CAMP HALF-BLOOD

Greetings, my fellow half-bloods. It's me again, Anonymous. I had to keep that name if I wanted to remain anonymous, so I hope you won't mind since I'm not planning to introduce myself anytime soon. I am just here, once again, to introduce to you the Camp Half-Blood. But this time, I'll make things more detailed just in case you were confused. I would like to give a tour around the camp. (Yes, dumbo, I'm not lazy like you so I'm touring them. Now go away.)

Camp Half-Blood is a Greek demigod training facility directed by Dionysus (yes, the god of wine who tends to scare off campers for good) whom we all call "Mr. D". Do not poke fun of his name, of he'll probably give you hell on training, at it's best. Okay, so the camp has magical borders enforced by the Golden Fleece, which was found by the finest heroes of their generation. 

I'd like to tour you around to the cabins first before we go on with the other places and activities held.

Cabins.

There used to be only twelve cabins - which are the 12 cabins representing the Olympian deities, excluding Hades - but now, we have a total of 20 because with the addition of the minor gods and as well Hades.

The first cabin is Cabin One, the cabin representing the god of the sky, Zeus. Mostly, children of Zeus is rare because of the pact of the Big Three. But hey, the oath was broken when the three of them had children anyway. Let's get back to the topic. Most of the children of Zeus control wind and lightning. They are natural leaders and many, like Heracles, are known for their tremendous strength and bravery. On the other hand, they tend to attact a lot of monsters. Zeus' symbol is Eagle.

The second cabin is Cabin Two, the cabin representing the god of marriage, mother and families, and the wife of Zeus, Hera. As the goddess of marriage, Hera never had children with anyone except for her own husband, Zeus. Her cabin is thus never occupied and serves only a tribute to the goddess. Hera's symbol is pomegranate, cow (the motherly animal – no comments, please!), peacock.

The third cabin is Cabin Three, the cabin representing the sea god, Poseidon. Children of Poseidon is also rare because of the pact of the Big Three, yes, but as I said, the oath was broken when the three of them sired children. Poseidon's children have many possible abilities - for example, controlling water and breathing under water. Poseidon is also the father of many lesser Cyclopes. Poseidon's symbol is the three-pointed trident.

The fourth cabin is Cabin Four, the cabin representing the goddess of agriculture, Demeter. This goddess of agriculture tends to have kids with real green thumbs! Her most famous child is Persephone, goddess of springtime, but her demigod children also tend to be good-looking, good-natured, and good with plants. Just don't get them mad, or you may find poison ivy growing in your sleeping bag. Demeter's symbol is Torch, Corn plant.

The fifth cabin is Cabin Five, the cabin representing the god of war, Ares. It's hard to miss the Ares cabin, with it's barbed wire perimeter, angry red walls, and rock music blaring inside. Go anywhere near the Ares cabin, and you're asking for a fight. The children of Ares are proud of their reputation as warriors. On the bright side, the Ares campers are brave, and have often defended the camp from its enemies. Ares' symbol is a bloody spear, and a wild boar.

The sixth cabin is Cabin Six, the cabin representing the goddess of wisdom, war and useful arts, Athena. Athena's children have always been the camp's "think tank". They tend to plan the best strategies and give the best advice. The children of Athena can sometimes get too wrapped up in their own plans, and they aren't above trickery to get what they want. If you're on the opposite side during capture-the-flag, watch out. Athena's symbol is an owl.

The seventh cabin is Cabin Seven, the cabin representing the god of archery, music, poetry, prophecy, medicine and the sun, Apollo. The children of Apollo are some of the best archers (though the Hunters of Artemis would contest this). Cabin Seven is also famous for their musical talents , and often take the lead at the camp sing-along. If you get on their bad side, the campers can call down Apollo's curse and make you speak in bad rhymes, so watch what you say. Apollo's symbol is the lyre, and a laurel wreath.

