Irev
Irev, also known as the Heart of Apathy and Guardian of Souls, is a major supporting character in Reckoning and one of the Six Divine Beasts in Wraiths and Deicide.
Following the death of his family, Irev was left the sole successor to their noble house, and he cared little to engage in the politics of the court. Instead, he poured himself wholeheartedly into the study of magic, a practice that he would introduce to the people of his kingdom. Due to him having a sharp tongue and a bitter intolerance for small talk, Irev had few allies, even among his likeminded War-Scholar peers. The two exceptions to his solitude were his family servants, Fastid and Varys, though both would later come to betray him in the pursuit of personal freedom and morality. Irev's deepest desire was to protect Nvaon from magical tragedies like the one his parents had suffered from, and to enact a means to protect his magicless people against the arcane ways of the Ildsif who were thought to have caused the spellplague. As such, he harbored a deep distrust of their kind, though he focused more on healing his legionnaires than hunting them down himself. More than anything, he wished to see a world without war and pain; however, he spent most of his life dismissing this wish as unrealistic. This cynical service to his country combined with his magical prowess made him the ideal pawn for Uopywon's schemes, though in the True Route of Reckoning, Irev's unexpected forgiveness of his childhood friends cost the Apostle his life. Post-Reckoning
Irev clings desperately to his wish to protect humanity, though Ammayn's corruption is inevitable. The centuries have caused him to become more distant and cynical, slowly losing faith in his ability to guard the world, though he still tries actively to find those with the strength to end the divine where he and the other Divine Beasts could not.
Born to noble Nvaon blood, Irev's parents were vigilant senators until their untimely death due to the spellplague's initial outbreak during his early childhood. Because of this, Irev developed a strong vendetta against the Ildsif, who most Nvaonese believed to be at fault for the spellplague. Although he too suffered from the illness, he was saved by his friend Fastid, a young half-Ildsif servant boy with the miraculous ability to cast restorative magic. Fascinated by Fastid's gift, Irev studied carefully with him and used his talent to develop a makeshift way for all Nvaons to cast magic using crucibles and catalysts. Irev's particular field of focus was in the healing arts, hoping to find a way to aid the afflicted populace. Once Irev was able to replicate the spell, they brought their knowledge before the High Council of Nvaon. Though very controversial, it was decreed that the secrets of magic would be delegated to a select few, Irev and Fastid included- and thus, the War-Scholars were founded. Irev's research in restoration magic and his development of specific crucibles was of great aid to the people, and the spellplague was eventually mostly mitigated, though not without great harm to the population. With interracial tensions at an all time high and the kingdom in disarray due to various succession plots, the High Council saw fit to declare war on the Ildsif- with the war-scholars of course as their trump card. Irev served during all seven years of the war, mostly as a field medic, though he took his fair share of lives as well. Notably, their king commanded the war-scholars to occasionally perform horrific rituals that cost hundreds of lives worth of blood to turn the tide of important battles, which Irev regrettably assisted. However, he largely dismissed Fastid's claims that the war was a facade constructed by Ammayn to sow chaos, uncomfortable with the moral implications. Although he did his best to prevent Fastid's defection, it was perhaps inevitable. The loss of his only true companion devastated Irev. Unwilling to question the truth of the conflict and the justification of his actions, he isolated himself from society. In his most vulnerable moments, Uopywon approached him and anointed him with his divine blood, granting him the opportunity to seek revenge for Fastid's betrayal and his parents' deaths. Despite the Apostle's gilded promises, Fastid was able to reason with Irev in the True Route of Deicide, leading the Uopywon to his demise. When the Six faced Arovutos and Consecra sundered the World Pillar, Irev was enraged, crushing her emblem between his jaws as he transformed into a beast; though fatally wounded from the fight, he could not die as his emblem had not been sundered by one with the blood of the deities, and he bid the surviving four to contain the waters of Aypavoc before Ammayn's blood found a way to escape. He used his body to bind Arovutos, though a temporary measure, while he recovered hibernally, continuing to maintain the world through the spirit realm. Post-Reckoning
Afterwards, the remaining Divine Beasts erected the barrier around Aypavoc, attempting to help the survivors of the cataclysm recover while they masked the history of magic and the suffering of the world. Although the others gave in to despair, Irev clung to Fastid's once-dreams of a better future, never truly giving up on attempting to find a way to destroy Arovutos.
