C-BAD04 (May 17, 2020)
Puzzle
“Chaos, Gaia…”
Research | 1 Word
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: Who are they?
Clue 2: Who comes after, per Hesiod?
Clue 3: It's also a place in the Underworld.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Tartarus
Explanation: According to Hesiod, there are four that generated at the same time after invoking the Muses: Chaos, Gaia, Tartarus and Eros, making them the primordial gods.
Summary of Receipt
Summary
Transcript
DATE: 5-17-2020
EMPLOYEE NO. 35
FILE REFERENCE: C-BAD04
TOTAL: $2.90
After what felt like weeks of walking, we finally managed to find our way out of the darkness… and, well, it’s not “great.” I think Nyx has thrown us into the pits of Tartarus. It’s a macabre graveyard of strange, contorted pieces of slain Titans and what seem to be manifestations of the Gods’ own regrets. Apparently endless skies loom overhead and are filled with the relentless sound of thunder—yet no lightning strikes. The ground beneath us is cracked and dry—not a drop of water to be seen. And in the darkest corners of Tartarus, the shadows seem to congregate with Hades’ own fears of eternal isolation and loneliness.
Which is to say, it sucks here. We’ve discovered that the wails we were hearing earlier are not just the lamentations of tormented souls but also the echoed regrets of the Olympian Gods themselves. Sordid tales of wrath which was pushed too far, love unrequited, and the eternal and endless pursuit of power at any great cost. What we couldn’t see amidst the darkness were the physical manifestations of their fears. Thrones crumbling to dust, oceans bubbling into acrid poisons, and an ever-expanding realm devoid of all life.
Thankfully, it seems like Tartarus is currently only forcing the Gods trapped here to face their deepest-held fears and regrets. I’m sure with time, the nightmares will shift to better suit us—but I’d like to leave before then. Of course, it doesn’t bode all too well if the Gods themselves haven’t been able to escape, but maybe we have some sort of mortal luck they don’t. In any case, our best bet now might be to search for the forsaken Gods trapped down here. We could use all the help we can get, after all.