[hider=Apollo, in Falsehood]


[center][b]Then he saw that she had become a black bird upon a branch near to him. “A dangerous woman thou art,” said Cú Chulainn. [...] “It is at the guarding of thy death that I am; and I shall be,” said she.[/b][/center]

[center][b][u][h2]Apollo[/h2][/u][/b][/center]
[center][b][u]Mór-Ríoghain[/u][/b][/center]

[center][b]Titles and Roles:[/b][/center]
To the gods of Olympus and the mortals of Hellas, he is known as Apollo: god of Oracles, of healing, of archery and the arts, consummate entertainer of Olympus, and, to the eldest of the gods, former astrogator and consummate data-analyst, now prophet and font of mysterious knowledge. Furthermore, their impeccable skill in archery, largely made possible by their incredible aptitude for rapid analysis (and partly due to modifications made to the unique implants which allowed Apollo to operate the Antikythera), makes Apollo a deadly-accurate shot, and the Mórrigan a frighteningly precise warrior.

To herself she is not one, but rather three: Badb, Macha, and Anand. She is the battle-crow, bringer of fear and confusion. She is warfare and rightful kingship, the arbiter of sovereignty. She is the mother of the true gods, who will break the lies of Zeus from within and free the inhabitants of Hellas from his lies -- a goal she is, in practical terms, far from achieving, especially considering her obsessive belief that she quite literally is the Mórrigan.


[hider=Artifacts and Powers]

[b]The Antikythera Mechanism:[/b] Perhaps the most prominent and essential of Apollo's artifacts is that which allows them to serve as prophet -- the quantum computing device and network of computer intelligences that once formed an essential part of the ship's operation, which only Apollo, on departure from old Arith, was considered qualified to operate. The device, eventually dubbed the Antikythera Mechanism by Zeus, however, held a fundamental flaw -- the data it produced was so labyrinthine, so confusing, and so expansive that specialized processing implants, neurological restructuring, and training were all necessary to bring any sense to its more complex messages. It was only through plenty of honeyed words and sycophantic praise that Apollo was able to convince Zeus of the reality of the situation in a way that did not offend his bloated ego. There was no threat of the device’s destruction, however, without Apollo, there was no guarantee that it would ever work again or not simply, they threatened, drive an untrained user utterly insane.

Hence, Apollo was to be allowed use of the device, faithfully using it to predict the path of unexpected outbreaks of disease, to chart the course of wayward meteors and the stars, and to otherwise simulate possible futures with frightening -- but incredibly useful -- accuracy, all while selectively hiding that which they did not wish to be known when such things were possible.

The Antikythera, after all, could not predict everything... Though Apollo continues to tinker away at it, turning it towards matters of scientific research that have allowed them to access leaps and bounds of knowledge that would otherwise remain forever hidden. Nowadays, it is often turned toward the Mórrigan's -- not Apollo's -- most secretive projects, though it was once used to develop the complex pharmacological concoctions that have since become known as the god's blessings, and the purview of one of their cloned children, Asclepius.

To mortals, however, the Antikythera is both more and less simple: it is a ludicrously complex device which, through his divine nature, Apollo and only Apollo can comprehend, designed for this purpose by the Prophet himself.

[b]The Bow of Apollo:[/b] Originally a high-powered Pulsed Energy Projectile rifle, a weapon that fires a laser pulse and generates an explosion of plasma and electromagnetic energy on contact with a target, the legendary Bow of Apollo has since been altered to resemble strange cross between a bow and crossbow, though its string is, in reality, merely a light-emitting ornamental trigger. The Pulsed Energy Projectile, though a fundamentally well-understood technology by D.E.W. standards, is both incredibly potent and especially multifarious in its function as the bow of Apollo, capable of violently destroying circuitry, temporarily or permanently disrupting nerves (though generally indiscriminately), or simply burning and blowing holes through things by function of the explosive plasma it generates on contact -- on lethal settings. The weapon does not, in reality, require the nocking of arrows, but has nonetheless been modified to display holograms of this function, creating the illusion that Apollo is nocking arrows when the ‘trigger’ is drawn; in fact, it requires no ammunition at all, aside energy and something to strike.

