#I was listening to the wisdom saga of Epic when I thought of this

[rin-solo]

Finally, I am happy to present to you my ...

EPIC: THE MUSICAL | ACT I [Character Design project]

I have been working on these for a long time and I am very happy with how these turned out. I am a huge fan of visual character design and I simply needed to do a full lineup.

Act II will follow shortly (it is all done except for Ithaca Saga, which I will add as soon as it drops.) Please enjoy, and read below for some thoughts and background on some of my design choices!

TROY | CYCLOPS ft. Odysseus, Athena, Eurylochus, and Polites

With Odysseus, I really wanted to emphasize his free spirit in this era and mark him as Athena's warrior, so I gave him a special belt and some armbands that represent her (this was inspired by some of @mircsy's work). He also has heterochromia; his left eye is green, representing his cunning, wisdom, and spirit; his right eye is gray, representing his ruthlessness and warrior side.

I simply love Athena in purple/gold. Her mask is a symbol of her invulnerability and comes off only during "My Goodbye" when Odysseus tells her that she's alone. Her cape can also transform into wings, and her eyes are actually golden without the mask.

I had to give Eurylochus his large anime sword (it's just as heavy as it looks but he likes it that way because that means no one besides him is strong enough to wield it ... I imagine Eurylochus can bench press at least Odysseus' and Polites' weights combined. He and Polites are also wearing variants of Odysseus' armor, indicating that they belong to the same army.

Listen, I can vibe with Eurylochus' giant sword but I draw the line at Polites with glasses, sorry. He still gets the hairband, of course. He's also dressed more casually, and without a weapon, because of his pacifistic outlook. He's the physically weakest among the trio by far but also still an inch taller than Odysseus (it's fine, Odysseus is still like 5'10, his friends are just all so freaking tall...)

OCEAN ft. Aeolus, Poseidon, and Odysseus

Not gonna lie, I LOVED designing Aeolus' outfit. She's playful and mischievous and loves to hang out in the clouds all day; her outfit is probably made out of clouds let's be real. Also yes, her image on the windbag moves to make cheeky faces.

Poseidon I cannot imagine without tentacles anymore thanks to @gigizetz's "Ruthlessness", idk it just fits him so well. He definitely got all dressed up to go and sink Odysseus' fleet that day, he has a reputation, you know? And he just likes the shiny gold and accessories; the ocean is full of them so why wouldn't he?

Since breaking up with Athena, Odysseus lost her belt and armbands. He's still wearing her brooch because he couldn't bring himself to fully throw that away as well yet. Polites' hairband around his wrist reminds him of what he's fighting for and what to live by ... for now (Poseidon is about to ruin this man's whole career...)

CIRCE | UNDERWORLD ft. Circe, Hermes, and Tiresias

I wanted to give Circe the "witch" vibe while putting a Greek spin on it and I actually adore her design. She seems both immortally youthful (something I aim for with all my god designs) and motherly. There she was, gathering some herbs when a bunch of strangers crash onto her island ... Oh well, at least this man was a good man this time.

Hermes is kind of just Hermes. I wanted to keep him shaded, a bit impish, and definitely up to no good. He's wearing the contrasting colors on purpose, by the way. And yes, his hat can fly on its own ... But for it to do that he'd have to actually be willing to show his face which he seldom does unless he really trusts you.

Tiresias is a soul, so he has the same kind of ageless youth as all my gods (something that goes for souls of dead people too, since I like to think they get to appear at whatever age they want after death.) He's looking a bit regal since he's a prophet, so I imagine regarded highly, even in the Underworld. Instead of the blindfold, his hood covers his face, adorned with a symbolic eye to identify him and his skill.

***

Well, that's it for ACT I, friends, I hope you liked these! I will upload ACT II asap. Please comment and/or tell me your thoughts about my designs! And feel free to ask any questions you may have! I would love to talk more about these.

[lukecastellanshandholder]

Walk with me on this idea…

Now I’ve read my fair share of fanfics of Luke somehow surviving the war and most have him pretty well adjusted after all that happened. And that’s all fine and good!

… but what if he did live and he was so haunted by everything that happened to the point where he’s a haunted husk? What if he found out about all of the members of the Titan Army being killed by the gods, and what if May did die when Rachel obtained the power of the oracle?

He would feel so much guilt for all of the comrades that were killed. He feels that he was at fault for recruiting all of those demigods and marching them into war. He feels guilt for the friends at camp that ended up dying in the war. He feels so much guilt for listening to Kronos and trusting him. Luke feels so much shame for falling right into Kronos’s trap even though he was manipulated. He feels at fault for everything.

So imagine him finally hitting his breaking point and wanting to just let go. He feels no anger anymore, has no wishes of dethroning the gods anymore. He only wishes for the screams that ring in his ears to be silenced and for all of the horrific pictures showing every time he closes his eyes, to finally be blacked out.

He wants death even if he knows that his afterlife won’t be pretty.

So he ventures back to where everything truly started going down hill. He goes to the Garden of Hesperides. He manages to sneak past Ladon with surprising ease this time around. He plucks an apple from the tree and sneaks back to the edge of the garden and sets up a small fire. Once it’s lit, golden flames dancing in front of him and bathing his form in light, he sets his sword and other things down beside him.

He holds the apple in his shaky hands, watching the flames grow taller almost as if they were starving for the fruit that he held in his hands.

In the distance he hears a low growl then heavy footsteps approaching him. He smiles sadly, looking into his own broken eyes in the reflection of the apple. People always did say that he had his mother’s eyes.

When he heard the footsteps almost right behind him, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With one movement of his hand he tossed the apple into the flames, the sweet smell permeating the area around him. The smell seemed almost familiar, he could’ve sworn it smelt like chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven.

There was a loud roar right behind him now, the ground shook underneath him and his teeth rattled in his skull.

A sad smile spread across his lips as with his last breath he uttered the words, “To Hermes.”

With a sudden swipe of Ladon’s claws, Luke couldn’t hear or see anything. The screams had stopped, the images had finally faded. The only thing he could sense was the warm feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket of comfort, the smell of cookies cooking in the oven and the sight of warm blue eyes watching over him as he descended into oblivion.

[sugar-and-spite]

epic the musical has me by the throat rn i keep listening to it and realizing things i didn't realize the first five times i already listened to that song. anyway underworld saga is the best saga and i'm completely normal don't look at me

[dagondelrio]

So I have been thinking about the Wisdom Saga, obviously. I had some thoughts that I wanted to share. Sorry for the angst. Spoilers for the Wisdom Saga.

So we all know that Hermes is going to be the one to get Odysseus off of Calypso's Island while Athena is recovering? dead?. After having begged Athena to help him at the end of Love in Paradise.

Odysseus must have some complex feelings towards that. No doubt, he is relieved to finally get the chance to go home or die trying after seven years of being trapped there, stuck with his own guilt and grief. On the other hand, he knows that Hermes is there only for his own amusement really. Yes, he helped with Circe, but he straight up told Odysseus that this might fail and he would die and made it clear he really couldn't care less. Not to mention, Hermes is a trickster god archetype. Odysseus likely will listen to Hermes despite all that because any chance, no matter how slim, is worth listening to Hermes. Also, he knows better than to piss off another god.

Odysseus also doesn't know that Athena got extremely hurt? killed? to free him as she didn't speak to him or any indication that she had heard and was going to respond to his prayer and help free him. Hermes might mention it to Odysseus, but based on what little I know about Dangerous so far, Hermes won't, and ultimately, it makes sense as Hermes has met Odysseus This isn't Apollo coming to help with a throw away line like "Oh, I wanted to see the mortal that Athena risked her life to help" that would at least clue Odysseus in on Athena being responsible for his freedom. Odysseus wouldn't even ask about Athena as, for as far as he knows, Athena is still pissed at him and ignoring him.

If Hermes did tell Odysseus, imagine his reaction. First, it will depend on how much he knows. Does he know that she went against Zeus for him or that she was just responsible. If he knew that she went against Zeus and suffered greatly? died? imagine what that would do to his survivors guilt. He has already caused so much pain to those he cared about. His son had to grow up without a father. His wife is running a kingdom and likely filled with grief. His mother died waiting for him to get home. He got his entire crew killed either directly or indirectly. Then his mentor, the one who scorned his friendship, put herself in danger for him and suffered/died for him. If Odysseus only knows that she was the reason but not what Athena did, he'll likely be both glad and hurt. He'd be glad that she had heard his prayers and that she chose to aid him. Hurt that she was too proud to face him and didn't come to him herself. I think this one would be the easiest version for their relationship to repair.

Now, if he doesn't know, he'll probably be mad at Athena for abandoning him when he truly needed her. Her would be resigned as he knows he screwed up by not listening to her and likely thinks that there is no repairing their relationship. There is also anger at himself for allowing himself to believe that Athena would come to his aid after she made it clear in My Goodbye that she didn't really care about Odysseus and wanted nothing more to do with him.

