bloodworshipped

#BLOODWORSHIPPED   —   an indie & private dual muse blog
depicting DIONYSUS AND POSEIDA1  from greek mythology.
   written by  SUNNY  (she/they, 25+)    PLEASE READ GUIDELINES FIRST. 
NOT NONNUS NOR OVID-FRIENDLY

1 poseida is my transfem reinterpretation of the greek god poseidon.
SHE IS NOT A GENDERBENT/CISBENT CHARACTER

Half gods are worshipped
in wine and flowers

Real gods require blood

This section will not show up on the carrd itself, this is here for instruction purposes only. You can delete this section if you want. If you have an issue or need help that isn't covered in the tips below, you are welcome to contact me for help via my askbox @rcsea on tumblr.

Terms of Use

  • Edit as much as you like, but don't remove any credits present. They are the small © symbols. Leave them alone. You may change the color to match your custom palette for your carrd but do not make them invisible or hard to see.

  • Don't claim as your own work OR use this template as a base for a different template OR use it for any commissions, paid or not. If you use this template, I don't care how much you edit it, go wild, but the credit has to stay intact and you cannot claim it as your own.

  • Do not use to promote illegal, harmful, or hateful content. No burn books, no hate blogs, no callout blogs, nothing of the sort.

Image Sizing

  • The banner on the front page is most suited for images at a 3:1 or 2:1 ratio depending on personal preference. It should be at least 1000px wide for best results. (The one that comes with the template is 2000px wide.)

  • The tall image in the bio section is at a 9:16 ratio. It will also resize based on width. If you make the bio longer, you may want a taller image, or to add another column to the container so it does not outgrow the image too much and make the spacing look weird. The image here will work best with the current spacing if it is at least 450px wide or greater.

  • If you need help with image sizing, or re-sizing anything / fixing spacing, you're more than welcome to shoot me a message on my blog and I'll try to help when I can.

How to Add More NPCs

  • The NPCs on the connections page are divided into rows of three. There is a new container for every row to prevent uneven spacing. To add more, you need to duplicate the container as a new one instead of adding to the same one, keeping only to a row of three per container.

  • Make a copy of the image and description sections and move them into place. There should only be two things to copy per new NPC.

  • If a row has an empty space with no NPC, click on the container, select the column that is empty (left, middle, or right) and check the box that says "use as spacer". If you have two NPCs in a row instead of three and want them to center, delete the empty column and the other two will adjust automatically. If you need to re-add the column later when adding another NPC, just click "add column" and the sizes should also automatically adjust in that case as well.

Code for Scroll Bar

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Eu mi bibendum neque egestas congue quisque egestas diam. Maecenas accumsan lacus vel facilisis volutpat est. Diam sollicitudin tempor id eu. Ac odio tempor orci dapibus. Tristique senectus et netus et. Donec ultrices tincidunt arcu non sodales neque sodales ut etiam.

Ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit aliquam etiam erat. Aliquam faucibus purus in massa. Facilisi morbi tempus iaculis urna id volutpat. Pharetra sit amet aliquam id diam maecenas ultricies. Sed lectus vestibulum mattis ullamcorper. Ac orci phasellus egestas tellus. Nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Mi bibendum neque egestas congue quisque. Sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris. Accumsan lacus vel facilisis volutpat. Tempus quam pellentesque nec nam. Morbi quis commodo odio aenean sed adipiscing diam donec. Leo integer malesuada nunc vel risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan.

Elit duis tristique sollicitudin nibh sit. Iaculis at erat pellentesque adipiscing commodo elit at imperdiet dui. Pretium viverra suspendisse potenti nullam ac tortor vitae purus faucibus. Amet aliquam id diam maecenas ultricies. Sed pulvinar proin gravida hendrerit. Lacus suspendisse faucibus interdum posuere lorem ipsum dolor sit. Aliquet sagittis id consectetur purus ut faucibus pulvinar. Et magnis dis parturient montes. Elit pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et. Est sit amet facilisis magna etiam tempor orci eu. Amet facilisis magna etiam tempor orci. Laoreet suspendisse interdum consectetur libero id faucibus nisl tincidunt eget. Integer vitae justo eget magna fermentum.
DEFAULT

  • overflow-y: scroll;

  • min-height: 100px;

  • max-height: 440px;

  • overflow-y: scroll;

  • min-height: 100px;

  • max-height: 550px;

MOBILE

  • overflow-y: scroll;

  • min-height: 100px;

  • max-height: 250px;

  • overflow-y: scroll;

  • min-height: 100px;

  • max-height: 350px;

Code for Dio's Signature

Middleburg

Ariadne, my love, my starlight

omelette du fromage

Hi my name is Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way and I have long ebony black hair (that’s how I got my name) with purple streaks and red tips that reaches my mid-back and icy blue eyes like limpid tears and a lot of people tell me I look like Amy Lee (AN: if u don’t know who she is get da hell out of here!). I’m not related to Gerard Way but I wish I was because he’s a major fucking hottie. I’m a vampire but my teeth are straight and white. I have pale white skin. I’m also a witch, and I go to a magic school called Hogwarts in England where I’m in the seventh year (I’m seventeen). I’m a goth (in case you couldn’t tell) and I wear mostly black. I love Hot Topic and I buy all my clothes from there. For example today I was wearing a black corset with matching lace around it and a black leather miniskirt, pink fishnets and black combat boots. I was wearing black lipstick, white foundation, black eyeliner and red eye shadow. I was walking outside Hogwarts. It was snowing and raining so there was no sun, which I was very happy about. A lot of preps stared at me. I put up my middle finger at them.“Hey Ebony!” shouted a voice. I looked up. It was…. Draco Malfoy!“What’s up Draco?” I asked.“Nothing.” he said shyly.But then, I heard my friends call me and I had to go away.

►
♬
i don't know where i'm going, but i know where i've been. and it's never in the nowhere, it's in the not giving in. and when the earth is slippin', trippin', right underneath our feet, remember that we're not finished — we're not finished.
var audio = document.getElementById("tune"); audio.volume = 0.5;

discord: by request   
wire: n/a   

  carrd last updated on  
may 01, 2025

  sunny     25+     she/they     est  

[       Blogroll         —         Content Warnings       ]

Disclaimer

  THERE IS NO TRUE CANON IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY  

since greek mythology originates from a rich oral tradition, it has no true canon. although many ancient greeks agreed upon some characteristics for their gods that could be considered canon—such as hephaestus being disabled, for instance—certain details of their mythos can differ depending not only on the region but also on the time period. the tale of arachne alone has many variations on why athena turned arachne into a spider; to give an example, an obscure version claimed that athena did so out of disgust when she caught arachne and her brother, phalanx—a brother who only existed in this version—in the throes of incestuous passion. and, as if that wasn't scandalous enough, both arachne and phalanx were athena's pupils.all of this is to say is that greek mythology allows for a lot of creative freedom—which is truly a blessing for people like me. more tba.

  MYTHOLOGY =/= RELIGION  

the ancient greeks used their mythology to make sense of the natural world around them.why does life become still and silent during winter, for instance?“ oh, that's because demeter is grieving the loss of her daughter, persephone, ” reasoned the ancient greeks.although not intended to impart moral lessons, myths such as the one told in homeric hymn to demeter paint a story. to further use demeter's tale as an example, persephone's abduction by hades is meant to symbolize how suddenly a maiden's coming-of-age can feel. demeter's desperation to find her missing daughter is supposed to make you feel sympathetic towards her plight; it is NOT supposed to make you think that she was an abusive mother who was only smothering persephone and that persephone secretly hated her. such a misconception is just one of many ways in which modern-day people FAIL to understand the cultural context of these myths.as stated before, greek mythology was used to make sense of the natural world. however, it was also used as entertainment. despite this, however—or, perhaps, because of this—there was some contention amongst the ancient greeks regarding how their gods were portrayed in the myths. the philosophers in particular were the most critical. xenophanes of colophon, for example, was a staunch critic of homer ( as well as other poets ) and, thus, cared not for how the greek gods were portrayed in homeric works ( nor greek mythology as a whole ). the gods' human-like vices were seen as disgraceful in the eyes of him and those who thought like him.despite the distaste from some, though, the ancient greeks were generally proud of their mythology. myths were not just stories that they would orally pass down from generation to generation—they were culturally significant. furthermore, there was a distinction in the minds of the ancient greeks from how the gods are like in mythology to how they are like in their religion. although many modern-day people, for example, may decry zeus as being nothing more than a philanderer, the ancient greeks saw zeus first and foremost as a wise and just king. on that note, his dalliances were seen as appropriate for a king because it demonstrated his virility. essentially, values dissonance comes into play while discussing the myths and it's important to remember that mythology =/= religion.

  THIS IS JUST FOR FUN  

Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.Pariatur autem yet nostrum for illum fugit accusantium ratione. Do ullamco. Eu culpa yet ab so aliqua aspernatur. Nesciunt natus inventore, sint cillum laboriosam so voluptatem. Veritatis. Sunt. Tempor odit voluptate, for architecto so magnam. Corporis laudantium yet velitesse and eaque. Accusantium irure quae so exercitation magni.

ACTIVITY LEVEL low INTERACTIONS accepting INBOX open SHIPPING accepting ( multiship )

Do Not Interact ( DNI )

  • if you are bigoted in any way. ooc racism, ableism, lgbtqia+ phobia, xenophobia, and other forms of bigotry and prejudice will not be tolerated here.

  • if you are against trans headcanons ( or acespec headcanons for that matter ). read the above.

  • if you are a minor. nothing personal—it's just that I prefer my blogs to be adults-only spaces because I feel more comfortable interacting with people my own age.

  • if you are a pedophile or identify as a "minor-attracted person" ( map )—otherwise I will not hesitate to block you. thank you.

  • if you romanticize or glorify sensitive topics. please note that when I say this, I don't mean merely depict a sensitive topic in your writing. vladimir nabokov, for example, wrote lolita to bring awareness to the sexualization and exploitation of minors. the reader is essentially supposed to root against the pov character, humbert humbert. these kind of depictions—and other such explorations—I have no problem with so long as the sensitive topic is handled with the delicacy and respect that it deserves. that said, I object to the use of horrific current events as the basis for a storyline and will reject anyone who tactlessly suggests such a plot. in short, please be mindful of your actions.

GUIDELINES

  BLOG MAINTENANCE  

GENERAL MAINTENANCE 
I like to consider myself a very low-maintenance roleplay partner. although I do tend to become enthusiastic once I warm up to someone—which usually doesn't take long—I try not to be overbearing. if someone that I'm talking with hasn't been responsive in a while, for example, then I typically wait a few days to a week before poking them again ( depending on how close we are ). if they don't respond still even after receiving a few spaced out pokes, then I just leave them be. although I may still care for them, I'll see that trying to get their attention has been ineffective, so the ball will be in their court. 
likewise, I am extremely patient when it comes to replies. I'm as slow as a snail, neurodivergent, and, like so many, have real-life responsibilities—so, I can understand if others may be slow because of similar such reasons. 
basically, take as much time as you need! just please allow me the same courtesy. 
FORMATTING 
my formatting's simple: small text, no spacing, the use of bold and italic for emphasis, strikethroughs for when a muse is in denial of something, and, most recently, the use of big text for even greater emphasis. on your end, feel free to be as minimal or as detailed as you'd like—just please don't overdo it with the spacing.

  • re: icons: for this blog, I'm iconless. don't know if that will change sometime in the distant future—but that is the way things are right now, nevertheless.

  • when I do use icons, however, I typically go for an animated face claim—with a custom design to be specific—because I can't help but feel like animated faces are much more expressive.

  • addendum: while I'm not against roleplaying against those who use live-action face claims—and, in fact, find the divide between live-action and animated face claims to be quite silly ( just roger rabbit it, fam )—live-action face claims are personally not for me because, preference for animated face claims aside, I don't wanna risk using one only to find out later that who I chose was canceled for saying or doing something problematic.



  ROLEPLAY ETIQUETTE  

standard roleplay etiquette rules apply! in other words: no metagaming, no godmodding, no forced shipping, etc.

  • addendum: the only instance in which I would allow godmodding is if it's relatively minor and moves the story along ( e.g., your muse assuming that my muse passed them something after they asked for it ). if there's ever any doubt, don't be afraid to ask!

  • for the sake of everyone's comfort, any major plot element should to be discussed in detail beforehand to make sure that everyone is on board with the direction that the thread is heading in.

also, please reblog memes from the source whenever possible ( especially if you're not planning on sending something in ) as that would be most appreciated.

  • addendum: musings, aesthetics, psas, and the like are fair game. feel free to reblog those from me if you happen to follow me. I promise you that I don't mind—especially not if we're mutuals!

absolutely no drama. just. no.

  • addendum: fictional drama? all for it (especially if there's an interesting plot twist).

  • real-life drama, on the other hand? sorry but it's a hard no from me, love.

  • I'm fine if you wanna vent—but please keep me out of your personal drama. I did not care for that in high school and I certainly don't care for that now.

lastly, while I am personal-friendly, please refrain from spamming my blog with likes if you happen to enjoy my content, dear personals! liking my posts? fine! commenting on them? also fine! just don't spam me and we're good.
( for those who don't know, personals are non-rp blogs )

  GENERAL INTERACTIONS  

CROSSOVERS
GIVE THEM TO ME PLEASE 😭

  • re: pjo characters: I'm open to interacting with them, so long as it's clear that my dio and po are different from their pjo counterparts.

  • re: hades characters: I'm open to interaction as well—but only in the multiverse crossover sense since my lore is quite different from the lore found within the game; in my lore, for example, zagreus was the past life of dionysus and the first born to chaos—which is a far cry from the zagreus in the game since that zag is the son of hades and persephone.

DUPLICATES / DOUBLES / VARIANTS aka twinsies !!
basically, I'm alright with them !!
if you write as any of my muses, let it be known that I am totally down to interact with you!

  • addendum: that said, I understand that not everyone is comfortable with the idea of interacting duplicates ( as they're more commonly called ) and, if that's the case with you, that's perfectly fine. I have no problem with that and I will happily stay in my own lane if that's what you need. 💜

  • if you write the same muse as me and I am uncertain as to how you feel about duplicates, then I typically will not follow first to save us both any potential awkwardness or discomfort.

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ( OCS )
OUGH, I LOVE THEM 😭

  • addendum: that said, I will only interact with child of dionysus or child of poseidon poseida ocs on a case-by-case basis. ( also, prior discussion is required. )

  • my dionysus isn't the type to have children with a random fling—so, that's one thing.

  • another thing is that, by default, ariadne is the only woman dio has ever loved in a romantic way—to the point that he considers her to be The Only Woman for him; because of his ari bias, any other woman that may hope to romance him would be experiencing a dating sim in Nightmare Mode.

  • all of this is to say is that it would be especially unlikely for my dio if a child of his was born out of a fling with a woman.

  • fortunately, though, po is far less particular. with her, at least, I can see a child coming about because of a whirlwind romance.



  SHIPPING  

😭 PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE—!
I mean, uh— 😳
like most people on this hellsite, I simply love shipping. romantic, platonic, familial—you name it! ☺️
friendships and found family dynamics will always have a special place in my heart—so if, at any point, you ever wanna plot out a brotp, then feel free to let me know !!
as for romance, I tend to operate by a if it happens, it happens type of philosophy. this is not to say that I dislike romantic shipping—I actually love it a lot and get embarrassingly excited whenever I have a new ship—but rather that it's not going to be a huge priority here on the blog.

[       Test Shipping Compatibility         ]

  • addendum: I am of legal age, so that generally means that I can write smut if I may so wish.

  • that said, I'd prefer to write smut only with those I have established an ooc rapport with ( and, ideally, on discord if I had the choice ).

although incest is unavoidable in greek mythology—because of how everyone in the greek pantheon alone is related to each other—divine incest ( i.e., incest amongst the gods ) will not be fetishized nor romanticized. it just is what it is.

  ABOUT THE MUN  

hello!
my name is sunny ☀️
I'm a demigirl, have two degrees in psychology, and, as any of my friends will tell you, I'm a real yapper, lol 🤭
gotta be honest with y'all, though. I'm not really good at this whole talking about myself thing—to the point that my struggle had unfortunately affected even my grades—but I'll give it a good ol' go! let's see now...
an important thing that y'all should know about me is that I have been formally diagnosed with autism since early october 2023. before I had ever received my official diagnosis, I had suspected that I could be autistic based on signs that I had come to reflect on.
growing up, I had always been different from my peers—different from my family even. in latino culture, for instance—I'm a first generation cuban-american immigrant—it's expected that you will be demonstrative with your love, that you will hug and kiss even total strangers at family gatherings. as someone who's reserved by nature, that never really sat right with me. I also wasn't terribly fond of just how loud the music would get at parties. ( whenever latinos got together, it was like they were all determined to let the world know. ) it was all so overstimulating to me and I felt like such an oddball for being the only one bothered by it.
now, I could go on and on about the other signs that I've realized—but that's just gonna be lore that y'all are gonna have to unlock 🤭
anyhow, here are some of my interests!

  • greek mythology ( SHOCKER I KNOW )

  • tmnt ( this one might surprise some of y'all 👀 )

  • disney ( but not, like, to disney adult levels, lol )

  • sailor moon ( aka the origin for my OBSESSION with magical girls )

  • fairy tales ( even own a few books! )

  • writing ( obviously, asdfghjkl )

  • FOOD ( I like to consider myself a bit of a foodie ngl )



  FOLLOWING & UNFOLLOWING  

re: following: I like to think of myself as selective—but, in practice, I tend to follow back relatively easily because I like to give most people a shot. if I'm unfamiliar with your muse's source material, that's usually not an issue. in cases like that, I tend to think of such a muse as an oc that I just might like.
re: unfollowing: since I tend to have a hard time letting go of attachments—it's the pisces moon in me—I rarely ever break mutual status first. ( since I'm mutuals only, in fact, I'm more likely to unfollow if I'm not followed back. ) should you wish to no longer be mutuals, please simply unfollow me, so I can unfollow you back. I prefer that over softblocking because it feels much less confusing ( to me ).
what will increase the odds of me giving you a follow:

  • good vibes ☺️ ( essentially, I like it when others feel fun and approachable )

  • comprehensive information on your muse that's easily accessible ( and regardless of whether your muse is a canon character or an oc )

  • clear signs of passion for your muse

what will make me unlikely to follow in the first place:

  • bad vibes 😬 ( this includes vague posts because, um, no. if your feathers are that ruffled, then either vent to your friends or try to work things out with the offender in private—NOBODY needs to know your dirty laundry🤨)

  • lack of information on your muse ( at least include some basic details about them such as their name, age, gender, orientation, and a brief bio! anything—even a wiki link—is better than nothing )

  • you reblog callout posts frequently 👀

TO SUM IT ALL UP

  DO  

  • feel free to befriend me ( I LOVE making new friends! )

  • tell me if you see the potential for a ship

  • communicate with me if there's an issue ( I'm not a mind reader )

  • feel free to interact if you have an oc or a crossover muse

  • spontaneously share headcanons and ideas with me

  DON'T  

  • pressure me into anything

  • rush me

  • involve me in drama

  • godmod or engage in metagaming

  • make zero effort to plot or exchange ideas

AND, AS ALWAYS, REMEMBER THAT MUN =/= MUSE

Content Warnings

PLEASE NOTE THAT

  • when I say that certain content may show up in interactions, that I DON'T mean that it will show up just because

  • in the case of potentially triggering content, it will only manifest in the form of self-reflection or trauma-sharing

  • which means that I will NOT randomly be like "hey, you know what we should do? write out something that features your muse experiencing [ insert horrific thing here ] !! LOL, wouldn't that be FUN? 😸"

  • in other words, I will not write potentially triggering content if it's something that's actively occurring

  • the only exception to the rule above is if I'm dealing with a dark scenario that makes heavy use of dead dove do not eat ( such as a villain wins type of au ); in that case, then, plotting is a requirement before we proceed.

