Aphrodite Areia - Tumblr Posts

So um... I wrote Greek Myth fanfiction about Ares and Aphrodite (Areia)

Summary:

In an age where gods walked among mortals, the battlefield was their canvas, and war was the art of the divine. Amidst the clash of steel and the cries of warriors, two deities found themselves locked in a duel that transcended the mere conflict of armies. Ares, the fierce god of war, with a sword that sang of battle’s glory, faced Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who revealed her seldom-seen warrior’s heart.

This is an excuse for me to try to write a fight scene! Also to indulge in my special interests. Epic the Musical is why this exists... I'm obsessed. (I was reading greek myths before anyway, can't blame the amazing musical for this.)

I'd love to write a retelling of their love story.

Chapter 1:

Amidst a battlefield veiled in the dust of relentless conflict, two figures of divine presence stood as beacons within the chaos of clashing armies. One, donned in armor that carried the deep crimson of innumerable battles, brandished a sword that gleamed with a zealous longing for combat. Facing him, a counterpart adorned in armor that shone with the glow of dawn's first light, grasped a spear, its point mirroring the intensity of her concentrated stare.

Their gazes locked, and the tumultuous world around them seemed to still, the clamor of battle fading to a distant whisper. The warrior in crimson armor, with a smile that told tales of myriad triumphs, stepped forward, his blade cutting through the air with a desire to test the fortitude of his adversary. The warrior clad in golden armor responded with the haft of her spear, her actions a deadly ballet, a symphony of power and grace.

The crimson warrior was relentless, his attacks a whirlwind of steel and wrath, each blow more forceful than the one before. Yet, the golden warrior remained resolute, her spear a constant barrier between them, her counterattacks swift and accurate. They moved with a harmony that contradicted the ferocity of their battle, a ballet of destruction choreographed by destiny.

As the sun began to fall, stretching shadows over the battle-scarred land, their confrontation climaxed. The warrior in crimson, with a roar, launched a barrage of strikes, all skillfully blocked by the warrior in gold, who countered with a lunge that sent her opponent reeling. It was then that the crimson warrior saw it—a glint of respect in her eyes, an acknowledgment of valor from one formidable fighter to another.

In a moment of lucidity, the crimson warrior lowered his blade, a silent ovation to the golden warrior's strength. She, in turn, halted her offensive, the tip of her spear resting upon the ground. There, on the battlefield, they stood, not as foes, but as equals, their initial encounter a testament to the dual nature of their existence—conflict and affection, inextricably linked.

With a nod of mutual recognition, the crimson warrior spoke, his voice resonating over the remnants of battle, "Well met, warrior. Your skill is as formidable as your presence is captivating." The golden warrior, with a smile that promised both ardor and challenge, replied, "And you, warrior, engage with a fervor that honors the essence of combat. May our next meeting be as... enlightening."

As the veil of night began to claim the heavens, they parted ways, their legendary meeting destined to become a mythic narrative—a story of a sword and spear, and the day when conflict encountered affection on the field of war.

Only as they departed from the blood-soiled grounds did they reveal their true names to one another, a final gift of respect. "I am Ares," declared the crimson warrior, his voice echoing with the power of war. "And I am Aphrodite," proclaimed the golden warrior, her words imbued with the promise of love. And so, the tale would be told, of the day Ares met Aphrodite on the battlefield.

Epic the musical gonna consume me

Not me, choosing God Games as my first animatic of epic the musical. You know, the longest song? with the most characters?

No, never. It's not like I have to conserve energy for a dracula theatre production or anything. Nooo.

Anyway, here are some rough designs and some even rougher frames. I did storyboard the whole thing for the most part, but I still have so much to do, anyway:

Let's start with Athena:

I made her hair in rough wing shapes, and her cape is technically wings, but can turn into snakes. When she needs those.

I'm quite pleased with her spear design, since she is also the patron goddess of weavers, and spinning, I took inspiration from a distaff, which as far as my research goes is used to hold loose fibers to be spun into thread?

Next up is Apollo:

At first I wanted to go with a more plague heavy desing, since that is mostly what he did during the trojan war, which would be Odysseus's reference point, I guess. But that would not have fit so well with the lyrics, so he got a snek instead. And he has hyazinths as his laurel wreath. (and the last touch is his hair, which is inspired by Mortius on YouTube, through whom I properly discovered epic)

Next up: Heffefuff (Hephaestus)

I wanted to include the whole: "was thrown from olypus as a baby"-thing, so I gave him two prosthetics: his arm and lower leg. His arm is made from metal. Engraved is his fall/push from Olympus on his bizeps, and the legendary weapons he crafted on his lower arm (including but not limited to: Achilles Helmet and Spear). His lower leg is made up from fire and Magma/Lava.

He's also got an eyepatch, cause those are cool.

Next on the roster is Aphrodite:

From the beginning I knew I wanted to go for Aphrodite Areia, the Aphrodite which would have been worshipped in Sparta. The Armed Aprhodite in full armor, with weapons and shield. The first draft on the left, was just that: a first draft (though I am keeping the Spartan Shield). The second draft (which became the final one) Is what I'm gonna go with. I am givng her legs a seafoam patters, as the : formed out of seafoam -origin, is the funniest in my opinion.

In her hand, she is holding a rose, which kinda doubles as a weapon, not sure about the practicality on that.

Ares is up next:

Like Aphrodite Ares also has 2 drafts, the left one is more traditional or rather mainstream I think. I wanted to lean into the "breaker of walls" epithet which he holds. So I gave him a hammer and a matching shield to Aphrodite.

Fun fact another ephithet of Ares is (according to wikipedia), "Wearing the gore of men", or sth similar. So his clothing is made from blood. Ain't that neat?

For the final product I'm leaning more towards the brawler version on the right, with the big gauntlets. Just like him more. more antithetical to Athena in that way, me thinks.

Next up: Hera

The only one I really struggled with. There are so many cool designs for her out there, and I did not want to copy anyones. So I tried to do my own thing. First of: her sleeves are those of an 80's wedding dress. To match her vibe and domain as goddess of marriage. The veil is of a similar effect, being essentially one long peacock feather. This design also does not have her crown yet, whoops.

She is associated with cows, but I did not want to give her horns, so instead she got the legs. Another association with her is pomegranates, which is very interesting as those are usually associated with Persephone. But since both rulers of the Underworld are very absent in Epic the musical, I think Hera can have them. As a treat. Specifically, she's got a scepter with a pomegranate on top, which transforms into a microphone.

Now for Zeus.

He don't get a picture. Nor specific art. Buddy is gonna be a cumulus nimbus and be happy about it. Fuck him. Actually that would be a really dumb idea.

Anyway, here are some Apollo v. Athena frames: