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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Dec 14, 2013 23:48:43 GMT -8
So he was an older man now. That was a thing that had happened. Cursed by one of the Titans as a punishment for foiling the death of Leon Sudeki. He took the curse without argument and without regret. There was nothing to be done about it anyways. Something that he thought to be impossible had happened, so his mindset of what is possible had to change. The fact of the matter was there was a lot that he just didn't know. And he was aiming to fix that.
Books. As many books as he could find on Greek Mythology and The Titan's piled up on the table. Looking for any information he can find on their habits, their quirks, their strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. Oh he knew they were not the Titan's of old. He did not believe in true Gods, and God that may have once existed was surely dead. Likely killed by man. Possibly by their disbelief. Or driven to abandoned the self destructive species of Humanity.
Still, mortal they may be they echoed of the God's. Believing in the very myths that they took their names from. Shaping themselves to fit said myths. In a way it was a weakness of whatever madness seemed to have hold over both the God's and the Titan's. A Madness that was shielded by their immense strength. But Greek Mythology was nothing if not full of human heroes who were able to defeat seemingly unstoppable creatures by capitalizing on the few weaknesses they had. Mathew intended to model himself after said heroes over the arrogant and flawed God who's name he had taken.
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Post by David B. on Dec 16, 2013 21:56:29 GMT -8
The first thing Mathew would find was something called "Titanomachy", when searching for titans and gods in general.
"Zeus then waged a war against his father with his disgorged brothers and sisters as allies: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Zeus released the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes from the earth (where they had been imprisoned by Cronus) and they allied with him as well. The Hecatonchires hurled stones, and the Cyclopes forged for Zeus his iconic thunder and lightning. Fighting on the other side allied with Cronus were the other Titans with the important exception of Themis and her son Prometheus who allied with Zeus (NB for Hesiod, Clymene is the mother of Prometheus). Atlas was an important leader on the side of Cronus. The war lasted ten years, but eventually Zeus and the other Olympians won, the Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus, and the Hecatonchires were made their guards. Atlas was given the special punishment of holding up the sky. In some accounts, when Zeus became secure in his power he relented and gave the Titans their freedom
According to Hyginus, the cause of the Titanomachy is as follows: "After Hera saw that Epaphus, born of a concubine, ruled such a great kingdom (Egypt), she saw to it that he should be killed while hunting, and encouraged the Titans to drive Zeus from the kingdom and restore it to Cronus, (Saturn). When they tried to mount heaven, Zeus with the help of Athena, Apollo, and Artemis, cast them headlong into Tartarus. On Atlas, who had been their leader, he put the vault of the sky; even now he is said to hold up the sky on his shoulders."
Following their final victory, the three brothers divided the world amongst themselves: Zeus was given domain over the sky and the air, and was recognized as overlord. Poseidon was given the sea and all the waters, whereas Hades was given the Underworld, the realm of the dead. Each of the other gods was allotted powers according to the nature and proclivities of each. The earth was left common to all to do as they pleased, even to run counter to one another, unless Zeus was called to intervene."
Going deeper, Mathew would open a document on Gaia, discovering the following:
"In Greek mythology, Gaia (/ˈɡeɪ.ə/ or /ˈɡaɪ.ə/; from Ancient Greek Γαῖα, a poetical form of Gē Γῆ, "land" or "earth";[1] also Gaea, or Ge) was the personification of the Earth,[2] one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia was the great mother of all: the primal Greek Mother Goddess; creator and giver of birth to the Earth and all the Universe; the heavenly gods, the Titans and the Giants were born from her union with Uranus (the sky), while the sea-gods were born from her union with Pontus (the sea). Her equivalent in the Roman pantheon was Terra."
Mathew, digging digging through the sites that were online and the ones still struggling to come back from the brink, he would finally pull up another page on "Atlas" and his part in the titan war.
