You’re running through the heat of Asphodel, dodging bone-flinging skeletons and trying not to melt in the magma, when you suddenly realize the House of Hades feels... quiet. Too quiet. If you've spent any time in Supergiant Games’ masterpiece, you know that the atmosphere is half the draw. But for a long stretch of the early game, that melancholy lyre in the corner of the main hall stays dusty. That’s because Hades the gift of song isn't something you just find in a chest; it’s a multi-layered questline involving the most depressed musician in Greek myth and a very specific set of House Contractor commissions.
Honestly, the first time I saw Orpheus sitting there on his solitary stool, refusing to sing because he lost his "muse," I thought it was just flavor text. It’s not. It’s a mechanical unlock that changes the entire vibe of your home base. Getting Orpheus to find his voice again is one of the most rewarding narrative arcs in the game, mostly because the music in Hades is actually incredible. Darren Korb, the composer, basically turned Orpheus into a prog-rock/folk icon. But if you want to hear "Good Riddance" or "Lament of Orpheus" while you’re upgrading your mirror, you’ve got some work to do.
Why Orpheus Stopped Singing in the First Place
In the world of Hades, Orpheus isn't just a guest; he's the Court Musician who dared to try and sneak his wife, Eurydice, out of the underworld. We all know how that ended. He looked back. Now, he’s serving an eternal sentence, but the real punishment is his own grief. He’s convinced himself that without Eurydice, the music is gone.
To fix this, you have to play therapist while also being a prince of the underworld. It starts with conversation. You can’t rush it. Every time you die (and you will die a lot), you need to check in with him. If you see an exclamation point over his head, drop everything and talk to him. He’ll moan about his lost love, he’ll talk about the "solace of silence," and eventually, he’ll mention that he misses the feeling of the strings.
This is where the gift of song transition begins. You aren't just giving him a physical gift—though Nectar is required—you are restoring his purpose. Zagreus, being the persistent guy he is, basically bullies Orpheus back into artistry through sheer kindness and a few bribes to the House Contractor.
The House Contractor and the Lyre
You can't just tell Orpheus to "cheer up." You have to make it official. After a few conversations with Orpheus, you’ll eventually see a new work order appear at the House Contractor’s desk. This is usually where people get stuck. They look for something called "The Gift of Song," but it’s actually titled Court Musician's Sentence.
It costs one Diamond.
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In the early game, Diamonds are precious. You get them from beating the Bone Hydra in Asphodel for the first time with a specific weapon or through the Wretched Broker if you’re desperate. Spending a Diamond on a musician might feel like a waste when you could be upgrading your Stygian Blade, but trust me, it’s the trigger for everything that follows. Once you "commute" his sentence, he’s officially allowed to sing again. But he still won't. Not yet.
The Lyre in Your Room
While you're working on Orpheus, you should also buy the Musical Lyre for Zagreus's bedroom. It costs one Diamond too. Why? Because the game rewards you for engaging with music yourself. There’s a hidden prophecy called "The Gift of Song" (sometimes confused with the Orpheus quest itself) that requires Zagreus to actually learn how to play.
- Interact with the lyre every time you enter your room.
- At first, Zagreus will just make a horrible plink sound.
- Keep doing it. Hundreds of times.
- Eventually, he’ll start playing chords.
- Orpheus will start giving you tips.
This side-quest mirrors Orpheus's own journey. As you learn to play, he feels more motivated to perform. It's a subtle bit of game design that links the player's persistence with the NPC's recovery.
Meeting Eurydice: The Other Half of the Song
You can’t complete the Hades the gift of song arc without visiting the fiery forests of Asphodel. Specifically, you’re looking for the door with the exclamation point icon. Inside, you’ll find Eurydice. She’s awesome. She’s also surprisingly chill about the whole "staying in hell forever" thing, mostly because she’s busy cooking and singing her heart out.
When you meet her, she’s singing "Good Riddance." It’s a haunting, beautiful track. To get Orpheus to sing again, you have to become a literal messenger. You take her song back to him. You tell him she’s doing okay. You tell him she still sings.
This starts a back-and-forth that spans dozens of runs. You’ll give Nectar to Eurydice. You’ll give Nectar to Orpheus. You’ll watch as they both slowly realize that while they can’t be together physically (yet), their music can still connect. Eventually, Orpheus will ask for the sheet music or simply decide that he can't be silent anymore. The next time you walk into the House of Hades, the silence will be broken by a soft, melodic voice. It’s one of the best "vibe shifts" in gaming history.
