The
half-human son of Poseidon – the Greek god of the sea – once saved the world, but Percy’s starting to
think that might have been a fluke. Is
he a flash in the pan…a one-quest wonder?
The magical
borders of Camp Half-Blood are beginning to fall and a
horde of mythical monsters threatens to destroy the sanctuary for the children
of the gods. In order to save the demigods’ haven, Percy and his friends must
find the fabled and magical Golden Fleece.
Their journey takes them to Washington, D.C. and on to the Florida
coast, where they set sail on a treacherous odyssey into the uncharted, deadly
waters of the Sea
of Monsters, known to
humans as the Bermuda Triangle. The stakes are higher than ever and if Percy
doesn’t succeed, Camp Half-Blood will cease to exist and all of Olympus will crumble.
The first
film Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief would become a
global box-office and home entertainment hit.
The film, directed by Chris Columbus, who is executive producer on PERCY
JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, was enjoyed by millions around
the world, including filmmaker Thor Freudenthal.
After
viewing “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” Freudenthal
began reading the books and became a fan.
“I found a lot of emotion and an irreverent, whimsical tone in the
books,” he says. “The amazing trick that [author] Rick Riordan pulls off is
having fun at a very fast pace and not always taking himself too
seriously. But he never sacrifices the
emotional core, which is a bunch of kids who have a heavy burden to carry: they have parents who are larger than life
and are mostly absent. I’m a sucker for
big emotions in a movie, and I also love a healthy sense of humor to go along
with it. Both the books and this movie
embody those notions.”
Lerman
returns as the titular hero, the demigod son of Poseidon, who embarks on his
own, modern-day Odyssey. “At the
beginning of this film, Percy is not living up to his potential and he doubts
himself,” says Lerman. “Percy feels
abandoned by his father, the Greek god Poseidon, and then, he finds out that he
has a brother.”
If shocking
family revelations weren’t enough, Percy must deal with Polyphemus, an enormous
and powerful Cyclops; Charybdis, the sea monster; the raging Colchis Bull, a
giant, metallic and fire-breathing creature that attacks Camp Half-Blood; the
Manticore, a formidable monster with a lion’s body and a long, scorpion-like
tail; and the ancient Oracle, an ancient mummified mystic with empty eye
sockets and skeletal features. The
Oracle further complicates Percy’s sense of self and duty, says Lerman, when it
tells him he “is either going to destroy Olympus
or save it. He’s not sure if he can rise
to the occasion.”
Percy has a
lot at stake, according to Freudenthal.
“He’s trying to save Camp
Half-Blood and prove
himself as a hero. He’s grown distant from his father, who is not really
responding to his requests for help.
Percy embarks upon his ‘odyssey’ for two reasons: to save his home, and
to ascertain if he is indeed a hero.”
Alexandra
Daddario returns as Annabeth Chase, the demigod offspring of Athena, goddess of
wisdom, the role she created in “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The
Lightning Thief.” “One of the most
enjoyable aspects of the first film was accessing a bad-ass quality that you
don’t really get to access in your real life.
It’s been a great experience being able to do that,” says the actress.
Brandon T.
Jackson reprises the role of Grover, Percy Jackson’s satyr friend. Jackson
explains that in Greek mythology, satyrs, which are half man, half goat, “are
mischievous. They are fun-loving
characters and very protective of the earth.
Grover has a lot of heart. He
would do anything to save Camp
Half-Blood, and he would
give his life for Percy because they’re best friends.”
Jackson admits that reprising a character
“is challenging because you’ve got to bring growth to the character. In this film, Grover is a little older; he’s
got his horns now. Grover doesn’t want
to go on this quest because it could actually kill him. But he has to because a satyr guide is
required to find the Golden Fleece.
“He’s not
scared, but he knows his life is in danger with Polyphemus, the gigantic Cyclops
in possession of the Golden Fleece,” Jackson
continues. “Grover would rather stay at
home and chill at Camp
Half-Blood. Polyphemus is like Kryptonite to him. He eats satyrs for breakfast!”
