Kivanh

The crystals glimmered in the light from the glowing rocks. They were a pure, soft blue, and extraordinarily large. The dwarf bounced giddily on their toes. Here was a treasure which would bring wealth to their family! Approaching the large formation, the dwarf could make out a large boulder embedded in the growth. It seemed to have... eyes?

Kivanh is the Deep deity of rocks and gems. It is the patron deity of the Deep dwarves which inhabit the Deep, and is especially revered by miners and treasure hunters.

The Living Stones

Kivanh's appearance is quite deceiving. Upon initial inspection, it appears to be an unusually large cluster of crystals. These crystals are pure blue and translucent, almost the same color as the sky far above on the surface, though most Deepfolk do not make such an association. The crystals are made of an unknown material but many stories of Kivanh involve foolish Deepfolk hastily assuming the crystals to be sapphire or another blue gem and trying to harvest them. Like the rest of Kivanh, these crystals seem to be impervious to damage. Some followers of Kivanh carry small shard of blue quartz or other blue stones tied around their necks or tucked into small pouches, believing this will bring them luck. The cluster grows from a rocky plate and forms a circle, with room in the middle. This space is occupied by a large boulder with one flat face. On this face, Kivanh's eyes are visible. Kivanh's eyes share the same basic shape and features as the other Deep deities. However, Kivanh has three on its face of varying size. There is a more central, large eye, which is next to two smaller eyes that are vertically aligned. The irises of Kivanh's eyes are a pale blue, a lighter shade of the sky blue found in its crystal formation. Some say that angering Kivanh will cause its eyes to project beams of magic which turn anything they touch into stone. Kivanh's body is made up of a sheer, grey rock. This rock is said to be virtually unbreakable and impervious to heat, instead always feeling ice-cold to the touch - should any Deep dweller find themselves in such a position as to be able to touch the body of a deity. Its legs are made of the same material and do not appear to have any joints. It is unclear how Kivanh moves, and it is usually seen stationary or half-buried in the ground. Some say it simply glides across the floor as though on a set of wheels or floats inches above the ground. Kivanh does not seem to possess arms. Instead, two smaller rocks on either side of its torso seem to illuminate with a blueish magic. This magic is connected somehow to two sets of stone talons, which are held aloft and manipulated by the same power. These talons are used to manipulate smaller objects or to strike at objects or creatures, but are not strong enough to have an effect on larger rocks. For tasks requiring more brute strength, Kivanh uses its legs or even magic to its desired effect.

Kivanh in Deep Lore

Kivanh is the deity of rocks and gemstones and as such is revered by Deepfolk who spend their lives as miners or, occasionally, treasure hunters. It is the patron deity of the Deep dwarves and is said to have created those folk itself out of rocks and gems. Settlements and cities which are home to Deep dwarves often have temples or altars devoted to Kivanh. Deepfolk who seek to find riches in the bowels of the world will often stop here to say a prayer and offer coins, small gemstones, or to light a sacred mix of incense. This incense contains a special powder mixed by the clerics of Kivanh and is said to increase one's awareness of or sensitivity to the presence of gemstones. Other miners simply hang a small prayer tablet on the intricately carved statues present at most of Kivanh's altars. These prayer tablets can be bought at local shops and are made of stone. Each is inscribed with a word, phrase, or short prayer, wishing for all manner of blessings from the stone deity. Many Deepfolk also pray to Kivanh before travelling in the hopes of avoiding disasters such as rockfalls, which they believe are caused by Kivanh in anger. Likewise, earthquakes - which are more noticeable in the Deep than on the surface - are believed to be caused by Kivanh thundering through Galactus in rage.
Most Deep folklore holds that Kivanh was created by Khelmeeshe along with the other Deep deities. Some more fervent followers instead posit that Kivanh simply awoke deep within the rock and began to carve its way through the Deep on its own. Those that believe Khelmeeshe was the beginning of the Deep pantheon, however, tell different tales. In these legends, Khelmeeshe created Kivanh because the Deep was solid rock. They believe that Khelmeeshe, in her omniscience, predicted that the Deepfolk she would eventually create would need better ways to travel without having to force their way through rock like the insects and small creatures. Kivanh was fashioned out of the strongest boulders Khelmeeshe could find, along with a massive cluster of blue crystals. These crystals Khelmeeshe imbued with magic, and the figure she had built began to shake. It was not until Khelmeeshe gave Kivanh its eyes, however, that it truly awoke. Once it had, though, it began to glow with an incredible, blinding light. A grating hum arose and the deity spread limbs out as far as they would reach. Within the span of only three days, Kivanh had used nearly all of the magic it had been given to simply empty out long swathes of the Deep. The rock where the passages now stretched was not moved or shifted, it was simply gone, giving way to air and water and ice.
Many Deepfolk believe that Kivanh created the Threshold in an effort to keep the chaos of the Era of Creation, happening on the surface of Galactus, from spreading to its domain. Indeed, the Threshold seems to be impervious even to magic, and there is yet to be successful teleportation across this barrier. No leylines cross the Threshold and the magic within it is loose, untamed, and quite foreign to magic users. It can be used, but results are often unpredictable and chaotic.
Kivanh is said to leave a trail of precious gems wherever it walks. Some miners and explores have found strange strings of diamonds, rubies, and other gemstones in the passages of the Deep, but none have ever witnessed the deity actually creating such trails.