History Literature / VirtuousSonsAGrecoRomanXianxia

''Virtuous Sons: A Greco-Roman Xianxia'' is an original work by Ya Boy Striker (also known as Y.B Striker on Amazon and [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/members/ya-boy.286507/ Ya boy]]), and it is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin (well, almost). The most current updates can be found at [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/virtuous-sons-greco-roman-xianxia.925544/ Spacebattles]] and [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/41330/virtuous-sons-a-greco-roman-xianxia Royal Road]] but the earlier chapters have been pulled for the Kindle release of the first two books.

** Solus and Griffon learn how to manipulate their shadows during their run-ins with the covert agents of the Tyrant Elders. They can be "worn" as a full-body disguise, obscuring not just appearance but also the wearer's concept of self identity, or used to pass messages. The latter allows for a convenient method of private communication, [[spoiler:right up until they learn Anastasia can listen in]].

* SharedSignatureMove: The hereditary special technique of the Aetos family is the ''hunting bird's breath'', a series of pneumatic chambers carved out of one's bones that allow cultivators to store extra breath for moments of extremity. Curiously, it was not taught to the younger generation until Myron learned it from his cousin Niko.

* CurbStompBattle: During his preparation for the Olympic Games, Griffon challenges Alazon, one of Olympia's local Young Aristocrats, to a ''pankration'' match. Despite Alazon's advanced cultivation and superior speed, Griffon definitively crushes him.
* DeathOfTheOldGods: In the world of fantasy Greece and Rome, the gods had died, and cultivators use their corpses as a source of truly incredible mystery faith to enact their will upon the world.

** As his namesake, Griffon is associated with lions and eagles, (Lio means lion, Aetos means eagle).

* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: The men and women with the most power, aka cultivation, are normally the ones that call the shots on the wider world. In Greece, the fourth stage is literally called Tyrant because of that, and it runs off of Ethos, manifest authority and kingship. The price to become a tyrant is steep, too, as it involves sacrificing your heart(literally). All tyrants are former captains of the heroic realm, and even a fresh hero is capable of absurd feats, like leaping over a city and killing unkillable monsters.

* BaitAndSwitch: The reader would be forgiven for assuming that Olympia and its Raging Heaven would be built on the legacy of [[spoiler:Zeus, a.k.a. '''the Father''']]. In truth, [[spoiler:it turns out the Olympian husk buried beneath the Kyrios's living quarters belongs to '''the Mother'''. Given Hera's temper, at times justified, and the bad blood between her and Zeus's by-blows, like Heracles and Dionysus/Bakkhos, [[FridgeBrilliance this makes considerable sense.]]]]

* BenevolentPrecursors: As per Myth/ClassicalMythology, [[spoiler:Prometheus taught humanity various civilized arts in addition to stealing fire from the gods. Upon encountering the bound Titan at the heart of the Storm That Never Ceases, he balances Griffon's and Sol's humors. When Griffon asks why the Thief of Flame would help them, he responds thusly--]]

* BossSubtitles: [[spoiler:While he has the King's Curse drawn, Griffon can read significant developments in other's cultivation; e.g., Scythas returning to the field with stone Urania in his shadow and a sickle in hand becomes '''Scythas Reaps the Whirlwind'''; meanwhile, Jason leaping into the sea that brings him such dread in order to rescue his comrades becomes '''Jason Goes Down with the Ship'''.]]

* CoolOldGuy:

* CurbStompBattle:

* EnemyWithin: A Heart Demon is an obsession, trauma, or negative sentiment hindering a cultivator's progress in their Enlightenment Superpowers. If a Heart Demon becomes severe enough, it can take on a life of its own and drive the cultivator mad. [[spoiler: We see examples of such a thing in the Butcher of the Burning Dusk cult, an eighth-level Hero, in Scythas, and Sol himself. In all of the examples, the heart demons within have tried to kill the person hosting it, which given that heart demons are a consequence of guilt, PTSD, and negative emotions, should come as no surprise to anyone.]]

* PersonOfMassDestruction: While martially inclined Heroes are [[OneManArmy armies unto themselves]], Tyrants are an order beyond. This is demonstrated during the aftermath of [[spoiler: Polyzalus understandably losing his temper after his wife's death. He and the other seven Tyrants Bakkhos had dragged to Olympia turn all their might and skill against each other. Thousands of people die, mortals and cultivators alike, as the city is torn apart.]]