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Unlocking the Full Soundtrack
Once the gift of song is restored, you unlock the ability to buy songs from the House Contractor. This uses Diamonds and sometimes Gems.
- Good Riddance: The Eurydice solo version.
- Lament of Orpheus: The heartbreaking solo he sings once he finds his voice.
- In the Blood: The heavy-hitting credit song.
- Hymn to Zagreus: A hilarious song Orpheus writes after Dionysus and Zagreus prank him into believing Zagreus is a primordial god of blood and terror.
The "Hymn to Zagreus" is actually a great example of the game’s humor. Zagreus basically tells a tall tale about how he was born from gore and madness, and Orpheus—being a literalist—turns it into an epic, terrifying ballad. It’s a rare moment of levity in a game that’s mostly about patricide and trauma.
Common Misconceptions About the Music Quest
People often think this is a linear quest. It’s not. Hades uses a "narrative queue" system. If you have five other scripts waiting to trigger (like stuff with Megaera or Nyx), Orpheus’s musical awakening might get pushed back.
Don't panic if you’ve spent the Diamond and he’s still silent. Just keep playing. Keep talking. Make sure you aren't ignoring Eurydice in Asphodel. If you skip her room because you’re trying to speedrun, you’re stalling the quest. Also, make sure you've given at least one Nectar to both of them. That's the "buy-in" for their personal stories to progress.
Another weird detail? Some players think you need to beat the final boss to hear him sing. You don't. You can actually have the House of Hades filled with music long before you ever see the surface. In fact, having the music playing makes the grind of the mid-game feel much less lonely.
Technical Details of the "Gift of Song" Prophecy
If you are looking at your Fated List of Minor Prophecies, "The Gift of Song" specifically refers to Zagreus learning the lyre. To complete it, you need to play the lyre in your room about 210 times. You don't have to do it all at once. Just strum it a few times every time you die.
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Once you reach the proficiency threshold, talk to Orpheus. He will acknowledge your skill, the prophecy will "fulfill," and you’ll get a handful of Gems. It’s a small reward for a lot of clicking, but for completionists, it’s a must. The real reward is that once this prophecy is done, Orpheus’s dialogue becomes much more encouraging and "mentor-like."
Taking it Further: The Reunion
Restoring the gift of song is actually just the prologue to the much larger "Musician and Muse" quest. If you want to actually bring Orpheus and Eurydice together, you’re looking at a massive investment of Titan Blood and Nectar.
- Reach Max Affinity with both (until the locked heart symbol appears).
- Buy the Singer's Companion from the House Contractor (this costs more Diamonds).
- Find the administrative privilege in the House of Hades to void the contract.
- Tell Orpheus he can go visit her.
When you finally walk into Eurydice’s room in Asphodel and see them singing together, it’s a genuine "goosebumps" moment. The audio switches to a duet version of "Good Riddance" that blends their voices perfectly. It’s the ultimate payoff for the hours you spent lugging Nectar and Diamonds around.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
If you’re staring at a silent House of Hades and want that music back, follow this priority list:
- Farm Diamonds: You need at least two—one for Orpheus’s sentence and one for the Lyre in your room. Use the Pact of Punishment on Heat 1 if you’ve already cleared the game once.
- Talk, Don't Sprint: Every time you return to the House, speak to Orpheus. Even if he says the same thing about his misery, it clears the dialogue queue.
- Visit the Exclamation Point: In Asphodel, always take the Eurydice path. Her dialogue is the trigger for Orpheus’s motivation.
- Strum the Lyre: Make it a habit. Wake up, pet Cerberus, strum the lyre, then go die in a dungeon.
- Check the Contractor: New songs won't appear until the previous ones are triggered by dialogue. If you see "The Music Stand" or anything related to the court musician, buy it immediately.
Getting the Hades the gift of song unlock isn't just about "beating" a quest. It’s about changing the soul of the game. Hades is a game about repetition, and that repetition is much easier to handle when you have a legendary musician singing about your failures in a way that makes them feel epic. Stop leaving him in silence; pay the Diamond and get the lyre tuned.
Once you’ve got the music flowing, your next goal should be checking the Fated List of Minor Prophecies for the "End to Torment" questline. This is the natural progression after the music returns, where you begin the heavy lifting of actually reuniting the lovers. It requires a lot more than just song, involving Sisyphus and Nyx, so start saving your Greater Ambrosia now.