Vaiel
“The Fires of Life burn within all.”
Epithet: The Shapeless Flame[edit]
Introduction[edit]
Though Eschen was given command of the seas, the Dragons recognized that another would need to hold dominion over the land. It was then that their second child came into being, one shaped primarily by the will of Zahhak, the formless but bright fire they called Vaiel. Capable of holding their own against Eschen, Vaiel is no less temperamental or competitive. Many animalistic spirits see Vaiel as their master or even their creator, for it was Vaiel who the Dragons entrusted with the gift of life itself where they would safeguard the systems by which spirits and all of their creations would come to be.
Background[edit]
As the Esche encroached on all territories across Rhyst, Vaiel was moved to act. With the power over life, Vaiel formed the Vaien in direct response. The Vaien were the second intelligent mortal race to exist, but they boasted greater adaptability and variation than the Esche given they took inspiration from many of the animals that other spirits had created. Vaiel ensured the lands of Rhyst would never succumb to the might of the seas, and unlike Eschen, Vaiel divided its domain up among the plethora of spirits that dwelled across these environments. Through Vaiel’s decree and sharing of power, Rhyst came to be a land of different regions and lifeforms. The variety still seen among peoples and animals alike is due to Vaiel's decision to relinquish its full reign over life on Rhyst.
It is said that along with their duty to keep the other spirits in line, Vaiel is the spirit that oversees the continued regeneration and creation of their kin, and the Fires of Life that Zahhak breathed into the world are tended to by the Shapeless Flame itself. The flow of mana into and out of Rhyst’s wilds is guided by the will of Vaiel, and should it ever stop, it will mean the end to the Dragons’ greater plans. Many druids and shamans of the land see Vaiel as a god in their own right, and some spirits claim to tell stories of old battles where the spirit actually held even the great Eschen at bay.
But Vaiel is as wild as any fire, and gentle and warm as they may be on some days, Vaiel has been known to turn another spirit’s domain to cinders should it go against their kind in some way or fashion. Many spirits who have succumbed to corruption or who have otherwise overstepped their place in the world have been subjected to Vaiel’s wrath. Even those who once oversaw numerous species and civilizations have lost everything at the hands of the inferno.
Trivia[edit]
Vaiel holds no fixed form aside from that of a burning fire, though they often take the shape of familiar animals found around the world when appearing before those they wish to speak with
Some regard Vaiel as the deity of all life on Rhyst, a status that would elevate the spirit beyond even Eschen’s titles
It is said that Vaiel is one of the few opponents that those greater powers of the Void and the Fae truly fear, for the Spirit is rumored to have never faced defeat in battle against planar trespassers
Velin, the Spirit of Sarea, is thought to be one of Vaiel’s direct subordinates given the importance of the isle he has been granted dominion over