Aquilo is the Roman god of the North Wind and the overarching antagonist of Ryse: Son of Rome, being the force that manipulated the events of the entire game and aided in keeping Nero in power - the god is depicted as playing a cosmic "game" of chance with the goddess Summer and much like the ancient myths the game takes inspiration from neither are particularly caring for the plight such "games" bring on humanity, though Aquilo is by far the more antagonistic as he seeks to ensure the tyranny of Nero and his sons escalates to the point Rome is destroyed, while Summer seeks to keep Rome's fall from occurring.
He was voiced by Richard Teverson
History[]
Aquilo is one of two "Spirit Deities" within the game that are said to embody the seasons, while Summer is seen to favor civilization and progress Aquilo is seen as Winter and sees civilization and progress as dangerous, thus he champions the destruction of empires and wishes to keep humanity in a state of pre-civilization barbarism, seeing this as the more "acceptable" way of life for humanity. Aquilo is playful but devoid of empathy, thus while he greatly enjoys playing cosmic "games" he sees no qualms in using mortals as playthings and thus while Summer is often seen as a more benevolent force Aquilo (as Winter) is seen in a more negative light, despite this both are necessary for the proper balance of the universe.
Appearance[]
despite his malicious nature Aquilo takes a benevolent form with white robes and gentle features, this hides his true personality as an uncaring deity who sees humans as pawns on a cosmic game of chess and whose manipulations are designed to bring ruin to the empire and its people.
Powers and Abilities[]
Aquilo reveals his true divine form.
as an Olympian Aquilo is immortal and virtually all-powerful, able to manipulate events in space and time so as to in essence do anything he may desire - he was most concerned with manipulating events in Rome so as to ultimately see it fall into ruin, despite his vast powers he was countered by other Olympians such as Summer, who equaled his power, while no other gods were ever encountered in the game it is almost certain that Aquilo was nowhere near the level of power found in an "all-father" deity such as Zeus.
Nevertheless, for all intents and purposes, within the story of the game Aquilo is by far the most powerful entity (alongside Summer) to be encountered and befitting his status as a god he is never physically fought nor fully defeated.
Trivia[]
- Aquilo and Summer are the only gods seen in the game, with no appearance of greater deities such as Zeus or the 12 Olympians, as such it is one of the few depictions of Aquilo in fiction (especially as an outright antagonist).