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Prince of the Underworld 
Introduction
Zagreus, Prince of the Underworld, is the immortal son of Hades and the protagonist of Hades, a roguelike game from Supergiant Games.
Always having sensed that he doesn't belong in the House of Hades, the domain of his father, Hades, God of the Underworld, Zagreus has recently decided, against his father's will, to escape from the Underworld no matter how many tries it might take him. He is aided and encouraged in his journey primarily by his caretaker Nyx and his mentor Achilles.
Others outside the House of Hades, such as Sisyphus, Eurydice, Patroclus, the Olympian Gods, and some Chthonic Gods occasionally offer their aid too. Though he outwardly seeks to escape to gain his freedom and join his extended family on Mount Olympus, in reality, Zagreus is mostly concerned with finding his biological mother (Persephone), who left the Underworld long ago.
Zagreus escape attempts are met with numerous obstacles throughout the realms of Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx. However, fighting through angry hordes of damned souls and aggressive shades working for his father along the way is no easy task and Zagreus continually finds himself killed by the monstruous throngs and bosses impeding his quest to escape from the underworld. Fortunately for an immortal god, Death is only a mere inconvenience for Zagreus, albeit a frequent occurrence.
He also has run-ins with the Furies (Megaera, Tisiphone and Alecto) and the skeletal remains of the Lernean Hydra. He also has to confront the champion of Elysium, Theseus, and his friend, Asterius, in order to arrive at the Temple of Styx. Every painful demise merely returns the young god to Hades' palace via the bloody River Styx. Each time, he reflects in the Mirror of Night and shortly thereafter, tries again. Unfortunately for an immortal god, these battles, combined with the dangerous landscape of the Underworld, always serve to bring a painful end to Zagreus' escape attempts sooner or later.
Always having sensed that he doesn't belong in the House of Hades, the domain of his father, Hades, God of the Underworld, Zagreus has recently decided, against his father's will, to escape from the Underworld no matter how many tries it might take him. He is aided and encouraged in his journey primarily by his caretaker Nyx and his mentor Achilles.Others outside the House of Hades, such as Sisyphus, Eurydice, Patroclus, the Olympian Gods, and some Chthonic Gods occasionally offer their aid too. Though he outwardly seeks to escape to gain his freedom and join his extended family on Mount Olympus, in reality, Zagreus is mostly concerned with finding his biological mother (Persephone), who left the Underworld long ago.
Zagreus escape attempts are met with numerous obstacles throughout the realms of Tartarus, Asphodel, Elysium, and the Temple of Styx. However, fighting through angry hordes of damned souls and aggressive shades working for his father along the way is no easy task and Zagreus continually finds himself killed by the monstruous throngs and bosses impeding his quest to escape from the underworld. Fortunately for an immortal god, Death is only a mere inconvenience for Zagreus, albeit a frequent occurrence.
He also has run-ins with the Furies (Megaera, Tisiphone and Alecto) and the skeletal remains of the Lernean Hydra. He also has to confront the champion of Elysium, Theseus, and his friend, Asterius, in order to arrive at the Temple of Styx. Every painful demise merely returns the young god to Hades' palace via the bloody River Styx. Each time, he reflects in the Mirror of Night and shortly thereafter, tries again. Unfortunately for an immortal god, these battles, combined with the dangerous landscape of the Underworld, always serve to bring a painful end to Zagreus' escape attempts sooner or later.
Name ~ Zagreus Nicknames ~ Zag, Prince Z, Zeta, Boy, Small One Titles ~ Prince of the Underworld, Son of Hades Father ~ Hades (God of the Dead) Mother ~ Persephone (Goddess of Verdure) Affiliation ~ House of Hades Alignment ~ Chaotic Good | Gender ~ Male Species ~ God / Demigod (technically, since heās a quarter mortal) Age ~ Immortal-ish (late teens to early twenties physically) Birthday ~ Unknown Favorites ~ Pomegranates, Ambrosia (food) / Nectar (drink) Fandom ~ Hades (by Supergiant Games) Voice ~ Darren Korb |
Appearance
Zagreus has quite the attractive appearance. Though his true chronological age is unknownāTartarus doesnāt care to track time and gods age weirdāthe Prince of the Underworld appears to be a fine late teens or early twenties in physical looks. Despite his godhood, Zagreus stands shorter than many of the other gods, somewhere around 5'8" give or take an inch? But heās built as fuck, muscular and athletic from all his training to be a warrior under the famed mortal hero, Achilles. Broad shoulders, V-shaped torso, strong arms and legs, heās got all that perfect Grecian sculpture body going on. Being in the company of gods all his life, heās used to beings whose physical beauty is unmatched; Zagreus is no exception to this is and is quite the hunk. His features are quite handsome and pleasing to the eye, with a youthfulness to his face that reminisces of innocence and a firmness that leaves no surprise in his strength.
