Page 85 of She Who Devours the Stars (The Astral Mess #1)
The Athenaeum was supposed to be one of the Accord’s intellectual sanctums: a place where knowledge could be archived without being weaponized.
That lasted ten seconds before some House freaks realized “weaponized knowledge” was just “knowledge + ambition.” Now it’s half research institute, half ideological warzone, staffed by exhausted nerds and egos in robes.
Oh, and let’s talk about the name. “The Athenaeum!” Because, of course, we named one of the biggest mythtech think tanks in the galaxy after some Old Earth bullshit.
Because nobody’s ever had a new idea—they just keep digging up the same dusty pantheon, polishing it off, and acting like it’s relevant.
Alyx’s Rant, Transcribed Unedited: Let me be real for a second.
Every time some blonde bimbo shows up with a superiority complex and a smug little owl drone, she gets called Athena Reborn like it’s Old Earth up in here and Reddit never died.
Meanwhile, not one of these mythic fangirls ever tried to join a different pantheon. Nobody out here resonating with a Babylonian death aspect or one of the dirt gods from pre-Exodus Mesoamerica. No, it’s always:
“I’m the goddess of wisdom!” “I’m the goddess of war strategy!” “I own a spear and a vague sense of moral smugness!”
Honey, no. You own a Bluetooth headset and a superiority complex. Sit down.
Also: the “Fey” weren’t Fey. They were aliens. Dimensional migrants. Metaphoric tacticians with ecosystem-based symbology. And you all just called them “fairies” because they didn’t speak Latin and had better fashion.
Fern (from across the bar): Preach.
Dax’s Note (scribbled in the margin): Please redact this before printing. We still have diplomatic threads with Calderet and half the pantheon fanatics.
Alyx (in reply, in all caps): LET THEM COME FOR ME. I’LL FILE A PAPERWORK CURSE ON THEIR WHOLE BLOODLINE.
GREAT HOUSES (Compiled and editorialized by Dyris Trivane née Vaelith, Sexretary, Strategic Threat No. 7, and That Bitch)
For internal use only. If you’re reading this and you’re not Fern, go ahead and prepare to be scandalized. If you are Fern—yes, babe, they’re all obsessed with you.
House Zarex – “The Hammer That Waits”
Domain: Orbital supremacy, sanctioned violence, war crimes with paperwork Vibe: Daddy issues in power armor Symbol: Planetary ring broken by a rising blade Motto: “Obedience brings order. Order brings survival.” Moodboard: Grey-on-grey tactical couture, missile parades, sweat that smells like burnt honor.
Zarex is the Accord’s military backbone, if bones could demand salutes and execute insubordination from orbit.
They’re big on chain of command, ritual execution, and the idea that feelings are structural weaknesses.
They hate me for still having a personality and Fern for being a “mythtech liability.”
They’re not wrong, technically. But they’re so boring about it.
Notable Tactic: “Judgment Sunfalls.” Ritualized planetary annihilation. They make it sound noble. It’s not. Current Head: Grand Marshal Kevrin Zarex Secret Fear: That a girl with glowing hands and no chain of command might be the future of warfare.
House Indrathi – “The Gene Within the Flame”
Domain: Bioengineering, forced evolution, body mods with a god complex Vibe: Designer clones who read love poems in synthetic blood Symbol: Twisting helix inside a burning eye Motto: “Perfection is not born. It is sculpted.” Moodboard: Wet biotech, meat temples
Indrathi is what happens when science forgets ethics and then decides that’s the sexy part. Their Houses are filled with vat-born fashion models who can quote genetic code like scripture and make you feel inferior in three syllables or less.
They want Fern for her DNA. Like, badly. They’re calling her the “Prime Template.” I’m calling that a red flag with good abs.
Leadership: The Choir of Twelve—twelve cloned bodies, one brain, zero chill Known Crime: Tried to improve an entire planetary population by rewriting its libido. It went badly. For everyone.
House Calderet – “The Deep That Speaks in Echoes”
Domain: Mysticism, time distortion, energy rites Vibe: Drowned prophets with a flair for dramatic foreshadowing Symbol: Coiling wave devouring a moon Motto: “Nothing ends. It only remembers.” Moodboard: Salt-crusted temples, spiral tattoos, wet dreams with metaphysical consequences
Calderet swims in spiritual weirdness so deep it wraps around and becomes math again.
They run time loops for breakfast. They once referred to Fern as “the recited future” and meant it as a compliment.
I still don’t know if I should trust them or seduce their Margrave to destabilize the prophecy engine.
Current Head: Margrave Thessis Calderet, who claims they were never born. Which is, admittedly, iconic. Creepiest Line Ever Said to Me: “We have drowned versions of you, and they all love her too.” No thank you.
House Vaelith – “The Voice That Conquers”
Domain: Diplomacy, narrative control, PR warfare Vibe: Beautiful liars in mirror-polished boots Symbol: A stylized mouth with a burning crown Motto: “No Gods, only us.” Moodboard: Velvet folders full of secrets, poisoned contracts, lingerie with encryption
This is my House. Or was. They trained me in the art of winning before the conversation starts, then tried to clip my wings when I flew off-script. Fern says I’m dangerous. I say I’m right. We don’t lose. We just change the story.
They’re not my enemies. Not yet. But they’ll try to own me again. They’ll fail.
Current Head: Matriarch Kaela Vaelith Relationship Status: It’s complicated and involves assassination insurance.
House Trivane – “The Lock. The Key. The End.”
Domain: Mythtech, extinction prevention (and causation), narrative singularities Status: Functionally extinct—until Fern Symbol: A crowned zero over a black star Motto: “We remember what must not be.” Moodboard: Forbidden archives, coats that hum when you cry, weapons built to kill ideas
This was the power that kept the end of the universe on a leash. Then they disappeared, voluntarily, if you believe the myths. Their inheritance is encoded in death rituals, sealed planets, and mythships that flinch when Fern walks by.
Now? It’s hers. She doesn’t want it. She’s perfect for it.
Heir: Fern Fucking Trivane Threat Level: Narrative Hazard Class Omega Sex Appeal: Cataclysmic. I speak from experience.
Dyris’s Closing Statement: They’ll all come for her. They’ll call it diplomacy, prophecy, bloodline. But I know the truth: They want to control what she means. Too bad. She’s already got me. And I don’t share nicely.
The Great House Sorting Test
(For entertainment purposes only. If you take this seriously, you already belong to Zarex.) Compiled by Dyris Trivane née Vaelith. Yes, this is biased. No, I will not apologize.
Instructions: Read each question. Pick the answer that makes you look the hottest, smartest, or most dangerous. If you can’t decide, that’s a Vaelith trait. If you lie, that’s also a Vaelith trait.
1. You walk into a room and everyone stops talking. What happened?
A) I outrank them, and they’re afraid I’m here to reorganize the orbital strike schedule.
(Zarex) B) They’ve already been briefed on my genetic superiority and are silently considering offering me their genome.
(Indrathi) C) I was dead in this timeline.
They’re recalculating their prophecies. (Calderet) D) My reputation arrived five minutes before I did and seduced their boss.
(Vaelith) E) The ship knows who I am. And now… so do they. (Trivane)
2. Pick your ideal weapon.
A) Kinetic lance, orbital drop, target locked.
(Zarex) B) A custom-grown predator that recognizes my pheromone signature.
(Indrathi) C) A trident that exists in four timelines and argues with itself.
(Calderet) D) My voice. Also, a dagger I keep in my boot for emphasis.
(Vaelith) E) A mythship that obeys me because it doesn’t dare do otherwise. (Trivane)
3. Someone insults your partner. What do you do?
A) Schedule their annihilation for dawn and call it “training.” (Zarex) B) Rewrite their genetic code so they’re allergic to themselves.
(Indrathi) C) Remove their reflection from every body of water in their future.
(Calderet) D) Publicly humiliate them with a smile they’ll dream about for years.
(Vaelith) E) Collapse the moment into a singularity so it never happened. (Trivane)
4. Choose a scandal headline you’d secretly love to see about yourself:
A) “Hero or Tyrant? Grand Marshal Accused of Orbital Overkill.” (Zarex) B) “Indrathi Heir Declares Self ‘Genetic Destiny.’ Public Says: Sure, Fine.” (Indrathi) C) “Calderet Prophet Marries Their Own Future Self in Tide-Ritual.” (Calderet) D) “Vaelith Diplomat Seduces Entire Delegation; Treaty Ratified Mid-Orgasm.” (Vaelith) E) “Trivane Heir Seen in Mythcore: Reality Still Recovering.” (Trivane)
5. Finally, pick your House party aesthetic:
A) Military ball where the champagne is rationed and the dance floor is a tactical map.
(Zarex) B) Flesh cathedral with mood lighting from your own bioluminescence.
(Indrathi) C) Tide-locked banquet where half the guests are technically dead.
(Calderet) D) Velvet lounge with contract-signing booths in the back.
(Vaelith) E) Mythship deck humming with power and strangers who swear they’ve dreamed of you. (Trivane)
Results: