Database and Lore

Ocypete (NSFW)

Harpies are the pinnacle of Greek Mythology. Among one of the many known harpies is that of Ocypete, but who is she and what did she do? Ocypete is one of six harpies born from the god Thaumas and the goddess Electra. Her sisters include Celaeno, Aello, Podargo, Iris, and Arke. Harpies are generally regarded as winged women that are capable of acts of cruelty and violence. There is a variety of different stories of these creatures. Some described them as ugly women that would carry people off and, in some cases, even rape people. In other stories, they were regarded as wind spirits that could carry off evil people to be punished. The story with Ocypete varies from story to story. Some say that she was one of three sisters. This would refer to Aello the Storm Swift, Ocypete the Swift Wind, and Celaeno the Dark One. The father could have been the god Pontus with the mother being Gaea. Some say that Poseidon could have been the father instead. Regardless, the harpy was shown to exist in literature. Famous stories such as the Aeneid depicted harpies that would have their animals stolen by the Trojans. Eventually, Celaeno, curses the men and the harpies would go and swoop in later on to steal the food of the Trojans in turn. The actions would force the Trojans to abandon the island of Strophades to leave the harpies alone. Other stories of the harpies are depicted in famous artwork throughout time. Some are even referred to in tales such as the Argonauts. Another story that highlights Ocypete herself is that of the Swiftest Harpy. Another story depicts Ocypete as a lineage of three harpies that would steal food from the King named Phineas. Angered, the god Boreas would fly to chase away Aello, Ocypete, and Celaeno. Ocypete, however, was the fastest flyer of the three sisters. She would fly until she fell exhausted. She landed on a pair of two small islands. There she looked up and begged the gods to be spared. The island would be named Strophades after her. In Tales of Heroes, the harpies very much exist but have been almost wiped out completely. The story of Ocypete has been a life of profound loneliness. She would settle back to the island of her birth and begged the gods to be spared. She would live a life of exile and isolation for hundreds of years at a time. Eventually, she was forgotten by the gods themselves and lived alone. When Cataclysm arrived, the harpies, much like the rest of the avian mythics, would be utterly wiped out. It was believed that the harpies were extinct after Cataclysm was destroyed. That wasn’t the case for Ocypete. There was one last Greek harpy on Earth that was still alive. She was still living on an island, taking care of herself. Like anything, Ocypete does encounter a random human now and then. She would perch on the rocks and watch the seas for hours. She watched the ships that would occasionally sail by. One of the vessels, however, would get caught in a storm. All but one of the sailors would be dead as the ship sank, but Ocypete would swoop down and rescue one of the men and pull him to shore. Ocypete is avian in nature. Her owl-like features make her somewhat more distinguishable from the other harpies that all have different looks and features. Onshore, the man’s eyes would befall the harpy and know that they exist. On the one hand, he wishes to flee, but there is nowhere to run. On the other hand, Ocypete does not want to bring harm to the man, and he is well aware of this in turn. The man is grateful for being saved. The harpy would take care of him by hunting food for him. The man, at times, wishes to return to his home, but there is nothing that can be done. He learns from Ocypete that she is alone and does not want it. She does not wish for him to leave. She cannot force him, but he owes his life to her. Days would go by living with her. Eventually, it would become months to half a year. Each day, the harpy appeared to be more and more beautiful to him. Finally, he gives in and confesses his feelings towards her. Like a stranded couple, the two celebrate their union together on a remote island. The man would live with Ocypete for the rest of his natural life. After his passing, she would be alone again. A part of her wants to leave the island but fears that she will be hunted down by the gods that no longer exist. Eventually, all of that would change when a pilot of WW2 would be shot down near the island. The harpy that continues to live for thousands of years would do the same thing as she did before. He would rescue the pilot and pull him ashore. Perhaps the cycle will be broken, and Ocypete will finally get the recognition that she deserves.