"Atlas and his brother Menoetius sided with the Titans in their war against the Olympians, the Titanomachy. When the Titans were defeated, many of them (including Menoetius) were confined to Tartarus, but Zeus condemned Atlas to stand at the western edge of Gaia (the Earth) and hold up Uranus on his shoulders, to prevent the two from resuming their primordial embrace. Thus, he was Atlas Telamon, "enduring Atlas," and became a doublet of Coeus, the embodiment of the celestial axis around which the heavens revolve."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Dec 16, 2013 22:31:28 GMT -8
Mathew took note of the information he had stumbled onto. There were a lot of possible doors, but considering that this was all based off of Mythology and not the people themselves there was no telling how many of them were dead ends. But they were still things to consider. Especially if they were so wrapped up in their madness that they really did recreate the myths. He wrote down a few avenues to check out in the future. Gaia was an obvious one. As were Zeus' thunderbolts. The Cyclops and Hecatonchires caught his eye as well. Possible allies should they exist.
There were two Primordial beings now that he knew of there. Chaos and Gaia. And yet they called themselves Titan, which was interesting. Atlas and his Brother could be in the wall, but if he was imprisoned by Zeus then he likely was outside the wall. Though again, the people were not the same as the legends.
But what he wanted to look up first were the two Titan's who did not side with the others. The two that turned against their Kin for the Gods. Possible allies for him and people who might know first hand how the Titan's work and how to work with them. Or to work them.
Mathew digs deeper into Prometheus and Themis.
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Post by David B. on Dec 16, 2013 22:36:44 GMT -8
Mathews digging is successful on the Themis front, but only minorly successful on the Prometheus area.
On Prometheus:
"Prometheus (Greek: Προμηθεύς, pronounced [promɛːtʰeús]) is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who is credited with the creation of man from clay, and who defies the gods and gives fire to humanity, an act that enabled progress and civilization. Prometheus is known for his intelligence and as a champion of mankind."
But there wasn't much else he could find, and Mathew would instead turn to Themis!
On Themis:
"The ability of the goddess Themis to foresee the future enabled her to become one of the Oracles of Delphi, which in turn led to her establishment as the goddess of divine justice.
Some classical representations of Themis (illustration, above) did not show her blindfolded (because of her talent for prophecy, she had no need to be blinded) nor was she holding a sword (because she represented common consent, not coercion). The sword is also believed to represent the ability Themis had from cutting fact from fiction, to her there was no middle ground. Themis built the Oracle at Delphi and was herself oracular. According to another legend, Themis received the Oracle at Delphi from Gaia and later gave it to Phoebe.
When Themis is disregarded, Nemesis brings just and wrathful retribution, thus Themis shared the Nemesion temple at Rhamnous. Themis is not wrathful: she, "of the lovely cheeks", was the first to offer Hera a cup when she returned to Olympus distraught over threats from Zeus (Iliad xv. 88).
Themis presided over the proper relation between man and woman, the basis of the rightly ordered family (the family was seen as the pillar of the deme), and judges were often referred to as "themistopóloi" (the servants of Themis). Such was the basis for order upon Olympus too. Even Hera addressed her as "Lady Themis." The name of Themis might be substituted for Adrasteia in telling of the birth of Zeus on Crete.
Themis was present at Delos to witness the birth of Apollo. According to Ovid, it was Themis rather than Zeus who told Deucalion to throw the bones of "his Mother" over his shoulder to create a new race of humankind after the Deluge.
Themis is the Greek goddess of Judgement and is mother of the Fates, the Hours, Nemesis and Tyche by Zeus. She is a Titaness and holds prophetic powers."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Dec 16, 2013 22:59:44 GMT -8
Well the good news was that he had an avenue in the God's to see more about Themis. He had been thinking about speaking to the Fates for some time, and this just seemed like a good reason to do so. He had no idea that she was their Mother. Or that she had prophetic powers. The bad news meant that any move Mathew decided to make against her she would likely see coming. The good news was that since she wasn't with the Titan's in all likelihood he wouldn't have to make any moves against her.
As to the nature of her divine law and judgement. That could probably go either way. A bit of a gamble perhaps, but without the stakes of Chaos. It was a far easier gamble to take because unlike Chaos her rules would be static. She was a being of order.
Whether he chose to approach them diplomatically or not though he needed a big stick. Talk soft but carry a big stick, because as long as the Titan's felt like they had nothing to fear then they would act as they see fit. Perhaps he should remind them who it was that won the war. There were a few possible weapons he had in mind to use against them, and the first one was mentioned in an earlier piece of information. He looks up the Cyclops and Zeus' Lightning.
