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Kratos has fought a multitude of mythical foes over his past five adventures, ranging from a Kraken to the Gods themselves. However, our anti-hero really has his work cut out for him in God of War: Ascension, as the Furies look to be the most intimidating enemies he's had to face thus far.

Revealed at PAX Prime 2012, the Furies are creatures tasked with the judgment of mortals. We get a good look at one of the Furies, depicted as a female soldier with four lengthy arms sprouting from her back, in the above trailer. Expect Kratos to rip those arms off one by one.

However, she won't be the only Fury appearing in God of War: Ascension, as the trailer hints at two other variations. After the female Fury - who is, surprisingly, fully clothed - kills the Spartan soldier, the trailer transitions to an image of three Furies, two of which are missing the arachnid-esque arms.

So, what exactly are the Furies? A quick Google search shows that the name "Furies" actually comes from Roman mythology, and that the trio is referred to as "Erinyes" in Greek mythology. This in line with statements from Sony Santa Monica's Stig Asmussen that Greek mythology is finished - though it's worth noting that "The Furies" is probably easier to market than "The Erinyes."

There is no widely agreed upon number of Furies, though three are commonly recognized: Alecto, Megaera and Tisiphone (some gamers may recall visiting the "Gates of Tisiphone" in God of War 3). Each of the Furies acts as a sort of bounty hunter, tracking down those who have committed crimes and, as the trailer details, "those who they deem to be guilty." Because those crimes include killing, players familiar with Greek mythology may wonder why the trio never attacked Kratos during the other games in the God of War series (which, remember, take place after the events of God of War: Ascension), and now we know why.

Because he probably kills them all.

God of War: Ascension releases March 12, 2013, for the PS3.

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