#sheep of Theseus

[blergeatkitty]

[Edit: I really wish I could figured out what company manufactured him, but I’ve had zero luck so far, I guess it’ll remain a mystery]

This is Memeio (pronounced Meh-Meh-yo).

I just realized this little guy, who I got around the time I was 2 or so, is 50 years old.

He’s in remarkable shape, considering the abuse young toddler-me put him through.

When we first met, he had a music box in him.

Apparently even at an early age I was a harsh music critic as I took such an instant dislike to the music box that I held Memeio by the ears with my little hands and bashed him repeatedly against the wall until the box quit its noise and shut up and died.

I have no idea what the melody was. Probably something insipid and predictable like “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.

Anyway somehow, even with all the abuse toddler-me put him through, he managed to survive.

Well, no. Not somehow. Thankfully my grandmother and my mother were able to perform repairs as necessary.

Although, as it was explained to me, the first thing they did was perform a musicboxectomy to remove the offfending and now-defunct musical metal mechanism.

Over time, there were rips and tears. They were sewn up.

The stuffing was eventually replaced. I’m pretty sure if I opened the little guy up I’d find balled up nylon stockings (I seem to recall my mother telling me about that once).

Of course the terrycloth skin had been patched so often and worn down and re-patched and worn down again from so much hugging and lugging (I took him everywhere, we were inseparable, and the one time I left him somewhere when my parents were traveling and we had to drive back to get him I am reminded of the Calvin and Hobbes comic that captures my desolation and despair so perfectly) that his entire outer shell had been replaced multiple times before I was able to be gentle enough that he kept his final form.

I have a vivid memory of crying a stream of hot, heartbroken tears when his little eyes fell off at one point. My mom replaced them with dark, velvety new ones while I watched the surgical procedure as if it were a life-or-death medical drama (well, for me it was).

Even the little red outline of his mouth was new (since his “skin” had been replaced multiple times.

And I’ve loved the little bastard so damn much I kept him my entire life. He’s been with me FIFTY YEARS.

And I still put him up high on a shelf in my bedroom so he has a good view and can see the whole room and I say “Hello” to him whenever I see him and give him a little pat and he’s up there on the shelf with other old stuffies so he has company.

And I know there’s not a single piece of the original toy remaining, but our emotional connection is strong and unbroken and goes deeper than all that.

In fact, I’m writing about this tonight because it only just occurred to me that this is quite possibly the most personal and intimate example of that famous thought experiment that I can possibly think of.

I refer, of course, to the Sheep of Theseus.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Goodnight.

[hypnopabinia]

"If you take a herd of livestock and gradually replace each individual animal with another one of its kind until they are all replaced, is it still the same herd?"

"Ah yes. The Sheep of Theseus."

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

immortal apollo kids headcanons!

this is specifically for the rrverse versions of Apollo's immortal kids! but feel free to think about it in the mythology context too! :3

Hymenaeus

still has a room in Apollo's palace

still sleeps in it

but he also has a room in Eros's because he's an Erote

this makes for some awkward situations when Apollo and/or Eros have to go to the other's place to grab him for something or other

they basically share custody of him

divorced dads behavior

when he was little he tried to get people to marry his dad because he reeeally wanted to plan his dad's wedding

technically, he succeeded, because he was the one who made Apollo/Cyrene's marriage official XD

his hair is fluffy like a sheep's fluff. also somewhere between strawberry-blonde and a very light amber. and reaches to just under his chin. don't forget the floppiness tho >:3

has his dad's bright blue eyes

LOVES his dad's swans. and corvids. he loves birds.

probably because he also has wings

wings are brilliantly white with a soft pink and gold flush

never looks older than 16

many of the other Erotes find Apollo hot. Hymen is distinctly horrified to know this.

Himeros: Your dad's a DILF

Hymen: a what?

Anteros: don't you dare-

Himeros: A Dad I'd Like to FUCK-

Hymen: *much screaming*

Ialemus

also still has a room in Apollo's palace

as a matter of fact, he still lives in said room

his room is also in apollo's basement (he wanted it there)

he is the emo kid. but he's also not necessarily antisocial

he just likes his solitude. and honestly, mood

imagine dragons is a favorite band. and hozier. he likes "slower" songs as well as sad ones

has Apollo's long hair, but in a very dark brown

has vivid green eyes. like radioactive ones.

likes ponytails

cows are his favorite animal

they are calm creatures he can ramble too so he likes them

knows a lot about things. comes with listening rather than talking ;)

WILL infodump

Apollonides

these girls are the PARTY KIDS

they are the ones throwing parties in their dad's house at 2 am

they also still live in Apollo's palace

frequent clubs and discos; can be seen at concert venues and are in many of the big city concerts (ie, Las Vegas, Madrid, Vienna, ect.)

Borysthenis is the 'oldest' (Hypatē - the lowerest & first string on the lyre); has curly brown hair and dark green eyes

Apollonis is the 'middle' (Mesē - the middle string); has Apollo's blonde hair, but straight, and dark eyes (crow-like, even... >;3)

and Cephisso is the 'youngest' (Nētē - the highest string); has poofy black hair and silvery-blue eyes

Hypatē has a comfy sort of style, such as sweaters and sandals

Mesē likes to wear aesthetically dark clothes with silver accents

Nētē wears blouses and loose jackets

one time they highjacked the sun chariot and got away with it by pulling the puppy eyes

they have demigod children in CHB

Asclepius

the baby

died at 15- still treated like he's 10

snuck onto the Argo mission at 13

Idmon and Orpheus played pass the babysitter with Jason

He kicked Heracles in the shins once for "trying to steal my dad's stuff!!"

Atalanta and Asclepius were buddies

The Boreads played games with him to keep him occupied

went on the Calydonian Boar Hunt to make sure Atalanta didn't 1) hurt herself; or 2) kill someone

he grew up in the beginning stages of CHB

in 'camp' with him were: Jason (the oldest), Atalanta (raised by bears), and Hippolytus (it was his boarding school).

Theseus dropped by sometimes and Asclepius was able to smuggle his way into his belongs so he could visit Athens. just because :)

Jason and Atalanta freaked out and they and Hippolytus went on a 'quest' to find him

Phoebe the hunter is his favorite sister

he befriends snakes quickly

he died at 15

his death pushed Phoebe into distancing herself from her other siblings

when he was resurrected, he wasn't allowed to see Apollo

his only visitors in his prison medical school is his wife and children. he hasn't seen or heard from his father or any sibling in centuries.

has his mother's shiny black hair but his father's curls as well as his bright blue eyes

Aristaeus

the REAL baby

has anxiety

severe imposter syndrome

pov: all your siblings are great and wonderful and accomplished people. and you made cheese and honey :)

mom and dad were very proud of u ofc but you feel like you didn't even do much

especially when your cool older brother went on the Argo mission even though he knew he would die (RIP Idmon)

gets easily defensive over agriculture (specifically the innovations and how they have taken over the Good Ol' Days's way aka his way)

(he got that from his dad <3)

he also got his dad's blonde hair, but in a honey tone. his skin tone is also darker and closer in shade to Cyrene's

makes really good charcuterie boards

hangs out in the Midwest

visits his mom in Cyrene, Libya (he is a good son ty)

(ironically) mice are his favorite from his dad's sacred animals

he hates locusts though

don't u love it that apollo's number is 7 and he has 7 immortal kids...

