Ahnvala

They bring with them fire, stone and air,

Conjured from the fires of the Astral forge.

They awaken powers granted by the gods,

Commanding sky and shards of steel and ice.

They enter realms forsaken and arcane,

Creating bodies, minds and mysteries untold.

They call upon the ancient fragments of reality,

Compelling death, causality and light to their whim.

~ From Tura's Tome of Mythical Poems (pg 12)

They are the first of Nysera, beings created by the hands of 12 gods to travel the lands and conquer the mysteries of magic itself. Very little is written of the first days these beings dominated Nysera, as the early Ahnvala are notorious for abstaining from literary works. Instead, only ruined monuments and the long forgotten remains of Gashyn temples mark their presence.
Until the Age of Artifice Ahnvala were almost exclusively nomadic. Since their creation, they were instilled with a deep desire to explore and witness the natural wonders of Nysera. They quite literally drifted about the land, soaring above landscapes and resting only to meditate or experiment with new Forgings. This extensive traveling and testing of magic led to a dramatic amount of diversity among Ahnvala, and often it is said that no two are truly alike, even among groups of similar racial identification.
There are 12 well known subraces of Ahnvala, though 9 of the 12 are divergent from the original three to some extent. regardless, there are a few features that every Ahnvala tends to share:

• Sharp, clawed fingers.
• Vertical, predatory pupils.
• Dense bones, nearly double that of a regular human.
• Innate magical ability.
• A god-given understanding of life-extending magic, essentially making their lifespan indefinite if they choose.
• Long, flowing hair that is rarely cut throughout their lifetimes.

Progenitor Races

Vashan - The original race of all other Ahnvala, Vashan are said to most resemble Kaitos. Despite this, they are still exceptionally varied, and tend to only share the characteristic of being silvery in coloration and immensely powerful Astral Forgers. They were once a brutal and hyper-religous pseudo-society intent only on fulfilling the will of Kaitos. But as time has passed their race has been humbled considerably, and resides almost entirely on the Isle of Valkyrnis.
Laghan - The first of all Ahnvala to diverge into a different form than their given one. Laghan are frequently scorned by other Ahnvala, often treated as betrayers and malcontents to the will of the kaitos. They tend to take on features of Aleshki, often sporting bony protrusions from their face, hooked tails, sharpened teeth and dark eye sockets. Laghan are especially adept at summoning, cursing and using shadow magic via Death Forging, and reside all over Nysera due to their ancient alliance with the Khuldari Gashyn. Despite this, they are e secretive and aloof people who prefer to roam Nysera and the other Elemental Realms, rather than settle into a Gashyn style of life.
Aymahn - The second major group of Ahnvala to diverge in physical appearance, Aymhan tend to be wholly obsessed with seeking out what they consider to be a divine transformation into their "Pure Forms". This almost always invariably leads to their permanent transformation into an Ayru, massive avian creatures with immense elemental and charismatic powers. Aymahn, both in their humanoid and Ayru forms, are exceptional at Order Forging, and can sway the minds of hundreds, or even thousands, with but a few gestures. Their kind is somewhat rare in current-day Nysera as most have either fled to the Western Ayru isles in their pure form, or have entered the Ash wastes of the East, often never to return. Nonetheless, their mark upon the Gashyn and Tirakel societies is a significant one, as their golden skin and mythic presence is a common ethnic trait of many Nyserian cultures.

