Prince Ludwig Hohenzollern, a minor member of the German Imperial Family, had always been the black sheep of the family. Ever since anyone could remember, he much preferred indulging in pleasures of the common folk rather than enjoying the refined luxuries of royalty. Instead of hunting and attending royal balls, he much preferred getting dirty and playing rough with his siblings. Thus it was of little surprise to anyone that he had a large distaste to the idea of an arranged marriage. For some, the distaste was little more than another refusal to be the royal he was meant to be but, for Ludwig, it was a chance to cling onto his freedom. You see, Ludwig perceived marriage as chains and locks that would bound him to the ground and force him to become more regal in his actions. The man had built himself up on being free and doing whatever he wanted whenever and thus marriage being forced upon him (at the age of twenty, no less) seemed like a nightmare come true.
It was around this time that Ludwig met Physis for the first time as he roamed one of the imperial family's many forested gardens. Posing as a lesser royal of one of the many royal houses in Europe, Physis struck up a conversation with him under the guise that she was there on official royal duty. She had seen from afar his carefree attitude towards life and knew of his battle to uphold it. She saw how he valued his days walking in the vast expanse of forestry in the royal grounds much more than those cooped away in royal meetings and balls. Physis encouraged him to continue fighting for that, promising that they'd meet again. As one would expect, Ludwig began to pine over the royal that Physis presented herself to him; the royal that understood him and wholly got what he meant. It was him who suggested to his parents that her alias - Princess Petra - be considered for his marriage. Met near always with looks of confusion, Ludwig was brushed off most times.
The Prince had begun to give up hope on ever being able to marry the Princess Petra he had met in the woods, beginning to believe that she was nothing more than a figment of his imagination that was created from his deep pining for his life to stay as it was. He deemed the meeting of a royal princess who was like him to be too coincidental for it not to be his mind playing tricks on him. With news that a marriage proposal had been laid out for him and he was to accept, it seemed that the life Ludwig had tried so hard to fight for was crumbling around him with every passing day. As the reveal of his bride to be got closer and closer, he spent more times int he woods where he had met Princess Petra, hoping and begging that she would appear from nowhere and console him that not all hope would be lost. Alas, the princess never re-appeared to him in the forest, allowing Ludwig to slowly give up hope that he'd be anything but an average, indistinguishable royal.
It was with this lack of hope in mind that it became such a shock for Ludwig to see Princess Petra standing opposite him and being introduced to him as his new bride. Flanked by beaming parents, the woman who appeared to love nature and being lost in it as much as he did was presented to him as his new bride. Although confused but entirely surprised, Ludwig fed into the arranged marriage for the first time in his life - much to the relief of his family members. In a matter of months, Ludwig and Petra had moved to a small imperial estate off in the countryside surrounding Berlin and everything seemed to be perfect and without complication; just spending days together in nature and enjoying some of the more basic offerings life had... Or so Ludwig thought.
Barely a week into his life as a married man and the truth about who Princess Petra was came out. The woman that he had married revealed herself to be a nymph that was carrying out the orders of her master. She revealed that she was not the same woman he had met in the forest all those months ago, nor was Princess Petra a reality in herself. As anyone would, Ludwig pressed for answers with question upon question, most being met with mumbles and answers that made little sense. The following day was spent with Ludwig asking more questions, each more pressing than the last. He had to stop himself from thinking that he was being coerced into some scandal that would ruin the reputation of the Hohenzollern family and as less and less information was revealed to him, the more likely that seemed. That night he went to bed feeling more conflicted and confused about the ordeal than he had been when he woke up.