[nydescynt]

Thematic Analysis of Hades II: Why You Can Never Go Home

(At some point I might make a video on this, but for now sharing my thoughts via textpost. Spoilers ahead!)

So the text of the story of Hades and Hades 2 are Zagreus breaking out of the House, and Melinoë breaking in.

But the wild thing (and the reason Hades 2 is much more interesting to me) is that both games actually have almost inverted themes from that text. Zagreus is intent on uniting a household; Melinoë is discovering the home she's fought to return to is rotten to the core.

Zagreus, despite his entire textual goal being to leave his home and family, is narratively & thematically working to bring the family and household together. His mother comes back and is reunited not just with him but her husband, mother, and entire extended family. Achilles and Patrocles, Orpheus and Eurydice, Asterion and Theseus: Hades is a story of people metaphorically coming home and making peace with where they are (Sisyphus, Thanatos, Orpheus). Everyone basically gets a happy ending, credits roll, problems all resolved or en route to be solved. Everyone is home.

(Important to note: we never see a human in the first game. We see shades, and gods, and monsters, and the closest you get to a mortal living thing is the satyrs. This is a story concerned with the realm of the gods.)

In contrast, Melinoë has no home - besides being estranged from her childhood home, she literally lives in a tent. In case the theme was too subtle, presumably.

Now, she has been fighting her entire life to become powerful enough to return home and reclaim her family - that seems Zagreus-adjacent on its face. However, there isn't a home to return to- Hades is in shackles, the rest of her family trapped in time. At this point in Early Access, on both a metatextual & diegetic level she quite literally can neither make it to Mt Olympus or into Zagreus' room - she cannot go home, she cannot meet her family.

Consider the others: Odysseus' presence seems to tie into the idea of a long journey home, but this is an Odysseus who lived and died and now has other (inhuman) priorities. He loves them, but has no interest in reuniting with Penelope and Telemachus at this point. Nemesis dislikes her siblings, and is more concerned with the equal application of "justice" than whether it has any reforming effect. Narcissus and Echo eventually talk and part more amicably, but that's the best that can be said about their relationship.

Hecate refuses to be called Melinoë's mother: she will not distract from the "true" family that Melinoë has no memory of ever meeting.

Instead of Ares and Dionysus (enjoyers of chaos and least affected by the toxicity of the family in Hades 1) we have Hestia and Hephaestaus- a goddess who helped murder her father and a god constantly belittled by his own family. Their tense and frequently bitter interactions with the other Olympians are evocative of the central theme being explored: what if there isn't a home to go back to? What if your family is unforgivable? (What if you want to forgive them anyways? What if you need to?)

This theme is why Arachne is in the game, and Athena is not: likeable, first-helper-of-Zagreus Athena turned Arachne into a spider out of petty anger. How do you reconcile that?

Moros (lovely, kind Moros, who gushes at Odysseus like a fanboy) and his sisters the Fates did horrible things to mortals out of boredom. The same mortals whose bodies you can see stacked up like cordwood in Ephyra, who you repeatedly claim you are fighting to protect from Chronos. Moros can neither confirm nor deny that the current events could have been set in motion by the Fates. How do you reconcile that?

Polyphemus raises sheep. He genuinely loves and cares for them, is protective of them. He also eats them, and is confused when Melinoë implies a contradiction.

How can you love someone and be willing to kill them? For survival? For fleeting satisfaction? For vengeance?

Is Chronos' willingness to eat his children so morally heinous that it makes him worse than every cruelty the gods have wrought? Worse for who?

[tylermileslockett]

Argonautica #9 "Bronze bulls and the Spartoi"

Book 3 continues with Jason, Mopsus the seer, and Argos on their way to meet Medea at the temple of Hekate. Hera, (transformed as a crow in a poplar tree) tell Mopsus to let Jason meet Medea alone, so Mopsus and Argos stay behind.

Outside the temple of Hekate, Jason implores Medea for help yoking the fire breathing bulls and the Spartoi warriors which will sprout from the dragon’s teeth. Jason recounts how Ariadne helped Theseus in the Minotaur’s labyrinth and the honors given to the maiden by the gods for her assistance. Medea offers the drug with instructions on the sacred rites to use it; Jason should purify his body in river water and sacrifice a sheep to Hekate upon a flaming pyre. Then anoint his naked body, shield, sword, and spear in the Prometheus drug ointment, which will make him impervious to harm for one full day. Jason, overwhelmed by her generosity, commits his life to her, offering to bring her back to Iolcos as his bride

The following day, wearing Ares armor, Jason rides to face his challenge to plow the field on the “Plain of Ares.” Here he is charged by two fire breathing bulls with bronze hooves, but he repels them with his shield. Surrounded by flames and smoke, he strikes the oxen down into submission and binds the yokes to their necks. He forces the roaring beasts on, ploughing the field and dropping the magic dragon’s teeth into the soil.

From the planted dragon’s teeth sprout the Spartoi: fully armed “earth-born” warriors. Remembering Medeas advice, Jason heaves a giant stone into their midst and in the confusion they turn upon one other in violence. In the chaos, Jason cuts down the remaining warriors. He has succeeded in his labors. Book 3 ends with King Aites leaving the field in bitter grief.

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[whencyclopedia]

Naxos

Naxos, with an area of 430 km², is the largest island in the Cyclades archipelago. The island enjoyed its most prosperous periods in the early Bronze Age and again in the Archaic and Classical periods.

Naxos in Mythology

In certain versions of Greek mythology, no less a figure than Zeus himself was brought up on the island and he was worshipped there as Zeus Melosios, patron of sheep. Apollo was also associated with the island and associated locally with goats, shepherds and florists. Ares, the god of war and general trouble-maker amongst the Olympian gods, sought shelter in the bowels of the island - described as siderobrotin petran - the place of iron-eating rock (meaning emery, the island's famous export material used to fine-polish the marble so often used in Greek sculpture).

The god most closely linked with the island was, however, Dionysos. In Greek myth he was believed to have been born on the island and it was also here that the god of wine married Ariadne following her rejection by Theseus. The life, death and rebirth of Ariadne were worshipped in a major nature festival on the island.

Continue reading...