Jake Abel
is back as Luke, the first film’s “lightning thief,” and the son of Hermes, the
messenger of the gods. “Demigods are the
sons and daughters of gods and human beings,” says Abel. “They inherit the powers or characteristics of
their god parent. Luke, being the son of
Hermes, is very mischievous and a quick thinker. He’s mercurial, enigmatic and devious.
“In this
first film, Luke stole Zeus’ lightning bolt, and PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS
is a continuation of his journey, rebelling against his father,” Abel
continues. “Feeling angry, forgotten and neglected, he wants to show the gods
who’s boss, and Luke comes up with a plan to end the reign of the gods and, in
the process, bring some of the demigods over to the dark side.”
Luke, like
Percy, seeks the Golden Fleece, but for a very different reason. “Luke wants to
bring back the ultimate, original evil, which is Kronos, the Titan who was
overthrown by his sons,” says Abel.
“With the Fleece, Luke can resurrect Kronos and bring him back to life. Luke believes Kronos will promise him
everything and help him bring down Olympus and
conquer the world.”
On his
journey to battle Luke and retrieve the Golden Fleece, Percy discovers he has a
half-brother, Tyson, who is a Cyclops.
“Tyson is a sweet, teenage Cyclops,” says Freudenthal. “Cyclopes are viewed as monsters, but
everything about Tyson is the opposite of that.”
“Tyson is a
warrior, of sorts,” says Douglas Smith, who plays the one-eyed teen. “He’s a really soulful, salt of the earth
Cyclops. Tyson is one of those people
who seem overly simple but he’s actually got a deep wisdom. It comes in handy in the quest because he’s
got a variety of skills that only Cyclopes have. He’s a good guy, and identifies more with the
Half-Bloods than with the other Cyclopes, who like to eat demigods. Tyson looks like a villain, but he has a
heart of gold and that can be very confusing when people meet him. And it’s confusing for him, too.”
Like Percy,
Tyson is a son of Poseidon, but while Percy’s mother is human, Tyson’s mother
was a sea nymph. Smith describes the sibling
relationship: “Percy and Tyson are half-brothers, but Tyson doesn’t like to
harp on that. Percy doesn’t expect to
have a brother show up at camp, he doesn’t expect to bring him along on the
journey, and he does not expect to be won over by Tyson’s optimism and point of
view, which is fresh and filled with wonder.
Ultimately, Percy realizes that Poseidon is looking out for him, because
he sent Tyson to Percy.”
Initially,
the filmmakers planned to give Smith a prosthetic eye, but they decided to create
the eye mostly through visual effects.
The prosthetic shrank in size from a full facemask to a small forehead
application that created the effect of a single brow, which Smith only had to
sport when Tyson wears sunglasses. And,
as in the book, an application of magical mist creates the illusion of Tyson
having two eyes; for those scenes, Smith wears only his own visage.
The newest
demigod at Camp Half-Blood is Clarisse LaRue, daughter
of Ares, the god of war. Leven Rambin
plays Clarisse, whom she says is, “innately prone to fighting, competition and
being the best. She always wants to
prove herself to her father, who wanted a son, so she’s trying to live up to
that.”
“Clarisse
contributes to Percy’s feelings of inadequacy and makes him question his
abilities and whether he belongs in Camp
Half-Blood,” says
Freudenthal. “Clarisse is insecure, and that’s why she has such an
attitude. It’s her insecurity that
someone’s going to best her or embarrass her that drives her to feel the need
to bully people.”
Anthony
Head portrays Percy’s mentor, Chiron, a Centaur – half-man and half-horse. “Centaurs like drinking and partying, and
Chiron is completely the opposite; he’s learned and kind,” says Head, who is
best known for his role as the mentor to the heroine of the television series
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” “Chiron treats Percy like a son. He’s noble and at the same time, possesses
some darkness because he is Kronos’ son.
