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Mephisto of the FoS wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 11:06 amAlthea could be tied with Theros from Mythic Odyssey of Theros. This 5th edition sourcebook details the Theros campaign setting (Magic: The Gathering) inspired by Greek myths and culture but with different gods and goddesses.

If I may punch my geek-venn-diagram card for a moment, there are a few reasons that this wouldn't work:
- Magic's gorgons can control their petrifying gaze, and actually have to exert effort to use it. This wouldn't fit with Althea's backstory at all, unless she were a special case who couldn't turn it off. Even that would be a major rewrite
- Gorgons from Theros in particular have snake-like lower torsos. Could easily be worked in, but contradicts prior descriptions of her as humanoid.
- Magic doesn't have the maedar/medusa split. That's an entirely D&D invention. I don't know if we've ever seen male medusae in Magic. I don't think so.

I never thought of Althea coming from actual Greece. She's definitely from a Greek-inspired D&D world, (after all, real Greece only had the one Medusa) but not Theros. (I guess I should say Greek Myth only had the one Medusa. To my knowledge, real Greece has none.

Obviousl you already knew more than me on the subject.

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 1:18 pm To my knowledge, real Greece has none.

You never know...

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 1:18 pmShe's definitely from a Greek-inspired D&D world, (after all, real Greece only had the one Medusa) but not Theros. (I guess I should say Greek Myth only had the one Medusa. To my knowledge, real Greece has none.

Actually, Medusa was one of three Gorgons iirc - the only one of the three who was mortal, leaving her vulnerable to decapitation. I don't recall whether the other two were ever named, but they were there.

Rock of the Fraternity wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 6:38 am

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 1:18 pmShe's definitely from a Greek-inspired D&D world, (after all, real Greece only had the one Medusa) but not Theros. (I guess I should say Greek Myth only had the one Medusa. To my knowledge, real Greece has none.

Actually, Medusa was one of three Gorgons iirc - the only one of the three who was mortal, leaving her vulnerable to decapitation. I don't recall whether the other two were ever named, but they were there.

Stheno and Euryale, if I recall correctly.

IanFordam wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 6:49 am

Rock of the Fraternity wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 6:38 am

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 1:18 pmShe's definitely from a Greek-inspired D&D world, (after all, real Greece only had the one Medusa) but not Theros. (I guess I should say Greek Myth only had the one Medusa. To my knowledge, real Greece has none.

Actually, Medusa was one of three Gorgons iirc - the only one of the three who was mortal, leaving her vulnerable to decapitation. I don't recall whether the other two were ever named, but they were there.

Stheno and Euryale, if I recall correctly.

Excellent! Thank you. ^_^

OK, granted... three gorgons, only one of which was named Medusa. But still, no medusa society, no maedars, glyptars, etc. That's all a D&D invention, and vital to (my version of) her story.

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:16 pm The main one I guess I'll be able to fix if we ever get the final SoS Gaz together. I regret the connotations that Althea got darklordship for taking revenge on an abuser and for suffering from post-partum depression. I tried to tread the line between "irredeemable evil" and "tragic and relatable" and I think I fell too far on the relatable side. Not sure of an easy fix, as I do like the backstory I gave her a lot and wouldn't want to completely rewrite it, but maybe just a matter of tweaking by making Stelios more sympathetic and making Althea's evil more clear.

Funnily enough GonzoRon, I just read that article in QtR 21 the other night and thought it was really good but also that Althea’s Darklordship was a bit, not weak per se, but as questionable as some of the 5e Darklords like Ramya Vasavadan of Kalakeri. The fleshing out of the character and current sketch is amazing, but the backstory, while good at tugging at the heartstrings and setting up the domain, doesn’t fully reach the point of the reader thinking “yeah that’s tragic but you’re a horrendous person who deserves the mantle and curse of Darklord”.

I’m sure that’ll be fixed when the SoS gazetteer gets finally published, which I await (no matter when it comes)!

Joël of the FoS wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:20 am If you need to add anything to your articles, mistipedia's post for your article can be edited to suggest change. Just identify it as "author's rewrite"

Thanks. I want to redo parts of Maya's origin. She's still the same damaged, scythe-weilding, paranoid she's always been; just towards a different person.