[trashland-llamas]

-> Fic Masterlist <- (Fandoms A-G | Fandoms H-Z)

Harry Potter [Original series, FBAWTFT, Marauders]

Soft-Spoken; Theseus Scamander + Reader who struggles with compliments [GN]

Eye of the Storm; Theseus Scamander x Veela!Reader [GN]

Blasted Minotaur; Theseus lulls the reader to sleep with the story of Theseus & the Minotaur [GN]

Nobody’s Fault but my Own; Molly finds a letter Percy wrote to Fred after his death

Dear Freddie; the letter mentioned in Nobody's Fault but my Own

Piss Off; Ron x Draco; Draco only knows how to flirt by pissing the other person off

Marauders Headcanons + some Lily & Regulus sprinkled in

Regulus & his Hufflebuddy [GN]

Dysphoria’s a bitch, huh?; Regulus Black helps to protect other trans students at Hogwarts

Belly Scratches; Headcanons around how Padfoot reacts to belly scratches and how the Marauders lean into it

Pack Animals; Remus is one of the lycanthropy specialists that Enid's parents sent her to

Meow?; Regulus discovers Remus' secret and decides to help in his own way by becoming an animagus himself

Grrrr?; Regulus asks out Remus on a date, revealing that he's the black cat shadowing the Marauders. Sequel to Meow?

Succor; Remus renounces his magic until Regulus shows up with a job proposition

Rebel Without a Cause; Sirius, after leaving home is surprised to find his brother on the Knight Express

Breakfast Club; Sequel to Rebel Without a Cause, in which Sirius takes Regulus to the Potters' Residence & convinces him to stay for breakfast

Hermitcraft SMP

Na-Scar; Retired nascar driver! Scar helps train Grian to win a race/bet against Mumbo

JJBA

How the Stardust Crusader react to y/n being trans

I’m Small: Jotaro discovers that Reader is an age regressor [Male]

Mimicry; Jotaro & Reader have a relationship akin to Wreck It Ralph & Vanellope von Schweetz [GN]

Allergens; Reader finds out Jotaro’s allergic to cats [GN]

Toi, moi, un rendez-vous?; Reader learns French so they can ask Polnareff on a date in his native tongue [GN]

The Artist’s Muse; Y/n discovers what Noriaki spends so much time drawing [Fem]

JJK

hair of gold and a neck of pearls; Tiana catches Nanami dancing in the kitchen. or Nanami was trying to surprise Tiana, but lost track of time

Kuroko's Basketball

Doge; Kagami's fear of dogs get in the way of y/n's service dog so y/n takes it upon themselves to help him with said fear [GN]

Marvel

Serpentine; poem about Loki

Blind Leading the Blind; Matt Murdock being roommates with Reader who also suffers from low vision [GN]

MCYT Adjacent

I’m Home Again; Dad!Corpse

NWTB

Rivets; My attempt at making one of those Youtube egos

Obey Me!

Bah Bah Black Sheep; Mc has a nightmare where they're the sheep character in Catherine and die trying to complete the obstacle course. Waking up, they go seek their beloved demon. [GN]

Astronomy themed nicknames Belphegor calls Mc [GN]

One Piece [anime, & live action]

Red Bottoms; Strawhats + whether I think they can successfully walk in heels

Strawhats + reacting to reader cupping their face [GN]

Strip Poker…but w/ Peppers?; Sanji and Zoro compete for y/n's affections over a sinister game of strip poker, suggested by the cook [Fem]

Do You Have a Light?; Sanji & Zoro react to Reader smoking for the first time [GN]

Take It Off; Zoro catches trans! reader over-binding [Male]

Stoic; Reader goes to Sanji for comfort after becoming fed up with Zoro's methods of comforting them [Male]

Could Just Eat You Alive; reader agrees to being Sanji's meal [Fem]

Relaxed, Squishy. Flexed, Hard; Reader asks Sanji while drunk why his muscles are so squishy [GN]

Moth to a Flame; Sanji jumpscares touch-starved reader with touch [Male]

Feel My Heartbeat Beat Beat; Soulmate au where Sanji can sense reader’s heartbeat [GN]

Ohhhhh Waaaaitttteerrrr; Reader is a customer at the Baratie & has to tell Sanji their order turned out wrong [GN]

Vignettes; Vignettes revolving Sanji and Reader's sex life [GN]

Cramps; Reader has PCOS and finally experiences cramps. Not knowing how to deal with them, they confide in Nami [Fem]

Sweet Treat; Where Reader is the type that doesn't want for anything...or where Sanji takes this personally and coaxes them into making a request for the menu [GN]

Nice to Meet Ya; Reader accidentally bumps into Sir Crocodile while buying groceries. Crocodile offers to buy a replacement as an excuse to talk to them more [GN]

Avoidance; Strawhats + s/o who avoids eye contact like the plague

Needy Little Thing; Reader is clingy and wants to cum. Or where Zoro takes care of them. (Fem]

Warm Summer's Day; Ace comes across a sleeping Reader. Thing is it's summer yet they're still using a winter duvet. [GN]

He Loves Me. He Loves Me Not; Sanji not knowing how to court men, accidentally causes some gender dysphoria for y/n [Trans Male]

Ouran High School Host Club

Two Peas in a Pod; Mori-senpai x reader who like him, doesn't talk a lot [GN]

Outlander

Pineapple…on Pizza? Why?; Oneshot about Jamie trying pineapple pizza [GN]

Resident Evil

Cat Eyed; Reader helps Vendetta! Leon apply his eyeliner [GN]

Tiddies; Reader coerces Leon into letting them play with his tits [GN]

That Girl is Poison; Reader attempts to poison Leon [Fem]

Everyone Grows Old; Reader’s self-conscious about their gray hairs, Leon comforts them [GN]

Food Guarding; Leon adopts dog hybrid! reader who deals with food guarding as a result of previous abusive owners [GN]

Sidemen + Troops

Mrs All American; Hcs bout Reader being an American [GN]

Mom Friend; Reader makes breakfast for the Sidemen crew [GN]

Fruit Gushers; Trans male reader is on their period [Male]

Welcome to Jackass; The bit/scene from Jackass 4.5 where Steve-O tries advertising his condoms by filling them w/ sewage from his RV but insert the Sidemen instead

Scary Dog Privileges; Sidemen's reaction to y/n having scary dog privileges [GN]

Hey, Catch!; Reader has dyspraxia [GN]

I’m Not Angry Anymore; Cal falls asleep to Harry singing

Friendly Neighborhood Poltergeist; a poltergeist starts following Lux around [Fem]

Fat, Funny Friend; Behz consoles reader after finding them broken down after a particularly bad day [Male]

Who Let the Dogs Out; Reader's trying to reel in their dog or where Ethan thinks they're catcalling them

When the Sun loves the Moon; Harry's had a crush on his next door neighbor y/n for a while but has been too much of a chicken to talk to her until Simon encourages him to invite her over [Fem]

Touch Starved Harry

Caregiver; JJ & Simon are Reader's caregivers, Reader's an age regressor [GN]

Why So Sad?; Simon accidentally scares y/n while they're already regressed, making them further regress into headspace and JJ takes care of them. Sequel to Caregivers. [GN]