Color-wise, Zagreus stands out as Prince of the Underworld pretty clearly. Heās light-skinned, of the sort that suggests he hasnāt seen the sun. Ever. But the flames of the underworld at least give him a slight ashen tint so he still looks healthy? This complexion is also in part due to his quarter-mortal body, in that he has red blood running through his veins, instead of the golden Ichor the pure gods possess. He was born with heterochromia, meaning his eyes are two different colors, having inherited an eye color from each of his parents. His right eye is black with a red iris, from his father, Hades, and his left eye is white with a green iris, from his mother, Persephone.
Zagreus also sports some rich black hair in a decidedly non-Grecian style, in that itās spikey like an anime character, and pretty unruly. He still manages a style, with it being cropped short in the back and then swept forward from the back/top of his head to the front, where it juts out in many spikes that have a group angle to the right. Oh, and his feet are on fire. Literally. Described as āflame-lickedā and āfire-dippedā, they are constantly burning and glow in a gradient going from orange at his ankles to hot yellow at his soles. Itās hard not to notice them (makes hiding a pain) and he can't really feel certain textures, such as the surface of a carpet. He normally singes whatever he walks on and leaves behind burning footprints with each step. Luckily, his footprints only last for a second or two, flickering a few flames before fading, preventing him from setting fires wherever he goes. Of interesting note, when heās standing still, his feet appear not to burn anything at all, though truthfully, the inconsistency may simply be for gameplay logic.
His clothing is classically Grecian, with a black and red chiton (a form of tunic) that fastens over his left shoulder via a large bone pauldron in the form of three canine skulls (reminiscent of best boy, Cerberus). The chiton sweeps in a curve from his shoulder to his right hip, leaving his neck, collar, and the majority of the right side of his torso bare. Itās tied around his waist by a belt of bones, metal, and three skulls, and the chitonās hem falls around his upper thighs. For accessories, Zagreus wears a circlet of flaming leaves on his head in chaplet fashion and a few bands of red material and gold bracelets on his arms. A simple pair of dark red leggings covers his legs from his hips down to his calves (though heāll opt to leave these off during more casual encounters) and he wears a pair of metal greaves with skull kneepads over his shins. Finally, thanks to his flaming feet, he opts to always go barefoot, due to burning any footwear he might try on.
Color-wise, Zagreus stands out as Prince of the Underworld pretty clearly. Heās light-skinned, of the sort that suggests he hasnāt seen the sun. Ever. But the flames of the underworld at least give him a slight ashen tint so he still looks healthy? This complexion is also in part due to his quarter-mortal body, in that he has red blood running through his veins, instead of the golden Ichor the pure gods possess. He was born with heterochromia, meaning his eyes are two different colors, having inherited an eye color from each of his parents. His right eye is black with a red iris, from his father, Hades, and his left eye is white with a green iris, from his mother, Persephone.Zagreus also sports some rich black hair in a decidedly non-Grecian style, in that itās spikey like an anime character, and pretty unruly. He still manages a style, with it being cropped short in the back and then swept forward from the back/top of his head to the front, where it juts out in many spikes that have a group angle to the right. Oh, and his feet are on fire. Literally. Described as āflame-lickedā and āfire-dippedā, they are constantly burning and glow in a gradient going from orange at his ankles to hot yellow at his soles. Itās hard not to notice them (makes hiding a pain) and he can't really feel certain textures, such as the surface of a carpet. He normally singes whatever he walks on and leaves behind burning footprints with each step. Luckily, his footprints only last for a second or two, flickering a few flames before fading, preventing him from setting fires wherever he goes. Of interesting note, when heās standing still, his feet appear not to burn anything at all, though truthfully, the inconsistency may simply be for gameplay logic.
His clothing is classically Grecian, with a black and red chiton (a form of tunic) that fastens over his left shoulder via a large bone pauldron in the form of three canine skulls (reminiscent of best boy, Cerberus). The chiton sweeps in a curve from his shoulder to his right hip, leaving his neck, collar, and the majority of the right side of his torso bare. Itās tied around his waist by a belt of bones, metal, and three skulls, and the chitonās hem falls around his upper thighs. For accessories, Zagreus wears a circlet of flaming leaves on his head in chaplet fashion and a few bands of red material and gold bracelets on his arms. A simple pair of dark red leggings covers his legs from his hips down to his calves (though heāll opt to leave these off during more casual encounters) and he wears a pair of metal greaves with skull kneepads over his shins. Finally, thanks to his flaming feet, he opts to always go barefoot, due to burning any footwear he might try on.Personality
Zagreus both is and is not the kind of person youād expect as the Prince of the Underworld and the son of Hades. The rebellious son of Hades and, unknowingly, Persephone; but raised by Nyx, he is largely defined by his persistence, good humor and wit, and his kindness. Despite his skull-laden, flame-touched appearance, the young prince is a poster boy for charisma: charmingly polite and generally considerate to others. He has very little trouble getting along with people (when he wants to) and usually behaves with tact and proper demeanor. His jovial, if somewhat-insubordinate nature allows him to easily befriend the many people he encounters.
