#✧ ⁎ 。˚ HEROES ─── ❛ welcome to the cult of dionysus | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zerogate · 8 months

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Plutarch is for us the chief mouthpiece of the theory that all religions are fundamentally one, under different names and with different practices. For him and Maximus of Tyre ‘the gods’ are symbolic representations of the attributes of a Deity who is in his inmost nature unknowable. Maximus and Dion Chrysostom are ‘modernist’ in their views about myth and ritual; Philostratus and Ælian are genuinely superstitious. The Hermetic writings are good examples of the Plutarchian theory. They show, however, that the combination of philosophic monotheism with popular polydaemonism was becoming difficult, though the writers are equally anxious to retain both, as indeed the Neoplatonists were. Syncretism was easier when the gods were regarded as cosmic energies, or when their cults were fused in the popular worship of the sun and stars.

Dionysus and Orpheus were two nearly connected forms of the Sun-god, and the worship of both was influenced by the rites of the Thracian Sabazius. The central act of both mysteries was the rending in pieces of the god or hero, the lament for him, his resurrection, and the communion of his flesh and blood as a ‘medicine of immortality.’ The Egyptian Osiris had also been torn in pieces by his enemies; his resemblance to Dionysus was close enough to tempt many to identify them. In the Egyptian worship the doctrine of human immortality had long been emphasised, and this was now the most welcome article of faith everywhere. It was easy to fuse these national mystery-cults with each other because at bottom they all symbolised the same thing—the hope of mystical death and renewal, the death unto sin and the new birth unto righteousness, based on the analogy of nature's processes of death and rebirth.

While Judaism was purging itself from its Hellenistic element and relapsing into an Oriental religion, the bond of union in a people who were determined to remain aliens in Europe, Christianity was developing rapidly into a syncretistic European religion, which deliberately challenged all the other religions of the empire on their own ground and drove them from the field by offering all the best that they offered, as well as much that they could not give. It was indeed more universal in its appeal than any of its rivals. For Neoplatonism, until it degenerated, was the true heir of the Hellenic tradition, and had no essential elements of Semitic origin. Christianity had its roots in Judaism; but its obligation to Greek thought began with St. Paul, and in the third century ‘philosophic’ Christianity and Platonism were not far apart.

The real quarrel between Neoplatonism and Christianity in the third century lay in their different attitudes towards the old culture. In spite of the Hellenising of Christianity which began with the first Christian missions to Europe, the roots of the religion were planted in Semitic soil, and the Church inherited the prejudices of the Jews against European methods of worship.

Hellenism was vitally connected with polytheism, and with the sacred art which image-worship fostered. These things were an abomination to the Jews, and therefore to the early Christians. We, however, when we remember later developments, must take our choice between condemning matured Catholicism root and branch, and admitting that the uncompromising attitude of the early Church towards Hellenic polydaemonism was narrow-minded.

Porphyry made a very dignified protest against the charge that the Pagans actually worship wood and stone. ‘Images and temples of the gods,’ he says, ‘have been made from all antiquity for the sake of forming reminders to men. Their object is to make those who draw near them think of God thereby, or to enable them, after ceasing from their work, to address their prayers and vows to him. When any person gets an image or picture of a friend, he certainly does not believe that the friend is to be found in the image, or that his members exist inside the different parts of the representation. His idea rather is that the honour which he pays to his friend finds expression in the image. And while the sacrifices offered to the gods do not bring them any honour, they are meant as a testimony to the good-will and gratitude of the worshippers.’ The early Christian horror of idolatry was a legacy from the Jews, who were, on the aesthetic side, too unimaginative to understand a mode of worship which for other nations is natural and innocent.

-- William Ralph Inge, The philosophy of Plotinus

#quotes

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house-of-slayterr · 2 years

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The Lost Boys as Gods

Inspired By: @oceansrose2002

Tag: @vampirism-and-slashers @tohuntafreak @vechkinfan @dickspaghettii

Max:

I think Max would be Cronus. Cronus was the son of Heaven and the earth, and the youngest of his 12 siblings. He was king of the Titans, similar to how Max is the maker of the boys. He lived in fear of being overthrown by his own children, so he ate them. Of course, this didn't stop them from overthrowing him anyways. Cronus is highly egotistical and chronically paranoid. Max named a whole store after himself, how much more egocentric could you be?

Lucy:

Sweet Lucy would be Hera, the goddess of marriage, women and family. Being a mother suits Lucy, she cares deeply for her children and would do anything for them. She puts them before herself. Hera is the protector of women and childbirth. Lucy makes people feel safe and welcome. But that doesn't mean she isn't a threat. A mother who feels her children are in danger won't hesitate to attack. Lucy is fierce yet comforting, she loves deeply and it shows in her actions.