And Kronos is the ‘big bad’ who is basically responsible for all the
things wrong in the world of Percy Jackson.”
Academy
Award®-nominee and Golden Globe® and Emmy Award®-winner Stanley Tucci plays
Dionysus, known as Mr. D to the young residents at Camp Half-Blood. “He’s the god of wine, and hedonism,” notes
Tucci. “I like wine and I thought it was appropriate for me to take the role;
there was no need for research!” he quips.
“Zeus has
put a curse on Mr. D and every time he tries to have some wine, it turns into
water,” Tucci continues. “He’s also not
happy about being in a position of responsibility. Mr. D is miserable and a terrible
leader. He can’t remember anybody’s
name, and he’s probably more scared than the students are. Mr. D is a wreck and should not be in this
position – and that’s what made the role so much fun for me.” To embody the
hirsute and heavyset figure, Tucci sports a moustache, beard, wig, and a fake
paunch.
Nathan
Fillion, an iconic figure to sci-fi fans from his work in the series “Firefly”
and the movie based upon it, “Serenity,” joins the Olympians as Hermes,
messenger of the Gods. To humans, Hermes
appears as a UPS worker; to the young Olympians, he is a gorgeously-tailored
businessman who takes the Half-Bloods on a tour of his colossal parcel sorting
hub.
Hermes is
the father of demigod Luke. “Luke is
causing all the trouble, and they need to find him,” says Fillion. “Luke is a troubled kid and it breaks Hermes’
heart a little bit. But we see that
they’re not heartless gods. There is a
modicum of feeling there.”
Fillion had
seen “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” and recalls being
pleased when he heard they were making a second. He admits, “It’s neat, having an inner nerd
and being a fan of something and then getting to participate.”
PERCY JACKSON:
SEA OF MONSTERS – About the Production
By Joe
Utichi – www.joeutichi.com
The former
Six Flags theme park in Louisiana,
which was closed after the damage and flooding wreaked by Hurricane Katrina, is
alight for the first time since that devastating event. In the years that
followed, it had become part of the surrounding swamp, and home to alligators,
armadillos, snakes and the other flora and fauna of this part of the world. It
was about as far from habitable as could be.
But the
crew of PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS have moved in for a two-week shoot at
the park, which will double for the damaged lair of the blind cyclops
Polythemus as part of a new quest for the character first brought to the big
screen in 2010’s PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, which
grossed more than $200M at the global box office. The crew has spent the past
five weeks getting it ready: laying down new wiring and adding to the rundown
nature of the place. Oh, and moving the alligators out.
“It’s a
pretty eerie set and a pretty harsh environment to work in,” says Logan Lerman,
who returns to the title role. “Hot, humid and full of bugs.”
“They took
out all the alligators that had been there, but there are still armadillos
other creatures walking around,” laughs Alexandra Daddario, who returns to the
role of Annabeth. “So you’re sitting there in the mud, tied up to posts, with
bugs crawling all over you: all you can do is laugh. It’s either laugh or cry,
and it’s best to laugh!”
Still, if
it seems like the cast and crew are enduring hardships to bring this story to
the screen, their quest is nothing to that of their heroically inclined
fictional counterparts, and it’s born of a keen desire to return to the
Olympian world of PERCY JACKSON. “There was definitely a period of time when we
wondered: will that be it?” remembers Lerman. “It was fantastic when this movie
came together, and it was nice to have that period of time away. It’s great to come back into the old shoes
and play Percy again.”
Indeed, all
of the returning cast are enthused to return, as much to see each other as to
follow Percy’s adventures. “I’ve become so close to these people,” says
Daddario. “Logan and Brandon Jackson, I’m so close with them that it’s like
going to do a film with your best friends. It’s a level of familiarity which means
you feel really comfortable.”
