Aristaeus

Asclepius, Philammon, Tenerus, Ismenus, Orpheus, Linus, Iamus, Phylacides and Philandros (Half-Brothers)
Kirke, Medea, Skylla, Chariclo, Nete and Mese (Half-Sisters)

### Weight

195 Libras

*The eldest of two sons born from the affairs of Apollo and his nymph lover Kyrene was given the name Karystos upon birth. As a godling, this child would be raised by the wise centaur Kheiron and his wife, Karystos' own half-sister, Chariclo, and he would grow to be a well-respected and wise being... until his father took an interest in the godling's rearing and influenced his development. It was during this time that he became known as Aristaeus and it would forever affect him.*

*Shortly after Aristaeus reached fully matured with the revelation of all his esoteric birthrights and inheritances, Apollo entrusted his son with a purview, tasking Aristaeus to keep watch over the gods' hive of Celestial Bees, the source for the majority of their supply of Nektar. However, Aristaeus let his newfound power get the better of him and he spent more time seducing nymphs and mortals than he did tending to the hive. This would lead to a tragic end of one of his lovers which put him at odds with his half-brother Orpheus. For his involvement and the guilt he felt, Aristaeus nearly lost his divinity.*

*After surviving the ordeal, Aristaeus removed himself from as much drama as he could, even distancing himself from his throng of nymph lovers. Eventually, he would solace in the comfort of his cousin Autonoë and together the two would start a family.*

 Divine Lore

### 1 OC - 22 OC

Shortly after the gods' ascension to reign in the Haven on Olympus, Apollo celebrated his victory in many ways and with many beings. As the God of Festivals at the time, Apollo was well-known for his revelry. He had lovers among the scattered settlements of mortals. He would seduce entire tribes of wilderness nymphs, and had gained the devotion of all nine muses. Yet, there was one lover that he showed more interest in than any other.

In the verdant heart of ancient Thessaly, where woodland met water's edge, danced Kyrene—luminous as the morning's first light. A nymph, yes, but no ordinary spirit of the woodlands. Even amidst her ephemeral kind, Kyrene’s spirit shone distinct, for she held a passion uncommon to most of her kin: a love for the wild hunt.

While other nymphs cavorted amidst blossoms or sang with the brooks, Kyrene grappled with fierce beasts, her heart echoing the primal rhythms of nature’s wildest dance. It was this very essence of wild abandon and courage that caught the discerning eye of the goddess Artemis who befriended Kyrene and made her one of her first official hunting partners. After that, it was not long after that she made the acquaintance of Artemis' twin brother, Apollo.

Legend has it that on one fateful day, a monstrous lion, whose hide was unable to be pierced by arrows or blades of any kind, approached the waters where Kyrene and other nymphs frequently. While the other nymphs fled from such a creature, Kyrene did not. With a grace that belied her strength, she wrestled the creature, her laughter echoing amidst the roars. Artemis and Apollo came upon this spectacle, having responded when the screams of the other nymphs drew their attention. While Artemis attempted to wrestle the beast off Kyrene, Apollo was struck dumb—not just by the nymph's beauty, but by her indomitable spirit, he was ensnared by a passion as fierce as the ferocious beast itself.

After Kyrene and Artemis' combined efforts convinced the beast to flee in search of an easier prey, Apollo approached the brace nymph. Words passed between them—a discourse of admiration, surprise, and a burgeoning mutual affection. Apollo whisked Kyrene away, transporting her across the cerulean seas to a land named Libya.

Here, amidst the confluence of sand and sea, Apollo founded a city in the nymph's name, and helped her establish a cult of devoted followers that would echo Artemis' own camp. In effect, Kyrene became a local proxy of Artemis. By Kyrene playing her part, the cult of Artemis grew in the area, and in turn, the city became a beacon of Hellenic culture. Apollo would check in on Kyrene often and through their intimate dealings, two children would be born. The first of which is who we concern ourselves with in this record.

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The god that would become known as Aristaeus began his life known as the godling Karystos. He would spend his earliest years with his mother, but due to his mother being a nymph and somewhat lacking in maternal instincts, Karystos would find himself on a boat to Euboea where the centaur Kheiron lived at the time. Well-respected by nymphs for his wisdom, Kheiron was asked by Kyrene to look after her son. Kheiron was not certain he was the best choice to raise a godling, but his wife Chariclo (another of Apollo's children) convinced him otherwise.

Young Karystos would grow into a humble and gentle godling with the remarkable upbringing he had been given by his surrogate father and older half-sister. This was in spite of a late development of a third inheritance. However, when talk of Karystos' delayed development reached Apollo, the god took an interest in assessing whether the child was indeed his or if Kyrene had another lover.

This would be the first time Apollo and Karystos would truly meet. The father and son had little to speak about at first, but Apollo's personality would erode Karystos' subdued anger at being neglected by his father for so long. In order to please Apollo, Karystos asked to accompany his father on his travels for the remainder of his youth. The result of this saw Karystos abandoning his humility and gentleness in favor of becoming a confident and boisterous godling, whose demeanor was too crass and bold for even Apollo to emulate.

Karystos' final inheritance made itself manifest during this time, proving himself to be Apollo's son through a permutation of Apollo's own abilities, which he had inherited from Zeus. Karystos' own manifestation of this saw him given the nickname 'Aristaeus' and it was this name that was used in the ritual that saw him elevated to godhood when Apollo granted his son the authority to oversee the Olympian Hive of Celestial Bees.

