Vahzen

(Link to FR here)

The Order of Verity is a very ancient sect created by the Lightweaver herself to spread the brightness of truth and banish the darkness of deceit. In exchange for the infallible ability to detect deception in any form, the Order sacrificed their own ability to speak falsehoods and as a result cannot tell a lie for any reason. To this day, they are wholly devoted to the ideals of the Lightweaver, and are often invited to peace talks between warring clans to ensure that both sides are being sincere in their negotiations.

Vahzen was born while his parents were acting as mediators for different workers’ unions in the Tempest Spire, and the influence of the Stormcatcher gifted him with lightning magic. He was not the only member of the Order to be born somewhere other than in Light territory, but it was generally thought that without the magic of the Lightweaver a dragon of a different element would not have strong enough truth-sensing abilities to function very well in the Order - they might even be able to lie. Despite the disapproval of the older members of the Order, Vahzen’s parents trained him on the path of the Lightweaver, and it was not long before his birthright of deception-detection manifested. Though Vahzen was grateful for his parents’ training and was overjoyed when he discovered he had the Lightweaver’s gift, as he grew older he realized becoming a judge or ambassador was not something he was interested in - he wanted to devote himself to art.

Coming from an Order of nomads, Vahzen’s parents were very encouraging of his desire to travel and experience the world on his own. He discovered breathtaking creatures, dragons, and places, and made sure to write his parents about them as often as he could. As he traveled, he developed a distinct magic to imprint designs and colors on his skin, and began to accumulate watercolor-like patterns that reminded him of everyone he met.

His travels brought him to the Highland Scrub, where he met an astute Wildclaw out gathering stones for his Clan. The pair spent many hours deep in philosophical discussion, before Syrran invited him to see his clan - “I promise, you’ve never seen anything like it!” Intrigued by the truthfulness in his voice, Vahzen agreed to come with him, and soon found himself in the ethereal world of the Tavern.

Now a days, Vahzen considers the Tavern his “home base”, though the majority of the time he is out traveling the world to hone his artistic skills. When he returns, he offers his insight and expertise to the Tavern’s ambassadors and adjudicators, always happy to shed the light of truth on difficult cases. Most days at the Tavern are spent in the library with Syrran discussing the “nature of truth”, or visiting his favorite guardian Zegur for some figure drawing. Whenever Taurik makes his way to the Tavern as well, the three of them happily spend the week catching up about their adventures and giving their sweet Wildclaw every affection he deserves.

As much as he loves traditional mediums such as drawing, painting, and tattooing, Vahzen is particularly fond of what he calls “modern avant-garde performance art”. Hours are spent dancing in the rain, staring at blank walls, or burning piles of his paintings, all as part of his performance art pieces. Many feel his taste in art is questionable at best, but there is nothing he enjoys more than pushing the boundaries of what is considered “art” and discovering new ways to express himself.