- For the book featuring this character, see Styxx.
Summary[]
Styxx led a life of true loneliness and very little freedom. In his mortal life he was only ever seen for his title, Prince. A title that was regularly used against him as a sneer. His only friend had been his brother and twin, Acheron, until their uncle Estes turned him against Styxx as well. His childhood was marked by physical and verbal abuse, his puberty by sexual trauma. At just 16, he was sent to war as the commander of his father's forces. He became the only Greek commander to ever win battles against Atlantis. That won him the respect of his soldiers, the Stygian Omada, but not that of his father.
His only experience with love had come from his trainer Galen, who saw the prince for the courageous boy he was, and his beloved wife Bethany, who had not known he was a prince and had learned of his life from the perspective of a peer. Styxx's destiny seemed to be one of constant torment at the hands of the gods.
Birth[]
King Xerxes and Queen Aara were known for being deeply in love and happy. Until Aara birthed twin boys, Styxx and Acheron, and the latter bore the eyes of divinity. Xerxes never trusted that either child was actually his and never treated either as a true son. Aara blamed both twins for her husband's hatred of her when she had done nothing wrong and thus was never maternal to either. Styxx was the second born but was always told he was first so that he could be the heir to the throne.
The goddess Apollymi combined the life forces of the boys in Aara's womb. Any harm that befell Acheron would also befall Styxx.
Youth[]
Styxx was raised more as a ward than a son. Seen simply as the future heir by his king, he was grilled by tutors daily before he was even 5. At 5, Xerxes declared him no longer a child and had him start war training and diplomacy lessons. Although, having to navigate a palace full of family and servants who hated his every move had already done that.
At 7, he lost his twin; at 12 he was tortured for insanity; at 15, he was gang raped on a hunting trip and later captured for sale as a sex slave; at 16, he was sent to war; at 19, he became a prisoner of the Atlantean gods for a year; at 21, he died alongside his twin.
The only bright spot in his life was his relationship with Bethany, a blind woman who loved to fish in a stream in Didymos. He stumbled upon her one day while badly injured and she soothed him. Over time they fell in love and eventually married. Styxx also learned that Bethany was a demigod and her father was the Egyptian god, Set. The couple made plans to run off to Egypt where a pregnant Bethany would drink a potion to remove her godhood so she, Styxx, and their child could live happily together as mortals. He forever regrets not getting in the chariot with Bethany.
Immortal life[]
Styxx spent over 11,000 years isolated on a vanishing island. Then after a brief time of being in the present, he was sent to Tartarus for 3 years. Acheron removed him from Greek hell to put him in a new hell, isolated and stuck in the arena temple of the Atlantean gods where they'd held him during his mortal life.
After being attacked by Simi, he asked to be placed in the mortal world. With help from Urian, he navigated the modern world as best he could. After helping to rescue Acheron's future wife, Tory, he left the modern world to find his place in the desert of the Sahara.
A cosmic occurrence brought Styxx back into his brother's life, which is when he found out his wife and child weren't dead. He saved the world and his brother, and was reunited with Bethany and his son. During the process he received his Chthonian powers and remembered being Aricles.
Relationships[]
Acheron[]
Acheron Parthenopaeus is his twin brother. He is a Chthonian—a creature able to kill any god without damaging the Source and a demon god. His relationship with his twin was not always good; in fact, they hated each other until Acheron lived Styxx's memories and realized that his twin wasn't the arrogant prince he'd always thought.
Galen[]
A revered warrior who had retired from fighting but was asked to train the prince for war. Initially Galen loved the idea of beating up the king's son as the king had been the reason Galen's own son had died in battle. Over time Galen saw Styxx for the person he was and not the entitled prince and everything everyone associated with it. He became Styxx's beloved mentor and even came out of retirement to go to war with him. Galen was the only person in Styxx's life who did not fall for the impostor Apollo placed in his stead. Galen died in Styxx's arms after taking a wound for him.
Bethany[]
Bethany is actually the god Bet'anya Agriosa who spent time away from the gods fishing along a bank in Didymos. She was supposed to be searching for Apollymi's lost son Apostolos when she met and fell in love with Hector. Turns out she and Hector had both been lying to one another about who they were—she a full-blooded goddess and he the prince of Didymos. Bethany learned of Styxx's real identity during his mortal life. Styxx's didn't learn Bethany was a full goddess until he was in the middle of a plot to revive her over 11,000 years after their deaths. After she was brought back they learned that their unborn son is actually Urian.
Urian[]
One day while walking around Katoteros he heard and met Styxx. Urian had been led to believe that Styxx was nothing more than Acheron's asshole brother, but Urian discovered that he was Styxx of Didymos. Urian was a huge fan of the ancient war hero, even going so far as to adapt his phoenix emblem for his own shield and tattooing it on his arm. Urian became Styxx's only friend. After the faceoff with the awakened Atlantean gods, Urian discovered he is actually Styxx and Bethany's son, whom Apollymi had placed into Stryker's wife. Styxx and Urian were both furious they could have known each other their whole lives but are happy to have each other now.
Personality[]
Styxx is seen as arrogant but really he's just always on the defensive for people to attack him verbally or physically. He has a wickedly sharp, sarcastic sense of humor. He is loyal to a fault, typically to his own detriment.
Abilities[]
The greatest warrior to ever live, twice, Styxx scared the gods even as a mortal. Now, he's a god killer. He also has telepathy, except with a select few people including his wife and child. During his time on the vanishing isle, Styxx mastered the art of building sand cities. Once he was able to have pen and paper he was an exceptional artist, too.
Foreboding[]
| “ | The final fate of the world—of all humanity—wasn't really in the hands of Acheron, or even Apollymi. It was actually in the bloodline of Styxx's family. |
” |
At the end of Stygian, Apollo uses Phoebe to get close enough to Urian to get his blood—the combined blood of Apollymi, Set, Bethany, Apollo, Acheron, and Styxx.