The eighth cabin is Cabin Eight, the cabin representing the goddess of the moon, hunt, and young maidens, and the twin sister of Apollo, Artemis. Artemis swore to be an eternal maiden, so she has no children. Normally, her cabin at camp is empty. However, the goddess does an immortal band of followers known as the Hunters of Artemis, and these young ladies do sometimes visit Camp Half-Blood. Usually, this leads to a great deal of trouble. Artemis' symbol is the moon, and a dear.

The ninth cabin is the Cabin Nine, the cabin representing the god of blacksmith and fire, Hephaestus. The god of fire and blacksmiths, Hephaestus has demigod children who are great craftsmen. Want a magic sword forged or a new set of armor? Cabin Nine is the place to go. Like their father, the campers of Hephaestus tend to be strong and gruff. They may not be pretty, and they may not be the flashiest warriors in the battlefield, but you do not want to get in an arm-wrestling with these guys. Hephaestus' symbols are an anvil and a hammer.

The tenth cabin is the Cabin Ten, the cabin representing the goddess of love and beauty, and the wife of Hephaestus, Aphrodite. These kids make the Gossip Girls look like introverts. These children of love goddess are all about socializing. They are sometimes dismissed as shallow, because they are very concerned with apprearances, and like nothing better than to dish who is dating whom at camp, but some Aphrodite children also have valuable skills. You should never dismiss a child of Aphrodite as just a pretty face. After all, Aphrodite started the Trojan War! Aprhodite's symbol is the dove, which is odd, since it’s a symbol of peace and Aphrodite started a war, but oh well. Looks are everything.

The eleventh cabin is the Cabin Eleven, the cabin representing the God of Roadways, Travelers, Merchants and thieves, Hermes. Formerly, the cabinw as the "catchall" place for any campers who aren't claimed by their godly parents. As the god of travelers, Hermes welcomes anyone to be his guest. These days, the cabin is less crowded, but still a busy, hectic, and fun place to hang out. The Hermes kids are notorious pranksters, but like their father, they are clever and love to adventure. Many children of Hermes have become successful business men, or thieves, or both. Just keep your wallet close when you visit Cabin Nine. Hermes' symbol is the caduceus.

The twelveth cabin is the Cabin Twelve, the cabin representing the god of wine (Our camp director), Dionysus. The god of wine doesn't have many demigod children, but Cabin Twelve is certainly the place to go if you want to plan a party. The children of Dionysus have a natural ability to grow wine plants, especially grapes, as they always know how to have fun. Note: Zeus has forbidden Dionysus to drink alcohol for the next fifty years as a punishment, and Dionysus make sure his own children don't even think about drinking until they are twenty-one. After all, why should they be allowed to do something he can't? Dionysus' symbol is the leopard and the grape vine.

The thirteenth cabin is the Cabin Thirteen, the cabin representing the god of the underworld, Hades. Like the other "Big Three" gods, Hades promised himself not to have any children after the Second World War, but he did hide away two siblings - who became great heroes of their generation along as that who had the Golden Fleece retrieved and that who made the gods take an oath to the River Styx to give respect for the other minor gods as well. Children of Hades weren't commonly mentioned in Greek Mythology. Then again, it's not really something most demigods would brag about as it tends to scare people off. Hades' symbol is the helm of darkness.

The fourteenth cabin is the Cabin Fourteen, the cabin representing the goddess of rainbow and the messenger of the gods, Iris. Iris is a friendly goddess. Her children don't tend to have flashy powers, though they have great communication skills and tend to make great artists. Color Coordination? No problem if you are a child of the rainbow goddess. 

The fifteenth cabin is the Cabin Fifteen, the cabin representing the god of sleep, Hypnos. The god of sleep has several demigod children, but not much is known about them because they spend most of their time snoring in their bunks. If you could wake them up, however, they would probably great at interpreting dreams. Spend too long in Cabin Fifteen, and you might find yourself taking a Rip Van Winkle nap.