Surprisingly soft spoken and polite, but loquacious to a fault, he likes to talk to people and regularly chats with the members of the House of Hades on his stopovers between his attempts to escape. While he is respectful of his elders (aside from his father), especially his fellow gods, Zagreus breaks from their traditional mold in that he treats people of lower status as his equals, willing to help them with almost whatever problems he can along the routes of his escape attempts. Everyone in the House gets along with him to varying positive degrees (save for his father, Hades) and Zagreus, likewise, is very friendly to them.
There are some who arenāt thrilled with him, but they still converse with him whenever he initiates conversation. Even the people he regularly kills / is killed by on his escapades usually put up with him at least (since death is pretty much meaningless to those living in the realm of Hades). Despite his martial prowess and aggressive determination to fight his way out of Hades, the young prince at least tries to make a point of reaching a diplomatic solution to an altercation before jumping into the fray, suggesting a small pacifistic streak if he can go that route. Though this is more likely him just trying to get by without another painful death in his belt. Hey, it never hurts to ask, right? Of course, this is when heās going against a sentient creature who can be reasoned with; monsters and others beyond talk usually get a quip and then itās off to battle again.
The other side of this is his mouth. Zagreus runs that thing plenty. He wonāt hold his tongue for anything, even when heās obvious outmatched by his next opponent or in a perilous situation. Heāll tell people vastly more powerful than him exactly what he thinks of them and where they can take their whatever and shove it. Authority and power donāt mean anything to him; screw if it ends up in a very gory death with all the pain heās used to. He isnāt one to be intimidated by anything. What are they going to do, kill him? Like heās never been through that before. Still, while heās very proud of his skills and confident in himself, Zagreus will show respect and politeness to people whom he feels deserves his respect, and is often shown to be both humble and good-humored.
One of his more endearing traits is his rapier wit. While Zagreus is amiable company and carries himself with composure, as he has no problem teasing people, cracking some jokes if he feels the situation calls for is (and yes, he feels it does very often), or indulging in his mischievous side and fondly pranking others. This guy is quick and always has something to say to any given circumstance, event, or person. His wit ranges from the often-tossed dry sarcasm to backhanded compliments to subtle jabs to outright insults. However, even the lattermost one is still couched in his normal genteel decorum, coming across as an almost warped sense of self-detached humor.
Zagreus is the kind of guy who leaves people not sure if theyāve just been insulted or complimented. His flippancy comes with a certain world-weariness due to all the times heās died, a noticeable lance of self-depreciation due to his fatherās continued disgrace and treatment towards him, and thereās a slight air of tiredness in his tone from all heās experienced. But thatās merely because heās been talking with these people forever and a lot of them give him plenty of grief as well. Even his father is not saved from his tongue and Zagreus will feign respectfulness to him while still sliding in barbs and disrespect during their conversations. Not that Hades treats his ābratā any different.
Thatās not to say he actively tries to make enemies. The Prince of the Underworld is very positive and optimistic. He tries to see the best in himself and others (excluding his father, Lord Hades, whom he feels is a lost cause). No matter how many times heās killed, he returns with the same drive to escape from his determined imprisonment. Though he can fall into the occasional reserved brooding when things begin to weigh heavily on him, bad moods donāt last long around him. Even when things are going poorly, he often searches for the proverbial silver lining in any given situation, the ostensible sarcastic quip or witty comment coming upon finding it. Zagreus is very easy going and adaptable of just about any situation, no matter how strange. Once the bad situation has passed, he bounces right back and keeps going forward.
He is fiercely protective of his friends and loved ones, and goes out of his way to defend them with little regard toward status or societal expectations. He often leverages his own influence to improve the lives of others. However, Zagreus is sometimes shown to be somewhat blasĆ©, which has led him to offend the people around him or act without thinking of the consequences, including unintentionally hurting peopleās feelings. However, he often reflects on this when these incidents are either brought to his attention or realizing his mistakes later and is quick to apologize when he oversteps.
Zagreus is, contrary to someone who lives in the bowels of Tartarus, actually very compassionate young man. Many a time in his quest, he goes out of his way to not only talk to and befriend people, but to also compliment them on their skills and duties. Heās fond of offering gifts to people he likes (provided he finds any to give) and will take the time out to do favors for people who them of himāthough some of these are barters to further a relationship or gain a boon. Reuniting family, competitive games, locating lost items, all these things are favors heāll embark on to help his friends. After all, heās got plenty of time and chances to go running through the realm. Why not make things even more interesting and bring something nicer to this dour place he and his call home? Of course, it would be remiss to speak of friends and not mention Zagreusā friendship with Cerberus. After all, the Hound of Hell is a very good boy, or perhaps three very good boys, and Zagreus always has pets to give his favorite boy.
