Davian

## Appearances

The Shadow of What Was Lost
An Echo of Things to Come
The Light of All That Falls

**Davian** is the central protagonist of *The Licanius Trilogy*. He is an orphaned Augur who was raised at the school in Caladel, where he met his best friends Wirr and Asha.

## Description

### Appearance

At the start of the story, Davian is a bookish young man of about 16. He is of slight build with tan skin and curly black hair. He has a long scar along the left side of his face running from his eye to his chin — which he regrets, and dreams about living without.

As he ages, Davian's physique becomes far more athletic and muscular. He also gains new markings — a circle containing three wavy lines on his neck, and another scar underneath his left eye that crosses his old one.

### Personality

Davian is curious, resolute and levelheaded. Despite being orphaned, he does not harbour any deep resentments and has no issue getting along with most people. He usually assumes the best of others, and has a great deal of faith that their intentions are good. Though he wisely stays secretive about his Augur abilities, his deep confidence in Asha and Wirr shows that he is able to form strong emotional and trusting bonds with his friends.

Because it is nearly impossible to deceive him, Davian is highly sensitive to betrayal — and often takes any sort of dishonesty personally. Similarly, his passion and single-minded concentration prove to be great assets when studying or strategizing, but often cause him to act rashly or callously without considering the consequences.

Above all else, Davian is pragmatic. No matter how slim the odds, he is always willing to rise to a challenge and focus on overcoming it — at any cost to himself. Despite facing a difficult fate, he is never disheartened, and is prepared to do whatever it takes to help those he cares for.

## History

### A Mythical Figure

Before he was born, Davian featured prominently in the visions of Andarra's Augurs. While the specifics of his actions are not clear, consensus indicates that he was portrayed as a highly powerful liberator and saviour. His coming was greatly anticipated by the sig'nari, who regarded him as a figure of legend — the greatest man of his age.

### Unusual Origins

Davian was conceived in Zvaelar by two prisoners of the Venerate. His father, Raeleth, was a religious metalworker whose writings founded the resistance movement in Ilshan Gathdel Teth. His Mother, Niha, was a Gifted bodyguard for Tal'kamar Deshrel, who was imprisoned for aiding a man who worked against the Venerate's rule.

Despite being from different eras, the pair met and fell in love with the assistance of an older version of Davian himself (also imprisoned in the temporal prison for resisting the Venerate's interrogation). A few months prior to their departure they conceived a son, unaware that the future version of him had been with them all along.

Davian's parents worked closely with their future son and Tal to formulate a plan of escape. While it was eventually successful, there was a major complication: Niha was unable to use her transformation Vessel to travel through the rift while she was pregnant. Seeing no alternative, Tal used his powers to kill her unborn child in the womb, allowing her to escape alive. He did not tell Niha to ensure she would not stay in the prison for her child's sake.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the unborn child was actually an Augur. Possessing the ability to subconsciously use kan, he kept himself alive by drawing Essence from his mother's Reserve, and successfully traveled through the rift with Niha back to Ilshan Gathdel Teth.

When he was eventually born, this unique condition caused him to live in a state of "un-death". While he technically died before birth, he was able to live and grow normally — provided that there were enough sources of Essence nearby for him to draw upon. This would also eventually allow him to travel through the rift without consequence.

### A Bittersweet Departure

A year after escaping from Zvaelar, Niha returned to life in Ilshan Gathdel Teth. Raising the child on her own, she struggled because her son seemed to be perpetually ill and rather sickly. While she did all she could to care for him, she always felt incredibly exhausted in his presence, limiting her capability to parent. Additionally, due to the absence of the boy's father, she struggled to come up with a name for her son.

One night, a time-travelling Tal (this time with the body of Caeden), arrived at her door. After confirming his identity, she confided the difficulties she had in parenting the boy. Realizing the truth about her son, Tal confessed to killing her child but used the boy's unique condition as proof for his identity: Davian. He then asked Niha to relinquish possession of the boy to him so that Davian could properly live out his destiny.

Niha was shocked to learn that the infant in her arms was the same man who saved her life. Aware of Davian's eventual fate, she was hesitant to let go of her child, but ultimately relented after realizing that the lack of Essence sources north of the Boundary was the cause of his frailty — and that he would eventually die with her if not taken elsewhere.

Tearfully, she bade the boy (now officially named Davian) farewell, telling him how proud she is of the man he will one day become. She also insisted that Tal take the silver ring Vessel that Raeleth crafted for her, as a memento of their love for Davian.

