| “ | Apollo will fall, but Apollo must rise again. | ” |
–The arrow to Apollo in The Tower of Nero. | ||
The Arrow of Dodona is an arrow that Apollo found in the Grove of Dodona. The arrow has an oak shaft and green fletching. The Arrow speaks to Apollo in an Elizabethan accent and gives answers to Apollo. The answers are not prophetic, though they vary from how to make a plague arrow to giving driving directions to the Cave of Trophonius.
The Trials of Apollo[]
The Hidden Oracle[]
The arrow is found in the Grove of Dodona by Apollo. He then takes it out and learns of its speech when the Colossus Neronis attacks the camp. The arrow re-teaches Apollo how to make a plague arrow, but the enchantment works too well and all the campers get hay fever.
The Dark Prophecy[]
While talking with Emmie and Josephine at the Waystation, Calypso suggests Apollo shows them the Arrow of Dodona but he refuses. He pulls it out at West Maryland Street for advice on how to rescue Britomartis' Gryphons, Heloise and Abelard. It advises them to go to the Indianapolis Zoo. The arrow later teaches Apollo and Meg McCaffrey how to drive to the Bluespring Caverns.
The Burning Maze[]
Apollo asks the arrow for help when they are being attacked by Strix. It tells him to use pig entrails, or abrutus if pig entrails are not available. While fighting the faded essence of Helios, it tells Apollo to have Piper shoot a blow dart at Medea.
While fighting Caligula's guards, Apollo uses it to shoot a cyclops in the eye; much in its annoyance and disgust. The arrow tries to stop Apollo from stabbing himself with it to no avail, however it moves away from his heart when he does stab himself, saving Apollo. Apollo calls upon the arrow for help when going through the oracle’s word puzzles, which it enjoys.
The Tyrant's Tomb[]
When on Sutro Tower, it congratulates Apollo for figuring something out on his own, but he does not remember the silent god’s name. He hints at the name until Apollo guesses Harpocrates.
The Tower of Nero[]
After Apollo and Meg debate on whether to seek help from Percy Jackson or not, it sides with the daughter of Demeter in seeking him out.
After he and Luguselwa escape from their cell, Apollo retrieves the arrow and it guides him on where to go.
During the final battle with Python, the arrow informs him something is happening to him but says nothing more. It urges Apollo to use it on the monster, eventually telling him that Apollo will fall, but Apollo must rise again, thus completing the prophecy. After much bickering, Apollo reluctantly stabs the arrow into Python's left eye, blinding the monster and giving him a chance to kill him. After being stabbed into Python, the arrow, which remains intact, goes silent as its consciousness vanishes. Though Apollo hopes that the arrow's mind returned to its grove, he suspects that it sacrificed itself and is gone for good. The arrow's physical form is destroyed when it and Python fall into Chaos.
Apollo eventually revisits the Grove of Dodona and thanks the trees for giving him the arrow as a guide.
Personality[]
As a former piece wood from the Grove of Dodona, the Arrow of Dodona was extremely knowledgeable about several different subjects ranging from how to create a powerful poisonous arrow to even teaching Apollo and Meg how to drive a car and give them directions when they got lost. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the Arrow of Dodona was shown to think very highly of itself often speaking in long flowery sentences which was a constant source of frustration for Apollo/Lester who often had little time or patience for such theatrics or grandstanding. Which more often than not led to the two having a love-hate relationship.
Trivia[]
- The Arrow of Dodona is the second weapon introduced into the franchise confirmed to be sentient after Sumarbrander in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.