Hello, and welcome to the story. My name is Janus and I will be your guide through the next few adventures. You probably don’t know who I am - hardly anyone does anymore. Despite my insignificance, I am still present in your lives. The month January? That’s me. I’ll tell you more about me later; I don’t want you getting caught up in my story first. Life is tough for us minor godlings, and we need to stick together. I'm glad to see someone that cares enough to read about our stories. You have no idea how many of us lie forgotten, fading away to obscurity as people cease to believe in our existence. It's particularly rough for those of us who were used to at least some worship. We never got as much as the Big 12, but still... for example, you've heard of the Vestal Virgins, right? Those go back to Hestia. She was once praised and sacrificed to every day, and not just by impressive people in big temples, but the ordinary, common folk who just wanted her to keep their fires burning overnight.
I suppose I should tell you who I am and why you're here. Like I said before, my name is Janus, god of change and gatekeeper of all doors. Like most of the beings you'll hear about, I'm more important than I seem. Sure, I never had a big throne on top of Mount Olympus, but that doesn't mean I don't take my job seriously. Just look at my faces and you'll see how much my role defines me. I represent beginnings and endings, like how January is the movement from one year into the next. And I’m not even the only divinity of doors; I don’t want anyone to forget Cardea, goddess of the door hinge. My job would be impossible without her. Like I said, the minor godlings stick together. As the god of change, I am aware of past, present, and future and can show you all. I'm not very fond of humans - you always disappoint me - but I will be telling you stories about minor gods and goddesses who absolutely love humans, and you guys have thrown it right back in their faces, all because they weren't big enough for you. I'm going to tell you stories from their lifetimes, ways that they made sacrifices and helped you, or even just the big moments in their lives that made them who they are. Or, rather, who they were. Belief in them has faded with their diminishing importance, and, with that, their life forms. So, you could say, this is a matter of life and death. Think of this as a scrapbook of memories for you to reflect upon these forgotten gods and goddesses and their work. We may be small, but we are mighty. And, frankly, we do a lot more work than the Big Guys up there on Olympus, especially in terms of keeping humans alive from day to day. But like I said, this is life and death, I'm not going to keep on jabbering: let's dive right in.