The Moirae's Mirror - December

Hey y'all, welcome back to the Moirae's Mirror!

As promised, this month's installment is going to talk a little bit about the parts of the Underworld. I don't really have any appropriate screenshots this time, as a lot of this doesn't come up until considerably later. So this will be mostly in short essay form, with a couple section headings. 

I: Space, Time, and Broad Divisions

So one thing that is useful to understand is that space and time don't really apply to the Underworld the same way they do other places. This part actually kind of applies to Olympus, too, with some differences. There are entrances to the Underworld all over the mortal realms, but these are better thought of as "portals" than normal doorways or tunnels—that is, you can't just measure between all of these in a circle and approximate the geometric area of the Underworld. Likewise time can be strange, but for the most part the Underworld does track overworld time, even following a day/night cycle and a calendar—it just doesn't always, and doesn't have to. Time can pass slower or faster or even stop entirely within its confines without doing so elsewhere. 

It can even, and sometimes does, pass at different rates in different parts of the Underworlds. Internal documentation refers to 'Field Standard Time' (FST), 'Tartarus Time' (TT), and 'Isles Time' (IT), as separate entities. Usually FST is matched to Mortal Realm Time (MRT), and for the most part TT and IT match FST, but they can and do sometimes come apart. 

These designations reflect the most major division within Underworld 'space' as well: the eponymous Fields of Asphodel are different from the Blesséd Isles, are different again from the area known as Tartarus. 

In the source myths, the division is a fairly simple one: depending on the nature of a person's deeds in life, the part of the Underworld they occupy after death is different. Souls of no particular distinction, either good or bad, are brought to the Fields, and this is by far the most populous section of the Underworld. Souls of particular merit in the ancient Greek sense (usually heroes and that sort of thing), reside in/on the Blesséd Isles, while the worst of the worst suffer punishment in the (even more) subterranean section of the Underworld known as Tartarus. 

II: The Fields of Asphodel

For the purposes of this story, the Fields aren't just endless rolling meadows or anything like that, though there are indeed many such meadows with many such flowers. But for the most part, it is something of a pale reflection of the mortal realms. A soul sent to this section of the Underworld more or less lives another life, albeit one with little to no risk of serious strife or harm, no war or disease, and rather ample creature comforts (such as indoor plumbing). They do, more or less, the things humans do, and the only requirement is that they contribute something to the function of the Underworld, which most do without trouble. 

These souls are essentially given a peaceful, comfortable death that much resembles life, for a reasonably even amount of time, before they are reincarnated back onto the mortal realm. Such folk might farm, craft, make art or music, build structures, or serve in some capacity at the Keep or in civics. 

There are in fact very many cities in the Fields, each with a very distinct feel rather evocative of where in the surface world it tends to get intake from. Hades and his ministers are chiefly concerned with making the stay of those in the Fields comfortable and nondisruptive. 

III: The Blesséd Isles

The Isles are the least-populous section of the Underworld, for the obvious reason that it is rather difficult to qualify to get there. Typically those that do have endured a lot of strife in their mortal lives, and in order for the soul to be duly rewarded for coming through such trials with good character, life in the Isles is, well, blesséd. It's about the only place in the Underworld to see regular sunshine, for one, and living is rather easy, at times also extravagant. No one there is required to do anything, though options are made available. 

Additionally, souls in the Isles are given the option whether or not to drink the waters of the Lethe, until the time comes for them to be reincarnated. This means many of them remember their previous lives and identities, and use those names. 

The administrator of the Isles is actually Hades's father, Kronos. Zeus decreed that Kronos's punishment should be a job in the Underworld, and Hades, in an effort to minimize the disruption that might arise from this, gave him the Isles position. Makaria at times acts as a greeter of sorts for the new souls assigned to this part of the Underworld, as part of her training as heir to the Underworld. 

IV: Tartarus

Tartarus is the most dangerous part of the Underworld. A massive, subterranean prison complex housing those souls who must be purged of evil, it is overseen by the Minister of Punishments, Alekto, and her sisters Tisiphone and Megaira, collectively the Erinyes, though there are others in their employ who specialize in punishment of various kinds. 

Generally speaking, the more punishment a soul requires, the deeper within Tartarus they are imprisoned. The very bottom levels, however, are reserved for the remaining Titans—beings sealed in the Underworld after the Titanomachy. 

Also imprisoned here is Prometheus, though notably he is not subject to any further punishment, and the Erinyes often accompany him out. 

V: Other Remarks

The essential function of the Underworld is to balance the ledger of souls, so to speak. Good deeds are rewarded and bad ones punished so that each enters its next life on equal status with all others, to accumulate new deeds, and be judged only by those. For those without much in need of rectification one way or another, it's a place of rest. 

And that's it for this month's mirror. I'm not totally sure what next month's will be, but it might be something on Olympus, or the family trees of some of the most prominent gods or something like that. I hope you enjoyed this stuff, and if you have some aspect of the world you're really curious about, feel free to drop a comment!