Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is the son of Zeus and a Titaness named Maia. He is a favorite among Olympia despite his roguish and thieving qualities. He fashioned the first lyre out of a tortoise shell and the gut from one of Apollo's cows, which he of course stole, on the day he was born no less. And of course, Apollo was furious but Hermes managed to escape with just a few scratches by giving the lyre to him . Later Apollo bet him he could not do it again and Hermes lost the bet, having to swear to never again tell a lie, though he did not ever swear to tell the truth either. He is said to be quite the charmer and he wears a winged helmet along with winged sandals and carries his caduceus (a staff twined with serpents) wherever he goes. He not only delivers messages between the gods but also delivers souls to the Underworld and is said to bring good luck to travelers. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, and gymnastics.
Hermes favors Mechanical Knowledge and Acrobatics, but disfavors Alchemy, and Arcane Knowledge save for Perception. His symbol is the caduceus and his followers often offer him agates, lockpicks, and feathers.