Despite this glowing report, the little godling has his share of cons in his personality. The biggest of these is his determination and stubbornness. His determination is impressive, as he literally and figuratively goes through hell to see his quest through. Whether heās maimed, crushed, stabbed, shot, burned or generally mangled to the point of death, no matter how many times he falls, Zagreus wakes back up, shakes it off with a shrug, and trues again. Failure is no deterrent to him and heāll come back from anything. But the dark side of this determination is the stubbornness in his spirit. Once Zagreus latches onto an idea, he refuses to give up on it, or even consider that he might be wrong (for him). He'll just keep on ramming his face a problem until it's solved. It's difficult to convince him to give up on something even if doing so is actually a good idea.
Having spent most of his immortal life bearing the brunt of his father Hades' repressed frustration and rage, he grew up feeling distant and out of place from the other denizens of gods of the underworld, partially due to his failing to meet the heavy expectations of his father, and partially his apparent inability to contribute to the running of the Underworld. When his discovers the truth of his parentage, he decides to attempt to escape the realm of the dead to seek out his long-lost mother. Despite all the trials and many deaths he faces, he never wavers in pursing his goal, never once showing any sign of doubt in his efforts, even in the face of his father's wrath, and when his own mother at one point tells him not to seek her out anymore.
Powering this bullheadedness is the unfortunate reality that Zagreus is selfish. Not only is the young prince willing to completely disregard the laws set forth by his father with all the rebellious spirit of a teenager in full spurt, be he ultimately has no care about who or what may get in trouble for his actions. Mind you, he does care enough to check on them, but not enough to stop doing what heās doing. Zagreus has many friends in the Underworld, including family figures and close companions. But when he decides to escape, all of those relationships take second place to anything else. Heāll throw them all away if he means getting out of there. The first person he faces as a proverbial ābossā on his escape is his former tutor and friend, but that doesnāt stop either of them from brutally murdering each other over and over again with every escape attempt. As far as Zagreus is concerned, if he never sees these connections again, it means heās succeeded and heās free.
Howeverā¦ these relationships are not so easily given up, as heāll come to find out. One of the laws of the Underworld is that those born of Darkness must remain in Darkness. Even Hades, lord of this domain, cannot escape this rule. And not even his son can escape it. Thatās why Zagreus cannot stay in the mortal realm for long and inevitably is returned to the Underworld by the River Styx, even if he succeeds in his quest. But that doesnāt mean he comes back empty-handed. And all those friends and family figures are once again there with him, renewing those ties. Itās an interesting conclusion of sortsā¦
Zagreus also face some personal doubts about himself on the occasional introspection. For one thing, his godhood is sometimes called into question. Zagreus grew up in the House of Hades thinking he was the son of Hades and Nyx. It wasnāt revealed to him until recently that he was a quarter mortal thanks to his grandfather being mortal, something that isāleast to sayāa MASSIVE shock for any Grecian god to find out. The Olympian gods donāt help either. Dionysus comments that Zagreus is his favorite "demigod", while Aphrodite refers to him a "little godling", and Artemis calls him a "half-god", all implying that Zagreus is not seen by the Olympians as a true god, possibly because Nyx is not seen as a true goddess (there is A LOT of division between Olympian Gods and Chthonic Gods). While he never really shows all of this bothering him externally, itās one of those pesky doubts that occasionally weighs down on him during his quest, something he ultimately takes it in stride, even though the entire mess is stillā¦ thereā¦
Another area he states is a sore topic for him, is that Zagreus isnāt explicitly the god of anything. Unlike other deities, like Nyx the Embodiment of Night or Ares the God of War, the Underworld Prince doesnāt have a ādomainā over anything. His more impressive abilities, those outside his basic martial and magical prowess, are boons given to him from other gods as upgrades. On the one hand, itās likely that Zagreus, having lived his life without direction or purpose for all this time, simply hasn't fully explored the depths of his powers and has yet to identify the domain over which he is āGodā of. Also, despite Zagreus' insistence that he is not "the god of anything", Achilles maintains that every god, by definition, must be the god of something. As such, he theorizes that Zagreus might be the God of Blood and, by extension, Life.
Finally, some amusing facets. Due to his sheltered upbringing, having grown up and lived his entire life (currently) in the Underworld, Zagreus is often shown to be ignorant of the world outside of the Underworld. He has absolutely no experience with things in the mortal realm and usually relies on others (which often come with their opinions) to relay information about the outside world. Natural phenomena like weather, the sun, snow, mortal realm flora and fauna, are things he has no experienced knowledge on and only understands through factual knowledge gained from the stories and tales of other gods and shades around him. Modern technology and real-life living mortals are utterly unfamiliar to him. He doesnāt even know what birds are. Should he ever successfully reach the surface, with enough life left to actually survive there, heāll be completely confused and have SO MANY questions. This can occasionally lead to him coming across as somewhat foolish or oblivious when compared to mortals who have lived on Earth (or other places) for far longer than heās been there.