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At first, Aristaeus did well as the God of Beekeeping and Honey. He had a many nymph helpers in the Meliae tribe of the Haven and would often spend his nights with them in carnal bliss. Yet, the hives of the Haven were not enough to sustain the entire pantheon, so Aristaeus was expected to venture out of the Haven to check on the production of other hives where Nektar was made for more distant gods on Earth and in the Underworld.

Accompanying Aristaeus on these trips was Eurydice, a pastoral nymph, that had been delegated by Helios to check on the supply of Ambrosia in these distant corners. In their travels, Aristaeus and Eurydice became lovers - as nymphs are prone to do in the company of attractive gods. Though their relationship was entirely casual with no true affection for one another, it was something Aristaeus had grown accustomed to during these annual treks.

However, Eurydice would come to feel a strong affection for another, Aristaeus' half-brother Orpheus. With the good looks of Aristaeus but also a sensitive soul that caused nymphs everywhere to swoon, Orpheus was quite the catch and Eurydice was immensely flattered that Orpheus had taken a romantic interest in her. The two lovers would marry, an uncommon ritual for nymphs, but true love was also equally uncommon an experience among nymphs.

At the wedding, Aristaeus supplied the finest mead to wish Eurydice and his half-brother the best of luck with nuptial life. However, after the wedding, when it was time to accompany Eurydice on the trip to oversee the supplies of Nektar and Ambrosia, Eurydice was not eager to engage in their usual nocturnal recreation. Aristaeus did not seem to understand what had changed, but Eurydice explained that the love she had for Orpheus was true, and she would not betray that love.

Throughout their trip, Aristaeus' uncanny charisma began to wear down Eurydice's resistance. Ultimately, his paternal inheritance's effects on Eurydice's memory convinced her that the love she had for Orpheus was actually a pale imitation of the passion she and Aristaeus had. So influenced, Eurydice came on to Aristaeus one night, and he gave in to his baser instincts.

The two shared a night of passion. However, the effect on Eurydice began to fade and as it did, Eurydice felt shame and came to regret what she had done with Aristaeus. Some time after the end of their trip, Eurydice came forward with what she had done to her husband Orpheus. Though Orpheus was upset, he was willing to forgive Eurydice... but the words that escaped his lips in the moment were not so promising. Instead, a hysterical Eurydice ran from her home and disappeared into the wilderness where neither Orpheus or Aristaeus could follow her.

Some time later, the brothers that loved Eurydice would learn that she had found a den of vipers. As snakes were holy symbols of Apollo, Eurydice milked the venom of these vipers and drank it, causing her death in a symbolic manner that would be seen as a protest, alerting other nymphs about the dangers of the sons of Apollo.

Though Orpheus would venture into the Underworld in an attempt to bring Eurydice back and prove to her that he had not meant the awful things he had said, Aristaeus fell into a deep depression. The guilt that racked his mind caused him to punish himself for what he had done. The Meliae could not comfort him as their beauty reminded him of Eurydice. During this episode, Aristaeus' emotions affected the hive to such a degree that Celestial Bees began to die off and the Haven's supply of Nektar was threatened.

Aristaeus nearly had his purview revoked and was even made the target of motions for execution among the Twelve, but his cousin Autonoë was able to convince Aristaeus that he had more to live for and could still turn this around. Convinced to accompany Autonoë on a trip to visit Kheiron, Aristaeus was able get in touch with his more rustic upbringing. The experience was therapeutic for him, restoring his faith in himself.

When he returned to the Haven, Aristaeus did so with actionable plans to not only restore Nektar production to what it had been within a year, he also had plans for improving the supply of Nektar going forward that would allow the pantheon to grow much larger. Armed with this knowledge, and having Autonoë at his side, Aristaeus was allowed to keep his purview and his life.

Upon correcting the deficiency of Nektar, Aristaeus celebrated by hosting a celebration and using this occasion to propose marriage to Autonoë. The two would retire for a time to live on Earth, amongst the mortals, trusting the Meliae to keep Haven flowing with Nektar. During this time, Aristaeus would take up hunting as a pastime to help reconnect him with his mother.

During his hunting exploits, Aristaeus would help mold a young promising hunter named Actaeon. Aristaeus even gave the young man a boon, helping him become one of the most-skilled and legendary hunters of the Mythic Age. However, when Aristaeus would return to the Haven to resume his duties and raised his newborn daughter Makris in an essence-rich environment, Actaeon would engage in practices that would cause Apollo to question why Aristaeus had given the hunter his heroic boon.

After being chastised by his father, Aristaeus saw no need to trust humans again. Legends say that Aristaeus even told his bees to arm themselves against the treachery of mankind. Whether you believe such things is irrelevant, but it would be centuries until Aristaeus again went among mortals, even sending nymphs to observe the well-being of secondary hives in his stead.

## Role in NeOlympus

Appearances of Aristaeus

 Abilities

### Ichoric Doctrine

* **Divine Physicality:** Deities possess 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: Environmental Affinity:***  As the son of Cyrene, Aristaeus has an adaptive affinity for ambient essence, giving him heightened environmental protections and a higher affinity for manipulating raw essence.
	+ ***Paternal Inheritance: Arete of Charisma:*** As the son of Apollo, Aristaeus has the ability to be disarmingly charming and seductive, gaining a passive influence over people's emotions and thoughts regarding him. This inclines people to have stronger feelings towards him. After leaving the presence of Aristaeus, others tend to remember the encounter with a more positive impression, with many mortals feeling as though Aristaeus is quite simply the "Best," whether that be the best friend, best lover, best customer, or even a best rival — depending on the established or previously existing relationships
	+ ***Personal Birthright: Bestial Connection:*** Aristaeus has a deep connection with animals of all kinds. Most simple creatures tend to regard him as one of their own, with some even becoming subservient to him.