Absolutely Stunning; Simon tries on lingerie for JJ

Dad; 4x the Sidemen called Josh ‘Dad’

Enthralled; Tobi doesn't let Reader do work related stuff during their movie night [GN]

Stranger Things

Barbie; Y/n beats Munson at his own game of name 3 songs

What’s Wrong with my Speech?; Reader goes w/ Eleven to speech therapy

We Bare Bears

Stuffies; Ice Bear notices y/n’s beloved stuffy finally needs to be replaced [GN]

Wednesday

Pack Animals; Remus is one of the lycanthropy specialists that Enid's parents sent her to

Studyblr?; Tyler finally finds the time to strike up a conversation with a regular, y/n, an infamous studyblr blogger on tumblr

X-Men

Mother-hen; Reader w/ mother-hen vibes or Logan who slowly warms up to Reader’s attempts to take care of him [GN]

Kitsune; Kurt Wagner x Fox/Kitsune! Reader Hcs [GN]

Cancels Out; Rogue discovers Reader's mutation while giving them a tour of the school. Reader's able to nullify other mutant's abilities [GN]

Starry Night; Ororo uses her mutation to let a regressed reader stargaze on a cloudy night [GN]

An Apple a Day; Charles + Reader who has aphantasia—quickly realizing he can hear their thoughts for once, because they're scared about a medical checkup w/ Hank [GN]

Lil' Guy; Kurt knows Reader will always crack whenever he gives them puppy dog eyes and everyone else hates him for it [GN]

[rightwheretheyleftme]

Hades and his aid to heroes in greek myths

Out of all the gods in the greek pantheon, Haides has the strongest reputation for being closed off and uninvolved with humans. After all, he lives in the underworld and rarely, if ever, leaves his realm.

However, after thinking about greek mythology obsessively (as I always do), I realized that there is a pattern of Hades helping heroes/mortals. He doesn’t help them directly like Athena or Hermes do because he’s always in the underworld, but he does aid mortals even when there’s no obligation for him to do so. Here are some examples:

Hades lending his helmet of invisibility to Perseus so he can slay the gorgon

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 36 - 42 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

“These Nymphai had in their possession winged sandals and the kibisis, which they say was a knapsack.--Pindaros and Hesiodos in the Shield of Herakles, describe Perseus as follows : ‘The head of a terrible monster, Gorgo, covered all his back, and a kibisis held it.’ It is called a kibisis because clothing and food are placed in it.--They also had the helmet of Haides. […] Perseus then placed the head in the kibisis and headed back again, as the Gorgones pursued him through the air. But the helmet kept him hidden, and made it impossible for them to identify him.”

Hades giving his hound to Heracles so he can fulfill his labors and letting him free his prisoners

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 125 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

“Herakles asked Plouton (Pluton) [Haides] for Kerberos (Cerberus), and was told to take the hound if he could overpower it without using any of the weapons he had brought with him."”

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 79 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

“When Hercules came to lead out the three-headed dog, they [Peirithoos and Theseus, trapped in the underworld] begged his promise of protection. He obtained the favor from Pluto [Haides], and brought them out unharmed.”

Hades and Persephone allowing Orpheus to leave the underworld with his deceased wife

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 14 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

“When his [Orpheus'] wife Eurydike (Eurydice) died from a snake-bite, Orpheus descended into Haides' realm with the desire to bring her back up to earth, and persuade Plouton (Pluton) [Hades] to release her. Plouton promised to do this if on the return trip Orpheus would not turn round before reaching his own home. But he disobeyed, and turned to look at his wife, who thereupon went back down again.”

Ovid, Metamorphoses 10. 8 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :

“[…] the queen [Persephone] and he whose sceptre rules the underworld could not deny the prayer, and called Eurydice.”

Hades and Persephone granting Odysseus’ wish

Homer, Odyssey 10. 135 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :

“Then I called to my comrades and bade them flay and burn the sheep that lay there slain with the pitiless bronze, and to make prayer to the gods, to mighty Hades and dread Persephone.” (Immediately after this, Hades and Persephone answer Odysseus’ prayer)

Bonus: Hades lends Hermes his helm of invisibility so he can protect himself while battling the giants

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 34 - 38 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

“Hermes, who was wearing the helmet of Haides, killed Hippolytos in the course of the battle, and Artemis killed Aigaion (Aegaeon).”

My thoughts

So if Hades answers prayers, lets other gods and mortals borrow his most valuable weapon, and even breaks his own rules (no one can leave the underworld) to grant other people’s wishes, how can we call him closed off? From this pattern of behavior, it seems like he’s extremely caring and generous . We have to kill the myth that chthonic deities are unresponsive and apathetic.

Here’s an article about Hades’ worship for everyone who wants to keep reading about this topic

[wolfstar4466]

😍 for the wip asks 💜

This one is from my Ship of Theseus WBG fanfic:

“I think I forgot how much another Mike Walters makes life better. A sheepdog isn’t very good without any sheep.”

I just think Mike Walters is neat

[keepmeinmind-01]

i had a dream that theseus became a werewolf to cure his bone cancer (I mean, this is dream logic) like everyone was horrified, called him a monster, etc, and then when the transformation comes, they dramatically chain him up and it’s all like, “you have to kill me if I become a monster! stay away”. but instead of being like a big hulking werewolf when he transformed, he literally just turned into a wolf-sized wolf. like after all the screaming, there’s a puff of smoke, and boom Theseus turns into a skinny, perturbed, knee-height grey wolf.

everyone was like “oh what the fuck? he’s just a wolf.”

but because they expected Theseus to be like a seven foot werewolf, he literally just leapt out of the chains and left and they had to scramble after him and try and catch him. werewolf theseus was really scared of humans and ate loads of sheep.

but because werewolf theseus kept running off and eating sheep, then waking up as a naked human in random fields and getting chased off/shot at by angry farmers with guns, newt had to turn into an actual big muscly alpha werewolf to protect Theseus. like this is genuine wolf conservation stuff

exam season kinda dream, I guess the moral of the story is that it’s never as bad as you think 💀

[platoapproved]

hades 2 initial impressions after a day of playing:

i am never going to get the hang of sprinting it’s dash or die for me babey

every time hecate turns me into a sheep during her battle it is funny and cute, i can’t help it, i love temporarily desperately scampering away from projectiles while muttering “nooooooo you’ll mess up my woooooolllll :c”

scylla has huge sailor-moon-enemy energy and i love that for her

hestia boons are so sick

still getting the hang of hexes but they mostly feel like a waste of time, sorry selene your dress is really nice though

the voice acting for narcissus is so good. the theseus of hades 2

CERBERUS REFUSED TO BE PET, MY HEART US BROKEN :<

so far the knives are my favorite but they can never replace the fists from hades 1. so much more focus in this game on ranged stuff and incorporating slower moves. I don’t hate that since ranged damage is SO MUCH SO MUCH better in this one. but. my favorite builds are always to stack as much speed boost and sturdiness as i can and then rush in and get in close and nasty and destroy all the enemies before they can even get an attack off. and the knives are just….. not quick enough for that. 😔

i mostly like the resource collecting but it’s obnoxious only having one tool at a time. it just makes me mad seeing something i can’t mine or dig etc when i don’t have that tool.

