Harpies
Winged Servants of the Greek Gods
Harpies were monstrous winged creatures of the Greek world, part woman and part bird or bat, that hunted in flocks across Greece and the Underworld. They served the God of War Ares and were the beasts that first carried the Blades of Chaos to Kratos.
Harpies were a common breed of monster in the Greek world, beasts with the heads of hideous, deformed women set upon the bodies of bats or birds. They haunted the open country of Greece and the depths of the Underworld alike, and they crossed the path of Kratos again and again across his long war against the Gods. They were counted among the servants of Ares, and it was a pair of Harpies that first carried the Blades of Chaos to the Spartan.
Nature and habits#
Harpies were monsters with the heads of hideous, deformed women and the bodies of either bats or birds. They almost always appeared in large groups, for a single Harpy was a feeble thing, but a flock could easily overpower even a strong warrior. They attacked by biting and slashing with their fangs and talons, and they would settle upon a victim's shoulders to tear at the face. They ranged across Greece, from villages and temples to the deserts, and they swarmed thickest in the Underworld, where flocks darkened the skies above the realms of the dead.
Servants of Ares#
The Harpies were infamous as the servants of Ares, the God of War, who commanded vast legions of monsters as the backbone of his army. When Kratos, near death on the battlefield against the Barbarians, pledged himself to Ares in exchange for the strength to win, a pair of Harpies flew down onto the scene of the carnage and bestowed upon him the Blades of Chaos as the sign of his servitude. From that day the blades were seared to his arms.
In the years that followed, the Harpies continued to serve their master against the very Spartan they had armed. They spotted Kratos within Pandora's Temple and alerted Ares to his progress, and after Ares struck Kratos down with a pillar hurled from the ruins of Athens, it was the Harpies who seized Pandora's Box and carried it back to their master. Beyond Ares, the Harpies served the wider host of the Gods, defending Olympus itself in the final days of the Greek world.
Varieties#
Many breeds of Harpy plagued the Greek world. The Harpy Queen was far larger than her lesser kin, and a warrior could grapple onto one and ride it across gaps too wide to leap, before tearing it apart. The Fire Harpy and the flaming Hades Harpy of the Underworld set themselves alight to deliver diving attacks. The Cursed Harpy, gray and leathery, prowled the depths of Tartarus and the Temple of Persephone, while the Harpy Widow, its body formed entirely of ice, dwelt upon the Mounts of Aroania and could freeze a foe with its breath. The young of the species, small swooping creatures called Harplings, gathered in flocks of their own.
Frequently asked questions
- What were Harpies in God of War?
- Harpies were common winged monsters of the Greek world, with the heads of hideous, deformed women and the bodies of bats or birds. They attacked in large flocks, biting and slashing with their fangs and talons. Individually weak, they could overwhelm a single warrior through sheer numbers.
- What was the Harpies' connection to the Blades of Chaos?
- It was a pair of Harpies that brought Kratos the Blades of Chaos. After Ares answered Kratos' desperate plea on the battlefield against the Barbarians, the Harpies flew onto the scene of the slaughter and bestowed the cursed blades upon him as a mark of his servitude to the God of War.
- Whom did the Harpies serve?
- The Harpies served Ares, the God of War, who could command vast legions of monsters. They acted as his scouts and messengers, spotting Kratos within Pandora's Temple and alerting their master, and later retrieving Pandora's Box for him after he struck Kratos down. They were also seen serving the Greek Gods in defense of Olympus.
- What kinds of Harpies were there?
- Beyond the common Harpy there were many variants, including the larger Harpy Queen, the flaming Fire Harpy and Hades Harpy of the Underworld, the dark Cursed Harpy, the ice-bodied Harpy Widow of the Mounts of Aroania, and the smaller young Harplings.
Sources
- WikiHarpies — God of War Wiki entry
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Harpy
The Harpies were winged monsters with the heads of hideous women and the bodies of bats or birds, found in flocks throughout the Greek world. Servants of Ares, it was they who first carried the Blades of Chaos to Kratos, and they appeared in many forms across the lands of the living and the Underworld.
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