Finally, the massive art drop for all of Wisdom Saga. The BEST saga, if you ask me.
Straight to explaining my character picks, under the cut-
For Telemachus, I had the option of using the "canon" Sonally kids from the comics, Manic or Sonia but their designs are just dupes of their parents and I didn't want that. So, after much deliberation- I did as is my nature and just made a new OC for the occasion- Introducing Scout Acorn, Maybe one of my cuter designs, I'll admit. I love his goofy baby face and can't wait to show off his Ithaca Saga design when we get there.
With Mephiles as Poseidon, my top picks for Antinous were Scourge or Infinite. Scourge is a big enough jerk for it- but I must admit to having a soft spot for Infinite more as a villain as well as his cooler design. What really sealed it for me was using the rest of Jackal Squad as the Suitors, so Telemachus is surround by a pack of Jackals singing "Little Wolf" at him. Yes, this means one of them is a lady Jackal. Because why not lol.
And for, perhaps my most controversial pick in all of the sagas... Calypso is Tikal with a steel chair! It surprised me too because I did initially go into this project with Amy in mind for the role- but I had other role for her I liked even more. Tikal kinda snuck up with the fun name "Tikalypso" being a big reason but considering Tikal is another character entrapped on an island alone she has some similarities with Calypso as a character. And idk, maybe the fact that SonicXTikal is one of my personal niche rarepairs played some role in having them together here. Sometimes I like my ships ending tragically!
and now onto God Games! Theres a bit to ramble about here.
Beginning with Neo Metal as Zeus, as revealed in the last Saga and Breezie as Hera. For these two and Ares/Aphrodite/Hephaestus, I was picking characters and their potential partners that had SOME logical sense in being paired together- but also characters that fit their roles, visually vocally and thematically if possible. Metal Sonic and Breezie are both some of the older Sonic antagonists, fitting for being the parents of many Gods here, plus Breezie actively flirts with Neo Metal in the comics. Visually Neo Metal works naturally well with the lightning/electical powers while Breezie's color scheme lends itself naturally to Hera's peacock iconography. A badass power couple.
Ares and Aphrodite... Well.
What can I say? This is MY AU and I can add my self indulgent ship into it if I want to!
Really though, aside from my bias here- The two really do just fit the roles of Gods of Love and War.
You just gotta imaging the Shadow vs Blaze sibling rivalry of the situation. Shadow does have proclivities towards more destructive paths, and it takes characters like both Rouge and Amy to pull him back.
Even though Amy could 100% fit as Calypso, I just don't think any other character embodies the theme of Love in the Sonic franchise better than her. Rouge is seductive yes, but when I think "Love", I think Amy Rose. Also worth noting that Aphrodite is ALSO considered a god of war and Amy herself does have a violent side.
and maybe my favorite detail of these picks is where Amy's Piko Piko Hammer now lies... in the hands of her arranged marriage husband- Rotor the Walrus as the god of the forge, Hephaestus! The current idea is that the Hammer is just one of the many gifts he tries to shower her with. Though she often doesn't accept them, so its also the Hammer that he often uses for his work. It one of the few things the two will share with each other. For the disability that Hephaestus is known to have- I have it so Rotor has flippers that are difficult to walk with- and so he uses leg braces to stand and other mobility aides for travel.
For the last role, Apollo. I picked the little ray of sunshine, Ray the Squirrel. Manic from Sonic Underground could've also worked for the music theme but I liked the idea of a flying squirrel, Ray playing it. The glowing "wings", tail and belly made for a fun visual for me.