The Sand Hawk
Appearance
Rusalka are a mothlike species that originated millennia ago. They are around the same size of the Tayir who are a birdlike peoples which tyipcally stand at around 4'2" or around 128 cm. All Rusalka have the ability to modify their appearance in slight variations. As a result most of the Rusalka take on the appearance of the Tayir though they cannot get the exact bone structure correct.
Sand Hawk is one such example. Typically taking on the appearance of a black bird clothed in purple robes. Underneath its robes Sand Hawk's anatomy resembles a human but only if their skin was replaced a mass of black feathers.
Skills and Abilities
All Rusalka have an immense talent with magic. Sand Hawk, as her worshippers refer to him, has a particular affinity for geomancy and typically this takes the form of moving sand or quaking the earth underfoot.
In addition, Sand Hawk and the rest of its kind are immortal. They are immune to poisons and disease. Their only threat of death comes in the form of direct physical harm or severe injury.
Unfortunately, this affinity for magic comes at the cost of being physically weak which is why the Rusalka rely upon the Tayir underlings to serve them.
Personality
Astute, stoic, and a bit of a romantic. Sand Hawk is one of the few of the Nine Invocations that deeply cares for their followers. Rather than just seeing them as a tool to serve the godhood it is Sand Hawk's belief that they have a symbiotic relationship though Sand Hawk would never share this belief with anyone other than its fellow Rusalka.
Biography & Lore
Eons ago, long before any of the current Rusalka could remember, their race arose on the face of Arethil. All of their lives began as a simple larvae which matured, cocooned for a minimum of seventy years, and emerged out as the mothlike species of Rusalka. They would quickly learn to harness very narrow types of magic as well as their abilities to shapeshift. Eventually the Rusalka would discover a race of flightless birdlike peoples calling themselves the Tayir. Through several generations the Tayir came to idolize the Rusalka until this grew into a full blown religion.
Now, the ancient species of Rusalka relies upon the agriculture and fishing of the Tayir to survive. It has been nearly a thousand years since the last Rusalka was born and in truth they no longer remember how to procreate. Due to this the Rusalka do not really identify into particular genders though the Tayir that worship them have assigned genders to certain members of the ruling caste. In the case of Sand Hawk the Tayir refer to the god as either gender.
Within the pantheon there are Nine Invocations of the Rusalka and only a handful of Rusalka exist outside of these invocations. Generally the Rusalka who are not considered to be gods are revered as saints instead. The main distinction between a Rusalka saint and a Rusalka invocation is direct worship and power. The Nine Invocations have an immense well of magic to draw upon whereas the saints are much more reserved in their actual power.
Each of the Nine Invocations has been assigned a "bird form" that is worshipped by the people of Qin. These invocations include:
- Invocation of Illumination, the Sun Eagle and Night Owl
- Invocation of the Firmament, the Sand Hawk
- Invocation of the Deep, the Gulf’s Gull
- Invocation of Futility, Death’s Raven
- Invocation of Vegetation, the Mossy Sparrow
- Invocation of Wayfaring, the Turbulent Falcon
- Invocation of Vitality, the Motherly Dove
- Invocation of Duality, the Two-Faced Crow
- Invocation of the Storm, the Thunderous Blue Jay
Many of the Rusalka do not recall their original names. Sand Hawk is no exception to this. It has become accepted for most of the Invocations to refer to themselves by their assigned names or by their invocation title.