Gorgon (AST)

A **Gorgon** is a natural magic user originating from Greek mythology and has existed in the earliest examples of Greek literature.

## Origins

Medusa and her sisters Stheno and Euryale were the daughters of the ancient marine deities Phorcys and his sister Ceto. Whether due to simple chance, or perhaps her divine blood, Medusa was a beautiful young woman whose crowning glory was her magnificent long hair, was desired and courted by many suitors, but Medusa was a priestess of Athena and had taken a vow of chastity. Poseidon was once such suitor and unwilling to accept her refusal of him found her worshipping in the temple of Athena and forced himself on her.

Athena was outraged at her sacred temple being violated, and be it ignorance, thinking the act was consensual, or merely an excuse to hide her jealousy of Medusa’s beauty she punished Medusa by turning her beautiful hair into snakes and giving her the destructive power to turn anyone who looked directly at her into stone. Stheno and Euryale begged Athena to undo the punishment and for their efforts received a similar curse. It is said that unlike their sister she also cursed them with immortality, so that they can never escape the consequence of questioning her actions.

Later the coercive King Polydectes sent Perseus on a wild goose suicide mission for Medusa’s head. Sadly by this point the three were little more then monsters and monsters need to be killed. So Perseus wanting to rescue his sister from the king took the mission without hesitation. With the help of Athena and Hermes - magic winged sandals, a cap, a pouch and a mirror-like shield, he fought her and beheaded her by viewing her image in the mirror of his shield rather than looking at her directly. Medusa's sisters, the Gorgons, chased after him, but were unable to catch him because his magic cap made him invisible.

As a final insult Perseus would use Medusa's head as a weapon during other battles (which included rescuing Andromeda), but he eventually returned it to Athena, who then placed it at the center of her shield Aegis as a symbol of her power, and her own capacity to turn her enemies into stone. Sadly this story has been lost to history with many different versions told and only the Gorgons knowing the true tale.

## Traits and Abilities

Gorgon physiology includes such traits as bodies covered in armour-like scales, and having the lower body of a serpent rather than humanoid legs. There most recognized trait since the beginning of the legend is the snakes for hair. These snakes are all alive and constantly writhe and hiss atop the Gorgon's head and are said to be extremely venomous.

There are three Gorgon clans. The most well-known ability of the Gorgon, their power to turn living beings into stone with but a glance is are derived from Medusa herself. How this power works has been described in such ways as the Gorgon's eyes meeting her victim's or victims being so repulsed by the creature's horrible visage that the life is literally frightened out of them.

The other two clans descend from Medusa's sisters who gained other powers. One is very venom and poison based, while the other induces madness. Sadly while Medusa’s decendants and the madness Gorgons can easily block their effects with glasses. Every secretion of the poison clan’s body is toxic. The Gorgon sisters are also stated to be immortal, with the exception of Medusa who was actually slain by the hero Perseus.

The curse only affects those of female birth. This was discovered after Medusa’s lone human male offspring had daughter.

## Notes

The fact that Gorgon's and the Snake clan of the Musk have similar accents is merely a coincidence. In fact the snake clan has the accent by choice, while the Gorgons gain their due to their curse, although it varies between individuals.

Medusa's sisters hunted Perseus for years, and when they finally got the chance, they decapitated him in the night, nailed his head to a shield which they left displayed in the town center with the words 'vengeance for our sister'. Or at least that is the tale.