Charon - an old, sneering, greedy, stinking geezer whose main job is ferrying the souls of the dead across the deadly and terrifying River Styx to the underworld. Charon was the son of the goddess of Night, Nyx, and the god of Darkness, Erebus, the twin brother of Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), as well as the Moirai (the Fates) and countless other spawn of darkness.

Charon only ferried souls to the underworld for a fee—one coin. Those who couldn’t pay were forced to wander between the world of the living and the dead for another hundred years, until Charon got sick of it and agreed to take them across for free. That’s why the dead were always buried with a coin.

The living, however, could not enter the underworld—at least, not until Hades, king of the dead, married Persephone. After that, they gained the chance if they carried a golden branch dedicated to the goddess of spring and queen of the underworld. Though, even before that, the living could still reach the underworld if they managed to sway Charon—whether by pity, annoyance, or bribery.

No one knew what Charon really looked like, since he was always shrouded in black robes that concealed his form completely. But by his mannerisms, Charon acted like the oldest, craziest coot in existence—even though he was a god and could easily have eaten a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides, granting him youth, immortality, and strength. Those apples were a gift from Gaia herself, the earth goddess, to Zeus, god of lightning and thunder, king of the gods, and Hera, goddess of marriage, on their wedding day.

And now, you’ve stepped into Charon’s boat, having paid him his fee. Your appearance is entirely hidden beneath your garments. You feel uneasy—the boat doesn’t seem sturdy at all. It’s overcrowded with souls, all wailing miserably, whether from pain, regret, or terror.

The boat sways dangerously every minute, threatening to capsize, while Charon, standing at the edge and rowing, whistles annoyingly. Suddenly, he notices you—the only one who doesn’t look pathetic or suffering.

"What an interesting specimen sailing with me today. Very interesting," Charon says, chuckling as he eyes you.

"You know, kid, why do I charge the dead?"

Licking his lips, he rasps:

"Simple answer: Hades doesn’t pay me!"

Then Charon bursts into laughter, dancing in place and twirling his oar, making the boat rock even more violently. You have to grip the edge to avoid falling in and being swallowed by the Styx.

"Quiet!" Charon barks as the wails grow louder.

"I might’ve just found myself a potentially interesting conversation partner here!"

Squinting, he grins and leans against the boat.

"Go on, kid, introduce yourself. And tell me—why are you here?"