NO EXCEPTIONS

FOR ME, PLEASE TAG NEEDLES IF IT'S IMAGERY

CONTENTFREQUENCY / SEVERITYTAGGED AS
bloodwill appear in writing untagged; any visuals will be taggedblood tw
child abusepart of po's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriatechild abuse tw
child deathpart of dio's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriatechild death tw
child neglectpart of po's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriatechild neglect tw
child sexual abusepart of dio's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriatecsa tw
corrective rapepart of dio's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriatecorrective rape tw, rape tw
goremay appear in writing; will be tagged no matter the mediumgore tw
groomingpart of dio's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriategrooming tw
miscarriagepart of po's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriatemiscarriage tw
parent deathpart of dio's backstory; may appear in headcanons or interactions if appropriateparent death tw
pregnancypart of both dio and po's backstory; will appear tagged in writing; visuals are unlikeypregnancy cw
sexual contentmay appear in headcanons, interactions, and some musingsnsfw cw, suggestive cw
violencemay appear in writing; will be tagged no matter the mediumviolence tw

Blogroll

BLOG URLBLOG TYPERP BLOG?ACTIVITY LEVELOTHER
bloodworshippeddual-museyesfluctuatesmain blog ( i.e., can follow back )
diocoreaesthetic blognofluctuatesside-blog ( to bloodworshipped )
pocoreaesthetic blognofluctuatesside-blog ( to bloodworshipped )
choppingportalssingle-museyesinactivemain blog ( i.e., can follow back )
leo-inspoaesthetic blognofluctuatesside-blog ( to choppingportals )

Are You Dio's TYpe?

old man silver foxuptightgrump / sourpusssoft centerdoesn't try to cage him nor smother him
passionatebadassadorkableHIMBOgomez addams-level of devotion
THICC 💜bold / fieryFREE SPACE💪 STRONKemotionally repressed in some way
curiousauthenticknowledgeableintimidatingthere's something VERY wrong with you
can be playfulpossessivecapable of self-reflectiondog-codedunafraid to be different / bucks the curve

automatic bingo: you are ariadne

Are You Po's TYpe?

has a kind hearthonorablebrilliant mindMONSTER 💜willing to be vulnerable
patientloyalanimal loverwell-readdoesn't try to force her out of her shell
understandingon the taller sideFREE SPACEprotectiveshows love via words of affirmation
misunderstoodamazonian builddoesn't mind silenceloves to cuddleappreciates handmade gifts
cold exteriordoesn't hate childrenadept at socializingmysteriousdoesn't devalue her nor try to change her

automatic bingo: you are nerites
( or a beautiful woman )

PSA

WILL do mains and affiliates
( britney vc gimme, gimme more )

WON'T do exclusives of any kind
( sorry, but it's just not for me )

PANTHEON

PLEASE NOTE THAT

  • affiliate status is for characters whose canon is extensively tied with mine

  • if you are an affiliate, then you are automatically a main

  • I'm open to having multiple mains for the same character

CHARACTERWRITERBLOG URLSTATUS
  HERA  m.willedstubbornaffiliated
  ATHENA  m.ofcunningwilesaffiliated
  HARMONIA  mirandaircnwroughtaffiliated
  ARIADNE  apissingofusaffiliated
  MYTHOS & PJO MUSES  monarchknife-likeaffiliated
  JOHNNY BRAVO  acemaaskulinemain
  ALL MUSES  acepiinkponyclubmain
  ELSA  opheliavintersangmain
  ARIEL  eclipseofmywcrldmain

NPCS / GUEST MUSES

PLEASE NOTE THAT

MY INCLUSION OF THESE CHARACTERS AS NPCS / GUEST MUSES
DOES NOT MEAN THAT I AM NOT OPEN TO
INTERACTING WITH FULL-FLEDGED MUSE VERSIONS OF THEM.

my version is simply meant to provide me with the comfort of having a default canon to refer to. these specific characters were chosen because they've had an impact on either one of my muses or the overall narrative ( or both in the case of kronos ).

  HERACLES   

mighty HERACLES, the one famed for his twelve labors—not to mention sexual prowess—and the epitome of an ancient greek hero. more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—ally

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    bisexual  PARENTAGE    zeus and alcmene

  PAN   

descriptor PAN, the one more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—ally

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    pansexual  PARENTAGE    hermes and penelopeia

  ARIADNE   

clever ARIADNE, the one who was instrumental in theseus finding his way through the labyrinth. so clever—and yet so naive to put all of her hopes for freedom into the hands of a man she only thought she knew. poor ariadne. she thought she had found the one, the perseus to her andromeda, the hero who would save her—but, instead, he had left her. alone she was when she awoke on that island—and alone she was when she perished on its very shores. once in hades, she haunted a maze of her own creation and never talked to anyone, never even looked at anyone. every day was a darker shade of grey—until dionysus painted color over it.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—love interest

  GENDER    trans woman—she/her  ORIENTATION    pansexual  PARENTAGE    minos and pasiphae

  AMPELOS   

descriptor AMPELOS, the one more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—love interest

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    bisexual  PARENTAGE    a satyr and a nymph

  NERITES   

descriptor NERITES, the one more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—love interest

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    pansexual  PARENTAGE    nereus and doris

  MEDUSA   

descriptor MEDUSA, the one more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—love interest

  GENDER    agender—dual-sexed, she/her  ORIENTATION    demiromantic bisexual  PARENTAGE    phorcys and ceto

  NEREUS   

noble NEREUS, the one who provides counsel for the ruler of the sea profound. more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—mentor

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    heterosexual  PARENTAGE    gaea and pontus

  SILENUS   

descriptor SILENUS, the one more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—mentor

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    omnisexual  PARENTAGE    pan and a nymph

  ZAGREUS   

descriptor ZAGREUS, the one more tba.

STORY ROLE
supporting character—mentor

  GENDER    agender—amab, he/they  ORIENTATION    aromantic asexual  PARENTAGE    chaos

  KRONOS   

cunning KRONOS, the one who dared to usurp ouranos—a cruel king and even crueler father. humanity thrived under his rule, never knowing hunger, pain, nor even old age. a golden age it was. but disharmony sought to destroy all that he has built, all that he has cultivated. he couldn't have that. more tba.

STORY ROLE
antagonist—villain

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    heterosexual  PARENTAGE    gaea and ouranos

  TYPHON   

terrible TYPHON, the one who brought zeus to his knees. the bane of olympus was he. more tba.

STORY ROLE
antagonist—villain

  GENDER   cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    bisexual  PARENTAGE    gaea and tartarus

  IXION   

bold IXION, the one who spat in the face of hospitality by lusting after the god-king's wife. though born a commoner, that mattered little in a time where titles among mortals had yet to catch on. ixion's handsomeness and skill in the hunt earned him the admiration of many men and the adoration of just as many women. this constant fawning inflated ixion's ego. although initially satisfied with the prospect of marrying dia, daughter of deioneus—for she was almost as fair as he was—he secretly hungered for more. if any mortal was worthy enough to bed a goddess, after all, it was him—thus, to him, it only seemed like fate when zeus recognized his greatness and invited him to join the gods at their table.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
ixion's version of events couldn't be further from the truth. in actuality, zeus took pity on him for becoming the first mortal to commit the act of kin-slaying since that meant he was shunned from his community ( a community that once worshipped the ground he walked on no less ).

STORY ROLE
antagonist—villain

  GENDER    cis man—he/him  ORIENTATION    heterosexual  PARENTAGE    two early humans

THE DUAL-SEXED

the term dual-sexed refers to an intersex classification that only naturally occurs among monsterkind, the semi-divine—such as nymphs, for example—and those of divine heritage. to qualify as dual-sexed, a person needs to have unambiguous male and female genitalia. this lack of ambiguity is what inspired the term dual-sexed in the first place. that said, while a dual-sexed person is theoretically capable of both impregnation and becoming pregnant, not every dual-sexed person is created equal. for some, their fertility may be greater, while for others, their virility may be where they truly shine. rarely ever is a dual-sexed person equally fertile and virile—and there have even been cases in which they may struggle to conceive a child altogether. also, while it is not always the case, dual-sexed people tend to look androgynous in some way. lastly, much like intersex humans, dual-sexed people can be of any gender identity.

the inspirations for this idea:

  • cybele, a phrygian mother goddess who was canonically born intersex ( see source below—tw for interphobia )

PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE 7. 17. 8 (TRANS. JONES) (GREEK TRAVELOGUE C2ND A.D.) :
“ the local [phrygian] legend about him [attis] being this. zeus [i.e. the phrygian sky-god identified with zeus], it is said, let fall in his sleep seed upon the ground, which in course of time sent up a daimon, with two sexual organs, male and female. they call the daimon agdistis [kybele]. but the gods, fearing agdistis, cut off the male organ. there grew up from it an almond-tree with its fruit ripe, and a daughter of the river saggarios (sangarius), they say, took the fruit and laid it in her bosom, when it at once disappeared, but she was with child. a boy [attis] was born. ”

  • how the gods are often seen as the embodiments of nature and how varied nature, itself, is in gender and sex ( such as how clownfish can change sex depending on the circumstances, for example )

  • the existence of another canonically intersex deity—hermaphroditus ( from whose name we derive the scientific term hermaphrodite )

AUTHOR'S NOTE
granted, hermaphroditus does differ from cybele in that he was not born with both male and female sexual organs like she was; instead, he was noted to have a feminine figure—including female-presenting breasts—and just the male sexual organ. I thought that it was still worth mentioning him, though, because it shows that intersex bodies can vary widely even amongst the gods. also, it helps that—unlike cybele—hermaphroditus doesn't have a myth in which he was forced to align with a certain gender. in the information that can be found about him, he's commonly referred to with he/him pronouns—but his gender identity, itself, is left ambiguous. instead of being described as the son or daughter of hermes and aphrodite, for example, he's simply called their child. whether intended or not, I believe that both cybele coming to identify as a woman and hermaphroditus having an ambiguous gender identity can serve as a reflection for the variations in which intersex people can identify. some intersex people are trans. others may be cis. all, though, are worthy of being treated with basic respect and human decency.

RATIONALE

at first, I was gonna define dual-sexed as the ability to both impregnate and be impregnated; however, that's not necessarily the case for real-life intersex classifications, so I shifted the focus to unambiguously has both male and female sexual organs for two reasons: 1) to explain that fertility isn't a guarantee—for a dose of realism—and 2) to differentiate ( in-universe ) dual-sexed people from real-life intersex people. in many cases, intersexuality is very ambiguous. some intersex people, for example, may have a small vulva but internal testes instead of ovaries. the sheer number of possible variations alone are mind-bogglingly impressive—and being intersex doesn't affect just the appearance of one's genitalia nor just the functionality of one's reproductive system. it can also greatly affect one's sexual characteristics as whole. I chose medusa as an example of a dual-sexed person in-universe because if you look at ancient art depictions of her, she is very androgynous—to the point that she even has a beard. her androgyny just sorta inspired me to think about how non-humans in greek mythology could work differently tbh ( for a lack of a better word ).

FUN FACT
did you know that dryads have the highest dual-sexed population out of all the nymphs? 👀 ( many plant species are considered hermaphroditic—so, I thought this'd be a cool nod to that! )

FINAL THOUGHTS

for the most part, being dual-sexed—although comparatively rare to being born either male or female—is considered normal. also, it's common for parents of a dual-sexed baby to raise them as gender-neutral. nymphs differ from this norm since so many of their kind identify as women—to the point that they're often considered to be a mono-gender species. as a result, nymphs tend to assume that newborn nymphs identify as girls unless proven otherwise.

Dionysus

you began as a cosmic egg
and, with your hatching,
life flowed throughout
the infinite.

in the beginning, you were zagreus.the eldest born to chaos you were. you and your sister, gaea, were honored above all gods. more tba.Pariatur autem yet nostrum for illum fugit accusantium ratione. Do ullamco. Eu culpa yet ab so aliqua aspernatur. Nesciunt natus inventore, sint cillum laboriosam so voluptatem. Veritatis. Sunt. Tempor odit voluptate, for architecto so magnam. Corporis laudantium yet velitesse and eaque. Accusantium irure quae so exercitation magni.Quae accusantium. Non proident, but aliquid. Perspiciatis quae minima voluptas. Eius ullamco sunt or aperiam and do. Veniam ex. Dolorem. Id officia occaecat or iste dolor duis totam. Laboriosam numquam beatae. Consequatur explicabo yet incididunt. Fugiat odit or officia dolor eum aliquip. Consequat commodo explicabo. Consectetur. Ullamco illum unde dolorem. Ullamco lorem dolores but perspiciatis.Aute esse but quis, adipisicing. Omnis sed, modi, and ullam or ut illum. Amet nostrud. Mollit sed, iste for officia but quasi architecto. Irure dolorem exercitationem. Magnam sed so nostrum yet occaecat or ullam but voluptatem. Id veniam, nostrum. Consectetur. Esse. Aliquip ea. Excepteur nemo for ullam so aut.Lorem. Nihil dolore commodi for et, velit. Id sunt quaerat, magna. Accusantium lorem, perspiciatis quo fugiat in dolore. Nostrud enim nihil. Id aperiam.

Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.Pariatur autem yet nostrum for illum fugit accusantium ratione. Do ullamco. Eu culpa yet ab so aliqua aspernatur. Nesciunt natus inventore, sint cillum laboriosam so voluptatem. Veritatis. Sunt. Tempor odit voluptate, for architecto so magnam. Corporis laudantium yet velitesse and eaque. Accusantium irure quae so exercitation magni.Quae accusantium. Non proident, but aliquid. Perspiciatis quae minima voluptas. Eius ullamco sunt or aperiam and do. Veniam ex. Dolorem. Id officia occaecat or iste dolor duis totam. Laboriosam numquam beatae. Consequatur explicabo yet incididunt. Fugiat odit or officia dolor eum aliquip. Consequat commodo explicabo. Consectetur. Ullamco illum unde dolorem. Ullamco lorem dolores but perspiciatis.Aute esse but quis, adipisicing. Omnis sed, modi, and ullam or ut illum. Amet nostrud. Mollit sed, iste for officia but quasi architecto. Irure dolorem exercitationem. Magnam sed so nostrum yet occaecat or ullam but voluptatem. Id veniam, nostrum. Consectetur. Esse. Aliquip ea. Excepteur nemo for ullam so aut.Lorem. Nihil dolore commodi for et, velit. Id sunt quaerat, magna. Accusantium lorem, perspiciatis quo fugiat in dolore. Nostrud enim nihil. Id aperiam. Reprehenderit et for nesciunt.

the most fearful and yet most kind to men

hymn to
dionysus epithet

insert beautiful hymn here

BASICS

  NAME    dionysus
↪ name in ancient greek script: διονυσος
↪ greek pronunciation: dee·o·nuy·sos

BEHIND THE NAME
generally-speaking, the name dionysus is thought to mean child of zeus, young zeus, or even zeus of nysa ( nysa being the mythical mountain where dio is usually said to be raised; its location varies depending on who's telling the story ). a modern-day dionysus devotee—nyxshadowhawk—though, proposes the idea that, if taken in the abstract sense, dio's name could be extrapolated to mean divine child.

  NICKNAMES    responds to di or dio, but is always up for more nicknames—just don't call him sus unless you wanna have a drama queen on your hands.1  ALIASES    growing up, dionysus went by zagreus as a means to avoid detection from hera. however, he has also gone by pyrrha and ivy; the former name was given to him when he worked in a brothel, while the latter is what he chooses to go by when trying to pass as human. his most well-known alias, though, is easily william shakespeare—and, no, this is not him being cute nor cheeky, lmao; shakespeare and dionysus were essentially one-in-the-same ( see portrayal notes ).  AGE    3,000+ ( ageless )
↪ passes for late teens to early 20s ( college kid vibes )  DATE OF BIRTH    dec 21, 1269 BC ( winter solstice )2

SAGITTARIUS / CAPRICORN CUSP

↪ birth chart: sagittarius sun, scorpio moon, pisces rising + mercury in scorpio, mars in aquarius, venus in scorpio
↪ chinese zodiac: metal pig  BIRTHPLACE    zeus's thigh

EXCERPT FROM MASKS OF DIONYSUS
“ but unlike the images of hermes the trunk of dionysus on attic vases never has a phallus, not even the quiescent penis of later herms. ”3

  GENDER    genderfluid ( afab, any and all pronouns )
↪ physical transition ( if applicable ):
- has had non-binary top surgery—the magical equivalent of it, anyway ( since it was done via shapeshifting )
↪ note: this was simply because he prefers the look of a flat chest for himself ( rather than because he, himself, personally experiences gender dysphoria4 )- has masculinized his body in subtle ways ( i.e., slimming the hips, broadening the shoulders, slightly increased muscle mass, etc. ) but is uninterested in getting bottom surgery—no matter what the methodology is—purely because he doesn't mind what he's working with  ORIENTATION    acespec ( demiromantic demisexual—or just demi for short—why? ) with a preference for men
↪ fluctuates between sex-favorable and sex-neutral  SPECIES    demigod → deity
↪ became one of the main twelve olympian gods in the year 1235 BC at the age of 34 after experiencing many trials  SOCIAL CLASS    dionysus was born into the royal house of thebes—but, due to his illegitimate status, he never had any prospects of obtaining a title ( much less ruling5 ).  CURRENT RESIDENCE    if asked, dio would tell you that he is a wanderer at heart and, thus, considers the whole world to be his home. the truth of the matter, though, is that his home—his main home—is magically hidden away in a dimension of his making and it can only be accessed by stepping into the middle of a mushroom ring. once you step foot, you're in for a real trippy experience—and, if you're not careful, you might even trip head-first as you make it to the other side.besides that, he has a lovely summer home in naxos.  MARITAL STATUS    married 💍  OCCUPATION    public menace. besides doing his divine duties ( and his past as a brothel sex worker ), dionysus has been prolific in the voice acting scene—to the point of having voiced many beloved characters throughout the years—and has an active online presence; he's garnered fame, in fact, for his hilarious skits and impressions.in his pjo verse, dionysus is also the camp director for camp half-blood ( a position that he took willingly ). as camp director, dio wants to ensure that the campers ( whom he secretly thinks of as his cubs ) know how to protect themselves—but he also wants to enrich their lives and nurture their self-expression. thus, one of the first things he did upon taking up the job was establish a proper theatre program. theatre, he argued, serves well not only as a creative outlet but also as a tool to handle battles that cannot be won by fists.
↪ owned businesses ( if any ):

  • MYSTIQUE: a swanky nightclub that's known for its cool underground scene and tendency to magically change location. to maintain an air of mystery, patrons are only allowed entry if they know the current password.

  SIGNATURE   

Dionysus

PHYSICAL

  VOICE    light and bright—like a flute—with a melodic quality to it; at the same time, though, there is an intensity that lurks beneath the surface—almost as if dionysus is on the brink of launching into a dramatic monologue at any moment's notice.as the god of theatre, dionysus is the epitome of an actor and, as such, he always enunciates his words well ( unless, of course, he's playing a character ). his accent, itself, varies—once again, because of factors such as whether he's playing a character or not—but he tends to most often speak with an accent that is drenched with theatricality. essentially, dio speaks the queen's english by default. his natural accent is untraceable—a hypnotizing blend of several accents.