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Post by David B. on Dec 16, 2013 23:06:04 GMT -8
On lightning, he didn't get much:
"Then Zeus released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their dungeon in Tartarus, killing their guard, Campe.
As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt, or lightning, which had previously been hidden by Gaia."
On the Cyclopes:
"According to Hesiod and as he states in his Theogony, the known cyclops were Brontes, Steropes and Arges, and their names meant thunderer, lightning and bright respectively. This cyclopes were the primordial sons of Uranus and Gaia and were the brothers of the Hecatonchires, making them brothers to the Titans and akin to the Olympian and later Gods and other creatures. According to Hesiod, they were strong, stubborn, and "abrupt of emotion".
Information pertaining to the Cyclops and the Lightning:
"Cyclops forging the weapons
Time passed and eventually they became synonyms for brute strength and power, and they were often pictured at their forge.
Because of their showcasing of power, Uranus feared the Cyclops and imprisoned them on Tartaros. They, along with the Hecatonchieres, supported Cronus in his coup d'etat overthrow Uranus but instead of freeing the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires, he kept them is Tartaros. They remained there, guarded by the dragon Campe, until they and the Hecatonchires, were freed once and for all by their nephews, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. In gratitude, they aided the three brothers and fashioned Zeus' thunderbolts, Poseidon's trident and Hades' helmet of invisibility. To create Zeus' thunderbolt, Arges added the brightness, Brontes added the thunder and Steropes the lightning. The Cyclopes aided Zeus in his battle against the Titans and with their help, Zeus finally deposed Cronus, just as Cronus did to his own father Uranus. The thunderbolt became Zeus' trademark weapon and symbol."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Dec 16, 2013 23:25:20 GMT -8
One name just kept popping up wherever he looked with the Titan's. The Grandaddy of Zeus himself. The separated lover of Gaia. he pulled up what he could on Uranus. How he was overthrown by Cronus and his relationship with Gaia.
As for the Cyclops he felt like he would need to talk to Summers about that. If they forged weapons for the God's it seemed like any living link to them would best be found through him. Though he suspected that would just be a bread crumb trail for him to follow.
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Post by David B. on Dec 17, 2013 0:02:52 GMT -8
Mathew wasn't able to find much at all that he didn't already know.
On Uranus:
"Ouranos was the Greek sky god. He was a Protogenoi, one of the earliest gods. His consort was Gaia, who was usually either his sister or mother. He was father to the Titans. He ruled the gods until he was overthrown by five of his sons."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Dec 17, 2013 0:09:12 GMT -8
He frowned a bit at the lack of information he found on him. But the world was just now pulling itself out of a two year Dark Age. So there being gaps in information wasn't terribly surprising. Even if it was a bit of a disappointment. He would have to find another way of learning about him. Just out of curiosity now.
Flipping away from him he would check in on Gaia and the nature of Primordials. Including Chaos and others that were listed. He was curious about the difference between Titan and Primordial and about the mythological figure of Gaia as a whole. She was like him in Qi, connected to the Earth, only she bent it in a whole different way. He was curious about the nature of her powers and being.
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Post by David B. on Dec 17, 2013 0:17:49 GMT -8
On Gaia:
"Gaia was the prime opponent of the heavenly gods. First she rebelled against Ouranus, then she assisted Zeus in overthrowing Cronus. Finally she was angry with Zeus, for putting her Titan sons into Tartarus, producing the tribe of Giants and Typheous to try and destroy and dethrone him, but both failed. Gaia loved and hated her husband and grandchildren, but never truly hated the Titans themselves besides their overbearing God-king. It was for this reason she turned on the Gods themselves, trying intermittently throughout the ages to see them cast down from their thrones.
Gaia's power of the earth gave her total control of the planet. Her expansive powers were divided amongst the Gods after the fall of their Father, Cronus. Still, the earth was her truest love, and though she was weakened by what she saw as their childish means of control, she still held great strength and a steady hand.
Mathew also lucked upon a large cache of names- ones all related to Gaia herself, as well as her power.