David:

I think David would be Hades. No, not because he is the ruler of the underworld, well maybe partially because of that. But I picked Hades for him because of his leadership qualities. David was made to rule, and he just so happens to be the ruler of dead things. Many people don't think David to be much of an animal person, but I do think he would look good with Cerberus by his side. David would have a Doberman, that he would use to help lure in human victims. Hades was involved in the plot to overthrow Cronus, and I think David truly wants to be rid of Max.

Paul:

Paul is a bit tricky but I think he would be Dionysus. Dionysus is the god of fruitfulness and vegetation, but more importantly, he is the god of wine and ecstasy. Dionysus was heavily worshipped and had his own cult, similar to how people flocked to him, Paul has the easiest chance of getting victims to come to him. Paul's flirtatious personality is intoxicating and effortless. I think if he applied himself, her could easily have started a cult. He would have people lining up, willing to sacrifice themselves to him. But he respects David and pretends to be dumber than he is because of this.

Marko:

Now onto Marko, I think he would be Ares, the god of bloodlust and war. Marko is highly skilled at tracking, a skill that would be very useful in war. Marko has a bit of a sadistic air about him, but he's good at hiding it. He's incredibly handsome and smarter than he lets on. Unlike Ares's sister Athena, this god isn't nearly as serious and strategic. Marko could easily lead the pack if he tried, but again, he respects David too much to attempt to overthrow him. He'd enjoy the power but doesn't want the responsibility.

Dwayne:

Now Dwayne, the love of my life, would be Hermes. Hermes is the Harold of the gods, better known as the messenger. Dwayne is a man of choice words, choosing instead to use nonverbal cues to convey most of his messages. He's more of a listener than a talker, always observant and always cautious. This is not to say he doesn't take risks, but they are always calculated ones. Hermes was dubbed, the protector of human heralds and thieves. I believe Dwayne views human life a little more sacredly than the others, of course, he doesn't deny his nature, but he'd sooner feed from the neck of a tyrant, than a civilian. Hermes is also known as the conductor of souls. I think Dwayne would be the best out of all of them to seek out new members of the pack, he is the best judge of character.

Micheal:

Micheal, the loveable fool, would be Hercules, the protagonist. Hercules is the divine hero, half mortal, half god. Although Hercules is typically known for his strength, he is also known for his beauty. Amongst the gods he ain't much in the way of looks, but hidden amongst the humans, it was nearly impossible for anyone to look away. Even the men of the time swooned over him, they were just something captivating and mysterious about his aura. Hercules must go on the typical Heros journey of self-discovery and self-reflection. Although he longs to be in Olympia with the other gods, his home is back on earth. Similar to how Hercules would sacrifice himself for those he loves, Michela would sacrifice himself for Star and Laddie.

Star:

Now, this may seem obvious, but I believe Star would be Persephone. She is the thing everyone wants, but can't have. David is very possessive and territorial, similar to how Hades is with Persephone. Persephone is the goddess of spring and growth. There is just something light and airy about the way Star feels. Despite David's desperation to pull her into the darkness with him, Star thrives in the light. She deserves to be in the sun half the year, and in the "underworld" with the boys the other half.

Sam:

My sweet little baby Sam, would surprising enough, be Alastor. For those of you who aren't familiar with this god, Alastor is the avenger of evil deeds and familial bloodshed. Poor little Sammy learns that his own brother has been dragged into the world of vampires. It was hard for him because little boys look up to their older brothers. Micheal is supposed to be his protector, and his guardian when Lucy cannot be there for him. He's supposed to be the one he can go to with all his silly questions or comfort him when he's scared. Sam is forced to pick between doing what is right and protecting his family. All Alastor ever wanted was to be loved by the humans, but was condemned to a fate of eternal loneliness. Because the other gods weren't happy with his choice. But unlike our ill-fated god, Sam chooses correctly, and therefore does not suffer the curse.

Edgar:

Edgar would be Thanatos, the personification of death. Edgar takes his role as a hunter very seriously. If he was asked to make a choice between living a normal life or being a hunter, I believe he would choose the latter in a heartbeat. He has a great disdain so the undead. His mother was the goddess of night, and his brother was the god of sleep. Edgar belongs to the darkness, although not a vampire himself, he's fated to live his life in the shadows. To beat your enemy, you must first understand the world from their perspective. To fight a vampire and win on their terf isn't easy, unless of course, you even the playing field. But informally, his brother suffers the consequence instead. But I believe Edgar would trade places with him if he could.

Allen:

I think Allen would be Prometheus. Prometheus is the Titan god of fire. He was discarded by the other gods for teaching the mortals how to use fire. Which is frowned upon because gods saw humans as beneath them. Allen's hamartia was showing Sam how to be a hunter. Therefore bring someone innocent into the world of the undead. This is why, despite all Edgar's best efforts, Allen is the one who is punished. He becomes the very thing he has sworn to destroy, but it's not all that bad. I think it's sort of funny that the brothers work in a comic book store because this means they definitely read the Blade Trinity comics. Blade is only as great a hunter as he is because he is a vampire himself. So as Prometheus was condemned to death for his sins, Allen suffers the same consequence.

