Ivak

[Gossamer]

Ivak Ivak is probably the single most notorious God found in Mizahar. His sphere of influence encompasses both Volcanism and Emotional Upheaval, which would lead one to think he should be somewhat obscure. By comparison, Myri the Goddess of War or Dira the Goddess of Death should be more infamous. However, the entire world knows Ivak's name, because he is the god responsible for the Valterrian which destroyed the majority of the world's population and drove all sentient life underground for almost three hundred years to survive the ensuing cataclysm. Despite his nefarious reputation, though, Ivak is one of the most misunderstood deities that has ever lived. Rather than being the center of grief and pain - wide-eyed and destructive with rage - Ivak is instead something of a planetary caretaker for the whole world. Now that he has escaped from his secret prison, he and his followers, the Azenth, continue his important work. Responsible for the rise and fall of mountains, the shifting of landmasses, and the lack of buildup of pressures both emotionally and physical, Ivak plays an important role in the world. Without his driving internal forces, the crusts of the world would not continuously drift, bumping and rubbing off one another and keeping the whole of the planet's crust broken up enough for life to exist. He presides over the balance of this pressure within the world, carefully maintaining or releasing it as required. The same can be said for his influence on emotions. Strong emotions that have built up over the course of time seek release. Ivak provides a means for that release. For all that his reputation is in tatters, Ivak has been and always will be an amiable fellow. Throughout the course of the history of the world, Ivak has proven himself time and time again an invaluable member of the divine pantheon. His one mistake was in answering the despair of a young Queen caught up in a war she had no hope of winning. Ivak's compassion and will to help Kova set him on that fateful course of falling completely and utterly in love with her. They became lovers, and although he was the gentlest of mates, there came a time when Kova's duty to Alahea outweighed her personal duty to herself. Ivak supported her, knowing that Kova's marriage to the ruler of Suva would never be anything but an arrangement between powerful heads of state. It is even said that Ivak fathered a child on the Queen shortly before her marriage. No one anticipated her death, the subsequent slaughter of Ahalea's forces in Suva, or Ivak's grief erupting up and out of him with such potent inner force. Ivak had neither anticipated or suspected the depth of his emotions, and for a time, he lost his mind and raged across Mizahar, nearly utterly destroying it. The God of Volcanism and Emotional Upheaval has since calmed down. Tempered by the Valterrian and wizened by his imprisonment, Ivak has enlisted and elevated individuals to comprise his Azenth and continue carrying out his own work as they can. Without the Azenth, and indeed without Ivak's power being returned to him little by little long before he has anticipated escape, the world would be at the mercy of earthquakes, volcanoes and incredible outrageous displays of emotion. Ivak has long been the release valve on the pressure cooker of the world. Currently, and perhaps understandably, Ivak is a sore spot to most of the world. His reputation is in ruins and the trust other gods once had for him is completely gone. Ivak discovered his own internal weakness, lost control in a single fateful instant, and sealed the fate of the world, changing it forever. No on trusts him, and thus he was kept confined for centuries, in a secret location which is well guarded by both immortal and mortals alike. Ivak's followers vowed to find him one day, though, and on the anniversary of the Valterrian in 512 AV, they managed to free him, causing a second cataclysm that released a tremendous amount of Djed into the world all at once.

[Alori Sai]

" I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, I've never prayed to anyone before. But..if it's worth it, if it could help then..."

I know I'm not one of yours...I haven't called to you, asked for your help but..I'm doing it now. I'll just get to the point..I messed up. I know I did, and I can't fix it and they're all against me now."

"You came to me, you said that-that I would do good things. I'm not so sure about that now. But if you still feel that way then please..help me. I will do anything that you ask. I-I just need something, a sign, anything. What am I supposed to do? I can't do anything good or bad if I'm dead...and I can't return home, so where should I go?"

"I'm probably the last person that you'd expect to prey to you, or maybe..you've known this would happen all along. I don't know, but I'm doing it anyway. I can understand if you don't respond, or if you don't see me worthy of..whatever it was you had planned for me but I had to try. "

"It's probably too late to ask for your protection...I don't even know what I'm saying here but..I need you Ivak. I do. I didn't mean to sound...ungrateful when you came into my life. I was just confused. So confused..."

