⟐ Μέδουσα ⟐
∸
She Who Rules and Protects
Some tales leave such a mark People will continue to tell their stories
For generations on end
.
This is one such tale.
This is the tale of the Gorgon Medousa
.
Gorgons are known from Greek Mythology as some of the most horrid beasts in all tradition.
Portrayed with a boar's tusks, swollen eyes and tongue, scaly stone-like skin, serpents writhing around their waists, Talons on their hands and feet, four brazen wings, and a nest of venomous snakes slithering out from their scalp.
Three Gorgon sisters were most known. Spawned of Keto and Phorkys; Stheno was the oldest, and she was very strong. The well-travelled Euryale was very wise. And the youngest of them was Medousa, and she was the ruler of the Temple and the protector of the first Oracle. The trio had other siblings too, such as the Moirai. But also the terrible Echidna, mother of other monsters. And Ladon - the hydra who guarded the Hesperian Golden Apples.
.
Most terrible of the Gorgons was Medousa. She was so horrid that any who looked upon her would freeze in terror.
A gift that would become a curse
.
Following is the true tale of the writhing Dread.
The Gorgon who turned all who looked upon her into stone. This is the true tale of Medousa.
.
.
To Be Continued
Some tales leave such a mark People will continue to tell their stories
For generations on end
.
This is one such tale.
This is the tale of the Gorgon Medousa
.
Gorgons are known from Greek Mythology as some of the most horrid beasts in all tradition.
Portrayed with a boar's tusks, swollen eyes and tongue, scaly stone-like skin, serpents writhing around their waists, Talons on their hands and feet, four brazen wings, and a nest of venomous snakes slithering out from their scalp.
Three Gorgon sisters were most known. Spawned of Keto and Phorkys; Stheno was the oldest, and she was very strong. The well-travelled Euryale was very wise. And the youngest of them was Medousa, and she was the ruler of the Temple and the protector of the first Oracle. The trio had other siblings too, such as the Moirai. But also the terrible Echidna, mother of other monsters. And Ladon - the hydra who guarded the Hesperian Golden Apples.
.
.
Most terrible of the Gorgons was Medousa. She was so horrid that any who looked upon her would freeze in terror.
A gift that would become a curse
.
Following is the true tale of the writhing Dread.
The Gorgon who turned all who looked upon her into stone. This is the true tale of Medousa.
.
.
To Be Continued
.
Far from unwanted visitors, the three sisters guarded a temple in Northern Tanzania, Beyond the known world, a temple to forgotten gods erected by a lake. And there, centuries would pass. Wayward visitors petrified, their agony forever captured. The lake waters grown deadly from the Gorgons' presence. Salty water that causes all who die in it to calcify as if they'd met Medousa's gaze post-death. A barren wasteland, the temple covered in dust and soil. Near forgotten. Nought but legend. A myth. . Then one day, a boy rode in on winged talaria with harpe in hand and a mirror-clean shield. Persevs, the lost Prince of Argos.
With Dark Lord's cap to grant him invisibility, The Messenger's sandals to grant him flight, The Wise Goddess' shield to grant him protection, A sword made of adamant to sever the Gorgon's head, and a knapsack in which to store it, The young hero was thrust unto the desolate place. To wander the garden full of statues so grotesque he could not look upon them. And to seek Medousa where she laid sleeping in a cave. With one swing her head was severed, and a shriek so terrible it shook the landscape escaped her sister's lips. And thus her life and destiny was ended, Her suffering come to an end.
...
Or did it?
.
Medousa's destiny would not end with her death. Her severed head would become one of the most desired weapons in all of history. Challenged only by the later Greek Fire, Ark of the Covenant,
Chinese Black Powder, The Holy Grail,
And the Atomic Bomb.
. The terrifying aspects of Medousa's horrid visage remained even after her head was parted from her shoulders. And Persevs utilized this power for his own advantage, as any warrior does a weapon. The first victims of her decapitated cephalon were the Titan Atlas, who held up the sky, And the ferocious Ketos, a sea-monster sent by Poseidon to destroy Ethiopia. Then followed the cruel king Polydektes and the whole of his court during Persevs' rebellion.
