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Provocation is the nature of predators like us, Darrow.
— Iron Gold, Chapter 34

Apollonius au Valii-Rath, aka The Minotaur of Mars, is a Gold of Mars and one of Tactus au Rath's older brothers.

Personality[]

Before the Rising, Apollonius was known for his debauchery and bloodlust, instigating duels for fun and throwing orgies that would last for days. Apollonius sought an escape from the nihilism of tedium and was looking for a reason to exist, finally finding it when war came.[1]

Appearance[]

Being of House Rath, Apollonius is of Middle-Eastern descent.

In Iron Gold, he's described as having tawny skin (darker than Tactus'), long, coiled golden hair and eyes like hot coals (yellow-orange). His body is extremely muscular and covered in long white scars from Razors.[2]

Skills and Abilities[]

Involvement[]

Pre-Saga[]

Apollonius mastered the violin when he was twelve years old.[1]

He and Tharsus opened a brothel in Agea when they were fourteen.[3]

Prior to the Rising, he was a long time drinking partner of Karnus au Bellona.[1] Cassius frequently attempted to join them on their visits to various Pearl Clubs, despite not being willing to pay for anything himself. At some point, Karnus told Cassius that "a shining name does not entitle you to never pay for the Pinks."[4]

Golden Son[]

Though he does not physically appear, it is mentioned that Fitchner au Barca defeated him in a duel for the office of Rage Knight.

At some point during or after Golden Son, Apollonius became one of the Jackal's Boneriders along with his younger brother Tharsus.

Morning Star[]

Though Apollonius does not physically appear in Morning Star, he was one of the first Martian Golds aligned with the Society to fire on Lilath au Faran's ship during the Jackal's nuclear bombing of Luna.[1]

After the Fall of Octavia and The Jackal, Apollonius and Tharsus were among the Gold loyalists who joined the Ash Lord in retreating from Luna, with their household resettling on Venus along with other Gold exiles from Mars and Earth.

The Solar War[]

Apollonius fought against the Solar Republic in the early years of the Solar War. He participated in the Battle of Luna, and at one point faced Darrow O'Lykos in combat on Earth at Khardung La, a mountain pass in India.[5]

Apollonius became notorious for killing everyone who attempted to fight him, with Darrow and Valdir being the only humans to ever duel him and survive.

He participated in the Siege of Olympia, where the Society Remnant attacked the Obsidian resettlement operations in the city.[6] He held his own against Sefi and lasted until Darrow arrived with the Republic's Seventh Legion and forced him to retreat.[7]

Six years before the start of Iron Gold, Apollonius was given a mission by the Ash Lord to infiltrate the Citadel on Luna and assassinate Darrow's family along with a hundred of his best troops and nine hundred Golds of House Carthii. En route, he discovered that he and his men were alone, having been sent on a suicide mission so that the Ash Lord could be rid of him. Deciding to go out in a blaze of glory, Apollonius pushed on with the mission, managing to kill one Howler before being captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in Deepgrave.

Iron Gold[]

Darrow claims that Apollonius' face looming out of the darkness with Howler blood on his face still haunts him at night.

Darrow and the Howlers break Apollonius and several other Golds of the Society Remnant out of Deepgrave as part of a plan to infiltrate Venus and assassinate the Ash Lord.

Dark Age[]

After the end of Iron Gold, Apollonius manages to seize control of the Venus Dockyards from House Carthii. He then travelled to Mercury in secret and observed the Battle of the Ladon and other subsequent events while hidden under a ghostCloak.[4]

In the weeks after the Battle of the Ladon, Apollonius found Lysander au Lune and a group of surviving Society Remnant troops walking across the Ladon and begins to follow them. After stalking the group for four days, he approaches Lysander when the Lune heir is alone after the capture of his companions to offer his

On Mercury, Apollonius offers help to Lysander in the desert after following him. Lysander refuses, not wanting to be indebted to him.

In the final chapter of the novel, Apollonius meets with Lysander on Mercury for a secret meeting. Lysander offers him an alliance. Apollonius accepts, seeking the lives of Darrow, Atlas, Atalantia, and Ajax.

Light Bringer[]

The Minotaur’s Song:

“When he returned from deepest grave

He had no home though he was brave.

He had two horns, that iron nave,

Praise he who commands our legion!

Forgotten soldier, march to war,

Take your glory, Minotaur!

Forgotten soldier, march to war,

Take your homeland, Minotaur!

Soon, all of gold will envy he,

Who fought for you and fought for me,

With naught but horns, One minus three,

Praise the Minotaur’s Legions!

Exiled Martian March to war,

Take your glory Minotaur!

Exiled Martian March to war,

Take your homeland Minotaur!

Hear the sound of thousands roar,

Toward our planet, land of war,

Through one billion slaves, he’ll gore!

Praise the Minotaur’s Legion!”

Relationships[]

Family[]

Tactus[]

Tharsus[]

Friends[]

Karnus au Bellona[]

Allies[]

Enemies[]

Darrow O'Lykos[]

Cassius au Bellona[]

Apollonius detests Cassius, feeling that he despoils his memories of his days with Tharsus and Karnus.[4]

Gallery[]

Quotes[]

  • "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell out of heaven." - Iron Gold, Ch. 34

Notes & References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Iron Gold, chapter 34
  2. Iron Gold, Chapter 28
  3. Golden Son, chapter 10
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Light Bringer, chapter 08
  5. Iron Gold, chapter 21
  6. Dark Age, chapter 11
  7. Dark Age, chapter 22
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