Avris Darvin (Archmage of the Flame)

Overviw
Avris Darvin was a human of the Avennorian tribe who in the later years of his life was one of 8 powerful archmages. He lived from 9500 B.S. to 9413b.s Avris did quite a few things through out his life, most of which started after he became one of these archmages. He devised a plan to end the War of the Chosen. At this time it was still early in the war. He helped to create a stone that the 8 archmages called the Stone of the Magi. Later it became known as the Fire Gem because of how it was said to look. On this council of archmages he was the Archmage of the Flame.

Appearance
Avris was always a slender, frail-looking figure. For the early years of his life he tended to wear old worn wool clothing in dark colors. He kept his light sandy blonde hair at shoulder length and tied it back with a bit of worn cloth. His eyes were a shade of blue much like the sky. His skin was a fair white, and many who met him commented later that he had a certain charisma about him. In his later years he had a scar above his right eye and across his left cheek. It was during these later years that he became an archmage and started wearing fire red robes. At his death he bore a scar covering most of his left forearm caused from overuse of magic and his refusal of a healer.

Biography
Avris was born in a small town, named Delone, about Furlay south of the Auturian Woods in 9500 B.S. He spent the first 10 years of his life in Delone. He was the subject of much joking due to his physically weak body. However, he soon discovered that nobody could master his will. On his eleventh birthday in the year 9489 B.S. his house caught fire. His mother and father got out, but he was trapped inside. As the house collapsed everyone thought him to be dead, but to everyone's amazement, Avris found his way out of the house. Miraculously, Avris was almost entirely unburnt. His wounds healed at a quick pace and left not a single scar. Avris never mentioned until later that the flames never came near him except when he approached them, and they took a long time to burn his skin. Unknown to young Avris at the time was that he had an affinity torwards fire. Many of the kids his age despised him for his miracle of survival. They would throw rocks at him and call him names even more than before.

In 9485 B.S. Delone was destroyed as it fell in the path of the War of the Chosen. Avris survived somehow, but his parents were killed. He was angered, but he didn't know what he could do. An elf named Selin took the boy in and cared for him. She saw Avris' affinity torwards fire, and she noticed his rock solid will. She taught Avris a little about the elven principles of magic, and Avris used them to build his strength. By 1880, Avris was now 20 years of age, he had reached a point were all fire would bend to his will. It was around this time that he began to wear flame red robes made of a rich fabric. The War of the Chosen continued to decimate his homeland. He longed to end it, but alone he could do nothing.

Selin revealed to him a small truth, she told him of the council of archmages, and named herself the Archmage of Xeuá. He wanted to go before these archmages, but Selin told him he must wait. Arvis built his magical strength and mastered his will. Mid-way through the year 1861 B.S. Selin took Arvis before the council of archmages, but not for the reasons he had planned. Arvis had wished to go to them to ask for help. Selin brought him to them to make him the Archmage of the Flame, and the eighth archmage of the council. He was put through many trials, but what these trials consisted of is lost beyond all knowledge now. Afterwards, he would forever be known only as The Archmage of the Flame. It is important to note that the council consisted of two humans, one half-elf, and 5 elves, and their goal was to bring and end to the War of the Chosen and heal the damages done by this war.

Arvis first constructed the three part plan to end the war. His first part was for the council to craft an artifact he called the stone of the magi. This stone was to allow for the fact that all the members were growing quite old and by the time this plan was finished he saw himself to be near 80. At this point he was only 40. This stone was to allow for the healing and purification of the land that the war had destroyed. It also would allow for disease and wounds to be healed. The second part of his plan was to systematically kill off those known as the chosen and then their armies could easily be disposed of, at least he thought so. The final stage was to begin the healing process and allow for the stone of the magi to be used by the people perform this healing. This stage was so the council could stay back from the affairs of the common folk. After all, the War of the Chosen was started by people calling themselves archmages. It took him twenty years to design this plan, and the council spent another 10 revising it. Avris was now seventy years of age.

The council began the crafting of the stone of the magi. They took a orb shaped ruby cut from the mountains by dwarves and started to work into it spells of all sorts. Avris started by ingraining the regenerative magic of the flames. The archmage of Water implanted magics to create water. Next the Archmage of Wind gave the stone the ability to control the winds. Then the Archmage of the Earth gave it the magics to heal the land. Finally the Archmages of Xeuá gave the stone its major healing abilities and the Archmages of Ecuá granted the stone the magic to clear the land of remaining magic effects. With the stone complete the archmages built a single underground chamber and stored the stone here. Stage two was to begin in a few days. However, a man named Zanthir who had named himself the Archmage of Evil learned of this stone. He greatly desired it for himself so he marched with his armies to claim it. The eight stood before the door to the chamber of the stone and debated what they should do. Arvis decided it would be best if they set eight seals over the door, seals consuming so much energy that all eight would die. Knowing the what would come of this act they agreed it must be done. So each in turn set their personal seal over the entire chamber. Nobody would get in. Not through the door or by any other means. As they died from over using their energy their conscious spirits realized two horrible facts. The first, the stone will be needed later and only they can open the seals. The second, that when the stone has completed its task it must be destroyed so that it can never fall into the wrong hands. To solve the problem they transformed their souls into the eight creatures now known as the spirit dragons. They stayed at the entrance to the stone's chamber and waited for Zanthir and his armies. They didn't stand a chance. They were decimated. This day was late in the year of 1830, and that is the date of death that was put on Arvis' memorial.

Importance
He singlehandedly designed a method to end the War of the Chosen. However, his plan was disrupted. Still, if he hadn't designed the plan then the stone of the magi would never have been crafted, and there are many who believe that this stone will play some part in the distant future. He also did many minor things which are not mentioned in his biography. He experimented with different materials attempting to find stuff flame resistant. He did eventually develop and weave a cloth that took much longer than most cloth to catch fire.

Fools rush into battle blindly, but who is really the fool? The fool or the fool who follows him.

Edited by: Sinen Darkchild at: 1/24/03 7:23:37 pm