But while
the characters are the same, the journey they’re on is different. In PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, the safety of the demigods’ home at Camp Half-Blood
is threatened when the perimeter defences are destroyed. Percy, Annabeth and
their satyr protector Grover (played by a returning Brandon T. Jackson) must
quest to find the Golden Fleece, which is in the care of the violent blind
cyclops Polythemus, so that they can bring life back to Thalia’s Tree, the
mystical oak that keeps their home safe.
“At the end
of the first film Percy was the hero,” explains Lerman of his character’s
journey. “But at the start of this one, he’s been replaced by Clarisse, the
stronger, better demigod at Camp
Half-Blood. He feels
insecure, he’s full of self-doubt, and he’s constantly being beaten by
Clarisse.”
Played by
Leven Rambin, a newcomer to the series, Clarisse is the half-blood daughter of
Ares, the god of war. And she’s fixing for battle at every opportunity. “She’s
a bully,” says Lerman. “She’s very competitive, very tough and she stomps on
Percy at every opportunity.”
But if
Percy is feeling the heat, at least he still has the support of his friends.
Fans of the books will be especially pleased to learn that Annabeth dons blonde
locks in the films for the first time in SEA OF MONSTERS,
just like her character in the books. “I think the character is more in touch
with the books too,” argues Daddario. “This is a very difficult and emotional
journey for her, more so than in the first film, because she’s questing to save
a character who’s very close to her.”
Daddario
won’t be drawn on just who it is she’s questing to save, but fans of Greek myth
will know that satyrs and quests for the Golden Fleece don’t mix. “We’re all
older and a little wiser,” reveals Jackson.
“And my character really doesn’t want to go on this quest. He knows that
cyclops eat satyrs for breakfast. This one’s a death wish for him.”
It doesn’t
help that a cyclops turns up at Camp
Half-Blood before Percy
and co. even get a chance to set off. Tyson, played by series newcomer Douglas
Smith, turns out to be Percy’s half-brother, the product of Poseidon’s
dalliance with a nymph. “Cyclopes have a reputation for being monsters,”
explains director Thor Freudenthal. “So his arrival is bad news for a lot of
the half-bloods, including Percy.”
“Brotherhood
and the importance of family is definitely a new theme for the series,”
continues Lerman, whose character is jealous of the apparently close
relationship Tyson has with Poseidon, who doesn’t appear to communicate with
Percy at all. “We had a great time playing it: Douglas
was a blast and was a great addition to the cast.”
Tyson
accompanies the trio on their quest this time, much to the chagrin of Annabeth.
“If you’ve read the books, you’ll know she has a solid reason for disliking
Cyclopes,” reveals Daddario. “And so part of the journey of the film is all of
them learning to accept Tyson. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Will he mess
everything up or help save the day?”
Indeed, she
says, it’s part of the charm of the PERCY JACKSON films that these high-concept
themes still offer relatable themes to audiences of all ages. “Always in life
you’ll meet people you’re not sure of and maybe you’ll take against them for
the wrong reasons, so it’s relatable in that way.”
Continues
Freudenthal: “Tyson comes in with the best of intentions and with incredibly
strong will and excitement. So as much as he mixes things up within the group,
in the end he really helps Percy become the hero he needs to become.”
Freudenthal
himself is mixing things up. He comes to PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS fresh
to the franchise – Chris Columbus directed the first film – and brings a new
sensibility to Rick Riordan’s popular world. “He’s completely different from Chris,”
says Lerman. “Tonally, the movies are very different because of the different
filmmakers. I think this is definitely lighter than the first one. It’s more
comedic, and more fun. I loved that about his vision.”
Many
directors would feel intimidated following in the footsteps of Columbus, who is
a veteran of films like HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE, MRS.
DOUBTFIRE and HOME ALONE. But Freudenthal was grateful for the work Columbus had done to
establish the universe of PERCY JACKSON. “I was able to build on what Chris had
done and go from there. I could have fun with the world and maybe refine the
tone for myself. I have a very different visual style than Chris, which I can’t
even necessarily pinpoint. The first movie does the job of establishing things
for you, so your job is to dive in deeper, broaden the range, expand the world
and have fun with the relationships and the characters.”