[astraymetronome]

is it wrong that I kinda want to see dream Being used as a stuffed toy by a sleepy/ bird brain Tommy ?

Nope! Of course not!

Be aware this is a one-off for my main story! I've been working on it since this ask came in around mid-March. I've named it to put it on Ao3 and for my master list!

Warning- Emetophobia, Mentions of fatal vore, a single mention of the character Wilbur soot.

Otherwise please enjoy,

A Nest of Pig and Sheep.

Note-

Birds are really nice and I have an obsession with dsmp. Also- sorry I haven't posted in a while, I'm working on chapter three so expect that soon enough. I also got my nose pierced and it's infected so I'm juggling things.

I'm also well aware of the current Wilbur situation and I support Shubble 100%! It's a little confusing and everything so I'm not gonna bring Wilbur up in anything I post for a while. I just don't know how to feel about it.

Tommy still remembered the stress he’d felt when talking with Techno about the situation currently sitting in his stomach. He’s gotten into a routine of when he would keep Dream trapped away and when Techno would keep an eye on Dream while he took a moment to eat, getaway, and just take a break. It wasn’t that bad, more stressful because Dream refused to let Tommy relax. It was a bad mix for the avian because he couldn’t help the side of his instincts that screamed to please those he imprinted on. 

Now, Dream wasn’t the only one he imprinted on. He’d imprinted on Techno and some other family, but the stupid ram was the first one he’d been around when his wings sprouted. If the bird was honest, exile had been hell over the 5 years he’d been stuck in that dumb ass tent. Imprints were hard to get over, it was the main reason he kept wanting to go back to Dream despite his human brain knowing the horrid relationship they shared. 

Either way, he was struggling to handle everything together. Tommy was still getting over the past, waking up screaming and having night terrors. His scars would always throb afterward and he was constantly dealing with hearing words from his abdomen as Dream messed with him even from his containment. 

It was getting to the point where he was struggling to sleep. Dream would always wait till Tommy was dozing off to start squirming and basically revive his bitching about the situation he’d gotten himself into. It always pissed him off because he was always tired when it happened and he couldn’t do anything about it because they couldn’t trust not having someone watch the shitty ram when he was outside of Tommy’s stomach. 

So here he was, half asleep at the kitchen table while Techno made some breakfast. He’s gotten used to chugging the gross mix of fire resistance and regen pots in order to make sure his body wouldn’t hurt him. Despite how much Tommy despised Dream, he couldn’t bring himself to harm him. Yeah, he’d taken the bastard's first two lives, but he wasn’t a monster. 

A yawn left him as he watched the piglin brute cook. He would normally try to help, wanting to assist his brother, but Dream hadn’t let him sleep the night before or last night as well. He was angry as he sleepily grumbled and listened to the sound of the sizzling eggs. The smell made his stomach churn, hunger burning more than the potions under his skin. Normally he’d let Dream out in the morning so they both could eat and avoid the embarrassment, but Tommy wasn’t in the mood to deal with him right now.

The avian had dealt with enough anger last night that the idea of being screamed at and cursed out for eating now wasn’t even on his mind. He didn’t care if this pissed off the admin, all he wanted was to eat and try to forget about how tired he was. 

“Theseus, you can always do chores later.” The piglin man said with a very small sigh. It was obvious that Techno could see how bone-deep exhausted his little brother was. Tommy found that familiar irritation bubbling in his stomach, wanting to snap at him but he knew better than to bite the hand that feeds you. He just nodded, watching him cook once again. 

His eyes were beginning to droop close as his brother worked, the soft sounds of pans and controlled flame were lulling him back to sleep only for his stomach to lurch as a rough shove was placed at the base of his esophagus. Nausea swelled quickly, saliva pooling into his mouth at the same speed. He couldn’t help the growl that built in his throat, a subconscious way to threaten the movement inside his body.  

He missed the way Techno’s ears twitched, perking up and towards his direction at the sound. Tommy sat up once more, it was probably a better idea to just give up on sleeping now or at all. 

The minutes passed rather quickly, at least as far as he could tell. He blinked softly as his brother placed a plate in front of him before a small cup of tea was sat down as well. He felt a little confused but the smell of it was honestly heavenly. Tommy wanted to scoop up the cup and gulp the apple-scented liquid. He went to cup his hands around the small glass only for his older brother to gently take hold of his hands. 

“Before you eat, you’re letting Dream out.” Techno said as he carefully pulled him out of the chair. Tommy held back a chirp, wanting to whine and complain but he didn’t have the energy for it. He gave a nod, agreeing with what his brother wanted before walking to the sink. He acknowledged that the piglin had stepped away as he leaned over and tried to empty his stomach. He couldn’t do it as efficiently as he could with a crop, but avians lacked a gag reflex in exchange for being able to empty their stomachs at will. 

Tommy could feel the uncomfortable sensation in his stomach before the squirming weight was forced up and out. He caught the small body in his palms, fingers cradling Dream’s form as he held back a weak whine. He didn’t like throwing up, at all, but they didn’t have a reliable way to trap him. Tommy set Dream down into a bowl of clean soapy water before washing the acid and potions mixer off his hands. He then moved to start cleaning the same combination off of the small ram’s form. Within a moment of starting, Techno placed a hand on his shoulder and carefully pulled him away from the sink. 

“I can do it, go eat.” The man mumbled as he pushed the avian towards the table. Tommy simply sighed before giving in and returning to the table. 

___

Tommy had devoured most of his breakfast before Techno had finished rinsing Dream off. It was the best thing he’d had in days even if eggs and toast were a pretty common choice for the two of them. The tea had been a sweeter addition than he’d like but it was nice and warmed him up well with how a fire had yet to be made. He could feel the sleepy side of his brain acting up, wanting to give in to the sleepy desire to curl up in his nest. By the time Techno had sat down with Dream tucked into his dress shirt’s front pocket, it was the best place for Techno to keep him without losing his location. 

Tommy finished the cup of tea, placing it down before he shoved the last egg into his mouth. He still remembered how his brothers used to call him a cannibal for liking eggs. It wasn’t like they were chicken, plus some kinds of birds eat other breeds. Starlings were prone to it, that's true, but it wasn’t like he wanted to actively hunt actual birds. He didn’t want to do that again. Exile had been the all-time low, he refused to return to that place of his mental and physical health. 

He couldn’t help a pleased chirp at the positive weight in his stomach, it wasn’t as heavy as Dream so the sensation wasn’t causing a constant discomfort in his belly. He gave a gentle smile before looking towards his older brother, Techno was eating his own breakfast all while offering some bits to Dream. The main thing that caused a giggle to bubble in his throat was the fact the piglin had lamb sausages instead of beef-related. 