Laddie:

And last but not least, my baby. Laddie would be Asclepius, the god of medicine. Now I know he's just the cutest little baby, so how could he possibly remind me of the god of medicine? Well, my interpretation for this one is a little more abstract. Asclepius was skilled in the art of healing and was punished by Zeus out of fear he would immortalise all men. Children aren't known to have the best emotional control, which is why in many stories, immortal children are feared. Laddie doesn't fully understand what he and the boys are, because he doesn't know any better. But nobody would be so heartless as to try and put down a child. Conversely, I think Laddie represents healing because of his childlike nature. Deep down, the boys want to be better for Laddie, they don't want him to live in fear, like how they fear Max. Laddie's smile alone can light up the whole cave. He brings with him a sense of joy, laughter and belonging. Laddie is what makes the boys feel like a family. Psychologically he is the essence of healing and growth.

So let me know what you guys think. Would you pick different deities? Or do you agree with my decisions? I must admit I spent way too much time on this, a little over 2 hours. So hopefully I won't get roasted.

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antinous-posts · 2 years

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#OTD 130AD, Hadrian’s favourite, Antinous, his Bithynian eromenos, drowned in the Nile at Hermopolis, city of Thoth (ḫmnw), psychopomp messenger god (Hermes). Egyptians believed that the drowned became gods with Osiris, chthonic god of fertility & rebirth. Antinous was with Hadrian, part of the Imperial party of some 5,000 touring the East, including Augusta Sabina. It was the 3-day Khoiak festival of Osiris, dying & rising with the Nile on the 3rd day, #OTD. Embarked on the Nile when low was an inauspicious time for Hadrian, Pharoah, son of the living Horus, the son of Osiris. Much hung on him that Osiris & life-giving waters rose to fertilise the fields, essential for a successful harvest to feed Egyptians & secure Rome’s grain supply.

Polymath, Hadrian studied cults, including Egypt’s gods & mysterious rituals for fertility, birth & rebirth. Philhellene, he sponsored Antinous’ initiation into similar mysteries at Eleusis. Hadrian, an erastes training his eromenos (paideia), also shown hunting on the Arch of Constantine, was largely unremarkable between Roman & non-Roman citizens, although Hadrian’s immense grief at Antinous’ death was remarked on.

As mummification rites began for the new god, Osirantinous, Hadrian planned Antinoupolis, as cult city on the Nile’s East bank, where daily the sun is reborn. The cult spread rapidly, particularly in Greek East. Imperial workshops produced an outpouring of high-quality sculpture, not only ‘Egyptian’ style, but Antinous syncretised with gods like Dionysus & Hermes. Cult images of Antinous as a hero or god spread in forms familiar to local communities. Hadrian sought to unify his multicultural empire in public & private devotion, e.g., Apollo in Delphi, Asclepius in Eleusis, Silvanus in Lanuvium, priest of Attis in Ostia & the Imperial cult in Cyrenaica.

The church’s ‘moral’ excoriation of Antinous betrayed fear of the young god’s popularity & one who had self-sacrificed to add his unspent years to those of Hadrian. In obscure hieroglyphs on his Pincio obelisk, Hadrian records the gods welcoming the reborn Osirantinous & praising him for his youth & beauty, refreshing them & bringing new life.

(repost)

🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷

#antinous #ancient rome #emperor hadrian

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lyrical-panic · 3 years

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HIIIIII!!!!

i saw you say that you dont get a lot of requests so i decided to fix that instead of doing my own

can you do headcannons for iida, kirishima and hawks with a gf who listens to music to clean and ends up getting lost in her own world?? like, dances with the broom, belts songs at the top of her lungs even if she cant sing, and basically has a mini party to do small stuff like put dishes away SFDJSKFBDSJFK so literally just me

thank you SO much!!

Bestie this is ME. This is such a cute idea thank you for requesting.

I aged Iida and Kirishima up to pro heroes to make thins easier. There are no sexy times, lol, just adults who have their own living spaces and pay their own bills.

I also had reader singing specific songs, so y'all can judge my music choices apodfpdsof

Warnings: Swearing

Masterlist

. . .

Tenya Iida

(Song: Bezos I, by Bo Burnham)

Iida is not by any means a passionate guy when it comes to music

He enjoys music, sure, but he enjoys it quietly

The most reaction you get out of him from listening to music is bobbing his head along or lip synching a little

So when he sees you going all out with your music, he falls in love with you a little bit more

The two of you live together. It's a Saturday, and Saturday means chores and errands

You agree to divide and conquer. Tenya goes grocery shopping, and you get started on some of the cleaning

You know how some people are absolute BEASTS and can carry like 8 grocery bags at once? 100% Tenya. It only takes him one trip to get them all in the house.

He opens the front door, and is immediately hit with the thumping bass of a very familiar song

He chuckles quietly, hearing you sing along.