The sixteenth cabin is the Cabin Sixteen, the cabin representing the goddess of revenge, Nemesis. The children of Nemesis believe in revenge, but also balance. No one should get too full of themselves, or they deserve to be brought down, and the children of Nemesis are happy to make that happen! They can make good allies, but they never every forget an insult. 

The seventeenth cabin is the Cabin Seventeen, the cabin representing the goddess of victory, Nike. The goddess of victory was a popular figure to worship at ancient times, so it's not a surprise a lot of demigod children have been appearing at camp lately. Talk about super-competitive, the children of Nike live for contests, and never settle for second best. They can be pretty intense and driven, but they are hard workers and tough opponents. They never turn down a challenge.

The eighteenth cabin is the Cabin Eighteen, the cabin representing the goddess of youth, Hebe. Hebe, the goddess of youth, is best known as the cupbearer to the gods. She is also Aphrodite's personal assistant. Because of this, her children are ultimate "people people". They love to do community service and make others happy. They delight in parties and fiests, and love to serve their friends. They also tend to maintain a  youthful appearance no matter how old they are.

The ninteenth cabin is the Cabin Nineteen, the cabin representing the goddess of good luck and fortune, Tyche. Her cabin looks like a miniature of Las Vegas casino. Her children loves games of chance, but whatever you do, dont bet against them, because they have an uncanny ability of winning when it seems least likely. Their behavior often seems random but somehow, they always seem to come out ahead.

The twentieth cabin is the Cabin Twenty, the cabin representing the goddess of magic, crossroads and ghosts, Hecate. Hecate's demigods are the only demigods who can truly cast magic. They are the original sorcerers. The goddess of magic can be a tough parent, however, her children must prove their worth and study hard to master their skills. Magic also has a way of twisting around on the user, so if the child of Hecate isn't careful, their spells can do more harm than good.

So now that you have familiarized yourselves with the gods, the cabins and their children, I may now give you a tour around the Camp. Well, the Camp isn't that big (you wish), so I guess this will only take a few minutes (or hours).

Places.

Cabins. Yes, we already got there.

Camp Borders. The camp borders are designed to keep mortals, monsters, bad weather and many other things out of the camp. Only campers, satyrs, gods, some mortals and monsters who were given the permission by a camper may enter through the border. Once, the border was protected by many things, the most notable being a strong copper dragon. In modern times, it is passively — but effectively — defended by the magical barrier generated by Thalia's tree, created by her dad, Zeus, in her dying moments as he took pity on her.

The Big House. The Big House, is where the Oracle of Delphi resides. (Yes, the current Oracle, since last time, Apollo offered the Oracle a cave, but now the new host resides back in the Big House) It also is a main meeting place for the leaders of the cabins for major problems and ideas before any quests. Dionysus and Chiron enjoy playing pinochle on the front porch, the greatest game invented by man (along with Pac-Man and gladiator fighting) according to Dionysus.

Pegasus Stables. This is where they store the pegasi (and horses).  The Demeter cabin is in charge of the pegasi riding lessons, but Aphrodite's cabin helps every now and then. Every few times, some demigod(s) would take pegasi lessons from one of the other demigods from Aphrodite's cabin. It is also shown that Chiron does not like the stables very much.

Amphitheater. Nightly sing-alongs are held here, along with other gatherings like end-of-camp ceremony and occassionally shroud burnings when demigods don't come back alive. 

Climbing Wall. The lava wall, a climbing wall, is said to pour lava out for an “extra challenge”. If the camper does not get to the top quickly the walls clash together and the camper's clothes are soaked with lava (actually torn to only threads).

Archery Field. The Archery Field is where archery is taught and practiced at Camp Half-Blood. This subject is taught by Chiron who sometimes has the help of Apollo's cabin.

Sword Fighting Arena. Sword fighting classes are held here, along with challenges. Duels are not usually to the death - at least, not on purpose.

Armory. This is where the campers get their weapons. It is a big metal shed around the side of Athena's cabin. It has quite a large collection of swords, spears, clubs and even shotguns. Every camper gets a weapon, but the Hephaestus' cabin makes their own. The armory is confused as the camp forge.

