Hephaestus

Siblings: Hebe and Ares

### Occupation

Greek Olympian God of Blacksmiths, Craftsmen, Artisans, Sculptors, Metals, Metallurgy, Fire and Volcanoes

## Physical description

### Gender

Male

**Hephaestus**, also known as **Vulcan**, is the Greek god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes.

## Description

As a smithing god, Hephaestus made all the weapons of the gods in Olympus. He had his own palace on Olympus, containing his workshop with anvil and twenty bellows that worked at his bidding. Hephaestus crafted much of the magnificent equipment of the gods, and almost any finely wrought metalwork imbued with powers that appears in Greek myth is said to have been forged by Hephaestus. He designed Hermes' winged helmet and sandals, the Aegis breastplate, Aphrodite's famed girdle, Agamemnon's staff of office, Achilles' armor, Heracles' bronze clappers, Helios' chariot, the shoulder of Pelops, and Eros' bow and arrows.

## Overview

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the gods. In another version, he was Hera's parthenogenous child, where she ejected Hephaestus from the heavens because he was "shrivelled of foot". He fell into the ocean and was raised by Thetis. But upon returning, Hephaestus gained revenge against Hera for rejecting him by making her a magical golden throne, which, when she sat on it, did not allow her to stand up. The other gods begged Hephaestus to return to Olympus to let her go, but he refused, coldly declaring, "I have no mother".

At last, Dionysus fetched him, intoxicated him with wine, and took the subdued smith back to Olympus on the back of a mule accompanied by revelers. At last, he was finally convinced to release Hera of her humiliating predicament but the relationship between Hephaestus and Hera was still quite bitter with the smith god not wanting anything to do with his mother and prefers his solitude in his forge.

Hephaestus is also known to be married to the goddess Aphrodite, however, she was not exactly faithful to her husband as Aphrodite had an affair with Ares, the god of war. Eventually, Hephaestus discovered Aphrodite’s promiscuity through Helios, the all-seeing Sun, and planned a trap during one of their trysts. While Aphrodite and Ares lay together in bed, Hephaestus ensnared them in an unbreakable chain-link net so small as to be invisible and dragged them to Mount Olympus to shame them in front of the other gods for retribution. However, the gods simply laughed at the sight of the naked lovers.

## Quotes

*"I'd much rather prefer the clanging sounds of my hammer against the anvil than to hear the incessant nagging and arguing of my family. Trust me, were it not for such harmonious sounds that echo through my forge, I would've gone mad." - Hephaestus.*

## Powers and Abilities

**Blunt Weapon Proficiency:** Hephaestus, either innately or through training, is a master of the use of blunted implements; objects, or tools that have been used since the most ancient of times, for the sole purpose of applying heavy blunt force trauma, either for construction, demolition, or combat. Hephaestus has reached a level of mastery that allows for relative ease in the dispatching of foes, whether they are of equal, or possibly greater strength. They are able to perform impressive feats such as halting, deflecting, or destroying large projectiles, bashing through incredibly tough objects or barriers, and have the strength needed to employ wide, sweeping strokes, to attack many enemies at once. They may also be proficient in the wielding of blunted throwing weapons, possibly adding ranged attacks to their repertoire.

**Craftsmen Deity:** As an archetype, the divine craftsman can be an angel, deity (god/goddess), or higher spirit who represents or is associated and/or is the Smith of the Gods. In mythology these types of entities are associated with smithing, the forge, craftsmanship, crafts, invention and technology.

**Fire Deity:** Hephaestus is a fire Deity, a god/goddess who represents or is associated with fire, heat, drought, Summer and volcanoes. A fire Deity is a deity in mythology associated with fire and is one of the four great elemental divine spirits.

**Metal Deity:** Hephaestus with this ability either is or can transform into a metal deity, a god/goddess who represents or is associated with the element of metal and all the different kinds of metals on Earth, and deities that work with metals and metallurgy.

**Volcano Deity:** Hephaestus with this ability either is or can transform into a Volcano deity, a god/goddess who represents or is associated with volcanoes and magma.

**Technology Deity:** Hephaestus is a technology deity, a god/goddess who represents or is associated with technology and the varying forms it comes in.

**Demiurge Physiology:** Hephaestus with this ability either is or can transform into a demiurge, an artisan-like being responsible for the fashioning, shaping, and maintenance of the physical universe, or at least some portion of it. It may clear things to know that in Greek *dēmiourgos* means literally "public worker" and was originally a common noun meaning "craftsman" or "artisan", but gradually it came to mean "producer" and eventually "creator" or "maker". Depending on the system, they may be considered to be either uncreated and eternal or considered to be the product of a supreme entity.

**Divine Objects:** Hephaestus has access to an object that grants them divine/holy powers. They can range from source materials to apparel to fully-designed weapons; whatever the form, they can impart divine powers to those who lack them entirely or augment the already existing holy capabilities.

**Super-Strength:** Hephaestus is glaringly, obviously, and unnaturally stronger than their race because their capabilities are pushed beyond the natural level and superior to most supernatural beings in their verse; making them immensely stronger than normal members of their species (in that 'verse) can be achieved by any method of training.