Avandias

Avandias is a member of royalty of the Southern capital Jaraska, and a blood mage. He travels with his horse companion, Sharik.

Aside from his height, Avandias cuts no striking figure. Though no longer dressing to hide himself, he still wears dark colors, usually a black tabard or surcoat over a shirt of muted blue or red. His light olive complexion is weathered and half hidden beneath a ragged beard that he keeps trimmed back only half the time, letting it fill out his whole jaw during time of travel. His thick, naturally wavy hair, black with hints of gray around the ears and temples, hangs nearly to his shoulders and is occasionally worn with braids connecting in the back when he allows Tamatu to test her skills on him. On his left wrist he wears a woven leather armband, a gift handmade without much skill; that and his trusty black riding boots are the only articles he still wears from his past, besides the amulet. Crafted from a large red ruby in a silver setting, the amulet is engraved with the Kastairn family crest, a desert rose overlaid by a sword, and hangs from a leather cord under his clothes so it is not easily noticed. A faint light occasionally glows from the soul of his nephew Bound inside. Though not the same man who left the South three years ago, Avandias might still be easily recognized by his orange eyes, a trait all direct descendants of the original Lord Kastairn share.

Thanks to his two years wandering Kalon in secret as a stranger, Avandias has taken on a cold and distrusting disposition to most people he encounters. Coupled with the sternness of a natural leader, he is nearly unrecognizable as the warm and friendly lord people once knew. He prefers to keep acquaintances at arm’s length, though once he warms to someone, it is with full conviction. He does his best to stay formal and polite with those he meets, though his bitterness is quicker to show itself the longer he associates with a group. While he feels emotions strongly, he prefers not to let that show as much as he can to avoid those who might take advantage of him. He has little patience for troublemakers, and occasionally slips into speaking down to those perceived beneath him, even when he knows they are truly all equals. His trust is hard-earned, and it may not always be obvious when given, but it rarely falters once bestowed. However, once truly broken, it cannot be restored.

Cold though he may be, Avandias is still perfectly capable of love, and those he does love he does so fiercely and deeply, willing to give any and all of himself for their benefit. This is most apparent in the case of his family - his mother, his sister, and her husband - even if that love is unreturned; for his father is is a mournful, but respectful love to honor a memory, and for his nephew it is the kind of love that would drive him to lay down his life to bring the boy back. Certain members of the group he’s fallen in with might catch glimpses of this emotion in him, and even find themselves on the receiving end of it - though even in his deepest throes his first instinct is still to hide it. While Avandias never experienced romantic love in his years as a lord of the South, he is beginning to recognize just what it is and how he must live with it.

Detrimental to his interpersonal relationships however is his deep-rooted obsession for fixing what is broken, even if something was not broken by his hand. This obsession led him into more than one rash decision during his time as Lord Kastairn and earned him a reputation for being reckless, though well-intentioned, among his family’s royal allies. It is what drove him into the trap laid by the Lekapos, and it is what still drives him to undo his nephew’s murder and restore some of the pieces of his sister’s shattered life. While his desire to fix almost always comes from a place of intense love and caring, it sometimes overshadows what is actually good and forces a wall between himself and those closest to him, trapping him in the mindset of how good things could be once he’s fixed the problem, instead of focusing on how good things already are - or worse, when he assumes responsibility for problems he cannot solve, or is not even wanted to solve, furthering the divide in relationships despite just trying to improve them.

Perhaps this desire to fix things comes from his rampant anxieties. Before his banishment he hardly noticed them, but with terrible tragedy they have become much more apparent, cropping up at every little thing and worsening as he neglects his physical health. His anxiousness does not manifest as a shy or subdued nature, instead showing itself through his temper and worsening his cold mannerisms. It was the taste of how awful things could be, how much pain he could physically and emotionally feel, that planted in him the fear of feeling those things again and making him desperate to prevent it.

Avandias connects best with those who treat him with the same polite respect he initially offers. Those who offer understanding and patience are better received than those who react with hostility or disdain, even when his prickly shell makes the former difficult to offer.

Like many Southerners, Avandias is deeply religious; Dhanir is the Celestial of his worship, though since taking Bal-sunar's benediction he fears the keeper of souls is no longer on his side. This does not stop him from regarding all Celestials as gods and offering them the respect he believes they are due. To some it may appear silly, but in his mind, it is the safest way to interact with beings that could wipe you from existence on a whim. Avandias still regularly offers silent prayers for help or guidance to Dhanir, whether or not the Celestial can actually hear him, and when things are especially dark, he will curse his god, though he always regrets his harshness afterward and does his best to make amends. His reverence for Celestials resulted in a skewed view of maledict mages, something he is still working to turn around.

Blood Magic
Avandias received Bal-Sunar's benediction nearly nine years ago for the purpose of learning to craft a blood phylactery. He became adeptly skilled at Binding, with his Bound souls lasting for months longer than was previously considered average. In the year since meeting with his current companions in Ulmery, he has continued to practice and master other spells. Currently he can cast Hold for several minutes, Burn, Mend small wounds with his own blood and larger ones with another’s, Bind well enough to last eight months at average power, and Shape a weapon without fainting.

Armed Combat
Though out of practice since he left the South, Avandias is moderately skilled with a blade. He has no qualms about taking a life, especially in defense of himself or another. He did not carry a weapon of his own after leaving home, and seems to have trouble keeping new blades for long.

Horsemanship
Avandias was taught to ride as a small child, and worked with many palace horses throughout his life. He obtained Sharik as a foal almost eight years ago, raising him by hand and training him rigorously. The two have a strong bond and are perfectly in sync with each other. Though a masterful equestrian with any mount, Avandias is unmatched when partnered with Sharik.

Language
He is fluent in the common tongue that unites Kalon, though his Southern accent is pronounced, and he speaks the Southern dialect, and all its variations, equally well. He knows a few words and phrases in Cretufei, taught to him by Kyrill, though he has a misguided sense of their true meanings and his pronunciation is poor.


 * ★ Spotify Playlist
 * ★ The crested ruby amulet is one of a pair; his sister possesses the other.
 * ★ Avandias has gained a multitude of scars in the past year, but carries one from his past: a large blood sigil for Soul-Jack in the center of his chest, with a diagonal line cut through it, dividing it in half.
 * ★ He has a soft spot for children, loving to share in their company, but occasionally is overwhelmed by them thanks to his unresolved grief and guilt surrounding his nephew.
 * ★ He hates lobster and most crustacean seafood. Everything else out of the ocean is okay.