There was a long period of quite happily occupying mortal fears, hopes and prayers for the gods of Mount Olympus. Occasionally, they were called other names as well, Diana rather than Artemis, or Jupiter rather than Zeus - and that was all right, too, so long as the ambrosia and nectar kept flowing. Except then a new wave of religion moved in, the temples began to come down and people drifted away from worshiping them. The gods found themselves weaker, less substantial, memories fading. The heroes struggled with their tasks, the mythical beasts were no longer seen causing rampage. It was peaceful. They didn't like it.
Each of the gods had respective methods of worship; forms of address, rituals of priestess/priesthood, the mysteries of the various cults. Fewer people were worshiping them in the appropriate fashion, paying lip-service, or dedicating prayers to a vague concept of 'the gods' or 'god', whichever was appropriate around the people. The gods only existed because of the form they were believed to be in; as the separate entities with their own cult and order. Without the strict faith that had borne them, they weakened.
Those dedicated to the priesthood, the mouths of the gods to the mortals were the Oracles. With worry, they counseled amongst themselves as to how to prevent the end of their existence. Religion was being shaped differently, new ideas forming the thoughts of those who had once been dedicated followers, with the icons and prayers that kept the gods alive. If something were not done, they would disappear. If their divinity could be stripped, stored somewhere until belief was strong again, then perhaps they would survive. The Oracles summoned the Fates. The thread of life, measured out but uncut, could contain divinity. The threads that had once been mortal had changed, after all. The thread was spun and measured, the gods each wound their thread onto a spool, pushing into the thread their godhood and retaining only a speck. A speck that would sustain an identity, hidden behind mortal bodies. This time the threads were spun for a mortal life, each god chose in turn and began living as the humans that they had once counted as followers. The Fates themselves placed their existence into the threads, their entire immortality contained in keeping the threads existing, took up mortality and left the Oracles in possession.
With their own magic and strength, they sealed the divine thread in spells and protection. They created a method of contact for each individual god, trained to find the speck of immortality in their human bodies. They guarded them, allowing belief to haze into vague myth. They sought out those with the potential to become priests and priestesses, taught them the rituals and dedications and thus sustained their order but it grew harder over the years. Their numbers dwindled. Their strength and knowledge weakened as oracles died before they could pass on their wisdom. Until only a handful existed.
On the 23rd June 2008 however, the bodies of Agathe and Timon Kostopoulos were discovered in their hut on the outskirts of Delphi. The murderer was not found. But with the deaths of the last oracles of Delphi before they had passed on their responsibilities and the destruction of the threads that held their divinity captive, the powers of the gods are once again freed and they can use them as they like. Unfortunately, the gods are not the only ones freed. The Titans, gods of the underworld and the Fates have been released and without the constraints of their guardians, there is no one besides themselves to keep them in line.
Welcome to the gods of the twenty first century.
Mod Journal | Game Community | OOC Community
Characters:
Persephone (Sarah Shelley)
Chaos (Charles Graham)
Unplayed:
Pollux
VOICES:
— Sarah: Short, curt, to-the-point, wry and sardonic. Cool, calm and professional.
— Pollux: Average American guy. More responsible than Castor, but also a total mischievous prankstery spaz.
— Charlie: Rambling easily-derailed train of thought, but tone = sheer deadpan and stilted formality; Reynard with scathing humour. Explosive temper.
Banner credit to: Lis.