Freudenthal
was also keen to bring in more of the book than the screen time of the first
film allowed. “I wanted to expand the grand mythology of it, having to do with
the character of Thalia and the tree that she becomes,” he explains. “What I
really liked about the books is that they have their first person narrative as
if written by Percy. So there’s a sort of lightness to that, a bit of
irreverent humor and style that is firmly in place in this movie.”
And while
THE LIGHTNING THIEF introduces the Olympian Gods, this film deals more in the
fauna of their world, and all its various beasties. “Scale-wise this is a much
bigger movie,” enthuses Lerman. “There are so many more creatures and visual
effects. It’s huge.”
Agrees
Daddario: “The monsters definitely get bigger! We go to the Sea of Monsters
and something pretty unbelievable happens there. We really take the cliffhanger
moments to a different level this time around.”
Freudenthal
is enthusiastic about this kind of quest moviemaking. Every day, he says,
there’s a new challenge and a new “mini-movie” to shoot. “It’s a dream because
I felt like, within our four months of shooting, we were dealing with so many
different methods of making a movie in so many different places, whether it’s
digital, practical, location shooting and the rest. It keeps you on your toes,
I’ll say that.”
Keeping the
entire cast on their toes was the inclusion this time around of veterans
Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion to the ensemble. “That’s the great thing about
these movies is you’re there the whole time and all these great actors come
in,” says Daddario. “The people I get to work with and learn from are
unbelievable.”
Working
with Tucci was a master-class for Jackson,
a stand-up-turned-actor who admired his co-star’s comic chops. “He had this
off-kilter approach to the character, which takes a certain talent,” he
remembers. “He gave Dionysus this, ‘don’t want to be here,’ swagger, which is
great for the show because everyone knows a camp counsellor never wants to be
there but he’s doing it for the check or is burdened by the kids. So he’s like,
‘Go do a quest, I’ll be over here.’”
Of course,
for a film defined by clashes with monsters, there are plenty of scrapes for
the cast to get themselves into this time. Freudenthal was amazed at how much
Lerman, Daddario and Jackson knew about stunts, fighting and wire work. “They
were so much more experienced with all that stuff than I was,” he laughs. “But
this movie presented different physical challenges for them in that we didn’t
want to repeat the action of the first film. Based on their old experiences
they were ready to take things to the next level.”
Lerman
remembers three months of fight training on the first PERCY JACKSON film, so
was grateful all of that knowledge was inherent to begin with, and the time
didn’t need repeating for SEA OF MONSTERS. “It was insane,” he says. “It was
our first time doing anything like this so we really had to figure it out. I’d
never held a sword before. But now we kind of know what we’re doing and it was
much, much easier to jump back into it.”
Lerman says
that after two movies playing Percy he knows his way around a sword. So is he a
dangerous man to be around? "I think so," he laughs. "But then,
I think anyone would probably be. I think it's pretty easy. You just
chop."
So after
two PERCY JACKSON movies, Lerman certainly knows his way around a sword. And if
anything's certain about their quest this time out, it's that combat will play
a big part. As with everything in Percy's world, only the most courageous need
apply.