When Perseus was done, he returned his divine gifts to the Hesperides. All except for the shield which he personally brought to the Wise Goddess, along with Medousa's head. She then took the head and welded it onto the shield to forever serve as a symbol of protection and power. A symbol come to be known as the Gorgoneion. Used to instil terror in foes, children, thieves and looters. But Medousa was forgotten. Her sisters lost to time, withered away in a desolate place Their fate unknown. Or so they lead us to believe... .
Enter the Arthur Initiative.
.
An organisation so old it is difficult to trace its origin. They've gone under multiple names in the past. The Knights Templar The Faceless Order Illuminati The Freemasonry Order of the Ancients The Order of the Eye of the Gods and The Order of Trinity. . Beginning in Egypt during the time of the Pyramids, This secret order worked through the shadows to regulate, contain, and control. They have puppeteered politicians, kings, emperors. Kept secret certain events that would otherwise illuminate the world in untold knowledge. They recorded history and pulled the strings in hopes of controlling the future. They hid massive treasures, assassinated political adversaries, and studied ancient artefacts.
.
Underneath the city of Rome, Trinity has created a network of catacombs so vast, it would take weeks to navigate. Inside, they store untold riches and mysteries. Artefacts so powerful they can never see the light of day. And some artefacts whose power has been long since lost. Such as the shield of the Wise Goddess, locked inside a vault in case its power would ever awaken. An artefact of such dreaded reputation, that even when dormant, people fear it. The shield carrying the head of the Gorgon Medousa.
.
In July of 1521, legendary explorer and Trinity member Juan Ponce de León suffered a mortal wound while trying to establish a colony in what today is Florida, while searching for a legendary spring thought to have rejuvenating powers. Upon discovering what would come to be known as the Fountain of Youth, Ponce and his expedition were confronted by the Calusa. A native tribe who guarded the fountain and its secrets. The attack forced Ponce and his men to retreat back to Cuba where it is said that Ponce finally succame to his wounds. But his story did not end there. . As a member of Trinity, Juan Ponce was obsessed with mythical artefacts. And the Fountain of Youth was a power like none other, whose healing powers could rival those of the Holy Grail. But the Calusa and their allies stood in the way of his plans to procure the rejuvenating spring. The war between the British and Spanish Empires had scattered Trinity's forces, and Ponce was barely able to retaliate and secure the fountain. But the Calusa kept attacking, and he was running out of soldiers. By winter of 1523, Ponce had managed to create a fortification around the Fountain. But he was running out of time. Although the spring had healed his own wounds, he needed to ensure that Trinity didn't lose this valuable location. And so he had to resort to using his contacts in Rome to bring an artefact that would put a swift end to the natives. On the 15th of August 1524, a ship arrived in Florida, carrying a horrible artefact. The head of the Gorgon Medousa. But as he unveiled the weapon in front of captured Calusa, it was apparent that it had lost its powers. Ponce had to resort to drastic measures, and so got in contact with a local witch calling herself Dolai. Dolai had the power to bring a soul back from the spirit realm in exchange for another of equal worth.
.
But what price would you pay for power? . A dark ritual bringing back the most dangerous mythical creature in recorded history. In a place symbolising life and prosperity. If the act itself didn't corrupt the waters, the terrible stench of the Gorgon reborn certainly did. The waters putrified as tar-like ooze replaces liquid crystal. And with only but a glance, Ponce De León and several of his men writhed in pain. One look at the Gorgon's regenerating form and their bodies calcified as if drained of liquids. In mere minutes they were nothing but husks of petrified embodiments of pure agony.
.
But being brought to life after thrice a millennia was not easy to recover from, and the beast was subdued. Medousa was successfully contained by and brought to a Trinity Stronghold in Puerto Rico. There she would become Trinity's first controllable superweapon. Alas, a simple mistake can have dangerous repercussions. The Gorgon was accidentally let loose and turned almost the entire staff into writhing statues of pain. The fortress was abandoned and forgotten for near a generation. . At one point in history, overwritten by Trinity, Puerto Rico fell under French rule. A village was built near the abandoned fortress, and while the Gorgon hid in the caves underneath, The new Governor let build a grand chateau on the remains of the Trinity fortress. It was named Château du Serpents, named after the high number of wild snakes in the area.
