Iapetus

Iapetus was the Titan lord of mortal life, the brother of Cronus, the father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius by Clymene, who was the daughter of his brother Oceanus and his sister Tethys.
==History==
===Early Life===
Iapetus was the fifth son to be born to Gaia and Uranus, the respective personifications of the earth and sky. The Titans were the eldest of the three races born to Gaia the Earth and Uranus the Sky, before the Hekatonkeries (Cottus, Gyges, and Briares) and the Elder Cyclopes (Arges, Brontes, and Steropes). All were detested by their father, but he detested the younger children so much (mainly for their ugliness) that he imprisoned them in the terrifying abyss of Tartarus, which was itself deep within the Earth. Enraged, Gaia told her remaining twelve children (including Iapetus), the Titans, to take the mighty Scythe that she had forged, and avenge their brothers by overthrowing their arrogant and sadistic father. However, while Iapetus detested his father, he was ambivalent at the prospect of murdering him, and did not step up to take the Scythe. However, after his younger brother Cronus did, Iapetus agreed to help him in the murder, albeit reluctantly (since he was silenced by Hyperion). Nonetheless, Iapetus' elder brother Oceanus, as well as his sisters Theia, Tethys, Themis, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, and Rhea all refused to participate.
===Murder of Uranus===
While preparing to ambush his father Uranus, Iapetus hid himself by posing as a tree (with his arms spread out). Together with his brothers Hyperion, Crius, and Coeus, Iapetus held Uranus down, after which Cronus used the Scythe to slice Uranus into a thousand pieces and claim his supremacy over the universe. During the murder, Iapetus was kicked in the face by his thrashing father (something his brothers frequently teased him about afterwards). However, right before Cronus sliced him up, Uranus predicted that one day Cronus himself would suffer the same fate at the hands of his own child. Most notably, while Hyperion, Crius, Coeus, and Cronus all roared with laughter after defeating their father, Iapetus felt nauseous. Afterwards, Cronus hurled all of the remaining pieces of Uranus into the sea as a gesture of loathing against his brother Oceanus for not helping slay their father. Much later, these particles would mix with the ocean spray to form Aphrodite.
===The Titan Lord of the West===
After Cronus claimed his supremacy as the Titan King of Mount Othrys, and ushered in the "Golden Age", Iapetus was justly rewarded for his help with control over the West. Iapetus' usually very calm, "as calm as the sunset", in stark contrast to his passionate and ferocious brother Hyperion. However, Iapetus was capable of great displays of anger as well, and was later nicknamed "The Piercer" due to his great skills at fighting with a long spear. Iapetus would also frequently approach his wise and clairvoyant brother Coeus with questions about the future.
Iapetus later married his niece Clymene (a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys), and fathered three sons: Atlas (the Titan of Endurance and Strength), Prometheus (the Titan of Forethought), and Epimetheus (the Titan of Afterthought). Shortly after the birth of his children, Iapetus no longer visited Cronus on Mount Othrys, not even during the latter's weekly Sunday dinners. While he claimed to be too busy, Cronus knew that the actual reason was Iapetus' secret fear of his brother's might and infamous temper.
Atlas would grow up to become Cronus' most powerful follower, and the General of the Titan King's forces. Prometheus, who would grow up to become almost as intelligent as Cronus, and eventually make mankind out of clay. As for Epimetheus, he was one of the more flawed Titans, and tended to always think after he acted.
===Zeus Rescues His Siblings===
However, years later, after Cronus hired a young Titan by the name of Zeus (actually a god in disguise), Iapetus was very entertained by the latter's excellent singing, dancing, and "Satyr jokes", and took to visiting Cronus on Mount Othrys more often. Shortly thereafter, Zeus encouraged Iapetus to participate in the newly established Titanic drinking contests. As the Titan King of Mount Othrys, Cronus would always win, since he could not let his siblings or nephews overcome him in anything.
One evening, when Iapetus was dining with his brothers and nephews, Zeus prepared nectar mixed with sleeping potion for Iapetus, and a powerful emetic for Cronus. As before, Zeus entertained them all with his great singing, dancing, and jokes. Near the end of the Titanic banquet, Zeus encouraged all of the Titans to have yet another drinking contest, and handed out the prepared goblets. As before, Cronus won the contest, but the emetic caused him to disgorge all his swallowed children, while Iapetus was temporarily knocked out by the sleeping potion, and could not stop them from escaping.
===First Titanomachy===
Shortly thereafter, all six of Cronus' children quickly declared war against their father, as well as the other Titans, which resulted in the terrifying 11-year-long Titanomachy. Iapetus initially had the upper hand in his battles with the gods, since he was a very skilled and a much more experienced warrior. However, the gods quickly became skilled warriors as well, and with the help of their new extremely powerful weapons (Zeus' Master Bolt, Poseidon's Trident, and Hades' Helm of Darkness), as well as the aid of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkeries, the gods finally prevailed. During the final battle, Zeus used his Master Bolt to shear off the top of Mount Othrys, and hurl Cronus from his Black Throne, defeating the Titan King. Shortly thereafter, the gods invaded the ruins of Mount Othrys, and finally overwhelmed the remaining Titans (including Iapetus himself).
In the aftermath of the battle, Iapetus was chained up by the Elder Cyclopes, after which the Hekatonkeires forced him to kneel before Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Zeus proceeded to taunt his uncle Iapetus, prompting the latter to hang his head in shame. Zeus proceeded to hurl Iapetus into Tartarus, along with Hyperion, Crius, Coeus, and Cronus' remains. The Titans would be imprisoned in the maximum-security zone of Tartarus, surrounded by huge bronze walls, and a lava moat, guarded by their Hekatonkerie brothers.
Category:Male characters
Category:Titans
Category:The Dungeon Master's Theogony characters
Category:The Titan's Wrath characters
Category:Deceased