Now, in the Odyssey, Athena disguised Odysseus as a beggar so that he could kill the suitors. Epic of course, is its own work, and this moving forward part depends if Athena is dead. (I know Calypso says goddesses can't die but remember she is talking to a mortal who has no divine abilities or divine aid vs the king of the gods fighting hisi daughter) Hermes really could fit this role as he is a trickster god. If Athena helps well, that is where it gets interesting.

Odysseus wouldn't refuse her help. As he knows not to piss of the gods and he at least kind of knows Athena's intentions. I don't see Athena mentioning the risk that she put herself in for Odysseus. She is prideful. I doubt that she would be willing to admit that she had been beaten by Zeus for Odysseus. I don't see either of them bringing it up. I imagine that Odysseus would be bitter now that she is helping when he had previously begged her for her help, and as far as he knows got nothing from it. However, he won't have any allies, and Ithaca has changed since he has left, so he won't refuse her aid. I doubt their relationship would ever truly recover.

Now imagine when Odysseus finds out that Telemachus made friends with Athena. On one hand he would be relieved. He would be glad that at least someone was looking out for his son when he couldn't (also a little bitter that he couldn't be the one protecting Telemachus). On the other hand, imagine how it must feel to have his friendship with Athena dismissed, where as far as he knows, she only saw him as her student, not a friend. That his son got to have that relationship with her. That she was so quick to replace him with someone else. Imagine Odysseus wondering where he went wrong to not get that same relationship from her that he had wanted.

[its-your-girl-geekerella]

EPIC: The Wisdom Saga (pt. 2)

Okay, let's try this again. I am much more sane and have had time to process my thoughts about this Saga.

"Legendary." I gotta admit, it was better than I thought. I knew that everyone else knew the song already, and the way it was being hyped up made me a little wary of it. But it was, in EVERY WAY, amazing. It gets stuck in my head all the time. And we can't forget "L-L-L-L-Legendary"

"Little Wolf." Another amazing song. My favorite part was when Athena showed up and explained Quick Thought. "Oooh, maybe I pushed you a bit too hard" made me laugh.

"We'll Be Fine." Very emotional, and I honestly love it. And of course the "Warrior of the Mind" riff is iconic.

"Love in Paradise." Yay, Time Dive! Babs Wangui is the ABSOLUTE best. Calypso might be my 2nd favorite character. Besides, I've been singing this song for months and to hear it fully produced is a dream come true. The Odysseus suicide attempt is INSANE and I did NOT see it coming. A part of me wonders why Ody screamed Athena's name at the end there, though. Is it because he thought that she was literally the only one who could possibly help him? Or, did he conflate his memories to believe that all his problems started when he split with her?

"God Games." The almighty. It slapped, 100%. My favorite "levels" in order are Hera(yet another section I've been singing for months), Aphrodite/Ares, Apollo, and Hephaestus. The instrumental at the end, though? "Warrior of the Mind"/"Legendary?" Makes me cry every time.

All-in-all, my ranking would be:

God Games

Love in Paradise

Legendary

We'll Be Fine

Little Wolf

I have ZERO complaints for this Saga, and I have listened to it about 20 times since it came out.

Also, Zeus sucks.

[agentcalypso]

my (mostly) coherent thoughts on the wisdom saga

written during first listen/the livestream this time bc i have shit to do tmrw so forgive me if i miss some stuff (will prob do a part 2 once i have a spare hour or so)

(also spoilers)

𓅓 LEGENDARY 𓅓

first off there were over 100k ppl in the livestream by the time the saga started which i think is a record so good job winions

MICO's voice fits telemachus SO well its not even funny

and like he also has a bit of jorge's voice in him and it's just. augh /pos

the L-L-L-L-Legendary :D

ok but you can hear his voice get just the tiniest bit softer when he starts talking abt the suitors/penelope

ARGOS :DDDDDDDD

MAN OF THE HOUSE

also the animatics are SO GOOD

ANTINOUS YOU BITCH /POS

"WHAT YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT CHAMP?" LMAOOO

12/10

𓅓 LITTLE WOLF 𓅓

THE ART??? HELLO??????

i hate antinous /pos

but also his voice is sooooooooooo good

this. this is just street fighter (/pos)

ATHENA WITH THE QUICK THOUGHT

"Whoa, this is so sick!" i love him <3

god teagan sounds sooooooooo good

i did not expect him to lose but it makes sense so im not complaining

10/10

𓅓 WE'LL BE FINE 𓅓

athena looks so pretty in the art omg

athena opening up? holy shit

"my time with you's been splendid, the best day of my life" telemachus you got beatne to a pulp are you okay

i like the new lyrics for telemachus' part better tbh

TELEMACHUS FALLING THROUGH HER LMAO

9/10

𓅓 LOVE IN PARADISE 𓅓

THE TIME DIIIIIIIIIVE

gigi hitting HARD with the animatics again

CALYPSO'S FACE WHEN HE TALKS ABT PENELOPE LMAO

also calypso's animation is so flowy i love it

"last i checked goddesses can't die ^_^"

it was at this point the livestream died for "policy violations" i think youtube just hates us

pov: you are in the epic the musical discord at 11:44 p.m. EST

THE OG STREAM WENT FROM 110K TO 4.6K IN LIKE THREE MINUTES LMAO

i came into the new stream to jorge cackling like mad and i think that sums up the general energy of my reaction to this whole saga pretty well

the glowy effects on her are so cooooool

damn poor ody :(

fuck you jorge /pos

"i have to see her" vs. "he needs my help" pick you poison

10/10 -1 point for youtube being a little shit /neg

𓅓 GOD GAMES 𓅓

luke. just luke

wolfy animatic :D

the harp strings are so fun

love hephaestus' animation omg

also hephaestus being voiced by jorge's dad is so cool :D

aphrodite. that's it that's the post <3

i still maintain that you can do the camp rock march to ares' part idc

ATHENA DANCING LMAO

BEAST MODE ZEUS HOLY S H I T THE GROWL

"is she dead?!" i love him but yea there's a reason ares isn't the smart war god

THE FLASHBACK??????? HELLO???????? I WILL BE THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

OH SHIT ARES WAS RIGHT

12/10

in conclusion idk what kind of crack got put in this saga specifically but consider me hooked

[decapitatedsnake]

My little (to no) context reaction to the wisdom saga 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

(I couldn't stay up to watch the live so I'm just listening to the music = no animatics)

[30th of august 14:58]

Legendary

. I mean I've already heard legendary but I'm excited

. Gorgeous music, I feel transported into like ancient greece

. This sounds amazing

. The guy who voices Telemachus (MICO?) is adorable

. I don't like the riffs but he sounds good

. Telemachus deserves the world

. "L-l-l-l egendary"

. 108??!

. Isn't he like 13 here? (anywhere from 12-15 i feel like)

. I don't think we got a snippet of the ending

. MAN OF THE HOUSE

. AHHHA

. 20 YEARS?? WHAT

. I can't tell if they said 12 or 20

."BOY" Lowkey scared me

. EXCUSE YOU SIR TRAMP?? WHO DOES HE THINK-

. Antinous didn't come to play DAYUM

. This is insane

. "Whatcha gonna do about it champ?" Jorge was totally right Ayron is such a good Antinous

. Awwww he can't do anything :<

. Wait?

Little wolf

. GET HIM TELEY

. I love Antinous's voice

. I really loved the snippets for this one

. "I'll teach you all the lessons your daddy never could" it's on sight actually

. And little wolf is just so ughh I wanna punch him

. ATHENA

. FIGHT BACK

. BAHAHAHA UPPERCUT?

. QUICK THOUGHT

. And he👏is👏a 👏bully👏

. SHOW HIM

. ATHENA IS SO COOL

. OMG OMG

. Her voice is stunning

. The animatics are gonna go so hard

. Awww

. Oh he lost??

. Telemachus:((

. I mean yeah why did she come to your aid?

We'll be fine

. We only got Teleys bit so I'm excited

. Oo start with Athena

. FRIEND??

. Don't make me cry

. "He was a lot like you" gee I wonder why

. GREW APART :((

. HIS LIGHT!!

. GLORIOUS VOICE

. WAITT THEY CHANGED IT

. "Or if hes worth the hype but" > " I don't know what he's like"

. Fair enough

. And they changed "Cuz I got in a fight, sailed to an island when I've never left home shores"

. Okay it's been less than 5 minutes please refrain on the whole "friend" thing rn lol

. God telemachus voice (I can't shut up they're such good singers"

. DUET!!!!

. YOU WILL BE FINE

. Kid? Is he twenty or 12 I can't tell

Love in paradise

. FUCK YES

. WAIT THE INTRO?

. THEY WERE AT SEA FOR 10 YEARS, damn

. THE MUSIC SOARING, IT'S SO COOL, ouch

. CALYPSO MY LOVE (only the epic version though) [Ik it's up to interpretation but for me she doesn't sa him in this version]

. She's my wife 🙂 anyway 🤨

. HELL NO

. Oh shit love in paradise is athena watching, not Odysseus's experience

. Like this is when they first met and Calypso and Odysseus have been together for 7 years

. 7 YEARS

. YEAH I SAID THAT, before the song did

. ODYSSEUS!!