"I don't know what else to say, I guess this is it, but if you can hear me..if you care. I could really use your help."

[Leo Varniak]

33th day of Winter, 512 AV

Leo Zaital made his prayer within the confines of his private room at the Sanctuary. Standing very still, head bowed as he stared at the flickering light of a single candle - his only spartan concession to symbolism. There was a constant link between the champion and Ivak, but he had always been loathe to pull on that particular chain so far, and no contact had been made from the god's side either. It had started to weigh down on Leo's mind, until Eosi Barlowe had made him realize how he'd never truly prayed from the heart; he owed his beloved this, among many other things. It was so simple, really. It took two to establish any communication, and the fault rested entirely with Leo. The error was one easily addressed.

"Ivak, you the flame, you the heat, you the freedom..." Leo murmured, staring into the thin but proud candlelight. "I apologize for my silence so far. In a way, I wasn't ready until this moment. I feel like such a fool sometimes. It took me one year just to get a glimpse of what it really means to be in a place such as mine. You have been too patient with me; but now I come to you asking for direction. Thank you for freeing me from my shackles as I freed you from yours; thank you for showing me what it means to truly burn; thank you for letting me be alive on this day, at this very moment, blazing with fury and love and all things worth living for; thank you for guiding me from the time when I could barely walk. For every thing I have ever lost for you, you have given me a thousand; you found me a shadow and made me real. I wish for nothing more than to be the spark that ignites the hearts of men, and the force that turns our enemies into ash and smoke."

He called upon his gnosis, and the flickering candle burst into vigorous fire. "I call upon you for guidance. I am to speak to the leaders of the world and reforge the old compact with the flame. I shall start here in Riverfall; afterwards, my twin flame Eosi and I plan on visiting any place where we might be needed. I have heard disturbing things about the Drykas in the Sea of Grass; it is there that I would travel at this time, but I await your directions. I will preach your word to the deaf and take their arrows until I have no more blood to spill."

Leo hesitated a little before finishing his prayer on a more personal note. "Did you... find anything at Kova's wishing well?" His heart hoped, but his mind doubted. Much like Leo himself, Ivak did not seem to be destined to a happy ending. Still, he had to ask.

[Gossamer]