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: As the Fifth Legion pressed further into western Europe, they started recruiting locally to replenish the ranks. Somewhat downplayed, as the Celtic recruits were considered and treated as Roman.

* TheScottishTrope: It is a rare Greek who is willing to call Alexander by name; he is instead referred to as "the Conqueror."

* BossSubtitles: [[spoiler:While he has the King's Curse drawn, Griffon can read significant developments in other's cultivation; e.g., Scythas returning to the field with stone Urania in his shadow and a scythe for a weapon becomes '''Scythas Reaps the Whirlwind'''; meanwhile, Jason leaping into the sea that brings him such dread in order to rescue his comrades becomes '''Jason Goes Down with the Ship'''.]]

** Griffon and Sol witness multiple cycles of history during their visit to the Orphic House, potentially from the viewpoint of [[spoiler: Bakkhos, the Tyrant Riot]]. The world is seemingly worn thinner with each cycle.

* JerkassGods: [[spoiler: The Muses, one of the few remnants of the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Olympic pantheon]] seem to manipulate the Greek Heroes under their care. Complicating matters, they might not even be a united front; Scythas personally encounters two different iterations of his own Muse, Urania, and despite sharing a name and face, they act ''very'' differently.]]

* UnknownRelative: Hoo-boy. From the story's beginning, Griffon's identity as the son of the Rosy Dawn's kyrios Damon Aetos is a public fact, but [[MissingMom no mention is made of his mother]]. [[spoiler:She turns out to be the Scarlet Oracle emerita, Calliope, wife to Polyzalus of the Burning Dusk and mother to the current Scarlet Oracle, Selene]].

** In Stavros's flashback the Aetos brothers fought ''drakaina'', a tremendous SeaSerpent with human female features.

* BigDamnHeroes: During the climax of the Olympia arc, [[spoiler:who should sail in to pick up Griffon, Selene, and Sol but the motley crew of freedmen they twice earlier told to take the ''Eos'' and go. Not an ounce of cultivation among them, and they voluntarily chose to sail back toward a city recently redecorated by seven walking natural disasters on the off-chance their patrons needed a lift.]]

* BigDamnHeroes: During the climax of the Olympia arc, [[spoiler:who should sail in to pick up Griffon, Selene, and Sol but the motley crew of freedmen they twice earlier told to take the ''Eos'' and go.]]

** ''The world is iron now.''

Lightning flashed overhead and the Titan Flame grit his gold-stained teeth in pained frustration.\\

* TheBlank: For some reason or another, every depiction of the gods in the Free Mediterranean has a blank face and no one can remember their names. When Lio and Sol visit a temple in Olympia its clear from the description they're looking at the famous Statue of Zeus in Olympia, with smooth ivory where his face should be.

* TheClan: The Aetos family, currently led by Damon Aetos, serves as the central fixture of both the Rosy Dawn and the city of Alikos.

** [[spoiler: The sunkissed blessing can come from the sun god itself, or from a parent, and Griffon was never kissed upon the brow by the sun god's corpse.however he was still blessed by the sun god when the corpse laid its hand on Griffon's face as an infant.]]

* ArcWords: ''The world is iron now.''

** The Greeks focus on personal refinement and expansion of influence, from Citizen to Tyrant.

** Solus and Griffon learn how to manipulate their shadows during their run-ins with the covert agents of the Tyrant Elders. It allows for a convenient method of private communication, [[spoiler:right up until they learn Anastasia can listen in]].

* BossSubtitles: [[spoiler:While he has the King's Curse drawn, Griffon can read significant developments in other's cultivation; e.g., Scythas returning to the field with stone Urania in his shadow and a scythe for a weapon becomes '''Scythas Reaps the Whirlwind'''; meanwhile, Jason, leaping into the sea that brings him such dread in order to rescue his comrades becomes '''Jason Goes Down with the Ship'''.]]

* GiantWoman: [[spoiler:The Amazons of the Blind Maiden cult pride themselves on being bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone, especially men. Their Tyrant is at a gigantic height of 12 feet tall.]] While every Greek cultivator after the Heroic realm and the Tyrant realm has grown far bigger than any mortal man can ever be.

