K H Á O S

Art by: Juhaihai

In the book of Revelation, John of Patmos describes the coming of the end.

Four beings ride out in preparation of the end times.

Pestilence

War

Famine

Death

- When He broke the second seal,
I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.”
And another, a red horse, went out;
And to him who sat on it,
It was granted to take peace from the earth,
And that men would slay one another;
And a great sword was given to him -

Lamia is a town in central greek, its history dates all the way back to the Bronze Age.
It is also the birthplace of a demi-god referred to by those around him as 'Kas'.
Though his birth name is Kháos Mávros, 'the black chaos'.

When Kas is born, there was a prophecy foreseen by the gods of Olympos.
The prophecy spoke of a child who would be born of Strife,
and bring war and chaos to the world of Man.

The prophecy mentioned a being emerging from within the child.
This being would be War - the second Horseman of the Book of Revelation.
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Life for Kas wasn't easy.
The prophecy of a child born of Strife has reached the Greek Orthodox Church.
His father, an unknown man, had left him at the steps of a monastery, Μονή Διονυσίου, in Mount Athos
when he was just a child,
and the monks that took him in saw that he was the prophesied Horseman of War.

Beaten, tortured, cleansed.

Kas went through Hell and Tartarus.
And one day, those who had feared him would soon get reason to.
The boy brought his own Hell to the monastery.
Monday, 11th of August, 2008 War came to protect the child.
A large portion of the Dionysiou Monastery crumbled into ruin.
37 people died, 68 wounded.
Kas escaped.
Some say his mother, Strife, came to him.
Since that day, Kas has tried to keep War inside.
But his mother, Eris, goddess of Strife and Discord,
has many times tried to get him to release War.
She gifted him a divine gift, the Apple of Discord.
It was a horrid relic from the past with a terrible power.
And Kas keeps it hidden.

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Kas himself has no special powers and can be quite shy.

However, he also has a snarky attitude, and a tendency to stir up trouble.

His mischievous nature also causes trouble for those around him.

But he's also very kind, in his own way.

He likes to help others and be there for people when they feel down.

Though usually his way of cheering people up end with trouble.

He has a pet Jackdaw named Gray, named after his favourite literary work;

'A portrait of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde, 1890.

Although generally happy these days, Kas can seem somewhat melancholy.

This is because he is afraid of War.

Special talents.

Kas is decent at illustrating, and sketching portraits.
He likes to cook and does it well.
He gets well along with corvus birds and cats.
Kas has an affinity for telling when someone is lying.
He's also good at throwing stuff. Rocks, spears, etc.
Kas is very agile and adept in freerunning.

However, when he experiences very strong emotions, War comes out to play.

War is not necessarily evil, but he is violent and strong. And he revels in hurting others.

War doesn't always hurt people with respect for Kas.

War isn't a different person, or a different being. War is still Kas, but without a moral code.

War is Kas' true potential and the incarnation of Eris' powers.

He's the result of Strife. What comes after Strife.

Although war is a god, he is made weaker by his mortal body.

And will remain weak until Kas fully embraces him as himself.

Special talents.

War has the ability to travel through shadows.
He can influence people to become violent from a distance.
War can cry out to summon weapons from the shadows.
When angered, he can cause rock and wood to crack.
War is also physically stronger than Kas, and can lift his own weight tenfold.
He is an expert fighter with any weapon, only surpassed by Ares.
Additionally, he can summon forth phantom arms from the shadows to help him battle enemies from every side.

WAR

Πόλεμος

At his full potential, War would influence the hatred, anger,
and violence within anyone who even so much as looked at him.
He would spread war and tumult wherever he stepped,
and he could summon his siblings, the other children of Eris.
He would have no care for anything but destruction with a thirst for blood.

But War can only emerge fully once Pestilence has made himself appear,
and Kháos' has accepted his fate.
He would be followed by Famine, and eventually Death.

The four Horsemen can emerge from anyone carrying the blood of gods,
no matter what religion they are part of, or to what pantheon they belong.
The four Horsemen are supposedly a group of entities said to bring about the apocalypse.
Though, whether that is in the literal sense or not can be discussed.
All there is are prophecies and holy writs.

μῆλον τῆς Ἔριδος

Apple of Discord

The sea-nymph Thetis was given in marriage to a mortal,
Peleus,
And there was a great wedding-feast in heaven.
Thither all the immortals were bidden, save one,
Eris, the goddess of Discord,
Ever an unwelcome guest.
But she came unbidden.

While the wedding-guests sat at the feast,
She broke in upon their mirth,
And flung among them a golden apple,
And departed with looks that boded ill.

Someone picked up the ominous gift and it spoke:

"For the Fairest";
And at once discussion arose among the goddesses.

They were all eager to claim the prize, but only three persisted.

Aphrodite, the very goddess of beauty,
Said that it was hers by right;
but Hera could not endure to own herself less fair than another,
And even Athena coveted the palm of beauty as well as of wisdom,
And would not give it up! Discord had indeed come to the wedding-feast.
Not one of the gods dared to decide so dangerous a question,
Not Zeus himself,
And the three rivals were forced to choose a judge among mortals.

Paris.

He who chose Aphrodite, who promised him love.

And so, divine promise of love,
Became war among mortals,
And rivalry among gods.

Eris had brought chaos to both mortal and immortal.

The Apple of Discord is not a fruit, contrary to its name. But a divine artefact with the power to stir up negative emotions.
When Eris used it to spite the gods who hadn't invited her, she triggered a brawl among the most powerful of goddesses on Olympos.

Which eventually lead to the Trojan Wars, which included both mortals and immortals,

and those in between. It had devastating effects on the Greek World, and songs would be sung about the event for millennia to follow.

The potency of the Apple makes it one of the most dangerous ancient artefacts
despite being nothing but a golden metal orb.
The only way to keep its influence in check
is to keep it in a special box, made by Nyx, goddess of the night.

Ἔρις

Eris

In Greek mythology, the personification of strife and discord is the goddess Eris.
Eris lives only to revel in chaos and tumult.
She is petty and malicious, and cares not for the well-being of others.
Eris is clever and scheming, and loves to plot for chaos.
She loves Ares, god of war, who is married to Enyo.
And they have a son, Enyalios - born from the womb of Strife, Eris,
and is cared for by Enyo as his mother.
Eris has other children too. But their father is Zeus or Erebus.

Eris is often accompanied by her children;
Dysmonia - goddess of lawlessness

Aite - goddess of mischief and ruin

Lethe - goddess of obliviousness

Limos - goddess of starvation

Lupe - goddess of pain

Achos - goddess of grief

Ania - goddess of sorrow

Hysmine - goddess of conflict

Homados - god of battle noise

Alala - goddess of war cries

Proioxis - goddess of onrush
Palioxis - goddess of back rush

Kydoimos - god of confusion

Phonos - god of murder

Androktasia - goddess of manslaughter

Neikos - god of quarrels

Amphillogia - goddess of disputes

Horkos - god of oaths
Along with her creations - the Makhai
and by her brother Thanatos - god of death
and her sister Keres - goddess of violent death
and Ares - god of war

with his wife Enyo - goddess of war
and his children.
Most noteworthy;

Phobos - god of fear

and Deimos - god of terror