Apollo

Apollo, son of Zeus and Leta (one of Zeus' many mistresses) is a Lesser God in the Twelve: the pantheon of Gods in the 'official' religion of the Merebian Empire.

Often referred to as 'the Radiant, Apollo is the God of the Sun, Music, and Healing, as well as of Prophecy and Archery prowess (an area he shares with many other deities, such as his sister, Artemis).

Although Apollo is typically worshipped by those who aspire to become Bards, he does have his own Clerics. The priesthood of Apollo consists primarily of people who try to be free of rash impulses such as hatred, anger, lust or greed and instead focus on improving the cultural base of the Empire through the arts and medicine. As such, they are generally thought to be gentle souls who seek out the beauty in all things, but it is worth remembering that nothing in the teachings of Apollo stipulates pacifistic behaviour: Clerics of Apollo are just as capable in a fight as those of any of the other members of the Twelve (with the possible exception of Athena and Ares).

The preferred weapon of Apollo's Clerics are bows, although shortswords are also common. Clerics of Apollo are always tastefully, but not ostentatiously dressed.

Some clerics see parallels between Apollo and the Elven deity, Corellon, but that is really only a surface comparison - Corellon is more fixated on selfless duty whereas Apollo aims to bring culture (specifically Imperial culture) and enlightenment to where these are lacking.