Azenth

From Mizahar Lore

Azenth

Gnosis
We become the fire.
Granted by	Ivak
Positive marks	Fire, Emotional Control
Negative marks	Inability to feel warmth and emotions.
Pos. mark appearance	Entwined Flames - Any Color
Neg. mark appearance	Grey Fire
Mark location	Any Area
First mark	After Trauma
Champion	Leo Varniak

Unlike Sylir, who lost his life in the Valterrian, Ivak was only imprisoned. There was no final fiery sacrifice where he moved on to join his beloved Kova in the world beyond. Such things rarely happen to Gods and Goddesses. They knew enough to wait, to watch, to understand that life was never completely and utterly destroyed. It simply changed. Instead, Ivak's aftermath was the quiet creation of The Azenth.

Rather than being followers completely and utterly loyal to Ivak, the Azenth are instead a multitude of people with vastly different interests, all empowered by Ivak in order to use their unique gifts to further his own agendas. The Azenth roam the world, scattered throughout Mizahar, and do an important tasks for Ivak. They keep the world in motion. Ivak has a very close and personal relationship with his followers since his release from Mt. Skyinarta. Free in the world, he often visits them and carries on long fireside type talks that keeps him and them up to date on what his Will is. Ivak picks individuals to mark that already have a driving agenda or underlying emotional upheaval which parallels his own and empowers them so they can further their own causes.

In doing so, they keep Ivak's purpose in the world alive. To The Azenth, Ivak represents the endless circle of continuous change the world must undergo. Without his influence on the world, there would be no progress and the whole of the world would stagnate when in truth it should continuously undergo the dramatic changes Ivak's nature demands.

Ivak doesn't mark fiery people as a rule. That doesn't exclude the emotional or outgoing from a potential mark, but He was imprisoned in a Volcano that housed the worlds majority of redheads with their passionate tempers. It simply doesn't impress Him. He doesn't mark people who survive trauma, like some might suspect, either. If that were the case every single individual on Mizahar would have a mark from Ivak since the world is full of trauma. What gains Ivak's attention is how people handle themselves under duress. He wants to single out notable individuals who handle extraordinary circumstances with wisdom, levelheadedness, and grace. His followers do tend to be passionate. But that passion is tempered by higher than average intelligence and a capacity for leadership. To Ivak, The Azenth and the cream of the crop of Mortals in Mizahar. It is for this reason, he no longer marks people at birth. What people 'could be' is far less important to Him than what the world ends up molding people into.

Each Azenth is different. They are not a cult nor a traditional faction with induction and strict rules. Instead Ivak's Gnosis Marks - a burning flame that becomes more elaborate as the power he infuses in his followers increases (aka numbers of marks) - tend to run in families. Each family seems to have a specific purpose and all the members born into the family often have a similar mindset even if they were raised apart. Blood is a powerful linking property in Ivak's followers and the dynasties they have created. Dynasty members aren't born with marks, but they all tend to acquire marks as their life progresses.

The Families of Azenth

It is important to note that while each family specializes in a specific aspect of Azenth, every Azenth has access to each ability. An Avisata may very well firedance, while a Zaital might be interested in releasing geomorphic pressures. In general, family members stick to their expertise. However, there are crossovers and intermingling between the bloodlines that tend to blur boundaries and widen influences both within and outside of each group. Individual Azenth do exist outside of the 'families', however almost unfailingly, those individuals come from one or more of the family bloodlines, even if they themselves don't know it.

• Tuvalik (The Dancers) - Entertainers to the core, it is said the Tuvalik honor Ivak's passion by pouring their gnosis into the art of entertaining. Made up of numerous firewalkers and firedancers, this family is particularly popular in Falyendar, Eyktol and parts of Kalea.

• Avisata (The Releasers) - This family spawned group are rumored to be the direct decedents of Kova's personal Imperial Guards. Powerfully versed in history and lore, these scholar warriors are prone to disperse throughout Mizahar and use their gnosis gifts to systematically discharge pressure built up on fault lines and cause numerous small earthquakes in order to prevent large catastrophic ones. And while they carry out these physical duties, they can also be known to dwell in powerful political seats, doing the same thing for buildup of emotions and tensions.

• Suviak (The Tidalwave) - Made up of primarily of Konti, Akvatari and Charoda, this Azenth family remains exclusively aquatic, by and large the most significant force Ivak has at his call. These individuals work to openly prevent enormous tidalwaves, while managing the numerous underwater volcanos and faults that exist surrounding Mizahar.