Surprisingly soft spoken and polite, but loquacious to a fault, he likes to talk to people and regularly chats with the members of the House of Hades on his stopovers between his attempts to escape. While he is respectful of his elders (aside from his father), especially his fellow gods, Zagreus breaks from their traditional mold in that he treats people of lower status as his equals, willing to help them with almost whatever problems he can along the routes of his escape attempts. Everyone in the House gets along with him to varying positive degrees (save for his father, Hades) and Zagreus, likewise, is very friendly to them.There are some who arenāt thrilled with him, but they still converse with him whenever he initiates conversation. Even the people he regularly kills / is killed by on his escapades usually put up with him at least (since death is pretty much meaningless to those living in the realm of Hades). Despite his martial prowess and aggressive determination to fight his way out of Hades, the young prince at least tries to make a point of reaching a diplomatic solution to an altercation before jumping into the fray, suggesting a small pacifistic streak if he can go that route. Though this is more likely him just trying to get by without another painful death in his belt. Hey, it never hurts to ask, right? Of course, this is when heās going against a sentient creature who can be reasoned with; monsters and others beyond talk usually get a quip and then itās off to battle again.
The other side of this is his mouth. Zagreus runs that thing plenty. He wonāt hold his tongue for anything, even when heās obvious outmatched by his next opponent or in a perilous situation. Heāll tell people vastly more powerful than him exactly what he thinks of them and where they can take their whatever and shove it. Authority and power donāt mean anything to him; screw if it ends up in a very gory death with all the pain heās used to. He isnāt one to be intimidated by anything. What are they going to do, kill him? Like heās never been through that before. Still, while heās very proud of his skills and confident in himself, Zagreus will show respect and politeness to people whom he feels deserves his respect, and is often shown to be both humble and good-humored.
One of his more endearing traits is his rapier wit. While Zagreus is amiable company and carries himself with composure, as he has no problem teasing people, cracking some jokes if he feels the situation calls for is (and yes, he feels it does very often), or indulging in his mischievous side and fondly pranking others. This guy is quick and always has something to say to any given circumstance, event, or person. His wit ranges from the often-tossed dry sarcasm to backhanded compliments to subtle jabs to outright insults. However, even the lattermost one is still couched in his normal genteel decorum, coming across as an almost warped sense of self-detached humor.
Zagreus is the kind of guy who leaves people not sure if theyāve just been insulted or complimented. His flippancy comes with a certain world-weariness due to all the times heās died, a noticeable lance of self-depreciation due to his fatherās continued disgrace and treatment towards him, and thereās a slight air of tiredness in his tone from all heās experienced. But thatās merely because heās been talking with these people forever and a lot of them give him plenty of grief as well. Even his father is not saved from his tongue and Zagreus will feign respectfulness to him while still sliding in barbs and disrespect during their conversations. Not that Hades treats his ābratā any different.Thatās not to say he actively tries to make enemies. The Prince of the Underworld is very positive and optimistic. He tries to see the best in himself and others (excluding his father, Lord Hades, whom he feels is a lost cause). No matter how many times heās killed, he returns with the same drive to escape from his determined imprisonment. Though he can fall into the occasional reserved brooding when things begin to weigh heavily on him, bad moods donāt last long around him. Even when things are going poorly, he often searches for the proverbial silver lining in any given situation, the ostensible sarcastic quip or witty comment coming upon finding it. Zagreus is very easy going and adaptable of just about any situation, no matter how strange. Once the bad situation has passed, he bounces right back and keeps going forward.
He is fiercely protective of his friends and loved ones, and goes out of his way to defend them with little regard toward status or societal expectations. He often leverages his own influence to improve the lives of others. However, Zagreus is sometimes shown to be somewhat blasĆ©, which has led him to offend the people around him or act without thinking of the consequences, including unintentionally hurting peopleās feelings. However, he often reflects on this when these incidents are either brought to his attention or realizing his mistakes later and is quick to apologize when he oversteps.
Zagreus is, contrary to someone who lives in the bowels of Tartarus, actually very compassionate young man. Many a time in his quest, he goes out of his way to not only talk to and befriend people, but to also compliment them on their skills and duties. Heās fond of offering gifts to people he likes (provided he finds any to give) and will take the time out to do favors for people who them of himāthough some of these are barters to further a relationship or gain a boon. Reuniting family, competitive games, locating lost items, all these things are favors heāll embark on to help his friends. After all, heās got plenty of time and chances to go running through the realm. Why not make things even more interesting and bring something nicer to this dour place he and his call home? Of course, it would be remiss to speak of friends and not mention Zagreusā friendship with Cerberus. After all, the Hound of Hell is a very good boy, or perhaps three very good boys, and Zagreus always has pets to give his favorite boy.