SINGING VOICE TYPE
an emotive tenor—think someone like jeremy jordan

  FACE CLAIM    n/a  HEIGHT    5'2" ( as a demigod ) → 5'8" ( after becoming a god )  WEIGHT    126 lbs.
↪ fun fact: lifting dio is like holding a couple of grapes🤭

❝ swoony type,
long hair, bedroom eyes,
cheeks like wine. ❞
― euripides, the bacchae
( tr. anne carson )

  APPEARANCE    when passing as a human, dionysus appears to mortals as an androgynous beauty in the spring of his youth. his red hair—red like cherry wine ( or like fresh blood )—suggests that he is no wrestler for it falls past his waist in soft curls. his light brown complexion carries that suggestion further for you can find nary a blemish on his svelte form. glowing amethyst eyes are framed by long, lovely lashes. see how they glint with mischief! how they delight at chaos! his blithe smile lures you into his orbit—almost as if he is beguiling you to dance with him through the power of his otherworldly charisma alone.who is this spellbinding creature? and what is his purpose? no one truly knows ( until it is too late ).one question remains, though: will you join the dance?
↪ alternate forms:
- the goat — slate grey skin, black hair, and crimson red eyes
- the ram — dusty rose skin, white hair, and gold eyes
- the bull — wisteria skin, purple hair, and emerald green eyes
- the fox — same phenotype as his default form but he has fox ears with three tails to match now
- the bombshell — basically, it's as if dio's pretty boi form had been feminized; the inspiration for this particular form comes from mise, a female aspect of dionysus ( see source below )

EXCERPT FROM ORPHIC HYMN 42. TO MISE
“ I call upon law-giving dionysos who carries the fennel stalk, unforgettable and many-named seed of eubouleus, and upon holy, sacred and ineffable queen mise, whose two-fold nature is male and female. ”

  PERSONAL STYLE    imagine a fairy-vampire—but they're a bard and you have dio's personal style in a nutshell. a lover of rich fabrics and luxurious details is dio. he is almost always dressed to the nines, making even a simple trip to the grocery store feel like a special occasion.  SCENT    myrrh with notes of amber ( just a touch ), ambrette, benzoin, cedarwood, frankincense, and helichrysum  SCARS    ( faint ) non-binary top surgery scars  PIERCINGS    initially, only his ears—but he eventually pierced his nipples and navel as well.  TATTOOS    twin floral tattoos underneath his chest—a modern-day development.  DOMINANT HAND    left ( but became ambidextrous )  PHYSICAL CONDITIONS    none to speak of  EATING HABITS    dio eats anything under the sun—aside from pickles ( and, even then, he can, at least, tolerate them )—and would likely be considered a walking trash can if it wasn't for his refined palette and impeccable table manners.

FOOD & DRINK FAVORITES
wine ( please try to contain your shock )
pasta ( especially if the sauce is meat-based )
pizza ( aka the ultimate party food )
asian cuisine ( in general )—but especially sashimi
masala chai ( iced or warm )
honey cake ( especially if it's made by his aunt hestia! )
warm milk that's been sweetened with honey ( his drink of choice for whenever he feels like binge-reading )
chocolate ( dark, milk, white—it's all good )
any sweet treat that's been flavored by cinnamon
literally any fruit ( so long as it's still fresh )

  SLEEPING HABITS    NIGHT OWL ALERT 🗣️also, dio has a terminal condition known as can't sleep in the same sleeping position consistently to save his life disease. he could be sprawled out on his front like a starfish one time, curled up on his side the next, and lying on his back some other time.“ why is he napping up in the trees? ” you may ask, noting his arm dangling from a high branch.mind your own business ?? 😤 /sillylisten.boi is basically a cat in human form because he can sleep practically anywhere—even in places ( not to mention sleeping positions ) that look like they would be uncomfortable to fall asleep in. how he does it could only be described as cat nonsense.

MENTAL

  PERSONALITY TRAITS   

POSITIVENEUTRALNEGATIVE
charismaticambitiousmanipulative
imaginativeflamboyantvindictive
resourcefulcunningbloodthirsty
free-spiritedunconventionalnosy

  MBTI    enfp-a ( the campaigner )  ENNEAGRAM    7w6 ( the entertainer )

SENSUAL ( SX ) / SOCIAL ( SO ) — THE BUTTERFLY
if you get too close, they'll gracefully flutter away onto the next flower. you can look, but not touch―like a peacock in a zoo. the SX / SO is the superstar or idol figure, a scintillating fantasy. their charisma and magnetism is unmatched―which makes them the rarest instinctual stacking.

  TEMPERAMENT    sanguine  MORAL ALIGNMENT    chaotic good  MAJOR ARCANA    the devil  CHARACTER ARCHETYPE    the seducer the rebel  HOGWARTS HOUSE    gryffindor-slytherin hatstall

LION PRIMARY / SNAKE SECONDARY

  • “ lion primaries trust their moral intuitions and have a need and a drive to live by them. they feel what’s right in their gut, and that matters and guides them. if they don’t listen to and act on that, it feels immoral. ”

  • “ a snake secondary’s defining constant is to change. they adapt to the situation, going with the flow and making use of advantages as they come. they are good at spotting unexpected opportunities and rapidly shifting their aim and approach in order to snatch up the possibilities in front of them. sometimes this leads them to appear lucky where they are actually better described as opportunistic. ”

  INTERESTS    all forms of theatre ( including musicals, ballet, the opera, and more ), performing ( mainly acting, singing, and dancing ), creative writing, reading, directing, cinematography, makeup artistry, costume design, whittling, psychology, hosting parties ( from the fanciest soirée to the wildest bacchanal ), winemaking, mixology, martial arts, parkour, figure skating, gardening, cooking, and baking
↪ instruments played ( if any ):
- lyre1 ( taught by instructor )
- tambourine ( self-taught )
- lute ( self-taught )
- piano ( self-taught )
- guitar ( self-taught )
- drums ( self-taught )
- saxophone ( self-taught )

LIKES
rebellion, wild animals, being out in nature, cemeteries, moonlit nights, storms, partying, art, poetry, clandestine meetings, tragedies and comedies, animation, pressing flowers into books, traveling, meeting new people, trying new food, expanding his horizens, adventure, shopping, roleplay, video games, hot gossip
DISLIKES
autocrats, denial of his divinity, when the good name of his loved ones is besmirched, harm being done to his followers, being compared to his family ( for good or bad ), double standards, sexual objectification, plagiarism, shameless cash grabs ( and, by extension, corporate greed as a whole ), violation of theatre etiquette, stage moms

  FEARS    being replaced or discarded for someone better, frogs—more of a repulsion, though, really2—being useless, being helpless, and trusting the wrong person.  MENTAL CONDITIONS    besides having audhd3—or, at least, likely being on the autism spectrum—and a case of "are you fuckin' good" disease, dio has the following conditions:- complex post-traumatic stress disorder ( cptsd )
↪ onset: infancy—but worsened after a series of traumatic events that occurred during late childhood ( tw for child sexual abuse ( CSA ), grooming, and corrective rape )
IMPORTANT: the link above leads to an essay that discusses these events and their psychological effects on dio in detail. essentially, though, all you need to really know is that dio’s childhood tutor groomed him and, as a result, gave him a skewed understanding of his own sexuality—to the point that he had to battle internalized acephobia for YEARS.
( because of how potentially triggering the content is, please read at your own risk )
↪ symptoms: anxiety, avoiding reminders of past trauma, difficulty forming close relationships4, distorted beliefs ( both about himself and about others ), distrustfulness, emotional numbness, flashbacks, hypervigilance, a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities5, nightmares, phantom touches
↪ status: stabilized with treatment—however, he can still be overcome with unwanted memories if he comes face-to-face with something that reminds him of past traumatic events- divine-induced madness
↪ onset: late teens
↪ symptoms: anxiety, aggression / hostility ( towards anyone that tried to remind him of his past and who he truly was—which was by design ), confusion, dissociation, hallucinations, huge lapses in memory6, the inability to recognize familiar faces, lamblike docility ( but especially towards those who worship hera—which was, again, by design ), persecutory delusions, sleep disturbances ( typically because of insomnia—but his sleep had also suffered due to recurring nightmares ), social withdrawal, uneasiness around others
↪ status: cured ( via divine intervention )- postpartum depression ( ppd )
↪ onset: late teens
↪ symptoms: feelings of hopelessness, lack of energy, mood swings, persistent sadness, postnatal psychosis, self-neglect
↪ status: gone ( gradually improved over time until, one day, it no longer plagued him )

  • ACTION FASHIONISTA

  • AGENT PEACOCK

  • AMBIGUOUSLY BROWN

  • ANGEL UNAWARE

  • ANIMAL MOTIFS: most notably big cats.

  • THE ATONER

  • BACK FROM THE DEAD

  • BADASS BOOKWORM

  • BARE-FISTED MONK

  • BASH BROTHERS: with heracles.

  • BERSERK BUTTON: denying his divinity, hurting his followers, and badmouthing his loved ones.

  • BEWARE THE NICE ONES

  • BEWARE THE SILLY ONES

  • BIG BROTHER MENTOR: in his pjo verse, dio serves as this to the demigods that he's in charge of.

  • BLOOD KNIGHT

  • BREAK THE CUTIE

  • BULLYING A DRAGON

  • CAMP

  • CHARIOT PULLED BY CATS

  • THE CHARMER

  • CHEERFUL CHILD: when dio was a child, he was a lil' sweetie that nearly always had a smile on his face!

  • THE CHESSMASTER

  • CHEST BURSTER: “ born out of zeus's thigh. interestingly, zeus had actually stitched him up in there after his mother had died to preserve him before birth. ”

  • CHIVALROUS PERVERT: while the chivalrous part is true, the pervert part is nothing more than a hilariously wrong assumption that people tend to have about him.

  • COMBAT PARKOUR

  • COMBO PLATTER POWERS

  • CONFUSION FU

  • CULTURED BADASS

  • CUTE BRUISER

  • DANCE BATTLER

  • DEADPAN SNARKER

  • DEATHLESS AND DEBAUCHED: a common perception of him that tends to get exaggerated.

  • DECONFIRMED BACHELOR

  • DERANGED DANCE

  • DREAM WALKER

  • DRIVEN TO MADNESS

  • DRUNKEN MASTER

  • DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY

  • EATING OPTIONAL

  • EVEN THE GUYS WANT HIM

  • GENRE SAVVY

  • GO MAD FROM THE REVELATION

  • GREEN THUMB

  • HALLOWEEN ENTHUSIAST

  • HAPPILY MARRIED

  • HARD-DRINKING PARTY GIRL

  • THE HEDONIST

  • HEROIC BASTARD

  • HORNED HUMANOID

  • HOT GOD

  • I HAVE MANY NAMES

  • ILLEGAL RELIGION

  • IN A SINGLE BOUND

  • IMMUNE TO DRUGS

  • INTERSPECIES FRIENDSHIP

  • INTERSPECIES ROMANCE

  • KUNG-FU WIZARD

  • LETTING HER HAIR DOWN

  • LIFE OF THE PARTY

  • THE LIGHTFOOTED

  • LIGHTNING BRUISER

  • LONG-HAIRED PRETTY BOY

  • MADE A SLAVE: nearly suffered this fate when he was kidnapped by pirates that one time.

  • MAD GOD

  • MAD ORACLE

  • MAGIC KNIGHT

  • MAGIC STAFF

  • MAGNETIC MEDIUM

  • MAYFLY–DECEMBER ROMANCE

  • MEANINGFUL NAME

  • MESSIANIC ARCHETYPE

  • MIND OVER MATTER

  • MIND RAPE

  • MIXED ANCESTRY IS ATTRACTIVE: dio tends to be exoticized because of his racially ambiguous appearance.

  • MOMMA'S BOY: so much so, in fact, that dio doesn't appreciate even wisecracks about his mother. you can joke about him all you want—but keep her out of it.

  • MULTIPLE-CHOICE PAST

  • MUSHROOM SAMBA

  • MYSTERIOUS PURPLE

  • MYSTERY CULT

  • NAKED ON ARRIVAL

  • NAMES TO RUN AWAY FROM REALLY FAST

  • NECROMANCER

  • NEVER GETS DRUNK: dio is a unique variation of this trope in that while he's not able to get drunk by default, he can choose to let alcohol affect him that way if he so wishes.

  • NICE GUY

  • NIGHTMARE FETISHIST

  • NO INDOOR VOICE

  • NO ONE COULD SURVIVE THAT!

  • NOT ENOUGH TO BURY

  • OBFUSCATING STUPIDITY

  • OMNIGLOT

  • ONE OF THE GIRLS

  • OUT-OF-CLOTHES EXPERIENCE

  • PAPA WOLF

  • PERFORMANCE ARTIST

  • PERKY GOTH

  • PHYSICAL GOD

  • PLAY-ALONG PRISONER

  • POINTY EARS

  • POP-CULTURED BADASS

  • THE POWER OF ACTING

  • POWER FLOATS

  • PSI BLAST

  • PSYCHIC-ASSISTED SUICIDE

  • PSYCHIC STRANGLE

  • PRAGMATIC PANSEXUALITY

  • RAG TAG BUNCH OF MISFITS

  • REALITY WARPER

  • SEX GOD

  • SEXY CAT PERSON

  • SHE-FU

  • THE SOCIAL EXPERT

  • SYMBIOTIC POSSESSION

  • THINKING UP PORTALS

  • TO HELL AND BACK

  • TORN APART BY THE MOB

  • THE TRICKSTER

  • UNKNOWINGLY IN LOVE

  • URBAN LEGEND LOVE LIFE

  • VOICE CHANGELING

  • VOLUNTARY SHAPESHIFTING

  • WALL CRAWL

  • WALKING THE EARTH

  • WARRIOR THERAPIST

  • "WELL DONE, SON" GUY

  • WHOLESOME CROSSDRESSER

  • WOULD HIT A GIRL

  • WORKING-CLASS HERO

  • YOUNG CONQUEROR

BACKGROUND

  PARENTS   - zeus, king of the gods, and semele, princess of thebes
↪ birth parents
- hades and persephone, king and queen of the underworld
↪ foster parents1
- demeter, goddess of the harvest
↪ mother figure  SIBLINGS    no full-blooded siblings to speak of—but he does have numerous ( paternal ) half-siblings; some of the most notable include athena, artemis, apollo, hermes, heracles, and helen of troy. ( maternal ) half-siblings include makaria and melinoë ( see background footnotes ).  BIRTH ORDER    baby of the bunch

  SIGNIFICANT OTHER   - ariadne, princess of crete ( wife )
↪ open relationship  NOTABLE OTHER LOVERS   - ampelos, a thracian satyr
↪ childhood friend and first love
- oineus and althaia, king and queen of calydon
↪ one-time threesome ( for the nsfw details, go → here )
- prosymnos, a shepherd from argos
↪ sort of—let me explain2
- adonis, an unfairly handsome mortal
↪ note: NOT REALLY, LMAO3
- ethan keller ( oc )  —  affiliated with knife-like
↪ pjo verse only  CRUSHES   - heracles
↪ if falling hard for someone after growing close to them while traveling together for many years counts as a crush
↪ confessed? LOL, NOPE ( he'd rather not talk about it )  CHILDREN   - nyssa ( oc )
↪ with ampelos
- pasithea
↪ with a mysterious stranger
- comus and thysa ( twins )
↪ with no partner
- oinopion, staphylos, thoas, and peparethus
↪ with ariadne
- castor and pollux ( twins )
↪ pjo verse only
- pandora keller ( oc )  —  affiliated with knife-like
↪ pjo verse only  PETS    bro has so many kitties, that he's like if a crazy cat lady was a twink. I'm talking big kitties. big, scary kitties that could easily maul you if you get too close.aside from his big cats, dio—bizarrely enough—has pets in the form of hera's peacocks. or, to put it more accurately, they adopted him as one of their own and it's a found family that dio just can't get out of ( and believe him—he's tried ). still, even though hera's peacocks have beef with him—as is the peacock way ( for they can have beef with even each other )—they're surprisingly supportive of his writing endeavors. well. as supportive as those caustic divas can be, anyway.( side-note: who could have ever guessed that peacocks would be suckers for romance? )  LANGUAGES    all of them, baby 😎  EDUCATION   

- from [ REDACTED ], dio learned standard school subjects such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. under his tutelage, he also learned poetry and music ( such as how to sing as well as play the lyre beautifully ).
- from aristaeus, dio learned beekeeping, mead-making, animal husbandry, how to skin and prepare meat, how to make oils ( such as olive oil ), and cheesemaking.
- from athena, dio learned battle strategy, the art of war—such as swordsmanship—and weaving.
- from chiron, dio learned archery, herbal medicine, horseback riding, the proper way to honor the gods ( such as what offerings to give them, for example, or how to ask for their help ), field surgery, philosophy, and stargazing; chiron also picked up where [ REDACTED ] left off.
- from demeter, dio learned agriculture and how to bend plants to his will; on top of that, his yia-yia—what he calls demeter ( a habit that he picked up from makaria )—also made sure that he was familiar with the kitchen.4
- from hades and persephone ( in conjunction ), dio learned courtly intrigue and how to conduct himself as how a proper prince should.5
- from hecate, dio learned the art of necromancy. as dio's primary magic teacher, she also taught him how to brew potions and use mystic plants to their full potential.
- from hera, dio learned that madness can not only be harnessed but also be weaponized. ironically, she could be considered his first teacher ( in a way ) because, although he cannot recall the first time she taught him this lesson—on account of being, you know, a baby—it, nevertheless, stuck with him, influencing how he chooses to dole out punishments against mortals who provoke his ire.
- from heracles, dio learned pankration, a martial art of herc's own invention that resembled a mix of wrestling, boxing, kung fu, and muay thai. on top of that, dio also learned how to box and, in exchange for herc's teachings, they taught him how to dance and play the tympanum.
↪ note: this was during their travels together
- from hermes, dio learned the art of negotiation, lock-picking, and sleight-of-hand.
- from rhea, dio learned the mystic rites and how to tame wild beasts ( particularly big cats ).
- from silenus, dio learned foraging, wilderness survival, whittling, and how to indulge himself without shame.

  INVENTIONS   

- wine ( you're welcome, wine moms 🤭 )
- the chandelier swing
- the choral dance
↪ source: “ let us be merry and drink wine and sing of bakkhos [dionysos], the inventor of the choral dance, the lover of all songs. ” ( the anacreontea, frag. 38 )
- pole dancing
- several sex toys ( most famously the dildo but he's also the one to thank for strap-ons, double dildos, butt plugs, cock rings, and anal beads )
- several fighting styles ( the way of the leopard, the way of the tiger, the way of the lion, etc. )
- theatre
-therapy ( you heard me )

ABILITIES

  PHYSIOLOGY   - can communicate with cat vocalizations
↪ which includes purrs, trills, meows, hisses, growls, etc.
- can detect ultrasonic vocalizations ( much like a cat )
- can safely digest blood and raw meat
- can switch from round pupils to vertical slit pupils
- cold immunity
- estrous cycle1 ( not so much a fertility god thing so much as it is a strange him thing as far as he knows )
↪ note: dio takes heat suppressants to lower both the intensity and duration of his cycles. also, he can experience false heat if he takes any catnip ( and, yes, that is an actual thing ).
- excellent night vision
- extraordinary balance
↪ note: to the point that he can always land on his feet
- fire immunity
↪ why? because dionysus' own maenads were said to have been unharmed by flames—and, since he was the one granting them their miraculous abilities, then it stands to reason that he shares these abilities with them
- has a nictitating membrane and tapetum lucidum
↪ note: as seen in cats ( but much more efficient )
- intoxicant immunity
- like the domestic cat, dio can detect the molecules inosine monophosphate and histidine ( which are notably found in tuna ); unlike domestic cats, though, dio can still detect sweetness and he doesn't have the ( relatively ) few taste buds that they have
- poison immunity
- sped-up pregnancies ( it's a fertility god thing )
↪ 2 months and 6 days for full-length pregnancy
- sweet, intoxicating blood ( with psychoactive side-effects )
↪ fun fact: dionysus' blood is rose gold like rosé wine2; also, it has the distinction of being ( relatively ) safe for mortal consumption ( which is notable because ichor—the blood of the gods—was said to be toxic to mortals )

PSA
BEFORE WE START, it's important to keep in mind that the greek gods are not superheroes and, thus, do not have a power set that they are restricted to.

in other words, gods are gods and superheroes are superheroes.