• Zaital (The Driven) - Having taken the last name of Kova's handmaiden who was said to have carried a newly born infant to Suva for the wedding, these Azenth are by and large the most dangerous of all Ivak's collective assets. Having steered more towards the emotional management of people, the Azenth in this family tend to see into the hearts of others and make judgments for themselves. Said to be leading the effort to free Ivak from his prison, the Zaital family in general has cultured darker arts and more forceful ambitions using a dangerous mix of gnosis and magic.

Mark Progression

Marked [Cursed] - 1 Gnosis Mark
	An Azenth with one Mark has one very important ability; they gain the immunity to fire. At one mark, the heat of a fire can still be felt, but it does not burn them. If they work with fire routinely, say as a magical discipline of Reimancy or routinely build fires, then the heat of that fire is often absorbed by them and keeps their body temperature relatively higher compared to 'normal' individuals of their race. Singularly marked Azenth often make incredibly talented firewalkers and firedancers with very little effort. In addition, at this level, Ivak marked people often sense the underlying strongly building emotion of another person, but cannot tell specifically what has caused those emotions. For example, if someone is experiencing a powerful upheaval of emotion - say grief - the Azenth can detect that, but will not understand what caused it. Mundane emotions - everyday joy, sorrow, etc are not picked up by Azenth. Instead, Azenth hone in and narrow down on only strong intense boiling emotions. They can often tell when someone has newly fallen in love, or if another completely hates something or someone with a passion. The only rule is that the emotion has to be intensely strong for them to feel it. Even urges, like the desire to steal, can be detected if they are overwhelming. Cursed individuals will often fail to be warmed by heat. They have trouble starting fires, and Reimancers who use fire as an element might find their work extremely difficult or distracting to the point they might have to switch focus to a completely new element.
Favored [Despised] - 2 Gnosis Marks
	Individuals with a second Gnosis Mark will gain the ability to multiply fire. They can turn a single spark into a raging forest fire if they desire, however, they cannot by Ivak's very nature, limit or control that fire. At this point, such fires will not harm them at all. It might burn off their clothing and possessions though. Secondarily marked Ivak followers can also multiply emotions. A single powerful resentment can be nudged into a burning hatred if an Azenth decides is necessary. Conversely though, an Azenth can redouble positive emotions as well. They've been equally known to augment peacekeepers and negotiations to keep people on target and help reach agreements. An added ability at this level is sensing the pressure of molten rock or magma beneath the surface of the world. When the pressure begins to build, Ivak worshipers are incredibly sensitive to this. These buildups can cause earthquakes and in extreme cases volcanic eruptions. Despised individuals cannot find themselves warm ever again. They also have trouble producing strong emotions at all. They simply fall away into apathy and do not care.
Priest/Priestess [Adversary] - 3 Gnosis Marks
	At this stage, Ivak owns the follower. Not only are they allowed immunity from fire and the ability to multiply it, but they become acutely aware of the movements of magma beneath the earth's surface in a very accurate and predictable way. As well as being able to manipulate and multiply fire, they can manipulate magma as well. With this ability, dedicated Azenth can discharge volcanoes before they reach explosive levels and endanger civilizations. They can also, to a certain extent, manipulate magma and release tension caused on faults in order to prevent or create earthquakes. Azenth have no control over tension on faults that are caused from the natural movement of the earth not due to magma upwelling. In addition, they cannot eliminate or reduce magma, but only multiply it. Currently Ivak has no Adversaries. Most do not survive a second negative Gnosis Mark and the apathy that ensues.
Champion [Nemesis] - 4 Gnosis Marks
	Fearsome is the word used for a Champion of Ivak. Having immunities to fire, heat and magma, a true four marked gnosis bearing follower can walk into the heart of a volcano and remain unaffected. They can cause existing volcanoes to erupt with a single thought, or bring about the existence of new ones by pulling magma deep from the heart of the world upwards. They can manipulate emotions, causing them to erupt at overwhelming levels from something as minimal as a stray thought. An individual in this category has very little self control, and tends to be distracted in the world - overwhelmed by their abilities to sense the emotions of others and the molten force of the world itself. A champion of Ivak, if known, would be targeted by numerous other champions. Ivak has no Nemesis'

Mark acquisition threads

First mark
	Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust	First mark acquisition for Leo Varniak.
	Fire Walk With Me	First mark acquisition for Sondra
	When Reality Crumbles	First mark acquisition for Aidara
	Ambitions	First mark acquisition for Aela
	The Fire Within	First mark acquisition for Soshakuakamamushi

Second mark
	Fire Walk With Me	Second mark acquisition for Leo Varniak

Third mark

Fourth mark