#epic what if

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Epic the Musical What if

(What if Odysseus didn’t kill the infant in Troy)

-The war with the Trojans went exactly the same as described in the song. Odysseus and the other armies were attacking Troy. They used the horse strategy.

-Odysseus gets his vision from Zeus. Telling him that there was someone his must kill.

-Sure enough, Odysseus finds the infant. (The people named him ‘Astyanax’ as his father Hector was the defender of Troy.)

-Now Odysseus begs Zeus to not make him do this.

- He sings “Just a Man” but instead of dropping the infant from the wall. Right when he was about to… he stops. Because he’s just a man.

-He takes Astyanax with him and his crew. Dropping a fake baby from a wall to get Zeus off his back.

-Odysseus renames the child. Calling him Eleos, the crew asked where he found the baby. Odysseus makes up a lie about finding him at the outskirts of town.

-The song “full speed ahead” occurs and the group end up on the island where Polyphemus is.

-But Odysseus is now a lot less guilt stricken, watching over the kid. He is more sure of his command, but… he does worry the gods will find out the truth.

-Odysseus decides to send a force with him (as he isn’t feeling guilty of baby murder). They find the winions and they tell Odysseus about the cave. (An alternate version of “open arms” plays)

-But Odysseus being more focused asked some follow up questions. Finding out about the cyclops.

-Athena shows up and asks Odysseus what the deal is with the infant. Odysseus says he found it just outside of Troy.

-Athena tells him not to get soft because of him. (Warrior of the mind) but is suspicious and feels like he’s hiding something.

-Odysseus decides to be more clever. Instead of just killing the sheep, Odysseus tells his crew to use stealth and sneak the sheep out.

-He told one of his crew to watch Eleos while they grabbed the sheep.

-Unfortunately the plan failed because one of the sheep started making noise and one of the crew stabbed the sheep to shut it up.

-Polyphemus woke up and the song “Polyphemus” goes the same way.

-But Odysseus was more prepared in advance, and had a larger group with him. And had a means of taking out the Cyclops. “Survive” became a different song with no casualties. And Polyphemus dies.

-They take the rest of the sheep and leave. Polites comments that he thought they were gonna die but were relieved they didn’t.

-The crew leave the island, with a victory song (now not called “Remember them,” but called heading home.)

-Athena had no complaints because Odysseus killed the cyclops and didn’t reveal his name. But she’s suspicious, and there is a song called “Hiding something.”

-There is still a Storm. “Storm” plays and while it’s not as bad, they do end up on the Sky Islands.

-Odysseus consults Athena regarding the storm, and if they should ask the wind god for help. Athena tells him no. But asks him about the infant again. This time tricking him into confessing.

-Odysseus confesses it’s the baby, Zeus told him to kill. Which horrifies Athena. Athena explaining to which Odysseus says he knows ( My Goodbye comes into play now)

-The storm cleared up and Odysseus looks at Eleos, wondering how this boy could be anything evil. He sees the soft smile, this boy is his son. He’s attached. He sings a variant of “Monster” but it’s called “No monsters here” about Eleos never becoming the monster fate said he would be.

-Despite everything, the group makes it home to Ithica. It only took them one year instead of 10, and no one died.

-Of course when Odysseus returned with 600 men, the suitors that had started to gather left immediately. (A new Song called “King Returns” ) Antinous was the only one that remained, claiming Odysseus wasn’t fit to be king, as he left his kingdom for 11 long years.

- A variation of the song “Little wolf” but changed to “Wolf” is played. Odysseus beats the shit out of Antinous and kills him.

-Odysseus reunites with Penelope and his 11 year old son Telemachus. He even sees his mother. Who had been waiting for his return. (The new song “Welcome Home” plays ending the first part of the musical.

-It cuts to 17 years later.

-Odysseus is king but he is older, and he had been preparing Telemachus to take his place.

-Penelope tells Odysseus of her concern regarding Eleos. The song “Luck runs out” but a different rendition, using Penelope talking to Odysseus.

-Eleos, now 18 years old and an absolute beast, has a match against his brother Telemachus called “Rivalry”. Up to this point Telemachus always beat Eleos, but he wanted to win so badly… he accidentally snapped his neck.

-This was very concerning, as the next song “Monster” is describing Eleos. Ithica turns against him as he killed their future king.

