Since Prometheus hadn't stolen the hearth coals from Olympus yet, humans were still very primitive. Because there was no safety for them to develop in, they were in relatively small numbers. The largest settlement one would find would be a small
They still hunted and ate their meat raw. What few tools they had were made by putting the sticks and stones around them together into something that could be used. Things like clothes were beyond their capabilities, so they were all naked. To make up for this, they grew more body hair to stay warm.
They had coarse hands and feet from the walking and use of their tools, and their bodies grew more hair to keep them warm.
They had knowledge of the Gods that created them, but they were too primitive to really understand anything.
The further north one went, the fewer humans there were, probably as a result of not having any fire to keep themselves warm. Luckily, there wasn't any autumn or winter in the Olympian domain yet, and the Mediterranean naturally had quite a temperate climate, so they could still survive.
But he also noticed that once he'd reached what would come later come to be known as Poland, the humans he came across were very different from the ones he'd seen before. They were fair instead of tan. They had blond hair and blue eyes instead of black hair and brown eyes. Hades also felt that there was something fundamentally different inside.
"Almost as if they aren't the same species..."
'But how? Why are they different? Is it the different environment? Or is the reason something more...divine?'
He knew that he was approaching Asgardian territory, so it wasn't out of the question that the humans here were influenced by their power. But he doubted that that was it. Since he knew that the tale of Prometheus creating humans was true, who was to say that the other tales for humanity's origins weren't also as true? Norse Mythology had its story, as did Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Abrahamic faiths, China and so on. Who's to say none of them were true?
It would provide a nice explanation for why humans had different skin, and why those of different skin colours all seemed to have physical differences. If they originally were all made differently, it stands to reason that there would be differences, either aesthetic or biological.
Hades decided to retreat back to Greece before he caused an incident among the Gods. He took his time wandering through the forests and over mountains and hills, before arriving in Epirus.
He could feel his power being strongest here. He could almost feel the Underworld around him without any action on his part.
It made sense, for this was the region where 3 of the 5 rivers of the underworld began in before congregating and going underground to flow into the Underworld and then Tartarus. The region felt almost like the nail keeping the Underworld tied down to the Earth.
"No wonder the House of Hades was originally located here."
He came across what appeared to be a very primitive village comprised of wooden huts made with stone tools. He had seen many such structures on his way there, but this one was special in the way that the inhabitants instinctively knew to fear him. He saw them visibly cower in his presence, some even going to the extent of trembling and shaking. This was very different compared to the other villages and tribes he had passed where the people's first thought was to kill him for being an outsider. He didn't even get to say a word before they starting screaming and charging at him with clubs and stone-tipped spears.
Thankfully, he could understand their speech to an extent, so he could simply ask them what was wrong. Hades walked right up to what he assumed to be the man in charge. He had a full black beard that was beginning to show signs of grey and wore what looked to be the most expensive clothing. He was clothed in furs and leather where most of the other villagers wore simple cloth or rags. And in times like these, the best always went to the man in charge.
"Why do you all fear me so?" Hades asked.
"Huh? What say?" he replied, speaking in a most simplistic manner.
'Of course. Language only properly developed with civilisation. And civilisation came after discovering fire. And Prometheus hasn't stolen any of Hestia's coals yet. Gotta dumb my speech down I guess.'
This was news to Hades, as he hadn't bothered trying to communicate with any humans before this. It reminded him of when he would speak to his younger brothers who were still learning to speak, but that was another him, in another world far out of his reach.
'It's probably the fact that they are speaking a very basic form of Greek that is allowing me to understand their broken speech.
"You," he said, pointing at this villagers. "No like me," at that, he pointed at himself. "Why?"
"Hmm," the assumed village head said, stroking his beard. "Smell of bad river."
'Smell of bad river? What river?'
"You no know? Come. Me show river." My confusion must've shown on my face because the next thing I knew, he and a band of 4 warriors were guiding me through the surrounding forest. We were being guided by the first 4 warriors his eyes seemed to find in the crowd, and he ordered them to follow the two of us similar to how an overbearing boss may come into a room and point out some employees to do a job, leave the firm or whatever it is they want.
'So he really was top dog. How embarrassing would it be if a god couldn't figure that out?'
As they led me through the forest, Hades found that he seemed to feel more and more at ease and in tune with his surroundings. It was almost like approaching one's own home, the feeling that you were closing in on the place you were most comfortable within in all the world.
'There is no way this is just a feeling. The river must be related to me somehow.'
When they got to the end of the forest, a small river about 20-30 feet across lay before him. Its waters were clear and beautiful, its beauty amplified by the surrounding flora and fauna. But that beauty was merely a mask he discovered, because this river indeed could be considered cursed, at least to mortals.
'Mortals who know no better would obviously call the River of Woe a cursed river.'
From where he stood, he could feel the aura of pain and misery emanating from the Acheron as its waters flowed by his feet. He could almost see the souls of the damned suffering in pain.
He placed his hand on the water and tried to cup some of it into his hand before a man appeared before him.
"Greetings, Lord Hades. It's a surprise to find you here."
The man wore a white robe typical of the Greek gods of this time with a blue and purple sash over his shoulder. His eyes were as clear and blue as the water he came from and his features as Greek as they came, with black hair, slightly tan skin and all the rest.
"Ah, Acheron. I'm just passing by."
It appeared that the small exchange had terrified the men that had come with me because the instant they heard 'Hades', they both lowered themselves in prostration, their bodies shaking and trembling in absolute fear.
"Please give mercy," the one in charge said. "We not know you Hades."
'So they know of the gods. I shouldn't be surprised by that.'
"No worries, no worries," he said. "I not tell you me is Hades."
Acheron seemed to find this entire development baffling.
"My Lord, why do you lower yourself to speak with the humans in this way? Surely speaking in such a barbaric manner is beneath someone such as yourself," Acheron said, making his displeasure known.
"It would be beneath me if I cared about such things," Hades replied. "Tell me, Acheron. Why is communicating in such a way beneath me?"
"Of course, it's because you are clearly of greater status. How could such a primitive and barbaric race truly comprehend the words of a god such as yourself?"
"But is that not a failing on our part?" he questioned. "Humanity was created in the image of Gods and Titans. So is it not our fault that they cannot speak and act as we do?"
Acheron had no way to respond. He just seemed to slightly nod, but whether in agreement or not was unknown. But what Hades did know was that his words gave hope to the men prostrating before him.
"You mean what say you?" one of the warriors said, before getting elbowed by the man by his side.
"Yes, I mean all of it," Hades found himself saying. He had already seen what humanity was able to achieve, with structures reaching the clouds and technology capable of reaching the stars. "You were made in our image, so you lower all of us acting like savages."
His words caused him to step back for a moment.
'Lower all of us for acting like savages? What in the world am I saying? I was a human not that long ago goddammit! Why am I saying these words?'
The only answer he could come up with was that the original Hades' character was slowly bleeding into his own personality, and he would be lying if that didn't unnerve him. It was also for that reason that he immediately bade both Acheron and the humans farewell before teleporting to his palace. Although he had found a suitable group to bring into his own realm, he felt that it would be prudent to first find out all the changes to himself before making changes to other people.
It appeared his rebirth had more to it than he originally thought.