. WHAT > THE LEDGE

. ODYSSEUS 😭😭😭😭

. Wtf I am not emotionally stable enough for this

. Open..... arms.. BRO

. HIS MUM, POLITES AND EURY AND PENELOPE AND ATHENA??? BROO 😢

. YEAH I THINK HE DOES NEED HELP UGH

God games

. Ooo very grand

. Athena get him PLEASE

. She's about that business

. YES GOD GAMES INTRO OMGG

. WAIT WERE GONNA HEAR APOLLO AND HEAPHESTUS I'M SO EXCITED

. THE LITTLE MUSIC CHANEGS ARE SO GOOD

. ZEUS VOICE IS SO AMASZNIGN

. "and me" 😎

. That is not how I thought Apollo would sound

. He's batting for the sirens?? Um Ig that makes sense

. Oh Heaphestus I totally thought that aphrodite was next

. Well she's level 3 anyway

. BRO HIS DAD VOICES HEAPHESTUS I LOVE THAT

. Wait Apollo and Heaphestus are very reasonable, good for them

. NOW THE ONE WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR (excluding Hera)

. OMG IT'S THE SNIPPET THAT'S THE FINAL

. Athena's voice is new?

. Hmm she rerecorded but they didn't

. DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO KILL HER

. Don't fuck with Telemachus in front of Athena

. "Ughh release him"

. HERA

. OH FUCK SHE'S PERFECT CMON

. RELEASE HIM

. ZEUS YOU DICKHEAD SHE'S THE GODESS OF WISDOM LITERALLY ONLY HER COULD BEAT YOUR GAME

. WHAT WHAT

. NO

. WHAT???

. WHAT'S going on

. The music is telling me she like survived whatever his ambush was

. Zeus....

.THATS THE END WHATT

[pale-opal]

I Listened to "The Wisdom Saga" and I Have Some Thoughts - Part 2

This is the sequel to this post. I will be picking up right where I left off, starting with:

4. Love in Paradise - I feel as if I've been tricked, been backstabbed, and quite possibly, bamboozled. - I came into this expecting unrequited-love related hijinks. - Do you wanna know what I got instead? - The most emotionally taxing song in the entire freaking saga. - I have listened to this song several times and so far, every time it ends I feel sad. But when the song starts, you have no idea what you're in for. - "Love in Paradise"? More like "Suffering in Paradise" (/j). - We begin with a medley of some of the most iconic songs from past sagas, starting with "Remember Them" from "The Cyclops Saga". After that point, the rest of the songs go by quickly, with Athena speedrunning through a montage of Odysseus' past up until his current point. The remaining songs in the medley are:

Keep Your Friends Close

Ruthlessness (I love how this song was changed for the medley, by the way. The faster tempo puts more emphasis on the drums and I think that's so fun)

Done For

No Longer You

Different Beast

Scylla

Thunder Bringer

- Afterwards, Athena finds out where Odysseus has been for the past seven years: the ✨Isle of Calypso!✨ - He is not okay. - We will get to that shortly. - For now, Calypso has decided to wake Odysseus up:

"[CALYPSO] Morning, sleepyhead You've been resting for a while I swore that you were dead When you washed up on my isle Did you know you talk in your sleep? Tell me, though, who's Penelope?

[ODYSSEUS] She's my wife" - This man just woke up from being knocked out cold, and the first thing he does is talk about his wife. - I know that he was asked who she was, but one would expect him to be like: "She's my wife - where am I?/How'd I get here?/Who are you?" - But, no. He just says "She's my wife" and leaves it at that. He couldn't care less about everything else at this point. - This does not stop Calypso from ignoring this and acting like her and Odysseus are newlyweds, however. - And I just want to take a second to talk about these lyrics:

"[ODYSSEUS] I'm not your man

[CALYPSO] I'm what you want here I'm what you need here Just you and me, my love in paradise Now 'til the end of time From here on out, you're mine, all mine" - "I'm not your man" is sung the same way as "I'm just a man", which means that Odysseus is saying: "Just because I'm a man, that doesn't mean I'm a free piece of meat for you to make out with." - Meanwhile, Calypso is NOT listening. She is thoroughly convinced that she and Odysseus are in-love with each other, and that they're basically already married. - I would like to bring up that in Greek mythology, Apollo and Calypso are husband and wife. And we know that Apollo is part of the "Epic" canon, because he appears in the next song. From this, we can draw two potential conclusions:

Apollo and Calypso are not married in "Epic", either because they haven't met, or because they are divorced.

Apollo and Calypso ARE married, BUT Apollo doesn't visit his wife... for some reason.

- Odyessus decides to try to get Calypso off his back by threatening her with death, but she deflects this by revealing that she can't kill her, because she's a goddess:

"[CALYPSO] You're adorable Bow down now to the immortal Calypso, here to entertain But fear not, I bring no pain ... Under my spell, we're stuck in paradise No one can come nor go, my island stays unknown" - Calypso going from flirting with Odysseus to mockingly calling him "adorable" and telling him to bow to her actually works really well. Sure, she's in "love" with him, but she's still a goddess, and Odysseus is still a mortal man that just threatened to kill her. To her, she has to put him in his place, regardless of whether or not he's the "love of her life". - "I bring no pain" is really ironic, considering how much Odysseus does NOT want to be on this island with this woman. - I also find it interesting how Calypso and Circe both have similar things going on with the whole "secluded secret islands in the middle of the ocean" thing. Not only that, but they both had a thing for Odysseus. - Also, the line about the spell Calypso put on the island works as an explanation for why she instantly "fell in love" with Odysseus: she's lonely! - Now then: is this an excuse for what she's doing here? No. The buck stops at it being an explanation - everyone experiences loneliness, and a lot of people do some weird and not always understandable things because of it. But usually, those things don't involve ignoring other people's boundaries and forcing them to accept your company. Relationships are a two-way street, and if someone doesn't want to meet you in the middle, then that's their choice. You need to know when to back off and let it go. - After Calypso reveals who she is and that it isn't really possible for Odysseus to leave the island, he starts to panic (the way the line "No, no" is sung really sells this). - At this point, I have to provide a content warning for implications of attempted suicide, and discussion of PTSD, due to the subject matter the rest of the song deals with. If you don't want to read my analysis of the lyrics dealing with that material, please skip to the section for "God Games", or click off of this post. Your mental health is much more important than some silly essay about some random people from Greek mythology. - Furthermore, if you feel that you or someone else may need help dealing with suicidal thoughts, please contact the national suicide hotline (United States) at 1-800-273-TALK, or the national crisis hotline at 988. - Lastly, I am not a psychologist, nor am I anyone else qualified to be giving medical assistance or help with mental health. Therefore, treat anything I say in relation to mental health with skepticism, and do not use it as a substitute for real medical advice.

Now let us continue:

"[ATHENA] Seven years, she's kept you trapped, out of your control Time can take a heavy toll...

[ODYSSEUS] All I hear are screams

[CALYPSO, spoken] Ody, get away from the ledge!

[ODYSSEUS] You don't know what I've gone through You don't know what I've sacrificed Every comrade I long knew Every friend, I saw them die And all I hear are screams"

- For some reason, I didn't see Odysseus developing post-traumatic stress disorder coming sooner. I suppose that's because he was in "the thick of it" for so long. - PTSD tends to show itself after a person experiences trauma, and is being reacclimated to a safe environment/the feeling of safety (however, it's not impossible for people to experience PTSD while in the midst of a traumatic experience, specifically if that experience takes place over an extended period of time. One example of this is how some soldiers who served in the Vietnam War showed symptoms of what was once called "shell shock" while they were still serving, with one of the most prominent signs being the "one-hundred yard stare" (which we now recognize as a form of disassociation)). - I also didn't expect Odysseus wanting to kill himself. He's reached the point where he just wants to be done. It's not even about Penelope anymore. He's just... tired. So tired that he's forgotten why he let himself go through all that suffering to begin with. - Calypso telling Odysseus that "life would be so much worse/if you had died" and telling her to stay in her "open arms" absolutely hurts, especially since he wants absolutely nothing to do with her. - Odysseus desperately screaming for Athena at the end just makes the whole thing worse.

