Apollo

Entity 41, AKA “Apollo”, is the patron deity and supposed founder/leader of The Artists’ Society. He often roams around level 57, taking care of his group in the distance. He mostly spends his time creating his artistic works.
According to The Artists’ Society, Apollo founded the group with the intention of healing and nurturing lost wanderers; creating an ideal safe zone for them, providing a “family”, and keeping artistic culture within the Backrooms alive and thriving. He is held to an incredibly high regard by the group, who see him as their “guiding light”.
==Description==
Apollo does not have a conventional “head”, instead having a theater mask floating above his shoulders. His attire is rather simple and modest, approaching a more casual style. His standard outfit usually consists of a white shirt with a colorful tie and black suspenders.
==Behaviors==
Apollo’s characteristics are rather unpredictable, but he has nonetheless expressed positive traits such as compassion, sympathy and empathy. He is rather socially introverted, preferring to spend the majority of his time working on his art in solitude. He is rarely seen by others, save for members of The Artists’ Society.
In spite of his godlike power, Apollo does not see himself as a God, and discourages others from portraying him as such. He prefers a more modest and humble lifestyle compared to his supposed “contemporaries”. He merely wants people to see him as nothing more than friend or family.
Apollo does not believe in violence, however that does not necessarily mean he is a pacifist either.
==Biology==
Apollo’s physical form is rather fluid, with a consistency compared to that of paint. He has no organs, being unrestricted by mortal biological needs. As previously stated, he wields an immense amount of power, to a degree that some would even consider him a “God” – though he prefers not to be seen this way, and as such tries to limit the usage of his powers in public. Most of his power is passive in nature, not intended for offensive use.
Apollo’s powers are primarily expressed through the usage of his items, the most prominent being:
===The Brush of Reality===
“The Brush of Reality” is a large paint brush which can essentially manifest what the user visualizes into existence, with the only limit being the user’s creativity. The stronger one’s visualization is, the more detailed and functional the resulting creation will be. It can even create living beings, so long as they are drawn with enough detail and accuracy to be biologically functional; the smallest mistake could result in the creature being crippled, or living only briefly. Of course, this requires much more time/ effort/focus than creating objects, so Apollo rarely does it.
Apollo can also use the brush to teleport to other levels, by painting a picture of said level and passing through it as a portal. However, he can only do this if the place actually exists and/or he knows what it looks like.
===Ribbon===
Apollo’s ribbon is incredibly flexible and durable, having various uses. He can float with it, as well as grab things from up to five meters away.
===Mask===
The mask that Apollo wears appears to be the source of his power. Apollo can assume a “human” form by removing the mask.
==Relations==
As previously stated, Apollo tends to be introverted, and as such only keeps a few close people within his circle. He rarely leaves Level 57, prioritizing a quiet/peaceful lifestyle and not wishing to make any enemies. Despite this, that has not stopped groups like They Who Seek from threatening him and attempting to steal his artifacts.
Apollo rarely interacts with other godlike entities, seeming to have intentionally distanced himself from them for the sake of protecting his peace. He will only meet with them in the case of emergency situations.
 
Philia:
Philia is one of the few godlike entities that Apollo remains close with. Although she still wishes for everyone to reunite, she doesn't impose it upon him and respects his decisions. He feels safe to confide in her about his troubles, and has created several works of art about her as gifts.
Raven Mask: Corbin, the previous leader of The Artists’ Society, was Apollo’s husband. Despite the hardships in their relationship, their bond was impossible to break.
Corbin's unfortunate and untimely passing – especially its surrounding circumstances – devastated Apollo. He laid him to rest in a casket filled with hyacinth lilies.
Nila: Nila is like a daughter to Apollo, who raised her with Corbin. Even though he tends to be absent as a parent, spending most of his time alone making art, he still tries his best and is trying to make up for lost time.
After Corbin's death, Apollo created an entity to protect Nila whenever he wasn't around. 
Apollo deeply cares for Nila, but he struggles to outwardly show it – leading Nila to believe otherwise. There is still much progress to be made in their relationship. 
==Discovery==
There are various myths, rumors and legends surrounding Apollo. The story of his life may have gone something like this:
Apollo was once a mortal human who lived in ancient times within The Backrooms. Art had always been a part of his life from the very beginning, being his primary source of passion and giving him a sense of purpose in life.
As an adult, Apollo went on to join an ancient society known as “The Muralists”, who were dedicated to the arts. While in this group, Apollo produced various works of art related to The Royal Court, whom served as his primary inspiration at the time. The legends of their exploits enthralled him, and he wanted to capture these moments in paintings, sculptures, songs and plays. 
Apollo's work was met with great acclaim, eventually capturing the attention of the Court themselves. They enjoyed his art so much, they would officially induct him into the Court as their “Royal Artist”. 
The more time Apollo spent surrounded by these godlike beings, the more of his humanity he would lose as he ultimately became like them himself.
When the Royal Court fell, Apollo became disillusioned with the godlike image that had been ascribed to him, realizing the harm that it could result in. He cut contact with most other members of the court (except for some like Philia), spending a long period of time in isolation for introspection and self-reflection.
Out of desire to once again feel some sense of the humanity that he had lost, Apollo went on to create The Artists’ Society. Eventually, he fell in love with a human named Corbin, whom he married. He would help in raising Corbin’s daughter Nila, serving as a secondary father figure. Unlike most other Court members, he managed to lay low and remain out of trouble.
Their peace would be shattered, however, when T.A.S.’s outpost was invaded They Who Seek – who sought to seize Apollo’s artifacts. Corbin sacrificed his life to protect other members of the group, including Nila.
However, Apollo was unwilling to let go of his lover. In his desperation, he violated his own morals and abused his godlike power to keep Corbin alive, but this proved painful for the both of them. Apollo became corrupted by the perversion of his power, his efforts to preserve/extend Corbin's life actively violating the laws of nature. Likewise, Corbin experienced intense physical agony, being mutilated by godlike power that his body was never meant to withstand. At this point, life was more painful than death, and Corbin begged Apollo to put him out of his misery. Apollo was left traumatized by this experience, never forgiving himself.
Following Corbin’s death, Apollo became much more paranoid about the safety of his loved ones. He stopped isolating himself as much, spending more time to regularly check T.A.S.’s outposts.
Today, Apollo remains willingly ignorant of the world beyond Level 57, only learning information from news delivered by the Scavenger. He will only intervene if he is truly needed.
==Relevant Tales==
*The Legend of The Court
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Category:Entities
Category:Godlike
Category:The Royal Court
Category: T.A.S.
Category:Apollo