Tenya quickly deposits the bags in the kitchen, before making his way through the small house to find you.

You're in the bathroom, wiping down the mirror hanging over the sink as you bounce up and down on your toes to the rythum

"Zuckerburg and Gates and Buffet, amateurs can fucking suck it, fuck their wives, drink their blood, come on Jeff, get 'em!"

You jumped up and down at the beat drop as Tenya watched, arms crossed and his lips pursed to contain his laughter. You look like you're having the time of you life.

As the song ends and the next one plays, you turn to throw away the paper towel you used to clean the mirror. That's when you spot Tenya

"Holy shit," you exclaim, jumping again, this time in surprise "Tenya, don't do that!"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist seeing your dance party." He laughs, kissing your forehead. "I see you've been having fun."

You groaned, face-planting into his chest. "And I see you enjoy embarrassing me."

"I don't mean to," Tenya promises, taking your hand and pressing a kiss onto it "You're just too adorable to comprehend, my love."

Eijiro Kirishima

(Song: The Cult of Dionysus, by The Orion Experience)

Oh Kiri

If you get really into listening to music, you should see him

He's the exact same way

He's not a very good singer, but that doesn't stop him from belting out his favorite songs at the top of his lungs

Eijiro doesn't live with you yet but he does have a key to your apartment

He texted you that he was coming over, but you never responded. He's not worried though, since you have a track record of getting busy with something and forgetting to check your phone

When he lets himself in, he realized exactly why you never answered him

You've got music blaring from your phone, which is placed on a counter, and you're in the middle of your kitchen, broom in hand, getting into it

You swing the broom around, using it as a microphone

“I’m feeling devious, looking glamorous, let’s get mischievous, and polyamorous.”

Homie joins in with “Wine and women and wonderful vices, welcome to the Cult of Dionysus!”

You, being so caught up in your song, scream and drop the broom.

“Ah, sorry, babe!” Eijiro jumps, startled by your scream. “Didn’t mean to freak ya out.”

“Geez, you saw all that?” You ask, hand over your racing heart.

“I mean I only just got here,” he replies, giving you a lopsided grin. “You sounded great, by the way. I love that song.”

“I sound like a dying cat.”

“No way! I sound like a dying cat when I sing. You actually sounded good.”

“Ah, thanks.” You hesitate, your boyfriend’s sudden appearance finally dawning on you. “Wait a minute, what are you doing here?”

“I texted you that I was coming,” Ejiro shrugged, nodding to the device. “I think you had the music too loud to notice, though.”

“Oops,” You winced, turning your music off. “Sorry, Eiji. Let me finish up here, and we can do something. Hold the dustpan, will you?”

Eijiro helps you finish sweeping, then you both settle down to watch a movie.

“I wasn’t kidding before,” He says, pulling your close to him. “I really liked hearing you sing.”

“Play your cards right, and you can hear it again some time.”

Keigo Takami (Hawks)

(ok but this GIF pretty much sums up his reaction aifoisdhfaoisd)

(Song: Lay all your Love on Me, by ABBA)

Hawks doesn’t listen to a lot of music

He’s constantly busy, and when he has free time he doesn’t really think to use it to browse Spotify

His only music reference is what you like. I bet he’s saved all your Spotify playlists

So when he swings by your apartment for a surprise visit on his day off, he immediately recognizes the song you have playing through your speakers

He sees you in your kitchen, putting away dishes and jamming out, so he does what any sane bird man who’s absolutely whipped for his girlfriend would do

He stands on your balcony and watches you with awestruck eyes

You pluck a glass from your dishwasher, using it as a microphone as you spin around, opening a cabinet to put it away

“Don’t go wasting your emotions, lay all your love on me. Don’t go sharing your devotion, lay all your love on me.”

Keigo hangs out for a few more verses, thinking that he’s never been more attracted to you.

He’s an overworked birb, ok? He doesn’t get to have mindless fun very often, so seeing you loose yourself in the song makes his simp heart go brrrrr

You’re so lost in the moment, you don’t notice he’s even there until the end of the song, when he starts to applaud

Ok so that GIF, right? That’s a slow clap. For you though, Keigo’s giving you vigorous applause

You jump, nearly dropping a plate. “Motherfucker, Kei! A little warning next time!”

He chuckles, sidling up next to you. “Sorry love dove, you just looked like you were having so much fun, it was unbelievably adorable.”

“Oh my god, this is so embarrassing,” you whined, covering your face with a hand.

“i’m sorry,” Keigo said again, moving your hand, a soft encouraging smile crossing his features. “I don’t mean to embarrass you. You just have this way of mesmerizing me.”

You melted into his touch as Keigo nuzzled into you, gently wrapping his arms around your waist

“You sounded beautiful,” He added, dusting feather light kisses across your face

“Thanks,” you muttered, brushing a hand through your boyfriend’s already tousled hair

“You still seem upset.”

“I’m not,” You insisted, pressing an assuring kiss to his jaw. “The embarrassment is still lingering, though.”