PERCY JACKSON: SEA
OF MONSTERS – The Percy
Encyclopedia
ANGRY
HARPIES – An Olympian videogame, not dissimilar to a popular mortal game themed
around winged creatures. Of course, at Camp Half-Blood,
harpies munch on demigods who sneak out of their cabins at night, so the stakes
of the game are suitably adjusted for Percy’s world. Appears: PJ:SOM
ANNABETH
CHASE – One of Percy Jackson’s best friends, Annabeth is the demigod daughter
of Athena. She took a while to warm to Percy when they first met, coming around
only after he showed his mettle in a game of Capture the Flag. She joined Percy
on his quest to find the Lightning Thief and once again to recover the Golden
Fleece. Appears: PJ:TLF, PJ:SOM
AUNTIE EM’S
GNOME EMPORIUM – There are friendlier garden centers in the world than this,
though Auntie Em’s fine collection of stone statues can’t be beat. Percy comes
here to find one of Persephone’s pearls, but he doesn’t like who Auntie Em
turns out to be. Like many hellish places, it’s located in New Jersey. See also: Medusa. Appears:
PJ:TLF
CAMP
HALF-BLOOD – A sanctuary for the children of the Gods, Camp Half-Blood
is located on the Long Island Sound and is the ultimate training camp for
demigods. Run by Dionysus and Chiron, the camp is Percy’s home and the place
where he learns how to fulfil his destiny as Poseidon’s son. See also: Chiron.
Appears: PJ:TLF, PJ:SOM
CHARIOT OF
DAMNATION – Otherwise known as a New
York City taxicab. It can be hailed by saying, “Stop,
Chariot of Damnation” in ancient Greek and by paying the fare of one gold
Drachma. Its triplet drivers, The Gray Sisters, almost certainly don’t have
up-to-date drivers’ licenses. See also: Gray Sisters, The. Appears: PJ:SOM
CHARYBDIS –
With teeth that look like shark fins, it’s easy to mistake a mid-ocean
appearance by Charybdis for a very bad time. In fact, it’s a whole lot worse
than you can imagine. Once a beautiful Naiad, in recent years Charybdis has
taken on the form of a giant mouth, swallowing anything in her path. See also: Sea of Monsters,
The. Appears: PJ:SOM
CHIRON –
The activities director at Camp
Half-Blood, Chiron is the
centaur son of Kronos. But unlike his angry dad, he’s one of the good guys,
helping Percy adjust to life as a demigod and instilling him with the skills
and confidence to achieve his quests. See also: Camp Half-Blood.
Appears: PJ:TLF, PJ:SOM
CIRCELAND –
This theme park built by the goddess Circe has seen better days when Percy and
crew find themselves there. It’s been in disrepair ever since Polyphemus moved
in, and provides the backdrop for one of Percy’s greatest battles. See also:
Polyphemus. Appears: PJ:SOM
CLARISSE LA
RUE – A demigod daughter of Ares, Clarisse is the cream of Camp Half-Blood’s
crop, a solid warrior and something of a bully. She lives to best Percy at the
camp’s many challenges. Appears: PJ:SOM
COLCHIS
BULL – A mechanical behemoth made of bronze and constructed in Hephaestus’s
forge, Percy encounters a Colchis Bull when one attacks Camp Half-Blood and
breaks the camp’s perimeter defenses.
Appears: PJ:SOM
FERRYMAN,
THE – Also known as Charon, this cloaked figure transports dead spirits across
the River Styx into the Underworld... for a price. He takes Drachma only – a
fact Grover learns to his peril when he tries to pay with US dollars. Appears:
PJ:TLF
GOLDEN
FLEECE, THE – A satyr’s favourite trinket, the Golden Fleece is an extremely
powerful artifact with great healing and protective abilities. When Camp Half-Blood’s
perimeter defenses fail, Percy and friends quest to find the fleece to help
protect the camp. See also: Thalia’s Tree. Appears: PJ:SOM
GRAY
SISTERS, THE – Three old women who’ve seen better days, the Grays operate the
Chariot of Damnation taxi service. This would be less frightening if they
didn’t share a single eye between them. See also: Chariot of Damnation.
Appears: PJ:SOM
GROVER
UNDERWOOD – A satyr and one of Percy’s best friends, Grover is probably the
first connection Percy has to the magical world of his birth. He’s sent to
watch over Percy and serve as his protector, and he helps Percy get to grips
with his station once the secret of his birth is revealed to him. Loyal to the
last, Grover is the best half-human, half-goat hybrid a man could have.
