Ulysses

Ulysses is the titular character of Ulysses Dies at Dawn. They were played by Jonny d'Ville.

## Description

The exact appearance of Ulysses is unknown. They are described as "black, beautiful and had a pair of cold blue eyes that couldn’t hide the things they’d seen."

## History

### Pre-Album

Ulysses was a resident of the City. At some point they met and married Penelope, and they had a son together, Telemachos. While young, Ulysses discovered the final part of the City that hadn't been landscaped, consisting of a small patch of grass and a single oak tree, with just enough space above it to let the light in. Ulysses sealed access to this are off to preserve it, first hoping to turn it into an image of rebellion against the City, but later deciding to keep it secret to give them and their family a death away from the Acheron. When Penelope died they buried her there. The vault protecting the area was labelled as "Penelope's", and had two methods of opening it - either by entering the passcode ELYSIUM, or by completing the Trial of Strength, the Trial of Wits, the Trial of Song and the Trial of Love.

Ulysses was an academic, specialising in psychology and mind manipulation. They completed an undergraduate alongside Palamedes and then took a research position on the University of Island. They remained a noted idealist.

Nine years into the war with Ilium, the City's military looked to apply psychological warfare tactics. The military identified Ulysses as a key asset and intended to recruit them. Knowing Ulysses would refuse, the military conscripted Telemachos and then sent him into a section of the fight with a 75% casualty rate. Palamedes was then sent to convince to Ulysses to fight to save their son. Ulysses complied and joined the war effort.

Within a year Ulysses developed a sound-based attack which caused wild aggression and madness in its victims, so that they killed each other. The weapon was built into a statute to be gifted to Ilium, the form commemorating Ilium's history as horse breeders. With the statue accepted and the weapon undetected, the weapon was then activated causing the residents of Ilium to slaughter each other, ending the war. Ulysses was highly decorated as a prominent war hero.

Ulysses suffered heavily from the toll of having killed an entire section of the City, turning to liquor and the Sirens to dull the pain. While drunk they decided to take unplanned revenge on the Olympian Poseidon - who had had a large part in causing the war - by stealing the Cyclops Eye, the largest perfect diamond on the planet. They acquired a fake ID to enter Poseidon labs and steal the diamond. However, they made the mistake of declaring themself and their theft of the diamond while in range of Poseidon's cameras. A bounty was posted on them for 25,000 Drachema and Ulysses became the most wanted person in the City.

Ulysses fled, and spent twenty years on the run. The Cyclops Eye was unfencable, and their possessions dwindled until they were left with only their clothes, the Cyclops Eye and a snub-nosed laser gun with a single shot left. The pursuit of them then grows as rumours of their vault and its contents occur- with the idea it might be able to topple the Olympians- leading to their capture in Calypso's by the Suits.

## Trivia

* Ulysses' fake ID that they use to access Poseidon Labs uses the name "Annipe Naiad". Naiads are a form of water nymph, while Annipe is a female name likely meaning 'place without horses' linking to their role in the Ilium war.

## References

1. ↑ "Trial by Wits"
2. ↑ In The Madness Of War
3. ↑ "Sunrise"
4. ↑ "Olympians", "Trial by Wits" and "Ulysses' Will"
5. ↑ In The Madness Of War
6. ↑ In The Madness Of War
7. ↑ The war lasts for ten years, and Ulysses was recruited nine years in.
8. ↑ Background image for "Trial by Wits"
9. ↑ "Trial by Wits"
10. ↑ "Ulysses' Will"
11. ↑ Seen in the background images of "Olympians" and My Name Is Noone
12. ↑ Discussion between Justawordwright and Finelythreadedsky, suggesting a derivation of the name from 'annipos', meaning 'horesless' or 'land unsuited for horses', A Greek-English Lexicon, HG Lidell, R Scott, 1901, p131.