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[phanaeus]

Player Information
» Name: Ardruna
» Age: 26
» Journal: mirisa_ardruna
» Contact: AIM (Mirisa Erato), email (ardruna@gmail.com)

Deity Information
» Pantheon: Greek
» Deity: Apollo
» Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo, http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Apollon.html, http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Apollo.html
» Divine Family: {mother & father} Zeus and Leto; {spouse} N/A; {siblings} Twin sister Artemis, many half-siblings; {children} Asclepius (by the mortal princess Koronis),
Aristaeus & Idmon (both by the nymph Cyrene),
the Korybantes Samothrakiai (either by Rhetia or the Muse Thalia),
Agreus (by Amphissa),
Amphiaraus (by Hypermnestra),
Amphissos (by Dryope),
Amphithemis & Miletos (both by the Cretan princess Akalle),
Anios (by the princess of Naxos, Rhoio),
Eleuther (by Aithousa),
Doros, Laodokos & Polypoites (all 3 by Phthia),
Eriopis (by Arsinoe),
Iamos (by the nymph Euadne),
Ileus (by the nymph Ourea),
Ion (by the Athenian princess Kreusa),
Ismenos, Keos and Teneros (all 3 by Melia),
Kentauros and Lapithes (both by Stilbe),
Khairon (by Thero),
Koronos (by Khrysorthe),
Kyknos (by Hyria),
Linos the music-teacher of Heracles (typically believed to be by one of the Muses, either Calliope or Ourania),
Linos the prince of Argos (by Psamathe),
Lykoras (by Korykia),
Mopsos (by the Theban sybil Manto),
Parthenos (by Khrysothemis),
Phagros (by the nymph Othreis),
Philammon (by either Khione-Philonis or Leukonoe),
Philanderos (by the nymph Akakallis),
Syros (by the nymph Sinope),
Trophonios (by the wife of King Erginos),
Zeuxippos (by the nymph Syllis),
Apis, Brankhos, Delphos, Dryops, Epidauros, Erymanthos, Khariklo, Melaneus, Onkios, and Pythaeus.

Some also claim Scylla, Hilaeira, Phoibe, the Leukippides, Orpheus, Cinyras and Troilus as children of Apollo.
» Mythology: Apollo was a god of many things: light and sun; truth & knowledge; prophecy & oracles; medicine, healing and plague; music, poetry and arts; archery; nomads, the founding of new cities, and was the patron deity of the young.

His epithets were just as varied, and include Phoebus ("radiant" or "shining one"), Aegletes ("light of the sun"), Phanaeus ("giving or bringing light"), Sol ("sun"), Lyceus ("light"--but also associated with his mother, who was a patron of Lycia and also associated with the wolf, hence other epithets he had), Lycegenes ("born of the wolf"), Lycoctonus ("killer wolf"), Akesios ("healing"), Acestor ("healer"), Iatros ("physician"), Medicus ("physician"), Alexikakos ("warding off evil"), Apotropaeus ("he who averts evil"), Epikourios ("one who aids"), Averruncus ("averter of evils"), Culicarius ("driving away midges"), Argurotoxos, ("with the silver bow"), Archegetes ("director of the foundation"), Loxias ("the obscure"), Mousagetes ("Muse-leader"), Nymphegetes ("nymph-leader"), Nomios ("wandering"), Smintheus ("mouse-catcher"), and many others.

When Hera discovered that Leto was pregnant with the offspring of Zeus, she did all she could to prevent the birth by barring her from giving birth on "terra firma." For months, Leto searched, trying to find a place to bear her children, until she discovered the floating island of Delos. Not being anchored to the sea floor, it was not considered "land," and there, with the help of the titaness Themis, under a palm tree she bore her twins: Artemis, followed by Apollo. Themis then fed ambrosia and nectar to the newborn Apollo, upon which he immediately stood up, demanded a bow and arrows from Hephaestus, and declared that he would be the one to declare to mankind the will of his father, Zeus.