“Can I make it up to you?” Keigo asked, tracing a gentle line down your face.

“Depends. Could you be persuaded to sing for me?”

“Highly doubtful. Can buy you lunch instead?”

“You got yourself a deal, birdy.”

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noyin · 4 years

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Happy Landfill Tracklist

For those of you who don’t have Spotify (valid!) (Will Update)

Crazy by Gnarls Barkley

Curses by The Crane Wives

I Do Adore by Mindy Gledhill

The Record Player Song by Daisy the Great

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boys by Queen

I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend by girl in red

Cloud 69 by Lowell

Breathin’ by Thomas Sanders

Honey I’m Home by Ghost and Pals

Two Time by Jack Stauber

Big Shot by Billy Joel

The Principal by Melanie Martinez

Devil Town by Cavetown

Maybe The Night by Ben&Ben

Pagtingin by Ben&Ben

Choice by Jack Stauber

The Cult of Dionysus by The Orion Experience

宇宙ステーションのレベル７ by Miracle Musical

God Made Girls by Raelynn

Help! Oh Well… by SomeThingElse

Orange Juice by Melanie Martinez

This is Home by Cavetown

Addict With A Pen by Twenty-One Pilots

Karma by AJR

Nobody Else to Call by Jas Ratchford

Oh GOD by Orla Gartland

Young Adult by Ritt Momney

Frank Sinatra by Cake

Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day

Everything’s Alright by insaneintherain

It’s Alright by Mother Mother

Peanut Butter Waffles by Ryan Caraveo

All Star by Smash Mouth

Riphunter by .feast

Blackwater by .feast

Princess♂ by tophamhatkyo

Trouble by Cage the Elephant

Ruler of Everything by Tally Hall

Razzle Dazzle by Richard Gere

Sunflower, Vol. 6 by Harry Styles

Why Can’t We Be Friends? By Jordy Searcy

Hometown by Twenty-One Pilots

Gooey by Glass Animals

Best Friend by Rex Orange County

Tale Of The Mountain by Spectral Heart

Baloney Speaker by sasanomaly

The Wolf by Siames

Heroes by Zayde Wolf

Welcome to the Show by Britt Nicole

Mr. Doctor Man by Palaye Royale

The Beauty Underneath by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Desole by Gorillaz (ft. Fatoumata Diawara)

#lavmochi talks #playlist

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agent-7-at-your-service · 6 years

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Future Plot: Project Prometheus - Chapter 4 Part 2

(( Sandra, Justinian (Not in this chapter), Telemachus (Not in this chapter), Iruka (Not in this chapter), Pyrrhus/Chaodis (Not in this chapter) belong to me

Camille, Lee, Depiction of Callie, Janine, Malina (mentioned), and Pacling (Not in this chapter) belong to @inklingleesquidly

Nebula (Not in this chapter) and Wish (mention) belong to @myzzy and @agenttwo

Mysteeri belongs to @dreadangel

Designs of Marina and Wish belong to @teamuntyblue

Emerald and Sapphire (Not in this chapter) belong to @twelvetailedkitsune and @son-of-joy

Celeste belongs to @alpinesquid

Champion of Janus belongs to [classified] ))

While Camille fell asleep in the Bath of Zeus, submerged in water, Jovana appear over a ledge, watching over Camille. Jovana did swear to protect Camille after all. Malina and Wish were also out at night, taking a walk as they having trouble sleeping. Sandra, who was also having trouble sleeping, decided to accompany the two. Ares, Celeste, and Mysteeri remained in the cabin.

Jovana took out her unknown silver stone and used the powers contained within it. As the stone glowed, her two .96 Gals floated in mid-air again and survey the area while ensuring protection. Jovana falls asleep while standing.

When Camille opens her eyes, she is now Princess Camilla Penthesilea. She is in Morpheus's dream realm again, reliving the lives of the Greek heroes.

She gets up finding herself being carried by Callie. The Hunt was traveling through a valley near Mount Olympus, heading to a destination that isn't Pimpleia. Emerald, Janine, Lee, and Morpheus were trailing behind.

"Morning, Cammy," Callie began before putting her down.

"Ugh... how long was I out, Mommy?" Camille asked.

"Not that long," Camille replied, "But you woke up just in time. Morpheus told us to reach the Bath of Zeus."

When they arrived at the Bath of Zeus, it's a lot different than it is today. There's a temple built over the water source in honor of the marriage of Zeus and Hera.

There, a faction was already there, waiting for their opponents; however, there was only one member in that faction: an adult inkling in a tunic and cloak, wielding a fennel stalk staff and an orb of blazing fire. He can be seen sitting on the steps of the temple. His ink hair is beige with the ends being that of ashes, his eyes are orange, and his skin is light but covered in ashes. There were ink stains on his tunic in the right abdominal area, looking like he was bleeding.

"Why hello there." The stranger began. He sounded welcoming until he saw Morpheus in among The Hunt. He looked confused."God of Dreams?"