-Odysseus realized the prophecy and decided that he needed to correct his mistake (filled with grief over losing his son)

-Eleos flees not wanting to fight Odysseus (the song “Odysseus” plays with a different context.) Eleos barely escapes. Odysseus laments that if he was only a few years younger, he could have ended this.

-Eleos escapes and Laments his life, where the new Song “Tragedy” plays.

-He ends up fleeing to the ruins of Troy. Where he finds out the truth. The song “Ruthlessness” but altered to be about Eleos, as he abandons his name. Taking the name the people of his homeland once gave him, Astyanax.

-It cuts to years later, Odysseus is an old man and Penelope never had another child. Odysseus wonders if he acted to brashly with Eleos. He did learn it was an accident. The new song “Regret” plays.

-Ithica is set ablaze. As the new song “Avenger” plays. And the line from Odysseus “All I hear are screams” is said through out.

-Odysseus sees Eleos, and the song “No longer you.” Plays but it’s Odysseus singing it about Eleos. Comparing the child he knew to the monster before him.

-Odysseus tries to plead with him. But Eleos tells him his true name. Astyanax. And the new song “Revenge” plays (same tune as Mutiny)

-And sure enough, Astyanax kills Odysseus. He burns Ithica to the ground. Killing everyone.

-Astyanax looks around the destroyed kingdom. He sings a new song called “Just begun.” And he describes how Ithica was just the first. There were other kingdoms that destroyed his home and he would destroy them all. And it ends with “For it has only just begun”

-And that’s where it ends.

[psychicbluebirdmiracle]

Was curious how far Ithaca was from troy today while listening to epic the musical and rereading the illiad and I found this map

I think odysseus would have been better just to walk😭

[notsolonedesert]

"Your tunes do not bring me joy, Calypso"

[anniflamma]

I dunno what I am doing guys...

Part 1 / Part 2 / --- / Part 4 The comment section that started it all

[duckysprouts]

brain chemistry changed from no longer you and monster btw

[jarondont]

You want me to introduce myself? The thing that almost killed Odysseus?

[kochei0]

|| Birds of War

[simoondraws]

Are they flirting or ...what are they even doing?🤨

[ochiody]

so has anyone seen that tiktok of two odysseus/hamilton cosplayers outside in the hurricane. because i have

[jq37]

I always pictured Athena watching the events of The Odyssey as they happened to keep tabs on what her ex is doing but it's much funnier to know that she left him on read for 10 years and then came back to a text thread so insane that she immediately had to go fight her dad.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Epic The Musical what if

(What if Eurylochus died instead of Polites?)

-We can say that most of the Troy saga would be the same. From (The Horse and the infant. To Polyphemus)

-The big change is during survive, when Polyphemus reveals his club and goes to strike Polites, but by a change of fate. Odysseus notices a second sooner, pushing Polites out of the way, saving them both. But Eurylochus wasn’t so lucky.

-The club killed him. And Odysseus felt a rage. This is what happens when you approach with open arms.

-Remember them changes to. “Avenge them.”

-Odysseus does the same plan as before. Blinding the cyclops. But the difference was that he felt a new burning rage. A hatred for these cyclops. They killed the blinded Polyphemus.

-They weren’t leaving until they killed the giants on the island.

-Polites pleads that they killed enough. But Odysseus berates him. Saying that his weakness is what made Eurylochus die. If they had attacked first they would have won.

-Odysseus experiences a different version of “My goodbye” as Athena leaves him because he is now acting more like Ares than a student of hers.

-Polites was against the several months they spent hunting and killing those giants

- Odysseus and his crew end up killing the giants on the island. And restocked on food. They leave the island. When a storm hits. (Basically the same result where they see the sky island)

- Luck runs out plays but with a slight change. It’s Polites suggesting that they don’t interact with the wind god. That they leave and not push their luck. But Odysseus ignores his advice.

-Odysseus gets the bag of winds. And the shenanigans ensues.

-The winds bring them to Poseidon. Who is a LOT more pissed off. Yea they killed his son, but they killed his sons. And in their brutality, Poseidon found out it was Odysseus that did it. And he is brutal. Killing most of the crew. The song Ruthlessness is the same but it talks about the difference between Ruthlessness and vengeance.

-They escape cause the wind bag.

-after this Polites actually tells Odysseus that the cruelty is what caused them this pain. That they need compassion.

