Laren Inven

Patrikus Laren Inven (a.k.a. Invar Ask)

The Gods have meaning for this world that is beyond our understanding. We can only glimse parts of what they want to do and what they allow to happen.

— Patrikus Laren Inven, Patrikus of Rhyn

Laren Inven, formerly known by his non-priest name of Invar Ask, is one of the current Partikuss of Rhyn. Considered a guiding and traditional man among the Worshippers of Rhyn, he is also old and frail, having only led the Worshippers for no more than three years. Even so, his leadership is not fully recognized by the high priests and during the electorial-council for the title of Patrikus, two more were chosen. This challenge, however, has invigorated the old man to led a campaign against both his fellow worshippers, but also his home country.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Aged has begun to take Laren Inven, his physical condition becoming less and less fit. He is quite small in stature. He has problems with his fingers, indicating that he has recrin and other physical ailments.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Childhood and youth

Invar Ask var born in northern parts of the Kingdom of Ravero to Wanerian parents. His early childhood was quite normal for a village child. It was unfortunate to be born in the northern Ravero due to raids from the hills and mountains beyond the border, but compared to many others he lived a good life, his father being one of the bailiffs to their lord. His father was also one who owned a small boat that they used to travel to the small town nearby. It was here Invar met with the Worshippers of Rhyn, the longstanding cult dedicated to the fertility and nature god Rhyn. Although fascinated by their ways, he was determined to become a working man like his father, in the duty of his lord directly or otherwise.
His father died when he was 21, leaving him with his mother, two sisters and two brothers. As a middle brother, he inherited little more than pennies from his old father as the law stated the house was to be inherited by the mother for five years and later his older brother. He became a hand in his brother's career as a hunter in their lord's services up until a hunting accident almost killed the lord's son, Hardoen, where Invar successfully saved the noble, earing him silver and the unfortunate contempt from his brothers.
During the accident, Hardoen had seen a green hawk with golden talons, a symbol of Rhyn. He decided to become a priest of Rhyn after that and urged his saviour to do the same, as the bird had appeared before them both. At first hesitant, he gave his reward to his brothers and dying mother before leaving at the age of 24 for the temple in the town he visited as a child.

Becoming a priest

Hardoen and Invar were taken in as welcomed brothers of Rhyn by the Worshippers.

Now, to tell you how I became a priest in the first place. It was a hard endeavour, I had come both with a noble son and with a sign from Rhyn himself. We were, in a way, chosen by him to become great religious men. It was, however, apparent to begin with, a long and testing journey for both of us. I for one did not even know how to read Lavi or even speak it, I remember talking to the Sermor, for the first time, understanding not a single word of what he said when he understood that, he motioned me to the side when we were done and said: "We are going to see each other much I can predict". It was... an unfortunate truth of the matter that I was not of the proper kind. While many were from the same cloth, I was not at the same stage, they had been there since early teens or born into it. Kindly said, I was an outsider, in retrospect and truth, I was an aberration, a fish in wild stream. It did not deter me but at times, the teachers and older priests were much more severe with failures, shortcomings and moments of stubbornness, even if I were right. Eventually, it must been five or seven years after having joined the temple, I became a fully ranked priest and given the name Laren Inven. The Sermor congratulated me, giving my twigs to be bound with a big smile. He was old at the time, however... I miss him much for what he taught me. When he eventually just four years later passed away, I was given the bark and bird to be burnt with him.

Hardoen was not as fortunate. Being of the more hot-headed kind, he did not fit for the cloth fully. But he eventually was brought into the priesthood, if so by less legitimate reasons. That was why for a time Invar and Hardoen did not speak, as he did not like his inauguration through the help of other ways then religious means.

Middle age and High Priest

Eventually, after the Sermor died, a new was elected from a temple outside. It was not something Laren did not agree with having become more and more involved in the local community and its surroundings. But he stayed silent and delved down into books and travel for a time while connecting to nature. The new Sermor was doing a fine job, it is told, up until he angered the lord of the lands, Hardoen's father. The Sermor had seen Hardoen with a woman, not forbidden by any means, had it not been a prostitute. Having brought it to the rest of the higher circle in the temple, they decided to send Hardoen on a penal-journey, a pilgrimage to a shrine for penance. Hardoen blatantly refused and told his father...

