orpheus

This is a canon dialogue dump, with some notes sprinkled in there. It's a work in progress!

I retrieved the dialogue by going through the game's files, specifically the NPCData Lua file. I opened it with WordPad and combed through it.

Zagreus describes him as "quite musically inclined, a little dour, impressive hair."
Eurydice? "Spindly little thing, whiny voice."

I'm of the opinion that Eurydice is taller than him. Tall Orpheus is good too though

"Thom Yorke, or Radiohead — they’re always in there. They’re always an influence. But specifically I imagined a ‘when Thom Yorke sings in falsetto’ kind of vibe for the stuff I might write for Orpheus."

His parentage is not clear in the game. Zagreus asks if Apollo really did teach him to sing. Orpheus says:

"Oh, why, I learned from many different sources, Zagreus. That is before all of my inspiration started coming from a single source. I credit my accomplishments to her, and to Apollo, and the gods. And to considerable time spent practicing!"

Achilles describes him in the Codex as having a "fiery resolve" when he was alive -- makes sense that Orpheus isn't afraid to refuse Hades now
Orpheus made a deal when he was trying to bring Eurydice back, but the game does not make details clear. Was becoming court musician part of the deal?
Orpheus gives you a choice between 3 songs at some point: In The Blood, The Lament, and Argonauts. (He does not sing any of them.)

If you pick Argonauts, Zagreus asks him, "didn't you sail with them?" but Orpheus doesn't answer yes or no.
On top of this, you can hear the Lament and In The Blood later, but Argonauts never gets mentioned again. Please Supergiant I would like the Argo lore...

Achilles: "Your father was none too pleased with [Orpheus] last time I saw him here. I tried my best to simmer down the situation, but... you know how it goes. I hope your father cuts his sentence short."

This is a really small detail, but it intrigues me. It is never expanded upon. Achilles and Orpheus have circumstances in the game that are similar, and I would have liked to see them interact more.

Nyx: "Your father's temperament is easier to navigate when he is in relatively better spirits. And my opinion is that punishing the court musician does not further your father's goal with him."
Zagreus notices Orpheus has been gone for a concerning length of time, but the actual amount of time Orpheus spent in there is uncertain
Do the gods have a different perception of time? Is everyone's perception of time in the Underworld just messed up?

When Orpheus gets out of there Hades tells him he has "100 years" and not a moment more to sing. Is Hades being ridiculously lenient, or is he giving him a reasonable amount of time? Whichever one that is, Orpheus won't sing, even if it means going to Tartarus again.

Orpheus on why he won't sing:"Why, it's that I've lost my muse, my friend. Have you not had such moments in your life, where you had lost the will to chase your passions?"
Zagreus makes it his mission to inspire Orpheus again. He begins telling Orpheus about his exploits, often exaggerating them wildly.
When Zagreus asks if his feats are inspiring enough for a song, Orpheus bluescreens.

"Oh, that's a rather bold insinuation, Zagreus. I don't know that I've the will for that, I... just, I need some time to think, is that alright?"

His refusal to sing involves not just depression, but also defiance. I wouldn't want to sing for Hades either!

Zagreus:"Anything I can do to help you find your muse, mate?"
Orpheus:"I fear my muse is long since lost to me, my friend, though truly, thanks for asking. I suppose she must be out there somewhere still, since I once traveled 'cross this land in search of her, and found her there. But that was quite a while back."

Zagreus:"Mate, if you don't mind, I'd love it if you told me more about your muse."
Orpheus: "My muse... never has somebody been as splendorous as my Eurydice...! She was so gentle, yet so stout of heart that it would make yours ache, just thinking on it. She inspired innumerable songs of mine."

Orpheus tells Zagreus not to open it "unless of course you wanted to set loose a cherished living memory of mine, and take from me that fleeting bit of joy?"
When you go to Eurydice's with it equipped, Eurydice senses it.

Eurydice: "Hold on, hon, is that... huh! Almost felt like Orpheus was with you there. Would you listen to me? Must have been singing too many high notes, or something."
Zagreus: "No, wait, you're onto something... I think you must have sensed Orpheus' Distant Memory! He gave it to me as a keepsake of our friendship. Though, something like this... I feel like it should belong to you."
Eurydice: "Oh, that's him in there all right! See, I never should have second-guessed myself. Well, you hang onto that, as I've got plenty memories of him already, thanks!"

"Who can explain the secret art of Daedalus, my friend? Know only that, whenever it produces music for your listening enjoyment, that the sound you hear is coming from my soul!"
He gets so excited when he says this line, it's cute

Eurydice: "Not much luck teaching Orphy how to cook, but he can sing, all right!"
Hermes asks you to say hi to Orpheus at one point, and it's just... really funny:

Orpheus: "Oh, that was kind of him, my friend! When I first ventured deep into this realm, whilst searching for the soul of my lost muse... after I failed utterly, it was Lord Hermes who whisked her away. It happened so fast. He did an excellent job!"
Similar genre: "Almighty Nyx appears to tolerate my presence, Zagreus. For she could cast me into everlasting darkness if my song failed to be pleasing to her. She is a most discerning listener!"