeth Chase in The House of Hades | ||
Akhlys (also known as Achlys) is the Protogenoi of Misery and Poison. She is also the keeper of the Death Mist and resides in Tartarus. She is the daughter of Chaos and Nyx.
History
Nyx, her mother.
The Heroes of Olympus
The House of Hades
Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase meet Akhlys so they can hide themselves in the Death Mist to get through Tartarus. She offers them different types of toxic plants so they could die "peacefully" compared to their uncertain future if they continue their plan, but the demigods rejected her offer and she accepted theirs. However, Akhlys betrays Percy and Annabeth, chucking poison at the pair. Percy uses his powers over water to will the poison back to her, which causes her to flee from them. It is during this that a darker force in Percy's personality reveals itself.
The Blood of Olympus
Akhlys appears to Nico di Angelo in one of his dreams, saying she cannot add to his misery.
Personality
Akhlys is described by Percy as having "serious self-esteem" issues and being an unambiguous sadist. Damasen also mentions that Akhlys trusts nobody.
Appearance
Akhlys looks like a victim of famine: She has a drippy nose, sunken eyes, stringy grey hair that is matted to her head, and large amounts of dust covering her thin body. Akhlys also has bloody red clawed cheeks that drip blood on her tattered dress.
Akhlys appeared on the shield of Hercules as pale, emaciated, and weeping. She had chattering teeth, bloody cheeks, long nails on her fingers, shoulders thickly covered with dust, and swollen knees,
Abilities
Akhlys presumably has a goddess' powers, but infinitely stronger as she is one of the Protogenoi.
- Death Mist Control: As the goddess of Misery, Akhlys has control over Death Mist.
- Toxikinesis: As the goddess of poisons, Akhlys has absolute control and divine authority over poison.
- Enhanced Agility: Akhlys can run relatively fast when properly motivated. This was shown when Percy rerouted the flow of poison and then began to choke on her own saliva.
Trivia
- Although she is thought to be created before Chaos in, The House of Hades reveals she is his daughter. This mirrors how some Greek Creation Myths call Chaos the state before time began and a god, while others proclaim it was Chronos or Akhlys whom created Chaos or existed prior to it.
- Some myths list Akhlys as a possible daughter of Nyx among the Keres.
