The Furies: The Hounds of Justice
The Daughters of Blood
The Olympian gods (Zeus, Apollo, Athena) represent celestial order and civilization. The Furies (Erinyes) represent something older and uglier: Retribution. Born from the blood of Uranus when he was castrated by Cronus, they are chthonic entities that predate the current pantheon. They embody the physical law that violence against blood-kin must be repaid. They are described as winged women with skin like coal, eyes that weep blood, and hair entwined with vipers. They carry brass-studded scourges to flay the guilty.
The Triad
The collective is comprised of three distinct avatars:
- Alecto (The Unceasing): Pursues crimes of moral outrage, specifically anger.
- Megaera (The Grudging): Punishes infidelity, oath-breaking, and theft.
- Tisiphone (The Avenger): The most violent of the three, specifically tasked with punishing patricide and matricide.
The Hunt Protocol
The Furies function as supernatural bounty hunters. When a "Crime of Blood" occurs (specifically the murder of a parent), they awaken. They track the perpetrator by the scent of the spilled blood. Crucially, they are often invisible to bystanders. Only the victim sees them. This manifests as madness (mania). The victim is hounded by screeching voices, visions of snakes, and physical torment until they die of exhaustion or suicide.
The Eumenides
To speak their name is to risk summoning them. The ancient Greeks referred to them euphemistically as the Eumenides ("The Kindly Ones") to avoid drawing their attention. This represents a culture of fear. Justice is not blind. It is predatory. Athena famously integrated them into the judicial system of Athens, transforming them from spirits of pure vengeance into guardians of the law, but their nature remains feral.
The Final Warning
Justice is a mechanism, but vengeance is a hunger. There is no statute of limitations on blood crimes, and no border they cannot cross. You can run to the temples or hide in the crowds, but the Furies have your scent. If you hear the wet snap of leathery wings above you, do not bother looking for an exit, and stop running.