5. God Games - This is arguably the song that had the most hype before its release. It had a bunch of animatics on YouTube back when all we really had to work with were a few snippets, and that hype stuck around for almost a full year. - And after listening to the song, it's easy for me to say that the hype was definitely deserved. - Another thing that I would like to say is that this song has a really fast pace. At first, I thought this made the song feel rushed, but then I realized something: that's the point. Mr. Rivera-Herrans has stated on multiple occasions that "Epic" takes inspiration from video games. With that in mind, considering how each of the gods has their own themes, as well as how fast the song is, it makes it clear that this song is meant to be a boss rush. The song goes fast because it HAS to. There's no time to be dragging out each debate, because Athena has to make sure she's ready for the next one. - On that note, "Love in Paradise" feels like a cutscene that takes place when "switching characters" over to Athena from Telemachus. - The first verse starts us off with Athena making it clear as to why she was considered to be Zeus' daughter in the Greek canon: "Father, God King Rarely do I ask for favors Now, I'm knocking on your door With hopes to save a friendship with one who's a prisoner far from home Odysseus"

- I did not expect Athena to be sucking up to anybody, but considering how egotistical Zeus is (ironic, considering how "Thunder Bringer" implies that he doesn't have any patience for hubris), this is most likely the best move she could have made. - I also noticed an interesting change that was made in the final cut of the song in comparison to the snippets: originally, Zeus tells Athena to convince Apollo, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, Hera, and him to set Odysseus free. However, in this version, he tells her to choose between persuading the aforementioned gods or him. Athena picks what is arguably the harder option. Keep this in mind. It will be important later. - The first god Athena has to go up against is Apollo: "You all know I'm a fan of catchy songs So with so many sirens gone, I think Ody's in the wrong" - Right off the bat, I was not expecting Apollo to lowkey sound like a hipster. That's cool, though. It works. - I like how Apollo being troubled by the siren deaths that took place back in "Different Beast" isn't because he doesn't approve of the murders themselves, but because the sirens were good singers. - Fun fact about the sirens: initially in Greek mythology, they were large birds with the heads of women. However, as time passed, they became replaced with mermaid-like creatures. - Luckily, Athena knows exactly how respond to such weird logic: by telling him that this actually helps the remaining sirens to stick around to sing more songs later.

"They were trying to do him worse All he did was reimburse them Now they'll tread with caution first To live another day and sing another verse"

- Now it's time for Hephaestus (and did y'all know that he's voiced by Jorge's dad? Both of his parents have shown up in this musical in important supporting roles. I think that's neat): "Trust is not given, it's forged Why should I give him my support? He sacrificed his own cohorts" - Hephaestus valuing trust and being upset with Odysseus for being willing to sacrifice his own crew members to Scylla works out so well when you consider that Aphrodite is constantly cheating on him with Ares. Why they didn't get a divorce is beyond me. The ancient Greeks divorced each other quite often, and it was easy for men to leave their wives. And there's even a myth were Hephaestus catches Aphrodite with Ares. So... yeah. Leave her, Hephaestus. You can do better. "Did you forget they failed to listen? He was betrayed and then imprisoned But if you make the right decision He can still build a future with those who miss him"

- What Athena is essentially saying here is: "Yeah, he did sacrifice his own men. But then they turned around and betrayed him right back. Nobody was innocent in that situation. But if you let him go, he can redeem himself with the people he has left." - Hephaestus (albeit begrudgingly) agrees with this. And Aphrodite, fittingly enough, is opponent number three (3): "[APHRODITE] Your little high and mighty Odysseus Claims to love his mother But let her die of a broken heart

[ATHENA] He was busy fighting

[APHRODITE] More like busy spiting the cyclops Let him feel the pain that his mother felt and rot" - I think Aphrodite's reasoning is highly flawed. Yes, the latter ten (10) years of Odysseus being missing from Ithaca could have been avoided if he didn't do the equivalent of giving the cyclops his government name, legal address, and social security number. BUT. She's acting as if he strayed off the path on purpose. Not only that, but in "The Underworld", Odysseus' mom's part of the song is all about how she died chilling in her rocking chair, willing to wait for her son for as long as it took. If anything, she died of old age, not of a "broken heart" as Aphrodite claims. - Furthermore, the part of the crew members who died heavily implies that the consciousness' of the dead in the underworld are a mixture of their memories and how they felt when they died. Hence why the crew members are confused as to why Odysseus spared the cyclops and are able to quote "Ruthlessness", and why Polities (😿) is still trying to encourage Odysseus to live with "open arms". In other words? Homegirl was not depressed when she died. Her lyrics about how much she loves her son and how she doesn't mind waiting for him is a representation of how she felt in her last moments. - TL;DR: Aphrodite is either making stuff up, doesn't truly know what happened, or is manipulating the situation to make it hard for Athena to argue with her. Hence why Athena pulls her into quick-thought. However, now Athena has another problem to deal with: "[ARES] Really Athena? These old tricks?

[ATHENA, spoken] Ares!" - Here we have another change from the snippets. In the older draft, Athena sounded more like she was in pain due to Ares interfering with her powers, but now she just sounds angry. Angry that he's interfering. - Ares' argument goes like this:

"What kind of sick coward Holds back his power While his friends get devoured? He didn't even fight Scylla Didn't even try to kill her Hides inside a wooden horse to get the job done Never handles things upfront Pathetic and weak like his son" - Before I lay into Ares' logic, I would like to explain more ancient Greek lore: both Ares and Athena were believed to be gods of warfare (and Aphrodite may have been considered to be one at some point as well). However, they both dealt with different "facets" of warfare. Athena was also considered the goddess of wisdom, and she was more associated with the strategic, "honorable" parts of war. Meanwhile, Ares was in charge of the bloody, tragic parts of war (which meant that not a whole lot of Greeks worshipped him). With this in mind, Ares' stance on Odysseus' methods makes more sense. However. That doesn't mean his reasoning isn't extraordinarily unsound: 1. "...sick coward/Holds back his power/While his friends get devoured": Odysseus willingly gave his friends over to get eaten by Scylla. Ares makes it sound like he was cowering in a corner while his friends were dying. 2. "...didn't even fight Scylla/Didn't even try to kill her": How could he?! Scylla's body has six dog heads, hence the six torches. Each of those heads, along with Scylla herself, are absolutely massive. Not only that, but the heads are attached to tentacles, meaning that they're chilling in the water most of the time. If one wanted to attack the heads, they would have to wait until they came out - and in that case, the heads are getting ready to strike. Fighting Scylla would've been a death wish. If Odysseus tried to fight her, WAY more than six people would've died that day, and it's likely that NOBODY would've been getting out of that alive. What good would a bloody, violent battle be if it was all completely pointless? 3. "Hides inside a wooden horse to get the job done": Oh, yeah. As if the Trojans would've just let the men of Ithaca inside. They had to sneak in because Troy was a walled city. If they wanted to force their way in on foot, they would have to either break down the walls or knock down the door. And while doing something like that wouldn't be impossible, they would've been at risk of giving the Trojans enough time to gather a force to confront them once they got in, making the battle take way longer and have much more casualties on the side of the Ithacans than needed, and/or they would've had to face archers shooting at them from the walls. And it seems like it would be pretty hard to break into a city if you have to hold a shield above your head the whole time to keep yourself from getting killed. 4. "Never handles things up front": Convenient how Ares just ignores the Winion confrontation, the cyclops battle, as well as the confrontation with Circe. Odysseus has no problem directly dealing with people. He's just smart enough to not get himself killed. 5. "Pathetic and weak like his son": Telemachus was never taught how to fight. He and his mother have been trying to keep caring for the suitors from putting them into poverty and from forcing Penelope to marry one of them. They have bigger fish to fry than getting into fights for no good reason. Furthermore, the one time Telemachus did get into a fight, he did so willingly, even though he lacked combat experience and was going up against someone stronger than him. He wanted to keep his mother safe that much. And he didn't even mind losing. How Ares could think he is "pathetic" is beyond me. - And don't get me started on him calling Odysseus pathetic. Please. We would be here all day. - Athena also has some choice words for Ares and Aphrodite: "Hold your tongue now His son's my friend And tell your lover that a broken heart can mend You want more bloodshed? Then set him free To get back to his homestead, he'll make everybody bleed" - GET 'EM ATHENA. TELL 'EM. TELL THEM HOW WHACK THEY ARE. - Let's move on to Hera: "[HERA] So many heroes So many tales Give me one good reason why yours should prevail

[ATHENA] He’s got the mind of a genius

[HERA] Try harder.

[ATHENA] He’s pretty skilled with words

[HERA] You can do better than that!" - One thing that can be noticed right away is that unlike the other gods Athena has faced, Hera isn't concerned about Odysseus' actions - she care more about his character, who he is as a person. - And Athena, like the gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss she is, figures out what will convince Hera after a few tries: "[ATHENA] Never once has he cheated on his wife

[HERA, spoken] ...Release him." - Before "The Circe Saga" came out, I thought Athena was lying here. After all, in the original "Odyssey", Odysseus does cheat on his wife. Twice (that we know of), actually. First with Circe (for an entire YEAR), and again with Calypso (even though being trapped on that island made him depressed, he was not above sleeping with her). - I am so glad that Jay cut both of those plotlines. While the ancient Greeks might have considered Odysseus to still be faithful, modern audiences would have had trouble buying that idea. - Furthermore, telling Hera that Odysseus never cheated on Penelope works for two reasons: 1. Hera was seen as the goddess of marriage. 2. Zeus cheated on Hera with a LOT of women, and has a LOT of illegitimate children. Hera has tried to kill some of them (see: The Labors of Heracles/Hercules) (with that said, I think its sweet how Hera's encouraging Athena instead of antagonizing her, since she's also an illegitimate child of Zeus'). - And would you look at that! Athena did it! She completed the task. Now let's see how Zeus reacts... "[ATHENA, spoken] I've played your game and won! Release him!

