Sample file PANDORA CUPID’S ARROW

CONTENTS

Primordial Dieties page 001

The Fate of page 003

Erotes (Cupids) page 005

Character Sheet page 006

Roleplaying page 009

Cascade Studios page 010

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PAGE 000 PANDORA CUPID’S ARROW

PRIMORDIAL DIETIES

“Declare to me from the beginning, you Mousai who dwell in the house of Olympos, and tell me which of them first came to be.

In truth at first Khaos (Air) came to be, but next wide-bosomed (Earth), the ever-sure foundation of all the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympos, and dim Tartaros (the Pit) in the depth of the wide-pathed Earth, and Eros (Love), fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Khaos (Air) came forth Erebos (Darkness) and black (Night); but of Nyx (Night) were born Aither (Light) and (Day), whom she conceived and bore from union in love with Erebos. And Gaia (Earth) first bore starry Ouranos (Heaven), equal to herself, to cover her on every side, and to be an ever-sure abiding-place for the blessed gods. And she brought forth long (Mountains), graceful haunts of the goddess Nymphai who dwell amongst the glens of the hills. She bore also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontos (Sea), without sweet union of love.

But afterwards he [Gaia, Earth] lay with Ouranos (Heaven) and bare deep-swirling Okeanos, Koios and Krios and and Iapetos, and , and and gold-crowned Phoibe and lovely . After them was born Kronos the wily.” - Hesiod’s Theogony (700 BC)

In the beginning, shortly after creation but before it was sculpted into reality there was . Magic was wild and untamed and the Pandora was yet to be created, separating the layers of reality. It was in this time that the Primordial came to power. Chaos, Gaia, , Eros and Nyx. From the blood of these five would stem first the , and then later the Gods and Goddess’ of . They are the original starting point of the Mythos, and represented the most raw elements from which reality was shaped. Scholars outline them thus: (Aither) (Erebos) The Protogenos of the mists of light which fill the The Protogenos of the mists of darkness. His dark upper zones of air. His element lay beneath theSample arch element file was sunk into the hollows of the earth, and of heaven’s dome, but high above the airs of the encircled the dismal realm of the mortal realm. underworld.

ANANKE EROS The Protogeonos of inevitability, compulsion and The Protegonos of generation. He was known as necessity. She was the mate of Chronus (Time) and or Protogonos, distinguishing him from the like him was an incorporeal, serpentine being who younger Eros, ’s son. He was one of the first twisted circling around the whole of creation. beings to emerge at creation, and caused the universe to procreate. CHAOS (Khaos) The Protogenos of the lower air. She filled the gap GAEA (Gaia) between the bright mists of the heavenly aither and The Protogenos of the earth. Mother Earth emerged the floor of the earth. From Chaos were descended at the beginning of creation to form the foundation of the other airs: Erebus (darkness), Nyx (night), Aether the universe. Gaea was one of the few Protogenoi to (light), Hemera (day); as well as the birds. Only late be depicted in anthropomorphic form, however even classical writers describe Khaos as a primeval mixture as such she was shown as a woman partially risen of the elements. from the ground, inseperable from her native form.

CHRONOS (Khronos) HEMERA The Protogenos of time was the very first being to The Protogenos of the day, rose up from the ends emerge at creation self-formed. He was a of the earth to scatter the dark mists of night, spread three-headed, incorporeal being with serpentine tail, across the heavens by her mother Nyx, and reveal to who circled the whole of creation, entwined with his the earth below the bright shining blue of the Aether, consort . her protogenic consort.

