Talesia

Goddess of Suffering
Talesia is a mute demi-goddess, daughter of the fertility goddess Ismene and the human woman Aneu. Talesia is one of several demi-goddesses that can claim to be Ismene's offspring, though some do not consider her a true goddess because of the way she came to be and the limits she has that other gods and goddesses do not. Talesia is recognized as the goddess of suffering because of the way she lived and the way that her mortal life ended. Her ascension into the realm of Jasmine marked the beginning of her self-imposed repentance, and she watches over the suffering.

Though Talesia is the goddess of suffering she is also a sign of hope to those in pain and in need. Her inability to speak is echoed in the wordless suffering that humans endure, and in the silenced voices of the victims who were never given a chance to cry out.

Child of Gaia
Talesia did not grow up surrounded by the gods and godesses that she now resides among. Her beginnings were very humble. Her human mother, Aneu, gave birth to her in the slums of a backwater village where her only aid was her older brother Nithus. Nithus and Aneu were Travellers, known in cruder terms as gypsies. She and her small family did not have the comfort of the Traveller community for protection, since Aneu was an unmarried woman who gave birth to a strange looking child. Nithus was also unmarried, and soon after Talesia's birth the siblings were accused of incest and abandoned by their caravan. They were stranded in the village with no friends or family to go to for aid for the newborn child.

Reviled by the villagers who did not understand the nomadic people, Talesia felt the hatred and suspicion of both adults and children from a very young age. She was taught how to fend for herself as a poor and unwanted child. In a time before 'fair trials' and a proper justice system, Talesia was also quick to learn about the cruelty of humans. For stealing and eating an apple, she was forced to drink a spiced potion that burned her throat and took her voice. Nithus turned to drinking and gambling, and eventually got himself into so much trouble that he killed himself to avoid debt-collectors. Aneu was forced to give up their horses and their wagon to the collectors, and the pair were left homeless. They were taken in by an old seamstress, who regarded the pair as subhuman and forced them to work for her without pay. Talesia's inability to speak, was a source of ridicule, and knowing that she couln't cry out for help, the seamstress would beat her while Aneu worked.

When Talesia turned nine, Aneu died from illness brought on by fatigue. The seamstress sold Talesia to a brothel, where she was quickly put to work as a cook. Although laws prevented child prostitution, it went without saying that back-alley deals were often made. Talesia's muteness once again made her an easy target for violence, and as an illiterate orphan that was owned by the brothel, she had nowhere to go.

Upon reaching her teenage years, Talesia had grown bitter. Stuck in the brothel with no one to care for her and no one to treat her kindly, it had only been a matter of time before she snapped. One man hit her too hard on a bad night, and Talesia's inner power finally made its apearance. The man was killed instantly, and some people were struck blind by the intensity of the light emitting from Talesia's hands. As a result, the village council claimed that Talesia was a danger to all who encountered her and demanded her death.

Talesia did not run. Instead, she allowed her anger and hatred of the village that had used and broken her to overcome her better sense. She entered the village meeting hall, and with her uncontrolled powers, she massacred the entire village. The use of power was too much, and Talesia passed out from exhaustion. While unconscious, scouts from the next village captured and arrested her. Her punishment was to be tied to a stake in the village square and left to die under the unforgiving summer sun.

When Talesia woke to find herself bound to a wooden stake, she grew angry once more. The faces that stared at here were unfamiliar but the hatred and fear directed at her were the same. But Talesia's power would not come again. The longer she stayed tied to the stake, the more hopeless the demi-goddess became. Although her hatred of the villagers never waned, she grew to regret her mindless slaughter of the ignorant and foolish people. With little else to do but watch, Talesia saw the pain and sorrow of others. She realized that the suffering would never end, but life would continue, and as long as there was hope...there could be happiness. Talesia's fate had been taken from her own hands, but she could see that there were others who still had a chance if only they could realize it.

Talesia's mortal body withered and died after twenty days with minimal food and water, but her soul ascended and she was reunited with her goddess-mother Ismene. She began her repentance for the massacre of her home village by appearing to the village that had punished her. She did not forgive them, and she told them as much, but with what limited power she could muster she healed the ill and wounded people that had been left to die. It was then that she began to be worshipped by humans on Gaia for her empathy towards others and for showing strength in times of hardship.

Values
Talesia did not symbolize forgiveness, although she discouraged holding grudges. Some people are not meant to be forgiven and people who have harmed you must either prove themselves for forgiveness, or they should be forgotten. Talesia also stood against unfair punishment and is considered one of a few patron goddesses of Justice. Although mute, Talesia loved music and was a talented harp player. This was where the idea of playing music to ease pain came from. Some consider her to hold vengeance as a value but due to her repentance after her mortal death, revenge was stricken from the list. Because of her Traveller heritage, those who are crudely called 'gypsies' are able to claim her as their patron goddess who watches over their travels.

Appearances in Mythology and Modern Culture
Talesia is often depicted as a very pale woman with white hair, and her symbol is a white horse. In the fable The Blower's Daughter, the white horse who rescues the heroine symbolizes Talesia. In the myth of The Demon's Child and the Queen, Talesia appeared in human form to drag the queen into Grim's domain as punishment for her cruel and unusual laws. In some tales where humans are being judged after death, Talesia is present as a comforter of those who suffered in life.

In modern times, Talesia is the patron goddess of victims of abuse or violent crimes. Medallions with her name inscribed on them are given out at homes for battered women and hospitals. Talesia is not limited to victims of abuse, however, and her protection extends to include (but isn't limited to) people with long-term illnesses, people diagnosed with psychological problems such as depression, those who have lost close friends or family, and those who have been severly injured.

Talesia has been in multiple songs, one of the most popular being Talesia by Wide Eyes.

Talesia was a tempest cyclone, a  goddamned hurricane 

Your common sense, your best defense 

Lay wasted and in vain 

Talesia knows your every woe, a nd pain you've ever had 

She'll sympathize,  dry your eyes, a  nd help you to forget...