orphans
05-28-11, 07:17 AM
This is a double level update from level 1. Here is the old profile. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?21459-Flowers-in-a-Tomb)
Level 3 updates will be done in Deep Sky Blue again.
This first post will contain the Race Profile, which is NOT reflective of Azza's skills or abilities as a character. It will only contain information that pertains to how far Azza has/will progress.
Second post is Azza's character sheet.
The third post will be a general summery and chronicle of quests completed (or at least of the ones I remember. If I left one out, poke me.)
Dovicarus
Race Profile:
General Overview:
The Dovicarus are known by many that are land bound as Bird Herders or Shepherds of the Sky. A Dovicarus is characterized by a pair of horns attached to the head and a pair of wings on the back to what would otherwise look like a normal human. The wings of each individual Dovicarus vary in size, shape, texture and color but are never large enough to allow the Dovicarus the ability of flight. Flight is achieved through a supernatural ability, however, regardless of their wings. The horns of a Dovicarus have medicinal qualities rumored to cure even the most gravest of wounds or deadliest of plagues. If a Dovicarus was to remove its horns, however, its life is void as his or her strength will deteriorate rapidly until he or she dies thirty-seven hours later. Due to the horns of a Dovicarus, it is ageless and any wounds a Dovicarus sustains be it mental or physical, recover rapidly within six hours. All Dovicarus serve in the Order of Farinma without exception and if a Dovicarus were to break a Farinma Law, his or her horns will crack immediately and the “Mark of Heresy” will appear to serve as a warning. If a second offense is committed the horns shatter into dust. Unfortunately, for the said Dovicarus, it is impossible to escape from judgment as every Dovicarus is bound to the Farinman Order. The means of how the Dovicarus are bound to their Order is unknown to outsiders but if asked, all Dovicarus refer to a being as, “The Never Ending Coil.”
Dovicarus have a natural affinity to barrier and enchantment magics but depending on their station of life, young Dovicarus tend to train in only the magics they are allowed (shielding magics for grave keepers and bookkeeper and more offensive enchantment type magics for the warriors and guards.) As a Dovicarus ages, their curious nature usually sends them on a path to learn other magics or begin the mastery of a weapon of war. By the time a Dovicarus becomes an elder, he or she is a force to be reckoned with due to their proficiency in both a weapon (usually only one) and one or more types of magics.
The existence of the Order of Farinma came into being when the world of Vyanm was young and when the most complex life forms were simple water plants. The Dovicarus were created shortly after to maintain the Order and establish themselves as a force to balance the world. The monastery of the Farinman Order is established in the high mountain wastes of Sol’el Arc. Located near “the roof of the world,” the continent of Sol’el Arc is constantly battered by harsh winter weather all year round while the mountains in which the monastery is located is shrouded in a persistent blizzard, stopping only three months during the summer season before starting once more. Though the Dovicarus have a tolerance to extreme temperatures, they feel most comfortable in the frozen mountains of their homeland and would often complain to elders if they had to mission in warm and temperate climates (which is usually the case.)
Rebirth:
Rebirth of a Dovicarus is much like the process for hatching a new Dovicarus with the exception that the soul is already in existence. A Dovicarus that has been reborn does not necessarily always attain his/her former station and is instead, treated as if he/she is like any other newly hatched. The rebirthed Dovicarus are not born with the knowledge of their past life, but instead their memories filter back quickly once his or her horns have stopped growing.
Horns of the Dovicarus:
The horns of the Dovicarus, as mentioned before, have medicinal properties as well as providing the youthful appearance and longevity of the individual Dovicarus. The horns of a Dovicarus are only slightly harder than titanium and are always angled in such a manner that it would be impractical to use them as a weapon of any sort. If a Dovicarus were to lose a large part of their horns, they begin to weaken in strength both physically and mentally but the horns will function like any other. A Dovicarus can lose one horn and still function, but would tire more easily than usual. As stated already, if a Dovicarus loses both their horns, they will die within thirty-seven hours. Fortunately for most of the Dovicarus, only heretics have to worry about damage to their horns. A normal Dovicarus can regenerate his or her horns after a full night of rest, a heretic cannot. For most Dovicarus, their horns become fully developed after 250 years or more. A cleansing one’s horns become fully developed after a single year once they begin to grow. A cleansing one’s horns act in the same way as a normal Dovicarus, not as a heretic’s.