Ouranus - Protogenoi of the sky and father of the Titans, Cyclopes, Hecatonchires and through his blood from the Castration of him, The Erinyes, The Gigantes and the Meliai.
The Ourea - The Protogenoi or rustic Daimones of the mountains. Each mountain had their own one.
Pontus - The Protogenoi of the sea, by his mother he fathered many of the sea gods.
Titans and Giants:
Oceanus - Titan god of the river Okeanus which circled the Earth. Father of the Okeanides Nymphs and the River gods.
Koios - God of the Axis of heaven and of heavenly oracles. Father of Leto
Krios - Titan of the south. Father of Astraios, god of the stars and planets
Hyperion - Titan of light. Father of Eos (Goddess of Dawn), Selene (Goddess of the Moon) and Helios (God of the Sun)
Iapetos - Titan of the mortal life-span. Father of Atlas, Prometheus and Epimetheus.
Kronos - Titan of time and the ages. Ruler of the Titans and father of Zeus, Hades, Posiedon and their siblings.
Theia - Titan of the light. Wife to Hyperion.
Rhea - Goddess of female fertility, motherhood and generation. Wife to Kronos.
Themis - Goddess of divine law.
Mnemosyne - Goddess of memory.
Tethys - Titanide of the fresh water.
Phoebe - Goddess of intellect, wife of Koios
The Cyclopes - The three one eyed giants. The were the makers of Zeus's thunderbolt, Posiedon's trident and Hades's helm of invisibility. There names were Brontes, Steropes and Arges
The Hecatonchires - the three giant gods of violent storms and hurricanes. Each had 100 hands and 50 heads. They were called Briareos, Kottos and Gyes [1]
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Dec 17, 2013 0:28:56 GMT -8
Well, so much for there not being a lot of information. He took some time to write it down. All of the names and their domains. He didn't know how useful it would be, but he would rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. Plus it helped if people believed he knew everything already. It made moving the pieces smoother.
The name that jumped out at him to look into would be Kronos. He knew him to be the Father Zeus and one of the most Powerful Titan's, but that was about all he knew of the figure in Mythology. That and he had eaten his children.
The last thing that he needed to know was if there was ever any mention of a wall in the lands of the Titans and how mortals dealt with the Titans. Whether they were free to approach them, or prayed, or reached out to them in some other means.
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Post by David B. on Dec 17, 2013 0:38:18 GMT -8
On Cronus:
Cronus (or Kronos; Greek: Κρόνος; Krónos) was the son of Gaia and Uranus in Greek mythology. His wife was the Titaness Rhea. He was the leader of the Titans and the god of agriculture and sky. His Roman counterpart is Saturn. He is often confused with Chronos, the god of time.
Strange. But hadn't Kronos turned back time on Mathew....?
On the wall, Mathew found nothing. He found but a snippet on the ceremonies:
"What meant most to the Titans were the praise and respect of their counterparts. Humans meant little to them, and they would often kill them on a whim. Still, they demanded respect from the people of earth, and as such were often prayed to religously."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Dec 17, 2013 0:44:37 GMT -8
He chuckled. Looked like the Titan may have mixed up his own mythology. Judging from the curse placed upon him. Not that it changed the curse, but it was interesting all the same. It was something to keep in mind. It also seemed that he had guessed right on how to deal with the Titans. A similar manner to the Gods. Ham up the respect and humility.
He could play the role. If it got him what he needed he would even take a knee if needed. The blow to his pride was nothing when compared to his ultimate victory. Which he would have. This was bigger than bringing peace to the world now. Because while things looked to be on the upturn it was only a matter of time before they came crashing down. When a man had a grudge against God there would be nothing that would convince him to stop his crusade.
Strike's reign would end in fire. Of that he was sure at. And Mathew would be the shield. He would take the brunt of the fire to do everything he could to spare the world. While his daughters would survive the scorching they would have to live through it. So the only kindness he could give them now was to spare them such a horrible future.
Packing up his notes and books he would leave. He had some breadcrumbs to check out and a general idea of what he was up against. But he still needed to fill in the many blanks. However the best place for that would be with the Gods. The Titans were their counters, so it was only natural that they would be the most help on how to oppose them.
/end thread.
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