When he was only four days old, Apollo slew the Python at Delphi. It had been sent by Hera to hunt and kill his mother, and to protect her, he cornered it the sacred cave at Delphi and killed it with his arrows. He then claimed the nearby Castalian Spring (which emitted vapors that allows for the oracle there to give her prophesies) as his own, and with Themis's help, built a new shrine there. However, in retaliation, Hera then sent the monster Tityos after Leto. Apollo and Artemis fought it together, but it was only with the aid of Zeus that the beast was finally cast down into Tartarus and imprisoned.

He owned a herd of sacred cattle, which was stolen by the infant Hermes in a prank on Apollo and hidden in a cave. Apollo tried to complain to Hermes' mother, Maia, about the incident, but Maia defended her son. Zeus, having witnessed Hermes' trick, interceded on Apollo's behalf. During the argument, Hermes began playing music on a new instrument he had invented: the lyre. Hearing the music, Apollo stopped the argument. He was so enthralled by Hermes' invention that he offered to exchange some of his cattle for it, and thus became a master of the lyre. It would not be their last exchange of this nature, as Hermes later invented a pipe instrument called the syrinx. Apollo liked it enough that he traded a caduceus for it.

It wasn't just cattle that Apollo herded. After his son, Asclepius, was struck down by Zeus for resurrecting Hippolytus (and thus cheating Hades out of a soul), Apollo got revenge by killing the Cyclopes who had originally fashioned Zeus's thunderbolt. It was an offense that nearly got Apollo permanently banished to Tartarus, but Leto pleaded on his behalf, and he was instead sentenced to hard labor herding sheep for King Admetus of Pherae. Admetus was a kind master, and when his sentence was paid, Apollo offered him great benefits as a reward. Apollo helped Admetus win the hand of Alcestis, and also managed to convince the Fates to allow Admetus to live longer than his alloted time, if another would take his place. Sadly, this didn't quite work out the way Apollo had hoped, since Admetus's parents (who were assumed would take his place) ended up refusing to do so, while Alcestis volunteered for it. Fortunately, Heracles was able to convince Thanatos to bring Alcestis back, so it worked out more or less in the end.

Still, this would not be the only time Apollo would seek retribution for someone who mattered to him being attacked or otherwise insulted.

In the ninth year of the Trojan war, one of his priests, Chryses, went to the Greek camp to plead for the freedom of his daughter, Chryseis, who had been captured by Agamemnon as a spoil of war. Chryses humbly supplicated the Greeks, bringing lavish gifts to buy his daughter's freedom, but was rebuffed by them. Infuriated at the insult to one of his priests, Apollo used his arrows to spread pestilence among the Greek camp, killing many of them, until they finally relented and allowed Chryseis to return to her father.

During the same war, it was Apollo who finally rescued Aphrodite's son, Aeneas, from death at the hands of Diomedes. Diomedes had already injured both Aphrodite and Ares, both of whom were dear to Apollo, and finally Apollo stepped in, enveloping Aeneas in a cloud and convincing Diomedes to back off before transporting him to a safe place.

It was also Apollo who aided Paris in killing Achilles by guiding his arrows in revenge for Troilus's death at Achilles's hands on the altar of Apollo's temple. While it was unclear if Troilus was truly Apollo's own son or not, the god still favored the young man and insisted upon seeing him avenged, particularly for the double insult of the sacrilege committed in his house of worship.

When Niobe scorned Leto for having only a paltry two children in comparison to her fourteen, Apollo wouldn't stand for it. With the help of his sister Artemis, they killed Niobe's children: Apollo slaying her sons, while Artemis went after her daughters. It is sometimes said that Niobe's husband, Amphion, was also among those killed by Apollo's arrows in the bloodbath.

When the Aloadae tried to storm Mount Olympus, intent on kidnapping Hera and his sister Artemis to be their brides (among other things), Apollo made short work of them with his bow.