[ZEUS] You dare to defy me?! To make me feel shame?! No one beats me, NO ONE WINS MY GAME! THUNDER, BRING HER THROUGH THE WRINGER! SHOW HER I'M THE JUDGEMENT CALL, THE ONE WHO MAKES HER KINGDOM FALL!"

- Zeus responds to being beaten by striking his favorite daughter with lightning. - The question is: why?! She did what she was told, and she didn't cheat. Did he not expect her to win? Did he really think that the alleged goddess of wisdom wouldn't be able to outsmart her fellow Olympians? And if he didn't want her to succeed, why not add Poseidon to the lineup? He'd be enraged about Odysseus being alive at all. - Not only that, but she picked the harder option. Let me say again that Athena was supposed to be Zeus' favorite. She could've easily convinced her father by appealing to his ego and making a deal or two. But instead, she decided to increase her workload. And her reward for going above-and-beyond to prove herself is getting electrocuted? - Yeah, no. Zeus is now on the priority list for defenestration. And even then, getting yeeted out of a window might be too good for this man, once we take into account his treatment of Hera and women in general. - Ares asks if Athena is dead. A piano rendition of "Warrior of the Mind" begins to play. And based on how sad it sounds, I wouldn't be surprised if it was in a minor key. It doesn't look like Athena is getting up. As a matter of fact, it looks like this might be the end. - But this is what I'm going to call a "musical fakeout". Because next thing you know, a small part of "Legendary" starts playing, and then the brass kicks in. We are back in a major key. Athena has remembered Telemachus. She has remembered that Odysseus still needs her. She remembered why she's here. And she's not taking no for an answer: "Let him go, please... Let him go..." - Even after getting struck by lighting and what should've been an easy victory, Athena still finds the strength to get up and continue pleading for Odysseus' freedom. How awesome is that? - Oh, and based on Athena's tone here and the usage of the word "please", we know now why Zeus was so angry: Athena wasn't cowering enough when she told him that she beat him (do you think the Greek gods had windows large enough for a whole person to fit out of on Mount Olympus? Just asking...) - Also, this is the first final song out of all the sagas that doesn't feel like it has an ending moment of catharsis. All the other final songs had reached a place plot-wise that made ending its particular saga there make sense, or they had a brief instrumental at the end that let you know the saga was over. But this song simply ends with Athena asking for Odysseus be set free, and... that's it. We don't know Zeus' response. I was actually shocked (pun not intended... again) by this lack of closure. But I think it was done on purpose. We're not going to be "playing" as Athena anymore. The next saga switches us back to Odysseus, so we need to know how things go on his end (that, and it kills the tension for an answer to Athena's plea to be given explicitly by Zeus, or implied by the music). Final Thoughts - This should've been called "The Angst Saga" with all the emotional damage it has caused (exhibit A: me). - I hope "King" ends with an epic 1v1 fight between Antinous and Odysseus (or Telemachus. Telemachus works too), with Antinous getting knocked out of a window. - On that note, once again, please do not confuse anything negative I may have said about the characters with the actors or crew members of "Epic". I think the cast and crew of "Epic" are all great. Do not think that me talking smack about a character or wanting to see a character face karma is me speaking ill of or wishing harm on the actors, crew, or any other real people, because it is not. Thank you. - Somehow, the "Epic" team keeps making each saga better than the last. I have played this particular one three (3) times so far, and I will do it again.

Correction 11/4/24: Apollo was in a relationship with the muse Calliope, not Calypso. I got their names mixed up while writing this. I'm sorry about that.

[mothofstars]

Epic: The Musical - Tier list to appease my autism

Epic is quite possibly my favourite musical of all time, and after the release of the Wisdom Saga, I really wanted to rank the songs and put my thoughts about them somewhere.

And I'm not about to spend 5 hours on this and not post it anywhere, so please enjoy my ramblings! From least favourite to most favourite, here is my Epic tier list!

30. Full Speed Ahead - Troy Saga

It's worth pointing out, I don't dislike any of these songs. I like all of the songs, and think they are all important and serve the overall musical. But this, for me, is a bit more of an 'establishing' song. It serves as exposition to get us from one place to another, both literally for the crew, and musically as we move from the emotional song of Just a Man to the more fun Open Arms.

29. Storm - Ocean Saga

This is also a little bit more of an exposition song, but for me I think this mix is stronger, I love the call and response, and for some reason still giggle when they all point towards the island in the sky!

28. Luck Runs Out - Ocean Saga

I like the way this shows the starts of the cracks forming between Ody and Eurylochus. Eurylochus, quite rightly, gets a little weirded out by the idea of climbing up to a floating island that has a potential god resting upon it. Ody on the other hand hasn't had the crap beaten out of him enough times yet, and still has the optimism that means he will do just that. You can hear a twinge of pain in Ody's voice as he realises that his second in command is starting to doubt his actions, all the while he is just doing his best to keep his crew together and alive.

27. Open Arms - Troy Saga

This song is great - What is there to say about this sweet boy that hasn't already been said? We all know and love him, and this song shows off that sweetness and love for life so well. However, this song is so much better when used in other songs to absolutely shatter your heart into a million tiny pieces as we all grieve our happy friend. This song is still strong, but I think its overall impact comes more from its use in other songs, rather than the original!

26. Polyphemus - Cyclops Saga

The brutality of this introduction to this saga is terrifying. I still get chills during the cyclops saga, and the turn at the end of the song is so well done. Each verse seems to add another layer of tension, and we feel like we are sneaking closer and closer to a conclusion that favours the crew, and then, we get stomped.

25. The Horse and the Infant - Troy Saga

This is one of the best openings to a musical - we know the main characters, we know what they want, and we know exactly where they all stand. This is achieved without too much wordy-ness and exposition, and just serves as a great and powerful introduction. Also, love how Ody is immediately humbled by being presented with a challenge he already struggles with, bringing him closer to the listener. I've been told by a few that if you have the prior context of the books that came before the Odyssy that the names being read out at the start is like a nice little round of references to previous stories - it's a shame this doesn't hit for me yet, as I am still learning quite a bit of the context surrounding this musical. For me, as well, there is just so much going on in this song, that my head spins a little lol.

24. Survive - Cyclops Saga

Very similarly to the Troy saga, the second song of the cyclops saga once again seems to have the aim of humbling Ody and making him closer to us, your average mortal, than a god. You can feel the genuine pain and fear in his voice as his friends fall, and the splashes and smashes of blood and club are poignant and painful to listen to. We get to see the tactician brain of his working to full speed, with a steady ticking in the background making it feel like Athena is right there with him, which is a lovely touch.

23. Remember Them - Cyclops Saga

Wow, this song is so strong and painful at the same time. The fade into the song, hearing Ody's mind snap straight into action and then him calling out to his friends with directions demonstrates his tactician brain and his ability to lead them really well, but also feels like he is also trying to guide the crew through the first big loss they will experience together. He steps right up, refocuses them, and gets shit done. Shame he didn't kill him, but this would be a very short story if he did!

22. Keep Your Friends Close - Ocean Saga

I am but a small, simple lesbian. The way Kira sings here just feels so nice and floaty, while also showing her more mischievous nature. The longing in Ody's voice as he sings for his family is so painful, and makes the next song hit so much harder. The promise of him being the same, knowing that not to be the case it heart-breaking. Also, give me more Winions. I need them as plushies please. Thank you.

21. Mutiny - Thunder Saga

The absolute gall of Eurylochus to be a massive fucking hypocrite and then pull out the line of "I'm starving my friend" with that much pain in his voice is breath-taking and incredible. He doesn't even feel like he really wants to betray Ody, but is just doing exactly what he thinks he needs to do to see another day. Little does he know. This song also suffers a little from the same problem I have with The Horse and The Infant - a lil too much going on

20. Ruthlessness - Ocean Saga

HELLO SIR! My goodness this mans vocals are so smooth but rough at the same time. The growl that he gives to his voice whilst still flowing the lyrics together so musically is just so impressive. And the background instrumentation imitating the crashing of waves against the ship is *chefs kiss*. And then..... ALL I GOTTA DO IS OPEN THIS BAG!!!!!! I think this song might rate higher for me if I didn't end it with the most tonal whiplash ever. It's hilarious, don't get me wrong. But my gods, does it pull me out of the song a little bit lol.

19. Different Beast - Thunder Saga

The way I jumped out of my seat when I first listened to this saga, admittedly at 6am, I think I could have punched a hole in the roof were I less vertically challenged. He means business, this song shows that, and gods is it good. The small plea for mercy from the sirens who feel like they already know the answer, and the ruthlessness of his response. Hey look, he is learning!...