Wings of the Dovicarus:
The wings of a Dovicarus have no exact purpose and many of them consider it merely decorative. Some tie talismans and other trinkets to their wings while other simply leave them alone. The wings are sensitive to touch, giving rise to the tradition in which many warriors sever their wings before the beginnings of great conflicts. The average wingspan of a Dovicarus ranges from one to three feet. The wings are also not completely feathered but usually a mix between feathers and fur.
The warrior tradition of severing wings began with the realization that when the wings were severed, the Dovicarus would go into a state of temporary incapacitation for about an hour. Unlike other parts of their bodies, a Dovicarus’s wings once severed, do no regenerate within the normal six hours but instead can burst forth in their original size after two days. Whether or not the wings are “released” is up to the individual’s discretion but upon release the Dovicarus will experience another period of incapacitation lasting for the same amount of time as when the wings were first severed.
Killing a Dovicarus:
Killing a Dovicarus is much easier than many would think with a few major exceptions. Dovicarus have the same anatomy as humans and thus, prone to all the advantages and disadvantages most humans have with skeletal structure. A Dovicarus that sustains enough physical traumas will usually fall into a comatose state. Wounds to a Dovicarus however, are usually less fatal (i.e.: sword thrust into the gut, elimination of limbs, blood loss) as physical injuries, no matter how grave, can regenerate themselves within six hours (sometimes faster). Decapitation of the head with a bladed weapon (blown off will not kill), removal of the heart with a bladed weapon (ripped out will not kill), or if the regeneration process is inhibited (the body sustaining continuous damage and has no time to recuperate, i.e.: lava), the Dovicarus will die. Upon death, the soul of the Dovicarus is recalled instantly to the Monastery as long as they are in the world of Vyanm. If a Dovicarus is outside of Vyanm, he or she must be branded with a Signet of Recall on the lower stomach. If the body’s regeneration is no longer inhibited, the severed head and/or the removed heart are returned within an hour, the Dovicarus will revive within the usual six hours.
Blood of the Dovicarus:
The blood of a Dovicarus, once their horns are fully grown, is sweet in taste and contains healing agents that increases one’s natural healing abilities, but also contains a mild toxin that induces dementia and insanity at the same time. How much blood was consumed is in direct relation to how long the person will experience the effects. A single drop will induce the effects for a few minutes. Dovicarus blood has no effect on creatures with an artificial mind (constructs), non-sentient undead and simple creatures (slimes/jellies/amoebas). A Dovicarus’s blood and horns also prevents their kind from turning into were-creatures, vampires or other types of creatures that have the option of procreating by spread of their blood or sickness. A Dovicarus will always be a Dovicarus.
Language and Writing:
The Farinman Order has their own system of writing that is based on a combination of symbols, characters and glyphs. There is no differentiation between singular or plural nouns. Instead, a number in front of the noun indicates plural things. Adjectives describing the noun follow after the word. The spoken language is usually comprised of flowing sounds and airy words. Sentences when translated directly are often fragmented. Dovicarus are also incapable of lying competently and each one has a telegraph when they lie. As such, Dovicarus learn to tell alterations of truth or just fractions when needed.
Abilities, Magic, and Song Magic:
Dovicarus are in general stronger, faster, and most think in a more logical manner than the average human. However, Dovicarus develop much more slowly than humans and although Dovicarus can easily outstrip humans in terms of might and magic, they lack common sense and are quite sheltered from the world when they are young. Dovicarus, once with fully developed horns, can fly at will accompanied with significant boosts in strength, endurance and mental control. Dovicarus are also innately immune to telepathy as a natural defense against those that might glean information from their minds. A Dovicarus can allow an individual telepathic access, if they wish.
Magic among the Dovicarus is considered as a gift and thus, used sparingly in day to day situations. The two common schools of magic within the Order are Barrier Type magic (Mahana Shieba) and Enchantment magic (Mahana Echau). Enchantment magic is seen as the more aggressive of the two schools.
