Avasvaren

Avasvaren is the Celestial of archery. He is one of the few non-human Celestials and is worshipped on his home planet Denironia as the god of assassins.

I'm very smart, Diarlyn. Very. That doesn't mean I don't like to have fun.

— Avasvaren to a young Denironian

History

Avasvaren's origin is recorded in the Denironian myth The Death Harp. His story is unique from Denironia's normal, the tale of a weak underdog who fought his way to power and infamy. The Denironian Celestial was born with a rare condition: paralysis of two of his four arms. On principle, Denironians with this disorder were considered weak and useless. Avasvaren's family took care of him but scorned him because of his weakness.
According to legend, Avasvaren was secretly taught how to fight by a cousin. His training

by Lilliana Casper

was likely difficult for him, as Denironian fighting is built around the use of four arms and Avasvaren only had control of two. But somehow, he persevered. He took his cousin's criticisms and complaints, kept his mouth shut and his eyes open, and waited. He watched other Denironians fight and learned their weaknesses. He learned how to spot chinks in their defenses and he realized that if he could create a weapon that allowed him to stay out of range and still hit them, he could win.

After years and months of study and practice, Avasvaren finally found something that worked. The weapon he created was a bow, although Avasvaren called it the Death Harp. The first time his final iteration was used was at a party. From the rafters, Avasvaren shot a single arrow straight into the heart of the Denironian Prince, the cousin of the twin heirs. He disappeared immediately after and went to seek out the Bonehunter Empress.

Avasvaren was missing for almost twenty years after he left. It can only be assumed that he did in fact find the Empress and stay with her. When he reappeared two decades later, almost everyone who knew him personally was dead. By this time it had been discovered that the man he killed had been plotting to murder the heirs and leave himself as the only heir. No one knew how Avasvaren had known his plan and rumors had begun to spread that he was a god. Upon his return, those rumors became even stronger. Since his disappearance, he had not aged a single day, and still looked exactly as he had when he left.

They said I must have been a god in hiding to know. Until I shot that arrow, I was a mortal Denironian through and through. I overheard him talking to his servants in the hallway. Everyone ignored me, you see. They didn't think I was smart but I knew what he was planning. I hadn't tested that model yet. All I knew as I climbed those rafters was that I had to stop him.

— Avasvaren to a Celestial

Avasvaren embraced the claim of godhood. He never stayed in one place for long, journeying across Denironia and allowing his story to spread. At some point, he left Denironia and joined other Celestials, making allies in Venegria and Likaina but also collecting occasional enemies. When he returned to Denironia, he brought back the Amulet of Souls, which he gave to the king and queen at the time so they would hide it.

by Lilliana Casper

Avasvaren rarely appears in myths about other Celestials, although he is occasionally mentioned. His only true appearance is in a mysterious story about how he made one of his enemies and implies that he stole the Amulet of Souls from Jason. On Denironia, he rapidly became known as the god of assassins. Thanks to his Death Harp, any Denironians born with paralyzed arms could learn how to fight and issue challenges. The Death Harp, although still a controversial weapon among Denironians, became the usual weapon for those with physical disabilities and is allowed in challenges under that condition. The king and queen who built the vault inside the Mountain of Souls claimed that Avasvaren asked them to make it to protect the Amulet of Souls.

Avasvaren is believed to have joined the Dark Celestials during the Celestial War, bringing an army of Denironians with him. After the war, he returned to Denironia and once again disappeared to the wilderness of Denironia, possibly hunting Denironian Dragons or visiting the Bonehunter Empress. He is believed to reside somewhere on Denironia to this day.

Magic & Powers

Avasvaren's magic is relatively unknown and mysterious. Before he became a Celestial, he had no magical promise whatsoever. As a Celestial, he is believed to have enchantment magic to place spells on objects, especially on his arrows. He is able to summon his bow at will and can create any other weapons he wants as well. However, Avasvaren rarely uses magic and tends to rely on his own physical abilities.

by Lilliana Casper

Divine Classification

Celestial of archery; god of assassins

Species

Denironians

Age

Third Generation; About 6900 years old

Sex

Male

Eyes

Dark red

Hair

Dark reddish-brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Reddish-gray

Height

5'9"

Appearance & Renderings

Avasvaren is a young Denironian adult with reddish-gray skin and dark reddish-brown hair. He has four arms, but two of them are paralyzed and wrapped against his body so as not to obstruct his movement. His eyes are dark red and he appears about 19-20 years old. His clothing is either black, dark red, or dark brown. He has various scars on his body, with a particularly vicious one reaching from his left eye to the corner of his jaw and then back up to his ear. He is described as shorter than the average Denironian at about 5'9".
Avasvaren appears in many illustrations and carvings on Denironia. Most images of him tend to omit his scars unless they come from a different planet. Avasvaren claims that most of his scars come from before he became a Celestial when other young Denironians would bully him. He is usually pictured with his bow, known as a Death Harp on Denironia. A famous picture shows him bowing to the Bonehunter Empress. Another shows him standing with Ceruis, the Denironian goddess of death. Off of Denironia, he has been drawn only a few times, once with Likaina, once with Venegria and Merci, once standing opposite Jason while the other laughs at him, and once with an army of Denironians behind him as he rides into battle.

I've always liked to climb. It's how I used to get away. I'd climb a tree, a wall, anything. Sometimes I'd drop things off to hit them and send them away, other times I'd just curl up in pain. It's a bit sad, but it's true.

— Avasvaren

I did help you. How do you think that book of forbidden spells ended up in your library? That's not a Denironian book. I stole it from Kersar and stuck it where your sister could find it. Alvacia helping that girl was extra.

— Avasvaren to a Denironian