Originally a legendary figure known from the Lands of the Barbarians. The exact meaning of the Kiïvosh is still unknown - like many other things which originate from this regions.

Image description: The legendary figure of the Kiïvosh, bird and fish all in one. Picture drawn by Enayla.

The Kiïvosh very often is illustrated by ancient Santharian artists in the most different ways you can think of: sometimes as a sort of a birdlike variety of a Mystran (a shadowlike phenomenon), sometimes as a simple raven, sometimes as a gryph, but most often as a mixture of fish and bird, diving through the Lands of Dreams into reality, shining in all possible colors of the rainbow. Somehow the Kiïvosh has managed its way into Santharian mythology, where it is very often interpreted as a messenger of the Goddess of the Scythe, Queprur. As Queprur is completely unknown to the superstitious people of the barbarians, it seems pretty obvious that the Kiïvosh had some other meaning in the Northlands as now in the Santharian realm.

In Santharian myth the Kiïvosh very often is mentioned at death scenes of great heroes or even if they only lose consciousness and are able to return to the living with or without the help of healers. The phrase of the "Veil of the Kiïvosh" is very prominent in this respect and seems to be used synonymously with the Kiïvosh itself. The veil can either not be seen visually at all or it's presence sometimes can be sensed by elves and certain chosen individuals (e.g. heroes, healers) destined to do so. It is said that the Veil of the Kiïvosh wraps the body of the wounded person in a spell of sleep and remains sitting on the breast of the dying (see to the following the illustrations at Ruhs "On the Track of the Barbarian"). It is still not clear if the figure is of good or evil intent, if the Kiïvosh captures the soul of the wounded or if it is meant to guard it. As has been mentioned the Kiïvosh sometimes is interpreted as a messenger of Queprur, but in other sources it is also seen as some sort of guardian angel, which is meant to soothe the pain of the dying or which represents a visual sign for people nearby to save the dying from Queprur's scythe.

The place of the Kiïvosh in the realm between the living and the dead leads Ruh to a daring thesis, identifying the figure with the Gryph of Souls - an interesting, but not completely resolved statement as should be emphasized here.