Morpheus yawns, making another lamb's bah. "That's me." He gave a slight smile. "How are The Lightbringers, Prometheus?"

"I'm what's left of my faction," Prometheus replied, "Why are you with The Hunt?"

"I'm just their guide through the afterlife," Morpheus answered.

"I thought that was Hermes's job." Prometheus gets up and approaches Camille. "An Amazon?"

"Princess Camilla Penthesilea," Camille began, "And you are...?"

"My name is Prometheus, son of Iapetus the Forger of Mortality and of Asia Clymene the Oceanid." Prometheus bowed. "The blood of Uranus and Gaia flow through my veins."

"That makes you--" Camille remembered Iapetus, one of the 12 Titans that declared war on her home.

"--A Titan," Prometheus finished.

"Shouldn't you be more...... gigantic?" Emerald asked, having heard a few stories of the Greek Mythos when she was young. "And why take up the challenge of The Trials?"

"It's an interesting question I get from Mortals like you, Hyacinthus," Prometheus replied to Emerald, "Most second-generation Titans would be a lot shorter because one of our parents isn't a Titan. Then again, there was Cronus and Rhea, but that was entirely different."

"But why participate in the Trials?" Emerald repeated.

"The Judges of the Underworld have allowed me," Prometheus explained, "And despite my deity status, Zeus has exiled me and left me chained to a rock with his eagle feasting on my regenerating liver. That was until his son freed me, but in the end, I have nowhere to go and no way to return to the heavens."

"So you're taking up this chance to return to Olympus?" Janine guessed.

"You are absolutely correct, Atalanta." Prometheus smiled at the young Janine. "But meeting a new faction like yourselves, I've decided to help you all."

"Then who is going to be our opponents--?" Emerald asked before the opponent finally came.

A warrior charges in and pushes Prometheus into a temple wall. The warrior appeared with a head of a leopard, and her ensemble consists of a snake wrapped around her head, gold bracelets on their wrists, and a dress of faded ivy-green fabrics, fox skins, and fawn skins. She is armed with a thyrus and a ritual dagger. The warrior spoke with a woman's voice.

"So you guys must be our opponents!" The leopard-headed warrior began. "A bunch of heretics who do not share the in Dionysus!"

"Wha....?" Callie looked both confused and amazed at the warriors' entrance. "Who are you?"

"The name is Ino, a descendant of Queen Ino Leucothea of Thebes! This is my cult! " Ino whistles for her allies. Three of them stand by Ino's side as her close followers. "We are Maenads, the Wild-Fox Nurses of Dionysus!" She then notices Prometheus. "And let me guess, you're recruiting this stupid titan?"

Ino's allies were more leopard-headed warriors in similar attire. In addition, there were foxes, tigers, and cheetahs accompanying them.

"And... that's not good..." Callie now looked a bit nervous. Lee stood close to Callie, sharing a bit of that nervousness too.

Camille wasn't afraid of the Maenads for she has already seen someone with a feline head before, Sandra's Lion-headed form. And despite having just met Prometheus, she can tell Ino and the Maenads are the opponents for today.

"I ain't afraid of you guys," Camille stated, "You think a bunch of women wearing cat heads is gonna scare me? You're all patoots, ya hear me."

"Camille, I don't think..." Emerald looked concerned.

"What? They really are patoots like Agamemnon and the Unbowed if they're going to make an entrance like that," Camille added, "What a bunch of show-offs, worshipping this god of theirs."

The Maenads gasps and their animal companions hiss and growl at Camille. Lee, Callie, and Janine looked at Camille in slight disapproval. Prometheus and Morpheus should've warned Camille about the Maenads and how they can get easily offended.

"What did you say, you little pipsqueak?" Ino asked in a pitchy hostile tone.

When Ino removes her leopard-headed hood, she is revealed to be a beautiful woman with yellow kelp hair and pale skin. Her eyes were nothing but pure yellow and her lips were as dark as the decay of plants. There is a live snake wrapped around her head like a bandana. She had the most psychopathic look on her face with the iris in her eye being shrunk while her smile is filled with joy. This look is directed towards Camille.

"Do you know who you're talking too?" Ino rambled. "We are the wildly vibes of the party, the frenzies of all cults, and the most devout to the gods, especially to Dionysus! Yet, you call us show offs?!?! I'll have your girdle as a trophy, Amazon!!! In fact, I'll strangle you with that girdle!!"

Prometheus steps closer to Camille and whispers into her ear. "You shouldn't have done that, Camilla. The Maenads takes every criticism and smack as an offense, and they their reactions are very extreme. Orpheus rejected them, and he got shredded to pieces. His head was then jammed into his own harp before being thrown into the ocean."

"Whoops.... well, too late." Camille sighs deeply. She knew she'll regret what she said, but there was no time for that.

"What are ya whispering, titan? More smack about us!?" Ino fumed. "Just wait until you see the Maenads beat ya guys in the Trial of Races!"