The satyr Marsyas was another unfortunate victim of Apollo's, but his crime was not the insult of one of the god's dear ones, but rather Apollo's own pride. Having found an aulos on the ground (which had been discarded by Athena as it made her cheeks puffy), he decided to challenge Apollo to a contest of musical skill, which was to be judged by the Muses. After both had played, it was deemed that they were of equal skill, but Apollo refused to accept a tie, still insisting that he was the better musician. So, Apollo decided that the tiebreaker would be who could better play and sing at the same time--something Apollo was able to do with his lyre, but that would be impossible for Marsyas to do with his flute. Apollo, thus, was declared the winner. As punishment for his hubris, Apollo had Marsyas flayed alive in a cave near Celaenae and subsequently nailed his skin to a pine tree nearby. The blood that poured forth from Marsyas's body became a river, which was given the satyr's name.

Pan was another satyr who decided to try his luck in a music contest against Apollo. This time, the mountain-god Tmolus was chosen to referee. Pan played his pipes quite well, earning great applause from his follower, King Midas, who was also witness to the contest. But, after Apollo had taken his turn with his lyre, Tmolus declared him the winner by a small margin. Midas, however, disagreed with the ruling, and put up enough of a fuss that Apollo suggested they play again--this time while playing the instruments upside-down. Once again, it was a tactic that worked well enough with a lyre, but was impossible to match with a flute. Ultimately, Apollo was declared the winner. Meanwhile, as punishment to Midas for doubting his divine skill, Apollo cursed him with a pair of donkey's ears so that they would match his mind for judging.

Cinyras, the father of Adonis and (at least according to some) the son of Apollo, also tried competing with him musically. As always, Apollo came out on top, and Cinyras ended up committing suicide in defeat.

Although he may be something of a cheat in music contests, there was an instance of Apollo wielding his golden tongue in the name of justice. When Clytemnestra killed her husband Agamemnon as well as Cassandra--a prophetess and former object of desire of Apollo--he was the one, through his oracle at Delphi, to give Agamemnon's son Orestes the order to kill Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus in revenge. However, the Furies chose to punish Orestes for his mother's murder, inciting an argument with Apollo. He claimed that the bond of marriage was sacred and Orestes was right in avenging his father. The Furies, meanwhile, insisted that the bond of blood between mother and son was more meaningful than the bond of marriage. When the confrontation escalated to the Furies invading Apollo's temple in an attempt to chase down Orestes, Apollo suggested that the matter should be brought before Athena, the wisest of the Olympian goddesses. As Orestes had become a supplicant to Apollo, he swore to defend him, and argued the case before Athena, eventually winning her favor in the matter.

Apollo had a large number of lovers, both mortal and divine, female and male--and numerous handsome youths and assorted princes were said to have Apollo for a father. Often, he took them in his favorite disguises: a shepherd, a lion, a tortoise, and hawk, and a few others. He once competed with Poseidon for the hand of Hestia in marriage, but she declined both of them, choosing instead to remain a virgin goddess. Being the director of their choir, Apollo especially favored the nine Muses (in particular, Calliope, Thalia and Urania), and it is said that when he was told he couldn't be married to all nine at the same time, he decided to never marry at all. That decision was probably for the best, seeing as he had little luck finding long-term romance otherwise.

One of his most notorious would-be loves was that of the nymph Daphne. As the story goes, it all started when he was teasing young Eros, another archer, for toying with a weapon more suited to a grown man (that is, more like Apollo himself). In retaliation, Eros hit Apollo with one of his golden arrows, and also shot the lovely Daphne with an arrow tipped with lead. Thus, Apollo fell madly in love with her, but she was just as powerfully repulsed. Daphne tried to escape, but had difficulty outrunning the athletic Apollo. Finally, in desperation, she cried out to her father, the river-god Peneus, for help, and was subsequently transformed into a laurel tree. She could no longer run from Apollo, but he could no longer take her as a lover either. Instead, he vowed that he would tend her as a tree with all the loving care of a gardener. He used his powers of eternal youth and immortality on her, so that she would be ever green, and swore that crowns of her leaves would decorate the heads of leaders and champions, and that her leaves would be depicted on weapons.