[b]The Lyre of Apollo:[/b] Although a mythical device in its own right, said to have been gifted to Apollo by Hermes for reasons mortals dare only speculate about, the Lyre of Apollo is, in reality, just that -- a Lyre, admittedly made from the strange choice of material of a tortoise shell. It is not the device itself that gives ‘Apollo’ his incredible musical aptitude, but rather the deity’s expansive mind and centuries spent both studying music and understanding what makes people tick in a previous life that makes Apollo such an incredible musician and entertainer. Certainly, the medical alterations made to their neurology also play an important role in allowing them to juggle so much information.

[b]The Morrigan’s Blood:[/b] known only to the Morrigan, Asclepius, and a select few of the Korybantes, the Morrigan’s Blood was a complex infusion of body and mind-altering nanites and drugs, designed for the express purpose of allowing the ascendant goddess to shift her shape. The greatest creation of her and her children, whether any more can even be produced is a matter of mystery to even them, though the full course applied to her on those weeks of absence has long-since completed its work and actual information on its precise mechanisms of operation has mostly been destroyed to prevent its use against the tripartite goddess. In that sense, it is less an artifact even if it once was, and more accurately an innate aspect of her being.

The Phantom Queen, in essence, is now capable of radically altering her shape, from taking on the form of a strange crone, to a shapely, black-haired seductress, all the war to a horrifying warrior-queen whose hands form talons fully capable of rending apart metal. The modifications have their limits, however -- the Morrigan can only work with what transmutable mass she has available, requiring absolutely enormous intakes of food to replace that which has been shaped into the aforementioned talons after use, for example. Some of the gods may have noticed Apollo’s unusual change in appetite, however, the true nature of the cause of it is a closely-guarded secret.

Notably, also, the Blood has given the Mórrigan enhanced control over her voice, though not in a fashion anything like Hebe. Rather, in a convenient mirror of the myth itself, the Mórrigan's voice is capable of inducing strong, primal fight-or-flight responses in those who hear it, to the point that, in secretive testing, it was capable of sending men into berserk rage so overpowering that they would attack anything they saw. In men of lesser constitution, the vile noise is so potent that it can kill them on the spot, hearts seized by fear.

[b]Project Coronis Alpha:[/b] another of Apollo's early projects built in tandem with Asclepius and Coeus, Coronis Alpha played heavily into Apollo's association with crows, engineering a biologically and cybernetically modified corvid, resembling a raven, to serve as Apollo's messenger to mortals and their eyes and ears. Each can be personally piloted by Apollo through use of their neural implants, additionally taking advantage of the natural ability for mimicry of ravens to deliver messages and prophecies in the god's voice when Hermes is deemed too valuable to be warranted.

[b]Project Mór-Ríoghain/Coronis Beta:[/b] built on the back of the knowledge gained during the course of Coronis Alpha, Coronis Beta was Apollo's most secret endeavour, the very cloning project that completed the tripartite nature of the Mórrigan. Each of the two is a genetic clone of the original, capable of the same shapeshifting abilities, usually taking on the guise of Apollo's favoured consorts -- Coronis, the pale, raven-haired princess, and Kyrene, Apollo's chestnut-haired right hand, frequently placed in charge of Delphos while Apollo is at Olympus.

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[center][b]Persona:[/b][/center]
[center]Whether among gods or mortals, Apollo is almost always amiable and cooperative, at l3ast outwardly, quick to engage in friendly conversation, though Zeus is inevitably treated in a formal manner akin to that which a soldier would treat a General. They are generally willing to entertain the other gods, especially Apate, though beneath their joviality is hidden a deep cunning and a bubbling hatred for that which Zeus has created. They are perhaps even friendlier to mortals than they are to their fellow gods, secretly caring more for their fate than their own 'siblings'.[/center]

[center][b]Background and Relationships:[/b][/center]
Whatever name the Mórrigan once had, they no longer remember it -- nor do they care to. What they do know, however, is that they long ago served alongside the man who would become Zeus, a starry-eyed explorer who longed for nothing but to ply the endlessness of space, raised on possible fictions of alien life and wondrous worlds and phenomena to uncover. They had an academic fascination with myth and faith, a spiritual person themselves, possessing just enough knowledge of such matters to be conveniently useful to Logan as he became Zeus. They could not have understood his ambitions until they came to fruition, however, much as they enjoyed conversing about ideas of the gods. 

What made the Mórrigan most valuable, however, was their training -- the specialized knowledge that allowed them to interface with and understand the data put out by the isolated predictive computers that allowed their vessel to chart its course unmolested, avoiding everything from lethal micro-debris to the remnants of stellar detonations, all obstacles that would otherwise have posed a constant risk of destroying or disabling the vessel, leaving its crew to die with no recourse.

