Neotheogonia

Ζεύς

NeoTHEOGONIA CONCEPT STORIES & ILLUSTRATIONS

BY AARHIN Ὄλυμπος

Ἅιδης

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NeoTHEOGONIA

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NEOTHEOGONIA Copyright Š Text, images, and design 2020 by AARHIN All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

7 Foreword 8 Background 10 Olympus

12 Zeus 14 16 18 20 22

Hera Hermes Aphrodite Apollo Bacchus

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Underworld 26 Hades 28 30 32 34 36

Kore Cerberus Charon Hecate Erinyes

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FOREWORD

Character design and Greek mythology have been big interests of mine for many years. Graphic design came along more recently, but it’s equally important to me. I’d had the base idea for NeoTheogonia floating around in my head as a way to combine my love for myths and characters for my own enjoyment, and I realized the senior project would be a perfect opportunity to make it a reality.

The path to NeoTheogonia was rocky to say the least. Writing, illustrating, and laying out a book on your own is no easy feat, and with the hardships brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak and the general stress of trying to proceed with college in spite of it, I was struggling hard. But I pushed through it all and the end result is something I’m proud of and I’m excited to share it.

Thanks for checking it out, I hope you enjoy.

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BACKGROUND

In the bustling city of Gaea two institutions rise above the rest: Olympus, an innovative renewable energy company headed by an enigmatic man named Zeus, and Underworld, a secretive club and casino owned by the mysterious Hades. Both Olympus and Underworld are extremely prosperous and bring in massive amounts of revenue each year, but that level of success doesn’t come cleanly.

Being brothers, Zeus and Hades once entertained the idea of starting a business together. The two of them quickly realized they each wanted very different things for the partnership, and thus decided to go their separate ways. As their institutions grew, however, they found themselves crossing paths all too often. Turns out, even a clean-cut operation like Olympus isn’t immune to scandal, and distinguished businessmen like to get their hands dirty every once in a while. On the flipside, even shady night dwellers are willing to lend a helping hand—if it serves them well.

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OLYMPUS

Olympus is centered around harnessing renewable resources to provide the massive amount of electricity needed to power the city of Gaea. The headquarters was built near the center of Gaea, but the company has since expanded from its humble beginnings to offer different products and services in many locations, and its offices and factories are spread throughout the world.

Olympus emphasizes a clean and modern outward appearance, and that is reflected by their logo. The triangular icon represents upward progress as well as being the apex of the market, while also being a subtle nod to the historic Mount Olympus.

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ZEUS 12

Ζεύς The CEO and “king” of Olympus. His vision was to discover a clean, renewable energy source and create an empire out of it. That plan ended up much more successful than he could’ve imagined and he is now living large. Zeus is more of a figurehead than a true ruler; most of the heavy lifting is done by his wife and COO of the company, Hera. Zeus conducts plenty of questionable business behind her back, however, but more often than not he is found out before it can go on too long.

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HERA 14

Ἥρᾱ The COO and “queen” of Olympus, and wife of Zeus. While Zeus mostly handles formalities, Hera is more concerned with administrative decisions. She rules the establishment with an iron fist and tolerates no slacking or rule breaking. Countless employees have been demoted or fired under her direction, and most of those decisions can be tied to consequences of Zeus’ recklessness and/or infidelity. However, no one is completely safe from her wrath. Many employees, Zeus included, are a bit afraid of Hera.

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á¼™ HERMES 16

Ἑρμῆς Hermes is associated with the mail department and mainly serves as a messenger and middleman, handling the sharing (or stealing) of information between Olympus and its counterpart. Under Zeus’ direction, he spends a lot of time in and around Underworld communicating with Zeus’ associates who hang out there.

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Α APHRODITE 18

Αφροδ Aphrodite is an employee in the HR department of Olympus. She appears to be in the business mainly for the glamour, even though there normally isn’t much to be had in this particular line of work.

Some would say she puts more effort into her appearance and socialization than her job, but it could be argued that it just helps in her case. Aphrodite is undoubtedly good at what she does.

She often butts heads with Hera, and is convinced that it’s due to jealousy—specifically, that Hera is jealous of her.

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Ἀ APOLLO 20

Ἀπόλλω Apollo is possibly the hardest worker at Olympus, second only to Hera. He’s in charge of the more creative endeavors at such as marketing, due to his passion for the arts. His unique ideas and connections with world famous artists make him a valuable asset— and possibly the sole reasons Hera keeps him around, as his heritage is a bit of a sore spot for her since Zeus is Apollo’s father but she is not his mother.