Despite this glowing report, the little godling has his share of cons in his personality. The biggest of these is his determination and stubbornness. His determination is impressive, as he literally and figuratively goes through hell to see his quest through. Whether heās maimed, crushed, stabbed, shot, burned or generally mangled to the point of death, no matter how many times he falls, Zagreus wakes back up, shakes it off with a shrug, and trues again. Failure is no deterrent to him and heāll come back from anything. But the dark side of this determination is the stubbornness in his spirit. Once Zagreus latches onto an idea, he refuses to give up on it, or even consider that he might be wrong (for him). He'll just keep on ramming his face a problem until it's solved. It's difficult to convince him to give up on something even if doing so is actually a good idea.
Having spent most of his immortal life bearing the brunt of his father Hades' repressed frustration and rage, he grew up feeling distant and out of place from the other denizens of gods of the underworld, partially due to his failing to meet the heavy expectations of his father, and partially his apparent inability to contribute to the running of the Underworld. When his discovers the truth of his parentage, he decides to attempt to escape the realm of the dead to seek out his long-lost mother. Despite all the trials and many deaths he faces, he never wavers in pursing his goal, never once showing any sign of doubt in his efforts, even in the face of his father's wrath, and when his own mother at one point tells him not to seek her out anymore.Powering this bullheadedness is the unfortunate reality that Zagreus is selfish. Not only is the young prince willing to completely disregard the laws set forth by his father with all the rebellious spirit of a teenager in full spurt, be he ultimately has no care about who or what may get in trouble for his actions. Mind you, he does care enough to check on them, but not enough to stop doing what heās doing. Zagreus has many friends in the Underworld, including family figures and close companions. But when he decides to escape, all of those relationships take second place to anything else. Heāll throw them all away if he means getting out of there. The first person he faces as a proverbial ābossā on his escape is his former tutor and friend, but that doesnāt stop either of them from brutally murdering each other over and over again with every escape attempt. As far as Zagreus is concerned, if he never sees these connections again, it means heās succeeded and heās free.
Howeverā¦ these relationships are not so easily given up, as heāll come to find out. One of the laws of the Underworld is that those born of Darkness must remain in Darkness. Even Hades, lord of this domain, cannot escape this rule. And not even his son can escape it. Thatās why Zagreus cannot stay in the mortal realm for long and inevitably is returned to the Underworld by the River Styx, even if he succeeds in his quest. But that doesnāt mean he comes back empty-handed. And all those friends and family figures are once again there with him, renewing those ties. Itās an interesting conclusion of sortsā¦
Zagreus also face some personal doubts about himself on the occasional introspection. For one thing, his godhood is sometimes called into question. Zagreus grew up in the House of Hades thinking he was the son of Hades and Nyx. It wasnāt revealed to him until recently that he was a quarter mortal thanks to his grandfather being mortal, something that isāleast to sayāa MASSIVE shock for any Grecian god to find out. The Olympian gods donāt help either. Dionysus comments that Zagreus is his favorite "demigod", while Aphrodite refers to him a "little godling", and Artemis calls him a "half-god", all implying that Zagreus is not seen by the Olympians as a true god, possibly because Nyx is not seen as a true goddess (there is A LOT of division between Olympian Gods and Chthonic Gods). While he never really shows all of this bothering him externally, itās one of those pesky doubts that occasionally weighs down on him during his quest, something he ultimately takes it in stride, even though the entire mess is stillā¦ thereā¦
Another area he states is a sore topic for him, is that Zagreus isnāt explicitly the god of anything. Unlike other deities, like Nyx the Embodiment of Night or Ares the God of War, the Underworld Prince doesnāt have a ādomainā over anything. His more impressive abilities, those outside his basic martial and magical prowess, are boons given to him from other gods as upgrades. On the one hand, itās likely that Zagreus, having lived his life without direction or purpose for all this time, simply hasn't fully explored the depths of his powers and has yet to identify the domain over which he is āGodā of. Also, despite Zagreus' insistence that he is not "the god of anything", Achilles maintains that every god, by definition, must be the god of something. As such, he theorizes that Zagreus might be the God of Blood and, by extension, Life. Finally, some amusing facets. Due to his sheltered upbringing, having grown up and lived his entire life (currently) in the Underworld, Zagreus is often shown to be ignorant of the world outside of the Underworld. He has absolutely no experience with things in the mortal realm and usually relies on others (which often come with their opinions) to relay information about the outside world. Natural phenomena like weather, the sun, snow, mortal realm flora and fauna, are things he has no experienced knowledge on and only understands through factual knowledge gained from the stories and tales of other gods and shades around him. Modern technology and real-life living mortals are utterly unfamiliar to him. He doesnāt even know what birds are. Should he ever successfully reach the surface, with enough life left to actually survive there, heāll be completely confused and have SO MANY questions. This can occasionally lead to him coming across as somewhat foolish or oblivious when compared to mortals who have lived on Earth (or other places) for far longer than heās been there.
