An analysis of myths related to Nikador, expounding on the background and reasons why the common folk made up tales of love for the Strife Titan.
Analysis of Nikador's Romantic Histories
The Chrysalis of Gold bestowed upon humanity the heart to pursue love, allowing us to passionately listen to those romantic tribulations of the Titans. Among the Titans, Nikador, scorned as the savage god, is highly favored among poets and dramatists. This piece focuses on the brief analysis of the many love stories circulating among folklore — it dissects the complex emotions that humans have on this Titan and Castrum Kremnos.
Nikador and Bepsis It is said that Bepsis was born in Mnestia's temple, and personally blessed by the Chrysalis of Gold, giving her golden hair and eyes. Even her nursemaid, who carried her, almost swooned at her sheer beauty. Bepsis's beauty only became even more outstanding as she matured. To stem her endless stream of suitors, Bepsis's tyrant father declared that only those who dueled his three sons and emerged victorious would win her hand. Her three armor-clad brothers were unmatched in the arena — those who came forth to court her were either beaten to a pulp or fled before they even unsheathed their blades.
Bepsis's beauty also attracted Nikador's attention. They transformed into a young man and boldly issued a challenge to her brothers. The trio, unwitting to the truth, were defeated thoroughly, and had no choice but to betroth her to Nikador. The man arranged for Bepsis to meet at the edge of the highest peak outside the city on the night of the third day, where he would take away his lover. When that night came, Bepsis came to the appointed spot, but only saw a towering giant. Thinking her lover had been slain and fearing her purity ruined by this giant, she leaped off the cliff in a fit of sorrow, thus ending this love that had not even begun.
Note: Unlike the myths, Bepsis's father and three brothers met their deaths in battle against Castrum Kremnos in real life. Bepsis, refusing to be humiliated after her city was conquered, chose to take her own life in the end. Nikador triumphing over her brothers, revealing their terrifying visage, and forcing the maiden to end her own life are indubitably metaphors in this tale.
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Courting Talanton While the origin of this story is impossible to verify, it gained popularity from a play called The Weight of Soil in the holy city of Okhema during the Chrysos War. The Scale of Justice, Talanton, was revered by Nikador for their power, and Georios was smitten by them for their fairness. Talanton bade the two suitors seek out the treasure that best represented their love, and in return, would reciprocate the worth in kind.
The foolish Nikador sought advice from their bosom friend, asking what was equivalent to the love of the Law Titan? Thanatos of the River of Souls told them that only death, which takes away all things fairly, would be truly fair.
The composed Georios sought advice from Mnestia and Cerces in the forest: How should they respond to Talanton's riddle? Mnestia instigated Georios to give up their own Coreflame, though that would mean the earth would never blossom with vibrant life ever again. Cerces persuaded them to follow their heart, to seek out their most precious treasure.
And so, Nikador hurled their lance, presenting an obliterated city to Talanton as a gift. Talanton placed their own Coreflame on one side of the scale — if the corpses in the city could balance it out, Nikador would have won their love. Alas, the scale did not budge.
Georios placed a handful of wheat offered by the humans on the scale. This seemingly shoddy gift pressed the scale down, becoming even heavier than the Coreflame on the Scale of Justice, for it bore with it history and humanity's lives, existence, and future. Finally, because Talanton could not offer more love than this, they were forced to decline Georios's pursuit. However, later poets would often jest that the Scale of Justice prohibited the love in their heart from moving Amphoreus's balance, and that this was just an excuse.
Note: In this story, the portrayal of the foolish, brutal Nikador clearly vilifies the Titans. The educational and political undertones contained within also indirectly portray war's influence on Okhema's theatrical creativity. Rather than saying people enjoyed making up Nikador's romantic history, one could as well say that they reveled in seeing the failures of the Titan in love. In a certain sense, this reflects the discrimination and animosity the various city-states held for Castrum Kremnos during the Chrysos War.