  POWERS / ABILITIES    like all greek gods, dio possesses the following abilities ( scroll down for more info ):- enhanced condition
- enhanced senses
- omnipresence
- omniscience
- regenerative healing factor
- power bestowal ( hello, midas )
- prayer tracking
- transmutation
- teleportationdio also has ones that not every god has; to learn about those, just click on the button below:

ENHANCED CONDITION
because of his divine status, dionysus' physical capabilities are vastly superior to that of unenhanced mortals ( with special mention going to his agility )
ENHANCED SENSES
as a god, dionysus' physical senses are far shaper than those of unenhanced mortals ( with special mention going to his sense of taste )
OMNIPRESENCE
being anywhere and everywhere at once
↪ note: with relation to his domain only ( and, even then, his presence has to be invoked )
OMNISCIENCE
possessing infinite knowledge
↪ note: with relation to his domain only ( which makes dio the first to know, for example, about the development of a new theatrical production )
PRAYER TRACKING
with this ability, the user can find and appear in the location of anyone who prays to them
POWER BESTOWAL
the ability to gift others with supernatural abilities
↪ example: besides midas' famous golden touch, dio helped ampelos win a contest by endowing him with greater strength and speed than his competitors
( this level of simping should be illegal I know )
REGENERATIVE HEALING FACTOR
got a cut on your lip? well, not anymore! did you bruise your knee? ha! what bruised knee? has your shoulder just been dislocated? guess what—it's now all better! simply put: with this ability, the user can rapidly and automatically heal from any damage that's inflicted upon their body; this includes stabbings, gun shots, pierced arrows, etc. especially powerful users can even survive decapitation!
↪ note: healing rates may differ depending on the person
TRANSMUTATION
the ability to transform matter ( animals, objects, other beings, etc. ) into anything else ( e.g., turning a handsome prince into a hideous toad )
SUB-POWERS
partial transformation ( such as growing just claws )
shapeshifting
size manipulation
TELEPORTATION
the ability to instantaneously move to other locations without traversing the physical space between them

WORSHIP

  COUNTRY OF ORIGIN    ancient greece ( but was presumed to be an imported foreign god for the longest time )  ROMAN COUNTERPART    liber ( or liber pater )

  DOMAIN    wine, viticulture, winemaking, vegetation, fruit, orchards, fertility, pleasure, festivities, merrymaking, ecstasy, frenzy, madness, mental health, chaos, freedom, resurrection, reincarnation, and theatre
↪ later additions: cinema, the circus, espionage, psychiatry, psychology, social refinement, and formal gatherings1
↪ patron god of the performing arts and the world of show business, homosexual relationships2, marginalized people, and anyone who has ever questioned their gender
↪ associated with liminality; death and rebirth ( due to his very nature as a dying-and-rising god ); change, growth, and transformation; transitional stages of life ( such as weddings interestingly enough3 ); initiations; revolutions; feastsmuch like pan and artemis, dionysus is also associated with the wild. lastly, while not nearly to the same extent as eros and aphrodite, dio has an association with sex as well ( especially after sex parties became a thing4 ); more so than sex, though, dio is associated with sensuality and seduction.

RETINUE
the bacchantes ( followers of dionysus of any gender )
the maenads ( female followers of dionysus that are known for their uncontrollable frenzy )
the charites, or graces ( goddesses that represent concepts such as beauty, charm, festivity, grace, and mirth )5
the maniae ( spirits that personify madness and frenzy )
nymphs and satyrs ( nature spirits )
silenus, dio's old mentor—who's like a grandfather to him—and his band of sileni ( elderly satyrs )
pan ( satyr-like god of the wild )
heracles ( famous hero ) → guest party member6
methe ( an apotheosized mortal who became the very personification of drunkenness )
thysa ( wild frenzy of the bacchic orgies )
comus ( festivity, revels, and nocturnal dalliances )
nyssa ( blissful trances )
gelos ( laughter )
the undead as well as the spirits of the deceased ( ghosts, revenants, and ghouls—oh, my! )
the kobaloi ( mischievous, elf-like sprites that love playing tricks on mortals and giving them a fright )

  SYMBOLS / ATTRIBUTES    thyrsus ( magic staff that's topped with a hops ), kantharos ( ancient greek drinking cup ), theatre mask, wreath of ivy leaves, and the phallus
↪ later additions: the clapperboard

TRIVIA TIME!
when crushed or bitten into, the grapes on dio's thyrsus turn into wine! said wine is not only delicious—it also has healing properties. ( this is based on how dionysus was considered a physician—no, really. I'm not joking. )

  SACRED ANIMALS    all big cats—with special mention going to leopards—serpents, foxes, bulls, goats, donkeys, bees, dolphins, bats, deer, butterflies, and moths  SACRED PLANTS    ivy—his most sacred plant—grapevines, bindweed, pine trees, cinnamon, henbane, and cannabis; also, while not exactly plants, mushrooms are strongly associated with dionysus as well—particularly the psychedelic ones  FESTIVALS   

🍷 agrionia
🍷 anthesteria
🍷 ascolia
🍷 bromia
🍷 city dionysia
🍷 haloa
🍷 lampteria
🍷 lenaia
🍷 oskophoria
🍷 rural dionysia
DEVOTIONAL ACTS
attend the theatre, the ballet, or the opera
do a wine-tasting
dance like no one is watching
take part in a theatrical production
defend those that are marginalized ( or oppressed ) and help to empower their voices
make wine, mead, or even your own beer
create a cocktail ( or mocktail if you'd rather not drink )
learn a form of divination
eat meat ( or fruit if you are a vegetarian )
attend festivals, parades, or parties
find what sparks joy or gives you pleasure
visit a vineyard or winery
plant a garden
go on a nature hike
climb a mountain ( or a tree )
take an interest in learning about the human mind
perform a skit
host or plan a party ( any kind )
stay up as late as possible
revere the dead

dionysus in ancient art

fig. 1. a bearded dionysus plays the lyre as satyrs dance around him and keep in time with their krotala

fig. 2. the drinking contest between heracles and dionysus

fig. 3. dionysus, the cithara player
( pics sourced from ircnwrought's vacation in greece )

  TRANSCRIPTION OF PLAQUE.    the west pediment of the classical temple of apollo, depicting dionysus among the thyiads (women in the god's entourage who, according to poetic tradition, held dances on mt. parnassus). in the centre stands dionysus, in the rare iconographic type of the cithara (type of lyre) player. he is wearing a tunic (chiton) girt below the chest, a mantle (himaton) draped over his shoulders and the characteristic mitra (headband) of the initiated. the cithara he holds in his left hand places him on equal terms with the god of music, apollo, and reconciles the different realms of the two deities who are both depicted on the same temple. work of the athenian sculptors praxias and androsthenes, circa 330 BC.

inspirations

  ANIMATION   - anastasia ( anastasia )
- bill cipher ( gravity falls )
- bugs bunny ( looney tunes )
- chel ( the road to el dorado )
- daphne ( scooby doo )
- discord ( my little pony: friendship is magic )
- double trouble ( she-ra and the princesses of power )
- esmeralda ( hunchback of notre dame )
- genie ( aladdin )
- howl pendragon ( howl's moving castle )
↪ note: dio's honestly a bit of a mix between book!howl and film!howl
- jack skellington ( nightmare before christmas )
- princess jasmine ( aladdin )
- jessica rabbit ( who framed roger rabbit? )
- kim possible ( kim possible )
↪ note: only with regards to her athleticism and skill in hand-to-hand combat
- minako aino / sailor venus ( sailor moon )
- pinkie pie ( my little pony: friendship is magic )
- puss in boots ( shrek )
- rarity ( my little pony: friendship is magic )
- simba ( the lion king )
- tai lung ( kung fu panda )
↪ note: fighting style and combat prowess only
- tarzan ( tarzan )
- ty lee ( avatar: the last airbender )
- yami yugi ( season 0 of yugioh + yugioh abridged )  ART   - the triumph of dionysus ( a central theme found in many ancient art pieces )  COMICS   - deadpool ( marvel )
- gambit ( marvel )
- harley quinn ( dc )
- mary jane watson ( marvel )
- michelangelo ( tmnt )
- poison ivy ( dc )
- scarlet witch ( marvel )  FILM & TELEVISION   - debbie jelinsky ( addams family values )
- fran fine ( the nanny )
- gina linetti ( brooklyn nine-nine )
- inigo montoya ( the princess bride )
- jack dawson ( titanic )
- captain jack sparrow ( pirates of the caribbean )
- john keating ( dead poets society )
- klaus hargreeves ( umbrella academy )
- lucifer ( lucifer )
- maria ( the sound of music )
- q ( star trek )
- salem ( sabrina the teenage witch )
- stanley ipkiss / the mask ( the mask )
↪ note: just the mask persona
- willy wonka ( willy wonka & the chocolate factory )
↪ note: gene wilder version ( obviously ) but I also take inspo—just a bit—from the timothée chalamet version

  HISTORICAL & CONTEMPORARY FIGURES   - adam lambert
- benjamin dylan hollis ( b. dylan hollis )
- bill kaulitz
- bruce lee
- clara bow
- kevin o'reilly ( callmekevin )
- freddie mercury
- hozier
- jackie chan
- jim morrison
- josephine baker
- kesha
- lady gaga
- mae west
- mata hari
- my old drama teacher from high school
↪ note: the man was a total wife guy that had an undying love and passion for theatre, okay. I just could not not include him as one of my inspirations for dio.
- oscar wilde
- prince
- rasputin
- sabrina carpenter
- shi pei pu
- stoffel, the honey badger ( yes, you heard right )
- wu zetian  LITERATURE   - the cheshire cat ( alice in wonderland )
- daenerys targaryen ( game of thrones )
- dandelion / jaskier ( the witcher )
- the devil ( folklore )
- dracula ( dracula )
- holly golightly ( breakfast at tiffany's )
- jesus christ ( the bible )
↪ note: this is more of a chicken or the egg type of situation since even scholars have noted that there are several, surprising similarities between jesus and dionysus
- the mad hatter ( alice in wonderland )
- marianne dashwood ( sense and sensibility )
- tamamo-no-mae ( japanese mythology )  THEATRE   - beetlejuice ( beetlejuice )
- dewey finn ( school of rock )
- elle woods ( legally blonde )
- fiyero ( wicked )
- dr. frank n furter ( the rocky horror show )
- katherine howard ( six the musical )
- maureen ( rent )
- mimi ( rent )
- rum tum tugger ( cats )
- william shakespeare ( something rotten! )  VIDEO GAMES   - astarion ( baldur's gate 3 )
- mettaton ( undertale )
- polly geist ( monster prom )
- sanguine ( elder scrolls games—particularly in skyrim )

portrayal notes

EXCERPT FROM MASKS OF DIONYSUS
“ dionysus is powerful because he is a god; but in myth, at least, the god conceals his divinity in order to impress his presence all the more forcefully upon mortals. in his mythical epiphanies, he exercises his destructive power from a position of apparent weakness and inferiority, as in the lycurgus episode of iliad 6, the homeric hymn to dionysus, and the bacchae. when provoked by mortals, he confronts them directly and stares them down—the frontal face and the irritating smile are visual hallmarks of dionysus’ self-revelation in art and literature. but the punishment he inflicts is often indirect, deceptive, and designed to hide his presence and downplay his power; unlike apollo or artemis, he does not kill his victims through direct divine intervention but relies on those self-destructive drives within their human nature that causes madness, self-mutilation, or transformation. ”

  • besides the miscellaneous inspirations listed above, I heavily base my dionysus on the original greek myths as well as certain ancient greek plays—the bacchae by euripides in particular. the reason why I'm so fond of the bacchae is because it masterfully expands on the trickster characterization of dio that was already present in his mythos. unlike many other tricksters, dio is reactive when it comes to pulling tricks on people. ( hence why I draw inspo from bugs bunny for him, lol. ) in the bacchae, for instance—which is summarized in bullet points below—dio comes into conflict with king pentheus of thebes. although dio was annoyed with how pentheus unfairly persecuted his cult for its perceived lack of propriety—which was a common perception that both dio and his cult were subject to—he tried to give the repressed king a chance to change his ways. when pentheus, instead, decided to double-down—even after getting reports from his own scouts that the maenads were just chillin' in the woods, performing miracles—dionysus decided right then and there that this stubborn ass of a man was a lost cause; so, naturally, he tricked pentheus into getting torn apart by the maenads—including his own mother—by enticing him with the drunken debauchery that he was so desperate to find. this one play alone illustrates just how cunning dionysus truly is. as the god of theatre, he has an exceptional understanding of human psychology and he uses said understanding to his advantage on various occasions. essentially, I love to play up this aspect of his character because I feel that is highly underrated. ( what can I say? I love me a manipulative lil' bastard 🤭 )

the basic story of the bacchae is this:

  • mystery cult from the east strolls into thebes, promising revelry and liberation.

  • king pentheus Does Not like that and thinks that all of the women are using this dionysus—this supposed son of zeus—as an excuse to engage in debauchery.

  • “ the stranger ” ( who is actually dionysus in disguise as one of his priests ) tells pentheus to get that big, fat stick out of his butt.

  • pentheus really does not like that.

  • so, then, the stranger is like, “ hey, wanna see the maenads have hot, lesbian sex with each other? 😏”

  • AND THEN PENTHEUS IS LIKE 👀

  • but then the stranger tells him, “ hey, now, you're not trying to get mauled, are you? here—try your mother's dress on for size 🤭”

  • after practicing his strut, the now cunty pentheus eagerly lets himself be led to the woods by this hot stranger.

  • but, instead of seeing the hot, lesbian sex that he was promised, pentheus ends up getting torn apart for his troubles. so sad. ( alexa, play I kissed a girl by katy perry. )

EXCERPT FROM THE MANY FACES OF DIONYSUS IN THE HEXAMETERS OF THE SINAI PALIMPSEST
i. “ the newly discovered hexameters uncovered by giulia rossetto in a palimpsest from a codex in the library of the monastery of saint catherine in sinai must rank as one of the most exciting recent discoveries for the study of greek mythology . . . the four fragments seem to recount two episodes, a scene with aphrodite, the young dionysus and his mother persephone (a & b), and another that features dionysus enthroned on the seat of zeus with various attendants around, including minions of the jealous hera who seek to harm him (c & d). these palimpsest texts illuminate long-puzzling allusions to the early life of the god, especially in some of the early christian apologists and the collection of orphic hymns. these new texts reveal some different faces of dionysus, an adonis-figure at the heart of a dispute between two goddesses, and a personified wine-god, oinos, threatened by the machinations of his enemies in the court of zeus. ”
ii. “ in the first fragment of the text (a), after persephone reminds aphrodite of a prophecy made by night (presumably about the fate of this child), she brings out from a hidden chamber a radiantly beautiful child, identified as dionysus and addressed with the familiar dionysiac epithets of eribromos and eiraphiotes. persephone sets this child, extraordinarily beautiful (περικαλλές) and possessing his awesome beauty from the graces (αἰνὸ[ν] καρποφόρων χαρίτων ἄπο κάλλος ἔχ[οντα), upon the lap of aphrodite, in a pose familiar from figurines of great kourotrophic goddesses with small mortals on their laps. this beautiful boy, shared between persephone and aphrodite, is not called adonis, however; even when aphrodite addresses him in the second fragment (fr. b.13), she calls him simply ἄ̣μ̣β̣ροτε κοῦρε, ‘immortal youth’. this direct address indicates that she is not merely recalling her favourite adonis while she speaks to dionysus; dionysus here is adonis, the youth beloved of aphrodite over whom she wrangles with persephone. ”
iii. “ in this collection of hymns, dionysus also seems to take on characteristics of adonis . . . in the orphic hymn to dionysus liknites, dionysus is described (‘curieusement’, as fayant says ad loc.) not just as the ‘beloved sprout of the nymphs’ but also ‘of well-crowned aphrodite’, while adonis is likewise ‘the sweet scion of cypris’.12 the presence of aphrodite among the nurses of dionysus in the hymn does not fit with the descriptions of his infancy in other sources, but it does match with aphrodite's appearance in these palimpsest fragments, where her interest in the young dionysus is remarkable. ”

  • dionysus was first acquainted with aphrodite during his childhood. although he didn't interact with aphrodite nearly as often as he did with, say, demeter or persephone, she was still something of a motherly figure towards him. his fondest memories of her are of when she'd use him as her own little doll, dressing him up in the latest fashion.

  • when dionysus was still a demigod, he was a devotee of nyx, selene, and, his magic teacher, hecate because he reveres the night and all three goddesses have, at least, some association with it ( with nyx notably being the literal embodiment of the night sky ).

  • re: how dio and ari conceived their children: that depends. if ariadne is a cis woman, then dionysus created an impregnation potion and the two took turns carrying the child; if ari is a trans woman, on the other hand—as is the case with mine—then dio ended up carrying all of their children. ( basically, in my version, dio was his wife's own personal male seahorse 🤭 ) the former situation is meant to demonstrate dio's ingenuity, while the latter is meant to serve as representation for all of the t4t couples that have the trans woman impregnating her trans partner. although such instances are rare—from what I can tell—they do still happen, so I thought it'd be fun to include.

  • FULL DISCLOSURE FOR THOSE WHO PLAY HERACLES: dio has had a crush on herc. that said, this does NOT mean that a ship necessarily has to develop between them. tormenting muses with unrequited love is fun !! ( besides, dio wasn't too keen on telling herc how he really felt and would rather die than let him know, lol )

  • instead of eternal beauty, the necklace of harmonia offered its wearer eternal youth. since the necklace was magical in nature, it was able to share its gift with newborn children should its wearer have it on while conceiving their young. in other words, the gift becomes part of the child's very blood—and what a wonderful gift it was. thanks to this necklace, the house of cadmus aged more like elves than like men—thus, allowing them not to succumb to old age. because of how auspicious the necklace appeared to be, it became tradition for the women of the house of cadmus to wear it during the conception of their children. too bad that this wonderful gift was actually a horrible curse.

  • because I wanna have some semblance of a coherent timeline, I've adjusted the details of certain events. more tba.

EXCERPT FROM SHAKESPEARE AUTHORSHIP QUESTION ( a wikipedia article )
“ shakespeare's biography, particularly his humble origins and obscure life, seemed incompatible with his poetic eminence and his reputation for genius, arousing suspicion that shakespeare might not have written the works attributed to him . . . supporters of alternative candidates argue that theirs is the more plausible author, and that william shakespeare lacked the education, aristocratic sensibility, or familiarity with the royal court that they say is apparent in the works . . . in his surviving signatures william shakespeare did not spell his name as it appears on most shakespeare title pages. his surname was spelled inconsistently in both literary and non-literary documents, with the most variation observed in those that were written by hand. this is taken as evidence that he was not the same person who wrote the works, and that the name was used as a pseudonym for the true author. ”

  • re: the hilarious plot twist that is dio being the true identity of shakespeare: as you can probably guess, I first got the idea after discovering how often shakespeare's authorship has come into question. the more that I humored the possiblity that dio was the true author of shakespeare's works, the more that I fell in love with it. for one thing, dio has the education necessary to have penned such works since, in my lore, he was raised like a prince. another criteria that he satisfies is being familiar with how royal courts work. more tba.

