Pheme

*Pheme is the second daughter of Hermes and Iris. Shaped by the tales and rumors that her parents would exchange in her presence as a godling, Pheme grew to become the beautiful Goddess of Gossip and Rumors, and eventually becoming the Elysian Goddess of Journalism. A routinely nosy goddess, Pheme has an insatiable curiosity that cannot be sated.*

 Divine Lore

### 451 Olympian Calendar - 530 OC

In the old world, on errand of the King and Queen of the gods, two figures would have occasion to convene and conspire — Hermes and Iris. While both were swift and adept at their roles, they were fundamentally different. Hermes was mischievous, playful, and had a knack for bending rules, while Iris was diligent, straightforward, and generally reserved.

Still, their paths crossed frequently as they darted across the Grecian lands. Over time, a bond formed, forged out of mutual respect and an undeniable spark. Amid the backdrop of their divine errands, they found pockets of stolen moments, leading to the birth of their first child, Tyche, in 451 OC. Tyche, representing fortune and prosperity, was a testament to their unpredictable union.

But the story didn't end there. Their connection deepened, and a second child was conceived, a testament to the stability and longevity of their relationship.

### 530 OC - 550 OC

Within the chambers of Mount Olympus' Haven, Pheme was born. Even as an infant, the ambient murmurs of the world seemed to soothe her, and as she grew, tales, rumors, and stories from every corner of the world were discussed between her parents. These would become her lullabies.

By ten, her first inheritance began to take shape. Inherited from Iris, Pheme had a perfect sense of balance, feeling the subtle vibrations of the earth. Stories say she could touch the ground and hear its whispers, stories from lands far and wide.

As she turned fifteen, her second gift began to manifest. Much like Hermes, Pheme had a way with words and actions, the ability to bend and even break sacred laws without much consequence. This gift, while powerful, also taught her the weight of influence and discretion. Her youthful days were spent listening to the world, understanding which rumors to amplify and which to let die down.

On reaching her twentieth year, her last and perhaps most potent inheritance came to the fore. Her hearing became unmatched. She could concentrate and tune out all noise, hearing a whispered secret from miles away or the softest confession amid a cacophony.

### 550 OC - 2969 OC

Within the halls of the Haven, much like within the realm of mortals, information is a treasure, and Pheme craved such wealth. Recognizing the potential his daughter wielded, Hermes convened a council on Olympus. There, it was decided that Pheme would be elevated to full godhood. And so it was, that Pheme became Goddess of Renown and Rumors.

One afternoon after being elevated to godhood, Pheme was in a bustling Athenian market square adorned in a mortal disguise. That day, she encountered a young town crier named Lycos who she recognized was rising to prominence. Pheme knew he had a knack of sharing the most enticing stories from distant cities and she was eager to watch him work.

However, the truth was that Lycos did not just share tales; he embellished them, twisted them, often transforming truth into scandal for the sake of his captivated audience. Pheme, with her unmatched ability to hear whispers from across realms was intrigued by this mortal's novel approach to his profession. She would then continue to visit the town crier.

Then one day, while paying the mortal world another visit, Pheme again stood amidst Lycos' audience. That day, Lycos began recounting a story about a forbidden romance between a mortal in another city and a goddess. But as he narrated, Pheme realized the tale was about her own brief and innocent encounter with a mortal poet, an interaction that was purely platonic. Lycos, however, painted it in lurid colors, turning a simple exchange of words into a scandalous rendezvous. And then he revealed the goddess' name and Pheme bit her lip in anger, drawing ichor to trickle down her chin.

Infuriated and humiliated, Pheme approached Lycos after his performance, whispering a fabricated tale into his eager ears, a story about a treasure hidden in the treacherous labyrinth of Crete. Using her magic, Pheme reinforced the credence of the rumor, causing Lycos to fully believe in its existence. Lycos, sensing the story of a lifetime, embarked on a journey to find it. Lycos never returned, having spent the rest of his life searching for a treasure that never existed in the first place.

