Chapter 22: Euryale - The Book of Many Things

Chapter 22: Euryale. Though many cards in the Deck of Many Things depict individuals, only one card bears a proper name: Euryale, a baneful card with a medusa-like visage. Many sages have pondered who this individual is and why she appears in the deck, speculating that perhaps Euryale is a fearsome demigod or the wielder of a destructive curse. But the truth is simple: the Deck of Many Things was created through the actions of the person who held Euryale most dear. Long ago, the zealous ruler of a small coastal kingdom had a daughter he named Asteria, or "shining star" in the language of the kingdom, for the stars shone auspiciously on her birth. But Asteria defied his expectations. While other nobles' children happily played with their bevy of toys, Asteria intently focused on cataloging every constellation she could find. When other children greeted their parents with high heads and laughter, Asteria smiled firmly at the ground. Over time, Asteria's father grew discontented with his daughter, frustrated by his many failed attempts to mold Asteria into a person who matched the ideas in his head. The princess grew up isolated and independent, resenting the unending pressure others placed on her to be someone other than herself. One afternoon, as Asteria swam alone as a reprieve from her peers, a rip current swallowed her. Waves battered her against the rocks, then carried her unconscious body far from the kingdom's shore to a secret grotto in which the reclusive medusa Euryale lived alone. Despite Euryale's anxiety (she was painfully aware that even kind folk feared her petrifying gaze), she tended to Asteria's wounds. When Asteria awoke, the young woman didn't panic. Instead, the pair chatted throughout the night, talking of the stars, the sea, and everything else they had longed to share with someone for so long. Asteria stayed until her wounds were healed. But rather than return to a father who was always disappointed in her, she decided to let her father assu...