"We swear: upon our mortal family's blood, upon our fallen kingdom's ashes, upon our True Father’s name and those of every other Divine in this world, that when we are done, either those monsters will be rendered extinct or we would perish in our attempt... Both, if that's what it takes. This, we have vowed, so shall it be."
— Xestobium's Proclamation, at the time laughed off by his brothers, but soon revealed to be a warning of how unhinged he'd become.
Tropes:
- Antagonist Title: The "Wrath of Xestobium" event is named after the titular Big Bad, a villainous Changeling King who suffered a Sanity Slippage so extreme that he tried wiping out both Dragonkind and the entire Summer Changeling Court entirely.
- Berserk Button: Even the more wicked Changeling Kings hated the Dragons for what they did to their kind in the "Burning of Amorea" event. So when Xestobium claimed them to be no different from the Dragons themselves, all of them went from showing contemptuous scorn towards their defeated half-brother to sheer, murderous rage.
- Bigotry Exception: Xestobium's hatred for Dragonkind gradually extended to his biological father and fellow Changeling Kings, due to seeing them as not so different from the predatory, domineering Dragons they claimed to hate. The only exceptions were benevolent half-brothers like Metamorphosis, Polistes, and Asbolus, who he came to genuinely love. However, it's deconstructed as his hatred grew so much that it overrode his love for his benevolent half-brothers, leading to him attempting to — and nearly succeeding in — killing them while he pulled off his endgame. Blackthorn would call Xestobium out on this, asking him if he is genuinely willing to include even the half-brothers he liked as targets for his planned genocide.
- Cain and Abel:
- Xestobium is the "Cain" to Polistes and Mimetidae's "Abel". While all three are outcasts of their respective families and Courts, Polistes and Mimetidae were appalled by Xestobium's hatred and goals of genocide and came to blows with their half-brother over it. Polistes also held a grudge against Xestobium for murdering a friend of his that he tried to save. Xestobium even tried murdering Polistes and Mimetidae numerous times for interfering. Comically, neither Polisties nor Mimetidae were aware they had the same goals until well into Xestobium's endgame, where they became allies.
- Ironically, the extent of Xestobium's genocidal madness was such that even the more wicked Changeling Kings were appalled since it meant he wanted to kill them off as well, and moved to stop him. This didn't stop those like Thomisus from mocking Xestobium and his failed ambitions once the dust had finally settled, however.
- Debt Detester: To the dismay, resentment, and humiliation of many Changeling Kings, they were forced to acknowledge that if it hadn't been for Polistes, the Summer Court's Black Sheep, they all would have died with the Dragons in Xestobium's plans for planet-wide extinction. Metamorphosis, however, was proud of Polistes' heroics, as was Blackthorn himself, according to Blackrose.
- Even Evil Has Standards: While initially wanting to stay neutral of the conflict to profit off of either Xestobium's death or his success in killing off the Dragons, even the more wicked Changeling Kings ultimately chose to stop Xestobium after realizing his endgame would kill off not only all the Changelings, but also everyone else.
- Hypocrite: After his defeat, while cornered by members of both Changeling Courts, Xestobium would call out his half-brothers for claiming to be superior to the Dragons, when they themselves are no less domineering, cruel, and sadistic than their Draconic archenemies. For that, the Changeling Kings are "worse than even the lowliest savages".Xestobium: Is it not obvious? Look at yourselves! You would had leveled kingdoms and harvest their people to advance your power. You would lie and plot and scheme against each other — betray and kill and even devour your own kin — just so you would further your ambitions. You all presume yourselves to be better than all others… but you act even worse than the lowliest of savages. Tell me, does that not sound familiar?!
- It's All My Fault: King Metamorphosis, one of Xestobium's few benevolent half-brothers, privately lamented his regret over not noticing Xestobium's deeply unhinged mental state or doing more to help him recover.King Metamorphosis: Our poor brother… Xestobium looked so strong, so driven, so… noble, despite everything that happened to him. It is not that none of us didn’t understand loss or trauma; we all have our own share of them, even if we must hide this from others beneath our inscrutable facade, lest it be used against us… but we didn’t know how broken he truly was deep down. I looked up to him; some of my brothers do, even if they’ll never admit it. Perhaps if I caught it sooner; perhaps if I had more time to truly help him… but it’ll never be, now.
- "Not So Different" Remark: After his attempt to call out his half-brothers on their collective Hypocrisy only earns scornful mockery, an enraged Xestobium would roar back that they are all no different from Dragons and they need to be wiped out like the savages they really are.Xestobium: You’re all no different from the dragons! (all Changeling Kings present switch from scornful mockery to murderous rage) You're all blights that needed to be wiped out. Savages, all of you...!
- The Power of Hate: When Xestobium joined the Summer Court, his hatred and rage were so palpable that even his mundane Changeling subjects sometimes had trouble being near him, as hatred feels toxic to them. His hatred was further compounded by Changelingkind's anti-Dragon racism and his own experiences with Dragonkind's worst traits. Eventually, through a combination of the Tyrannos Pantheon's manipulations and learning that several Dragons and Changelings like Thorax and Ember did overcome their mutual hatred, Xestobium snapped, devising a mad plan to induce a supervolcanic eruption that would destroy all life on the planet.
