How did I come up with the name Kallisti?

Its a convoluted story, so lets start with the basics: The word ‘Kallisti’ is Greek and translated means roughly “For the prettiest one”.

In Greek Mythology, it was inscribed on a golden apple created by Eris, the goddess of discord (no not the app!) and disharmony to cause trouble at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, held by the Gods of Olympus which she had not been invited to. Of course all the Gods and Goddesses  though it was for them and eventually it came down to a choice between Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. Zeus did not wish to be in trouble with any of them so decreed that Paris, a mortal man from the city of Troy should make the judgement.

However, Aphrodite bribed Paris to chose her by offering him Helen, supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world, but at the time the wife of the Greek King Menelaus. Paris naturally chose Aphrodite, stealing Helen from her husband and thus beginning the Trojan Wars.

Thats the back story so how did I get involved? On arrival at University in 1979, I discovered a series of books published in the mid 70s called The Illumintus! Trilogy fnord.

I was hooked on the books and this was my first introduction to the concept of Discordianism where the word Kallisti has great symbolism fnord.

At the same time as reading these books, I started my first games of Dungeons and Dragons (without the Advanced!) and my first character was a fighter called Malaclypse, the name of one of the authors of the Pincipia Discordia, the founding document of the Discordians and also from the Illumintus Trilogy. When he died in a room full of Kobolds (yes, yes I know!) I re-rolled and made a thief and called her Kallisti, keeping with the theme of names/words from the books.

…and the rest is history…