A small giggle erupted from his throat before the teen blinked in slight confusion. He wasn’t one to do that. Laughing was something everyone did but Tommy never <em>giggled.</em> He blinked as he looked back up at his brother. He felt confused as he looked around a little before turning to pick up the cup once more. It didn’t smell drugged in any way so nothing really made sense for the fact he began to feel a little on the loppy side. 

Techno sighed after a moment before standing, taking the cup from his hand, and setting it down. “Go curl up in my den Tommy.” The brute said before just resuming his meal as if he didn’t just confuse the fuck out of him. Tommy didn’t feel that bothered regardless, his brain just felt fuzzy. The baby bird in his head just happily chirped, eager to listen to his protector as he went to scoop up his plate and cup, planning to place them down in the sink. 

Techno simply chuffed, the sound causing Tommy to stop and warble out a complaint. It didn’t even seem to matter since, in seconds, he gave up complaining and instead relaxed to let his older brother take care of the dishes. 

A nap in the den sounded nice. 

____

Techno watched as Tommy made his way up towards his room. He gave a fond smile once his back was turned and just kept his eyes on how Tommy seemed to be calmer after having drank the tea. The brute found himself sighing as he glanced toward the main elephant in the room, the man in his pocket. The piglin pulled him out, looking over the bastard before placing him on the table.

“Dream. If you don’t stop being stubborn, I’ll eat you myself, and I <em>won’t</em> let you out.”  He had respect for the ram, of course, but if Dream didn’t bother to respect Tommy after he won fair and square, he’d do it. He was a man of his word after all. 

He could see the way his face shifted and contorted to understand what he was saying, Dream’s face turned slightly frightened before steeling into a stern gaze. “You wouldn’t dare. You can’t kill me, the server would die without an admin!” He barked out. The piglin gave a huff as he scooped up the small man and held him in a loose but firm grip. His hoofs tapped on the tile as he stepped to the sink, placing the plates down inside. 

He set Dream on the counter, making sure he was trapped in a glass that wouldn’t allow the dirty blonde to even sit up let alone have the coordination to find a way out. He was quick with the dishes, making sure to keep his eyes on the small man just to be safe. Once he’d finished, and dried off his hands, he made sure to scoop up the man. 

“We’re going upstairs, Tommy should be in his instincts by now and I’d rather not deal with an angry bird.” The brute sighed. Techno was well aware he was the reason the avian was in this state. Phil had told him Chamomile tea was a good natural way to trigger instincts. It worked on any hybrid but was really effective on avians. He knew how Tommy was growing up. Before he had even grown his wings the boy’s instincts were bad. The blonde had always been a nest/den hog whenever he was tired or sick. Considering his brother probably hadn’t had a good bout of instincts in a while, this was well overdue since Tommy would rarely even chirp or coo whenever he was comfortable. 

Within moments of opening the door, his instincts screaming happily at the heat, Tommy had sat up, his elf-like ears perking curiously, as he tilted his head. He could see how blown out his pupils were, they were widened to the point the smallest rim of the blue could be seen. With this, the blue looked less dull, and brighter than the way Tommy had been before the five years of exile. 

If the piglin hybrid was honest, he wished he’d heard about his exile before two years had passed. As far as he’d been aware, Tommy had just been living his life in La’Manburg. His brother probably would have ended up being a vice president or something more. Dream was the main reason, having told others he’d inform Phil and Techno but that hadn’t happened. Phil had been informed through Tubbo and Quackity when they’d rangled him in for the compass and Techno had found out from Ghostbur about a week after Phil had left for La’Manburg. 

He felt guilty about it, even after Tommy had betrayed him and left to go back to the people who harmed them both, he knew he’d be here whenever Tommy needed him. That was the role of an older brother and, if Wilbur wasn’t going to fill that role, he would step up and be the figure their baby bird needed. 

Techno chuffed as he stepped into the den, Tommy immediately chirped his wings flapping as a small amount of downy slipped from the base of his wings. A small glance at the black and red feathers was enough to tell the brute that Tommy was overdue for some preening. He sighed and stepped in, reaching towards his little brother, before pulling him into his lap. Tommy peeped in response, his wings flapping as the bird glanced back towards him. 

“Hold this.” He said simply as he moved Dream towards the little bird’s hands. Tommy didn’t hesitate to grab ahold of the man, the ram screeching in response as he yelled. 

“What the hell, Techno! Don’t hand me to some stupid bird who can’t even finish me off!” He barked out. Dream was pissed but Techno wasn’t bothered. He watched as Tommy glanced down at the man before a smile spread across his face. The bird nuzzled him, keeping the blonde near him as he chirped and happily seemed to cuddle him. A part of his brain twinged with jealousy, the protective part of his brain wanting to have his runt cuddling up to him instead but he pushed it away and carefully began to run his fingers through the feathers to start the preening process. 

He made his way from the base of his wings towards the tips of his primaries, laying them over the corresponding feathers. He often helped Phil with the base of his wings while occasionally helping with the rest. Their dad had explained that they tend to be more focused on caring for their young instead of having them take care of them. 

As he worked, Tommy just seemed to hold Dream on his lap. He seemed to be dozing off while being preened, coos and trills leaving the starling as he pushed his weight into him. By the time he’d finished, Tommy was half asleep, his tail flicking around as he melted into his touch. Techno didn’t hesitate to start placing some golden trinkets into Tommy’s hair, braiding the small amount he could, as he began to give into his own instincts. 

The avian had his ears pierced by him when they were younger, Techno’s instincts had gotten the better of him. Tommy had been three then but was an absolute champ over the situation. He took out one of his earrings, slipping the golden hoop into Tommy’s ear, happily chuffing as the bird began to doze off, his breathing evening out as sleep finally claimed the exhausted avian. He relaxed at the sight, taking note of how tightly Tommy held onto Dream. He wouldn’t be able to nap, just in case, but seeing his little brother so relaxed was worth it. 

They’d work through this. 

Even if the entire server paid for their choices.

[panny-lii]

wait, who's Dora's mother?

Pandora is a child of one of Theseus' disciples, none of them sheep. He takes care of her as if she were their own child. It's uhhhh, complicated!

[tangleslime2]

...you want Zommoth song suggestions?

This is, of course, influenced by our own interpretation - from what we can see, your playlist touches on the becoming of something monstrous and ship-of-theseus type nature of the beast, and our specific interpretation is "they did that to themself, on purpose, after being taken against their will and gaining one hell of a grudge against the roaches".

We think you could probably honestly get some good stuff from FNAF fansongs, if you're willing to delve into that - a lot of them work surprisingly well for cordyceps in general, and we think that the sort of deliberately... "electronic", if that makes sense, tones that a lot of them take fits Zommoth quite well, but we do think that most of our offerings will be too specific to Our Specific Interpretation or too generally vibes-based, so you'll have to take this as General Suggestions.