The Barrier Type magic focuses on exactly that, barriers. All Dovicarus learn the basics of Barrier magics for the added protection against physical and mental assault when they are attacked in those fashions. There are several types of barriers that can be raised quickly and can be maintained for as long as needed. Depending on the type of barrier, increasing amounts of mental concentration may be needed as time passes. The type of barriers created differ with each Dovicarus and no two barriers formed will ever be the same but can be similar.
Enchantment magic is a misleading name as many of the spells employed are augments to increase speed, strength, endurance, or mental strength. Other enchantments augment the effectiveness of weapons, objects, or even the physical and mental well being of individuals and/or groups of opponents (the effects against a group will be diluted as opposed to using the same magic upon an individual), as well as regeneration of areas, objects or living organisms.
Any other magic that is not within the schools of Mahana Shieba and Mahana Echau are called Mahana Omal. Mahana Omal is any magic from teleportation to elemental magics of any magnitude. In general, Mahana Omal is the umbrella term for magic that is not one of the previously mentioned schools of magic.
The properties of Mahana Shieba, Mahana Echau, and Mahana Omal make it so that humans and other races may emulate some of the effects, but without the properties of a Dovicarus’s horns, the subject emulating the spells will experience extremely horrible side effects.
Alternatively, magic common to humans and other races react different when a Dovicarus attempts to channel it with the same effect, even if the spells are similar (example, a Dovicarus Fireball spell and a Landbound Fireball spell, while having the same effect, are cast differently.) This property makes it difficult for Dovicarus to learn Landbound spells and vice versa.
By nature, Dovicarus are beings with a strong spiritual and magical aura that can be detected by any spell made to look for such things. While most Dovicarus can mask their presence, unless they don’t know how, some choose not to. Beings that are able to see magical auras will be able to see a Dovicarus’s aura while they are masked. When unmasked, beings able to see a Dovicarus’s aura will experience something similar to seeing a large magnesium flare.
Farinman Song Magic was extremely common during the time of the Kalvarus, the Dovicarian ancestors, but has since faded into disuse. The process to perform song magic is often long, intricate and easily interrupted. However, the yield effect of song magic is many times that of spells cast otherwise. There are elders and a few younger Dovicarus who dabble in song magic mainly for entertainment, though there has been a movement to revive the old arts.
Another reason that Farinman Song Magic fell into disuse is due to the need of drawing upon strong emotions. Most of the Dovicarus are unable to understand the complex emotions that their ancestors, the Kalvarus, once had. While most Landbound take emotions for granted, there are a few Dovicarus who seek to understand. Others, who are born with the understanding of strong emotions, usually become heretics to Farinma.
The effects of song magic are directly related to how strong the emotions of the singer are and how many harmonize with the song. Those that harmonize with the song do not need to be Dovicarus, so long as they know the words.
Weapons, Augmenting/Enchanting Weapons and the Inherent Issues:
Weapons that are common, but not limited to the Order, are straight edge swords and shields, curved swords, and pole arms. The fight styles with pole arms are generally based on learning to counter one or multiple opponents while swords bearers are taught to strike quickly and unrelentingly with careful control. Use of hammers and other exotic weaponry within the Order is rare, but over countless years they have developed their own unique styles of fighting.
A problem for all Dovicarus is that channeling enchantments and augments into a weapon will generally destroy it afterwards. The only material that the Dovicarus know to be resistant to the effects is equipment forged from Rolntaurn, a material only native to their home realm. The only augmentation that does not destroy a weapon outright is strengthening augmentations, but afterwards the weapon will sustain a large amount of wear and must be repaired. However, gentle restorative enchantments can aid in the recovery of organic items, such as wood and cloth items without worry of destructing them.
Enchanted equipment, unless made from Rolntaurn, will be useless to Dovicarus and will only function as mundane objects to them. However, once removed from the Dovicarus, the enchanted item will return to its original functionality and enchanted weapons used against Dovicarus will function as they should.
Weapons or objects that are enchanted with a spirit may be used by Dovicarus, but will function at one tenth of their magical abilities, often nullifying their usefulness.
Rolntaurn:
Rolntaurn in Vyanm is the only mineral metal that is indestructible and able to be imbued with magic from a Dovicarus and not be destroyed. Adamantium will not be destroyed if Dovicarus attempt to imbue it - instead, nothing will happen. Rolntaurn is formed inside the mountain that the Dovicarus Monastery is built upon. In raw form, Rolntaurn looks like ordinary rocks, but will exude a magic aura similar to the Dovicarus.
Because Rolntaurn exists only in Vyanm and only forms in the mountains where the Dovicarus live, it is believed that Rolntaurn is simply mineral metals that have been able to absorb large concentrations of spiritual force from the Dovicarus, similar to their monastery.
All weapons and armor forged from Rolntaurn are from the Farinman Order. To even shape and form a small needle from the metal needs at least forty hours of a shaping ritual known only to the Elders of the Order.
The color of the metal is usually a pale, grayish blue while the weight is nearly the same as any iron item of its make. The shape will retain through nearly anything once the shaping ritual is complete. Adamantium and Rolntaurn naturally repel each other and it is nearly impossible to have the two collide together.
Removing Rolntaurn from Vyanm is frowned upon, and only allowed to be done by elders. If any Rolntaurn is lost, efforts will be made to return it.
Uncommon Role(s):
Cleansing Ones – These are Dovicarus that have died while burdened with the Mark of Heresy. Unlike a normal rebirth, cleansing ones are reborn and must live their life elsewhere on another plane or realm of existence until they are cleansed. The reasoning behind this tradition is the hope that the punished Dovicarus will learn respect for the life while living among the land bound. The cleansing ones usually appear as human infants on the doorstep of a family, orphanage, or temple so that it might be taken in and accepted to the realm it was placed in. The only hint of abnormalities the child might have is the Mark of Heresy that he or she will still bear. The horns of a cleansing one can begin to develop much sooner (usually around the age of twelve) but unlike a normal Dovicarus, the cleansing one will only be able to live to a full potential of 113 years and the horns can only develop after the cleansing one has experienced injuries inflicted with a weapon or what is perceived as a weapon by the young Dovicarus. The mentalities of cleansing ones also develop much like that of any human, and thus develop much faster than a Dovicarus. Every other aspect of a cleansing one’s horns is the same as any other Dovicarus. ((Note: Cleansing Ones are not subject to the laws of Farinma because as a cleansing one, they do not truly know what they are, even if all their former memories filter back slowly in trickles. The wings of a cleansing one develop shortly after his or her horns begin to grow. Once a cleansing one dies or is killed, their spirit is recalled back to the monastery instantly.))
Personalities:
Children – As children, Dovicarus seem to almost have no personality of their own but instead retain a rather bland demeanor. The mind of a Dovicarus is very innocent at this stage and easily influenced by his or her caretaker(s). Around the age of eight the children begin to act more like average human children.
Monastery Guards/Warriors of Farinma – Since these two jobs are almost similar and usually interchangeable, the personalities comprising the Dovicarus that serves in these positions are relatively similar. Most have a streak of aggressiveness and wanton violence, but since the laws of the Order limit them, they find other ways to calm their spirits during peace. Older warriors tend to become more contemplative and take pride in keeping their fighting edge sharp through vigorous training. The younger tend to explore the world around them.
Mark of Heresy and Heretics:
The Mark of Heresy resembles a crescent moon pierced with an arrow. The instant the horns of a Dovicarus begin to crack due to a crime committed against the Order, the mark will magically burn and infuse itself between the shoulder blades of the perpetrator. The mark serves a few purposes; the main reason is allowing those of the Farinman Order to track the Heretic. The mark is also a reminder of past failure but perhaps the most important reason for the mark’s existence is that it allows the recall of the spirit of a cleansing one to return to the monastery.
Heretics can attempt to remove the mark by accepting missions to live among the land bound for a number of years until they have gained a higher respect for the life of the land bound. Many heretics chose this option but because of how the land bound in Vyanm treat the Dovicarus and each other they often return with confusion and mixed feelings of the ones they were intended to watch over (behaviors such as stealing, murder, and other heinous acts based on the reason to support someone of dear value while other act with kindness and mercy only to deny it to another for being of a different color of skin.) Many of the heretics tend to be younger than 500 years of age and although rare, there have been times when those who are quite old within the Order become heretics.