"Tisk, tisk, tisk, Princess Camilla, you mock the Maenads before a battle?" Aeacus voice drew attention, having both Prometheus, the Maenads, and the Hunt look up at the stars. "I bless you good luck then. These ladies will now do what they can to bring you down even to the point of putting you to rest, denying you your path to ascension."

"The object and rules of The Trial of Races is like any other race," Rhadamanthus' voice explained, "You shall start your race from here to the location we've chosen for you. You can complete the race in three ways: by foot, by chariot, or a mix between the two. Like the Trial of Battles, you will have teams representing your faction, and you and take out each member and exile them for a time. However, if you take the whole faction out of the race, you'll win immediately."

"Meaning no respawns..." Lee analyzed.

"Exactly, Orion," Minos replied to Lee.

"Unlike the Trials of Battle, you do have teams representing your faction, but only three will be participating," Minos' voice added. "And no companions will be allowed by your side. That means your animal companions, Ino!"

"Oh up yours!" Ino rudely reacted.

"What was that, Ino? Do we have to go over this the fifth time?" Aeacus questioned.

"Let's just get the race started!" Ino hasted.

Temple doors open and a 12 bronze automatons push out six chariots for both the Hunt and the Maenads. Ino and two other Maenads hop into three of those chariots. The Hunt would have to decide among themselves on who should represent their faction.

"Camille, you're obviously gonna have to take part in this race," Morpheus noted, "You need two more to participate by your side."

"Who said I'll be leading?" Camille raised an eyebrow. "I'll just have Mommy and Daddy help out again--"

" Sweetie, I think we need everyone to be a team player here," Callie insisted.

"And I know the one that might offer your help," Prometheus suggests, "Your friend Hyacinthus." He looked at Emerald.

Emerald looked confident to join Camille in this Trial. She armed herself with a sling, a bag of smooth rocks, a set of daggers, and a short sword. Camille nods, allowing Emerald to participate. Emerald gets in one of the three chariots for the Hunt.

Soon there was a bit of chattering. Icarus the flying squirrel flies up to Camille and lands on Prometheus' shoulder. Icarus is dressed in a small green feathered cape and a small leather belt with a scabbard. He is armed with a thing short sword the size of a knitting needle.

Icarus blinks, looking at Camille with a chivalrous look on his face.

"Awww... you look so adorable in that cape!" Callie complimented. "Camille, deary, let him join!"

"It won't hurt to just mix up the teams," Janine reasoned

"Wait, wait, wait, those Judges said we have to reach the finish-line either by foot or by chariot," Camille pointed out, "Icarus can't fly and even if he can run or scurry or whatever, he'll end up exhausted."

Aeacus, Rhadamanthus, and Minos can be heard muttering.

"No rule against flying," Aeacus concluded.

"See, they're allowing Icarus to join." Janine smiled. "Let's show those Maenads!"

"Oh... oh alright." Camille folds her arms, smirks and shakes her head at Icarus. "I got your back, Icarus, okay?"

Icarus nods and glides off flying over Emerald's chariot. Camille gets on one of her chariots and prepares a battle-ax, a shield, a bow and arrows, and a handmade brush. This handmade brush is made of her bronze spear and a few cloths doused in ink. Some jars of ink were secured in her chariot just in case.

"Strange weapon you got there, Camilla." Minos is pointing out Camille's handmade brush. "Then again, Hephaestus would be giving his blessing to you for such craftsmanship."

Camille, Emerald, and Icarus prepare at the starting line with Ino and her two allies. A bronze automaton runs over with two flags, one green and one orange.

"You all might want to not flip out about what's gonna happen next," Prometheus warned.

"Why?" Lee wondered.

The Hunt and the Maenads started turning to dust and disappear. It was only Camille, Emerald, Icarus, Ino, and two of Ino's allies. Only Emerald was a bit shocked.

"They're now at the destination," Rhadamanthus explained.

"What is our destination?" Camille questioned.

"The Necromanteion in the city of Ephyra," Aeacus answered, "Make your way to the West and reach the other end of Greece! Now ready... set... go!"

The chariots started moving, the horse pulled with all their strength while the wheels were turning. Icarus just continues gliding, following Camille's and Emerald's chariot. Ino gave Camille a throat-slash gesture, threatening to kill her in this race. It doesn't bother Camille as she knew this is just a dream and that she won't literally die. Also, she has Morpheus at her side, and he is making sure she fulfills the completion of all the Trials.

So far, the racers reached 5 miles, and Ino was about to take action in attacking Camille by ramming her own chariot with Camille's. Ino's two allies dealt with Emerald, making sure that Emerald doesn't intervene and rescue Camille.

"Hey!" Camille reacted. "Watch it, leopard-head!" Camille took out her battle-ax.

"Make me, Amazon!" Ino responded rudely. She rams her chariot into Camille's, attempting to leads her into a chariot accident.