We can offer The Wolf by SIAMES, Animal Impulses by IAMX, Bloodsuckers by Johnny Hollow, The Nowhere King from Centaurworld, Little Pistol and Body by Mother Mother, and Rule #21 - Memento Mori by Fish in a Birdcage for general suggestions - YMMV, your mileage may vary, please feel welcome to pick and choose, we have quite a few options rattling around here.

For "vibes" rather than lyrics, we can offer Chronos by Zef and Danimal Cannon (instrumental song), Probably End Up Dead In A Ditch Somewhere by Nero's Day At Disneyland (may be harsher to the ear than some of the others listed here) and Shut Eye by Stealing Sheep - we don't think that it's entirely possible to match the lyrics to a character on that one, admittedly.

Also on vibes, we can offer The Wolf Song by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley - slightly more "general cordyceps" than anything else, fits with Leif as well. We can tentatively offer We Forgot We Were Human by the Dirt Poor Robins, but that one's more a roach song than a Zommoth song, specifically.

Also, while we're here, may we humbly offer you a Leif song in the form of Venus Ambassador - a lot of these are Leif-adjacent in general thanks to the... general fungus overlap. Hope this helps (and hope this isn't too much to absorb - we DO have a lot here, after all.

Thank you! I am working on listening to these and adding them to the playlist (my little sister likes FNAF, so I'm going to ask her for song recommendations).

[savethepinecones]

sheep of theseus

[scipiosmith]

A History of Mistral from its Foundation, Part 1

Or at least, the history I devised for my MLP crossover AU SAPR; mostly canon compliant, at least in the sense of 'not actively contradicted by canon'.

Legendary Beginnings

According to legend, the city of Mistral was founded by Theseus, son of the Sea God Tithys and Phaedra, the mortal Princess of the coastal town of Piraeus. Theseus was beloved by his father, but Tithys’ wife, Amphitrite, harboured an understandable animus towards her husband’s mortal bastard. Nevertheless, despite Amphitrite’s attempts to sway her sea-nymph children against Theseus, he was on good terms with several of his half-brothers and sisters, especially his half-sister Juturna. In fact, he got on considerably better with Juturna than he did with any of his mortal half-siblings, the children of Phaedra by her own husband, Prince Pittheus. 

When he came of age, Theseus was encouraged by his mother to set out inland; not only would he be better protected there from Amphitrite’s wrath, but also from the murderous ambitions of the sons of Pittheus, who feared that Theseus would succeed to the throne of Piraeus over them. Fearing these plots to kill him, Phaedra bade Theseus leave Piraeus and set off into the interior to seek the good fortune that would, she feared, forever be denied to him by the sea. 

And so Theseus set off, accompanied by his loving half-sister Juturna, and with her help – sometimes with so much help that later generations would read the legends of Theseus and wonder why Juturna wasn’t the star of the show – defeated or outwitted various brigands, monstrous grimm, and chthonic monsters, making Anima safer for mankind as he – as they – went. And as they went, so Theseus acquired followers, the inhabitants of villages that he and Juturna had saved from grimm, or else wanderers or outcasts drawn to him and hoping for a better life. Theseus led them to a range of mountains, looking down upon fertile valleys, where wild sheep and goats dwelled amongst the rocky places, and determined that here was the place to build a settlement, nay, even to build a kingdom. 

Theseus chose to build his new home upon the highest peak, where the heights would protect his people from grimm on the ground and the caves into the mountain would provide shelter from the grimm of the air, and so – having first descended into the caves and slain the monstrous grimm who dwelt there – Theseus and his people began to build the city of Mistral. 

Amongst the first buildings that Theseus built, once everyone had a roof over their heads, was a temple on the mountaintop in honour of Tithys and Amphitrite, where Theseus offered sacrifices in honour of his father and his wife. This was enough to pacify the enmity of Amphitrite, especially now that Theseus was at some remove from the ocean where she might ever have to encounter him, and for a brief moment it seemed that Theseus’ divine troubles might be over.

However, by honouring the God of the Ocean with a temple set so close to the skies, Theseus had angered the Sky God Seraphis, who began to bombard the fledgling Mistral with storms so terrible that it seemed as though Theseus and all his followers might be blown clean off the mountain and hurled down to their deaths in the valley below. 

All might have been lost for Theseus and for Mistral had not one of Seraphis’ daughters, the sky nymph Alcestis, taken pity upon Theseus and his people. She came down from the heavens and offered to show him a way by which he might propitiate her father’s wrath, an offer which Theseus eagerly accepted. 

This required Theseus to set off on another quest, accompanied by Alcestis and by the ever-faithful Juturna, on a journey which would take him all the way north to the icy coast and the land that would, in future days, be the site of Argus, and on that journey not only where many more battles fought and monsters slain, but Theseus and Alcestis fell in love, and when the trio returned to Mistral with the fabulous golden cows of the sun dragon to offer up to Seraphis in tribute, Theseus asked if he might have Alcestis’ hand in marriage. Seraphis, mollified by this kingly gift, not only ceased his stormy wrath, but gave his blessing on their nuptials, and even permitted that some of the fabled golden cows be sacrificed to Theseus’ father and to Amphitrite too. 

The wedding of Theseus and Alcestis was a splendid affair, the subject of much poetry and art, as well as the template for royal weddings to follow in Mistral: the bride’s mother, Re, goddess of matrimony, officiated the nuptials herself, while Seraphis gave away the bride. 

Nor were the other gods laggardly in making their contributions to the wedding: Callisto, goddess of the hunt, slew a monstrous boar of enormous size to furnish forth the marriage table; Eulalia, Goddess of War, and Orestes, God of Wisdom, entertained the guests with a display of combat, after which Theseus offered rich prizes to any mortal guests willing to compete, a tradition that endures to this day; there was music, dancing, poetry and some most excellent wine. Such a good time was had by all that it is said, that when Theseus and Alcestis were carried to the marriage bed by their guests, they were both so tired, or so drunk (depending on which version of the story you come across) that they had no energy left to do aught but embrace before falling fast asleep, and the marriage was not consummated until the morning when they both awoke somewhat refreshed.

Under the rule of Theseus and Alcestis, and their immediate heirs and successors, Mistral continued to colonise the mountain on which Theseus had raised his camp, and to expand its reach into the neighbouring valleys and hills. The rolling fields beneath were planted and cultivated, while sheep and goats grazed upon the higher ground. At first, nobody lived too far from Mistral proper, close enough to retreat to the protection of the mountain city in case of attack by grimm or brigands or neighbouring cities, but as Mistral's prosperity increased so too its reach expanded so far as to encompass other settlements such as the towns of Eleusis, Troezen and Plataea. Eleusis, in particular, became known as one of the most important religious centres in Mistral, and the site of a major festival, the Eleusinioi, at which most of the famous tragedies and comedies of the Mistralian theatre were first performed.

