Recap...
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Athena: "Daughter of mine. Consider what you do. You imperil the world itself. Flames must be cooled and the blood grieved. Do not bring your grievance to our home. An eternity of pride is hard for many to overcome ..."
Berenike: "Great Athena, I will obey. But how can we heal this rift? It is without doubt that some of Olympus are hell-bent on destruction. And now a titan? What is to be done, if not a direct appeal?"
Athena: "The question you ask is a riddle fit for Orpheus himself. I not know how to cool ardent tempers. Only offering prayers that we can somehow avoid the death of mortals and spilling of mortal blood."
Internalization:
1) I am Athena's daughter. Even now, with a Godswar at hand, she seeks to be the loving mother and I the dutiful daughter. More than just magical strength flows from her.
2) In attempting to go to Mt. Olympus, the world is imperiled. Therefore, do not seek to go to Olympus.
3) "Flames must be cooled ..." It is too late to cool the flames. That is obvious, however, to control the flames as a smith ... used to forge a weapon without fire getting out of control ....
4) "...and the blood grieved." That much has happened on a massive scale, thus simple reversal - as is seen in Grecian refusal to acquiesce to the god's commands - is impossible. Because this has transpired, more blood will be spilled, regardless, as now all of Grecian blood is grieved (or will be, upon hearing of this massacre).
5) Again, do not go to Mt. Olympus ... but again, where else not to go is not stated.
6) An excess of pride is mortal. An
eternity of pride is deific. Those most likely to be the instigators thus far are the Hecate and Ares as coddled by Hades. Poseidon is likely one who has been infected by poisoned words, rather than a directly responsible party. Ares is prideful as a warrior, but not wounded pride. Though he and my mother are both gods of war, their sees as such actually differ in approach, and his is more general. He profits with any war, but should have no direct ill with the race of man itself. Hecate, the Sorceress, has been foiled in attempts to control larger areas of the world, but she is merely the tongue that whispers deceit, and not its inventor.
Hades, on the other hand, was tricked by Zeus to rule the Underworld. He has spent an eternity nursing his wounds. He is master of his realm, but spiteful of it. He is the only god who is not usually depicted as visiting Olympus.
7) I have given my word to obey as I can best interpret above ...
8) Ardent tempers ... MORTALS: are either cooled with reason or pathos or time. Reason has failed. Pathos (fear/ pity/ tragedy) has struck and tempers are higher than ever. Only time can heal cool those tempers, even if it is time spent in too much death and further pathos.
GODS: An ardent temper must be cooled the same way. Since time is nothing to an eternal being, this is not the way. To outreason the mind of Hades - far more incomprehensibly intelligent than I or Cheiros - is likewise impossible. With so much committed, and the loosing of the Scylla (and its subsequent destruction), it is doubtful that Hades will now listen to reason anyway. With the will to let forth those that the rest of Olympus has long feared might again be let forth in the world is too much. It was no mean task for Zeus to imprison them. It is no mean feat to do it again.
No, Hades will only be affected by pathos. We cannot go to him to reason, that is beyond our reach now. We must make him feel what pain we can ... that he will overextend his reach even now. We will likely fight even greater horrors, but soon his power will be stretched too greatly and the rest of Olympus .... who likely do not move against him more out of fear of what power has grown with him as much as any hamartia where mortal worship is concerned .... will check him so that the order of the universe is not unraveled.
9) Avoiding the death of mortals and spilling of mortal blood is impossible, and that has been seen. However, to minimize those deaths is best. This comparatively small measure of Greece will be a spark to the rest, and that will ignite all the city-states. War is inevitable, but how can that and the fury be controlled?
10) Pray to the gods .... but not Hades. Observe rites for the dead, but secularly. Give him no veneration, no due, no propitiation, no sacrifice, nothing. Name him as a by-product of a curse, but not a god. But pray to the other gods if possible.
ANALYSIS: War is inevitable, but man would not know where to start. I will provide them a target: those earthly holdings that belong to Hades. It is specific, measurable, and until such time as Hades unleashes what he must to now fight defensively to protect these things (through mortal and undead agents), we will wipe his temples, shrines, and dark places from the land systematically.
The other Gods may or may not cast their lot with Father Gloom, and it is obvious that Poseidon (for now) might, as well as his past confederates Ares and Hecate. Ares will enjoy war, and will be loath to commit too fully against man unless his favorite pastime end too quickly. Hecate will be wary to allow too many creatures and casters of magic to die, on either side at that, for they are far fewer in number then men of arms. Poseidon's power is most limited to the sea, so focusing on those areas further inland is best. Too, Hades is often associated with the earth and his dark shrines are often inland at hills and mountains.
AFFIRMATION: Declare war on the god Hades himself, and wreak his places so that his mortal worship greatly wanes. Then, do not go to Olympus ....
... but to Hades itself.