Tal took the infant through a Gate to Tol Athian, then slowed time to covertly place him in Taeris Sarr's room. Confident that he could trust the man, he left the young Davian there with the ring and a note, which revealed the boy's identity and instructed Taeris to keep him safe.

### Hidden Away

Alerted by the sudden movement, Taeris turned to find the boy of legend sitting nonchalantly in his room. Incredulous, he read the note and discovered that he has been tasked with the responsibility of keeping Davian safe. Unable to raise a child safely on his own in Tol Athian, Taeris decided to take the boy to a Gifted school in Caladel where he could grow up, free of prying eyes. Unaware of the ring's significance, he deposited it in a storeroom.

Trusting the school's Elders to take care of the boy, Taeris left him in their possession shortly after visiting the school. He did not share the boy's origins, intending for Davian to live a relatively normal youth, but stressed the importance of keeping him safe. Taeris left soon after, but occasionally returned in secret to observe the boy for any signs of his Augur abilities.

Davian grew up underneath the watchful eye of the school's staff, especially that of Mistress Alita, and frequently pitched in with menial labour tasks, often visiting Caladel to acquire supplies. He had a fondness for swimming and was rather curious, despite believing that he would likely work in the school for the rest of his life.

He also began to exhibit a strange ability: When other people lied to him, a wisp of black smoke would emerge from their mouths. Correctly fearing that this power would out him as an Augur, he kept it to himself.

### A Rough Awakening

As Taeris checked in on Davian and saw him growing up normally, he began to worry that perhaps the boy was not the promised figure of legend. Aware that Andarra would soon be in danger, he crafted a plan to test if Davian was truly an Augur. He knew the boy often visited Caladel for supply runs, and paid a group of sailors and thugs to corner Davian and lightly rough him up — just to see if any powers would emerge in self-defence.

On a regular supply journey into Caladel, when he was about 13, Davian was cornered by the group of thugs Taeris had employed, who quickly whisked him into a tavern where they could harass him in private. Unbeknownst to Taeris, the pack's leader had a very spiteful attitude towards the Gifted (having lost family in the Unseen War), which included anyone who served them, and sought to harm the boy far more than what was promised.

Heavily drunk at this point, the man had his cronies pin Davian to a table as the barkeep watched, refusing to intervene. Using a knife, he began to carve a long, painful cut down the side of the boy's face. Before the torture continued, a horrified Taeris burst onto the scene.

Taeris moved to stop the men, but by that point his plan had already succeeded in terrible fashion. Davian, highly traumatized by the pain, tapped his Augur abilities and Controlled everyone in the room, forcing them to repeatedly scar their own faces with knives, broken bottles and other sharp objects close to hand. The mutilation continued despite their panicked screams, and everyone else present except Taeris eventually dropped dead from blood loss.

Spent, Davian then collapsed to the floor. Taeris healed him with Essence, profusely apologizing for the unintentional outcome of his test, and returned the boy back to the school. Unwilling to allow Davian to take responsibility for the deaths, he took the blame himself, eventually losing his position at Tol Athian and becoming a fugitive. The incident also created a permanent bond between Davian and Taeris: As long as the boy lived, the man would feel compelled to scar his own face — over time, this would cause him to mar his own features almost beyond recognition.

### Fruitless Training

The assault Davian endured in Caladel when he was thirteen gave him a trademark scar, though his mind blotted out the specific events to cope with the trauma. Fragments still returned to him in his nightmares, but the most significant outcome of the affair was his new Mark — earned when he used Essence in self-defence.

While he still helped out around the school, Davian joined as a student and his time was largely devoted to studying from that point onward. He relentlessly pored over textbooks, references and personal accounts but was simply unable to access Essence again. As an Augur, he did not possess a Reserve, but he did not know this and kept trying to draw from one.

During this time, he met Wirr, a confident and talented young man in his own year, and Asha, a kindhearted merchant's daughter a year his junior. The trio became inseparably close, and Davian eventually developed romantic feelings for Asha but chose to keep them a secret. He also entrusted the pair with the knowledge of his Augur abilities; A measure of his faith in their loyalty.

Despite their support, Davian still remained unable to wield Essence. Time passed, and as his year's Trials soon approached, he studied vigorously in the hopes of finally tapping his Reserve. Fearing the worst, his friends stayed at his side and prepared to bid him goodbye in case he failed and was turned into a Shadow.