Aela- Your prayer was responded too here. Leo- A figure stepped out of the darkness, the room illuminating around him and growing noticeably more warm though not uncomfortably so. Ivak had a half grin on his face and walked forward before he lounged against a stone wall. He took a moment to admire the stonework then glanced around as if examining his surroundings before meeting Leo's gaze. "I'm here anytime you need me. I didn't elevate you for nothing. Though I am glad that in opening yourself you are experiencing some of the things in life that you were blind too before.... things like love. Maybe you understand a bit more, now, about Kova where you could not before." There was pain in his voice. There would always be pain in his voice when it came to the Alahean Queen, because her death was as fresh to him as Leo's last breath was to the Champion. "Don't hesitate ever, Leo, in embracing the good things in life and even sometimes the bad. Cheva gave everyone love. It is a powerful thing. Just as Wysar gives us conviction. Right now, you walk as much in their realms as mine and for all that I do not mind sharing." He said, looking thoughtful. "No.. I found nothing at the well but a well spun tale. The stones were not even that old and quarried locally. But I will let them have their mischief for the dead love the well and it gives them an opportunity they would not otherwise have." He said, answering Leo's last question first. The God of Fire frowned, noted an unlit brazier, and walked to it and casually ignited the coals inside. "You have been too long in the dark in your life, Leo. Don't be afraid of the light." The God said, amusement coloring his tone. He still wore no shirt, no shoes, and his pants were only the loose style of the Akalak, hugging his thighs and flaring across his ankles. He moved like a martial artist, like a flame slowly edging its deadly fiery way around the room. "You are right. The Council here needs to be told and you will get that opportunity. In addition to that, there's the extinction of the Drykas. You know they are close to loosing it all aren't you? My imprisonment and release killed many more than they realize. And now there is a new threat to the tattered remains of their people. It is only fitting that I send my champion too them and his chosen mate and ask them to give everything to save their lives. T]here is a group... behind this plight. And they are going to make even more trouble before this is over. They make the Shroud look like infants, and they are backed by something far more sinister than Vayt. Theirs is an old power, pre-Vaterrian. They are conscious of their lives that have come before. And they have knowledge of the world before it was wrecked." Ivak flinched at this point, though he moved passed it smoothly. "They've found a Velispar nest. They manipulate the web and will cause it to hatch prematurely. Once they have a hatchling, they will set the rest loose on the world and they will be dangerous to the Drykas who are greatly weakened. I have come, and will always come to you Leo, to give you aid but also to ask even more of you than you've been asking of yourself. I need you to find this group and eliminate them. Do not spare them their lives. And even in death they will be dangerous. The group is not large, but what I do know of them, size or numbers do not matter. Take any allies with you that you might need. Do any recon you can before you leave this city. Once the Drykas fall to them, Riverfall will be next. But I worry less about the Akalaks who suffered almost not at all. It is the Drykas who fight for their survival. And they will perish without assistance. Take nothing from them, Leo. Do not even take supplies or sustenance. Go from here with everything you need. It is good you dwell in a Dreamwalker's stronghold for now as well. For as I said, they have knowledge of the past. And it is good as well that you've taken a mate marked as well. For her skills will be needed also." Ivak said, looking thoughtful. "The group is called The Iceuli. They number only four in strength. But they are powerful mages. Even now they lie in wait, watching the sky for warm weather, and it is when the winter winds die down and spring fills the air that they will make their move and converge on the nest, forcing it to hatch. For now, they concentrate their magics on Malisak. He alone remains in the Sea of Grass guarding his offspring. His counterpoint died long ago, when the nest was well laid, just after the lands of the Sea were still cooling and the Drykas hid below ground. The Iceuli have kept Malisak slumbering unnaturally. If he can be awoken, he will assist, even though his temper will be dubious. If the Iceuli can be stopped without Malisak, then the old man will wake naturally. Malisak lies curled at the bottom of Stardown, deep underground. He's made his home there for generations, ever since the crater came into existence, for the stones sing to him there and he can be lulled to sleep by Semele's heartbeat." Ivak said, looking thoughtful for a moment until he met Leo's eyes. "There's no one way to do this. Solicit dubious help? Strike out alone? I will assist of course, as needed, but the majority of this must be handled by you and Eosi. Heed what I say about the Drykas. Their once strong heartbeat is so thin as to be barely beating." Ivak said, then waited, knowing Leo would have questions.

[Eosi]

31st Day of Winter, 512 AV

There was no sound, save the hammering of her own heart. It roared in her ears, swallowing all else. The sparse lodging at Godiva’s Refuge was dimly lit, flickering candelight dancing along the creases in her rumpled bedding. Eosi sat, gripping the oaken edge. Her eyes were a verdant summer forest, fertile green and brown. They still danced with excitement from the incredibly unlikely sequence of events. She could catch the scent of her love on the air, ruminating from the fabric of her sheets.Trembling, she rose. Being devout, the act was as easy as breathing, Once at her feet she turned and knelt.

Her prayer came aloud, riding the crest of her fervor. ”Ivak, king of flame, protector and destroyer. Could I have been more blessed? Time and again as your servant I asked and received the pitiful emptiness of silence. Yet I did not curse you and for that, I can now see my reward.” With heat, she continued. Were they tears that stung the corners of her eyes? ”Thank you,” it was a broken gasp, as the emotion came in earnest. Leo could not see this most vulnerable side. Not yet. ”Thank you for rekindling my life. I am the air that fans your chosen flame, your servant Leo Zaital. I could never have dreamed you would bestow such an honor. Thank you,” she rasped.

Eosi was hard pressed to continue. The gentle sound of her gasping was a din against the peace of stillness. After a short time she contained the surging grief. It seemed an eternity. Feeling adequately together, she attempted to finish. ”I would ask you for guidance, though what I’ve already been granted is beyond enough. I weep for joy, for I’ve never felt this way. Did I truly know love? Could I comprehend true fire before today? No.” These words seemed to renew her strength. “At my darkest moments, there has always been a torch lighting the way. But now I’m in the midst of a raging fire and I’m blind. My sight lost, I fear stumbling like a heedless child into the unknown.” It was a good enough analogy for all intents and purposes.

”You sustain the human soul. You are the fuel that ignites love, pride and freedom. Never before have I been so glad to worship.” A small smile tugged at her lips. ”I know now such a small measure of what you might have felt, my lord. The blessed feeling that could tear the very world apart. I fear that. But I will not fail you,” her boldness bred true. ”This task that has fallen to me shall be done. Even at the point of a thousand knives, I cannot – will not waver. I will burn until my last breath sustains me. I will be a living flame.”

”At the holiest hour we light the candle,” she intoned as she always had. ”May his will be done.” The conclusion, as always. But this time she felt he’d heard her, in the Ukalas or wherever his blessed form may be. Eosi rose, wiping the burning from her eyes.

[Leo Varniak]

Ivak's arrival was met with a host of reactions fighting for dominance on Leo's face, but none as strong as relief. There was no worse feeling than praying at a wall of silence, and his faith could still use a lot of strengthening, but he had stopped chastising himself over it. He'd come to accept that he would slowly grow into his role rather than expect to instantly fit in it. As for Ivak, the god was being his usual self - friendly, fluid and restless. The Azenth relaxed at the sight and cracked a smile, which soon turned into light flushing as Ivak mentioned opening to things like love. Right. Of course, Ivak saw every little thing, and just as naturally there was no cause for embarrassment. Leo had even hoped as much. The god was an enormous part of him now, and nothing could ever stay hidden between them.

He followed Ivak's incessant pacing across the room with his gaze, but he himself remained motionless, providing stability to the fire god's wandering. He said nothing, his gratitude plain to see in his dark coals even if Ivak hadn't had full access to his heart. The champion nodded severely at the news of the wishing well; so it had been a false trail. Too bad. Yet the vision had been true, and Kova - or someone terribly like her - had spoken to him. Could it have been a simple message left for him to pick up in the future, when the actual soul of the Queen was long gone? It was hard to say. Still, that little hope, however delusional in the end, had turned the tide of the battle with Ssena. There had been no deceit in Leo's words back then. He had believed he was truly helping Ivak. Questions crowded his mind, but he decided against interrupting, reserving them for later.

Leo's gaze turned hard when Ivak mentioned the Drykas. The memories of the encounter with Ronan were all too fresh in his mind. He wished he would have called upon the god before meeting the man. He might have been able to tell him more then, offer just a little more redemption for what had happened to the horseclans. Yet what Leo had known was pretty much nothing but a tiny amount of foreshadowing. To learn that there was a group preying on the Drykas' misfortunes disgusted him to the core. The clans risked extinction, unable to face their current crisis. Leo just knew that after talking to Ronan. They were so set in their ways, unable to let go, unable to release. The very god who had brought them to their knees was the only one who could help them survive. Through the man who had decimated them, they could thrive. Leo would have gone even without Ivak asking him to.

Deeply rational at core, he sensed they were going against a powerful opponent, as all pre-Valterrian forces were. Instantly he worried about Eosi, a strong spirit in a strong body, but lacking truly extraordinary powers as of yet. What if... Only Ssena kept him from being afraid. But he chased the thought away. He had always known they weren't meant to live peaceful lives. They probably wouldn't see their hair getting grey and then white, but such was their nature. All they could do was enjoy every second given to them. It was a gift, not a right; to do otherwise would betray their natures.

Leo closed his eyes, nodding along Ivak's explanation. These people deserved death, and even death seemed too kind a punishment. He reached within, to the part of himself he had been, the part he had wanted to pretend didn't exist. The one who hunted with fire, the one who made grim lists of targets, the one who knew no mercy. 'Are you still there?' he asked himself. The answer sprung honest from the depths of his soul. 'I will always be here. I am you. There is no denying me.' Leo knew, and understood. Already the desire to write down the four names on a list was licking away at him. He asked himself something else. 'Would you move my hand for love rather than hate?' There was silence, and then a tiny voice answered. 'Try and find out.'