## Role in NeOlympus

Appearances of Pheme

 Abilities

### Ichoric Doctrine

* **Divine Physicality:** Deities possesses the following abilities, though the exact levels may fluctuate or cease to function due to lack of Nektar and Ambrosia in their system. Generally speaking, Nektar is processed by the deity's body and converted into ichor which is required for replenishing lost ichor due to injury and channeling essence; while Ambrosia is processed by the body to heal injuries and sustain immortality. Deities do require some level of mundane food and drink, though a diet strictly made of Nektar and Ambrosia can sustain them (though they may become increasingly disconnected and 'inhuman' as a result).
	+ ***Enhanced Agility:*** Deities are more agile, coordinated, and dexterous than their physique alone may otherwise suggest.
	+ ***Enhanced Awareness:*** Deities are more closely attuned to the esoteric, arcane, and mystical than mortals. They can perceive ghosts, unmanifested nymphs, and other passively invisible patterns at work in the environment.
	+ ***Enhanced Durability:*** Deities are more durable, resilient, and resistant than their physique alone may otherwise suggest. Mystical weaponry, magic, concentrated essence weaponry, the natural attacks of other gods or divine creatures, and weapons forged of magical metals such as adamantine or orichalcum are the exceptions to this nigh-invulnerability. Most mortal weaponry cannot pierce divine flesh, though bladed attacks from incredibly strong mortals have left bruises or slight cuts on them and repeated blows can weaken them over time as their body burns through its consumed Ambrosia.
	+ ***Enhanced Might:*** Deities are stronger than their physique would otherwise suggest. Their punches are often dealt harder than a mule can kick. In conjunction with their enhanced durability, most deities can barehandedly punch through a brick and mortar wall without concern for harming their body.
	+ ***Enhanced Speed:*** Deities are faster, more reflexive, and all-around quicker than their physique would otherwise suggest. They can usually dodge arrows or even gunfire if they are aware of the attack and prepared to move.

### Inheritance and Birthright:

* **Inheritance and Birthright:** Gods of Olympus will inherit three abilities: One Inheritance from their mother (or matron), one Inheritance from their father (or patron), and one unique ability called the Birthright.
	+ ***Maternal Inheritance: Geomantic Affinity:*** As the daughter of Iris, Pheme has an affinity fro geomantic essence. Using this, Iris has an infalliable sense of direction, can sense caverns and underwater river, and has a perfect sense of balance when standing on the ground. By touching the ground, she can also determine the direction and distance of the nearest settlements or body of water.
	+ ***Paternal Inheritance: Trickster:*** As a daughter of Hermes, Pheme was endowed with the esoteric ability to bend and break the Sacred Laws with much reduced risk of consequences. This gives her an insight into those who also break laws or bend the rules in their favor. She has a sharp knack for both the manipulation of others as well as knowing when others seek to manipulate herself or others in her vicinity.
	+ ***Personal Inheritance: Whisper on the Wind:*** Pheme has exceptionally sharp hearing, even more so than other gods. She must concentrate tune out excess noise to hear distint sounds at great range, but she can hear everything down to a pin drop from over a station away with no need to concentrate.

### Doctrine

* **Goddess of Fame:** With this purview, Pheme can tap into psychic connections in her area to discern which mortals are most well-known. She will also get a sense to what accomplishments they are known for. Through manipulating these impulses, Pheme can also take on more convincing disguises than other gods by creating 'false fame.'
* **Goddess of Gossip:** By exercising this power, Pheme can prompt others to speak, effectively compelling them to gossip. This effect is not absolute, as the gossip provided by the target is not necessarily salacious or true, and often they simply echo the last gossip that they have heard. The effect is more pronounced with those that Pheme has a personal connection with. The stronger the relationship she has, the more compelling the effect upon the target.
* **Goddess of Journalism:** Pheme has an intuitive sense that allows her to recognize any journalists she encounters and get an idea as to what story or assignment they may be working on. She will get a sense for their level of journalistic integrity. With further probing, she may gain some knowledge about the journalist's body of work. Pheme will also know the name of any journalistic publications in her locale and where to find copies of their publications. While conducting an interview with a subject that agreed to be interviewed, Pheme can influence her target's emotions. The level of empathic manipulation is more pronounced on mortals than with immortals.
* **Goddess of Renown:** With this purview, Pheme can recognize any famous individual she encounters among mortality. This includes political figures, religious leaders, royalty, acclaimed artists and tradesmen, heroes, and other figures whose name and legend has been recorded in a chronicle distributed for public consumption. This effect often bypasses mundane disguises or other attempts to conceal one's identity, but magically-reinforced disguises can often bypass this effect.
* **Goddess of Rumor:** With this purview, Pheme has the power to intuitively know the most prominent rumors exchanged by spoken or written wore in her locale. She can also tap into the local rumor mill to give any active rumors extra psychic influence, causing them to spread like wildfire.