After only a couple generations, the Château was abandoned as rumours of a demon haunting the castle caused too much fear. The village was nearly entirely evacuated as well And it would be nearly two hundred years until anyone made permanent residence in the area again. And even then, whispers of the spirit of Iguanaboína residing in the caves persisted. And some would go as far as to send offerings to an altar near the Château du Serpents in hopes of appeasing the goddess within. But few dared to stray to close, lest she blesses them with her light and turns them into statues of stone.
.
-
Facts and Stats
-
-
Medousa stands a total of 7'5", or 226cm, tall. Though she keeps a hunched posture, removing 7inches from her total height. She also regularly crawls on all four.
Medusa has two broken wings of black feathers with a brass sheen. She cannot use them to fly, and it was done so that she could not fly away from her exile. She's very agile though, and immensely strong. She can crush stone with her hands, and climb vertically. She can see using smell but is otherwise semi-blind.
Her skin is a greyish olive-green colour and covered in stone-like scales.
She has four yellowed tusks and pulled back lips that expose her teeth.
Her tongue is very long and split down the middle like a snake's.
Far from unwanted visitors, the three sisters guarded a temple in Northern Tanzania, Beyond the known world, a temple to forgotten gods erected by a lake. And there, centuries would pass. Wayward visitors petrified, their agony forever captured. The lake waters grown deadly from the Gorgons' presence. Salty water that causes all who die in it to calcify as if they'd met Medousa's gaze post-death. A barren wasteland, the temple covered in dust and soil. Near forgotten. Nought but legend. A myth. . Then one day, a boy rode in on winged talaria with harpe in hand and a mirror-clean shield. Persevs, the lost Prince of Argos.
With Dark Lord's cap to grant him invisibility, The Messenger's sandals to grant him flight, The Wise Goddess' shield to grant him protection, A sword made of adamant to sever the Gorgon's head, and a knapsack in which to store it, The young hero was thrust unto the desolate place. To wander the garden full of statues so grotesque he could not look upon them. And to seek Medousa where she laid sleeping in a cave. With one swing her head was severed, and a shriek so terrible it shook the landscape escaped her sister's lips. And thus her life and destiny was ended, Her suffering come to an end.
...
Medousa's destiny would not end with her death. Her severed head would become one of the most desired weapons in all of history. Challenged only by the later Greek Fire, Ark of the Covenant,
Chinese Black Powder, The Holy Grail,
And the Atomic Bomb.
. The terrifying aspects of Medousa's horrid visage remained even after her head was parted from her shoulders. And Persevs utilized this power for his own advantage, as any warrior does a weapon. The first victims of her decapitated cephalon were the Titan Atlas, who held up the sky, And the ferocious Ketos, a sea-monster sent by Poseidon to destroy Ethiopia. Then followed the cruel king Polydektes and the whole of his court during Persevs' rebellion.
When Perseus was done, he returned his divine gifts to the Hesperides. All except for the shield which he personally brought to the Wise Goddess, along with Medousa's head. She then took the head and welded it onto the shield to forever serve as a symbol of protection and power. A symbol come to be known as the Gorgoneion. Used to instil terror in foes, children, thieves and looters. But Medousa was forgotten. Her sisters lost to time, withered away in a desolate place Their fate unknown. Or so they lead us to believe... .
.
An organisation so old it is difficult to trace its origin. They've gone under multiple names in the past. The Knights Templar The Faceless Order Illuminati The Freemasonry Order of the Ancients The Order of the Eye of the Gods and The Order of Trinity. . Beginning in Egypt during the time of the Pyramids, This secret order worked through the shadows to regulate, contain, and control. They have puppeteered politicians, kings, emperors. Kept secret certain events that would otherwise illuminate the world in untold knowledge. They recorded history and pulled the strings in hopes of controlling the future. They hid massive treasures, assassinated political adversaries, and studied ancient artefacts.
.
Underneath the city of Rome, Trinity has created a network of catacombs so vast, it would take weeks to navigate. Inside, they store untold riches and mysteries. Artefacts so powerful they can never see the light of day. And some artefacts whose power has been long since lost. Such as the shield of the Wise Goddess, locked inside a vault in case its power would ever awaken. An artefact of such dreaded reputation, that even when dormant, people fear it. The shield carrying the head of the Gorgon Medousa.
