Hades & The Underworld

[The following is an adaptation of Hades, and it is not lost on me that its not accurate to depictions of classic/traditional literature. This is due to this character being based on Greek literature and written for a modern era, as well as new perspectives.] Written by: Painfully Spicy

Boy. Girl. Rich. Poor. Black. White. Gay. Straight. Human. Supernatural.

When the clock runs out on the sands of time, none of these will matter. All will stand before Judgement equally. Actions define you. Not gender, not status quo, not race, nationality–nothing. Only the path you have chosen.

Own it. For it will be the only thing you carry with you when you cross the River.

And thus too, all of these labels are beneath Hades. Hades is genderless, faceless, and above all, Hades is all of us. A reflection of the souls ferried to the afterlife. Yes, it is true, Hades is known as the God of Hidden Wealth and considered the wealthiest due to precious stones, gems, and metals that come from the earth below, which the domain of Hades indeed reaches–but Hades is not known as the God of such wealth due to OWNING such treasures. It is merely the fact that Hades may determine how rich the land is with such things–…or how barren. Could Hades own so many riches? Of course. But they mean nothing to the Monarch of the Dead, the Sovereign of Souls, and Empré of the Underworld. And perhaps that is why Hades was given domain over such things.

As if the Underworld weren’t restricted enough, it’s gates have been even more inaccessible than before. Within the Realm of the Dead there bristles rumors of an empty throne and an absent ruler. Hades has not been seen for longer than some can remember. Rumors of the God’s demise have come and gone, while others echo tales of the God being engaged in nefarious designs for a wider rule. More often than not, political uprise and conflict occur along with factions of the dead all vying for power in a vacuum created by the absence of their Ruler. Along with these rumors, perhaps equally as told, are the various theories of Hades’ appearance. The truth is time has turned enough pages that facts have become muddled, and no one really knows anymore, thus fueling the rumors that the Underworld’s watcher could be any face among them –Or no one. This is why statues in more recent centuries have depicted Hades as either faceless or holding a mask, for it is said those who follow, worship, and honor the Ruler of the Underworld, may have the honor of being a ‘mask'(taking on their appearance) worn by their afterlife deity.

The Priests, and sometimes followers/worshipers, of Hades are often wearing masks to represent the God. This is due to two main things:

One is literal. As rumor has it, Hades is known to wear the appearance of Chosen souls. Hades might wear the face of Their enemies too, but its rare. Worshipers find great honor in being chosen as a face Hades uses.

The other is the passage at the beginning. The masks are often devoid of features, or at least very minimal features and expressions, and this is because at the End, when we are Judged, we are Judged equally. And in the Underworld, nothing in our lives puts us above anyone else other than how we have conducted ourselves. So we wear Masks to honor our God, Hades. And these masks symbolize that in the afterlife, none of the labels we are so obsessed over in Life actually matter. Metaphorically, we are stripped of them once we cross over. So gender, riches, race, etc, never set one of us apart from another

One does not have to be a saint to be in good graces or to be positively Judged. But more so in line with… How devout you are to the Gods, among some other unknown factors, one of which is rumored to be “honor” but its unconfirmed. The truth is a complex set of variables our silly non-God brains could never comprehend.

“But Hades! How will I know how to behave in order to be Judged appropriately?!”

Be yourself. The truth is not as easy as ‘good vs bad’ and even if it were, Hades would not want you compliant only for the promise of a better afterlife. That, in itself, would defeat the purpose and you would not be living that life for the right reasons. It is up to each individual to feel it in their bones; to be true to themselves. If you are a true worshipper of the Gods, you will make choices that matter. You will know what to do in those moments. Be true to yourself, be true to the Gods. And if you are doing this, the path to a promising Afterlife awaits you.

It is rare for one to meet Hades as Hades. The God is reclusive in a sense. Hades loves to take on various appearances and personalities to interact with the world. Why? Many might criticize the Empré for Their antics. But ask yourself this:

How can one Judge or condemn, if one has not walked in your shoes?

You would be surprised at the various rollercoaster of personalities and traits taken on by this God. From stoic, or righteous… down to sometimes a downright troll. Man, woman, peasant, business owner, pizza enthusiast…?

Which Hades will you meet?

Just be warned: …To attempt to draw Hades out from the Mask, to break that immersion, to peek behind the curtain… can be blinding.

{The Internet & Social Media}

Gods integrating and openly mingling with society poses new challenges for sure, but it has its boons. Remember that a God’s worshipers affect them. (More = good, less = bad) How do all world renowned people gain/maintain influence? One major resource is social media. Our lore makes a fun quip that Hades has a “cult following” on Twitter. This is likely due to people having a weird obsession with the cliche “Anonymous/Guy Fawkes/V for Vendetta” masks, which are similar in concept to the masks associated with Hades and followers, though certainly not the same (Masks of Hades are typically depicted as having very few or no features). Many virtue signalers and the like use Hades and the concept of masks to promote agendas and messages, thus riding the wave of the God’s message and twisting it to their purpose. Fear not. They will be judged accordingly should their ideologies fail them. But for the record,…. Hades’ Twitter is not actually used by Hades, but instead, a trusted disciple of sorts. And those posts are a mixture of messages that reflect the range of personalities the God is known to have. Maybe you will get a thoughtful scripture or words of wisdom. — Or maybe you’ll get a dank meme. Who really knows.