Level 3 updates will be done in Deep Sky Blue again.
This first post will contain the Race Profile, which is NOT reflective of Azza's skills or abilities as a character. It will only contain information that pertains to how far Azza has/will progress.
Second post is Azza's character sheet.
The third post will be a general summery and chronicle of quests completed (or at least of the ones I remember. If I left one out, poke me.)
Dovicarus
Race Profile:
General Overview:
The Dovicarus are known by many that are land bound as Bird Herders or Shepherds of the Sky. A Dovicarus is characterized by a pair of horns attached to the head and a pair of wings on the back to what would otherwise look like a normal human. The wings of each individual Dovicarus vary in size, shape, texture and color but are never large enough to allow the Dovicarus the ability of flight. Flight is achieved through a supernatural ability, however, regardless of their wings. The horns of a Dovicarus have medicinal qualities rumored to cure even the most gravest of wounds or deadliest of plagues. If a Dovicarus was to remove its horns, however, its life is void as his or her strength will deteriorate rapidly until he or she dies thirty-seven hours later. Due to the horns of a Dovicarus, it is ageless and any wounds a Dovicarus sustains be it mental or physical, recover rapidly within six hours. All Dovicarus serve in the Order of Farinma without exception and if a Dovicarus were to break a Farinma Law, his or her horns will crack immediately and the “Mark of Heresy” will appear to serve as a warning. If a second offense is committed the horns shatter into dust. Unfortunately, for the said Dovicarus, it is impossible to escape from judgment as every Dovicarus is bound to the Farinman Order. The means of how the Dovicarus are bound to their Order is unknown to outsiders but if asked, all Dovicarus refer to a being as, “The Never Ending Coil.”
Dovicarus have a natural affinity to barrier and enchantment magics but depending on their station of life, young Dovicarus tend to train in only the magics they are allowed (shielding magics for grave keepers and bookkeeper and more offensive enchantment type magics for the warriors and guards.) As a Dovicarus ages, their curious nature usually sends them on a path to learn other magics or begin the mastery of a weapon of war. By the time a Dovicarus becomes an elder, he or she is a force to be reckoned with due to their proficiency in both a weapon (usually only one) and one or more types of magics.
The existence of the Order of Farinma came into being when the world of Vyanm was young and when the most complex life forms were simple water plants. The Dovicarus were created shortly after to maintain the Order and establish themselves as a force to balance the world. The monastery of the Farinman Order is established in the high mountain wastes of Sol’el Arc. Located near “the roof of the world,” the continent of Sol’el Arc is constantly battered by harsh winter weather all year round while the mountains in which the monastery is located is shrouded in a persistent blizzard, stopping only three months during the summer season before starting once more. Though the Dovicarus have a tolerance to extreme temperatures, they feel most comfortable in the frozen mountains of their homeland and would often complain to elders if they had to mission in warm and temperate climates (which is usually the case.)
Rebirth:
Rebirth of a Dovicarus is much like the process for hatching a new Dovicarus with the exception that the soul is already in existence. A Dovicarus that has been reborn does not necessarily always attain his/her former station and is instead, treated as if he/she is like any other newly hatched. The rebirthed Dovicarus are not born with the knowledge of their past life, but instead their memories filter back quickly once his or her horns have stopped growing.
Horns of the Dovicarus:
The horns of the Dovicarus, as mentioned before, have medicinal properties as well as providing the youthful appearance and longevity of the individual Dovicarus. The horns of a Dovicarus are only slightly harder than titanium and are always angled in such a manner that it would be impractical to use them as a weapon of any sort. If a Dovicarus were to lose a large part of their horns, they begin to weaken in strength both physically and mentally but the horns will function like any other. A Dovicarus can lose one horn and still function, but would tire more easily than usual. As stated already, if a Dovicarus loses both their horns, they will die within thirty-seven hours. Fortunately for most of the Dovicarus, only heretics have to worry about damage to their horns. A normal Dovicarus can regenerate his or her horns after a full night of rest, a heretic cannot. For most Dovicarus, their horns become fully developed after 250 years or more. A cleansing one’s horns become fully developed after a single year once they begin to grow. A cleansing one’s horns act in the same way as a normal Dovicarus, not as a heretic’s.