-Puppeteer happens but with Polites being the one to return and he tells Odysseus that they need a plan. He was not going to leave them to be pigs like Eurylochus.

-Basically “Wouldn’t you like” and “Done for” happen the same. But Odysseus kills Circe thanks to Hermes’s giving him the power. This unfortunately means that there was no way of turning the men back from pigs.

-Polites pointed out that they could have saved their men if they had talked to her. But Odysseus points out that she was trying to kill them. And he chose them.

-Because of this, Polites speaks up. He says that Odysseus went too far.

-Fortunately Hermes shows up and helps them get to the underworld (he is the messenger)

-It’s there where the underworld saga occurs. And the underworld song has Odysseus hear Eurylochus instead of Polites.

-No longer you is the same

-“Monster” is sung but with a different inflection. Odysseus realizes he has become a monster and resolves to try and be more compassionate. War had made him lose himself

-“suffering” was the same, but “Different beast” is very different as when the Syrens were captured. They made a deal, if the Syrens helped the crew navigate passed Scylla. They would spare them.

-Unfortunately, this plan failed as the Syrens betrayed them to Scylla and they lost 6 men.

-Mutiny occurs but not because of Polites orchestrating it. But Perimedes.

-Polites tried to stop it. But the crew caught Odysseus off guard and He and Polites were captured.

-The crew killed the cow on the island of the Sun god. And of course Zeus shows up.

-But he had a twist. Since Polites had sided with Odysseus. Polites would not be killed in the crew part of the decision.

-The ship is destroyed as the result of Thunderbringer.

-Odysseus and Polites wake up on Calypso’s island. Where Polites accepts the hospitality with open arms. Odysseus is missing his wife and mourning his mistakes. Polites does help keep Ody from being suicidal.

-The events of the wisdom saga are the same, though the flashbacks are altered.

-Eventually after seven years, divine intervention does kick in. But Calypso isn’t as hard to convince to let Odysseus go. She decided she liked Polites more. And Polites agreed to stay with Calypso. Odysseus apologizes to Polites for not heeding his advice and now he’s stuck there.

-But Polites assures him that he was doing what he thought was right. The song is altered to “Don’t be sorry” he has a hot goddess wife.

-Odysseus thanks them both. Telling them he loves them both. And wishing them all the happiness.

-Odysseus then heads off with the help of Hermes.

-Odysseus eventually gets home. Kills the suitors and reunites with his wife and son.

-Odysseus receives a message from Polites. To remember to receive this return to his life with open arms.

[backpackingspace]

okay so post epic odyssey where odysseus and Penelope have surfaced from their room finally and he and diomedes are catching up I'm imagining the conversation going something like this

Odysseus: so then I gave up being merciful and became the monster.

Diomedes:....you tried being merciful?

Odysseus: Yes?

Diomedes: you did? You tried being a good merciful person? You?

Odysseus: Yah okay fuck off it was polties dying wish. I had to try.

Diomedes:.....90% of the war crimes in the Trojan war were suggested, planned out, and carried out by you. We literally stoned to death the guy you had a personal grudge against. We framed him for treason and stoned him to death. 70% of why Athena liked you was because she thought she knew all the ways to kill someone and then you'd suggest something insane and I'd see her taking notes. You literally gave Ajex a psyoctic break just being yourself.

Odysseus: shut up

Diomedes: I'm not wrong. Did you tell Penelope about your attempt to be a good person?

Odysseus: What? Of course I did. I told her everything.

Diomedes: did she laugh?

Odysseus:...shut up that's not the point

Diomedes: she did didn't she!!!

Odysseus: ANYWAY eurylochus wasn't appreciative of my return to monsterhood and he started causing problems so I

Diomedes: killed him? Yah saw that coming. No shit. I'm so shocked.

[almondcroissantsandink]

i've been BELTING out the Epic concept album in the car to and from work the past couple of weeks, esp. the bit where Odysseus cries out for Athena at the end of Love in Paradise, and I thought it would be funny if the goddess herself was like WHY is this person in rural NY state calling for me every day at 8:40am and after 5pm

[lemonpoet]

The AU where no one dies, everyone makes it home, and Eury has a kid with Mene 🫶🏾✨

[rustic-space-fiddle]

Forgive me.

[anniflamma]

Y'all asked for a part 2 of Odysseus seducing Zeus. This is all you get. .... Part 3