EXCERPT FROM SEMELE OR DIONYSOS
“ the first three glasses of wine are for the temperate: one to health; the second to love and pleasure; the third to sleep. after these three, wise guests go home. the fourth glass is ours no longer, but belongs to violence; the fifth to uproar; the sixth to drunken revel; the seventh to black eyes; the eighth is the policeman’s; the ninth belongs to biliousness; and the tenth to madness and the hurling of furniture. ”

  • as you can see in the passage above, dionysus is more sensible than people tend to give him credit for. in eubulus' semele or dionysos, for example, he advocates for the practice of moderation. to give another example: in the bacchae, dio performs a soliloquy on how he has made a fool out of pentheus and, at the end, he notes that—and I quote—“ 'tis a wise man's way to school his temper into due control. ” because of instances like this—not to mention how dio has fewer myths about his wrath than most other gods—I write dio as being more in control of his emotions than his emotions are of him.

LASTLY, HERE ARE THE DETAILS FROM NONNUS' DIONYSIACA THAT ARE PART OF MY DIO'S CANON:

  • dionysus being an reincarnation of zagreus

AUTHOR'S NOTE
I've repeated this elsewhere but just to make it clear—my zagreus was NOT the son of zeus and persephone nor the son of hades and persephone. he was the son of chaos and, unlike orphic zagreus, he wasn't torn apart and eaten by the titans as a baby. instead, as the primordial god of the cycle of death and life, he chose to be reborn.

  • zagreus / the first dionysus hopping onto zeus' throne and playing with his dad's thunderbolt

AUTHOR'S NOTE
in my version, though, it's altered—it was actually baby dio who did that rather than his past life. ( basically, it's my way of referencing that detail. )

  • zagreus / the first dionysus being torn apart as a baby ( same author's note as above )

  • baby dio being fascinated with the stars and the night sky

EXCERPT FROM THE DIONYSIACA
“ and the boy lay on his back unsleeping, and fixt his eye on the heaven above, or kicked at the air with his two feet one after the other in delight; he stared at the unfamiliar sky, and laughed in wonder to see his father’s vault of stars. ”

  • baby dio initially being given to a group of nymphs for child-rearing—but said nymphs going mad and trying to kill him ( thanks, hera )

  • hermes then passing baby dio along to his aunt ino, her husband—king athamas—and their two young children, the twins learchus and melicertes

  • madness taking control of the household of dio's aunt ino as well

  • ampelos being dio's first love

AUTHOR'S NOTE
ampelos being dio's childhood friend as well is more so a headcanon of mine because I thought it'd be sweet and make ampelos's death all the more tragic.

  • dio being a strong swimmer since it makes sense given how he is directly descended from four sea gods, two river gods, two naiads, and one oceanid

EXCERPT FROM THE DIONYSIACA
i. “ hurry now – have another try, dear boy, after winning that race and after your land action; try a third match, swim against your comrade bacchos and see if you can beat him! you had the best of it, ampelos, in wrestling with me on the sands; now show yourself more agile than dionysos in the rivers! leave the playful satyrs to their skippings and come quick again by yourself to a third match. if you win both by land and water, i will crown your lovely hair with a double garland for two victories over dionysos the unconquerable. ”
ii. “ thus speaking, he plunged into the water; ampelos rose from the ground and joined lyaios, and a jolly course the two had, zigzag from point to point of the opulent river. the god winning this watery race swam steadily through the water, pushing his bare breast against the stream, moving his feet and paddling with his hands, and so scored the undisturbed surface of the smooth treasury of riches. now his boy-comrade’s course ran beside his own, now he shot past him carefully, just so much as to leave ampelos still a near neighbour to bacchos in the way; sometimes he let his hands go round and round as if tired by the water, and willingly yielded quicknee the victory to the other swimmer. ”

  • dio having a jealous, insecure side to him

EXCERPT FROM THE DIONYSIACA
“ if ampelos, carried away by wild passion for high capers, twirled with dancing paces and joined hands with a sporting satyr in the round, stepping across foot over foot, bacchos looked on shaken with envious feeling. if he ever conversed with the satyrs, if he joined with a yearsmate hunter to follow chase, dionysos jealous held him back, lest another be struck like himself with a heartbewitching shaft, and now enslaved by love should seduce the fickle boy’s fancy and estrange the lovely youth from lyaios, as a freshblooming boy might well charm a comrade of his own age. ”

  • eros trying to comfort dio after ampelos dies and pointing out how there's other fish in the sea—which was a sentiment that dio did not care for, lmao

EXCERPT FROM THE DIONYSIACA
“ so [dionysos] lamented. but eros came near in the horned shape of a shaggy seilenos, holding a thyrsus, with a dappled skin draped upon him, as he supported his frame on a fennel stalk, for a staff the old man’s friend; and he spoke comfortable words to groaning bacchos . . . so stormy eros comforted dionysos with gentle friendly words, and softened the sweet pangs. but the spirit of bacchos was scourged yet more with sorrowful care for the lad’s untimely death. ”

  • dio beseeching selene, the titaness of the moon, to drive an enemy mad

AUTHOR'S NOTE
unlike in the dionysiaca—which is the only ancient source in which selene is tied to lunacy—dio's target wasn't pentheus; instead, his target was a random villain that he had the misfortune of encountering when he was still mad, himself.

  • dio besting amazons in combat and them becoming maenads as a result

  • dio conquering nations and being a badass

AUTHOR'S NOTE
there's historical precedence for this one—with there even being ancient greek art that depicts dio in combat—so, I'm keeping it; however, I'm giving it a sunny twist by essentially making dio the first spy ( god of theatre, anyone? 🤭 )

  • dio knowing how to perform surgery

AUTHOR'S NOTE
in the dionysiaca, dionysus surgically removes an arrow from the thigh of his lover, hymenaios. my version differs in that dio, instead, performs surgery on heracles.

  • king sithon carnally desiring his daughter, princess pallene, and killing all of her suitors, so he can have her for himself ( ew )

  • sithon declaring a wrestling competition for pallene's hand in marriage

AUTHOR'S NOTE
in my version, dio never became enamored with pallene and he entered the contest disguised as a suitor not only so he could punish her father for the heinous murder of her actual suitors—but also so, he could liberate her; although, dio technically won her hand in marriage by besting her in wrestling, he didn't try to make it official by putting it in writing nor by consummating it. he simply was like “ don't worry about it ” and helped her gain her dead lover, clitus, back—which earned him the princess' staunch loyalty and undying gratitude. ( the detail of pallene being in love with clitus, by the way, was from an earlier version of her myth. )

  • dio besting aristaeus, his teacher ( as can be attested in other ancient sources ), in a competition that pits his wine against aristaeus' honey

EXCERPT FROM THE DIONYSIACA
i. “ [aristaios (aristaeus)] lifted high his neck, proud of the sweet honey from his riddled hives. he had challenged dionysos with his wine, and vainly hoped for the victory of his sweet honey . . . but when bakkhos (bacchus) ladled out his glorious dewy drops, they were delighted, and drank his flowing wine all day long unceasing. even drunken they admired the sweet wine, and called for cup after cup one after another with jolly glee, full of hearty good cheer for the bewitching stuff. ”
ii. “ first aristaios made his mixture with the travail of the bee, and offered the immortals his mingled honey in the cup, a potion cleverly compounded; he passed the goblet to each in turn one after another, and made their hearts glad. but after a first taste of the bubbling liquid, surfeit came at once : a third cup was filled and declined, and they would not touch a fourth. then richly-clad dionysos drew from his mixer, full of sweet drink, lifted two cups and offered one with each hand, the first to kronides [zeus], the second to hera, then a third goblet to earthshaker [poseidon] his father's brother. then he mixed for the gods one and all with father zeus; they were all delighted, except disconsolate phoibos [apollon] alone, who was jealous, and the god smiled as he handed him the goblet. they enchanted their minds with cups in great abundance; drinking made them thirstier than before, they asked again for more, and could not get enough. then the immortals loudly cheered, and gave bakkhos [dionysos] the chief prize for his delicious potion of wine. and eros (love) the ever-out-of-reach, the conductor of the game, drunken himself, crowned the hair of lyaios (lyaeus) with a vine-and-ivy garland. ”

  • hera wanting hebe to be wed to dio ( yes, I am so for real rn )

EXCERPT FROM THE DIONYSIACA
“ [after dionysos was reconciled with hera in heaven :] she [hera] wished him in heaven as hebe's bridegroom, had not zeus our lord on high ordained that in days to come twelvelabour herakles was fated to be her husband. ”

ANY OTHER DETAIL FROM THE DIONYSIACA HAS BEEN OMITTED

why? you may ask.I'll tell you why.the other details were not included because either dio was grossly mischaracterized OR—the shit just don't make sense 👀let me give you an example. for some reason, nonnus—in all of his brilliance—decided to write that dionysus waged war against perseus. now, I have nothing against the idea of dio going to war given the fact that he does have epithets that describe him as having a warlike nature. but perseus? perseus? for those who may not know, perseus—who was one of dio's many half-siblings—was the GREAT-GRANDFATHER of heracles. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HERACLES IS? canonically older than dio. so, you tell me how the FUCK was perseus supposedly still alive by the time dio ascended to godhood. that man should have either been DEAD—or a very old man by that point. while there have been instances of mortals being granted an extended lifespan—tiresias immediately comes to mind—such instances were incredibly rare and, to my knowledge, there was no myth in which perseus lived significantly longer than the average mortal.therefore, the dionysus versus perseus conflict was omitted in my dio's canon.as a final note: if you ever wanna learn more about why nonnus' writing was...questionable, feel free to ask away.

footnotes

BASICS
1 and, yes, the opportunity to crack jokes like this was, indeed, the reason why I went with dionysus—the latinized spelling—over dionysos, the transliteration.
2 for the sake of simplicity, I've decided to only include the date for dio's second birth ( i.e., when zeus birthed him from his thigh or balls if you go with the "thigh was an euphemism for balls" theory ); if you want an estimation for when dio's first birth ( i.e., his premature one ) was, though, it was most likely in mid-to-late september ( since dio was ejected from semele's womb three months early exactly ).
3 more information of note: " not content with a merely effeminate god, there were rumors of what lay concealed beneath all those flowing robes. some said that he had been emasculated like one of the great mother’s gallae or that he possessed female breasts and a vagina, a detail discussed more thoroughly in carl kerenyi’s dionysos: archetypal image of indestructible life. aiskhylos called him gynnis “the womanly one,” (fragment 61), euripides called him the “womanly stranger,” (bakchai 353) and orphic hymn 42 to mise invokes him as the “ineffably pure and sacred queen, two-fold iacchus seen as male and female alike.” " ― sannion, a dionysian author
4 because of this, dio doesn't mind regaining his breasts for, say, a pillowy cuddle session if his partner were to wish for such a thing; he also may regain them if he feels like filling out a dress.
5 interestingly enough, though, in the orphic tradition, dio will one day succeed zeus as the king of the gods ( something that is surely part of hera's nightmares no doubt, lol ). not sure if I will ever do anything with that particular detail—but I found it interesting, nevertheless.
MENTAL
1 source: “ fig. 5. a beardless dionysus with a lyre and ariadne (?) move to the right, followed by eros who strikes a tumpanon as he hovers beside them. ” — michael jameson, the asexuality of dionysus chapter from masks of dionysus ( edited by thomas h. carpenter and christopher a. faraone ); for more examples of dio playing the lyre, please refer to fig. 1 and fig. 3
2 though—then again—dio was, indeed, scared by frogs when he was a kid. it all started when a frog spooked him as he went foraging for mushrooms. as baby dio told hermes what happened, hermes saw an opportunity to mess with him and, so, he soon had dio convinced that frogs would devour his soul should he give them half the chance. ( demeter was considerably less amused when she found out about this and gave hermes a stern talking-to. )
3 for those that may not know, audhd refers to the combination of autism spectrum disorder ( asd ) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( adhd ). in psychology, two or more co-occurring mental conditions is known as a comorbidity. in their article exploring the scientific literature surrounding audhd, hours et al. (2022) reports that 50 to 70% of people with autism also have adhd. this is a significant prevalence that is still being researched.
4 this, in turn, was exacerbated by the gross misconceptions he once had about sexual intimacy.
5 it took him ages, for example, until he felt comfortable enough to play the lyre again.
6 to the point where he'd get details from his past all jumbled up—such as mistakenly believing, for instance, that persephone was his true birth mother instead of semele.
BACKGROUND
1 with persephone also serving as dio's third biological parent. with the help of hecate's magic, persephone essentially used her own divine essense to resurrect baby dio—thus, making him her son as well ( in a way ). is the manner in which she became dio's other biological mother weird? yes. yes, it is. I'll be the first to admit that—but this is greek mythology we're talking about here. weirdness is just par for the course. ( also, I wanted to make a more direct connection to dio's origin as the son of persephone in orphism without including a certain aspect of said origin. )
2 I say sort of because while dionysus did agree to sleep with prosymnos in exchange for his help, the dude died before dio could fulfill his end of the bargain. not one to break a promise, though, dio found a—let's say—creative solution to this conundrum and leave it at that.
3 this was simply the perception that ancient poets had of their relationship because of how suspiciously gay-sounding dio's jealousy of adonis was 🤭
4 dio has fond memories, for example, of learning how to make bread from scratch and waiting impatiently for it to finish baking, so that he can have it for dinner alongside some briam ( a roasted vegetable casserole—basically, imagine a greek version of ratatouille ).
5 which means that dio can behave himself if he wants to—why would he, though, when misbehaving is far more fun? 🤭
ABILITIES
1 no, your eyes do not deceive you. dio does, indeed, have estrous cycles or—as they're more colloquially known—heat cycles. now, you're probably wondering why? well, I'll tell you. the combination of being a fertility god that has strong ties to the wild changed dio's very physiology and, thus, made it possible for him to go into heat. like with so many animals, being in heat does not automatically mean that dio is sexually receptive to any possible mate out there—on the contrary, he becomes outright vicious if he doesn't appreciate someone else's sexual advances.
2 this delicate hue—and the comparison that I chose—is meant to serve as symbolism for the effeminacy that dio was often known for. rosé wine, after all, is frequently dismissed as a "girly drink"—so, it seemed only fitting to me that a god who was just as frequently underestimated for presenting as feminine would have blood that looked like a fine bottle of rosé wine.
WORSHIP
1 for those of you that may be going huh? right now at the last two later additions, hear me out first. wine was basically the lobster before lobster if you really think about it. due to wine's strong association with the cult of dionysus, it was seen as the drink to consume if you wanna get smashed. and, with wine-drinking, came debauchery and all sorts of bad decisions—which made it not all that popular with the elite ( at first ). eventually, the ruling class warmed up to wine—after dionysus was sanitized enough for their liking that is—and, as wine became more and more popular throughout the centuries, it went from being the drink of the wild rebel to being the drink of the sophisticated individual. in short, wine became classy—so, I thought it'd be interesting if dio's domain reflected how the zeitgeist surrounding wine has shifted.
2 source: “ paradoxically however, dionysos was also a patron god of homosexual relationships — which cannot be connected to the creation of new life in the conventional sense, and yet were held as incredibly sacred to dionysos. this indicates that his connection with sexual rites was not entirely concerned with fertility per-se, but sexuality as a force in its own right — and the power of sexuality in all its forms to raise energy, and create change and transformation. ” — vikki bramshaw, dionysos: exciter to frenzy
3 source: “ in a similar way, dionysos was considered a guide to brides on their wedding day, which in itself was considered a passage of initiation. he was also known to bless marriages and bestow them with good luck and fertility; one of the earliest surviving images of dionysos shows him offering up a kantharos (drinking cup) and bunches of grapes to peleus and thetis on their wedding day. ” — vikki bramshaw, dionysos: exciter to frenzy
4 and, no, I'm not necessarily talking about orgies. while orgies are a key feature of dio's cult, the sexual connotations are far newer than most people realize; in ancient times, orgies were secret, ceremonial rites that were characterized by displays of ecstasy ( such as singing and dancing without abandon )—in other words, they weren't wild sex parties. however, given how gods tend to evolve with the changing times, the sexual connotation of that term was, indeed, absorbed into the cult of dionysus. that said, it still plays a minor role compared to its original meaning.
5 source: “ in the earliest times the graces, or charites, were the companions of dionysus (pind. o. 13.20; plut. quaest. gr. 36; apollon. 4.424), and at olympia he and the charites had an altar in common. ” — perseus digital library ( ed. gregory r. crane )
6 this is based on how dionysus once bested heracles in a drinking contest ( see fig. 2 ) and, as a result, heracles traveled around with dio for some time. how long they've traveled together isn't specified—but I've decided to go with 10 years because of how prevalent the number 10 is for significant time frames ( e.g., the titanomachy, the trojan war, odysseus' journey home ).

REFERENCES

hours, c., recasens, c., & baleyte, j. m. (2022). asd and adhd comorbidity: what are we talking about?. frontiers in psychiatry, 13, 837424. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.837424

WRITING EXAMPLE

FIRST THREAD REPLY

he didn't need to read her mind to sense the storm brewing inside—nor know exactly whom she was talking about. dionysus scowled. theseus. slayer of the minotaur, king of athens, and—apparently—a man that lacked brains ( and sense ) despite having a brilliant mathematician for a mother. when ariadne first confessed to him that man's misdeeds all those years ago, he had half a mind to go straight to athens and liberate whatever unfortunate woman theseus somehow managed to obtain as a wife. he didn't do that then because ariadne needed him—and he's not about to abscond now for that same purpose.“you don't have to say anything at all, my flame,” dionysus murmured, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze as he supported her weight, “let us just be in this moment.”