18. Puppeteer - Circe Saga

A woman. What? She had me in just one song. I would thank her if she turned me into a pig. Her vocals are perfection, the chanting of her power, the way she can hypnotise a whole crew. I find it interesting too, how just the promise of a warm meal and a safe place, even if it might be a trick, is enough to pull the crew into her arms. They may be under her spell, but part of me thinks so may have chosen this if given the option.

17. Wouldn't You Like - Circe Saga

Look, all I'm saying is that it was very telling that the day after the Circe sage came out that my Spotify started filling up with TROY's music. He is amazing, plays the character in the best way I have seen bar none so far. And that fur coat and sunglasses?! What a look. Also its funny hearing a British phrase as a plant name.

16. The Underworld - Underworld Saga

Jorge please, my face is stained from tears shed in this song. Every single time I listen to this I shed at least 3 tears. It's like a subscription cost of pain in return for a song that is as moving as it is powerful and reflective. The call backs to the previous sings are haunting, no pun intended, and the choice to have his own mother play Ody's mother is genius, and I hate and love it. As someone who has lost a connection to their own mother, it always makes me tear up as he yearns to be with her again, and shows the regret in his voice that he never got to say goodbye.

15 and 14. Done For *and* There Are Other Ways - Circe Saga

I cannot separate these two songs in my mind. Not only do they flow from one to the other perfectly, but they just do such a good job of leading us from a battle of power to a battle of the mind, with the flowing, seductive vocals from Talya and the trance of the music behind it. Again, I would have absolutely stayed with her, I am weak. I like to think my wife would forgive me!

13. Little Wolf - Wisdom Saga

Little wolf is such a good song because, even without Athena, the vocals are just so damn crisp and punchy. When I saw that the animatic in the livestream showcase was a streetfighter style animation, it made perfect sense - the punch of the beat and the chanting of the team behind the enemy works so well. And then, my goddess arrives to swoop in and steal my heart. She has clearly grown in the last few sagas and years that have passed, and I think this introduction of her back into the musical does a great job doing that. She comes in, bestows wisdom, helps a kid kick some ass, and with it once again confirms my status as a lesbian.

12. Just a Man - Troy Saga

This. Is. Heart-breaking. I'm sure that many people have the same reaction to this, but as the beginning of Ody's journey, it just hits so hard. Him recalling his own young son, and then knowing how long they will be apart makes it even more impactful. The change of pacing from the lullaby of the first part, to the painful growl in his voice as his questions his actions and realises that he has done is just pain.

11. Monster - Underworld Saga

This was so hard to pick apart from I'm Just a Man. I love them both. The only reason this stands a little higher is the overall arc from the song that precedes this one into it is a little stronger, and I love the complete rage in his voice. He did all this, tried to do right by his crew and his wife, and is told by the man who he thinks will help him get home that "yeaaah nah you are absolutely fucked, have you seen yourself recently?!". Yeah, I would sing like this too. He can see where he went wrong, and this acts as a really nice turning point for him going forward. If he is going to be seen as a changed man, who's ruthless actions will hurt those him around him, he might as well go all in. he is the monster ra ra ra

10. Suffering - Thunder Saga

Jorge tucking his hair behind his ear. End of review. No but really, this is great. I know he did a TikTok on this, but the way the lyrics flow into each other to create this hypnotising melody is just breath-taking, and I will never forget the moment of 'wait hold up what is happening' the first time I listened to this song. First I thought that this was dream Penelope, back from her saga with the windy bag, and then was genuinely taken back by references to a daughter. oh no

9. Thunder Bringer - Thunder Saga

I get a bit annoyed, very stupidly, when I cannot sing along to a song I really like. It's one thing I love about listening to musicals, is learning the songs and then performing them to mu plushies in a vague attempt to satisfy the very anxious performer that lives inside me. Which means that a lot of my favourite songs are ones that fit within my vocal range, that i can sing along to. This one is so far outside of my vocal range, it might as well be on a whole other plane of existence. But my gods do I absolutely adore this song none the less. How can the asshole that is Zeus sound so fucking cool while being this much of a dick towards women while flipping off Ody in the background. This song is just an ego flex. Good job Luke Holt. Fuck Zeus.

8. My Goodbye - Cyclops Saga

I really like the way this song shows the 'youth', for want of a better word, of Athena and the impact on Ody's actions on her and its just so good. The vocals show so much of their pain and anger, and the mix is just perfect. The contrast is Ody screaming at her and then the genuine pain in her voice, the impact of her responsibility as a god is so good. No words can properly do this song justice. The best part is, neither of them are correct here. If they had just sat down and had a chat like grown ups they might have stayed alongside each other, but both think that their actions are the correct one, and i cannot entirely disagree with either response.

7. We'll Be Fine - Wisdom Saga

Kinda loving that most of the Athena songs are all sat together. It makes me so happy. The absolute sobbing that erupted from my eyes, nose and mouth during this song would have probably classed as a downpour. I love both of these characters so much, and Athena's vocals at the start are so heart-breaking and bittersweet, followed by the most heart-warming duet that has ever graced my ears. Also, the childlike joy and wonder behind the vocals from Telemachus are so beautiful and cute, and I would fight for him!!

6. Warrior of the Mind - Troy Saga

Ah, Athena, my beloved. I would perish for you in a heartbeat. I just love the heart that Teagan gives her through her performance - its so warm and playful in the introduction part, and they both almost feel like each others hype, its fantastic! It's also a great way to show off the influence that she has over Ody - she puts herself right in the centre, reminding him exactly why she respects him so much, while affirming her stance on his training.

5. Legendary - Wisdom Saga

Miguel's casting was one of the most perfect ones in this history of this musical. Not only because of his incredible vocals, but because they fit so perfectly with Jorge's. I can fully picture this kid and his dad together, their voices sound so much like each others, just like a younger version. This song is the perfect match of catchy and smooth, and it just soothes my brain perfectly. Special credit to the retort to Antinous about his mother. This is the perfect opening to one of the best sagas we have been gifted yet. Side note - I cannot wait to see Antinous get absolutely stomped into the ground (please gods tell me he does or I will never sleep at night) because my goodness, what a line delivery. I will throw this man. Protect Telemachus, throw Antinous off a roof like the baby, and someone get Argos a new toy.

4. God Games - Wisdom Saga

I'm not someone who listens to the demo's much (bar listening to Hermes laugh on repeat, and occasionally looking up lyrics). I like that they are out there, and my wife absolutely adores them, but I prefer to wait till the full release so I can listen to everything with a full cast and mix. Did that stop me from having over 20 videos of different people lip-syncing to the bits of Hera for this song, making me look like the thirstiest person in my area. No. I don't think that this song could be anywhere other than my top three. All the singers are incredible, all of the animatics are incredible (special shout out to Athena disco dancing into madness) and I wept like a baby when it was over.

3. No Longer You - Underworld Saga

This song is perfect. I have no notes. This is where my true top songs really begins. This song is so passionate while not straying into anger (outside of Jorge's owl impression that is), while at the same making the prophet sound entirely distant, almost uncaring. It's an added bonus that this song sits right near the bottom of my vocal range and so serves for great belting material when I need to let out feelings.

2. Scylla - Thunder Saga

This saga did an amazing job of making me absolutely loose my mind with every single one of its songs. Not all of them are what I would regard as my favourites, nor would I even say that this is necessarily my favourite saga (I think we can all guess which one is), but my gods can Scylla absolutely take my life. This song is perfect - The slow introduction into the absolutely mind bending vocals from KJ, with the growl of a monster and the voice of a monarch. Its incredible, and I will forever be trying to sing this just as half as well as they do.

1 . Love in Paradise - Wisdom Saga

I wish I could write all of the words that this song deserves, but I'm sobbing too much to focus, so you will have to deal with whatever I have that i can see behind this waterfall of tears. Athena travelling through the previous sagas and reliving all the pain that Ody went through sent me into a state to begin with. And then, Calypso arrives and reminds me how gay I am. I want to go to her island and give her hug. If it weren't for the animatic, and the little face that she makes when she finds out Ody is married, I wouldn't have stopped crying for a single second. Her intension aren't pure. She is desperate, she is alone, she is sad. She is very morally grey. All she wants is someone to soothe her, and in turn she tries to relieve his pain. It's important to note here that, outside of looking up her future songs, I have very little knowledge about Calypso. For me, based on the lyrics we have from "Not Sorry For Loving You", she seems to have been forced to remain on this island for hundreds of years with no contact. Is what she does to Ody horrible - yes. Do I think she wants to hurt him -no. And I also don't believe that she is trying to manipulate him to get off the ledge just so she can have her lover back - I read this as someone who is in love and trying their best to make them happy and keep them safe. Ody couldn't leave the island, and she couldn't let him be free, they have to ask Zeus for that. Not to get too deep, but her crying out to Ody makes me melt every time. The gut retching pain from Ody drying out for all those he has lost and who he thinks he will never see again is haunting. Give me a year and the ability to remove my fear of thousands of needle pokes, I will probably get the line "Life would be so much worse if you had died" nicely printed onto my body. This is the perfect song to top off all the other perfect songs here. I cannot express how much this song means to me.