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HYDROS TARTARUS (Tartaros) The Protogenos of water. Together with the earth The Protogenos of the great stormy pit which lay he formed the primeval Mud. Hydros was usually beneath the roots of the earth. He was the anti- equated with the earth-encircling, fresh-water Titan heaven: just as the dome of heaven arched high above . the earth, Tartarus arched beneath her. The Titans were imprisoned in his depths. NESOI The Protogenoi of the islands. Their rocky forms were TETHYS broken from the earth by and cast into the The Protogenos of the flow of fresh-water. She was an sea. aspect of all-nourishing Mother Nature. From Tethys and her husband Oceanus the rivers, springs and NYX clouds drew their waters. The Protogenos of night, Nyx drew the dark mists of her consort, Erebus, across the heavens at night, cloaking the bright light of the heavenly aether. Her The Protogenos of the sea or sea’s surface. She was anthropomorphic form was of a woman clothed in born of Aether (light) and Hemera (day). Mixing with star-spangled mantle. the deep waters of (sea) Thalassa spawned the schools of fish. OCEANUS (Okeanos) The Protogenos of the great earth-encircling, THESIS fresh-water river Oceanus. From his flow every river, The Protogenos of creation. She was similar to Tethys, spring and rain-bearing cloud was sprung. His Mother Nature’s great nurse. anthropomorphic form was that of a horned man with the tail of a serpentine fish in place of legs. (Ouranos) The Protogenos of the solid dome of heaven, whose OUREA form stretched from one horizon to the other. He The Protogenoi of the mountains. Their rocky forms sprung forth from Gaea the Earth at the beginning of were born of Gaea the Earth. creation. Later his son , seized and castrated him, as he descended to consort with Mother Earth. PHANES The Protogenos of generation, the creator-god. He was sprung from a silver egg, the seed of creation, at the beginning of time, and set the universe in order. Phanes was also named Eros or simply ProtogonosSample file (the First Born). According to some swallowed him whole o gain supremacy over the universe.

PHUSIS The Protogenos of nature. “Mother Nature” was one of the first beings to emerge at creation. She was related to both Gaea and Tethys. PONTUS (Pontos) The Protogenos of the sea. He sprung from Gaea the Earth at the beginning of creation, when the elements of the universe were set in their proper order. Though these Primodrial Dieties are recognised as the root of Mythos race they are not credited with the creation of the world, instead being seen largely as tools of a greater power that put them to work in a manner similar to the theory that the archangel ‘Lightbringer’ (Lucifer Morningstar) was credited with causing the big-bang before his fall. Mythos do not worship these dieties, rather pay them respect as one would an elder.

Shortly after creation was complete, but crucially before the creation of the Pandora, the Primordial Dieties vanished.

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THE FATE OF EROS

Whilst the Primordial Dieties disappeared from this world (and indeed from conversations held with high-ranking Arkana they have not been sighted on any layer of creation), one lingered behind to explore this new land. The being known as Eros saw great potential in this new world and played a role in encouraging first plant life and then later mankind to spread and develop. Knowing that his primordial power would make him a target for those beings who sought to possess it, he created a fictional identity among his grandchildren, the Olympians as the fictional son of Aphrodite and , later renamed ‘Cupid’ by the Romans.

Then, in an unnamed city, a king and queen gave birth to three daughters, each possessing great beauty. The youngest of these, a woman named Psyche, drew the attention of many admirers and the ire of Aphrodite (then named Venus), who took insult at suggestions that Psyche was her daughter from an unseemly union between a goddess and a mortal. In her anger she asked Eros to use his power to make Psyche fall in love with an animal, that her love may go wasted. Eros, however fell in love with Psyche himself upon seeing her. Venus agreed that he could have her for his own, but asked him truthfully if he could ever know she loved him for who he was or for the power of attraction he wielded, setting seeds of doubt into his mind.

Psyche and her family became increasingly worried that she would never find a husband, for although men admire her beauty, they always seem content to marry others. Psyche’s father prayed to for help, who instructed her to go to the top of a hill, where she would marry not a man but a serpent. Psyche bravely followed these instructions and fell asleep on the hill where the West Wind found her and carried her away. When she woke she discovered a beautiful palace and upon entering found a table laden with fine food and wine. At night, in the dark so that his face could not be seen, Eros appeared to her and explained that she was to be his wife. Fearful that he would be recognized for his true self and not his Cupid persona, Eros hid his face and encouraged Psyche to love him for his personality and deeds instead of for his looks.

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