so, messenger gods are supposedly allowed to enter the Underworld freely, right?
What do you think about the children of Hermes/Iris inheriting this "power"? Obviously on a much smaller scale.
Maybe they could detect the entrances to the Underworld more easily, and, if they concentrate A LOT, they could summon a kind of aura that avoids possible obstacles, such as monsters or evil ghosts?
Or I don't know, any kind of ability that has to do with the Underworld and their role as "messengers"
Psychopomp: (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός, psychopompós, literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are creatures, spirits, angels, demons, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife.
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Mhmmm in theory that is possible that I wouldn’t rule out. I mean with Hermes as a god of thieves, Luke as his demigod child had the ability to magical unlock things as a sort of shortcut power-
So the possibility that the children of Hermes and Irises have the power to something relating being messenger of the gods or being a psychopomp ‘guide of souls’, is just as likely but albeit very rare as you’ve theorized.
Let’s just assume they are able to be messengers to the Underworld and thus being a psychopomp without any large repercussions to themselves directly, despite being half mortal.
I say this because while Hermes and Iris are messengers, they are still gods thus immortal, therefore traveling between the underworld and above it, has no large effect on their souls. So being a demigod that is half mortal will probably have effects cause being in the realm of the dead will definitely do something to you.
At the very least, they are able to locate entrances to the Underworld or slightly above that, they are able to create entrance points to the Underworld. Whether or not they are the only ones to enter through, that’s another thing. Even if they can let people in, it doesn’t mean any other parties will be able to leave is another.
As for Obstacles well…there have evidences of people going down to the Underworld and going through it just fine, so while having a power to just bypass things is just a cheat skill rather than a necessary thing.
Now here where things depend because as a child of Hermes, they’re already born sneaky so they’re able to sneak their way in (which I honestly think is how Luke was able to get the pieces of Kronos from Tartarus. Then again, he probably had the Helm of Darkness. ).
A child of Iris would naturally be able to have a literal aura around themselves that would just deter anything from approaching them. Plus as a child of Iris, I don’t think most monsters or whatever would see them as a threat.
Naturally, it's just better they don’t interact with the monsters or ghosts because if they do, they’re opening themselves to it.
Just think of a child of Hades but everything below one or two steps below them what being a psychopomp proxy, and all the risks, benefits, pros, cons, and etc.
But in all honesty, a whole lot of things could be solved with the fact that if a pyschopomp’s demigod child has the ability to be a guide of the souls, I would pretty much think they’re sort of employed or granted the position, since it's their duty.
So I would think Hades would just give them basically a ‘hall pass’ that allows them go in and out freely out of the Underworld, with their job delivering messages on behalf of Hades and/or Persephone.
Peak season is Spring and Summer when Persephone has to leave the Underworld and the husband and wife are separated by long distance, so you’re pretty much going back and forth to deliver messages and packages. With the added help of Hermes/Iris as their apprentice or staff, you’re pretty much paid minimum wage and stuff.
There’s also the bonus side benefit/job that the child of Hermes/Iris that has inherited the power of messenger, would not only be able to travel between the Underworld and the world of the Living, but also be able to go to Olympus; since Hermes and Iris are the messenger of the gods, the job going into the Underworld is just included as such.
Imagine a child of iris being raised by sad beige parents prior to attending camp half blood.
On one hand, there's is Blanche in the books, a daughter of Iris, who prefers monochrome colours ( as in she likes monochrome colours, to much to the distress of Iris). On the other hand, however, it appears she is the exception and not the rule.
That said, I can only imagine that having a major effect on the child of Iris, when they come into their demigod powers. With their environment and colour perception being mostly beige, they're not able to perceive the spectrum of colours properly (Which is an honest problem with Beige parents raising children. They're not able to perceive colours properly which will have long term effects). So when they want to use colour-related powers, all they can manipulate and muster up is beige tones.
They've been physically, mentally, and spiritually deprived of colour. Perhaps once at Camp Halfblood, surrounded by their half-siblings, they are able to be reintroduced and exposed to the variety of colours, and are able to access their rainbow of potential.
That said, there's going to be so much tie dyeing shirts and clothes as a form of colour therapy.
(Iris is going to have a few stark words as well)
a/n: as a person with synesthesia who can taste colours, if I had to be surrounded by beige against my will, I would not be having a good time
