Kalimera
Background: Centuries before the birth of Christ, the master artisan and mage Phidias crafted twelve avatars for the gods of Olympus. These avatars took the form of masks, the Masks of Dii Consentes, of which one is dedicated to Apollo. Apollo (Greek Apollon) was the son of Zeus and Leto, and twin brother of Artemis. Artemis assisted her mother in giving birth to Apollo on the island of Delos when Hera made Leto's labor difficult out of jealousy for having slept with her husband. It was said that he was born on the seventh day on the seventh month, hence the number seven and the day is sacred to Him.
Apollo was a god of sunlight, oracular prophesy and visions as well as divination, healing / medicine, archery, law, order, moderation, and of the Muses in the arts, sciences, music and writing. Apollo was also associated with purification and truth. It was said that a lie could never fall from His lips, and as a result all oaths were sworn to Him as proof that they would not be broken. Apollo had many names: Pythios, Delphinian, Loxias, Phoebus (Greek Phoibos), Far-Darter, Distant Deadly Archer, Lukeios (Wolfish), Iatros (Physician), and Daphnephoros (Bay-Bearer), just to name a few. One of Artemis' requests of Her father was to have as many names as her dear brother.
Like all the gods of Olympus, Apollo had several sacred animals: the crow, the raven, the dolphin, the lion, the hawk, and the swan were all his favorites. But, Apollo as a god did not originate in Greece. Rather, he was brought over from the invading Dorians. One of the original spellings for his name is Apellon, and is Dorian in origin. In the Etruscan religion, he was known as Aplu. It was the Romans who called him Apollo, as they dropped the Greek letter nu (Roman letter n) at the end of his name, and we mostly know him as Apollo today as a result, but the actual spelling of his name is Apollon: Alpha, Pi, Omicron, Lambda, Lambda, Omega, Nu.
The most famous oracle in history was known as the Delphic Oracle, and while Gaea had it before Him, under His occupation was when it gained renown. The Pythia was His priestess, and in the beginning it had to be a young woman who was a virgin, and she would prophesy for Apollo on the seventh day of the month. As time passed, the words of the Pythia grew to become more in demand, and she prophesied more frequently and even would have two Pythias under her to replace her if need be. The Pythia would sit on a tripod while she inhaled burning bay leaves -- bay laurel being sacred to the god -- and would utter oracles while in trance. The end of the Delphic Oracle typically marks the end of the Hellenic period of religion for the ancients as far as most scholars are concerned.
Description:
Origin: Ostanes
Instruments: Blood
Casting:
System: Modus + Primus = difficulty is 5 normally / or with a unique instrument difficulty is (4 + 1) -2 = 3
Sphere: (Primus •)
Paradox:
Inspiration: Awakening the Mask of Apollo
Source Material: http://www.templeapollo.com/apollon.html
