The Avan'ish

'Go where you must, and do what you must. The Hunt stops for no one, and no thing.' - Avan'ish Proverb

Written by Yerran

As seen in

Life's Heart

Known as 'The Watchers' upon Tulin, the Avan'ish are a humanoid species that originated within 'The Radiant'. They have been a part of 'The Light's Crusade' since the beginning, with many serving as Eokir's Chosen. Elite hunters, trackers and assassins that serve the Titan of Vengeance. What they have now become would be unrecognisable to their ancestors that once lived solely within the Radiant. The millennia of war, pain and tragedy have changed these once Light imbued beings into hardened elite warriors.

Anatomy

Avan'ish are a humanoid species with heightened senses. However, there are several distinctions that easily set them apart at a glance. They possess long pointed ears that usually rise out above their head, as well as horns fangs and eyes that are a single colour (of which it can be any). They can will their skin tone and colour to change over a few days, allowing them to adapt to new environments and stay camouflaged. Though it isn't just the colour of their skin that changes, their bodies will also adapt to new environments. They can live within the bleakest cold and amongst the burning lava pools of volcanic islands and would adapt to feel neither the heat nor cold after several weeks. This adaptation, more than the others, drew Eokir to them, as they could jump from planet to planet and environment to environment tracking their prey with little pause.

They also possess the ability of forced regeneration, though hard learnt, and usually only perfected amongst the more experienced and elder of their kind. They are able to channel their energies into rapidly healing wounds, as well as prioritising which wounds are to be healed first. This allows them to recover from any non-life-threatening wounds in days and weeks, rather than months. Though to do so they require significant rest and food.

Another quirk of their anatomy causes Avan'ish to cry blood, something seen as horrifying by most cultures, and a taboo amongst modern Avan'ish who favour stoicism.

Culture

Amongst all Avan'ish, whether upon Tulin, or not, Eokir is their chosen titan. All live lives in service of her. Hunting and killing the beings of the Nightmare  without fear or remorse. Born to fight and die, those who do so with honour believe they are granted a place within Eokir's Eternal Hunt. A place for spirits of the greatest of their kind, where they hunt and feast for eternity, until the final resurgence of 'The Light's Crusade' in which they will once more return to Grey-Space and finally see an end to the Nightmare once and for all.

All Avani'ish, male and female are born to fight, and even if they work in another calling, they must all be hunters. This means that for the first several decades of their life, they learn to hunt, fight and survive in harsh environments. Those highest amongst them become Hunt-masters, leading their other hunters in battles and hunts.

The tribes follow their own leaders, who sit upon the Hunter's Council and are ruled over by a Warleader. One chosen from the tribe's leaders, to rule above all others and is unquestionably obeyed in ways of war. Though during more peaceful times, they can be removed through a vote of the Hunter's Council.

Within Avan'ish society, emotions are something to contain and conceal. This stems from their teachings in which they are not allowed to show fear or pain in the face of death, and must fight with honour until that moment. Over the years of The Light's Crusade this has led them to shun emotions of all types, leaning on clan and family for support when needed. The only acceptable emotion, that is actively encouraged and channelled in their society is that of vengeance. Due to the veneration of the titan Eokir, The Huntress, vengeance is a key part of their philosophy, and no death, harm or insult from beings outside their family can go unanswered or unpunished. This in part is what has led their numbers to dwindle upon Tulin, with every death needing someone or something to answer for.

Tribes of Tulin

After the first Jarax War twenty Avan'ish tribes made their home upon Tulin at bequest of Eokir, to watch and guide the humans, native to the planet in the ways of Light. They set up in the harshest of environments, sworn to slay the servants of Nightmare. For many years they walked among the humans and their cities, rooting out darkness with unopposed ruthlessness. Though with the closing of the gate and the second Jarax Wars, they soon became feared amongst humans, and their presence in their cities dwindled, till they returned to their own tribes. From here they watched over the most dangerous places of the world, guarding it till the return of the Light. Something, they still await to this day, though year upon year their numbers dwindle and their culture dies, and too many have lost hope.

Bonding the Pan'ar

The tribes upon Tulin found kinship with the Pan'ar of the mountains and forests. A species of sentient cats, akin to giant tigers. Their population was in decline and they struggled to compete against the giant predators and horrors that dwelt within the dangerous places of the world, much like the Avan'ish. The Avan'ish Runeforgers created a place of great magic and sanctity to forever entwine the Pan'ar's destiny with their own. With the manipulation of incredible magic they bound themselves to Pan'ar, and continue to do so through a secret ceremony. Now, every Avan'ish hunter is bound to a Pan'ar, one they can communicate with telepathically, as well as share their senses to better comabt the world at large and better serve 'The Light'.

Alignment

Radiant

Age Range

0–350 years

Magic Use

As pure beings of 'The Radiant' the Avan'ish only possess the ability to utilize 'pull' magic. Within their culture, their magic wielders have two distinct roles called 'Runeforgers' and a largely secretive one called 'Mistriders'.

Runeforgers are responsible for imbuing runes into objects, weapons and armour, building power into all they make for their soldiers and citizens to use for their benefit.

Mistriders are chosen in secret from the ranks of Runeforgers and their identities aren't well known outside of the clan leaders and their own order. They take the power of Runeforgers one step further and act as assassins of the highest order, inscribing their body with runes to absorb all energy into themselves, including light, sound and kinetic. This allows them, for periods of short time, to stifle a scream in one's throat, walk on silent steps, freeze the movements of those around them, absorb the strength from a swinging blade and pass unseen. Those at the very top of the order can even suck the life from those around them. Truly the perfect assassins.

Pan'ar

Pan'ar are giant cats that can grow up to five metres long and three metres high, native to Tulin. They live in pack groups that can now include hundreds. Something that was once not possible without the Avan'ish protection of their creches. Pan'ar are more adapted to the mountains and forest of Tulin than Avan'ish with senses able to see in almost complete darkness, smell blood up to a kilometre away and hear the crunch of snow up to hundreds of paces away. This combined with their huge fangs and claws make them powerful and fast allies, but also very large targets.

The uniqueness of Pan'ar packs allows them to communicate telepathically as well as share memories, thoughts and sensations through their family and ancestors, giving them the ability to learn and hunt together. This family bond is what the Avan'ish utilized with their magic in a bid to bond themselves to it. One that has been successful, though it possesses a great weakness.

Souls are bonded early in life between the species, meaning that they have little independence in themselves. This makes excellent hunters and fearsome warriors out of every Avan'ish, though the sword cuts both ways, and should a bonded creature die, the shock can cause death to the other. Those that survive this immediate death become withered, often with the survivor longing for death. Oftentimes walking out into the ice floes of the mountains, never to return. These are called 'Alash Silidor' or 'Empty Souls'.