He opened his eyes again and spoke to Ivak. "I am sorry about the well. The vision I had was real, but apparently it wasn't what I thought it was. And... yes, I think I can understand a little now." This was all so very fresh to Ivak. His flinching upon mentioning the Valterrian had not gone unnoticed; his sorrow for the devastation reflected Leo's own. "They will burn. I am not quite sure how yet, but they will burn for what they are trying to do. Let me give and let me take." He bit on his lip and continued. "What do we know about this group's motives? Not even Rhysol spreads death for death's sake. I'm not as familiar with the pre-Valterrian world as I would like, so you may be able to shed some light here. There are a few people who might be interested in meting out justice for their own clans, but I am not going to enlist their help if it's just going to get them killed. We need lions for this." His mind went to Ronan and Vanator, specifically. Would such men be an asset or a liability, given their strong emotional attachment to what was at stake?

"I don't mind waking the Velispar," he reasoned aloud with a smirk, "I have a penchant for throwing rocks at the hornet's nest." He had relaxed considerably since Ivak's entrance. "I had two separate inquiries that are not directly related to this task, but you know I like the full picture. First, are there any developments in the pantheon I should know about? Anything unusual going on with the big baddies?" The second question was more of an object of personal curiosity, but Leo knew his relationship with Ivak had grown deep enough to ask this of him.

"And..." he began, "I was wondering about the child. Your child. My ancestor. What became of him? I don't even know his name. Alvina are supposed to be immortal but..." he left the thought incomplete. But he has left no trace in the world. It hinted at his ultimate destiny, but Leo felt he needed to know.

[Kayliegh]

Timestamp: 70th of Winter 512

Kayliegh sat on a rug in front of a fire place, staring into it's depths as the orange flames ate up wood and licked the air. It was late at night, far too late. She shouldn't even be up this late, her father used to tell her that doing so would be bad for her, but for some reason she just couldn't sleep.

She looked over her shoulder at Nuada, who slept soundly. His chest rose and fell easily. He was still exhausted from his sickness, as was she. They had been healed a few days prior to this one. Kayliegh hadn't had a chance to go out and dance because her body was still weak and trying to recover. It was probably why she was up, she had been sleeping so much. She turned her eyes back to the fire and reached out a hand to play in the fire.

She had been able to do this since the day she was born, something her mother had always marveled at. She never got over the novelty of it herself. The flames played around her finger, hot but not burning.

She wondered when was the last time she had prayed to Ivak, the deity responsible for her gnosis. She never expected a reply, while she probably had a much better chance of getting one than your average person, why would she? But it didn't stop her from doing it, she prayed to Morwen as well but much less frequently.

Kayliegh was never sure how to go about praying to the god of fire. Her left hand, the one not playing with fire, traced her gnosis mark on her side and she took a deep breathe and pulled her hand from the flames before she started.

"Ivak, I'm not sure how I should go about praying to you. But well, here goes." Kayliegh took a steadying breathe and bit her lip before pushing herself on." I'm not sure what to say. I don't usually ask for much but this time I'll make a request." Was she being to presumptuous? Why should she request anything of him? She pushed these thoughts away and trudged on." I don't know if you'll answer it but I have hope. I've been trapped between two worlds my whole life, I've never quite fit into either. I left Avanthal because I was never truly at peace there, but I still haven't found a somewhere I belong. A place I was needed, wanted." she took a shaky breathe in as she felt the pangs of sadness resonate in her chest."I guess I'm asking you if you could give me a push in the right direction, show me a place where I could be of some use. Where I would feel welcome. Even if it's not a place, even if it's with a person. I'd be eternally grateful. I'm not asking for you to come here and show me. Just a sign of some sort. Anything. Please Ivak." her voice held a sadness in it, something not many saw in her but was still there none the less. She never really felt at home wherever she went. Each city was a new place with new people and new customs. But not one of them felt like home to her. None of them seemed to need her.

And wasn't that all we wanted in life? To be needed? Kayliegh sighed and looked away from the fire into her hands. She felt the tears building as she let herself wallow in self pity. She only allowed that for a few moments before she mentally dragged herself from it. Even if Ivak didn't give her a sign she would still look. She wouldn't stop looking.

She had stopped in Zeltiva because she thought perhaps she could learn something from it's university. But she was no more necessary here than in any other city she had visited. She prayed silently to Ivak as well, asking for the sign. Asking for him to at least listen.

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