Inheritor Races

Hyathan - Belligerent, power-hungry tyrants of the skies that command storms and throw lightning upon their terrified victims. Hyathan are among the most hated and hunted by Gashyn for the ungodly levels of destruction and strife they reaped upon them throughout the years. Of the Ahnvala, they are easily the largest and most imposing, standing nearly three times the size of a Gashyn. Their eyes are often crazed, beacons of energy, and their hair a flowing mane of static-frizzed madness. They are also notable for bearing elongated upper canines and are on of the few Ahnvala races to have significant amounts of facial hair. Hythan are the supreme users of Arc Forging, and are known to fight with magic for days on end with their seemingly endless wells of arcane power.
Kaishol - A Laghan-diverged group of traveling arbiters who would settle land disputes among the other Ahnvala. Their no-nonsense lifestyles and terrifying habit of incinerating both parties have made them a feared group among their own kind. They are one of the few hairless Ahnvala, and instead adorn their ash-grey bodies with wreathing flames. They are also famous for having multiple sets of eyes and fiery, prism-like wings. Kaishol are the masters of Fire Forging, and can lay waste to entire landscapes with unstoppable waves of astral fire.
Khirvala - Khirvala are easily the rarest and most enigmatic of all Ahnvala, to the point that many scholars insist that they never truly existed. This of course, is false, but unsurprising considering most Khirvala never see the light of day. This nocturnal lifestyle has led to become night-time nomads in Nysera on the rare occasion that they venture from the twilight depths of The Deep. This secluded lifestyle eventually led most to leave Nysera altogether, as many decided to venture into shadowy realms of Inshyar and Khahul. They are among the most peaceful of all Ahnvala, and seem diametrically opposed to everything their kin value. Despite this, they are not in any way trifled with or otherwise attacked by most other Ahnvala. The unfettered destruction their Void Forging can cause is reason enough for any and all to leave their peaceful ways untouched.
Mirovyn - The most nomadic of all Ahnvala, Mirovyn are notoriously difficult to track down as they constantly peruse the open skies with their natural ability to fly. Though they do not require wings for this purpose, it was not uncommon for Mirrovyn to adapt their bodies with some kind of wing-like appendages. Mirrovyn are also famous for dominating the weather patterns of Nysera, and were known to trade for territories in service for calming or dispersing climates. Mirrovyn are quite slight compared to their more robust relatives, and were known to have hair as delicate and light as clouds. Mirrovyn are the undisputed experts of Air Forging, and were the first to take to the skies and command the weather itself.
Tashaym - Druidic, mountain shaping masters of earthen magic, Tashaym are one of the few peaceful groups of Ahnvala that rarely subjugated or assaulted Gashyn, even during their eventual uprising. They are also one of the few Ahvnala who adorned themselves with jewelry and basic clothing, though mostly for the appreciation of the items themselves. They did however spend much of their time working with Gashyn to erect temples and structures in worship of Ayru. In fact, many of the existing ruins within Vaimara are known to be constructs of Tashaym-make. Tashaym appear as though hewn from the earth itself, often displaying natural gemstones embedded into their granite-like skin. Tashaym are true artisans of Earth Forging, to the extent that they have shaped the very landscape seen in many areas of the southern continent.
Mhurkaan - The dreaded lords of chaos and change, Mhurkaan are feared even among other Ahnvala for their absent-minded cruelty to any and all living things. They are creatures of pure, unwavering madness that adopt forms and features of eldritch horrors at one moment, then embodying beauty and majesty at another. There is no limit to the agony or terror they will inflict upon what they deem lesser creatures, and their misanthropic tendencies have lead to vile creations among the Gashyn. Unsurprisingly, during the Gashyn Uprising the Mhurkaan were relentlessly hunted and killed to near extinction. But, with their unparalleled understanding of minds and Chaos Forging they proved to be extremely difficult to exterminate.
As their numbers dwindled, they quickly learned to disguise themselves among the Gashyn, which would ultimately lead to the creation of two fighting forces dedicated to the tracking of all Mhurkaan activity: The Realm Hunters of Vaimara and the Talcala Shadow Legion of Arodiyen. While the former participates in the Nysera-wide hunting of Mhurkaan, the latter has more or less forgotten it's original purpose, and instead guards the Emerald Haven from intruders of all kinds.
Oshevan - An Ahnvala divergence who instead of dominating the earth and skies, instead took to the wide oceans of Nysera. Unlike the Uvanmyr, Oshevan rarely change form into beasts (or fish for that matter), but instead have mostly adapted their physiology to thrive in aquatic environments. Despite their appearance, these changes are mostly aesthetic as their innate mastery of Water Forging allows them to manipulate liquids to an extent that trivializes any physical advantages.
Oshevan are also known for being the source of one of the few tertiary divergences, the Jhentir. This little known group exists primarily in the polar continents deep in the south, and rarely interact with most other Nyserians. They practice a rare form of magic known as Ice Forging, which most scholars tend to (incorrectly) bracket as a subgroup of Water Forging.
Uvanmyr - Aymahn who either failed or decided against becoming an Ayru usually diverged into the incredibly diverse racial group of Uvanmyr, shapeshifters who take on animal-like characteristics and could change at will into fantastic beasts. Unlike Shape Forging Uvanmyr shape shifting (Trueforming) is a permanent, pseudo-biological alteration that is often painful and exhausting to the user. No two Uvan is alike, even within family based clans, as the trueform of an Uvan is as unique as their own personality. Uvanmyr are incredibly resilient due to their extensive knowledge of Life Forging, as they can magically heal wounds at such a rapid rate that they are often only killed by blows that destroy their entire body.
Veltan - One of the most elusive and mysterious of Ahnvala, Veltan are hermetic underground explorers and among the first to Realm-Shift and travel into the elemental dominions of the gods, namely Balnys. Very little is known about when and how Veltan diverged, but it is presumed they were inspired by the mask like visages of the Laghan, as they adorn a physical mask at all times. This mask is unique to each Veltan, and is allegedly grafted to their faces in some cases. Equally rare is their expertise in Metal Forging, which very few Ahnvala bother with beyond learning how to Ward. They are the only early ahnvala known to use weapons or armor of any kind, and are acknowledged for taking part the creation of many Ahkshara as well as the three Astral Rune Blades created near the end of the Gashyn Uprising.

Conflicts

Despite their generally nomadic lifestyle, the Anhvala were far from peaceful. As the first took on new forms and began to identify with the other 12 gods it was not long before conflict and territorial disputes arose. The first known encounter of this kind is without a doubt the Storm Wars, which involved a cataclysmic series of battles between Aymahn and Hyathan in nearly every location within Nysera. Though they would continue to harass and ravage nearby lands for many years, the resounding defeat of the Hyathan led to their eventual enclosure within the Northern reaches of Ahkmara. They would remain there until their eventual extinction at the hands of retributive Gashyn from Khuldar.

"Strange I think, that even after suffering countless centuries of strife and misery at the hands of the first, we still somehow revere them to this day. They were given the blessings of gods and the power of the elements, and they used it time and time again to settle petty territorial disputes and to subjugate weaker beings."
"They were not beings of wisdom nor even knowledge as we know it. They were more demons than the Aleshki, more monster than the beasts of the Deep. For no creature is more cruel than that which knows it will never be held accountable for its deeds."

— Arah Mahn'Kyr

Ahnvala in DnD 5th Edition: