Calais of Thebes

Origin Story

for H0rt_f0LL and my big sister Ev

My name is Calais of Thebes, and I am a hero.

My mother is Carissa, a Thebesian nymph-woman, and my father is Hades, god of the Underworld. My mother can shapeshift, as she is a nymph, and my father can turn invisible, as he has the Helm of Darkness. These are the powers I received from each of them. My father grew bored of his wife, Persephone, and decided to travel to Thebes. There he met my mother, Carissa, and he lay with her.

Soon after I was born, word of my heritage reached the ear of Persephone. She cursed my feet that the flowers and plants may wilt and die wherever I step. This curse soon became famous throughout Greece as the Curse of Persephone. This is my only weakness, for when I am invisible, everyone can see where I step because of the dying greenery; the same goes for trying to hide my identity by shifting. Everyone in Thebes knows who I am by my foliage-killing feet.

I do not have a gender, as I have a natural form with both male and female parts. Besides, I am above the human concept of gender anyways. My name was chosen by my mother to mean "precious stone" because I am as strong as a stone and as lovely to view as a gem when in my natural form. Many people have asked for my hand in marriage or asked that I take theirs, yet I refuse. I must remain free and untethered to a spouse so that I may keep Greece safe. There are many dangers in this world that must be taken care of, and straying from my heroic duties would not be good for the world.

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