Appears: PJ:TLF, PJ:SOM
HEKATONKHEIRE
– Hundred-handed brothers of the Cyclopes, Hekatonkheires make great baristas
in the high-pressure world of multi-latte delivery. See also: Siren Coffee.
Appears: PJ:SOM
HELLHOUNDS
– Decidedly less attractive than your average poodle, Hades keeps a pack of
hellhounds to guard his palace in the underworld. Good luck teaching them to
play nice. Appears: PJ:TLF
HYDRA – A
multi-headed monster, the Hydra comes with one rather fantastic design feature:
when it’s beheaded, another two heads grow in its place. Percy defeats the
Hydra with a little help from a decapitated Medusa. See also: Medusa. Appears:
PJ: TLF
LAISTRYGONIAN
– A race of monster giants, they’re best known in myth for figuring into
Odysseus’s travels. Percy encounters them on Luke’s ship on his quest to find
the Golden Fleece. See also: Princess Andromeda, The. Appears: PJ:SOM
LIGHTNING
THIEF, THE – All-out war amongst the Gods is threatened when Zeus’s Master Bolt
of lightning goes missing, and in the guilty-until-proven-innocent world of the
Olympians, Percy is the first suspect. He must quest to clear his name, find
the bolt and uncover the real thief. See also: Luke Castellan. Appears: PJ:TLF
LOTUS HOTEL
AND CASINO, THE – Once you enter, you won’t want to leave. With its trademark
lotus flower treats, this uber-casino in Las
Vegas traps visitors for decades or more, and they
don’t notice time flying. Percy, Annabeth and Grover visit to recover one of
Persephone’s pearls, but when they finally escape they’re shocked by how long
they were trapped inside. Appears: PJ:TLF
LUKE
CASTELLAN – The truant son of Hermes, Percy first encounters Luke as an ally,
aiding him in his quest to uncover the real Lightning Thief. But Percy soon
realizes he’s been double crossed, and Luke was the Thief all along. An
architect of evil, Luke returns to tear down the perimeter defences of Camp Half-Blood
and wants to bring Kronos back to life. Appears: PJ:TLF, PJ:SOM
MANTICORE –
A prominent figure in Kronos’s army, the manticore has a human face, a lion’s
body and a long, scorpion-like tale that can shoot spikes. It’s probably never
had much luck on a blind date. Appears: PJ:SOM
MEDUSA – A
proprietor of statuary in New Jersey,
Medusa is a gorgon with snakes for hair, from whom a single direct glance can
turn people to stone. Percy cleverly uses the mirrored back of his iPod Touch
to avoid her gaze. See also: Auntie Em’s Gnome Emporium. Appears: PJ:TLF,
PJ:SOM
MINOTAUR,
THE – A monster with the head of a bull on the body of a man, the minotaur is
the first creature Percy is able to defeat when he is indoctrinated into the
world of the Olympians. Appears: PJ:TLF
MISS DODDS
– Percy’s pre-algebra teacher is scary enough for the subject she teaches, but
it soon transpires that she’s not just a harbinger of math. In fact, she’s
Alecto in disguise, who’s one of the three Furies, and a chief servant to
Hades. She attacks Percy on a field trip and is seen off by Chiron, precipitating
Percy’s introduction to the world of the Olympians. Appears: PJ:TLF
MIST, THE –
A supernatural force controlled by the goddess Hecate, the Mist twists a
mortal’s sight into masking the extraordinary with the ordinary, allowing
Cyclopes like Tyson to mix with mortals without freaking them out: as long as
the Mist lasts, he appears to have two eyes. Olympians can see through the Mist
and get to the truth of things. Appears: PJ:TLF, PJ:SOM
OLYMPIC
PARCEL SERVICE (OPS) – The Olympian equivalent of a courier service, the OPS is
a complex parcel delivery system run by Hermes. And since he’s the official
messenger of the Gods, you can expect a pretty speedy service. See also:
Hermes. Appears: PJ:SOM
OLYMPUS –
The home of the Olympian gods, Olympus can be reached through a portal located
atop the Empire State Building.
