Apollonius au Valii-Rath

Also known as Apollonius au Rath, Apollonius's, the Valii-Rath war criminal

Major
First seen · Book 4 · Ch. 28

Gender: male
Age: 30s-40s
First appears: Book 4 · Ch. 28
Books: 2

Apollonius au Valii-Rath emerges in Iron Gold as a once-imprisoned Peerless Scarred of House Valii-Rath, freed by Darrow to serve as a volatile, vengeful ally against the Ash Lord. His baroque purple armor, Minotaur sigil, and predatory grace mark him as a noble predator whose blood-feud with House Arcos and betrayal by his own brother Tharsus fuel a relentless quest for power and retribution. By Light Bringer, the scars of his captivity and the implanted bomb have left him physically altered yet more dangerous, his angelic beauty now shaded by deeper malice and his alliance with Darrow reduced to a tenuous, distrustful partnership. Across the saga, Apollonius evolves from a caged lion into a cunning, self-serving force whose shifting loyalties and personal vendettas threaten to upend the fragile coalitions of the Rising.

Description

A powerful tawny-skinned man with a heavily muscled build, broad back, and huge hands who stands slightly shorter than Darrow yet dominates any space with predatory grace. His long golden hair coils wildly down his shoulders or is bound into a tight ponytail or mane. An equine nose, sensual lips, dark eyelashes, and burning hot-coal eyes define his face, which carries a monklike intensity. Long white razor scars lace his torso, two nearest the heart from past combat with Darrow. He appears equally at home naked and unashamed or clad in baroque purple armor featuring a raging Minotaur on the chestplate and a horned helmet, his presence evoking a twisted noble predator fresh from battle. A broad-backed, lean but powerfully muscled man, slightly shorter than Darrow, with long coiled golden hair that falls down his back or is tied tightly behind his head. His face has high cheekbones, a striking smile, and an intense, wild gaze. Long white razor scars cross his torso, with another scar marking where a bomb was implanted. He wears ornate, baroque purple armor bearing the Minotaur emblem, completed by a helmet with long, twisted horns; in less formal scenes he appears in black clothes and a purple cloak or a kimono. Apollonius au Rath is a powerfully built man taller and thicker than most, with skin the rich color of buckwheat honey. Long dark golden waves of hair spill past his shoulders or are tied back in a ponytail, framing a face of angelic beauty shaded by evil intent. Full sensuous lips, a generous stately nose, and sleepy eyes behind thick gold lashes complete his striking features, marked by a faint scar on the left neck and a healing bitemark on the right cheek.

Connections

Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals

TA
Tharsus au Valii-Ratholder brother
Apollonius’s younger brother and betrayer; Apollonius dominates and manipulates Tharsus, exposing his treachery and reasserting control over House Valii-Rath while feigning forgiveness to exploit him.
Darrow of Lykosmutual adversaries
Initially Darrow’s captive and later a coerced ally, their relationship evolves into a tense, transactional partnership defined by mutual distrust, strategic necessity, and the constant threat of betrayal.
Tonguelesslistener
A silent listener who visits Apollonius daily in prison, valuing his imagined violin music despite Apollonius remaining an enemy prisoner.
V
Vorkiancommander
A loyal Centurion who remained in Apollonius’s service, recognizing his return and following his orders against the Ash Lord’s forces.
Alexandar au Arcosblood-feud adversary
Blood-feud adversary; Apollonius invokes the ancient grudge stemming from Lorn au Arcos’s killing of his brother, while Alexandar responds with contempt and a vow to destroy the Valii-Rath line.
Sevro au Barcaadversary
Sevro distrusts Apollonius as a psychopath, repeatedly urges Darrow to kill him, and takes it upon himself to neutralize the threat if necessary.
Atalantia au Grimmuspolitical enemy
Political enemy; Apollonius’s family was stripped of power under the Ash Lord’s regime, and Atalantia’s assassins killed a defecting family lawyer, making her a target for Apollonius’s retribution.
VC
Videli cu Yancraabuser
Apollonius terrorizes the warden who facilitated his privileged prison conditions, ultimately crushing his eyes during extraction as an act of retribution.
AL
Ash Lord (Magnus au Grimmus)Enemy
Apollonius’s betrayer and target of vengeance; he poisoned the Ash Lord years earlier and ultimately burns him alive at Darrow’s command, ending the Ash Lord’s regime.

Story so far

BOOK 4Iron Gold
- Darrow frees Apollonius from Deepgrave prison in exchange for his help against the Ash Lord, implanting an explosive in his head to ensure compliance.
- Apollonius confronts and manipulates his younger brother Tharsus, exposing Tharsus’s betrayal that led to his imprisonment and reclaiming dominance over House Valii-Rath.
- He reveals he poisoned the Ash Lord three years earlier and, at Darrow’s command, burns the dying Ash Lord alive as an act of vengeance.
- Apollonius invokes the blood-feud with House Arcos, recalling Lorn au Arcos’s killing of his younger brother and clashing with Alexandar au Arcos.
- Sevro au Barca repeatedly urges Darrow to kill Apollonius, distrusting him as a psychopath and knocking him unconscious during a confrontation.
BOOK 6Light Bringer
- Apollonius reappears physically altered—taller, thicker, with a healing bitemark and faint neck scar—yet retains his predatory grace and angelic, evil-shaded beauty.
- His alliance with Darrow remains transactional and fraught, marked by lingering distrust and the ever-present threat of betrayal.
- Apollonius’s vendetta against the Grimmus family and his own fractured House continues to drive his actions, positioning him as a wildcard in the larger conflict.