Ivore, Founder of the Flame

At a time when fighting women were degraded and mocked, Ivore rose from nowhere, became a dragon companion, and created the Flame martial art with him.

In this document:

All artwork by Shanda Nelson unless otherwise stated

Background

Not much is known about Ivore's early years. She wrote about escaping Condi-sponsored slavers in Yerrist after running away from home at age thirteen, but neglected to mention her childhood beyond that.
What is known: she was born in 2987 AGI to aki n'di ori parents somewhere along the northern Aya di coast. Since she had an in-depth knowledge of sea fishing, assumptions are that she came from a fishing village, and wanting something more than to become a fisherman's wife, escaped the conservative confines of her home and traveled inland.

After her death, rumors spread about an abusive family and a forced marriage at age twelve, but none of this was ever confirmed by her, her husband, the Flame Dragon, or her friends.
Researchers into dragon companions find the lack of needy family begging for wealth and social standing due to her achievement odd. Some scholars speculate they feared dragon justice, so stayed away.

The Flame Dragon's Trial

How a young teen of aki n'di ori descent, without family backing or money, made it to Yerrist, is a mystery. Ivore never shared, though her friends and colleagues speculated that the slavers kidnapped her and took her to the Jomb Docks (a known slave-shipping port), and she escaped south, towards the capital of Pelletin.
Since docks far closer to Aya di catered to Condi depravity, this seems unlikely. However she managed to reach Pelletin, once there, she took refuge in a Jhodi sect temple.
During her brief stay, she met a dragonpriest named Aze. As an older member of the cult who sponsored new apprenticeships, he offered to take her to the Glass Volcano. She jumped at the opportunity and left with him when he returned to the volcano.

Perhaps Aze saw more in her than just a young teen. When she disappeared and other order members questioned him on it, he shrugged with a soft smile.
Only he expressed no surprise when word came from a caretaker that a young teen had found the Vendari Stone and passed the trials held within.

As is customary, Ivore did not write down her experiences in finding and battling the Flame Stone. Whether Kykini Cede asked her not to memorialize her trial, or for some other reason, she did not break the tradition.
Dragonpriest healers recorded that she suffered second-degree burns on her hands and third-degree burns on her legs. Her hands healed, but she retained the leg scars until she died.
Healers offered to help heal them through the years, and she kindly but firmly declined.

The Flame Dragon

By all accounts, Kykini Cede, Flame Dragon of Kassak, was as smitten with his new companion as she was with him. He worried over her healing, and once the healers declared her fit, he initiated a training regimen for her. She became stronger, quicker, and outpaced the dragonpriest martial artists in progress. Within three years, she could defeat even the most talented fighters living in the volcano.
Lured by the stories, Pelletin warriors visited the volcano, looking for a match. She accepted the offers to duel, dumped them on their butts, and continued training. By the time she reached twenty, she had gained a reputation as a warm woman outside the ring, but a furious, wild one within. Curious warriors from other countries tried their luck against her, and they, too, lost.

Kykini Cede, as a dragon and therefore celebrity, had invitations to all the martial tournaments held in Seari. The Ra i' dori, a Sunsong-sponsored martial tournament held in Ay a di galay, was no different, and had never caught his interest. Seeing an opportunity with his companion, the Sunsong leaders invited Ivore instead--and she accepted.

Ivore needled Kykini Cede until the day she died, about how he, as a dragon, understood humans well enough to train her into an unmatched fighter. He would smile and keep his own council.

Aze transitioned from mentor to friend when she came of age. He enjoyed making bets on her matches and accepting the payments from disgruntled visitors who did not think a woman had enough strength to face and defeat well-known fighters.
They would split the take and go drinking in Pelletin with Jhodi sect members.

Ivore was twenty-four when she accepted the invitation to the Ra i' dori. Many sindari leaders expressed surprise at her youth; considering her reputation, they expected a mature woman with years of experience behind her.