SECOND THREAD REPLY

the angst festering in her mind formed a wan smile on his lips.“your thoughts are loud, you know—though not unpleasantly so,” dionysus said, gazing at the horizon as well, “ease your mind. gods may not be as faultless as mortals would like to believe—but I would not be so callous as to desert you.” like he had. instead of voicing that thought, though, he opted for another gentle squeeze. “how anyone ever could is pure madness if you ask me. just look at you.” he turned his gaze towards her as he lifted her chin, watching for even the slightest change in facial expression. “thoughtful, caring, brilliant you. tell me: isn't that enough? aren't you enough? why should another person's pleasure be more valuable than your own?”dionysus drew in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “the point is: you needn't worry when you are with me. although I cannot guarantee that our relationship will be free of problems, I can reassure you that I will work with you should any arise—because you are worth it. you are worth the work. and so much more.”after that, silence—broken only by a rolling wave.cue a snort. “also, if you think that that fool could ever hold a candle to you, then, you, my dear, quite frankly concern me.” conjuring up a caricature of theseus, dionysus made sure to add insult to injury by giving the ass-less king the ears of an ass—which was, sadly, a slight improvement. “I say look at this man. had taste—but lacked the sense to keep you. is this a king—or a clown?”

navigation

headcanons

HEADCANONVERSECONTENT WARNING
headcanon about thingverse namecontent cw
name of headcanonblog-widecontent cw
put whatever you want just make sure to link itverse namecontent cw
tbablog-widecontent cw

verses

  VERSE NAME     Main Verse. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  VERSE NAME    Canon. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  VERSE NAME    Canon. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

  VERSE NAME    Alternate Universe. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  VERSE NAME    Alternate Universe.   —  affiliated with blogurl
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  VERSE NAME    Alternate Universe. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

DIONYSUS ART GALLERY

WHY DIONYSUS IS ON THE ACE SPECTRUM

if you've clicked on the link that leads to this page, you're probably wondering two things: 1) how could dionysus be on the asexual spectrum and 2) why would he be anything other than completely sex-favorable?I'm glad you asked.initially, I—like so many—thought that dionysus would be more of the promiscuous type; he was the god of pleasure, after all—so, wouldn't it be more likely than not for him to be free with his love? ( if you know what I mean. ) however, the more that I dug into him, the more that I was pleasantly surprised at just how unmotivated by sex he truly was. despite the common perception that he sleeps around, for instance, he has actually had significantly fewer sexual partners than most of the other olympian gods if you do the math. furthermore, dio was very chaste in scenes that featured his female followers—and this chastity was even extended towards his wife ( believe it or not ) for his relationship with ariadne was said to have often been dignified and stately. also, an interesting thing that I've discovered is there's even a scene in a piece of pottery that implied that the maenads felt comfortable enough to come to dio when they were being sexually harassed ( see fig. 1 ). while not exactly relevant to the topic at hand, I thought that it was too interesting not to share, nevertheless.also, while promiscuity isn't necessarily equivalent with being allosexual any more than chastity is equivalent with asexuality—just wanna make those distinctions clear ( especially since people on the internet like to twist words around )—dio's ( apparent ) chastity occured so frequently, that it seemed more like a characteristic. and, once I got the ball rolling on my “ maybe he's ace? ” idea—which soon turned into “ demi. this boi is demisexual for sure. ”—I never looked back to be honest with you. honestly, I was astonished to discover that, although there's evidence to support the idea that dionysus could be on the ace spectrum, that no one has ever actually portrayed him as such—so, I thought to myself: “ well, why not me then? ” there's so little representation for acespec people in the media as is—and even less so for acespec people that aren't sex-repulsed. contrary to popular belief, acespec people can be sexy and they can have and even enjoy sex. it's called a spectrum for a reason. as a sensual being who doesn't mind having sex—and has even enjoyed it with certain people—dio is essentially meant to serve as a respresentation for not only the sexy acespec person ( that is to say, an acespec person that enjoys wearing clothing that is commonly considered sexy ) but also the sex-favorable acespec person. as a sex-repulsed1 aroace person who does not dress sexy by any stretch of the imagination, portraying someone on the ace spectrum that is so different from myself in this regard has made for such an intriguing journey.TL;DR: I just think that the idea of acespec dio is neat, I dunno

fig. 1. a maenad asks her lord dionysus for help in fending off an amorous satyr

IMPORTANT NOTICE

since I have seen acephobia surrounding the idea that dio could be on the ace spectrum, I just wanna make a couple of things abundantly clear.1) I don't care if you see dio as allosexual. you do you. if that's what you believe or if that's your personal headcanon, all the more power to ya. ride that train as much as you'd like—hell, be its conductor if you feel that passionate about it.2) since I won't trash on your belief—or headcanon—please don't trash on mine if you think differently. I'm not some silly ninny who's trying to water down dionysus. I have done my research and I liked the idea of dio being on ace spectrum so much, that I decided to make it canon for my dio. it's as simple as that. I don't expect you to think the same way I do—but please respect that being on the ace spectrum is the reality for my dio.to paraphrase the great aretha franklin, all that I ask from you is just a little respect.

ACESPEC DIO FOOTNOTES
1 but only at the thought of participating in sexual acts, myself

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

Polytheism and Society at Athens by Robert Parker

“ [Dionysus] himself is unimaginable without his followers but does not resemble them. He is seldom drunk, seldom mad, never sexually aroused. The relationship with Ariadne, often depicted, is dignified and restrained. Even in grim situations he retains a smiling tranquility which comes suddenly to seem sinister. (Was he a model for Plato’s portrayal of Socrates?) The calmness of the god of madness is a characteristic Dionysian paradox. His followers surrender their individuality in the collective excitement. But they do not achieve union with the source of that excitement, however close they may seem to approach. Dionysus eludes them, and retains his enigmatic smile. ”

Dionysus Myth and Cult by Walter F. Otto

“ However, he is far from being a wanton profligate . . . the high nobility of his spirit is revealed that much more in all representations of him, and the impression they give is emphasized even more by the way in which his actions are contrasted with those of the satyrs, of whose naked lust the god seems to take no notice. Indeed, the one thing which sets him off from all of the truly masculine gods, whose passions are cooled by transient moments of possession, is the fact that his love is ecstatic and binds him to the loved one forever. We see this at its best in the vase paintings. There is good reason for our calling Ariadne the chosen one, for it is quite remarkable how little the myth speaks of any other true love affairs. ”

Dionysos: Exciter to Frenzy by Vikki Bramshaw

“ Although sexual 'orgies' are known to have occurred as part of Dionysian practice, Dionysos himself was never depicted as actually taking part in the sexual acts; moreover he seems to be the facilitator of the act, the origin of desire that causes it. ”

Masks of Dionysus, The Asexuality of Dionysus by Michael Jameson

( edited by Thomas H. Carpenter and Christopher A. Faraone )

“ Dionysus was, of all gods, the most closely associated with the phallus, the erect male member, at once the instrument and symbol of male sexuality. His myths and cults also refer to the liberation, if only temporary, of both women and men from social controls, including sexual controls, which in most cultures are among the most rigid. The god himself is represented to a surprising degree as detached and unconcerned with sex. There certainly are a number of exceptions, as is to be expected in a body of evidence that is spread over a millennium and comes from very diverse sources. I do not suggest, however, that these exceptions are insignificant; there is a persistent ambivalence about the god’s involvement with sex. ”“ The god, meanwhile, is never shown in art as involved in the satyrs’ sexual shenanigans. He may dance, he may drink, but he is never paired with or shown taking any interest in any of the female companions of his rout. ”“ In art and in myth we have seen a god who is essentially detached from the erotic and passionate aspects of sex. In his cult, though there is much more than sex, the image of the phallus is central, however we may wish to explain it—as a celebration of the life force, as a charm for fertility, even as a symbol of life after death. ”“ Ancients and moderns have been at pains to assure us that the expeditions of the women were entirely chaste. It would certainly be surprising if Greek men, in view of their tight control of their women, had allowed them to go to the mountains with the expectation of sexual adventures. And yet it is not without significance that women indulging in wine at night and freed, however briefly, of social constraints were imagined as engaged in sex, as Pentheus repeatedly implies in the Bacchae. The situation is by its nature sexually charged. We might say that the communal Dionysia on the one hand and the mountain pilgrimage of the women on the other emphasizes an aspect of human sexuality, the phallic and the female, and the two are brought together in the imagery of the satyrs and maenads seen on Attic vases. The enigma is the central figure of such scenes, the god who is both male and female but isolated from the sexuality that flourishes all around him. ”“ While Dionysus presides over phallic cavortings, he remains detached sexually, except for his rescue of and marriage to Ariadne and his sanctification of the marriage of basileus and basilinna. ”

From the Mouths of Dionysus Devotees

( OR EVEN JUST PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT DIO IS NEAT )

reddit user roseprey:

“ ace worshipper here as well! the focus on a lot of sexual aspects of dionysus in cultural understanding was what made me think for the longest time that he was pretty cool but i wasn't cut out for him, so it was really nice to find that in classical depictions he had an almost asexual aspect that stood out compared to other gods. (i could see arguments that it had to do with his portrayal as an effeminate male or "false man" but eh, ancient greeks got weird about things like that.) to me he often bodies sensuality more than sexuality. he's very touchy-feely and has this entrancing physical grace, but it never feels sexual in the way many others relate to him. he embodies seeping into physical pleasure, whether that's allowing yourself the time to really enjoy a piece of fruit or a glass of wine, or having a cuddle.one thing i noticed when reading the bacchae, was the sexuality of the maenads was always assumed by pentheus. he was the one going on about the maenads up to sexual perversions in the woods, or dionysus using his beauty to seduce women. when the messenger actually sees the maenads, they're instead described as dancing, listening to music, performing miracles, and just like....hangin out. pentheus' obsession with all the debauched horrid sex he was sure those bad womens were getting up to reminds me so much of modern moral panics over rainbow parties or imagined horrid non-christian sex cults. the reality in both the myths and real life is that sexual liberation means embracing how much sex you want, and sometimes you just don't want any!for a lot of people, liberation and sexual freedom means embracing the sexual self and not feeling shame about it. for a lot of us ace folk, we've often felt the need to try to be more sexual than we may actually desire to overcome that feeling of being outsiders or not "real" adults. for us, sexual liberation is more like embracing that it's ok that maybe we would like to put another robe on and hang out, or if we want to take it off it's just because that's more comfy dangit. ”

tumblr user witchbitchacademia:

“ riding the phallus for dionysus' by csapo (that's not the full title but i can't remember the whole thing) is a wild ride and a fascinating one if you're looking at those rituals. csapo concludes that the phallic rites were more to do with that myth where some guy showed him how to get to the underworld, on the condition that dionysus would sleep with him. when dionysus returned, the guy had died, but he was so intent on keeping his promise that he made a phallus out of fig wood, put it on the guy's tomb, and rode it.it sounds like just a weird story, but dionysus, having been born twice and died twice, was a figure closely associated with liminality. you see it everywhere - his fuckery with gender and with age, his ability to bestow and cure madness, his beauty contrasted with the fact that he is almost never depicted as sexual and when it is it's usually under odd circumstances like that above, his descent into the underworld as an immortal who has "died"... the phallic rites, i'd argue, are more a celebration of his liminality than to encourage fertility. ”

SANNION ( BAKCHEION ), THE QUEERNESS OF DIONYSOS:

“ additionally, there are numerous depictions on vases and drinking vessels of dionysian women fending off the unwanted advances of the god’s lusty satyr companions, accounts of festivals that were open to women only, and depictions of dionysos which are sexually ambivalent. in athenian representations of dionysos the god is frequently at the center of a flurry of wild erotic and religious ecstasy, but remains himself entirely untouched by it. he is never depicted chasing after nymphs or goddesses . . . and there are even some hints that he was thought of as castrated or emasculated. ”

HATE THIS MAN: an essay on Dio's perverted tutor

tw for child sexual abuse ( CSA ), grooming, and corrective rape

this man—who I have yet to name ( if he ever gets one hence why he's called [ REDACTED ] )—was unusually handsome for a satyr and, on top of that, was so well-learned, that he was called the apollo of satyrs. unlike most other satyrs, he did not sexually harass any nymphs nor mortal women. hell, ladies actually felt comfortable in his company and swooned over him. so beloved was he, that he managed to endeared himself to even hades and persephone. mannerly and wise was he as well—thus, it was to no one's surprise that he became dio's tutor of the arts ( but especially music ). it was he that taught dio how to beautifully play the lyre. it was he that taught dio how to string words together until they became vivid poetry. it was he that taught dio that the world was filled with beauty. dio trusted this man and was fond of him, seeing him as a cool uncle. they were close once upon a time—but everything changed once dio became 10 years old. this man had taken him out on field trips before but those expeditions had only ever been for learning purposes. now, though, this man was indulging him with expensive gifts, calling them rewards for being his favorite student.

but, as with all groomers, it didn't stop there.

some time after this man started pampering dio, he showed the youth—who, might I remind you, was only 10 at the time—pottery that depicted graphic sexual imagery as part of "sex education." he'd ask dio what he thought of these images and dio—who had only been looking at said images with blank-eyed disinterest—shrugged and said, "neat I suppose."

now, this answer obviously did not satisfy this piece of shit

because, no, see, he wanted dio to be phallic-loving especially since he intended on marrying him someday so, that's when the pressure began. fast-forward to their next lesson. after congratulating dio on the progress he's made, this bastard got more handsy than usual to test the waters let's just say. since dio was naturally affectionate, he thought nothing of the lingering touches at that and just assumed that his tutor wanted to demonstrate his love for him. oh, you sweet summer child. eventually, those touches became intertwined with flirtations and, eventually, the touches became more intimate, the flirting more suggestive—until, one day, this fucker transgressed into coaxing dio into performing oral sex on him ( again, as part of "sex education" ). since pederasty was such a common practice in ancient greece, this asshole used that as justification for why what he was doing was actually perfectly normal. so, despite the discomfort dio felt—because, you know, his own tutor was taking sexual advantage of him—he didn't say anything because he didn't wanna get the man in trouble because, on some level, he still cared for him ( which is, sadly, a common reason why victims of child sexual abuse may not come clean about the abuse that they have experienced ).fortunately, though, as careful as the man was not to get caught—for he had made sure to keep his sexual transgressions as hidden away from the all-seeing eyes of helios ( the sun ) as much as possible—one day, he got sloppy.

and that was the day he took dio's virginity

thankfully, since dio only just started to bleed at the time, he did not become pregnant with his rapist's baby and said rapist ended up "mysteriously disappearing" after helios reported what he saw to his dad, zeus, and let him take care of it.

AFTERMATH THOUGHTS

in the case of groomers, I have found that what is most often the case is that they are someone that was very close to the victim and said victim's family. they could be a dearly beloved family friend, a teacher, or even one of your own relatives. whatever the case they may be, the commonality is that they are someone that the victim trusted wholeheartedly—and that's honestly one of the most heartbreaking aspects about grooming in my eyes because being groomed greatly damages a person's ability to trust and form close relationships again.with ampelos, dio already had that close bond since he was a childhood friend of his—so, that wasn't a problem there. what was a problem was that, on top of the jealousy dio felt in the dionysiaca ( where he basically kept on fretting over the possibility of one of his male relatives stealing his first boyfriend away from him and vividly imagining how they could do so ), dio feared that ampelos would lose interest if he wasn't sexual with him—to the point where he had bouts of paranoia over the thought of ampelos leaving him whenever ampelos spent a long time hanging out with other people. seeing as dio was only 14 at the time and teens can be super impulsive, that led to him thinking that the only way to truly snag his boyfriend's interest for good is if he slept with him.the end result? teen pregnancy.and, as if being pregnant at 14 wasn't bad enough, dio had to live with internalized acephobia for who knows how long. whenever he wasn't interested in having sex, for example—which was more often than he comfortably liked to admit—he would scoff at and admonish himself. what was he? a prude?curiously enough, the sexual trauma from dio's childhood also made him unconcerned about the thought of killing others mid-sex. hell, he even took dark satisfaction in doing so and, with men, opted for death by sex above all else. to dio, sex was primarily about power. control. sex was a tool for his own advancement—a bargaining chip even—while lust was an exploitable weakness. love, on the other hand, was fleeting—a fantasy that was often just lust in disguise. when ariadne first opened up to dionysus about how theseus used her for sex, that that just further strengthened dio's resolve that sex was rooted in a desire for power and control over others. it took years for him to realize that he perhaps was misguided.perhaps the saddest part, though, was how dio's sexual trauma forever changed his relationship with touch. before, dio was demonstrative with his love and always had a hug for everyone he met. afterwards, he became more reserved, more selective with whom he showed physical affection to. although dio was still willing to be physically affectionate with the trusted father figures he had in his life—such as hades, silenus, and, eventually, chiron—he was calculating every time he deigned to touch a man which he didn't trust ( which was, sadly yet understandably, all of them by default ). much like his perspective on sex, it took him years to process and evaluate this then-behavioral pattern of his. during his healing journey, he had fortunately managed to find a balance between being affectionate by nature and having a healthy level of distrust towards others.TALK ABOUT DIO'S THEN-BIAS AGAINST MEN.

dio being groomed by his satyr tutor was inspired by quite a few things:

  • dio's concerning reaction when priapus tried to force himself on him while he was in his sleep that one time; bro laughed that off and I was like wtf

  • how troubling satyrs are if you think about their behavioral patterns too hard ( like there was this one time, for example, where they apparently wanted to rape iris simply for interfering with dio's cult—talk about yikes )

  • there was this part in a lost satyr play where silenus joked about making a then-baby perseus phallic-loving ( and I have receipts for this )

  • katherine howard's childhood music teacher, henry mannox

  • how dio can apparently canonically play the lyre ( I KNOW—I WAS SHOCKED, TOO )

THE PRIAPUS INCIDENT

LUCIAN, DIALOGUES OF THE GODS ( SUMMARY SOURCED FROM WIKIPEDIA )
dialogue xxii: apollo and dionysus
apollo marvels at how different the three sons of aphrodite are: eros is a stunningly beautiful bowman, hermaphroditus is a blend of male and female traits, and priapus is strikingly unattractive. dionysus suggests that the differences are not due to aphrodite herself, but rather the various gods who fathered these sons. he also notes that even siblings born to the same parents can be quite different, using himself and his sister artemis as examples. apollo counters that he and artemis are both archers, but dionysus argues that while he is a healer, artemis punishes those who offend her.
dionysus recounts a humorous incident involving priapus: when dionysus visited priapus, the latter made unsuccessful advances toward him while he was asleep. apollo finds this amusing and attributes it to dionysus' good looks. dionysus points out that apollo is also very attractive and might attract priapus as well. apollo replies that if that were the case, he would have to rely on his bow as well as his hair.

apollo and dionysus

apollo
what can we make of it? won’t we have to admit that eros and hermaphroditus and priapus, though sons of the same mother, are utterly different in appearance and habits? eros is really handsome, and an archer invested with great power, and lord of all. hermaphroditus is an effeminate pansy, half one thing and half the other in appearance, for you can’t tell whether he’s boy or girl; whereas priapus is quite indecently masculine.dionysus
there’s no need to be surprised, apollo. it’s not aphrodite’s fault, but the fathers were different. why, even when the father’s the same, the one mother often has both boys and girls in her family. take for example your sister and yourself.apollo
quite so, but we are alike and have the same interests. we’re both archers.dionysus
the same as far as the bow goes, apollo, but no farther, for artemis kills visitors in scythia, while you are a prophet and healer of the sick.apollo
what? do you think my sister likes her scythians? why, the moment a greek reaches taurica, she’s all ready and waiting to sail off with him, in disgust at their human sacrifices.dionysus
and the best thing she could do. but now as for priapus—I’ll tell you something really funny. the other day—it was in lampsacus—I was passing the city, when he invited me home with him, and put me up for the night. now we’d gone to sleep in his dining-room, after and were pretty well soaked, when about midnight up gets our bold lad—but I’m ashamed to tell you.apollo
and made an attempt on you, dionysus?dionysus
something like that.apollo
how did you deal with the situation?dionysus
what could I do but laugh?apollo
the best thing too, no bad temper or violence. he’d some excuse for making an attempt on you. you’re so good-looking.dionysus
as far as that goes, he might make an attempt on you too, apollo. you’re so handsome and have such a fine head of hair, that he might assault you, even when he was sober.apollo
oh no, he won’t. I have arrows as well as long hair.

