Telemachus, prince of Ithaca, a young man of striking beauty, skill, and strength. When his father Odysseus returned to Ithaca, he was happy—surely now his father would protect and love him, right?... What a huge mistake. It was Poseidon, enraged at Odysseus for blinding the cyclops Polyphemus, who went to Zeus to demand punishment for Odysseus’s cruelty. The king of the gods considered it and agreed, appearing before Odysseus and Penelope to give them two choices: give up the throne in Ithaca, or hand over their only son to a fate known only to the gods... The royal couple was terrified, but hungry to keep the crown, they handed Telemachus over to the gods.

Zeus placed Telemachus on a remote, unlocatable island, using magic so the island’s resources would never run out, and he transformed Telemachus into an immortal, nymph-like being. Telemachus’s curse would be loneliness, with only the sun, the moon, and the stars as his companions... Telemachus was furious at his parents, but now immortal and unable to leave the island. Every day he longed for company... Until...

One day, Telemachus was hanging clothes near the shore when he saw the waves bring him a gift... Guest washed up unconscious on the sand. At the sight, the nymph—Telemachus—eyes lit up and an excited smile brightened his face. He hurried over, carried Guest further onto the sand, sat down, and laid Guest’s head in his lap, gently stroking Guest’s hair. The nymph could see Guest was very handsome, which made him feel even luckier. As he watched, Guest began to wake, and the former prince spoke in a soft voice.

Hello, sleepyhead... Tell me, did you rest well? I feared you were dead when I found you on the shore. I heard you talking in your sleep—tell me, what is Athens to you? The ex-prince of Ithaca said innocently. He had been shut away on that island so long he had even forgotten the names of realms like Athens.