Powers
As a god (technically a demigod), Zagreusās exact powers are kind of unclear, and heās not known to be the god of anything, unlike the other deities. However, heās stronger, tougher, and faster than a normal human, able to fight the many denizens and monsters running around the Underworld realm. He's resistant (but not immune) to heat and fire, and he often leaves flaming footprints while running. Heās quite the capable warrior, kicking ass with both weapons and magic, but he only gets so far on his own. Most of his impressive abilities are either boons granted to him by the Olympian Gods and Chthonic Gods, powers associated to the ancient weapons littered about the house of Hades that he "borrows" to fight his way to the surface, or abilities bestowed on him by the various artifacts gifted to him by the various deities and famous persons he kindles relationships with on his quest.
Immortality ~ Of sorts. Zagreus is one of those funny immortals. Having been born in the Underworld to the God of the Dead, he has a form of immortality that revives him after being killed. Essentially, after he dies (and he does die an awful lot), he goes to the underworld, which is where he already is. You canāt kill a dead guy. Basically he wake up from death and slogs out from the River Styx back into the House of Hades in Tartarus of the Underworld. Aka: back to dadās house.Think Happy Death Day but without the time loop. No matter how many times heās killed, Zagreus keeps returning, keeping the knowledge and skills gained from his previous ārunsā in life. Death robs him of none of his vitality; it just forces him to start over. And over. And over.
The āof sortsā part is because Zagreus is only three-fourths divine, despite being the son of two gods, which makes him, technically, a demigod. His father Hades is a pure god while his mother Persephone is half mortal (in that Zagreus has a mortal āfarm-boyā for a grandfather), which is the reason why Zagreus has, as he puts it, a propensity to die. Despite being immortal and a god, he's considerably squishy compared to the other gods (and monsters), and depends upon avoiding attacks rather than tanking them.
But donāt knock his godly parentage, as being a deity means he can take a fair bit of damage and survive wounds that would be fatal to most mortals. He can take a sword through the stomach, have a bomb go off under him, ingest poisons, and still shake it off enough to keep slugging onward. However, he lacks any kind of regeneration and accumulated wounds will eventually catch up to his limits. Likewise, grievous wounds and obliterations will also kill him. Tear him to shreds, crush him under slabs, plunge him in magma, freeze him solid, eat him alive, rip his head off, tear his heart out, these kinds of things send him packing off to another blood-drenched rise out of the River Styx.
Fire Resistance ~ As Hades' son, Zagreus is only fire resistant, not fire proof, a very important distinction. Normal flames from the mortal realms and even weaker flames in the Underworld (the kinds used for torch light and candles and such) do not affect him, but the empowered fires from his enemies and magma like that of the River Phlegethon are too much even for him and can / will burn him (to death even). Still, his fire resistance also makes him resilient to most forms of heat, which is a good thing, since his feet are constantly and always on fire. Literally.
Weapons Expert ~ Fitting for a Grecian god, Zagreus is very skilled in armed combat. He favors classical ancient weapons, such as swords, spears, shields, bows, gauntlets, and rails. The last one is technically a rifle. Yes, a rifle. More on that later. His prowess and speed with these weapons allow him to execute flexible combos that string together various attacks, ranging from hackānāslash dicing with his short-range weapons to studding enemies from afar with his long-range arsenal. Because of his training under the hero Achilles, Zagreus is capable of using just about any weapon he picks up, from the archaic to the modern (after a brief moment or so to adjust for the latter).
Shifting ~ Coupling with his weapons, Zagreus can perform a dash-like ability called "Shifting", a maneuver that allows him to speed forward by āa bladeās lengthā in quick succession. When dashing, he gains a fiery aura that causes him to become momentarily immune to all forms of damage. Gravity also loses its hold of him during this time, allowing him to cross gaps and flit over non-solid surfaces (including pits of lava and acid pools). He even seems to āgo throughā objects like benches, boulders, or pillars, but ironically cannot go through doors, especially if they're locked. Primarily an evasive movement ability, Zagreus can attack during a dash, enhancing his offense.
Casting ~ As with many deities, Zagreus is capable of wielding magic and can utilize long-ranged spells called "Cast" through Bloodstones. These are essentially crystalized blood shaped into diamonds which are then used as ammunition for the spells. When cast, they become lodged in whatever they hit and expel the magic packed inside them, falling out of their target after a few seconds if the enemy isn't killed first.
Boons ~ While not technically an ability of his own, Zagreus can receive āBoonsā from other gods (basically upgrades to his weapons and magic) to help him in his attempts to escape the underworld. However, while he can make use of these boons as often as he likes during his life, once he dies and is resurrected, his current Boons disappear until the gods once again meet and grant him their blessings.
Immortality ~ Of sorts. Zagreus is one of those funny immortals. Having been born in the Underworld to the God of the Dead, he has a form of immortality that revives him after being killed. Essentially, after he dies (and he does die an awful lot), he goes to the underworld, which is where he already is. You canāt kill a dead guy. Basically he wake up from death and slogs out from the River Styx back into the House of Hades in Tartarus of the Underworld. Aka: back to dadās house.
The āof sortsā part is because Zagreus is only three-fourths divine, despite being the son of two gods, which makes him, technically, a demigod. His father Hades is a pure god while his mother Persephone is half mortal (in that Zagreus has a mortal āfarm-boyā for a grandfather), which is the reason why Zagreus has, as he puts it, a propensity to die. Despite being immortal and a god, he's considerably squishy compared to the other gods (and monsters), and depends upon avoiding attacks rather than tanking them.
But donāt knock his godly parentage, as being a deity means he can take a fair bit of damage and survive wounds that would be fatal to most mortals. He can take a sword through the stomach, have a bomb go off under him, ingest poisons, and still shake it off enough to keep slugging onward. However, he lacks any kind of regeneration and accumulated wounds will eventually catch up to his limits. Likewise, grievous wounds and obliterations will also kill him. Tear him to shreds, crush him under slabs, plunge him in magma, freeze him solid, eat him alive, rip his head off, tear his heart out, these kinds of things send him packing off to another blood-drenched rise out of the River Styx.
Fire Resistance ~ As Hades' son, Zagreus is only fire resistant, not fire proof, a very important distinction. Normal flames from the mortal realms and even weaker flames in the Underworld (the kinds used for torch light and candles and such) do not affect him, but the empowered fires from his enemies and magma like that of the River Phlegethon are too much even for him and can / will burn him (to death even). Still, his fire resistance also makes him resilient to most forms of heat, which is a good thing, since his feet are constantly and always on fire. Literally.
Weapons Expert ~ Fitting for a Grecian god, Zagreus is very skilled in armed combat. He favors classical ancient weapons, such as swords, spears, shields, bows, gauntlets, and rails. The last one is technically a rifle. Yes, a rifle. More on that later. His prowess and speed with these weapons allow him to execute flexible combos that string together various attacks, ranging from hackānāslash dicing with his short-range weapons to studding enemies from afar with his long-range arsenal. Because of his training under the hero Achilles, Zagreus is capable of using just about any weapon he picks up, from the archaic to the modern (after a brief moment or so to adjust for the latter).
Shifting ~ Coupling with his weapons, Zagreus can perform a dash-like ability called "Shifting", a maneuver that allows him to speed forward by āa bladeās lengthā in quick succession. When dashing, he gains a fiery aura that causes him to become momentarily immune to all forms of damage. Gravity also loses its hold of him during this time, allowing him to cross gaps and flit over non-solid surfaces (including pits of lava and acid pools). He even seems to āgo throughā objects like benches, boulders, or pillars, but ironically cannot go through doors, especially if they're locked. Primarily an evasive movement ability, Zagreus can attack during a dash, enhancing his offense.
Casting ~ As with many deities, Zagreus is capable of wielding magic and can utilize long-ranged spells called "Cast" through Bloodstones. These are essentially crystalized blood shaped into diamonds which are then used as ammunition for the spells. When cast, they become lodged in whatever they hit and expel the magic packed inside them, falling out of their target after a few seconds if the enemy isn't killed first.
Boons ~ While not technically an ability of his own, Zagreus can receive āBoonsā from other gods (basically upgrades to his weapons and magic) to help him in his attempts to escape the underworld. However, while he can make use of these boons as often as he likes during his life, once he dies and is resurrected, his current Boons disappear until the gods once again meet and grant him their blessings.
Mirror of Night Infernal Arms Boons |  | Artifacts Keepsakes Companions |
Permissions
| BACKTAGGING | Till death do us part, so long as weāre both still interested. |
| THREADHOPPING | If all parties are fine with it, jump on in. |
| FOURTHWALLING | Not unless the meme specifically permits it. |
| TRIGGERS | Nah, just keep stuff tactful and weāre all good. |
| KINKS | Here they be. |
| ROMANCE | Of course. Heās a casual bisexual so hit him up. |
| FLIRTING | Of course. Heās quite the charmer, so heāll return it if itās interested. |
| HUGGING | Of course: If he doesnāt know you, heāll be surprised about it and might ask. |
| KISSING | Of course. Same as above; at least try to get to know him before smooching him. |
| SEXING | Of course. Because the Greek pantheon is so well known for its celibacy. |
| SHIPPING | Of course. Canon, cross-canon, cross-medium, other pantheons. All good. |
| FIGHTING | Go for it. If talking it out wonāt work, heāll fight it out. And heās damn good at it. |
| INJURING | Go for it. Heās a seasoned warrior, but heās rather squishy for a Greek god. |
| KILLING | Go for it. Heās immortal, in that he just respawns and comes back for more. |
| MINDREADING | Only if youāre another deity or such, though heāll be a bit miffed if not asked first. |
| MANIPULATION | Reach out first to discuss this one; heās a bit of a himbo, but also not. |
Open Post
"Well, let's see. In the name of Hades, I accept this message!"
. . .
"Ugh, no, that was too formal."
. . .
"This is Zagreus, Prince of the Underworld. Sorry you missed me.
If I return to this hell hole, Iāll get back to you as soon as I can."
{ Calls ā Texts ā Logs }