The Callapheia
The Callapheia is an epic story from the plane of Theros that recounts the adventures of Callaphe the Mariner after the Akroan War.
Callaphe was a human trickster from Meletis who sailed a ship called The Monsoon and was said to be the first mortal to decipher the secret patterns of the winds. In the tale, Callaphe sneaks into Mount Velus to steal Purphoros's tears, writes down the secrets of Phenax, and races Thassa over the waterfall edge of the world and sails into Nyx to claim her place among the stars. Her adventures are a mythic tour of the Dakra Isles and the coastlands of Theros, describing a panoply of creatures, nations, and marvelous phenomena — some of which still exist as described in its verses, though others are lost to history or myth. In one portion of the epic, the crew of The Monsoon are driven by a storm to the island of Ketaphos, which exists in Nyx during the night and in the mortal realm during the day. Callaphe and the crew are welcomed and fed by a band of Nyxborn centaurs, then find themselves stranded on a barren rock when the the island returns to the mortal realm at dawn. The work is also noted to include multiple heroic minotaurs.[1]
Some of these verses are related through flavor text on cards in the Theros Beyond Death expansion set.
Excerpts
| Excerpt | Card Source |
|---|---|
| Truly, what mortal's poor striving can weather the scheming of heaven?
Heliod reaches for rulership; Purphoros never accepts him. Kruphix but watches, and mortals are left to the whims of the fates, or Torn in the claws of the furies; only a hero denies them.[1] |
|
| Storms drove them westward to Kethaphos, white plains shimmered in starlight. Centaurs greeted them, offering gold-hued apples and grain-cakes. | Nyxborn Courser |
| One-eyed and frightful, the cyclops lifted a boulder and hurled it seaward from cliff's edge, shattering masts and scattering sailors. | Nyxborn Brute |
| Storm-tossed and broken, Callaphe cried out to deep-dwelling Thassa. Tritons came swiftly to save her, bringing her north to the Lindus. | Nyxborn Seaguard |
| Callaphe guided them into darkness of Hetos, the bleak mire; Blood-horned minotaurs circled them, axes aglimmer in shadow. | Nyxborn Marauder |
| Tree-tall giants confronted her, fiercely demanding her tribute; Fox-cunning Callaphe's slippery speaking entangled their senses. | Nyxborn Colossus |
| Callaphe gazed on the coastline, certain her destiny called her here, where the mist-shrouded rocks sang, promising glories undreamed of. | Unknown Shores (Theros Beyond Death) |
Trivia
The Callapheia shares a similar name and structure to the epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer near the end of the 8th century BC.
References
- ↑ a b Wizards RPG Team (2020), D&D Mythic Odysseys of Theros, Wizards of the Coast
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