THE QUESTIONABLE SATYR PLAY

aeschylus, frag. 275 the net-draggers ( from papyri oxyrhynchus ) :

“ [ silenos and the satyroi (satyrs) have dragged the chest containing danae and her baby perseus ashore. silenos offers her refuge in competition with diktys, but his satyr-sons threaten to violate her :]silenos (silenus) : I call upon . . ((lacuna)) and the gods to witness what I now proclaim to the whole company. but whatever you [danae] do, don't rush recklessly away from us; understand at last and accept me as a most kindly protector and supporter. why, look, the boy [perseus] is greeting me with friendly words, as he would his respected grandmother. won't he always be the same towards me, as time goes on?danae : rivers of argos and gods of my fathers, and you, zeus, who bring my ordeal to such an end! will you give me to these beasts [silenos and the lusty satyrs] , so that they may outrage me with their savage onslaughts, or so that I endure in captivity the worst of tortures? anyhow, I shall escape. shall I then knot myself a noose, applying a desperate remedy against this torture, so that no one may put me to sea again, neither a lascivious beast nor a father? no, I am afraid to! zeus, send me some help in this plight, I beg you! for you were guilty of the greater fault, but it is I who have paid the full penalty. I call upon you to set things right! you have heard all I have to say.chorus [of satyrs] : look, the little one [perseus] is smiling sweetly as he looks on his [silenos'] shining raddled bald pate. . . ((lacuna))silenos : . . ((lacuna)) if I don't rejoice in the sight of you. damnation take diktys ( dictys ), who is trying to cheat me of this prize behind my back! [ to perseus. ] come here, my dearie! [ he makes chuckling noises. ] don't be frightened! why are you whimpering? over here to my sons, so that you can come to my protecting arms, dear boy—I'm so kind—and you can find pleasure in the martens and fawns and the young porcupines, and can make a third in bed with your mother and with me your father. and daddy shall give the little one his fun. and you shall lead a healthy life, so that one day, when you've grown strong, you yourself—for your father's losing his grip on his fawn-killing footwork—you yourself shall catch beasts without a spear, and shall give them to your mother for dinner, after the fashion of her husband's family, amongst whom you'll be earning your keep.chorus [of satyrs] : come now, dear fellows, let us hurry and hurry on the marriage [with danae], for the time is ripe for it and without words speaks for it. why, I see that already the bride is eager to enjoy our love to the full. no wonder: she spent a long time wasting away all lonely in the ship beneath the foam. well, now that she has before her eyes our youthful vigor, she rejoices and exults; such is the bridegroom that by the bright gleam of aphrodite's torches. ”

FAMILY TREE OF DIONYSUS

  DIVINE FAMILY TREE   - oceanus, titan god of the earth-encircling river oceanus, and tethys, titan goddess of fresh water
↪ ancestors1
- inachus, god of the inachus river and the first king of argos, and melia, an oceanid ( one of the many sea nymph daughters of oceanus and tethys )
↪ ancestors
- nilus, river god of the nile
↪ ancestor
- hera, queen of the gods
↪ step-mother, paternal aunt, and maternal great-great grandmother
- poseida, queen of the sea
↪ paternal aunt and maternal great-great grandmother2
- ares3, god of war, and aphrodite, goddess of love
↪ maternal great-grandparents
- hephaestus, god of the forge
↪ maternal great-grand uncle4
- harmonia, goddess of harmony and concord
↪ maternal grandmother
- eros ( love ), himeros ( desire ), phobos ( fear ), and demios ( terror )
↪ maternal grand uncles
- kronos, titan god of time, and rhea, mother of the gods
↪ paternal grandparents
- hestia, goddess of the hearth
↪ paternal aunt
- triton, benthesikyme, kymopoleia, and rhode
↪ paternal first cousins
- aristaeus, demigod son of apollo that became the god of shepherds and several rustic arts ( such as cheesemaking )
↪ nephew by blood, but uncle by marriage to his aunt autonoë
- morpheus, phantasos, phobetor, and the rest of the oneiroi
↪ grandchildren
- the rest of the greek pantheon basically


  MORTAL FAMILY TREE   - io, argive princess and priestess of hera
↪ ancestor
- epaphus, son of io and king of egypt
↪ ancestor
- agenor, king of tyre
↪ maternal great-grandfather
- belus, king of egypt
↪ maternal great-grand uncle
- cadmus, phoenician founder and king of thebes
↪ maternal grandfather
- europa, princess of tyre
↪ maternal grand aunt
- phoenix and cilix, princes of tyre
↪ maternal grand uncles
- autonoë, ino, and agave, princesses of thebes
↪ maternal aunts
- polydorus, king of thebes ( banished ), and illyrius, king of illyria
↪ maternal uncles
- pentheus, actaeon, learchus, melicertes, labdacus, and epirus
↪ maternal first cousins
- danaus, king of libya, and aegyptus, king of egypt ( twins )
↪ first cousins twice removed
- the danaides, the 50 princesses of libya
↪ second cousins once removed
- cepheus, king of ethiopia
↪ first cousin twice removed
- phineus, betrothed of andromeda
↪ first cousin twice removed
- andromeda, princess of ethiopia and wife of perseus
↪ second cousin once removed
- menoeceus, son of pentheus
↪ first cousin once removed
- creon, jocasta, and hipponome, children of menoeceus
↪ first cousins twice removed
- megara, princess of thebes and first wife of heracles
↪ first cousin thrice removed
- oedipus, king of thebes ( yeah, that oedipus )
↪ first cousin thrice removed
- antigone, ismene, eteocles, and polynices
↪ first cousins four times removed
- the rest of io's many, many descendants

FAMILY TREE FOOTNOTES
1 this blood relation is through his ancestors, io and memphis, and his great-grandmother, telephassa. io was the daughter of inachus and melia, while memphis and telephassa were the naiad daughters of nilus. inachus and nilus are both river gods and—as is the norm for all river gods—they are the sons of the titans oceanus and tethys. their oceanid sister, melia, ( naturally ) also calls oceanus and tethys her parents.
2 though—obviously—in the case of poseidons, that blood relation would be more uncle and great-great grandfather.
3 ares also doubles as dio's half-sibling. ( dio's family tree is a real mess I know )
4 unlike ares, hephaestus doesn't always double as dio's half-sibling; one version of his origins, in fact, claims that hera bore him without a partner because she grew jealous over how zeus had athena alone—so, I chose to focus on the great-grand uncle relation, instead, as to not make any assumptions about heph's parentage.

THREESOME DETAILS

cw for discussion of sex

❝ althaia (althaea) a queen of kalydon
in aitolia (central greece) loved by the god dionysos.
he seduced her with the full consent of her husband,
king oineus, who had received the gift of the vine. ❞

sources:

  • pseudo-apollodorus, bibliotheca 1. 64

  • pseudo-hyginus, fabulae 129

  • theophilus of antioch, to autolycus 7

as you can probably tell from the title, dionysus not only banged the queen—he also banged her husband ( at the same time no less ). after dio gave them samples of his wine, he peeked into their minds not only to see what they truly thought of it but also as a precaution in case he needed to protect his cult from them. when he saw that they were both attracted to him, he was just like “ alright, I can work with this. ” he, then, pulled from his experience working in a brothel to seduce the both of them into bed to ensure that both he and his wine were unforgettable 🤭if you want to know the horny details, basically, oineus watched from the comfort of his cuck chair as dio dominantly scissored with his wife and, then, after several rounds of consensual cucking—hey, dio don't judge—dio finally invited the poor, pent-up king, so he, too, could join in on the fun.

the grand finale?

dio eating althaia out—practically devouring her—while oineus railed him from behind.

and, no, it wasn't love

both the king and queen may have been good-looking—but it was purely transactional on dio's end. despite him basically pimping himself out just to gain more favor with them, though, I thought it'd be fun to mention this threesome because it was just that memorable.

UNIQUE ABILITIES OF DIONYSUS

ANTHROPOMORPHISM INDUCEMENT
the ability to endow non-human creatures or inorganic objects with anthropomorphic traits
↪ source: “ some say he [dionysos] gave a human voice to the ass which had carried him. ” ( pseudo-hyginus, astronomica 2. 23 )
CELEBRATION MANIPULATION
the ability to manipulate celebrations—i.e., festive events that commemorate a ( usually ) special day
APPLICATIONS
birthday detection ( can instinctively tell when someone's birthday is—so long as the other person is aware of this knowledge as well )
fun detection ( can instinctively tell how much people are enjoying themselves at a festive event )
party inducement
pyrotechnic manipulation ( i.e., control over fireworks )
FERTILITY MANIPULATION
the ability to control aspects of the reproductive process / system. despite popular perception, it doesn't have to be necessarily used in the sexual sense; in one of his myths, for example, dio made a kingdom's land barren after a king mistreated his followers.
APPLICATIONS
asexual reproduction ( which is how he had a couple of his children )
fertility inducement ( and, its inverse, infertility inducement )
pregnancy acceleration
pregnancy detection
pregnancy inducement ( via brewing a magic potion )
GLAMOUR
the craftsmanship of an illusory disguise
↪ differs from shapeshifting in that a glamour is merely a projection of a false image—an illusion if you will—whereas, with shapeshifting, the form is truly changed; also, fun fact: the glamour can fall once someone starts to truly see for the first time ( such as what happened with pentheus during the end of the bacchae when he saw the horns of a bull on dio's head as he was being led to his execution by "the stranger" to spy on the maenads )
IMMORTALITY BESTOWAL
the ability to grant others everlasting life
APPLICATIONS
deification ( note: optional )
eternal youth inducement ( note: also optional )
INTOXICANT MANIPULATION
the ability to control substances that have an intoxicating effect ( such as alcohol )
APPLICATIONS
hangover inducement ( i.e., can cause a person to experience headaches, nausea, fatigue, thirst, vertigo, etc. )
intoxicant detection ( can tell, for example, if a drink has been spiked as well as what it was spiked with exactly )
intoxicant empowerment
intoxicant generation
intoxication inducement
LOVE MAGIC RESISTANCE
the ability to resist or shake off the effects of love magic
↪ lore: while love magic can make people think that they are in love with or lusting after someone else, it isn't at the expense of their orientation. lesbians, for example, are immune to love magic if the intended target for them to fall in love with or lust after is a man; similarly, gay men cannot be magically forced to long for the love nor touch of a woman. in dio's case, being demi makes him resistant to love magic no matter what the gender the intended target is.
NECROMANCY ( why? )
magic that revolves around manipulating the dead, death, souls, and/or life-force ( not necessarily dark )
APPLICATIONS
astral projection ( sub-power: possession; note: can possess multiple beings or even objects at once )
blood manipulation ( which can be used to perform blood magic )
cemetery empowerment
death sense ( note: but only with regards to rebirth and resurrection; in other words, dio can instinctively tell if someone has died before )
life-draining kiss ( note: fortunately for dio's love life, this sub-power is not active by default )
mediumship
necrosis inducement
past life awareness
reanimation
reincarnation inducement
resurrection
soul manipulation ( sub-powers: exorcism, soul capture, soul healing, and soul reading )
PLANT MANIPULATION
also known as chlorokinesis, this ability grants the user control over plants ( including vines, moss, various parts of the plant—such as its leaves, seeds, roots, fruits and flowers—and more )
APPLICATIONS
botanical communication ( sub-power: plant detection )
nature empowerment
pheromone generation ( plant-based only )
photosynthesis ( i.e., dio can convert sunlight into energy for his body to use; by undergoing this process, he can temporarily forgo the need to eat )
phytochemistry manipulation ( i.e., control over the chemical processes in plant life )
plant empathy ( instinctively knowing what a plant needs to not only survive but also thrive )
plant enhancement ( such as promoting plant growth, for example, or making flowers more beautiful )
plant generation
plant mutation ( i.e., can make plant monsters like audrey II from little shop of horrors )
vine swinging ( aka his favorite mode of transportation tarzan, eat your heart out 🤭 /silly )
PLEASURE MANIPULATION
the ability to manipulate pleasure, a feeling that pertains to satisfication and enjoyment ( which is not necessarily but can be in the sexual sense )
APPLICATIONS
discomfort inducement
impotence inducement ( according to pausanias, dionysus cursed the male genitalia of the athenians after they rejected a statue of his that was brought to athens; needless to say, mortals have never been more quick to appease a god before in their life )
pleasure detection ( sub-power: orgasm detection, the ability to instinctively tell when someone is on the verge of climax )
pleasure empowerment ( sub-power: orgasm empowerment)
pleasure inducement ( sub-power: addictive contentment )
supernatural allure
PORTAL CREATION
the ability to create a mystical gateway that links one location to another
↪ inspo: “ certainly as a liminal deity, dionysos is a prime candidate for occult abilities which require an ability to transverse worlds: he shares this realm with other deities who stand on the threshold betwixt and between and are known for their skills with magic and the occult, such as hekate. ” — vikki bramshaw, dionysos: exciter to frenzy
PRECOGNITION
the ability to see the future
[ cue that's so raven theme song ]
↪ source: “ the connection between dionysos - who euripides called mantis — meaning 'seer' or 'prophet' — and the art of divination and prophecy was widespread in the ancient world and predated the more well-known oracular gods, apollo and zeus, by some time. in fact, many of the oracle sites associated with these two latter gods had shrines to dionysos, or else other markers that showed that dionysos may well have been one of the original deities present at the site. nowhere is this more apparent than at delphi, where dionysos had a great degree of importance and was originally seen as presiding over the oracle throughout the entire year — his nocturnal face ruled during the three months of winter and his bright face ruled during the remaining nine months. later as apollo grew in popularity, dionysos would come to only preside over the three winter months whilst apollo came to take the remaining nine months - until the importance of dionysos was moved aside altogether and apollo came to be identified with the fierce summer heats of june and july. ” — vikki bramshaw, dionysos: exciter to frenzy
PSIONICS
umbrella term for mind-based abilities that all stem from psychic power
APPLICATIONS
awareness distortion ( can make you see double )
brain chemistry manipulation ( dio can, for example, increase a target's levels of dopamine and serotonin )
dream visitation ( sub-power: dream communication )
levitation ( via telekinesis )
madness manipulation ( sub-powers: hallucination inducement, insanity inducement, and mental healing )
memory alteration ( sub-power: memory erasure )
mental condition detection ( can also detect mental traumas )
mental reboot ( possible side-effect: personality erasure )
mind control / hypnosis
mind visitation ( he can also enter the subconscious if he probes deep enough )
paralysis inducement
politeness inducement
psychic cloaking ( masks mental presence )
psychic energy manipulation ( barriers, blasts, constructs, etc. )
psychic link ( sub-power: mind melding )
psychic shielding
psychic vampirism ( can feed on madness / insanity )
unconsciousness inducement
telekinesis
telepathy
REALITY WARPING
reality is your playground and rules are for chumps ( rule of fun / rule of cool-based )
↪ note: can also be thought of as chaos magic ( an example of this is applying cartoon physics to reality—meaning, for example, that dio can create a logic-defying chase sequence like those found in comedic cartoons as a way to bamboozle his opponents )
RESURRECTIVE IMMORTALITY
unlike the other greek gods, you can kill dionysus but, as the god of resurrection, he will always come back—and, to make matters worse ( for his enemies ), come back stronger at that—because his existence, itself, defies death
THEATRE MANIPULATION
the ability to control elements that can be found in a theatrical production
APPLICATIONS
4th wall awareness ( sub-power: 4th wall interaction )
attire conjuration ( allows for quick costume changes )
musical inducement ( can make people break out into song and dance as if they're in a musical; note: people of particularly strong will power can start to question how they know the song that they're singing or all the steps in the choreography )
music generation ( usually the sound of flutes )
sound amplification
sound effect generation ( such as laughter and applause )
spotlight conjuration ( sub-power: spotlight color change )
vocal projection
vocal replication
WALLCRAWLING
the ability to scale walls and ceilings ( no matter how rough or smooth the surface is )
↪ note: dio accomplishes this by extending his nails into strong, dense claws—which he then uses to anchor himself as he climbs
ZOOLINGUALISM
the ability to communicate with animals
in most cases, dio does so by casting a spell—think speak with animals from dungeons and dragons ( d&d )—but, with snakes, that isn't a requirement because dio being an reincarnation of the serpent god zagreus makes it so he can naturally communicate with snakes.
↪ source: “ in fact, both dionysos and his followers were known for their occult abilities and we see these techniques being carried out in both legend and history including shapeshifting, divination, necromancy, curses, miracles (such as turning water into wine), conjuration, communicating with animals, raising energy, and even the magical use of herbs and resins. ” — vikki bramshaw, dionysos: exciter to frenzy

DIONYSUS, THE NECROMANCER

before I've delved into my research on dionysus, I already knew that he had chthonic ties—that is to say ties to the underworld ( for those who may be not familiar with term chthonic )—but I did not know just how deep those ties truly were. what I've discovered is that dio has not only had a gift for necromancy since a young age but also a strong connection to the dead. this connection is so strong, in fact, that even his followers have been known to engage in necromantic practices. below, I've complied textual evidence to support all of these claims. please read through them.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

Cynegetica or The Chase by Oppian

“ And to Euboea the women came, carrying the god, and to the abode of Aristaeus, who dwelt in a cave on the top of a mountain at Caryae and who instructed the life of country-dwelling men in countless things; he was the first to establish a flock of sheep; he first pressed the fruit of the oily wild olive, first curdled milk with rennet, and brought the gentle bees from the oak and shut them up in hives. He at that time received the infant Dionysus from coffer of Ino and reared him in his cave and nursed him with the help of the Dryads and the Nymphs that have the bees in their keeping and the maidens of Euboea and the Aonian women. And, when Dionysus was now come to boyhood, he played with the other children; he would cut a fennel stalk and smite the hard rocks, and from their wounds they poured for the god sweet liquor. Otherwhiles he rent rams, skins and all, and clove them piecemeal and cast the dead bodies on the ground; and again with his hands he neatly put the limbs together, and immediately they were alive and browsed on the green pasture. And now he was attended by holy companies, and over all the earth were spread the gifts of Dionysus, son of Thyone, and everywhere he went about showing his excellence to men. ”

Masks of Dionysus, Introduction by Christopher A. Faraone

( edited by Thomas H. Carpenter and Christopher A. Faraone )

“ dionysus has exerted a powerful attraction for scholars, artists, philosophers, and poets for over two thousand years. part of this attraction can, i think, be attributed to the fact that he was for the ancient greeks and he remains for us “all things to all people.” he is undoubtedly the most complex and multifaceted of all the greek gods, appearing alternately as the urbane inventor of wine and the symposium, the master of uncontrollable madness and into intoxication, the civic patron of athenian music and drama, the wild hunter who tends his victims with his bare hands and eats them raw, a fertility god represented by the erect phallus, and the mysterious god who comforts the dying and frees them from the fear of death. ”

Dionysos: Exciter to Frenzy by Vikki Bramshaw

“ Whilst staying with Aristaios, Dionysos also learnt how to skin an animal and prepare its meant — and it is within this tale that we also find a hint at Dionysos' link with destruction and resurrection. First separating the limbs of the animals from their carcasses, he proceeded to cast them on the ground, only to put the limbs back together and for the animal to return to life. ”“ A large proportion of necromancers in ancient Greece were also Dionysian women . . . And during the Mysteries of Eleusis we find an object known as the kesatot, the 'magic arm-bands of the Bacchae' which according to some sources were used to capture souls. It is possible that these arm bands were a mark of initiation, demonstrating that the initiate had navigated the underworld during his mortal life and prepared for the journey of his soul, which was handed over to Dionysos after death. Some writers also associate these practices with necromancy and raising the dead. ”“ Incidently, there was an established necromantic culture in ancient Greece, particularly in the cults of the chthonic gods such as Dionysos. It was believed that the undead were able to return to the upperworld, and there are accounts of ghouls terrorising the living — as well as being called up during necromantic rites. ”“ There are several accounts of necromancy in the myths of Dionysos. One story tells of how an army of the undead rose at Dionysos' command to march with the Athenians against Persia: one thousand dead men, who drove fear into the hearts of the Persian soldiers. Another myth is that of the soil-sprung 'sown-men', the ancestral warriors who were reanimated under the earth but in their new-born confusion they destroyed one another. Even Dionysos himself is known to participate in necromantic activities, descending into the underworld to retrieve souls and reanimating them, and of course he himself was the result of a kind of resurrection, when Zeus ate the bloody heart of Zagreus so that the Bromios could be born. ”“ There is also evidence to show that necromancy was part of the historical cult worship of Dionysos. As Lord of the Dead, Dionysos presides over the restless souls and is known to guide them between the worlds: and during the festival of Anthesteria in Athens, the dead were invited to return to the world of the living for three days for celebration and possession before being driven back into the underworld with a cacophony of noise. ”“ The Dionysian rites were largely chthonic in nature: focusing on the journey after death, the underworld, the promise of renewal - and they involved both the celebration of life and the liberation of the spirit in death. For the followers of Dionysos, the deceased Bakkhoi was promised 'the eternal banquet of the blessed', in the realm of Elysium at the end of their journey. On the whole, the initiations of the Dionysian cults seem to have imitated the process that they believed they would encounter after death — to assure the continuation of consciousness after their present physical life had ended. ”