Wings of the Dovicarus:
The wings of a Dovicarus have no exact purpose and many of them consider it merely decorative. Some tie talismans and other trinkets to their wings while other simply leave them alone. The wings are sensitive to touch, giving rise to the tradition in which many warriors sever their wings before the beginnings of great conflicts. The average wingspan of a Dovicarus ranges from one to three feet. The wings are also not completely feathered but usually a mix between feathers and fur.
The warrior tradition of severing wings began with the realization that when the wings were severed, the Dovicarus would go into a state of temporary incapacitation for about an hour. Unlike other parts of their bodies, a Dovicarus’s wings once severed, do no regenerate within the normal six hours but instead can burst forth in their original size after two days. Whether or not the wings are “released” is up to the individual’s discretion but upon release the Dovicarus will experience another period of incapacitation lasting for the same amount of time as when the wings were first severed.
Killing a Dovicarus:
Killing a Dovicarus is much easier than many would think with a few major exceptions. Dovicarus have the same anatomy as humans and thus, prone to all the advantages and disadvantages most humans have with skeletal structure. A Dovicarus that sustains enough physical traumas will usually fall into a comatose state. Wounds to a Dovicarus however, are usually less fatal (i.e.: sword thrust into the gut, elimination of limbs, blood loss) as physical injuries, no matter how grave, can regenerate themselves within six hours (sometimes faster). Decapitation of the head with a bladed weapon (blown off will not kill), removal of the heart with a bladed weapon (ripped out will not kill), or if the regeneration process is inhibited (the body sustaining continuous damage and has no time to recuperate, i.e.: lava), the Dovicarus will die. Upon death, the soul of the Dovicarus is recalled instantly to the Monastery as long as they are in the world of Vyanm. If a Dovicarus is outside of Vyanm, he or she must be branded with a Signet of Recall on the lower stomach. If the body’s regeneration is no longer inhibited, the severed head and/or the removed heart are returned within an hour, the Dovicarus will revive within the usual six hours.
Blood of the Dovicarus:
The blood of a Dovicarus, once their horns are fully grown, is sweet in taste and contains healing agents that increases one’s natural healing abilities, but also contains a mild toxin that induces dementia and insanity at the same time. How much blood was consumed is in direct relation to how long the person will experience the effects. A single drop will induce the effects for a few minutes. Dovicarus blood has no effect on creatures with an artificial mind (constructs), non-sentient undead and simple creatures (slimes/jellies/amoebas). A Dovicarus’s blood and horns also prevents their kind from turning into were-creatures, vampires or other types of creatures that have the option of procreating by spread of their blood or sickness. A Dovicarus will always be a Dovicarus.
Language and Writing:
The Farinman Order has their own system of writing that is based on a combination of symbols, characters and glyphs. There is no differentiation between singular or plural nouns. Instead, a number in front of the noun indicates plural things. Adjectives describing the noun follow after the word. The spoken language is usually comprised of flowing sounds and airy words. Sentences when translated directly are often fragmented. Dovicarus are also incapable of lying competently and each one has a telegraph when they lie. As such, Dovicarus learn to tell alterations of truth or just fractions when needed.
Abilities, Magic, and Song Magic:
Dovicarus are in general stronger, faster, and most think in a more logical manner than the average human. However, Dovicarus develop much more slowly than humans and although Dovicarus can easily outstrip humans in terms of might and magic, they lack common sense and are quite sheltered from the world when they are young. Dovicarus, once with fully developed horns, can fly at will accompanied with significant boosts in strength, endurance and mental control. Dovicarus are also innately immune to telepathy as a natural defense against those that might glean information from their minds. A Dovicarus can allow an individual telepathic access, if they wish.
Magic among the Dovicarus is considered as a gift and thus, used sparingly in day to day situations. The two common schools of magic within the Order are Barrier Type magic (Mahana Shieba) and Enchantment magic (Mahana Echau). Enchantment magic is seen as the more aggressive of the two schools.