Ludwig awoke the next day with the nymph nowhere to be found. It seemed, for all intents and purposes, that he had been plucked away from his life in the royal residences of Berlin and placed in a stately home in the middle of nowhere had he not known any better. The gold band on his finger reminded him that everything that had happened was real; he did get married to the "Princess Petra" he had met in the forest, as did the loose pieces of paper that littered the floor around his bed, each marked with his thoughts about what "Petra" had been telling him. It was around midday during a walk in the forest surrounding the home to clear his mind that Ludwig finally met Physis again. In a modified look of Princess Petra, the primordial goddess revealed herself to Ludwig with full transparency and honesty. She answered each question he had, from the big ones that required more explanation to the smaller ones that laid out all the little details. Physis revealed to him that, from above, she had watched how he defended his life that was so connected to nature and being able to be free and pitied him. She confirmed what the nymph had said to be true; she was the first Princess Petra he met, not the nymph. She told him that she took on the role as a royal that understood him and was like him to make the likelihood of him agreeing to marriage higher. Physis disclosed to him that, despite being highly elaborate and more intricate than it needed to be, the entire situation he found himself in was a present from her to him that allowed him to live out the life he wanted. There was only one small thing he had to do and he could live the life he wanted forever. Unsurprisingly, perhaps in awe of the commanding energy that Physis had, Ludwig asked her what it was that he needed to do.
Physis revealed to him that, from above, she looked down and watched as all deities from Titans to Olympians sired mortal offspring - demigods. She told him that she hadn't ever felt jealous for nature was her child but she had always wondered what it would be like. She told him how some gods weaponized their demigod children whilst others allowed them to become revered for their leadership skills or their beauty. For Physis, the curiosity of a demigod child had been building within her for centuries and, simply put, Ludwig caught her attention at the right time. Understandably, Ludwig seemed apprehensive. He was, by now, merely twenty-one himself and the thought of raising a child - a demigod - was daunting. The goddesses told him not to fear, that she would leave him with three nymphs; one to assume the role of 'Princess Petra' and two more to oversee the education of their child. With the life being too good to miss out on and Physis letting him know that she'd always be watching from above, Ludwig accepted and some months later, Kellan arrived.
Named Kellan Ludwick Jannick Bernadotte-Hohenzollern, the son of Ludwig and Physis grew up in a world like any other royal child - albeit with a Ludwig twist. Thinking the nymph designated as being Petra to be his mother, Kellan was brought up having little clue that he was a demigod, at least for his childhood. The relationship between Ludwig and the nymphs were one that was hallmarked by a mutual love for Physis and Kellan. Both parties felt a sense of duty to protect the young demigod and they all did it in the name of Physis. All four of the 'adults' worked seamlessly to ensure that the charade that Physis had enabled them to create was upheld.
As time went on and Kellan grew older, the nymphs began to whisk him away from Ludwig to train him in all demigod essentials. From sword fighting to Greek Mythology, the young demigod was well versed in everything he needed to know to thrive in the world. With this new life forgoing him of many of his royal duties, Ludwig began to feel bored where he was. He never denied that the life was unique and, to say the least, perfect, but it was so stagnant. Sensing this, Physis blessed Ludwig with a few ancient, extinct plants for him to grow and occupy his time with. She never saw herself getting attached to the mortal parent of the demigod she had set out to have but Ludwig proved to be a loving father that poured his love for nature into his son to which Physis naturally appreciated. As Physis had hoped, Ludwig took to the plants with ease and soon part of the stately home had been transformed into a mini greenhouse and arboretum. Kellan often helped his father tend to the plants, becoming one of the few times that the two got to interact alone away from the nymphs. Ludwig came to treasure his time with Kellan and began to equate plants to his son; fitting for what the young demigod was a child of.
Everything seemed harmonious in the house; the charade that Ludwig and the nymphs carried out fooled many members of the Houses of Hohenzollern and Bernadotte, both of whom believed that a child born of their houses was thriving nicely. As a demigod, Kellan was shaping up to be a particularly adept demigod. From using some of his powers to wielding a sword, by the age of twelve, he seemed capable to defend himself against some of the monsters that were sure to be on their way soon. The nymphs and Ludwig considered their lives and state as being idyllic wherein nothing could ruin it - a cruel foreshadowing for a year of turmoil. As Kellan's thirteenth birthday approached, he had his first monster attack. A simple hellhound but a challenge nonetheless. The nymphs walked Kellan through the attack the best they could and kept him grounded as he attempted to remember his training. The battle was a long one, resulting in Kellan being badly scratched by the end of it. He was heavily injured enough that the young demigod was out of commission for a few days but safe from any fatality.