## Activities in *The Shadow of What Was Lost*

### An Urgent Request

The days of Davian's idyllic life at Caladel are coming to an end. With weeks left before his Trials, he is still unable to wield Essence again, despite studying every trick in every book he can get his hands on. He is summoned alongside Wirr to watch the punishment of Leehim, a young Gifted who attempted to run away from the school without authorization. The pair observe as he is turned into a Shadow, and grimly consider that Davian will likely join the young fugitive very soon.

The next day, Mistress Alita sends Davian into town to fetch some supplies for the kitchen. As he gathers food from the butcher, he is harassed by a group of young men, triggering hazy memories of his last traumatic incident in the town. Before things escalate, Elder Ilseth Tenvar intervenes and the group leaves.

Grateful, Davian allows the Elder to accompany him back to the school. He listens as Tenvar tells him about the Unseen War and life under the Augurs' rule. As they arrive at the school, he reveals that the Trials will be taking place the next day, much to Davian's shock.

When he returns to his chambers, Asha and Wirr are already waiting for him. Instead of spending what is likely his last night in the school practicing, he requests that they just enjoy each other's company while they still can. After bidding them an emotional farewell, he returns to his room and sleeps easily, having accepted his fate.

He is awoken later that night by knocking at his door. Surprised, he opens the door to let in Ilseth Tenvar, who brings urgent news. The Elder knows Davian is an Augur, but has no plans to turn him in. Instead, he gives Davian a peculiar bronze box, and instructs him to journey northwards to find the *sig'nari.* He further tells Davian that his Augur abilities are needed to fix the failing Boundary and protect Andarra from Aarkein Devaed.

Davian is skeptical, but cannot see any black smoke coming from the man. All too aware of the alternative, he accepts the request and prepares to head out that very night. After Tenvar leaves to dispatch the school's guards, Wirr enters Davian's room to check on his friend and is confused to see him hurriedly packing bags. As Davian explains the situation, Wirr insists upon joining him and the young Augur eventually relents. As soon as his friend packs his belongings, the pair escape the school and head out into the night.

### Journey Through Desriel

Davian and Wirr head north towards Desriel, a nation with a very hostile policy against the Gifted. They disguise themselves by using makeup to cover their Marks, and avoid detection by keeping a low profile. Along the way, they discuss the nature of the journey, which is complicated due to the fact that only Davian can see the light emanating from the bronze cube. Lacking a better lead, Davian insists on following the light's direction and Wirr agrees, trusting his friend's judgement.

As the pair journey through the wilderness, they debate the logic and implementation of the Tenets. Davian originally subscribes to the common belief among the Gifted that they should be removed, but is eventually won over by Wirr's nuanced argument for a more fair Tenet system. He is somewhat taken aback by his friend's surprisingly deep understanding of Andarran politics.

At an inn in the border town of Talmiel, they are discovered by a pair of Hunters and nearly arrested, only to be miraculously saved by another Hunter named Breshada. Disgusted by her actions, she tells them to leave quickly and tell someone named Tal'kamar that her debt is repaid. The pair are confused by the events, but heed her instructions and run out of the inn.

Looking for a way to cross the Devliss, Davian and Wirr strike a deal with a smuggler named Anaar. The man agrees to take them across the river, but extorts them for most of their money. When they arrive, he attempts to cheat them out of the bronze box, but Davian unknowingly Controls him with his Augur abilities, forcing the man to return across the river and leave them be.

Moving through the hostile nation, Davian and Wirr almost run out of money. Happening across a tavern with a gambling table, Davian gains a seat with some Hunters by pretending to be Breshada's apprentice. The game, *gesh*, is entirely based on bluffing and Davian easily routs the men for most of their coin. Enraged, one of the Hunters tries to kill him but Davian unknowingly slows time, grabbing a sword and impaling his attacker in self-defense. The other Hunters are shocked and, afraid of Davian's fighting ability, tell the pair they will not face trouble if they leave now. Once again, Davian and Wirr leave in a rush and continue their journey northwards.

### An Unexpected Rescue

The glowing cube eventually guides Davian and Wirr to a Desrielite military caravan passing through a forest. Pointing specifically to a prisoner being carted in a wagon, the pair decide to free him to find out more. They are successful in breaking the brutalized and unconscious prisoner free, but are eventually caught and surrounded by the soldiers.