Appearance
Before the Reckoning, Irev was a Nvaonese War-Scholar. Too busy between his studies and apothecary duties to attend to mending his robes, they were often tattered and blood-stained. Though tall and fairly strong from the tolls of war, his complexion was as pale as his hair, pigmentless due to the spellplague that claimed the lives of his parents, and the perpetual dark circles under his eyes suggested a chronic insomnia. After the Reckoning, Irev's cursed body rests at Dragon's Fall at the center and lowest point of Aypavoc. He takes the form of a large silver dragon with a hollow, exposed ribcage, steel accents, and lightning coursing through his scales.Personality
Pre-ReckoningFollowing the death of his family, Irev was left the sole successor to their noble house, and he cared little to engage in the politics of the court. Instead, he poured himself wholeheartedly into the study of magic, a practice that he would introduce to the people of his kingdom. Due to him having a sharp tongue and a bitter intolerance for small talk, Irev had few allies, even among his likeminded War-Scholar peers. The two exceptions to his solitude were his family servants, Fastid and Varys, though both would later come to betray him in the pursuit of personal freedom and morality. Irev's deepest desire was to protect Nvaon from magical tragedies like the one his parents had suffered from, and to enact a means to protect his magicless people against the arcane ways of the Ildsif who were thought to have caused the spellplague. As such, he harbored a deep distrust of their kind, though he focused more on healing his legionnaires than hunting them down himself. More than anything, he wished to see a world without war and pain; however, he spent most of his life dismissing this wish as unrealistic. This cynical service to his country combined with his magical prowess made him the ideal pawn for Uopywon's schemes, though in the True Route of Reckoning, Irev's unexpected forgiveness of his childhood friends cost the Apostle his life. Post-Reckoning
Irev clings desperately to his wish to protect humanity, though Ammayn's corruption is inevitable. The centuries have caused him to become more distant and cynical, slowly losing faith in his ability to guard the world, though he still tries actively to find those with the strength to end the divine where he and the other Divine Beasts could not.
Role
Post-Reckoning- While his body slumbers, his Emblem fractured improperly, his soul maintains the cycle of spirits in Aypavoc. He ensures that the spirits of the deceased flow downstream to him, where he does his best to cleanse them of Ammayn's corruption before releasing them to the clouds as rain and allowing them to find life anew.
- Additionally, his body rests over the bound Arovutos, sealing the Apostle who has taken up the mantle of the Goddess but inflicting further corruption upon him. To counteract this, Irev uses his devotees as vessels to avoid letting Ammayn taint his mind any more than necessary.
- Irev's season is the sixth and last of the year, bringing a quiet frost that never quite leaves the bones and skies filled with stormy grey clouds flickering with lightning that never arcs to the ground. Creatures born in his season have gray or white eyes.
- His divine domains are vengeance, restoration, bones, the afterlife, water, serenity, cleansing, and reptilia.
- His conflicts are apathy and pestilence.
History
Pre-ReckoningBorn to noble Nvaon blood, Irev's parents were vigilant senators until their untimely death due to the spellplague's initial outbreak during his early childhood. Because of this, Irev developed a strong vendetta against the Ildsif, who most Nvaonese believed to be at fault for the spellplague. Although he too suffered from the illness, he was saved by his friend Fastid, a young half-Ildsif servant boy with the miraculous ability to cast restorative magic. Fascinated by Fastid's gift, Irev studied carefully with him and used his talent to develop a makeshift way for all Nvaons to cast magic using crucibles and catalysts. Irev's particular field of focus was in the healing arts, hoping to find a way to aid the afflicted populace. Once Irev was able to replicate the spell, they brought their knowledge before the High Council of Nvaon. Though very controversial, it was decreed that the secrets of magic would be delegated to a select few, Irev and Fastid included- and thus, the War-Scholars were founded. Irev's research in restoration magic and his development of specific crucibles was of great aid to the people, and the spellplague was eventually mostly mitigated, though not without great harm to the population. With interracial tensions at an all time high and the kingdom in disarray due to various succession plots, the High Council saw fit to declare war on the Ildsif- with the war-scholars of course as their trump card. Irev served during all seven years of the war, mostly as a field medic, though he took his fair share of lives as well. Notably, their king commanded the war-scholars to occasionally perform horrific rituals that cost hundreds of lives worth of blood to turn the tide of important battles, which Irev regrettably assisted. However, he largely dismissed Fastid's claims that the war was a facade constructed by Ammayn to sow chaos, uncomfortable with the moral implications. Although he did his best to prevent Fastid's defection, it was perhaps inevitable. The loss of his only true companion devastated Irev. Unwilling to question the truth of the conflict and the justification of his actions, he isolated himself from society. In his most vulnerable moments, Uopywon approached him and anointed him with his divine blood, granting him the opportunity to seek revenge for Fastid's betrayal and his parents' deaths. Despite the Apostle's gilded promises, Fastid was able to reason with Irev in the True Route of Deicide, leading the Uopywon to his demise. When the Six faced Arovutos and Consecra sundered the World Pillar, Irev was enraged, crushing her emblem between his jaws as he transformed into a beast; though fatally wounded from the fight, he could not die as his emblem had not been sundered by one with the blood of the deities, and he bid the surviving four to contain the waters of Aypavoc before Ammayn's blood found a way to escape. He used his body to bind Arovutos, though a temporary measure, while he recovered hibernally, continuing to maintain the world through the spirit realm. Post-Reckoning
Afterwards, the remaining Divine Beasts erected the barrier around Aypavoc, attempting to help the survivors of the cataclysm recover while they masked the history of magic and the suffering of the world. Although the others gave in to despair, Irev clung to Fastid's once-dreams of a better future, never truly giving up on attempting to find a way to destroy Arovutos.
Trivia
- Irev's tarot card Judgment symbolizes reflection; reckoning; awakening and, when reversed, lack of self awareness; doubt; self-loathing.
- Irev's sacred flowers, the white egret and gardenia, symbolize thinking of you in dreams and secret love.
- Irev's sacred numbers, 0 and 8, symbolize completion; nothingness; the cycle of death and rebirth and eternity.
- Michele Morrone - Hard for Me | Marshmello ft. Khalid - Silence
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