* DePower: In Stavros's flashback, [[spoiler:Aristotle voluntarily breaks his own cultivation when confronted with evidence that his views were mistaken. Out of the ten truths he used as foundation for the monument of his soul, he only keeps one: "There is nothing in this world that cannot be understood."]]

* SharedSignatureMove: The hereditary special technique of the Aetos family is the ''hunting bird's breath'', a series of pneumatic chambers carved out of one's bones that allow cultivators to store extra breath for moments of extremity. Curiously, it was not taught to the younger generation until Myron learned it from his cousin Niko .

* AmazonBrigade: Most mystery cults have a mix of male and female ''mystikos''. The Blind Maiden cult, in contrast, is composed entirely of women.

** During the climax of the Olympia story arc, Socrates manages to slow [[spoiler:Polyzalus]] by asking what, precisely, killing [[spoiler:Sol and Griffon]] would accomplish when it violates his own ''ethos''. The man responds, from a place of grief and fury, "[[ArmorPiercingResponse I don't care]]."

** The ''Eos'' was crafted by the combined efforts of the four Aetos brothers and serves as a worthy vessel for a cultivator. Each plank and beam was inscribed with [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers truths]] to keep her sound. Griffon steals it during his and Sol's escape.

* TheScottishTrope: It is rare to find a Greek willing to mention Alexander by name; he is instead referred to as "the Conqueror."
* {{Seers}}: Somewhat averted, while there are several oracles in this world - seers of the gods and prophecy givers. [[spoiler: None are seers because the gods have died. So they can't tell their oracles prophecies anymore. The oracles are still the most divine existence on the planet other than the Muses, though.]]

* BashBrothers: Sol and Griffon are definitely that.

[[InAWorld In the twilight of the eighth Olympic Century, the Free Mediterranean is largely at peace]]. Mortals toil and strive while the ''mystikos'', initiates of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman_mysteries mystery cults]] seek [[SpiritCultivationGenre enlightenment and progression]] through the pursuit of virtue, preformative excellence. At the pinnacle of these sects stand the Tyrants, men and women of intense personal refinement and immense influence.

[[InAWorld In the twilight of the eighth Olympic Century, the Free Mediterranean is largely at peace]]. Mortals toil and strive while the ''mystikos'', initiates of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman_mysteries mystery cults]] seek [[SpiritCultivationGenre enlightenment and progression]] through the pursuit of virtue, performative excellence. At the pinnacle of these sects stand the Tyrants, men and women of intense personal refinement and immense influence.

He has also released the first book of Virtuous Sons on [[https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Y-B-Striker-ebook/dp/B0BGRLYB1R/ Amazon]] as an ebook and paperback on October 6, 2022 followed by a hardcover and audiobook release later that month.

He has also released the second book of the series [[https://www.amazon.com/Tyrant-Riot-Greco-Roman-Cultivation-Virtuous-ebook/dp/B0BH1CFVHR amazon]] as an e book currently ( with audiobook and paperback + hardcover to be released later) on April 6 2023.

** [[spoiler: The sunkissed blessing can come from the sun god itself, or from a parent, and Griffon was never kissed upon the brow by the sun god's corpse.however he was still blessed by the sun god when the corpse laid its hand on griffon's face as an infant.]]

** [[spoiler: In the Egyptian cultivation system we see the ''shut'' which is the shadow of the cultivator move, talk and more.]]

** [[spoiler: The sunkissed blessing can come from the sun god itself, or from a parent, and Griffon was never kissed upon the brow by the sun god's corpse.]]

** spoiler:[[Griffon knows that Selene is not the Scarlet Oracle when he first sees her.]]
** spoiler:[[Griffon can withstand the full majesty of not just one but three Oracles as a Philosopher.]]

* BossSubtitles: [[spoiler:While he has the King's Curse drawn, Griffon can read significant developments in other's cultivation; e.g., Scythas returning to the field with stone Urania in his shadow and a pewter scythe for a weapon becomes '''Scythas Reaps the Whirlwind'''; meanwhile, Jason, leaping into the sea that brings him such dread in order to rescue his comrades becomes '''Jason Goes Down with the Ship'''.]]