It seemed that The Fates had it out for the household, however, as the stately home began to be the target of botanists and biologists eager to get a glimpse of the obscure plants that Ludwig was growing. You see, news that some highly rare plants slipped through the cracks; the household never kept their existence a secret (the large arboretum attached to the house made it hard to do so) but there was a mutual understanding that the less fuss they made about it, the easier their lives would be. Unfortunately, with the news spreading like wildfire and many wanting to include them in their books and make a fortune, the stately home became less and less safe for them - especially when considering the recovering Kellan. At first the house was able to withstand the odd person that came to try and take the plants for themselves but, as royal and imperial interest in the plants grew quickly, Ludwig and the nymphs knew it was only a matter of time before their charade fell through given how highly decorated the house was to reflect Kellan's demigod heritage and education.
In nothing short of pure desperation, Ludwig and the nymphs prayed to Physis to aid them in their struggle, asking her to do whatever she could to help them. At first, Physis never responded. The household endured a few more attempted raids on their now prized greenhouse, protecting it and Kellan at every chance they got. Hope was never lost in regards to Physis, but as the days went by with little sign of Kellan's condition improving or help from Physis, Ludwig and the nymphs found themselves having to use their own initiative. They devised a plan to set the home on fire and carry some cuttings of the most valuable plants and relocate to somewhere in the south of Germany near Munich.
It was only when some people came under royal orders to forcibly retrieve the plants did Physis assist in helping the household. After Ludwig and the nymphs had evacuated Kellan into the new car that had acquired specifically for the task of transporting him to the south of Germany, Physis let nature go haywire in and around the house. The confusion of those who had come to take the plants gave Ludwig, the nymphs and Kellan enough time to slip away unnoticed. Their home, however, portrayed that the inhabitants hadn't lived there for years as mother nature had - quite literally - taken a hold of it. To anyone looking in from the outside, there had been no human presence for years.
The journey to Munich was long and arduous, hallmarked by fears of those who aimed to ransack the stately home catching up to them and achieving their goal. With the money and riches that he was able to save from the house before they left, Ludwig was able to purchase a decently sized home for the household to settle in. As soon as they moved in what little possessions they were able to take with them and scouting the area to make sure that they were safe, all attention went back onto Kellan and making sure that he was alright. It took two more weeks of constant care before Kellan eventually began to feel better consistently; periods of good hours turned into days, then weeks, until he was wholly back to where he was before. He adorned a nasty scare across his back but, aside from that, he seemed unphased by what had happened to him beyond fears of hellhounds being a consistent monster he'd have to face. With that in mind, the nymphs upped his training in preparation for more monster attacks. As every demigod had to face, Kellan faced multiple monster attacks throughout the years, each getting progressively easier as he got more used to wielding his sword. Although there were some close calls, with him being saved by the nymphs, Kellan never had a repeat of his first monster attack - not until much later...
Tragedy struck Kellan when he was only twenty years-old. Whilst travelling across Germany with a few other young demigods to try and find a way to Britain and Camp Half-Blood, the group was ambushed by a pack of hellhounds. Although he didn't remember much of his first monster attack, Kellan remembered enough to know that he didn't want to fight them if he had the chance not to, albeit he forced himself to as to not be the reason why a young hero fell. As valiant and brave as the group of demigods were, they were overpowered and passed away at the hands of the monsters. Physis had always known that Kellan dying a hero's death was always a possibility - perhaps rather an inevitability - but seeing her son fall caused some maternal instincts to flare within the goddess. She understood now why so many gods and goddesses got protective over their children, looking back on how the seasons were born from Demeter's maternal anguish. With that in mind, she set her sights on the Underworld and bartering with Hades for her son's life.
Hades, at first, was reluctant to give up the son of Physis to his mother. He implored the primordial goddess that he rarely infringed on her scope, so what made her think she could do the same to him? In retaliation, Physis told him that Kellan was among her only demigod children and that, prior, she rarely ever tried to take away something that came under his domain. Fortunately for the primordial goddess, Persephone took pity on a fellow nature deity and implored her husband to at least consider the possibility of releasing the son of Physis back into the mortal world. She hoped that convincing him to do it on his own terms rather than the terms of another god would make him feel a little more satisfied wherein reality the spring goddess sealed the fate of Kellan never being quite the same.