Apollo had similar luck with a nymph named Castalia, whom he loved for her talent with poetry. She fled from the god's advances, and finally, in desperation, drowned herself in the spring near Delphi. In her memory, Apollo named the spring for her, and consecrated her to the Muses, and thus any who drank from the spring would also be granted the genius of Castalia's poetry.

The mortal Cassandra was another famed object of affection for the god, being a beautiful Trojan princess. Apollo was so enamoured with her that he gave her the gift of prophecy in an attempt to woo her. However, when he tried to progress their relationship, Cassandra rejected his advances. Hurt and angry, Apollo was unable to take back the gift he had bestowed on her, so he instead added a curse: while she would keep her ability to see the future, her visions would never be believed.

Cassandra's mother, Hecuba, also caught Apollo's eye, and they had a brief, but passionate, affair. Not long afterward, Hecuba gave birth to her son Troilus, and while Hecuba's husband Priam was said to be Troilus's father on official record, some suspected that he was actually the son of Apollo.

The human princess Leukothea was another lover of Apollo's (though some claim it was Helios instead), but they also had to keep their liaison a secret from her strict father, Orchamus. Leukothea's sister Clytia, however, knew the truth and became jealous, wanting Apollo for herself. So, Clytia revealed the affair to their father, who, in his rage, then sentenced Leukothea to be buried alive. Unfortunately for Clytia, Apollo was unable to forgive her betrayal, and she died a slow death from unrequited love for him. Upon her passing, Apollo transformed her into a sunflower, which even to this day follows the sun across the sky.

Princess Koronis was among those especially beloved by Apollo, but during her pregnancy with their son Asclepius, Apollo left for a few months on his annual winter trip. In his absence, Koronis fell in love with a mortal man named Ischys. A crow--which was white, as all were at the time--witnessed the affair and told Apollo about it. At first, the god did not want to believe the crow's message and accused it of spreading lies. In punishment for the alleged falsehoods, Apollo scorched the crow's feathers, turning them black. But, when he discovered the truth that he had lost her to a mortal man, he was heartbroken, and decreed she should die for her infidelity. He still loved her, though, and since he could not bring himself to kill her with his own arrows, he begged Artemis to carry out the execution for him--but not before Apollo rescued their unborn child, turning him over to be raised by the centaur Chiron. In repayment of his rash action against the crow, Apollo decreed that crows would become sacred and be given the task of announcing important deaths. Koronis's father, Phlegyas, was irate over the death of his daughter, and so he burned the temple of Apollo at Delphi to the ground. In retribution for his sacrilege, Apollo killed Phlegyas.

Sadly, Koronis was also not the only woman to abandon Apollo for a mortal man. The Aetolian princess Marpessa was another of his lovers, but she was kidnapped by a man named Idas, who took her as his wife. The two men fought over her until Zeus intervened and forced Marpessa to choose between them. She chose Idas, believing that, since she was mortal, Apollo would eventually tire of her when she grew old.

Bolina was a woman (the eponym of the town of Bolina in Akhaia) who leapt into the sea to escape the advances of Apollo. He transformed her into an immortal nymph to save her life, but even that wasn't enough to win over her affections.

Okyrrhoe, a Naiad from the island of Samos, was pursued by Apollo. She wasn't interested, however, and took refuge on a boat leaving the island. Infuriated by her rejection, the wrathful Apollo turned the boat to stone and the skipper into a pilot-fish.

Rhoio, a princess of Naxos, was loved by Apollo. When her father learned of her pregnancy, he locked her in a chest and cast her into the sea to die. She landed on the island of Delos and there bore Apollo a son named Anios.