Thank you, Jorge.

To give a summery, here are the Saga's ranked!

1 . Wisdom 2 . Underworld 3 . Thunder 4 . Circe 5 . Cyclops 6 . Troy 7 . Ocean

[icarianlibrary]

Suicide Depictions in EPIC: The Musical (An essay I wrote in 30 minutes after the wisdom saga came out because I'm neurodivergent and write essays for fun)

(TRIGGER WARNING/SPOILER WARNING FOR: Self-Ham, Death, Suicide, all the EPIC sagas, but mainly the wisdom saga)

It is no question that in recent years, the media we consume has been covering darker and vulnerable topics. One prime example of this EPIC: The Musical. This musical is loosely based on the Odyssey as it follows Odysseus and his twenty year voyage to return to his wife; Penelope, his son; Telemachus, and his kingdom; Ithaca, after the Trojan War.

The overall recurring value in the musical is “Ruthlessness is Mercy upon ourselves” stated by director and lead vocalist of the show: Jorge (Jay) Rivera-Herrans. When Odysseus is faced with the decision to kill an infant boy that would later raise tyranny in all his path, the audience first hears the lines “When does a man become a monster”, which will return in later songs as well.

Those particular lyrics are letting the listener know of the man verses self conflicts Odysseus faces through the musical. Later on, in the Ocean saga, Odysseus hears this line again when part of his crew is murdered by Poseidon. These lines appear in three more sagas after this of the current sagas released: The Underworld Saga, The Thunder Saga, and The Wisdom Saga. Each of these instances, Odysseus is faced with the knowledge of the soldiers who died, or will die under his command.

The Wisdom Saga is the most notable Occurrence of this fact. Odysseus is standing at the edge of a cliff on Ogygia; Calypso’s island. Calypso calls out to Odysseus to rethink things, telling him she’ll greet him with Open Arms. This triggers Odysseus to remember the wise words of his friend; Polites, who died almost a decade before these events. He hears his voice telling him to “Greet the world with open arms”, but as those words flood his mind, other quotes from various characters in different spots of the musical overwhelm his thoughts.

Odysseus yells out to the empty ocean that “All I hear are screams”, which is a nod to the earlier saga; The Underworld Saga. He continues to yell this out, as a desperate attempt to find some sign, some will to live. This is when Odysseus calls out to his last resort, his old friend: Athena. The song ends here, which leaves the audience with pain and even confusion.

So why is this depiction of suicidal idealation, such a great representation of such thoughts? To start out, Odysseus’s suicidal thoughts are not a surprise to the fans of EPIC at all. Odysseus’s thoughts of self-harm have festered in him from the beginning, starting with killing an infant, as he states “I’d rather bleed for you!” in response to being asked to kill the son of Hector. This example is definite proof, that Odysseus had suicidal idealation for quite some time, and each traumatic event latched onto that fact until his breaking point

The other point of why this is such an interesting take on suicidal thoughts, is the reference to him having screams play back in his mind. As a general quirk to the musical, it uses repetitive lyrics and tones for certain characters, which makes them easily recognizable by these lines. The repetition of melodies is seen all throughout the musical, but Jorge Rivera-Herrans uses this to his advantage while writing these depressing train of thoughts. Having urges, almost like someone is telling you to act upon something is not irregular among Suicidal People, and Jorge is aware of this by the likes of the musical. He uses this trait to relate it to Odysseus, while still staying loyal to the original musical and the overall theme of it.

All in all, Jorge Rivera-Herrans has depicted how and why Odysseus faces such thoughts in a delicate and sensitive manner that can really speak to the listener. These words are able to showcase how Odysseus’s trials and tribulations through his journey did not just leave physical scars, but emotional scars as well. This can leave the audience to infer of Odysseus’s conquering his suicidal thoughts, leading him back to his home. This can also have the audience question if he will be able to defeat his thoughts in the first place, having him succumb to it.

[achilleswritesstuff]

My Calypso with Miss @gigizetz 's background. I'll put my thought process below the art bc I don't wanna type out a whole paragraph above the art. Also there are spoilers, so yeah

I'm basically just copying what I explained to my friends and put on my instagram post so bear with it.

To celebrate Epic: The Musical's Wisdom Saga coming out I drew my version of Calypso. I went through a couple different ideas before settling on her because what her design was to me, is right up my alley. I used Miss Gigi's background shot, so by NO means is it mine.

She has 7 eyes bc she trapped Ody for 7 yrs and it's the 7th saga. Her 4 arms show literally holding Odysseus hostage. More than 2 eyes show that she always has her eyes on him. The chains are like what's keeping him trapped yk. She's wearing traditional Trinidadian clothes so not much on that. Her hairstyle I always pictures half up so I did that and I based the braids on a hairstyle I've had multiple times. Her nose is also based off of me bc I am an Island girlie. Her earrings are the first earrings me and my cousins and the rest of us have gotten and that's like the trini default earrings. The ripples are vaguely like waves since she lives on an island.

About the design I have some notes but there are a couple things I wanted to say. Basically since the creator of Epic: The Musical, Mr. Jorge Rivera-Herrans, used calypso music for the Calypso character, I based her heavily off of my culture, Trinidad and Tobago culture. I figured calypso music was from the islands but was too scared to claim it in case it wasn't from my country specifically, but knowing that made the design process a lot more relaxed. I wasn't grown up with traditional Trinidadian clothing, save for when I participated in Carnival as a kid, so I had to do research on the dresses and stuff. Drawing non-human characters, even if humanoid, is something I've been trying recently and I'm starting to enjoy it.

Side note: I imagine if I were to animate this, Odysseus' confusion at Calypso being a goddess would dissipate when she opens the 5 other eyes she has.

Please go listen to Epic, it's been consuming me whole since 2020 or so

[madrone33]

Hey so I realised the difference between songs you'd hear on the radio and musical theatre numbers.

On average, radio songs are trying to tell a vibe, a mood.

While they do tell some sort of story (a breakup, a love song, a summer holiday), it's very generalised. It's supposed to be relatable for a wide audience, so other people can relate to it and feel the feeling the song's trying to convey. It's trying to convey the feeling of betrayal, or elation, or just a total vibe. You want it to sound good even if it's in the background, even if the lyrics aren't really listened to; the feeling should still come through. And the feeling is what makes it sound like one song. The whole song should have one overarching mood, one feeling.

Musical theatre numbers are trying to tell a scene, an event in a story.

In KYFC, the first half and the second half of the song sound drastically different, but they're still the same scene. Aeolus' game, and then the dream leading to the storm being unleashed, are just two parts of the same Wind Bag problem. It's only when they deal with it and Poseidon announces himself that the scene changes, and a new song starts accordingly.

That's why sometimes it could feel like the songs in EPIC are a bit disjointed, musically. Because if you're used to general songs, then a drastic change in mood or style means it should be two seperate songs, not "mashed" into one. Especially since the verse chorus verse chorus structure of a normal pop song isn't always there. But if you come at it from a musical theatre lense, then it makes complete sense why certain events are grouped the way they are.

Take Mutiny, for example. It changes like, seven times: "Tell me you did not know that would happen", "... Then you have forced my hand", "My brothers... why?", "Some island, the first one we found", "Please don't tell me you're about to do what I think you'll do", "How much longer must we suffer now?", "... You've doomed us..." Mood wise, each part is very tonally different from the others, with no real verse or chorus or bridge; Scene wise, the whole thing is the breakdown of their relationship leading to a mistake they can't come back from, and all the tonally different parts of the song work incredibly.

Just putting my rambling thoughts to page lol. I know I generalised a lot. Bohemian Rhapsody comes to mind as an example of pop songs rapidly changing styles, but it's not like that type of song is the norm, so.

Anyway, I guess that was my essay on why the Wisdom Saga did not need to be split into more songs.

[floppymixtape]

mandatory epic the musical post because my brain has vacated my skull and now it's only musical thoughts

my favorite song from each saga!!

The Troy Saga - Just A Man. Listen. We cannot compare when we cannot compete. This song is the blueprint like no other. I remember the first time i heard it was in a TOH edit and i was like "WHAT IS THAT MELODYYYY" Ever since then my brain has been consumed by this musical. this song haunts me in my dreams. No character playlist is complete without it. the build up, the payoff, the emotions UHG. SO GOOD. I'm just a man indeed.