It is here that the Gods commune and Zeus reigns as King. Appears: PJ:TLF
PARTHENON (NASHVILLE) – A complete replica of the Parthenon in
Ancient Greece, naturally
and logically located in Nashville,
Tennessee. Percy goes to this
replica Parthenon to recover one of Persephone’s pearls, and while he’s there
inadvertently installs a new exhibit: the stone-frozen Hydra he’s forced to
battle. Appears: PJ:TLF
PERCY JACKSON – The hero of our
story, Percy Jackson’s mom Sally had Percy after a fling with Poseidon. Kept
from the Olympian world for a long time, Percy thinks his ADHD and Dyslexia
make him a bit of a loser, but he soon learns how to turn them into an
advantage. He’s been the champion of many successful quests. Appears: PJ:TLF,
PJ:SOM
PERSEPHONE
– Hades’ wife is actually his prisoner, kept in the Underworld against her will
and desperate to escape. She has secret visitors whom she summons by sending
pearls into the real world. She takes quite a shine to Grover. See also:
Persephone’s pearls. Appears: PJ:TLF
PERSEPHONE’S
PEARLS – Percy and the gang must collect three of Persephone’s pearls,
scattered throughout the United
States, in order to journey to the
Underworld and confront Hades. They’re not available in stores. See also:
Persephone. Appears: PJ:TLF
POLYTHEMUS
– What’s angrier than a Cyclops? Try a blind Cyclops. Percy and friends must
travel to Polyphemus’s lair, in Circeland, to recover the Golden Fleece and
rescue Grover. Polythemus won’t make this very easy at all. See also:
Circeland. Appears: PJ:SOM
PRINCESS
ANDROMEDA, THE – A pretty impressive cruise ship captained by Luke Castellan,
the Princess Andromeda serves as the HQ for Kronos’s army and houses Kronos’s
sarcophagus. See also: Kronos, Luke Castellan. Appears: PJ:SOM
RIPTIDE –
Percy’s sword looks like a pen when it’s not in use, making it really
convenient for those long, already-arduous quests demigods are always going on.
But when it’s needed, it transforms in record time, and may well be the best
inanimate bronze friend Percy has. Appears: PJ:TLF, PJ:SOM
SEA OF MONSTERS, THE – Mortals know it as the
Bermuda Triangle, and the Mist prevents them from seeing the monsters that are
responsible for all the famous disappearances there. You’ll find the likes of
Polythemus, Scylla and Charybdis there, if you’re reckless enough to visit.
Appears: PJ:SOM
SIREN
COFFEE – To a Mist-affected mortal, this is like any of the other numerous
chains of stores catering to caffeine addicts. But to Olympians, it’s a
one-stop shop for all your Ambrosial needs.
Staffed by Hekatonkheires, you can be guaranteed of the fastest service
a hundred pairs of hands can manage. See also: Hekatonkheire. Appears: PJ:SOM
THALIA’S
TREE – Located at the final resting place of the demigod Thalia, daughter of
Zeus, who gave her life to save her friends as she rushed toward Camp
Half-Blood, Thalia’s Tree was created by Zeus to preserve his daughter’s soul.
It stands watch over the entrance to the camp and provides a magical barrier to
ward off danger. Appears: PJ:SOM
TYSON – If
life in an Olympian world isn’t confusing enough on its own for Percy, he soon
discovers he has a Cyclops half-brother. Tyson and Percy don’t hit it off
immediately, though Percy soon warms to Tyson’s love and loyalty. Appears:
PJ:SOM
UNDERWORLD,
THE – The domain of Hades, the gateway to this hellish world is where one might
imagine: Los Angeles.
Percy, Annabeth and Grover must journey to the Underworld to save Percy’s
mother, kidnapped by Hades. Appears: PJ:TLF