When the time did come, however, the Mórrigan was left with a conundrum -- attempt to stop Zeus where he stood, and almost certainly die in the process -- or obey, protecting their support staff and anyone else they could in hopes that they could eventually fulfill their mission, or at least send a distress signal back home.

Biting their tongue, the Mórrigan chose the latter before they could even be questioned, assigned a masculine identity against their will such as to fit into the role Zeus had designed for her -- whether out of genuine bigotry or a desire to control someone he could not fully understand, she did not know.

They ground their teeth as they were compelled to fill those few gaps in Zeus and Horace's knowledge of the classical world, terrified that, if they fought openly against his restructuring, the madman might slaughter the colonists in a fit of petulant, arrogant rage, compelled to live in the body of an androgynous, athletic man by Zeus's intimidating presence, terrified of what might happen should they break from the foundation he constructed -- but they were not, however, idle against him, even as they played the role of divine prophet, entertainer, and eventually pharmacologist, in which they were aided by both their Antikythera and a clone of themselves created for that specific purpose - Asclepius, also justified by Apollo's need for a personal envoy with which to visibly fulfill these duties -- and to design biological constructs necessary for Apollo's duties.

Still, as much as they were able to due under Zeus's thumb, Apollo yearned for more -- so, so much more. He watched, mostly helpless, as Zeus neglected Hera, using his role as an entertainer in vain attempts to provide her some respite, but still, he lacked the power to put an end to Zeus. He watched, deeply pained, as Konrad fully became Hades, visiting his terrible machinations both on the innocents of Hellas and people they once knew as friends with little to no recourse, and in shame as Dr. Quinn destroyed herself to become Demeter, cursing themselves for lacking the wherewithal to do something about any of it, for even though they knew that to rebel against Zeus would slay millions of mortals, some small part of them wondered if Isaac's bloody vengeance had been right all along.

And yet, despite his turmoil, Apollo watched, cowardly and helpless as Hermes was shattered into what they saw as a shell of his former self, so terrified and cowed by Zeus's presence they wondered if he had been holding a gun to his head all along -- but for Kevin, however, Apollo felt most guilty, and complicit, of all, perhaps seeing some part of themselves in them.

One way or another, hidden away on Delphi, Apollo's willingness to passively play along with Zeus broke in two, though none would know except for Apollo.

Apollo grew tired of lying to themselves, and, most importantly, of failing to take action. Where they had helped their companions in little ways, whether it be warning Artemis of threats to her domain or struggling to align with Apate and her siblings, or his quiet, ineffectual displeasure, at ARES and Athena's creation, Apollo could like to himself -- no, [b]herself[/b] -- no longer. For weeks at a time they vanished from Olympus on supposedly important business, secretly immersing themselves in stories of their past, reminding herself of who they once were, and what she once stood for.

She had taken up the mantle of the Mórrigan, the vengeful, deceiving fate, the war-clad mother of Éire, the fabled isle of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and with Tython's continued failings, she resolved that she would be the one to tear Zeus and everything he had built down from within.

When she finally emerged, the Mórrigan was content to take on the falsehood that was Apollo, bringing with them their two lovers -- Coronis and Kyrene -- in reality genetic clones that were the fruit of her obsession with fully embodying the Morrigan, each capable of the same shapeshifting as The Mórrigan herself.

As of late, however, Apollo's abscences to observe the Antikythera device -- and their involvement with the mortals of the world -- have both intensified, bringing more and more followers into their direct tutelage in their primary temple on the so-named Isle of Delphos, a heavily-defended fortress where Apollo spends much of 'his' time, rather than on Olympus itself. In fact, their Apollonides fulfill many of the functions of entertainment Apollo once did, though Hebe has taken up much of 'his' mantle as the entertainer of the gods.

[b]GULA:[/b]While Gula would always be the primary means of maintaining the health of Olympians, Apollo truly did feel for Gula's mandate to heal all the sick (and remained paranoid of Zeus's access to the A.I.), regardless of his refusal. Apollo has yet to make significant strides in enabling the A.I., however.