The Ra i' dori

Much pomp and circumstance accompanied Ivore and Kykini's visit to the tournament. She met competitors, spoke with the dignitaries, and sat with the Sunsong leaders to watch the competition. Accounts from attendees say she sat between the dragon's claws and watched the duels, a small smile on her face, but no other response.
While the fighters desperately wished to impress Kykini, many disregarded the tales of his companion and her martial prowess. They and their sindari played to the dragon, and while they respectfully spoke with her, they gossiped outside her hearing about their doubts.
They did not speak outside the dragon's hearing, however.

Annoyed at the disrespect, Kykini wished to leave. Strangely, Ivore did not. One of the competitors caught her eye; a young Ice Cat practitioner by the name of Khethti. She enjoyed watching the unassuming man take down opponent after opponent. Each time, he looked to the stands--and not for Kykini. For Ivore.
He reached the final round, which, according to the Sunsong leadership, surprised the participants. Ice Cat was not considered a noteworthy sindari, but the stronger competitors had fallen to him, and he faced a Fang in the finals.
His opponent, Adomin, disliked that an unknown faced him. His contempt filled the round, and he used illegal moves to down the younger man. The gira called the match for Adomin, and the crowd cheered wildly. They shushed as Kykini's warning growl filled the air, but Khethti, with grace and dignity, accepted his defeat.
Ivore rose, her smile gone. Instead of congratulating the victor, she pointed at Khethti. "I extend an invitation to the Jo khade maja," and she and Kykini disappeared in a kick-portal.

The Flame

The Sunsong were angry. The Fang were angry. Adomin was angry.
Khethti wished them farewell, and his sindari paid for him to travel to the volcano. He arrived as Ivore and Kykini discussed the creation of a new sindari. Ivore, upset at the disrespect she witnessed, wanted to create an order whose purpose served justice, not the egos of a talented few.
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Between the three of them, and with assistance from the dragonpriests, Ivore created the Flame. The tenets reflected Kykini's sense of justice, her kindness and compassion, and Khethti's graciousness.
They held a huge party to officially announce the sindari. Dragonpriests and Ice Cats were given priority if they wished to join the new order. Royalty, nobles, religious and martial orders received invitations to the lesser season-long celebration. Notably, none from Ay a di galay received one.
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The training was grueling. The rewards were extraordinary in reputation and social standing. Aki n'di ori flocked to the volcano for training. The Ay a di galay sindari did not appreciate a dragon-blessed order competing against their own, and smarting from their snub, did their best to convince their country's leaders to do something about it. They failed in that endeavor, just as Ivore's opponents failed against her when she again attended the Ra i dori.
She opened sindari throughout the aki n'di ori lands, and every attempt to halt the Flame's growth met with defeat.
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What upset other sindari the most was her insistence on allowing women entry into her order. That was simply not done. In response, and based on Flame principles, she created the e ada sindo, a martial order of women who righted injustices that others ignored.
Sindari grumbled about an all-woman order, but, as with the Flame, they could do little to stop the flood of determined women who filled the ranks. They became hands of justice for those who could not find it in any other way.
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The Flame and the e ada sindo still exist. Their influence since Ivore's time has only grown, and both are now considered part of Rakan's cultural heritage. Ivore, their creator, is a national hero.
Flame practitioners guard the royal throne. The e ada sindo are headquartered in the palace complex and continue to right wrongs in the name of Ivore and the Flame Dragon.

Ivore's preferred clothing style, with a collar off-center and lapel running down the left side to the hem, became the basis for most aki n'di ori martial uniforms. Where she discovered the style is a mystery, though some speculate she saw influential illustrations in old dragonpriest books.

While Ivore built sindari in Ay a di galay, she preferred residing at the volcano. Only after she and Khethti died, did their daughter, Navari, move to the country and strengthen the foundation her parents prepared. She, as much as Ivore, is responsible for the lasting impact of the Flame and e ada sindo on Rakan life.