Introduction[]
These fox-like beings live off to the west beyond the Karthian Gulf and the Light domain of the Elves in the desert Sava. They were first mentioned by the elf Asay of the Cerithil Hunters during an unrelated comment about the sanctity of life itself, though he also elaborates on the Mava themselves, giving us a better reference for where their territories lie. "The Cursed Marsh separates the orc lands in the far west and the lands of the Druned and Mava..." Alay also is not sure which of their species is older, the Elves or the Mava. The Mava are described as fluffy, red, tailed and four legged beasts with pointy snouts with some resemblance to wolves though more delicate. They originate from the dunes and sands, but the Elves have found animals in the eastern forest that resemble them which makes it hard to determine how old their species is.[1]
They are further described as masters of magic by Alay, and Octavia Strand also held them in high regard after living with them and training with them for some time. She describes them as gifted hunters and even more gifted wielders of magic. Their personalities are on the curious and playful side, though also way more peaceful than other beings. Their species is old enough to know about the war against the Ascended more than 3000 years ago, though they did not participate in it themselves.[2]
Notable individuals[]
- Hak Ro - Fire Mage – lvl 384[3]
- Na Si, carried by winds - Wind Mage – lvl 448
- Ren Va - Arcane Mage – lvl 520
- Myr Iva, blessed by the flame - Fire Mage – lvl 639
- Ohn Ika - Silver Mage – lvl ???[4]
- Re Ya (an ancient brown Mava, helped out a fae in need a long time ago, was given the Heart of Verivyen before it ended up in the hands of Ker Velor)[4]
- Ger Ikir - From Skal of the Worm[5]
- Toq Meer - Oldest Mava in the Skal of the Worm. Is said to have learned the location of the sealed city of Paarah from the Druned. Her status is unknown.
- Unknown mava - Wind Mage – lvl 356. Found in the cells of Verleyna, imprisoned by elves for years.[6]
Catelyn was believed to be of Mava origin, but she is a Dark One despite the strong similarities between her and the desert dwelling foxes. "Could it be? No. I awakened, I was not one of them. Not before, and not after. But they look so similar. She felt a connection to them, if only due to her form, and still, it was nice. To know there were others out there similar to herself." [7]
The Druned and Mava's skal (settlements)[]
The Druned are golems of rock and stone, and they are known to coexist with the Mava and build for them.[1] Octavia explains that the Mava never settle in one place, and every time they stop somewhere the Druned make artful buildings consisting of stone towers, domes, cathedral-looking structures and buildings with angles and shapes that appear nonsensical. For example high reaching angled bits with not roofs, feathers made of stone tens of meters high, stone spheres the size of entire houses, all of it scattered throughout the dunes. As the Mava and Druned move around they leave behind these artful settlements in the desert as a kind of art installation or ruin. These settlements are called "Skal"[8]
Known Skal[]
- Skal of the Snake
- Skal of the Worm[5]
Heart of Verivyen - The Oasis of the Sava desert[]
“We are not human, Ilea. We do not claim to own what is not ours. The Heart of Verivyen was a gift to our kind from the Spirits of Old. The story goes that a lost Fae was found amidst the desert sands. Injured and unable to move, hunted by beasts. Re Ya, an ancient Mava, found the Fae and protected it, bringing it to her Skal where the being was nursed back to health.
“In her travels she encountered two more Spirits of Old. Though not in such a perilous state, they required her aid nonetheless, and she gave it, without asking anything in return. One year after her last rescue, Re Ya was visited by one of the Spirits, and given the Heart of Verivyen, the Oasis of the Sava desert. It was burned and thought destroyed, millennia past..."
Ohn Ika, chapter 829[9]
This is an artifact of Faen Quality, given to the Mava by the fae thousands of years ago. At some point it was stolen from them by Ker Velor of the Ascended, and it was used as bait in a deadly trap in one of his compounds. Ilea managed to retrieve it before the trap could destroy it[10], and later handed it back to the Mava. Some time later, she was invited to be present for a ceremony in the desert dedicated to the heart[11], where she got to witness the true power of the artifact. During the ceremony the Mava channeled their mana into it, causing the desert to revitalize and grow plants and form rivers. Life was being formed by magic. In addition to this however, a giant fae of immense power also appeared, overwhelming Ilea with its presence.[12]