Before the conflict can escalate, a sha'teth arrives, killing all of the soldiers. The creature attempts to kill Davian and Wirr, but is hit with an enormous blast of Essence from the now-conscious prisoner. Exhausted, the three young men collapse to the ground, where a bewildered Taeris Sarr discovers them. Explaining that he had been tracking the prisoner for some time, he gathers the trio and takes them to a nearby inn.

Surprised to be rescued by a wanted criminal, Davian learns that the mysterious older Gifted has been evading Administration and investigating the Boundary. As proof of its failure, he shows the young men the scale of a dar'gaithin. Taeris further explains that there are no sig'nari waiting for Davian in the north and that Tenvar used a little-known trick to mask his lies. Confused, Davian wonders what the true purpose of his journey was.

Shortly after, the prisoner wakes up. Davian learns that he is named Caeden, and that he is wanted for allegedly slaughtering his whole village but has no recollection of the event — or anything else before it. Davian learns that the amnesiac has a wolf mark on his arm that matches the symbol on the bronze cube, and is further convinced by Taeris that Caeden's memories must be key to helping with the Boundary.

### New Destinations

Learning that the Vessels in Tol Athian may have the power to restore Caeden's memories, Davian and Wirr agree to help shepherd the two fugitives to Ilin Illan. Taeris is concerned that Caeden's infamy will cause their group to be easily spotted during a normal journey, so he suggests traveling to Thrindar to seek aid from the Royal Andarran delegation present for the Song of Swords.

As they travel through the market in Thrindar, Davian accidentally bumps into a beautiful young woman. As he rises from the ground, he is distracted by his companions, and when he turns around to apologize she has seemingly disappeared into thin air. Confused, he re-joins Wirr and continues towards the festivities.

Before reaching the stadium where the song is held, the group visits the Temple of Mahrut Jha Talkanor, the Desrielite god of balance. Taeris introduces Davian and the group to Nihim, a former sig'nari hiding undercover as a high priest. The man informs Taeris that the King is not present in Thrindar, having sent his daughter to lead the delegation in his place. He offers two of his soldiers to escort the group to the stadium, where they can seek aid from the Princess.

After watching the song, They successfully make contact with Princess Karaliene without arousing suspicion, but she is unable to extract them because publicly aiding the notorious Caeden could cause an international conflict. After summoning Wirr for a private conversation (much to Davian's confusion), she provides two of her staff to help escort the group through the abandoned border city of Deilannis: Aelric and Dezia Shainwiere.

Wirr eventually reveals his royal origins to Davian, and explains that he needed to tell his trusted cousin Karaliene about his Augur friend and the nature of their journey. Davian is flabbergasted to learn that Wirr is the Prince of Andarra but understands the need for secrecy, and the pair's friendship remains the same. Wirr then tells Davian the terrible news of the Caladel massacre. Davian is devastated, believing Asha to be among the dead.

Before arriving in Deilannis, Nihim joins their party to act as a guide into the city. The mood of the traveling party is tense at first, with Davian and Wirr reeling from their recent discovery. Aelric only heightens tensions with his poor attitude, but Davian is able to bond with fairly well with Caeden, assuring the amnesiac that the charges against him must have been fabricated. Noticing that Taeris and Nihim have snuck away for a private conversation, Davian tails them and learns that they are hiding information from the rest of the group.

### Staying in Deilannis

The day the group reaches Deilannis, Davian has a vision of the Blind army, which includes their general promising revenge upon Andarra. Before he can process it, their party is ambushed by a pair of sha'teth, and quickly runs into the city for safety. Davian is especially unnerved by a skull hoisted high upon the Door of Iladriel as the group passes through it. Caeden takes a strong interest in it as well, and Davian snaps him out of it to make him rejoin the group.

Attempting to follow a known route back to Andarra, they are attacked by a savage creature. The beast seriously injures Nihim, splitting him and Davian off from the rest of the escaping party. Instead of then attacking Davian, however, the beast speaks to him in High Darecian, even calling him by name before leaving the pair alone.

Unwilling to let Nihim bleed out, Davian attempts to carry the older Gifted to safety. Nihim tells Davian to stop, because his death under these circumstances had been foreseen long ago. Specifically, he mentions that he was fated to die next to the greatest man of his age. He also reveals that Taeris' habit of cutting his own face is due to a connection with Davian from their shared history. Baffled, Davian insists that he is no great hero and therefore this can't be the place of Nihim's death. Before he can drag the dying man far, though, he suddenly feels faint and collapses to the ground before losing consciousness.