Apollo’s dream was to become a musician, but when offered a position at Olympus he accepted for the stability. His twin sister Artemis was also offered a job but refused it in favor of other pursuits.

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BACCHUS 22

Βάκχο The employee who treats work like it’s a party, the guy who shows up inebriated more often than not and spends his whole shift slacking off. Every workplace has one.

Bacchus is a part of the marketing department due to his energy and ability to bring a group together. Some coworkers get along with him but most find him quite irritating. Between his obnoxiousness and the fact that Bacchus is yet another illegitimate child of Zeus, it’s a wonder that Hera hasn’t gotten rid of him.

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UNDERWORLD

Underworld began as a small hole-in-the-wall nightclub and has grown to a massive operation that brings in tons of people and money every night.

It hasn’t extended to sister locations, but the original building on 9 Styx Street has been expanded and remodeled massively since its beginning.

Many facilities have been added, including a stage, indoor pool, and a small casino. Now, even the top celebrities of Gaea visit and sometimes perform at Underworld. Though it has become more mainstream the place stays committed to their mission, and remains a place for all types of people.

The Underworld emblem is impossible to miss, huge and displayed in neon right on the front of the building.

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Ἅιδης The “king” of Underworld. Hades essentially created Underworld as a haven for misfits, a place where people who don’t seem to fit into the usual nightclub scene can go to unwind. Hades came up with the idea partially to help out the people who had nowhere to go, and partially to take advantage of a hole in the market he saw potential in. Like his brother, he became much more successful than he could’ve imagined, and is now living quite the life of luxury. He is present nearly every night that Underworld is open, proud to take part in the community he has built.

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HADES 27

Κόρη Hades’ lover. She met him at random at the grocery store one day; though he was immediately smitten she wasn’t fully on board, but decided to take a chance on him anyways. He took her to Underworld and it wasn’t really Kore’s scene but she agreed to a second date, and some more after that. She grew to love the atmosphere - and later, Hades. Though she doesn’t hang around Underworld all too often, she truly values the experiences she’s had and the people she’s gotten to know there.

Kore’s mother, Demeter, used to work at Olympus, before being fired by the vengeful Hera. Though she’s no longer a part of the enterprise, she knows Olympus has connections and doesn’t approve of Kore’s choice to associate with Olympus’ shadier counterpart.

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KORE 29

Κέρβερ Cerberus is Underworld’s main bouncer. Though all types of people are welcome in Underworld, it’s possible for a person to end up on the blacklist if rules are broken. Cerberus stands outside the main door from opening to close, ensuring no such unsavory individuals are permitted to enter. They are trained to fight if needed, but most people know they won’t stand a chance against them.

Hades considers Cerberus to be a good friend, but even he knows very little about them as they are very secretive and rarely talk. No one has seen what lies beneath the three-headed dog mask.

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ρος CERBERUS 31

Χάρων Charon is a driver who brings high-profile guests to and from Underworld. When Underworld first started up it was very secretive and didn’t even share its location; the only way to get there was to call up a driver and have them take you there. Now that the club is a bigger, prouder operation, people can go in and out as they please. Though most other drivers have left or changed roles, Charon remains to keep the tradition going—for people who pay well.

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ν CHARON 33

Ἑκάτη A mysterious lady who hangs around Underworld. She claims to have been a patron of Underworld since its conception, and since she is very old and a dear friend of Hades, most tend to believe that. She is known to strike up conversation with just about anybody, and to peddle illicit substances. Some call her crazy, but she prefers “eccentric”.

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η HECATE 35

Ἐρινύε Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone are a girl-gang-turned-singing-trio who perform regularly on Underworld’s main stage. Many patrons come to Underworld just to see the Erinyes. They are respected for their incredible vocal talent, but also for their presence and air of power. When they’re not performing they like to mingle with their fans around the club. Not all the fans have the best intentions unfortunately, but the Erinyes are more than capable of holding their own in bad situations.

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ες ERINYES 37

A NEW THEOGONY. NeoTheogonia is an exploration of Greek mythology in a new setting. Olympus is no longer a mountain, but a huge, successful energy company headed by Zeus, the “god of lightning”. The Underworld isn’t the home of the dead, but a shady underground club owned by their “king” Hades. This book contains concept sketches and backstories that illustrate how the characters from Greek myths and the dynamics between them change within this new context.