Grace

**Grace** is the protagonist and player character of *Stray Gods*. She is a college dropout who becomes ensnared in a complex web of intrigue and accusations. She is voiced by Laura Bailey.

In the game, Grace finds herself facing a dire predicament—accused of murdering the last muse. As the plot unfolds, players must guide Grace through a journey of exoneration within a time frame of seven days. This endeavor requires her to interact with a pantheon of Greek gods, including Athena, Apollo, Persephone, and Aphrodite, each with their unique attributes and personalities.

Grace's journey takes an unexpected twist when she discovers her newfound powers of music, which she must wield skillfully to unearth the truth behind the mysterious death of Calliope, the last muse.

## Biography

### Early life

Grace grew up alongside her childhood friend Freddie. They graduated high school together and went on to college. However, Grace had misgivings about her path in college and eventually dropped out. She began to grow distant from Freddie until Freddie asked Grace to be the vocalist for her new band, Edge of Elysium.

### Act 1

#### Band auditions

*Stray Gods* opens with the band holding open auditions in a community auditorium. After 4 hours, and finding no promising prospects, Freddie mentions having a dream where she was auditioning for the band naked, and jokes that she thought these auditions went better. The band begins to disperse for the night, with Freddie offering bandmates Kaz and Brian a ride home. Noticing Grace's listless attitude, Freddie asks how her friend is feeling. Grace tells her she appreciates Freddie including her in the band after Grace dropped out of college, but confesses that she's not sure she fits in.

Grace decides to stay behind to close up the auditorium. Freddie leaves, and Grace begins to sing alone in the empty auditorium ("Adrift"). As she sings, a woman enters the auditorium to listen. Noticing her audience, Grace quickly stops singing. The woman apologizes for interrupting her and introduces herself as Calliope. Grace asks if Calliope is there to audition for the band, which Calliope affirms and takes the stage. Calliope begins to sing a duet with Grace, continuing the song Grace had been singing.

At the song's conclusion, Calliope tells Grace that her song was wonderful and that she understood Grace's feelings of being lost and alone. Grace expresses her wonder at the experience of singing with Calliope, the way the music swelled up from around and within her. Calliope asks after Grace's feelings of being "adrift," which Grace can choose to brush off or be open about. Calliope begins to leave, and Grace offers her a spot in the band. Calliope responds that she hopes to see Grace again, and departs.

#### Becoming a Muse

Grace returns to her and Freddie's apartment. Soon after she sits down, she hears knocking at the door. Expecting Freddie, Grace is shocked when Calliope stumbles through the door, clutching a bleeding wound on her stomach. She falls to the floor as Grace tries to understand what is happening and how to help. Calliope apologizes to Grace, saying she "didn't want to do this to [her]," before falling limp in Grace's arms. A golden sphere of light rises from Calliope's body and enters Grace's chest. A wave of energy discharges from Grace, making the lights in the apartment flicker as her eyes glow gold.

A moment later, Grace notices a glowing gold light from her doorway, and a person (Hermes) has appeared in her apartment. They tell Grace that she needs to talk to the Chorus. Grace is confused and distraught, so the messenger explains that the glowing orb was what made Calliope a god, and now it was in Grace, making her a god. Hermes pulls Grace through the golden doorway, bringing them to an office. They tell her that the Chorus will explain everything, and leave.

Grace waits in the office until after sunrise. Finally the doors open, and the Chorus enters. Their leader introduces herself as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. The other members are Apollo, God of Prophecy, Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, and Persephone, former Queen of the Underworld. Aphrodite explains that the Chorus rules over the Idols, gods who live hidden in the modern world. Athena explains that Calliope was the last Muse, and had now "passed on" to Grace. The glowing sphere was her "eidolon," a part of her soul that made her an Idol. As it was now in Grace, she was an Idol herself.

Persephone interrupts, telling Athena they are wasting time. Athena goes on to explain that Grace has been brought to them because they suspect Grace usurped Calliope, taking the eidolon from Calliope rather than being chosen by Calliope to succeed her. The Chorus' rules require that Grace must die. Grace protests that she did not cause Calliope's death, and Persephone retorts that Calliope's blood is literally still on Grace's hands. Aphrodite wavers, seeing Grace's panic, but Athena remains firm that their ruling must be carried out. Grace lashes out at the injustice, and her eyes glow gold. To her confusion, the Chorus begins to sing ("The Chorus is in Accord"), explaining that their laws protect them and cannot be changed. Apollo, however, dissents and encourages the Chorus to allow Grace to prove her innocence. Athena grants Grace one week to discover what happened to Calliope, or she will be executed in order with their initial ruling. She further directs Grace of their rules: she cannot reveal the Idols' existence to the mortal world, including asking the mortal authorities for help; she is not to harm another Idol; she is not to leave the city; she must do as the Chorus commands. Grace is dismissed to begin her investigation.

#### Returning home

Grace returns to her apartment and Freddie, who is frantic as she came home to find the door left open and Grace missing. There is no sign left in the apartment that Calliope died there. Grace can ask if Freddie found the body, tell Freddie about becoming a god, or deflect to avoid the subject. As they talk, a man with goat horns enters the apartment. He introduces himself as Pan and offers to help Grace in her investigation.