The Cyclops Saga - My Goodbye. I MUST DEFEND THE CYCLOPS SAGA AT ANY GIVEN POINT. If this saga has no fans I'M DEAD. It's soooo, i don't really know how to describe it but it feels like a musical musical. With the characters running around i can imagine the stage and props. This saga is so good and i'm tired of pretending it's bad. Ok anyway back to My Goodbye, THIS SONG SLAPS!! Athena's voice is amazing and this song is so fun to siiiing!!! "if you claim you are so much wiser? why's your life spent all alone? You are alone!" OK GAGGEDDD

The Ocean Saga - Ruthlessness. This saga altered my brain chemestry i fear. If there's one thing about me, i LOOOOVEEE choirs and chants. When the ocean saga came out i had a hyperfixiation on the GOW games and Ruthlessness starting with the ensamble chants "Poseidon. Poseidon!!!" was right up my alley. There are parts of this song that i really didn't like at first (sometimes the heavy rock influence made me skip it) but the more i listen to it the more i grow to love it. GET IT POSEIDOOOON!! Oh also this saga came out while i was spending my summers at the beach so it was just fitting.

The Circe Saga - There Are Other Ways. A lot of these are the last song of the saga huh... WELL. This song is a showstopper. What can you even say about it??? it's literally built different. The Circe saga wasn't my favorite and it's taken me a while to not skip songs in it BUT i've grown. This song was a instant banger though, Circe's voice is incredible and she SHINES in this. It's also just good. i'm running out of words BUT YOU GET IT!! IT'S THERE ARE OTHER WAYS WHAT MORE CNA YOU SAY??? The Underworld Saga - No Longer You. THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG IN THE WHOLE MUSICAL SO FAR. Everything about it is SOOOO well done and executed. The waltz tempo, the foreshadowing and the ending with the ensamble???? i told you i'm a sucker for chants and choirs. This is (to me) a perfectly done musical song. It's absolutely stellar. The softness of Tiresias' voice draws you in and makes you believe his role (especially because of the tempo change. "time i've unlocked it" and having a tempo change from the rest of the musical?? SO CLEVER!!) I don't know what else to say but i remember saying to my friend that even if the rest of the musical is trash it is still worth listening just for this song.

The Thunder Saga - Scylla (SCREAMS) this song is. wow. just wow. There's a lot of callbacks and yet it feels fresh thanks to Scylla's incredible voice. The softness at the start and how it slowly unveils into a raw enchantment. The way she haunts the entire song, even if only the end is about the actual monster. The tension between Odysseus and Eurylochus. Also a moment i love is the "You are quiet today" "Not much to say" ODYSSEUS. MR I TALK MY WAY OUT OF EVERYTHING DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY??? yeah that means we are dying. And lastly Odysseus harmonizing with Scylla?? NO WORDS. NO CRUMBS. ATE.

The Wisdom Saga - All of them?? Ok listen. Usually with epic saga's i always have one song that i like over the rest. BUT THIS ONE??? HOW COULD YOU CHOOSE???

Legendary is the PERFECT character introduction for Telemachus, it's sweet and earnest. He's a boy yearning to find his place in the world and also asking himself where his father's legacy will lead him. It's refreshing and summery, and great!! ALSO... Boy...

Little wolf. is NOT what i expected, it's so much better. AND ATHENA'S COMEBACK TO THE STORYYYYYY!!! this song feels like when you play a zelda game and you slowly help link grow stronger.

We'll be fine is also adorable. I love telemachus in this and it's great to have Athena's incredible vocals back in the musical! "You are a good kid" sobbing. The fact that Athena finally understands that giving up on mortals because of their flaws isn't how she'll make them succeed. it's good

Love in Paradise I really wish Calypso has another song in the future BUT the second half of this has me singing "aaAAaAAAAATHEENAAAA" since it came out. Also the voice for Calypso is soooo cooool <3 <3 <3 please let Odysseus out tho my mans is not having a fun time

GOD GAMES. Ok we all KNEW she was going to be THAT girl. ever since the snippet of Aphrodite's verse came out i've been OBSSEEESSED. Do i wish this song was a little longer... yes... BUT IT'S JUST BECAUSE I WANT MOREEE The idea of each god being a "level" for Athena to beat is genius. And the way each section sounds different is so fun!!! AND ZEUS AT THE END???? ok like we all KNOW she's that girl. and it's honestly a testament to the rest of the songs that this isn't my favorite from the saga.

Gosh this was a lot of yapping

[redyarns]

mildly upset with myself because i promised myself i wouldnt let the next chapter get longer than 10k but here i am planning a FIVE SCENER. FIVE. HOW. HOW WILL I DO THAT. CARPAL TUNNEL.

i thought of some possible names for the scenes and for some reason 3/5 of them have something to do with songs. ive been listening too much to epic (wisdom saga supremacy). theres a chance some of the names will change but for now it is what it is.

also we're still in act 1 and we're..... 50k+ words in. brother. when the fuck is act 2 gonna start? when is act 3???? what the fuck. im so fucking cooked

[consistantly-changing]

Listened to the Vengeance Saga from Epic and I have some thoughts about Calypso:

So me n some friends were discussing Calypso on the release of the Wisdom Saga which ended up with me reading every mention of her in The Odyssey. When she's told to let Oddy go, she responds by essentially saying "oh so Zeus and other male gods get to take human women for their pleasure but I can't fall in love with a hero?" And points out other goddesses who tried to take human men as lovers (like Demeter with Iasion or Artemis with Orion), but ultimately helps Oddy escape her island by bringing him wood for a raft and fills it with food and drink for the journey.

I wish those moments appeared in her song, perhaps have Odysseus say "I love you but not the way that you want me to" (implying "yes I feel bad for you and maybe we could have been friends but I cannot love you like you want") earlier, and her next verse is her coming to terms with it, saying that she's overjoyed that he loves her back, and even if it's not the way that she wants it's enough for her.

In the book he sleeps with her in appreciation but that can be replaced by him kissing her on the hand or cheek, and that kiss is what has Calypso decide to help him leave.

The next part could be a reprise of the chorus where Calypso and Odysseus prepare for his departure by gathering materials and making the raft, Calypso singing about her love for Odysseus and Odysseus singing about his love for his wife, and ends with Odysseus hugging her or something as a "thank you."

Calypso could have a few final lines where she watches him leave and bemoans that the other gods can do what they want (either calling out the male gods for taking human women but she can't have Odysseus, or calling back to previous events in the musical complaining that the other gods are the ones who stuck him here but won't let her have a happy ending with him) but she can't

[cherrywell]

Epic the musical thoughts as vengeance sage live happens

-ACT TWO (instantly got flooded with notifications)

-Oh no

-hair tuck ody

-HORNS

-slay 💅💅💅💅

-Scylla

-EURY!!! ISTG

-RUN FOR YOUR LIVES *crew panics*

-Eury the Hypocrite

-which one of you shits stabbed him?.

-not the cowsss leave them alone *goes to find my plush cow*

-*finds it and hugs it*

-DAMMIT EURYLOCHUS

-You killed my cow… my favorite cow…

-ZEUS!

-but we’ll die DUH.

-ITS THE BOYYYYYYYYY

-Athena just adopts Telemachus

-NO LITTLE ITHACA BOY YOU DONT WANNA BE LEGENDARY

-dogggyyyy

-BOY

-Xenia bitch

-LITTLE WOLF YESSSS play this at my funeral and if I don’t wake up I’m gone

-istg I listen to little wolf at least once a day

-honestly I have a stupid crack au where Ody and polites are a couple (poly Ody and Penelope) and Circe washes up on the shores of Ithaca and falls for Penelope and ody comes home with his bf and sees a bunch of pigs roaming the castle

-ody don’t doc urself

-TWERKING WINION

-THE BACKGROUND AAAHHHH YESSSSSSSS

-“goddesses can’t die” God Games:👁️👄👁️

-calypso why u gotta say open arms wtf girl

-GOD GAMES!!! ARES’ PART IS MY FAVORITE play that part at my funeral as well and again if I don’t wake up I’m gone

-*yells ares in chat*

-uncle hort

-ARES *yell’s again*

- HE DIDNT EVEN TRY TEQUILA!

-Hera was def side eyeing Zeus

-THUNDER BRINGER THROUGH THE WRINGER!!!

-Athena?…

-VENGEANCE SAGA!! Spoilers beyond this point

-I love you? Not in the way you want me too

-I kinda feel bad for her

-HERMES BAG I CANNOT AHAHAH

-FUCK CALLING THIS THE VENGEANCE SAGA ITS HERMES’ SHOW

-Hermes fucking breakdancing on the raft

-THE BAG UH OH…

-PRINCESSS WINION

-good luck and goodbye! (See my last post)

-he avoided it?! He’s going home!!! (Ik he’s not)

-Poseidon bitch.

-coward

-POSEIDON

-GET IN THE WATER IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!! OMFG THIS IS BEAUTIFUL AAAAAA

-is ody gonna “there’s other ways of persuasion” his way out?

-nope

-POLITES AGAIN AAAAAAA WHY JORGE

-the bag…he’s using it as a jet pack

-HAH he can’t die but that means he has to suffer.

-two probably comatose gods

-“Next to my wife” Ahahahahhah XD

-one more saga… oh mannnnn

-fun fact I got into epic when underworld came out!

And wisdom was the first live I attended for epic