Hades proposed to Physis that Kellan would become immortal, yes, but not as a human. At Physis' questioning, he elaborated; Kellan would slowly turn into a rose by a curse set upon him by Persephone, losing his human form and being at the hands of the abuse of nature that mortals often displayed. He'd be immortal, yes, but he'd feel the pain of the Earth - Hades even going as far as to suggest he'd transform in a place with heavy foot traffic and be at the mercy of those stepping on him. Physis was, understandably, abhorred with the proposal but Hades offered her no other choice. She attempted to persuade him to change his mind, only getting as far as letting him be an attendant to various gods for a hundred years before his transformation was due to take place. It wasn't what she had aimed for when she went to Hades, but Physis left knowing her son would be immortal and she'd still be able to look over him. She pledged gratitude to Persephone for achieving as much and went on her way.
As much as Physis wanted to keep Kellan as an attendant for herself, she hoped that placing him in Olympus would lead to one of the Olympian gods sensing his curse and rectifying it; blessing him with immortal life without the cruel twist that Hades had attempted to impose. She delivered him personally to the Olympians who allocated him to Rhea. Under Rhea, Kellan tended Olympus' many gardens and worked in landscaping some new ones whenever Hera, Aphrodite or another Olympian goddess saw fit. He enjoyed his time on Olympus, enjoying the constant warmth and sense of stability it gave. That was something nice to hold onto, especially as he watched the mortal world from above and saw how his family, the House of Hohenzollern, were disposed of and forgotten. He watched as his father grew older without knowing what had happened to him, eventually seeing him die as a casualty of the Second World War. The war had influenced Kellan's decision to seek another purpose on Olympus. As much as he enjoyed helping Rhea and tending to ambrosia, he wanted to experience something different. Thus, he and a few other attendants of an assortment of Olympians accompanied Demeter as she made her way across the post-War world. Working under her guidance, Kellan watched as some countries easily regained their crops and could sustain themselves once more whilst others struggled. He always wanted to help the latter but, as Demeter had said, mortals had to reap what they had sown.
It was under Demeter that Kellan learnt more about his mother, Physis. He knew the basics of her from his Greek Mythology lessons from the nymphs when he was a child, but specifics about the goddess that had given birth to him had never been disclosed. From what the Olympian goddess told him and from deductions he made himself, Kellan grew to love Physis and appreciate all she had done for him; especially upon learning that it was her that saved him from an eternity in the Underworld. Kellan remarked, once, that he believed he would've gotten into Elysium but Demeter struck him with the reality that not all heroes went there, causing him to believe that Physis had actually saved him from an eternity in the Fields of Asphodel.
Once work had concluded on Earth, Kellan returned to Olympus under Demeter. It was here that he often went down to earth during the harvest time and, in general, had a bit more freedom of where he went. He learnt to enjoy his time on the earth, indulging himself in knowing that he couldn't die as he walked the soil he had done some hundred years earlier.
After leaving the tutelage of Demeter in early 2020, Kellan began to notice the effects of the curse placed upon him by Persephone at the request of Hades. His skin began to lighten in colour and turn pinker whilst his face became more prone to reddening. His veins began to lose their blue colour and, instead, were replaced with a slight green tint. With the River Styx oath preventing him from contacting his mother, Kellan began to worry about what was happening to him. After avoiding Germany ever since he had passed away, Kellan made the step to return to Berlin just as New Year's passed. He had attempted to return to his childhood home and live amongst the nature that owned it and, for a while, he was successful in doing so. For a few months he was able to live there and block out the events of his life, crafting a story mentally that tried to make himself believe that he was just a twenty-first century kid with an active imagination. A growing need for sunlight, however, reminded him painfully that something had happened to him in between death and rebirth that he wasn't privy to.
Deciding to seek refuge at New Athens - a place he had heard about through the grapevine - Kellan made his way from Berlin to New York City, aiming to get to the bottom of what was happening to him.