The Barrier Type magic focuses on exactly that, barriers. All Dovicarus learn the basics of Barrier magics for the added protection against physical and mental assault when they are attacked in those fashions. There are several types of barriers that can be raised quickly and can be maintained for as long as needed. Depending on the type of barrier, increasing amounts of mental concentration may be needed as time passes. The type of barriers created differ with each Dovicarus and no two barriers formed will ever be the same but can be similar.
Enchantment magic is a misleading name as many of the spells employed are augments to increase speed, strength, endurance, or mental strength. Other enchantments augment the effectiveness of weapons, objects, or even the physical and mental well being of individuals and/or groups of opponents (the effects against a group will be diluted as opposed to using the same magic upon an individual), as well as regeneration of areas, objects or living organisms.
Any other magic that is not within the schools of Mahana Shieba and Mahana Echau are called Mahana Omal. Mahana Omal is any magic from teleportation to elemental magics of any magnitude. In general, Mahana Omal is the umbrella term for magic that is not one of the previously mentioned schools of magic.
The properties of Mahana Shieba, Mahana Echau, and Mahana Omal make it so that humans and other races may emulate some of the effects, but without the properties of a Dovicarus’s horns, the subject emulating the spells will experience extremely horrible side effects.
Alternatively, magic common to humans and other races react different when a Dovicarus attempts to channel it with the same effect, even if the spells are similar (example, a Dovicarus Fireball spell and a Landbound Fireball spell, while having the same effect, are cast differently.) This property makes it difficult for Dovicarus to learn Landbound spells and vice versa.
By nature, Dovicarus are beings with a strong spiritual and magical aura that can be detected by any spell made to look for such things. While most Dovicarus can mask their presence, unless they don’t know how, some choose not to. Beings that are able to see magical auras will be able to see a Dovicarus’s aura while they are masked. When unmasked, beings able to see a Dovicarus’s aura will experience something similar to seeing a large magnesium flare.
Farinman Song Magic was extremely common during the time of the Kalvarus, the Dovicarian ancestors, but has since faded into disuse. The process to perform song magic is often long, intricate and easily interrupted. However, the yield effect of song magic is many times that of spells cast otherwise. There are elders and a few younger Dovicarus who dabble in song magic mainly for entertainment, though there has been a movement to revive the old arts.
Another reason that Farinman Song Magic fell into disuse is due to the need of drawing upon strong emotions. Most of the Dovicarus are unable to understand the complex emotions that their ancestors, the Kalvarus, once had. While most Landbound take emotions for granted, there are a few Dovicarus who seek to understand. Others, who are born with the understanding of strong emotions, usually become heretics to Farinma.
The effects of song magic are directly related to how strong the emotions of the singer are and how many harmonize with the song. Those that harmonize with the song do not need to be Dovicarus, so long as they know the words.
Weapons, Augmenting/Enchanting Weapons and the Inherent Issues:
Weapons that are common, but not limited to the Order, are straight edge swords and shields, curved swords, and pole arms. The fight styles with pole arms are generally based on learning to counter one or multiple opponents while swords bearers are taught to strike quickly and unrelentingly with careful control. Use of hammers and other exotic weaponry within the Order is rare, but over countless years they have developed their own unique styles of fighting.
A problem for all Dovicarus is that channeling enchantments and augments into a weapon will generally destroy it afterwards. The only material that the Dovicarus know to be resistant to the effects is equipment forged from Rolntaurn, a material only native to their home realm. The only augmentation that does not destroy a weapon outright is strengthening augmentations, but afterwards the weapon will sustain a large amount of wear and must be repaired. However, gentle restorative enchantments can aid in the recovery of organic items, such as wood and cloth items without worry of destructing them.
Enchanted equipment, unless made from Rolntaurn, will be useless to Dovicarus and will only function as mundane objects to them. However, once removed from the Dovicarus, the enchanted item will return to its original functionality and enchanted weapons used against Dovicarus will function as they should.
Weapons or objects that are enchanted with a spirit may be used by Dovicarus, but will function at one tenth of their magical abilities, often nullifying their usefulness.