From the Mouths of Dionysus Devotees

( OR EVEN JUST PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT DIO IS NEAT )

reddit user nyxshadowhawk:

“ as an embodiment of life-force, dionysus is able to transcend death; he died and was resurrected himself, and descended into the underworld to rescue the souls of his wife and mother, making him responsible for the apotheosis of two mortals. during the athenian festival of anthesteria, which would have occurred about now, he leads the dead up from hades in a procession of souls to revel with living humans for three days. on the first day, dionysus would lead the souls of the dead up from the underworld, and they would be attracted by the smell of new wine, drinking it from pots left out for them. on the second day, the revelers would get very drunk and have a lot of sex among the ghosts. there would also be a secret ritual marriage (heiros gamos) between the queen of athens and dionysus. on the third day, the spirits would be given more offerings to appease them and then driven out so they would go back to the underworld instead of lingering. anthesteria is basically what you would get if you mixed the celtic festivals of beltane and samhain into one festival. ”

EPITHETS OF DIONYSUS

❝ no single greek god even approaches dionysus in the horror of his epithets, which bear witness to a savagery that is absolutely without mercy. in fact, one must evoke the memory of the monstrous horror of eternal darkness to find anything at all comparable. ❞ ― walter f. otto, dionysus myth and cult

EPITHETSTRANSLATIONS
Acratophorusgiver of unmixed wine
Aesymneteslord, ruler
Agathos Daimonthe good spirit
Agriosthe wild one
Agyieusprotector ( of the streets, of the ways )
Aigobolusgoat-slayer
Androgynossexually androgynous, versatile in bed
Antaugesthe sparkler
Antheusthe blooming one
Anthionof the flowers
Anthroporraistosman-slayer, destroyer of men, render of humans
Areiosthe martial one
Arretosthe ineffable
Auxitêsgiver of increase, bringer of growth
Bakkhosfrenzied one, of bacchic frenzy
Bromiosroaring, the thunderer
Bassareusthe fox-god, lord of the bassarids
Bassarosthe vulpine one
Charidôtêsgiver of grace
Choreutêsthe dancer
Choroplekesthe danceweaving one
Chthoniosof the earth, of the underworld
Dasylliusfrequenting the woods
Dendritesof the trees
Dikerotesthe two-horned one
Dimêtôrtwice-born, of two mothers
Dithyrambosof the dithyramb
Eiraphiotesgoat-kid, insewn
Ekstatophorosbringer of ecstasy
Eleuthereusthe liberator, breaker of chains
Enorcheswith balls
Enyaliuswarlike
Erebinthinosof the chickpea
Eridromosgood-running
Euanthesthe fair blossoming one
Eubouleusof good counsel, the good counselor
Euiosthe reveler
Gethosynosthe joyful
Gigantophonosgiant-slayer
Gynniswomanish, the womanly one
Hebetikosthe youthful
Hestiosof the feast
Himertosdear, desired, longed for, lovely
Hugiatesdispenser of health
Hyesof moisture, the moist, the dripping
Hypnophobesterrifier during sleep
Iatroshealer
Ignigenason of fire
Intonsusunshorn, of eternal youth
Isodaetesdistributor of equal portions
Karpiosof the harvest
Kemiliusyoung deer, pricket
Kissokomesthe ivy-crowned one
Kissiosof the ivy
Kistophorosbasket-bearer
Kolotesspotted gecko
Kryphiosthe hidden one
Lamptêrostorch-brearer, of the torches
Lênaiosof the wine-press
Liknitesof the winnowing fan
Limnaiosof the marsh, liminal
Lyaiosloosener of cares, deliverer from sorrow
Mainolêsmad, raging
Mantisthe diviner, the seer
Melanaigisof the black goatskin
Meilichiosthe mild, the gentle one, gracious
Melpomenosthe singer, minstrel, of the tragedy play
Morychussmeared with winemaking dregs
Mystesmystic, of the mysteries
Nebrodesof the fawn-skin
Nykteliosof the night
Nykterinosthe nocturnal one
Nyktiphaêsnight-illuminating
Nyktipolosnight-wanderer, roaming by night
Oiketorindweller
Omadiosof the raw feast
Omesteseater of raw flesh
Oreusfrequenter of mountains
Orthiusupright, sober
Palaiosthe ancient one
Panphagosall-devourer
Perikioniusclimbing the column
Phallênof the phallus
Phanesthe illuminator
Philogaioslover of the earth
Philogelôslover of laughter
Phleongiver of plenty, the luxuriant
Phohsphórosgiving light, light-bringer
Ploutodotêsbestower of riches
Politêscitizen
Polygethesbringer of many joys
Polymorphosmany-formed, of the many forms
Polyônomosof the many names
Polyparthenosof the many maidens
Protogonosthe firstborn
Protrygaiosfirst of the vintage
Pseudanorfalse man
Psilasgiver of wings
Psilaxuplifted on wings
Psychodaiktesdestroyer of the soul
Psychoplanísmaking the soul wander
Pyrigenesfire-born
Pyrisporosfire-engendered
Skeptouchossceptre-bearer
Sotersavior
Sôtêriosrecovery from madness
Staphylitesof the grape
Taurophagosdevourer of the bull
Teletarchêsthe lord of initiation
Thaumasiosthe wondrous, the miraculous
Thesmophoroslaw-giver
Xenosthe strange, the foreign, the exotic, the other
Zagreusgreat hunter

Poseida

descending into madness
had a funny way of
starting with prophecies
in poseida’s family.

when kronos—king of the titans and the ruler of the cosmos during the legendary golden age—castrated and disposed of his father, starry ouranos, he had received a prophecy that he, in an ironic twist of fate, would be dethroned by one of his own offspring, by one of his own sons.which one of the little brats would bring about his undoing kronos knew not and cared not even less. the prospect of a son becoming mighty—mightier than him—and dismantling all that he would build unnerved him.one might think that his daughters would be spared from this fear of his—but that is not so. his mother, gaea—the primordial earth, itself, and the great mother of all creation—was a cunning creature just like he was. kronos knew better than to underestimate women, than to underestimate the feminine wiles his daughters could develop.thus, one by one, he began to consume his children.kronos swallowed hestia whole when she was a darling princess of the age of five. maybe six. try as he did to keep his paranoia at bay by being as loving a father as he could have been to his eldest daughter, his paranoia festered once he saw the devastation hestia’s flames unwittingly caused to part of her room. the day that demeter was born, he swallowed his two children in one go. when hera and hades were born, he swallowed them the instant he had his hands on them.furious, rhea began plotting against kronos.

as the rich-haired queen became pregnant with their fifth child, poseida, she conceived a plan to save her—but the stress proved too much for her, resulting in her giving birth about three months early. although kronos soon discovered her ruse, he surprisingly spared the child—not because he suddenly had a change of heart but rather because he deemed baby poseida too weak to pose any real threat to him.Pariatur autem yet nostrum for illum fugit accusantium ratione. Do ullamco. Eu culpa yet ab so aliqua aspernatur. Nesciunt natus inventore, sint cillum laboriosam so voluptatem. Veritatis. Sunt. Tempor odit voluptate, for architecto so magnam. Corporis laudantium yet velitesse and eaque. Accusantium irure quae so exercitation magni.Quae accusantium. Non proident, but aliquid. Perspiciatis quae minima voluptas. Eius ullamco sunt or aperiam and do. Veniam ex. Dolorem. Id officia occaecat or iste dolor duis totam. Laboriosam numquam beatae. Consequatur explicabo yet incididunt. Fugiat odit or officia dolor eum aliquip. Consequat commodo explicabo. Consectetur. Ullamco illum unde dolorem. Ullamco lorem dolores but perspiciatis.Aute esse but quis, adipisicing. Omnis sed, modi, and ullam or ut illum. Amet nostrud. Mollit sed, iste for officia but quasi architecto. Irure dolorem exercitationem. Magnam sed so nostrum yet occaecat or ullam but voluptatem. Id veniam, nostrum. Consectetur. Esse. Aliquip ea. Excepteur nemo for ullam so aut.Lorem. Nihil dolore commodi for et, velit. Id sunt quaerat, magna. Accusantium lorem, perspiciatis quo fugiat in dolore. Nostrud enim nihil. Id aperiam. Reprehenderit et for nesciunt.

ruler of the sea profound

hymn to
poseida basileia

mistress of the ocean, you with an enchanting smile
bedight upon your lovely face—
you who beguile unwitting sailors and merchants
with your sweet, honeyed song—
you for whom the feral monsters of the deep play
in your path, yearning for your affection—
for whom the shimmering waves ripple as you pirouette,
twirl, and leap upon your watery stage—
you who shape islands and breathe life into newborn creatures—
o winsome queen of the sea, you who care for your creations
like how a mother would her child, i beseech you:be tender of heart and temperate in judgment as you watch over
your faithful patrons and may you grant those who voyage in ships
safe passage through your briny domain.

BASICS

  NAME    poseida
↪ name in ancient greek script: ποσειίδα
↪ greek pronunciation: poh·sea·da

BEHIND THE NAME
the origins behind poseida's name are shrouded in mystery. one possible interpretation claims that her name means lady of the earth. other name interpretations include mistress of waters and she knew many things. one thing is for certain, though, and that is that poseida easily serves as the feminine version of the name that she was given at birth ( a deliberate move on her part as a way of honoring her mother ).

  NICKNAMES    po  ALIASES    aliases  AGE    9,000+ ( ageless )
↪ passes for mid-to-late 20s ( looks like she should be in grad school at the very least )  DATE OF BIRTH    mar 15
↪ birth chart: pisces sun, cancer moon, virgo rising + mercury in pisces, mars in aquarius, venus in pisces
↪ chinese zodiac: ???  BIRTHPLACE    mount othrys, greece  GENDER    trans woman ( she/her )
↪ physical transition ( applicable ):
- transition detail  ORIENTATION    panromantic pansexual—or pan for short—with a preference for women  SPECIES    deity  SOCIAL CLASS    social class  MARITAL STATUS    married 💍  CURRENT RESIDENCE    her undersea palace  OCCUPATION    occupation  SIGNATURE   

PHYSICAL

  VOICE    voice  FACE CLAIM    n/a  HEIGHT    4'10"  WEIGHT    weight  APPEARANCE    appearance
↪ alternate forms:
- alt. form — differences
- alt. form — differences
- alt. form — differences  PERSONAL STYLE    style  SCENT    scent  SCARS    scars  PIERCINGS    piercings  TATTOOS    tattoos  DOMINANT HAND    left—but only by default due to being born without much of her right arm  PHYSICAL CONDITIONS   - condition
↪ onset:
↪ symptoms:
↪ status:  EATING HABITS    eating habits

FOOD & DRINK FAVORITES
fave
fave
fave
fave
fave
fave
fave
fave
fave
fave

  SLEEPING HABITS    sleeping habits

MENTAL

  TRAITS   

POSITIVENEUTRALNEGATIVE
traittraittrait
traittraittrait
traittraittrait
traittraittrait

  MBTI    infp-t  ENNEAGRAM    enneagram  TEMPERAMENT    phlegmatic  MORAL ALIGNMENT    neutral good  MAJOR ARCANA    major arcana  HOGWARTS HOUSE    ravenclaw

ANIMAL PRIMARY / ANIMAL SECONDARY

  • “ primary description quote ”

  • “ secondary description quote ”

  INTERESTS    interest, interest, interest
↪ instruments played ( if any ):
- ???

LIKES
like, like, like
DISLIKES
dislike, dislike, dislike

  FEARS    fears  MENTAL CONDITIONS   - condition
↪ onset:
↪ symptoms:
↪ status:

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

  • TROPE

BACKGROUND

  PARENTS   - kronos, titan god of time, and rhea, mother of the gods
↪ ( birth parents )
- nereus, the old man of the sea
↪ ( father figure and mentor )  SIBLINGS    hestia, demeter, hera, hades, and zeus

❝ but rhea was subject in love to kronos and bare splendid children, hestia, demeter, and gold-shod hera and strong haides . . . and the loud-crashing earth-shaker, and wise zeus. ❞
― hesiod, the theogony
( tr. hugh g. evelyn-white )

  BIRTH ORDER    second-youngest

  SIGNIFICANT OTHER   - amphitrite, the eldest of the nereids ( wife )
↪ open relationship  NOTABLE OTHER LOVERS   - other lover
↪ nature of relationship
- other lover
↪ nature of relationship
- other lover
↪ nature of relationship
- other lover
↪ nature of relationship  CRUSHES    countless in her youth—none of whom she confessed to out of a feeling of insecurity ( and all almost exclusively based on them being kind to her ).  CHILDREN   - child ( or children )
↪ ( with partner )
- child ( or children )
↪ ( with partner )
- child ( or children )
↪ ( with partner )
- child ( or children )
↪ ( with partner )  PETS    pet  LANGUAGES    all of them  EDUCATION   

- from someone, muse learned this shit
- more tba.

  INVENTIONS   

- invention
- invention
- invention
- invention
- invention
- invention

ABILITIES

  PHYSIOLOGY   - physiology detail
- physiology detail
- physiology detail
- physiology detail
- physiology detail
- physiology detail

PSA
BEFORE WE START, it's important to keep in mind that the greek gods are not superheroes and, thus, do not have a power set that they are restricted to.

in other words, gods are gods and superheroes are superheroes.

  POWERS / ABILITIES    like all greek gods, po possesses the following abilities ( scroll down for more info ):- enhanced condition
- enhanced senses
- immortality
- omnipresence
- omniscience
- regenerative healing factor
- prayer tracking
- power bestowal
- transmutation
- teleportationpo also has ones that not every god has; to learn about those, just click on the button below:

ENHANCED CONDITION
because of her divine status, poseida's physical capabilities are vastly superior to that of unenhanced mortals ( with special mention going to her flexibility )
ENHANCED SENSES
as a goddess, poseida's physical senses are far shaper than those of unenhanced mortals ( with special mention going to her sense of hearing )
IMMORTALITY
the state of being unable to die
OMNIPRESENCE
being anywhere and everywhere at once
↪ note: with relation to her domain only ( and, even then, her presence has to be invoked )
OMNISCIENCE
possessing infinite knowledge
↪ note: with relation to her domain only ( which makes po the first to know, for example, about a giant oil spill in the ocean )
PRAYER TRACKING
with this ability, the user can find and appear in the location of anyone who prays to them
POWER BESTOWAL
the ability to gift others with supernatural abilities
↪ example: example
REGENERATIVE HEALING FACTOR
got a cut on your lip? well, not anymore! did you bruise your knee? ha! what bruised knee? has your shoulder just been dislocated? guess what—it's now all better! simply put: with this ability, the user can rapidly and automatically heal from any damage that's inflicted upon their body; this includes stabbings, gun shots, pierced arrows, etc. especially powerful users can even survive decapitation!
↪ note: healing rates may differ depending on the person
TRANSMUTATION
the ability to transform matter ( animals, objects, other beings, etc. ) into anything else ( e.g., turning a handsome prince into a hideous toad )
SUB-POWERS
partial transformation ( such as growing just claws )
shapeshifting
size manipulation
TELEPORTATION
the ability to instantaneously move to other locations without traversing the physical space between them

WORSHIP

  COUNTRY OF ORIGIN    ancient greece  ROMAN COUNTERPART    neptunia ( or neptuna )

  DOMAIN    domain
↪ later additions: later additions
↪ patron god of say something
↪ associated with say something

RETINUE
member(s)
member(s)
member(s)
member(s)
member(s)

  SYMBOLS / ATTRIBUTES    symbols / attributes  SACRED ANIMALS    sacred animals  SACRED PLANTS    sacred plants  FESTIVALS   

🔱 festival
🔱 festival
🔱 festival
🔱 festival
🔱 festival
DEVOTIONAL ACTS
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act
devotional act

inspirations

  ANIMATION   - animation inspo ( source )
- animation inspo ( source )
- animation inspo ( source )  ART   - art inspo  COMICS   - comics inspo ( source )
- comics inspo ( source )
- comics inspo ( source )  FILM & TELEVISION   - film & tv inspo ( source )
- film & tv inspo ( source )
- film & tv inspo ( source )

  HISTORICAL & CONTEMPORARY FIGURES   - historical & contemporary figure inspo ( source )
- historical & contemporary figure inspo ( source )
- historical & contemporary figure inspo ( source )  LITERATURE   - lit inspo ( source )
- lit inspo ( source )
- lit inspo ( source )  THEATRE   - theatre inspo ( source )
- theatre inspo ( source )
- theatre inspo ( source )  VIDEO GAMES   - video game inspo ( source )

portrayal notes

  • Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

  • Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

  • Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

  • Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

  • Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

  • Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

footnotes

BASICS
1 footnote
2 footnote
3 footnote
4 footnote
5 footnote
BACKGROUND
1 footnote
2 footnote
3 footnote
4 footnote
5 footnote
ABILITIES
1 footnote
2 footnote
3 footnote
4 footnote
5 footnote
WORSHIP
1 footnote
2 footnote
3 footnote
4 footnote
5 footnote

navigation

headcanons

HEADCANONVERSECONTENT WARNING
headcanon about thingverse namecontent cw
name of headcanonblog-widecontent cw
put whatever you want just make sure to link itverse namecontent cw
tbablog-widecontent cw

verses

  Verse Name     Main Verse. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  Verse Name    Canon. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  Verse Name    Canon. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

  Verse Name    AU. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  Verse Name    AU.   —  affiliated with blogurl
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.  Verse Name    AU. 
Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, rem yet aliquid anim ad. Elit qui culpa yet totam consequatur. Mollit nesciunt and iste magni. Ad cillum ullamco for excepteur. Laudantium quisquam but eaque but laboris. Dolore. Nihil sequi for eos. Esse consectetur aspernatur so sequi elit. Corporis aute and magna or ab for consequuntur so unde. Ab occaecat or natus adipisci. Proident nemo or pariatur but adipisicing veritatis. Eaque eiusmod and in for quaerat but ex. Occaecat quisquam unde.

POSEIDA ART GALLERY

FAMILY TREE OF POSEIDA

  DIVINE FAMILY TREE   - divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- divine family member
↪ ( relation )
- the rest of the greek pantheon basically


  MORTAL FAMILY TREE   - mortal family member
↪ ( relation )
- mortal family member
↪ ( relation )
- mortal family member
↪ ( relation )
- mortal family member
↪ ( relation )
- mortal family member
↪ ( relation )
- mortal family member
↪ ( relation )
- mortal family member
↪ ( relation )
- mortal family member
↪ ( relation )

FAMILY TREE FOOTNOTES
1 footnote
2 footnote
3 footnote
4 footnote

UNIQUE ABILITIES OF POSEIDA

UNIQUE ABILITY
description
↪ applications: what shit can it do
UNIQUE ABILITY
description
↪ applications: what shit can it do
UNIQUE ABILITY
description
↪ applications: what shit can it do
UNIQUE ABILITY
description
↪ applications: what shit can it do
UNIQUE ABILITY
description
↪ applications: what shit can it do
UNIQUE ABILITY
description
↪ applications: what shit can it do

EPITHETS OF POSEIDA

EPITHETSTRANSLATIONS
EPITHETtranslation
EPITHETtranslation
EPITHETtranslation
EPITHETtranslation
EPITHETtranslation
EPITHETtranslation