Camille and Ino butt-heads and growled at each other but they had to split up to avoid a collision with some rocks. Ino has a wild sand cat by the scruff and she throws it at Camille's face.

"Ahh!! What the hey-hey!!" Camille shook the wildcat off and continued manning the chariot. She has a few cuts, but they were nothing to her. "Really funny. Watch 'til ya see this!" Camille goes ahead of Ino and makes a turn.

This stops Ino's chariot horse and they stumble. Ino falls off her chariot.

"Oh, I'll get you for this--!!" Ino splats before she can finish her reaction.

"Eliminated. Two more of Maenads to go," Minos reported.

"And with the leader gone, it makes this whole trial too easily," Rhadamanthus commented, "Atalanta should've been in your team. That way they would’ve surrender easily."

Camille continues the race with Icarus and Emerald by her side. Two of Ino's Maenads are behind them with slings and bows ready. Icarus does a u-turn and gives Camille and Emerald time to take the opposition down by distracting that them.

Camille and Emerald look at each other and smile. They decrease their speed so that they can surround their opposition on both sides. Emerald uses her sling and threw her daggers on one side while Camille relied on her hand-made brush on the other sides. Camille knocked one of the Maenads off their chariots with the brush, leaving one Maenad left in this race.

The flying squirrel, Icarus, has his knitting needle-sized short sword in his mouth and he gets into the Maenad's face to distract her. With the Maenad's chariot making a twisting motion because of Icarus' distraction, Camille prepared her spear and Emerald prepared one more throwing dagger.

Emerald threw her dagger with precision to make the Maenad let go of her chariot ropes.

Camille rode her chariot ahead of the Maenads, turned her body to face the opponent, and throw the spear at her. That spear hits the Maenad and she is thrown off her chariot, causing her to splat.

"And it is done!" Aeacus declared.

Camille, Emerald, and Icarus immediately arrive in the city of Ephyra and a temple of bone-colored marble can be seen built into a quarry-like trench. Three rivers pass through this city and ended at that temple, and they were one of the many rivers next to Styx that connects to the Underworld. This temple is The Necromanteion.

Callie, Lee, Janine, Prometheus, and Morpheus were there along with Ino and the Maenads. Ino and her two allies look even more hostile and pissed since they lost to the Hunt.

When Camille, Emerald, and Icarus stop at the entrance of the city. Camille and Emerald get off their chariots, and Icarus lands on Camille's shoulder.

"In the name of Olympus!" Camille and Emerald triumphantly chanted. Icarus copied them, his words were all chattering and squeaks.

"The Maenads will get you for this!" Ino threatened. She then leaves with her faction while the Judges of the Underworld continue.

"The Hunt's Trials of Race is now complete," Minos declared, "Their next trial is the Trial of the Slayers. Where it will take placeis up to the stars."

"As for the Maenads, they must continue their Trial of Races," Aeacus added.

"Continue forth, The Hunt," Rhadamanthus commanded.

Camille and the Hunt encamp away from The Necromanteion by the advice of Prometheus. He warned that it's dangerous to be near a gate to the underworld. They already had dinner that night, and Camille had to look up at the sky again. Prometheus is there to accompany her.

"You did quite well there, Princess." Prometheus was examining the brush Camille made. "And I must agree with the Judges. Hephaestus would be proud of this. This is beyond a mortals technology."

"Yeah, it is." Camille is too busy looking at the sky with her sea glass spectacles.

Two constellations are now detected in the night sky: Hydra and Sea Serpent and Cancer the Crab. Hydra's brightest star, Alpha Hydrae (Alphard), and Cancer's brightest star, Beta Cancri (Al Tarf), both pointed south to a place called Lerna.

"Lerna," Camille stated.

"That's south of Mycenae. We should take the time to practice while on the way to that city," Prometheus advised, "Your faction doesn't know every other opponent faction roaming around the Classical World."

Camille looks at the second-generation titan with annoyance. "You sure take these trials seriously, what's the deal?"

"It may seem like a game to you, but in the end, we find something interesting," Prometheus lectured, "Like finding out something about the other descendants of the Primordials."

Camille hasn't paid attention to Hephaestus' lesson about the Primordials and the other descendants. She looked at with with an eyebrow raised.

"Don't you have something important to do than just meeting with your parents?" Prometheus asked. He somehow knew that Lee and Callie were personifying Orion and Merope. "I know they're being held hostage by Moros, but he would just keep them in a cage forever."

Camille gave him her full attention.

"How do you know...?" Camille gave a suspicious look. She then felt a sudden sense of fatigue that just came to her in seconds.

"Don't bother with personifying as the Amazon Princess that chose you, Titan-Slayer." Prometheus shows orange fiery eyes. "I know who you are behind that persona."

Soon, Camille collapses to the ground and closes her eyes. She is now leaving Morpheus' Dream realm and returning to where she was sleeping: the Bath of Zeus.

#Future #Plot #Project Prometheus

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