.
In July of 1521, legendary explorer and Trinity member Juan Ponce de León suffered a mortal wound while trying to establish a colony in what today is Florida, while searching for a legendary spring thought to have rejuvenating powers. Upon discovering what would come to be known as the Fountain of Youth, Ponce and his expedition were confronted by the Calusa. A native tribe who guarded the fountain and its secrets. The attack forced Ponce and his men to retreat back to Cuba where it is said that Ponce finally succame to his wounds. But his story did not end there. . As a member of Trinity, Juan Ponce was obsessed with mythical artefacts. And the Fountain of Youth was a power like none other, whose healing powers could rival those of the Holy Grail. But the Calusa and their allies stood in the way of his plans to procure the rejuvenating spring. The war between the British and Spanish Empires had scattered Trinity's forces, and Ponce was barely able to retaliate and secure the fountain. But the Calusa kept attacking, and he was running out of soldiers. By winter of 1523, Ponce had managed to create a fortification around the Fountain. But he was running out of time. Although the spring had healed his own wounds, he needed to ensure that Trinity didn't lose this valuable location. And so he had to resort to using his contacts in Rome to bring an artefact that would put a swift end to the natives. On the 15th of August 1524, a ship arrived in Florida, carrying a horrible artefact. The head of the Gorgon Medousa. But as he unveiled the weapon in front of captured Calusa, it was apparent that it had lost its powers. Ponce had to resort to drastic measures, and so got in contact with a local witch calling herself Dolai. Dolai had the power to bring a soul back from the spirit realm in exchange for another of equal worth.
.
But what price would you pay for power? . A dark ritual bringing back the most dangerous mythical creature in recorded history. In a place symbolising life and prosperity. If the act itself didn't corrupt the waters, the terrible stench of the Gorgon reborn certainly did. The waters putrified as tar-like ooze replaces liquid crystal. And with only but a glance, Ponce De León and several of his men writhed in pain. One look at the Gorgon's regenerating form and their bodies calcified as if drained of liquids. In mere minutes they were nothing but husks of petrified embodiments of pure agony.
.
But being brought to life after thrice a millennia was not easy to recover from, and the beast was subdued. Medousa was successfully contained by and brought to a Trinity Stronghold in Puerto Rico. There she would become Trinity's first controllable superweapon. Alas, a simple mistake can have dangerous repercussions. The Gorgon was accidentally let loose and turned almost the entire staff into writhing statues of pain. The fortress was abandoned and forgotten for near a generation. . At one point in history, overwritten by Trinity, Puerto Rico fell under French rule. A village was built near the abandoned fortress, and while the Gorgon hid in the caves underneath, The new Governor let build a grand chateau on the remains of the Trinity fortress. It was named Château du Serpents, named after the high number of wild snakes in the area.
After only a couple generations, the Château was abandoned as rumours of a demon haunting the castle caused too much fear. The village was nearly entirely evacuated as well And it would be nearly two hundred years until anyone made permanent residence in the area again. And even then, whispers of the spirit of Iguanaboína residing in the caves persisted. And some would go as far as to send offerings to an altar near the Château du Serpents in hopes of appeasing the goddess within. But few dared to stray to close, lest she blesses them with her light and turns them into statues of stone.
.
-
Facts and Stats
-
-
Medousa stands a total of 7'5", or 226cm, tall. Though she keeps a hunched posture, removing 7inches from her total height. She also regularly crawls on all four.
Medusa has two broken wings of black feathers with a brass sheen. She cannot use them to fly, and it was done so that she could not fly away from her exile. She's very agile though, and immensely strong. She can crush stone with her hands, and climb vertically. She can see using smell but is otherwise semi-blind.
Her power to turn others into stone originates in a particular pheromone.
Developed by the Wise Goddess as a weapon,
The pheromone will calcify if mixed with adrenaline.
Thus all that see her turn into stone as the chemicals mix.
The pheromone spreads through the air very far,
And has no taste or scent.
Making it impossible to detect until you lay a last gaze upon the Gorgon's visage.
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