Sibylla Kumaia, the prophetess of Kumai (really more a title than a name), was another love of Apollo's. She tricked him into granting her an unnaturally long life, but refused to sleep with him. In retribution, she was cursed by the god, much like Cassandra.

Sinope, a Naiad from Sikyonia, who was abducted by Apollo to the Black Sea coast in Assyria, and there the city of Sinope was named for her. According to most versions, she tricked Apollo into swearing an oath promising her that her virginity would remain intact. Others, however, say that he managed to get one night out of her, and she became the mother of Syros (eponymous King of Assyria) by the god.

Melia, another nymph, was abducted from the home of her father to Thebes by Apollo. Her half-brother, Kaanthos, was sent to retrieve her and, after burning down the temple of Apollo in an attempt to avenge his sister's would-be honor, was slain by the god. Melia was the mother of three sons: Teneros, Ismenos and Keos.

Khione (also known as Philonis) was a princess of Phokis. She lay with both Apollo and the god Hermes on the same night and later bore twins, one son by each god. Apollo's child was named Philammon.

With Cyrene, Apollo came across her while she was wrestling a lion which was killing her father's sheep (and, in some versions, Apollo WAS the lion). Apollo admired her prowess so much that he was smitten and immediately kidnapped her to North Africa. She bore him two sons: Aristaeus and Idmon.

Apollo's luck with the gentlemen didn't go any better.

Hyacinthus, a prince of Sparta, was a young man loved by Apollo. But, one day, while they were playing discus, the West Wind Zephyrus--jealous to have lost Hyacinthus's affections to Apollo--blew Apollo's discus off course. It hit the poor prince in the head, killing him instantly. Grieving, Apollo used the boy's blood to form a hyacinth flower in memorial.

Cyparissus, a descendant of Heracles, was another of Apollo's young male lovers. Apollo had given him a tame deer for a pet as a gift, but while Cyparissus was hunting one afternoon, his javelin accidentally struck his beloved pet, killing it. So great was his grief that he could not be consoled, and instead begged Apollo to let his tears fall for eternity. Taking pity on the boy, Apollo transformed him into a cypress tree, which forms droplets of sap on its trunk like tears.

Apollo also loved Adonis, just as Aphrodite did. Some said Adonis was androgynous, acting like a man in his affections for Aphrodite, and like a woman with Apollo. In any case, Apollo was deeply saddened when his sister Artemis sent the boar that ended up killing the youth.

Of course, there were many other loves of Apollo's as well, but suffice it to say that these affairs all ended quickly, badly--or both.


Character Information
» Played By: Alexander Skarsgård
» Journal: aegletes
» Current Name: Dorian Cyrus
» Birthdate: 08/07/1976, 7:07 a.m.
» Height: 6'4"
» Distinguishing Marks: Tattoo of a stylized sunburst on his left calf.
» Family: {mother & father}; {marital status}; {siblings}; {children}
» Occupation: Musician
» Currently Residing In: Name the city where your character currently lives.
» Ability: He believes in the healing power of music--and has the ability to make it happen. Anyone in his physical presence who listens to him play or sing for longer than a few minutes starts to feel healthier. Two or three songs can make a person feel rejuvenated or have their aches and pains mysteriously disappear for a few days. A complete three-hour performance could eradicate a full-blown cold or flu. Even hearing recordings of his music will provide a boost to the listener's mood. He also has a rather uncanny ability of figuring out the outcomes of various situations, but if you asked him about it, he'd just tell you he had a lucky guess.

» History: Apollo has experienced a number of reincarnations, typically appearing in times of enlightenment and opulence and Golden Ages. Among them:

In 997, Apollo was reborn in Morocco as Nur al-Din ibn Hani'. There, he received one of the first formal degrees in medicine and was a practicing physician in a public hospital. He was engaged to a young woman, who unfortunately was killed in an accident only weeks prior to their wedding. He never married after that.

