Rules

(ah-VAH-ni or AY-vah-ni / ah-VAH-na or AY-vah-na)

Avani were originally created by gryphons from the birds that dwelled in their mountainous homes. The connection Avanian societies maintain to gryphons varies wildly, but their history does tend to result in Avani who are highly motivated and have strong convictions. Individual Avani also can form strong bonds with gryphons, called pacts, that can have both positive and negative consequences.

Like their progenitors, Avani have the innate ability to interact with minds and mental landscapes. Their power in this area largely centres around memory, and their ability to view, protect, and alter it. This intimate relationship with memory gives them a unique perspective on its inherent weakness and value. Many Avanian cultures place emphasis on the role memory plays in the creation of the self, and the idea of immortality through the preservation of memory.

Avani can store memories in special items called Lodestones. Almost all Avani have at least one personal Lodestone that they store their own experiences in, so that in the event of their permanent death their memories will live on within it. Avanian communities typically form around a similar but more powerful item called a Homestone where these records are collected and preserved.

As they gain mastery of their mental powers, Avani can use that strength to resist the effects of command magics and break the effect of them on others.

Although they are humanoid in appearance, Avani are a separate species, which manifests in a few distinct physical traits. They do not react to alcohol in the same way most species do but feel a similar effect when consuming chocolate. They age at a similar rate to humans until they reach maturity, at which point the process slows significantly, leading to a notably longer lifespan.

The most significant non-visual difference between Avani and most species is their relationship with Celestial Magic. Due to the same factors that give them their mental abilities, Avani experience physical pain when exposed to Celestial Magic. They are incapable of producing it themselves and feel discomfort when holding or carrying magical items of Celestial power. Entering an area infused with Celestial Magic results in an even stronger reaction and lingering in such places can have significant consequences. This also means that Avani typically avoid having even beneficial Celestial Magic cast on them, except in the direst of circumstances.

Species Specific Skills: Resist Command for 4 XP, Break Command 2XP, Mental Role-Play, Cannot purchase Read Magic.

Prosthetics and Makeup Requirements: Avani can be identified by the feathers that grow on their face, and occasionally in their hair. The patterns and placements of the feathers vary, but they are always clearly visible. The colors of the feathers are reflections of an Avana’s dominant personality traits, although interpreting the meanings of feathers is more of an art than a science.

An Avana’s feathers may have as few as one color, or as many as three. The exception to this general rule is gold and silver feathers, which may appear in addition to or in place of the regular feather colors of an Avana with uncommonly strong mental power.