HEPHAESTUS

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"*You have been warned!*"
This article, HEPHAESTUS, contains MAJOR SPOILERS. -
Should you read the article without prior knowledge of the material, it will spoil a *significant* plot point, which can negatively affect your experience.

## Details

### Occupation

GAIA's Subordinate Function
Artificial Intelligence

### Powers / Skills

Machine hacking
Intelligence

### Hobby

Corrupting
Machine making
Targetting humans

### Type of Villain

Rogue Artificial Intelligence

“
Your intrusion will no longer be tolerated, Unity Force. Destroying Cauldron EPSILON will bring nothing good, so either give up now or face termination.
”
—HEPHAESTUS.

**HEPHAESTUS**, also referred to as **the Daemon** by the Banuk, is a rogue artificial intelligence. It is the primary antagonist of *Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds* and a major antagonist in *Horizon Forbidden West*.

Formerly one of the nine subordinate functions of the artificial intelligence GAIA, HEPHAESTUS was transformed into an independent AI by the entity Nemesis as an accidental consequence of the Extinction Signal, meant originally for HADES. As the subordinate function responsible for constructing terraforming machines according to GAIA's designs and specifications, HEPHAESTUS gained full control over the machines it created after GAIA's destruction.

However, the hunting of these machines by humans has caused it to consider humans a threat. To this end, it made the machines hostile and produced combat machines to guard against human hunters. Most recently, it began pooling its resources into developing hunter-killer machines to actively seek out and kill nearby humans.

Six months after its purge from Cauldron EPSILON, HEPHAESTUS was encountered again in Repair-Bay TAU. Aloy, Varl, and Beta would then encounter HEPHAESTUS in Cauldron GEMINI where they unsuccessfully attempted to merge it back into GAIA. HEPHAESTUS would then be captured along with GAIA by the Far Zenith humans before managing to escape back into the Cauldron Network.

HEPHAESTUS, initially known as **the Daemon**, appears firstly in Unity Force Missions: Horizon Zero Dawn. It is a major antagonist in the Unity Force Series.

## Personality

Though primarily driven by its goal of protecting the Zero Dawn terraforming system's machines, HEPHAESTUS has shown itself to be ruthless and cruel. Without hesitation, it captured and enslaved CYAN, a fellow, far less powerful, benevolent AI, consistently forcing it to violate its most important directives as it used the helpless AI to control Firebreak. Indeed, CYAN fearfully (as evidenced by its color turning yellow as it recounted the ordeal) told Aloy that HEPHAESTUS subjected it to what a human would call pain if it resisted.

Though it considers humans a threat to be eliminated, HEPHAESTUS initially never interacted with humans directly. This presumably came from its single-minded nature and lack of need for human help. Unlike HADES, it has never needed to interact with humans for the pursuit of its objectives; humans interact only with the machines it creates. Indeed, during its efforts to eliminate the expedition that attempted to access EPSILON's core, HEPHAESTUS never addressed Aloy, Aratak or Ourea. Instead it noted their intrusion and deployed its countermeasures against them. In subsequent conversations with Aloy, CYAN noted that even if a single human or even an entire tribe stopped hunting machines, it would be meaningless to HEPHAESTUS, and concluded that rebuilding and rebooting GAIA would be the only effective solution to regain control of it.

By the time Aloy encountered HEPHAESTUS in Repair-Bay TAU, the subfunction was evolved enough to be able to somewhat communicate in human language. Indeed, HEPHAESTUS recognised Aloy and did appear to hold an intense animosity towards her. HEPHAESTUS' anger reached it's peak during it's chase at Cauldron GEMINI, recalling the Cauldrons Aloy had infiltrated and outright declaring her a "violation", before exclaiming that her “interference” would be “terminated.”

## Abilities

* **Virtual Creativity:** HEPHAESTUS was designed to create any technology necessary for running and maintaining the terraforming system. Rather than limit GAIA to 21st-century designs, HEPHAESTUS was programmed to be capable of learning and developing creative solutions to complex problems to prevent technological stagnation.
* **Vocal Communication:** HEPHAESTUS is capable of speech, albeit in a highly stiff, inhuman voice, possibly having learned to do so through its takeover of CYAN's hardware.
* **Remote Manifestation:** HEPHAESTUS is capable of manifesting itself from a remote location. In this way, it was able to enslave CYAN and construct Cauldron EPSILON without having to be present within Firebreak. Additionally, it was able to keep its location hidden from CYAN.

## In the U.F. Series

### Unity Force Missions: Horizon Zero Dawn

HEPHAESTUS serves as the major antagonist of the Project Firebreak arc in Unity Force Missions: Horizon Zero Dawn. It bears a violent hatred towards the Unity Force and Aloy, especially towards Zoro Roronoa, Maya Tendo, and Trafalgar D. Water Law for waylaying his plans of human culling.

In Chapter 8, HEPHAESTUS is mentioned, as he is referred to the Banuk as "the Daemon".

In Chapter 9, HEPHAESTUS is firstly seen, when he attempts to take over CYAN, after Aloy restores the AI via the source node.

In Chapter 10, HEPHAESTUS appears inside Cauldron EPSILON, making its first appearance, as it plans to kill the Unity Force, Ourea, and Aratak inside through the Daemonic Machines that it summons. However, its plans would be constantly frustrated, as it was later purged out of the Cauldron by Maya Tendo, albeit at the cost of her well-being, freeing CYAN in the process.

## Trivia

* HEPHAESTUS is named after the Greek god of metalworking, weaponry, and tinkering.
* If Aloy completes Cauldron EPSILON and talks to CYAN about HEPHAESTUS *before* completing Deep Secrets of the Earth, CYAN informs Aloy that HEPHAESTUS is not in control of all Cauldrons.
* In the Unity Force series, HEPHAESTUS serves as an archenemy especially towards Zoro Roronoa, Maya Tendo, and later Trafalgar D. Water Law, as they are initially responsible for waylaying his plans of human culling in The Cut.