In 1077, he was reborn in Japan during the Heian period as a poet and artist by the name of Kin. His skills earned him the recognition of the Imperial court, and he invited to be a personal poet to the Emperor, where he spent his life in creative service. He did not marry, but had a small handful of illegitimate children.

In 1457, he was reborn in Cuzco (in modern-day Peru) as Amaru, an Incan priest. He was a spiritual guide for the sun-worshipping Inca people during the height of their empire. Preferring a more ascetic lifestyle during this time, he again chose to never marry or have children.

In 1637, he was reborn in France as Honoré Saunière, a popular member of the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV. He was renowned for his wit and his musical talents, always bringing a sense of culture and joy to the French court. He was admired by many of the ladies there, and had several lovers (and a few bastard children), but never married.

1717 saw his rebirth in Italy as Luciano Bianchi. There, he was a lifelong student of philosophy and science. Married to his work, he never had a family of his own.

In 1897, he was born in Philadelphia, PA as Owen Dempsey. He served in the first World War as a bugler. After the war, he studied medicine, and when World War II broke out, he served as an army medic, but was killed by enemy fire.

As Dorian Cyrus, he was born in 1976 the second of two children in rural Scotland, where his family raised small herds of cows and sheep. It was a charming life, but his family moved to London when he was seven in order to afford young Dorian and his sister more opportunities. Some part of him still misses the old farm, though.

In London, his parents had big dreams for him (almost as big as the ones Dorian starting thinking of himself), and so he was lucky to get to experience a great deal of things. Ever the social butterfly, he spent a lot of time in his school's archery club and went out for several intramural sports and school plays. He was fascinated by math, science, and philosophy, and also learned to play several instruments, creating a lifelong love of music along the way.

In secondary school, Dorian spent two years as an exchange student at a high school in New York City, and he fell in love with the excitement there. He longed to see his name in lights on Broadway or Radio City Music Hall, but his parents insisted he redirect his focus to something a bit more practical.

In college, he had trouble deciding on a major, and his experimenting with his interests and the "College Experience" meant that he spent a few more years there than the average student. Dorian did, in fact, manage to get through college, ultimately as a pre-med major, and even a couple years of medical school (mostly at the urging of his parents), but eventually grew bored of year after year of rote-memorization schooling. He wanted something more liberating than formulas and body parts. Music, which he still loved and kept with, was much more interesting, and he dropped out of medical school to pursue a life as a musician, where he still dreams of being a star.

Although naturally talented in music, Dorian has never experienced much more than moderate success at best in that field. He would say that the world just isn't ready for him yet, but the truth is that he spends more time coming up with grandiose dreams than actually following them through and spending his resources on immediate gratification rather than planning for the long-term. He has moved back to New York hoping to find a way to get a leg up in the music business.


» Personality: Bright, warmhearted, sunny and always with a ready smile and an easy charm, it's hard not to take a liking to Apollo. The patron of the Pythian Games, he is very fond of music, poetry, wordplays and puns, and often finds his own creative spark in these fields. He can be quite the show-off, though, when performing.

He can be self-centered, even a little vain at times--being a Sun god, he has a habit of acting as if the world revolves around him. He likes to be first in everything he does, and, as anyone who dares challenge him to a music contest will attest, can be competitive if his "king of the hill" status is jeopardized. He will do whatever it takes to make sure he wins, and isn't above the occasional less-than-honest scheme to do so. Still, he is a wonderful person to have on your side as a friend, as he rewards his admirers with great generosity and loyalty. Make an enemy of him, and you'll quickly wish you hadn't.