Rolntaurn:
Rolntaurn in Vyanm is the only mineral metal that is indestructible and able to be imbued with magic from a Dovicarus and not be destroyed. Adamantium will not be destroyed if Dovicarus attempt to imbue it - instead, nothing will happen. Rolntaurn is formed inside the mountain that the Dovicarus Monastery is built upon. In raw form, Rolntaurn looks like ordinary rocks, but will exude a magic aura similar to the Dovicarus.
Because Rolntaurn exists only in Vyanm and only forms in the mountains where the Dovicarus live, it is believed that Rolntaurn is simply mineral metals that have been able to absorb large concentrations of spiritual force from the Dovicarus, similar to their monastery.
All weapons and armor forged from Rolntaurn are from the Farinman Order. To even shape and form a small needle from the metal needs at least forty hours of a shaping ritual known only to the Elders of the Order.
The color of the metal is usually a pale, grayish blue while the weight is nearly the same as any iron item of its make. The shape will retain through nearly anything once the shaping ritual is complete. Adamantium and Rolntaurn naturally repel each other and it is nearly impossible to have the two collide together.
Removing Rolntaurn from Vyanm is frowned upon, and only allowed to be done by elders. If any Rolntaurn is lost, efforts will be made to return it.
Uncommon Role(s):
Cleansing Ones – These are Dovicarus that have died while burdened with the Mark of Heresy. Unlike a normal rebirth, cleansing ones are reborn and must live their life elsewhere on another plane or realm of existence until they are cleansed. The reasoning behind this tradition is the hope that the punished Dovicarus will learn respect for the life while living among the land bound. The cleansing ones usually appear as human infants on the doorstep of a family, orphanage, or temple so that it might be taken in and accepted to the realm it was placed in. The only hint of abnormalities the child might have is the Mark of Heresy that he or she will still bear. The horns of a cleansing one can begin to develop much sooner (usually around the age of twelve) but unlike a normal Dovicarus, the cleansing one will only be able to live to a full potential of 113 years and the horns can only develop after the cleansing one has experienced injuries inflicted with a weapon or what is perceived as a weapon by the young Dovicarus. The mentalities of cleansing ones also develop much like that of any human, and thus develop much faster than a Dovicarus. Every other aspect of a cleansing one’s horns is the same as any other Dovicarus. ((Note: Cleansing Ones are not subject to the laws of Farinma because as a cleansing one, they do not truly know what they are, even if all their former memories filter back slowly in trickles. The wings of a cleansing one develop shortly after his or her horns begin to grow. Once a cleansing one dies or is killed, their spirit is recalled back to the monastery instantly.))
Personalities:
Children – As children, Dovicarus seem to almost have no personality of their own but instead retain a rather bland demeanor. The mind of a Dovicarus is very innocent at this stage and easily influenced by his or her caretaker(s). Around the age of eight the children begin to act more like average human children.
Monastery Guards/Warriors of Farinma – Since these two jobs are almost similar and usually interchangeable, the personalities comprising the Dovicarus that serves in these positions are relatively similar. Most have a streak of aggressiveness and wanton violence, but since the laws of the Order limit them, they find other ways to calm their spirits during peace. Older warriors tend to become more contemplative and take pride in keeping their fighting edge sharp through vigorous training. The younger tend to explore the world around them.
Mark of Heresy and Heretics:
The Mark of Heresy resembles a crescent moon pierced with an arrow. The instant the horns of a Dovicarus begin to crack due to a crime committed against the Order, the mark will magically burn and infuse itself between the shoulder blades of the perpetrator. The mark serves a few purposes; the main reason is allowing those of the Farinman Order to track the Heretic. The mark is also a reminder of past failure but perhaps the most important reason for the mark’s existence is that it allows the recall of the spirit of a cleansing one to return to the monastery.
Heretics can attempt to remove the mark by accepting missions to live among the land bound for a number of years until they have gained a higher respect for the life of the land bound. Many heretics chose this option but because of how the land bound in Vyanm treat the Dovicarus and each other they often return with confusion and mixed feelings of the ones they were intended to watch over (behaviors such as stealing, murder, and other heinous acts based on the reason to support someone of dear value while other act with kindness and mercy only to deny it to another for being of a different color of skin.) Many of the heretics tend to be younger than 500 years of age and although rare, there have been times when those who are quite old within the Order become heretics.