Seven Kings

The early history of Mistral is shrouded in myth and legend, but most polymaths and scholars are generally agreed that there were seven kings between the time of Theseus and the great war chronicled in the Mistraliad. Some versions set the number a little lower or higher, but seven is the agreed up figure by those who have made study of such matters:

Demophon and Acamas, the sons of Theseus, ruled jointly

Hippolyta 'Nikos', daughter of Acamas, it was during her rule that a great host of raiders swept down out of the north, and Hippolyta defended Mistral, driving off the attackers with great slaughter. Thus she took the epithet 'Nikos' or 'Victor of the People', which became the name of her house, passed down through all her descendants to the present day.

Eurylochus, who fought the first war with Kuchinashi, Mistral's closest neighbour of comparable size; the war ended inconclusively, with a treaty establishing the boundary between their territories.

Theseus II, often combined in cultural memory with Theseus the Founder, it was he who expanded Mistral's influence northwards to the Forest of Eternal Spring, where he had many adventures and magical experiences. The number of these stories involving Theseus in the enchanted forest are probably a reason why he is so often mixed up with his ancestor (the noted playwright Autumn Blaze, discussing her adaptation of the Spring Cycle for television, confessed that she knew very well that she had mixed up the two kings, but had made the decision in order to include Juturna and Alcestis in the story; given that Arslan Altan's portrayal of Juturna was widely praised as one of the best things in the whole series, it's hard to blame her). Amongst his adventures were: the founding of the first murder court in Mistral at the behest of the gods; the taming of the Furies, who promised to dwell in the woods and defend Mistral thereafter as the kingdoms' Kindly Ones; his meeting with the wizard Ozymandias and their unsuccessful descent into the underworld to steal the lantern of Erech; and his wooing of the prophet Penelope and eventual marriage.

Paris the Peaceful, who negotiated a treaty with the city of Windy Path based on trade, not arms. By tradition it was Paris who granted the royal charter to the Most Ancient and Honourable Company of Caravaneers to ply the trade between Mistral and Windy Path, although many historians – while granting that the Caravaneers are the most ancient of Mistral's guilds and livery companies – dispute this. Notwithstanding this attempt at revisionism, the Masters of the Company continue to toast Paris at the annual Caravaneers' Banquet.

Arms and the Woman

The Mistraliad is often thought of outside of Mistral as being the story of the entire War of Heroes, beginning with the abduction of Helenus by Phoebe and ending with the sack of Mistral by the allies, after they had tricked their way into the city by means of a giant wooden rabbit.

No one in Mistral with any pretence at culture or cultivation would admit to making the same mistake. The entire tale of the war is better known as the Mistral Cycle, or sometimes the Matter of Mistral – although that name was derived from comparison with the Matter of Vale, and thus is regarded by some scholars with disdain – of which the Mistraliad is but one part, telling only a tale of a single moment in the war, and not even a seemingly decisive one.

Nevertheless, the Mistraliad occupies a central place not only in the Mistralian literary canon but also in the Mistralian cultural identity. This is in spite of the fact that so much of the work's origins, authorship and exact history are shrouded in mystery. Traditionally, the Mistraliad was thought to have been composed by the blind bard Demodocus, and to have been passed down through the oral tradition for perhaps one or two centuries prior to being written down. Even that simple narrative has been both questioned and, indeed, raises questions: to what extent were any changes made to the text between composition and writing, how many different oral versions of the poem were extant? Atlesian scholars have taken the lead not only in seeking to use textual and linguistic analysis to pick out different 'versions' of the poem, but also cast doubt on the idea of a historical Demodocus, promoting instead the idea of multiple or collective authorship, the work of different poets from across generations gradually brought together into a single work. To this they point to details of armour and weapons that seem to span ages, some of which does not fit with the supposed period of the war.

Against this, some Mistralian scholars have mounted a staunch defence of their national epic, pointing not only to the fact that no one for several hundred years thought to question Demodocus' authorship but also to the unity of theme and language, the sublime poetry that has moved and inspired princes and warriors alike for generations. How, they ask, could a patchwork cobbled together from many hands across many years contain not a single duff element, a single scene or line not flawlessly executed? How they demand, could something compiled in such a way, knitted together from bits of old poems and forgotten epics, come to occupy such a central place in the kingdom's cultural consciousness?

And that is without getting into the arguments about the historicity of the war itself, which rage as fiercely in the university common rooms as they once did in the fields before the city. With a few outlying exceptions, most scholars accept that some sort of war took place in roughly the right time period, but the popular belief in the absolute truth of the Mistral Cycle, filled as it is with divine interventions and dei ex machina, has faded along with belief in the gods and the idea that it really happened exactly as written now has few defenders.

Nevertheless, the story of the Mistral Cycle, and the Mistraliad in particular, is one that has thrilled and inspired generations of Mistralians. The story of the Mistral Cycle is the story of how, under Paris' son King Polites, Mistral had grown into a prosperous city-state indeed, the city of the fabled topless towers, the city of wealth overflowing. Polites, it was said, dined every day on plates of gold, and sons and daughters alike were adorned in the finest glittering gemstones.

The days of peace came to an end when Polites' daughter, Princess Phoebe, abducted Prince Helenus of the Danaians and brought him back to Mistral to be her husband. An alliance of the other Danaian princes was swiftly formed, and a great host marched on Mistral to recover Helenus. Mistral mustered its defences under the leadership of Princess Juturna, eldest child of Polites and greatest warrior amongst the Mistralians, as well as calling on the aid of allies and mercenaries from across Anima.

The Mistraliad tells the story of but a small part of the siege the Danaians laid to Mistral, when Pyrrha, the greatest warrior amongst the Danaians, retired from the battlefield in a fit of pique at the lack of honour shown to her. In the battle that followed the Mistralians had the best of it, until Juturna struck down Pyrrha's boon companion Camilla (scholars have debated the exact nature of their relationship ad infinitum, and will probably continue doing so), who had gone forth into the battle dressed in Pyrrha's armour. In a rage, Pyrrha returned to the battlefield, wreaking immense slaughter amongst the Mistralians before finally slaying Juturna herself, and sealing the doom of Mistral.

Nevertheless the story of that doom plays no part in the Mistraliad proper, which ends with the funeral rites of Juturna after Pyrrha ransoms her body back to her father. Suffice to say that Pyrrha did not long outlive her rival, but that the Danaians eventually sacked the lofty citadel of Mistral, burning the topless towers and making off with a great store of treasure, although few of the returning princes had any joy of it by the time they returned home. Much of the Mistralian royal line was slaughtered, but Juturna's daughter, Hecuba, was so well hidden that even the cunning Penelope of Cephalus could not discover her whereabouts, and as those who had fled from Mistral in the sack began to return and rebuild, the infant princess was proclaimed Queen over all that remained of the city her ancestors had built. In time, the descendants of Juturna and Hecuba would marry with the descendants of Pyrrha, joining the lines of the conqueror and the conquered in a single royal house. But that was to come in the future. For now, Mistral had fallen, but it was to rise again, larger and more powerful than ever before.