I remember the day a bailiff walked in one day and told off the Sermor, that the verdict was too harsh as other men of Rhyn "laid women". I rushed to the aid of the Sermor, told that he and the lord had nothing to do with their affairs as the verdict had been universally agreed upon by the decision-makers. I even said that it was a light punishment compared to what he would have been given if he was a Nilarien or a Relion follower, which had server punishments to the... lower regions for men. The bailiff snorted and huffed, walking out in an angered manner. Never had I seen my father conduct business and could see him in that way. I understood that he did what he was told, but that did not allow him to act as he did! The Sermor, however, was embarrassed as a younger priest in his late 30s just told of a bailiff of a noble and not only that, had made a fool out of him since he could not stand to answer the bailiff himself. I was ridiculed by him, my punishment was to write... a lot about how Rhyn did not agree with being mean to the non-understanding. I was promoted to become one of the higher priests by the rest of the temple for my actions.

It was an obvious attempt by the higher circle to put blame on the young Inven. When the lord himself came to speak about Hardoen's punishment, many pointed their fingers to Inven for what he had said. The matter was turned on its head as Inven without a problem argued for his fellow's punishment, even referring to the texts and to what the lord himself would have done if his son would have been seen at that age, who would probably have a wife and children at the time if not been a Priest of Rhyn. With his argument done, the lord was silent until he agreed with him, giving him the victory and before leaving, ridiculing his 39-year-old son.
With the matter dealt with, many avoided Inven, fearing the coming acts of the lord. Nothing happened to him, instead, words about his act and his arguments were praised at the council of 2513, he was at the time elected to High Priest for his knowledge and piousness to Rhyn. The Patrikus himself was glad to have him as a charismatic figure in the northern Ravero, where connection to Rhyn was weaker than the rest of Telamirein.

Today

After being elected to become Patrikus after the death of the latter, he has had to stand against changing tides from the Worshippers themselves. At the moment as war is occurring through in Marlun, there are several factions wanting to affect not only the countries of Telamirein. Some within the Worshippers want to promote the religious order of warriors that today are only related to the Worshippers of Rhyn and not official. There are also the new moments that want to explore Rhyn through new ways, send expeditions to preach about Rhyn's cult, becoming more involved with the politics of countries and even proselytize towards the other cults of the Eight Pantheons. All of this made apparent at the election of three Patrikus, something that has never happened before.
As Laren Inven is the pillar of the traditionalists who is yet the majority, he is ageing and even with a new vigorous flare within him, his body might not be able to handle his will to stop the threats to the stability and collapse of the Worshippers of Rhyn. What waits for him and many other followers of Rhyn is yet to come, as the War in Marlun changes and the Nekur marches and the stalemate of a thousand years of war is changing...

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Motivated to lead the Worshippers of Rhyn forward during times of conflict. He also strives to make the councils more reoccurring instead of having them once every sixth year.

Social

Religious Views

A traditionalist among Rhyn's followers. Laren is known to propagate decentralization of the religion as many of his former Patrikus. He still adheres to the teachings of the continued following of a central leader like himself, but have in his youth had the idée of making the Worshippers of Rhyn more connected to their countries, so that they adapt to the conditions followers are placed in. He has changed his mind about the matter after many years, seeing it as the religion becoming an arm of force or allowing fanatical followings to take hold in governments across Telamirein, comparing it to how Nilaminra is governed by a religiously chosen person and state interventions on the behalf of Nilari och Reliona. Laren is open to discussions on religious items but has been also famously hard to convince to see others arguments from a certain point of view.

Social Aptitude

Before becoming a high priest Laren was not well known or outspoken. His charismatic ability was more focused on local matters, giving him the reputation of being an interventionalist in the northern parts of Ravero. While his confidence in the religious matter at the time shined bright, he was more awkward to his older friends from before his inauguration as a priest. This is contributed, according to himself, for his religiosity and that he rather focus on the one thing at a time, making him forgetful of other manners. He is known to be quick to adapt his etiquette, one of the things promoted during his promotion to High Priest.

Speech

Old and scholarly, a deep voice. He still carries his Wanerian ancestry in his dialect from his youth. He has a tendency to speak in metaphors when bored, making him seem more insulted and insulting than he means to be.

Species

Human

Year of Birth

2476 V.D. 67 Years old

Gender

Male

Eyes

Dark brown, squinty, small

Hair

Grey (formely blond), long back tied

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White-sunburned

Height

1,72

Weight

60kg

Aligned Organization

Worshippers of Rhyn