Gaia

**Gaia** is the Greek Goddess of the Earth.

## **Background**

Hesiod's *Theogony* tells how, after Khaos, Gaia arose to be the everlasting seat of the gods who possess Olympus above. And after Gaia came the god Tartarus, and next Eros, a god of love. Hesiod goes on to say that Gaia brought forth her equal Ouranos to "cover her on every side". Gaia also bore the Ourea; mountain gods, and Pontus; a sea god.

Afterwards with Ouranos, her son, she gave birth to the Titans, as Hesiod tells it:

According to Hesiod, Gaia conceived further offspring with her son, Ouranos, first the one-eyed Kyklopes: Brontes, Steropes, and Arges then the Hecatonchires: Cottus, Briareos, and Gyges. As each of the Kyklopes and Hecatonchires were born, Ouranos hid them in a secret place within Gaia, causing her great pain. So Gaia devised a plan. She created a grey flint sickle. And Kronos used the sickle to castrate his father Ouranos as he approached his mother, Gaia, to have sex with her. From Ouranos' spilled blood, Gaia produced the Erinyes, the Gigantes, and the Meliae; ash-tree nymphs. From the testicles of Ouranos in the sea came forth the goddess Aphrodite.

By her son, Pontus, Gaia bore the sea-gods Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia.

Because Kronos had learned from Gaia and Ouranos that he was destined to be overthrown by one of his children, he swallowed each of the children born to him by his older sister, Rhea. But when Rhea was pregnant with her youngest child, Zeus, she sought help from Gaia and Ouranos. When Zeus was born, Rhea gave Kronos a stone wrapped in swaddling-clothes in his place, which Kronos swallowed, and Gaia took the child into her care.

With the help of Gaia's advice, Zeus defeated the Titans. But afterwards, Gaia, in union with Tartarus, bore the youngest of her sons Typhon, who would be the last challenge to the authority of Zeus.

## **Personality**

In many ways, Gaia is the ideal mother goddess, loving her children first and foremost. She will do anything to protect them, even if it means taking the most extreme measures. It is because of this protectiveness that she is known to be very cruel to anyone who threatens them. Oddly enough, this includes the gods, who are her own grandchildren.

## **Appearance**

Gaia rarely appears in human form, the ancient Greeks believed she was the ground that they walked on. On the rare occasions that she did appear in human form, she takes on the appearance of a mature motherly figure.

## **Known Powers and Abilities**

Gaia is the second oldest Greek god in existence making her much more powerful than all gods under her, with only Khaos surpassing her in power, and Ouranos being her equal in power.

* **Super Strength**- Gaia is so incredibly strong, her physical strength alone surpasses all younger gods, only Khaos is stronger than her.
* **Super Stamina**- Gaia doesn't require sustenance to maintain herself, and doesn't possess the capability to tire.
* **Super Senses**- Her senses are attuned to the point where she can sense her children being imprisoned inside the underworld.
* **Super Agility**- When giving birth to the Titans, her body contracted and contorted to be able to accommodate for their massive size.
* **Immortality**- Gaia was born long before Earth came into existence, she is so old that she even predates the universe.
* **Nigh Invulnerability** - Gaia is invulnerable to all forms of physical harm and death and cannot be killed.
* **Nigh Indestructibility** - Gaia is nigh indestructible, only Khaos is able to cause her any significant harm.
* **Regeneration**- She can instantly heal any injury she does receive in a short amount of time.
* **Terrakinesis**- Being an earth goddess, Gaia has unlimited control over the earth, she can cause massive earthquake, erupt volcanoes, and generate and manipulate rocks.
* **Chlorokinesis**- Gaia has omnipotent control over all forms of plant life, she can manipulate it to her will, influence its growth, and generate new plant life.
* **Shapeshifting**- Gaia can manifest herself as the Earth, growing to incredible sizes.
* **Biokinesis**- Gaia has control over the biological functions of other beings, she can heal their injuries or inflict them.
* **Power Granting** - The Demigod Aristaeus was given godly powers by Gaia.
* **Hydrokinesis**- She has total control over all forms of water, she can create destructive tsumanis and floods, she can generate water at will.
* **Foresight**- She and Ouranos foresaw that Kronos would be dethroned by his own son, Zeus.
* **Teleportation**- She can instantly travel anywhere in existence.
* **Pyrokinesis**- Gaia has control over all forms of natural fire, able to manipulate and generate it at will.
* **Power Negation**- Due to her immense power, she can minimize the powers of any god younger than her.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Other Deities** - Older and/or more powerful gods are able to overpower her, gods such as Khaos for example.
* **Divine Weaponry** - Godly weapons can cause significant harm to Gaia.