[b]Asclepius:[/b] Apollo's most favoured child, even more than the naturally born demigods they have fathered, Asclepius was an early cloning project designed specifically to help fulfill Apollo's function as a deity of healing. With GULA serving this function for Olympus, Asclepius provides an admittedly lesser service to mortals on occasion, helping to stymie unexpected pandemics or encouraging proper medical practice for the mortals of Hellas, alongside his daughters, especially Hygieia. They're limited in scope by the level of technology of the mortals, however, though their efforts see marked reductions in the spread of disease where they deign to visit. More importantly, however. Asclepius is Apollo's personal pharmacologist, enabling much of their secret projects, and is one of the few people aware of their true nature as the Mórrigan.

[b]The Korybantes:[/b] Apollo's most favourite demigods, the Korybantes are mostly the male (though occasionally otherwise) followers of Apollo, warrior-dancers clad in carbon nanofibers and metal places nearly of the quality worn by the gods, serving as both entertainers on Olympus and Apollo's personal guard. Each of the Korybantes is unflinchingly loyal and sculpted to physical perfection, though they are no less cultured than their progenitor, frequently wielding combination-weapons, such as spears that incorporate pulse weapons or physical shields containing embedded plasma window generators.

[b]Phemonoe:[/b] the first of Apollo's oracles and the deity's first natural-born child, Phemonoe is frequently visited on Delphos by mortal Kings and Queens seeking guidance. She has some limited ability to perceive the Antikythera, thanks to her parent's training and pharmacological treatment by Asclepius, though her ability is inevitably far lesser than the deity themselves.

[b]The Musa Apollonides:[/b] Another set of Apollo's demigod offspring, Apollonis, Cephisso, and Borysthenis are are never seen outside of Olympus or Delphos, serving the function temple entertainers and supporting case for Hebe on special occasions. Although physically and mentally resilient in their own right, they are not warriors, trained and bred exclusively for skill with singing and instruments, though their vocal skills inevitably pale in comparison to Hebe.

[b]The Centaurs:[/b] one of the Mórrigan's first projects as Apollo to appease Zeus was to father the centaurs, although, truthfully, much of the actual scientific work was done by Asclepius and Coeus to prove Asclepius's value to the supposed King of the gods. A strange, biological amalgamation of man and equine drawn from an initial handful of mortal volunteers, now a self-sustaining society of nomads frequently visited by Apollo to ensure they do not fall into the rapaciousness in their mythological counterparts. As far as the "children" of Apollo-Mórrigan go, however, they are nonetheless notoriously lustful, belligerent, and otherwise hedonistic, and a useful tool for disrupting or otherwise pressuring those societies which Apollo grows disgusted of when cultural messaging no longer suffices.

[b]Apate:[/b] Perhaps due to her -- or his, as Apate would know her by -- friendly relationship with Nyx prior to the mutiny, Apollo has always strove to maintain an at least friendly relationship with Nyx's children, especially Apate and her closest siblings, though particularly the goddess herself. The Mórrigan's reasons for doing so are threefold -- to give her as few reasons to investigate her secret dealings as possible, and to stay close to a potential comrade in reigning in, if not outright dismantling Zeus entirely.

[b]Hebe Dia:[/b] Apollo's relation with Hebe is a complicated, regretful one, for while it was Apollo that taught her much of what she knows of the performing arts and who subtly encouraged her charitability, Apollo's relationship with the princess's divine cult is cold and icy. The very same thaumaturges that butcher the young to preserve the old, after all, are well aware of the wrath that would be visited upon them should Apollo uncover the truth of their secretive methods, and more so that the protector and helper of the unfortunate would not hesitate to to inform Hebe of the truth, however gently. 

To Olympus, however, they are (or at least were) Hebes' tutor on matters of music.

[b]Coeus:[/b] Apollo is one of the few gods that can be said to be genuinely friendly toward Coeus, referring to him as Hephaestus only in the presence of other gods. They are far more likely to rely on him for engineering projects than they are to go to other gods for help, often providing consultation through the Antikythera for him when asked.

[b]Zeus:[/b] Although outwardly obedient to Zeus, the Mórrigan harbours a deep hatred for the god, matched perhaps only by Typhon himself. Much of Apollo's free time is spent scheming against him, subtly nudging mortals in directions that interfere with Zeus, though the Mórrigan has grown sufficiently desperate to consider creating opportunities for Isaac. For the most part, however, her subversions are so delicate and subtle that even Apate has not noticed them, hidden in plain sight or behind veils that no sight can penetrate.


[/hider]