Forge. There are white marble columns lining walls stained with soot. Chimneys on the roof pump smoke over a gable with carvings of gods and monsters. The forge is located at the edge of a stream, with waterwheels spinning bronze gears. Always, campers hear machinery working, fires crackling, and the sound of hammers against metal. Inside are tables full of projects and weapons, and there was also a big wall map of the camp, used to plan traps to catch the bronze dragon. Hephaestus' children are often, or always, working in the forges.

Dining Pavilion. The dining pavilion is where the campers eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food served is a diet primary of grapes, cheese, bread, and extra lean, nymph-cut barbecue and you can ask whatever you want to drink (although Coke doesn't have the same flavor). Each cabin has their own tables and campers are not allowed to sit at a table that is not their cabin's.  The tables are covered with a white tablecloth fringed with purple. At the center of the pavilion is the bonfire. It is lit during the dinners. At the beginning of each meal, each cabin takes turns going up to the fire and dropping in a share of their best food as an offering for the gods (because the gods like the smell). Hestia, goddess of the hearth, gets a portion of each offering.

Clinic. This is where wounded and injured campers are taken to be healed. Apollo's children are mostly the ones who help with the healing.

The Forest. The woods are where dryads live and monsters were stocked. It is known as a dangerous place, and no one should ever go there unless they were armed or with a companion. The campers play capture-the-flag in the woods every Friday, and sometimes hunt for monsters to fight as training, such as when Quintus brought scorpions from Triple G Ranch.

Now that we are done with the places, I would like to introduce to you the camp activities, traditions, and some other stuffs you might want to know.

About us.

Breakfast and Cabin Inspection. This is done eveyday by cabin leaders, though every cabin leader takes turns. Whoever gets the cleanest cabin gets to have a price, and whoever gets to have the dirtiest cabin would have to do chores as punishment.

Curfew is at 11:00pm sharp, every night, unless campers are given express permission to be out after then for a special event. This means that campers are all expected to be in their respective cabins by then, no questions asked. If a demigod is found out and wandering, Dionysus might just turn them into a shrub. Or give them a month’s worth of bathroom cleaning duties. Or worse. 

Activities:

Winged Horseback Riding (with Demeter Cabin)

Archery (with Chiron)

Canoe Races (with Naiads)

Climbing Walls (with Satyrs)

Capture the Flag

Chariot Race

Monster Assault Techniques (with Hermes Cabin)

*A list of common Chores include, but are not limited to: Preparing Lunch, Checking Storage, Cleaning Stables, Picking Strawberries, Polishing Armor, Cleaning Cabins, Laundry, Chopping Wood, Making Fireworks

*A list of common Activities include, but are not limited to: Making Weapons, Riding the Rapids, Wrestling, Volleyball, Climbing the Wall, Arts and Crafts

*A list of common Competitions include, but are not limited to: Volleyball League, Unarmed Combat, Archery Knockout, Time Trials, Trials of Strength, Wrestling competitions, Capture the Flag

This is, for the most part, a rough idea of what a day in the life of a demigod would be like. Not everyone’s schedule is made the same, but the hours the Mess Hall is open is the same for everyone. At the end of the day, the entire camp is expected to congregate in the Ampitheater and participate in the campfire singalong as a sign of unity. For the most part, the schedule is malleable and carried out on an entirely voluntary basis by the campers (as in, this is not a school – they are not FORCED to attend class and so forth) – although if you skip one too many chore obligations/lessons/training sessions…well, Chiron and Mr. D can make your life very difficult.

Meals consist primarily of various fruits and vegetables, cheeses, whole wheat breads, and extra lean barbeques. The presence of junk foods are supposedly forbidden, but during special occasions banquets are thrown where organic pizzas and healthy burgers are served, as well as Mr. D’s version of diet Coke. Overall, the food served is quite healthy. Before each meal, campers sacrifice a portion of their food to the bonfire in the middle of the pavilion as a thank you to the Gods.