Avavali
From Mizahar Lore
| Familiar | |
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| Major features | Gaseous form, resembles dark steam |
|---|---|
| Abilities | Immune to conventional attacks, can spread over large areas, hard to detect |
Avavali are a Familiar type from the Lightface of Fyrden. They appear to be made of a peculiar thick smoke, making them among the most ethereal of all Familiars. Avavali are air-headed, forgetful and tend to believe that things will fix themselves (or rather, their master will fix things for them). They do possess useful abilities they can use in a pinch, such as focusing their mass into a small volume and becoming quasi-solid for a duration.
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Appearance
An Avavali is a cloud halfway between smoke and steam, ranging from reddish to black. It is rich on carbon and water vapor, with traces of heavier metals that give each individual its unique color. Thin threads of pure Djed keep their mass from dispersing, though an Avavali's control over its most peripheral tendrils tends to be loose. On Fyrden, where there is no atmosphere to speak of, Avavali dominate the Lightface skies and can stretch to incredible areas. They have to take more care on Mizahar, where they risk losing themselves in the planet's rich and heavy air. On the other hand, the presence of air helps them float with minimal Djed expenditures.
An Avavali is one of those Familiars which can take on the sealed form of a small animal. The animal is the same color as their primary form and turns into ash when hit. They can also turn into inanimate objects with the same properties.
Personality
There is no such thing as a Big Deal to an Avavali. If it's raining today, the sun is going to shine tomorrow. They are optimistic and upbeat, sometimes to the point of foolishness. They do not usually try to overtake their master because they know their master is out for them and he knows best. This is only good news until the master actually needs the Avavali's help; getting one of them to lend their assistance can take work even when the duo's life is on the line. Since there is not much that can hurt them, Avavali routinely underestimate dangers and find humor even in the direst straits.
An Avavali has a very selective memory. It will remember the things it finds convenient and choose to forget the rest. Few things are more frustrating for a Familiarist than hearing one's Avavali protest along the lines of "What was it that you wanted of me again?" To their credit, Avavali are not schemers or backstabbers, and they are among the easiest Familiars to get along with.
Abilities
An experienced Avavali can dilute itself to the point of occupying a volume equivalent to a large house. It is practically invisible when spread so thin, though it basically cannot interact with its environment, either. Rain, snow and very wet weather can hamper this ability and reduce its effectiveness.
Avavali are basically invulnerable to physical damage. They remain very sensitive to certain forms of magic, such as Leeching which quickly sucks them dry of their precious Djed. Since a Leecher can absorb their Djed by simple contact, an Avavali will want to shrink to a small size when confronted with one. An Avavali can still be knocked out by a shockwave, such as one caused by Reimancy.
When an Avavali focuses all of its mass, it almost becomes solid and can actually shoot out tendrils of smoke. These appendages can be cut, merely slowing down the creature.
Lifecycle
An Avavali's lifecycle is the same as their Familiar brethren. They grow in size throughout their lives by absorbing material and radiations from Fyrden's environment. When their bodies grow too large, they fracture into two or more "children". These spawn-siblings, as they are called, are entirely new creatures and inherit some of the parent's knowledge, including language, but not necessarity its personality. This accretion/spawning process is halted once they are bonded with a Mizaharian wizard.