The Story of Kalyteros

The Story of Kalyteros

A bedtime story describing the kingdom’s formation in 1960

               No one knows why Vasilias, King of the Gods, would want to invade Earth after thousands of years of separation between the gods and humans, but in 1920, that’s exactly what he did.

               He and his three daughters—Thyia, Nerine, and Tana—left the heavens to invade the land known as Soviet Russia. It is there Vasilias declared the formation of his new kingdom, Neos Ouranos.

               Those who put up little fight during the takeover were granted a small nugget of the god’s power as a show of good faith. Vasilias hoped this would make his subjects feel indebted to him.

               Unfortunately, the power given was too great for the simple humans and many of them died because of it. It was only the young who seemed to flourish, their resilience making them adaptable to the gift now flowing through their veins.

               This revelation excited Vasilias. It meant he now had a people he could mold into whatever he desired. Their lack of experience meant they wouldn’t try to tell him how to run things. He might finally have his perfect kingdom.

               And for a time, he did.

               But, as is human nature, the people of Neos Ouranos grew older and started to question why Vasilias should be king if they all had power. They were too young during the gifting ceremony to appreciate what they’d been given. Instead, they sought more.

               That desire only grew stronger as years passed.

               Eventually, a group of men decided they would take matters into their own hands. They truly believed they could wrest control from Vasilias and rule in his stead. Their mistake was forgetting that Vasilias was a god.

               The result of their uprising was devastating.

               Vasilias’s daughters watched in horror as their people were either slaughtered or thrown in cages. They begged for their father to let the survivors go, but Vasilias wouldn’t listen. He deemed them all traitors and declared they would spend the rest of their lives imprisoned.

               Thyia, Nerine, and Tana—now lovingly referred to as The Sisters—decided they needed to stop their father. Being powerful goddesses themselves, they were the only ones who could. They each wielded one aspect of their father’s power—storms, water, and fire—and planned to use that to their advantage.

               It was on the fortieth anniversary of the formation of Neos Ouranos that The Sisters saved their people—our ancestors.  

               That night, Thyia met with her father in his garden to talk over cups of tea like they did every night. But this tea wasn’t the herbal one they typically shared. Instead, it was laced with Titanium and Vanadium sourced from a nearby coal mine. Ancient lore stated the combination of the two minerals in a god would leave them temporarily powerless.

               Thyia distracted her father with conversation in the hopes he wouldn’t notice that her cup remained untouched. She was so worried he’d figure out what they were planning. It wasn’t until he took his first sip that she finally relaxed.

               Vasilias knew what happened as soon as he finished the cup. He could feel the power draining from his body like water washing over him. The stunned King of the Gods couldn’t believe his own daughter would betray him in such a way. In a fit of rage, he jumped up, knocking his chair over behind him, and grabbed Thyia by the throat, slamming her against the massive oak tree that was the centerpiece of his garden. He had every intention of killing her.

               Thyia struck her father with her lightning until he dropped her, then ran away as fast as she could. She didn’t know if she killed him, but she wasn’t going to stick around to find out.

               When she found her sisters, relief flooded her chest when she saw her people standing before her, no longer caged.

               Their plan had worked. Their people were free.

               That night, The Sisters fled with our ancestors to the land known as The United States of America. If their father was still alive, they hoped he wouldn’t think to look there, since the country wasn’t highly spoken of in any Russian texts.

               The Sisters then formed the kingdom we now call Kalyteros and split it into three provinces—Zoin, Nero, and Fotia. They hoped the separation would allow each province to adapt and evolve as needed, strengthening them in turn.

               It is because of The Sisters’ care and dedication to our people that Kalyteros remains a kingdom of love and communion despite their disappearance years ago. We can only hope that we continue to make them proud as our gifts evolve with each new generation. May they always bless us, wherever they may be.