Although he is generally good-humored, he does have his pride, and he can become very bad-tempered indeed if he or anyone he cares about is insulted--and anyone caught messing with his things had better come up with an apology and a return favor in a big hurry, lest Apollo unleash his anger on that poor soul. His wrath is swift and final. A direct confrontation is his preferred method of dealing with things, and if he feels a particular party has injured him somehow, he will focus his rage on them, and demand the opportunity to win back his pride--preferably in a way that will allow him to smash the other person into the proverbial pavement. If for some reason he can't directly challenge his foe, he'll find another, typically insidious, way to get his revenge. He can be stubborn about his grudges, but, with a challenge won, or enough ego-stroking to make up for it, he'll soon be back to his usual cheerful self. He hates admitting he's wrong, but he is generous with his reparations whenever he has to apologize, as any crow could tell you.

Being the one-time patron god of the young, there is a certain childlike quality to him, making him curious and enthusiastic about new and interesting things, and he also tends to seem more youthful than one might ordinarily expect from a grown man. He has a genuine fondness for children, and is a doting uncle toward his mortal sister's children.

He can also be impulsive and restless at times, even somewhat distractable, and the God of Nomads certainly has an adventurous side to him. He loves to travel and see and do new things. He enjoys being outdoors and has a knack for archery, and he finds spending time in a pastoral setting relaxing, good for mind and body.

He has a big heart and can be quite the romantic when the feeling strikes--which is often. He's a charming flirt and enjoys showering his objects of affection with attention and gifts. But, while sweet-talking his way into someone's bed for a night usually works, his actual relationships rarely last very long, and the break-ups tend to end messily, much to his chagrin. His less-than-stellar track record of successful affairs means that sometimes he can be a little awkward when trying to progress from flirtatious banter to actual pursuit of a new flame, typically because he comes on too strongly. Although he's considered the possibility a few times, he's essentially given up on the idea of marriage at this point.

» Other Notes: Got his tattoo at the same time as Asclepius did. Has had an uncanny ability for figuring out if a song was going to be a hit or not. Can speak Welsh quite well, and can get by in Greek.

» Sample Journal: There is no greater feeling in the world than being recognized for something. It just goes to show that the world's been waiting for me, and, well, who am I to deny it?

Just the other day, for instance, I'm at the airport waiting to get on a plane to New York City, when my name gets called by one of the flight attendants. Nothing serious, just needing to check a few things is all. You know how security is these days.

Anyhow, next thing I know, I'm surrounded by this mob of pre-teen girls, all excited and everything. Must've been a dozen of them, Yanks for the most part, so of course I start handing out autographs and posing for pictures. You know, the usual gracious rock star bit. And, oh, how they adored me. It was marvelous.

I do have just one question, though: who the bloody hell is this Miley girl they kept asking me about?

» Sample Log: It was a beautiful morning, clear, bright, sunny and warm--Apollo's favorite kind of day. And what better way to spend it than outside, amongst the people, enjoying the weather and the company--especially with a little musical accompaniment, right? Music just made everything better.

Apollo considered which instrument to take with him. Something portable, obviously. There was his bass ocarina--that was plenty lightweight. But, no... He wanted to be able to talk with people if they came by. Couldn't do that with a flute, or any other breath instrument. Yes, that ruled out the saxophone too. He did have a harp, but people just tended to give you odd looks when you were a grown man playing a harp out in public. A shame, but that's the way it was. Ah, his trusty six-string guitar. It was a beauty, too. Guitars were always in fashion, never uncool to be seen playing one of those, no matter where you were. People actually would give you money if you had a guitar. Well, sometimes they would, anyway.

Packing up his guitar and a couple of his favorite picks, he headed out to a park. On a day like this, there were sure to be plenty of people out strolling about. He found a nice spot on a sunny corner, took out his guitar (leaving the case open, just in case--you never knew when someone might decide to toss a little cash in there while you played), and started strumming some upbeat songs.

At first, most people continued to walk right on past, but eventually a couple of young women paused to listen. Apollo gave them both a winning smile and wink, and they giggled. They didn't linger for long, but they did throw a few coins into the guitar case. Soon, more people began to mill around. Playing to his little audience, he began to sing along, and inviting those around him to join in. Everyone was welcome, after all.