When he awakes, he is still in Deilannis, but now has a bewildered older man peering over him. The man introduces himself as Malshash, and reveals that he has summoned Davian almost 90 years into the past using the Jha'vett. He explains that he used a silver ring given to him by a future version of Davian to anchor him in this time, and that his success means the young Augur is the first person to ever survive the journey through the rift.

Davian asks about the origins of the Jha'vett and the impact of his miraculous travel through time. After some explanation, he is still confused, but the man insists that he will understand everything in due time. He summons his guardian beast, Orkoth, and instructs it to recognize Davian as a friend. Malshash encourages Davian to rest and eat so he can quickly regain his strength.

The next day, Malshash returns in a different body, hastily explaining that he borrowed his shapeshifting ability from the Ath and must use it once per day. He tells Davian that even with a successful journey backwards through time, he will need to learn more of his Augur abilities if he intends to survive a return trip. An Augur himself, Malshash promises to teach Davian everything he needs to know.

One major component of Davian's training is theoretical knowledge. Malshash teaches him about kan and its many uses, further instructing him to read books from Deilannis' library when he is absent. His tutor discovers that Davian had died at some point in his life, but somehow stays alive by drawing trace amounts of Essence from his surroundings. This explains both the young man's ability to traverse the rift unscathed and his inability to draw Essence from a Reserve. Finally understanding the true nature of his abilities, Davian finally learns how to wield Essence — albeit by using kan to manipulate it from his environment.

The other major component of Davian's training is practical application of his Augur abilities. With Malshash's instructions he learns a variety of techniques, including how to Read others, how to protect himself from being read, and how to slow time through concentration. He also learns that when someone prevents black smoke from appearing when the lie to him, there will still be a faint pain in his temple that will give their deception away.

He is eager to learn more, but Malshash insists on placing some limits on his tutelage. He refuses to allow Davian to try Foresight so close to the Jha'vett, and is also unwilling to teach shapeshifting — though he does not provide a reason. Undeterred, Davian tries the forbidden technique and painfully succeeds at shapeshifting into a strange man he doesn't recognize. Though he doesn't know it, this body is that of the thug who once gave him his scar. Malshash returns to find Davian in a new form and is somewhat disturbed by his pupil's success.

Davian pushes his limits once again when, during a regular training session, he successfully manages to pry open a locked part of Malshash's memories. His tutor is unhurt, but Davian unintentionally learns about the horrifying events of Malshash's wedding night: His wife was killed and, in an attempt to resurrect her, he completely drained the Essence from everyone and everything present. Reeling from the experience, he realizes that Malshash has been taking the forms of his deceased wedding guests. His tutor stalks off, telling Davian to prepare for his departure.

Davian apologizes upon Malshash's return, and his teacher forgives him for his enthusiasm. He explains why he intended to keep those painful memories private, and reveals that he gave up his talent for Foresight to avoid re-living them. He also reveals that he has been slightly Controlling Davian in order to speed his studies along. Now understanding why he was able to focus so clearly and get by on a few hours of sleep a night, Davian readies himself for the return trip.

Before he leaves, Malshash binds a bronze cube Vessel (the same one Davian has, just in the past) to Davian before pocketing it again — this is what allowed Davian to see the projected light that guided him to Caeden at the start of his journey. As Davian asks about it, Malshash overrides his questions and simply states that he must urgently bring it to Caeden in his own time.

Finally, he imparts a message to Davian's future self. He says that Davian's actions are worthwhile, that they successfully changed him, and deeply apologizes for his own deeds. Davian is confused, but before he can ask about the message's meaning, Malshash breaks the silver ring — severing the link between time periods and returning Davian to his own time.

After being violently tossed through the rift, Davian wakes up in his present-day body. Incredibly sore and near starvation, he hobbles himself through Deilannis to a set of trees, one of its only Essence sources. He makes his way to the library, querying the Adviser for one last search — this time, for knowledge of Aarkein Devaed and his forces. It directs him to a book of Darecian fairly tales, which includes the story of *The Impossible Tasks of Alaris Shar*.

Though the story is vague, it provides him some light information on Andarra's invaders and their armour. Now empowered with knowledge, and regretfully admitting that he cannot give Nihim a proper burial, he begins his solo trek towards Ilin Illan to find Wirr, Taeries and Caeden once again.

### A Surprising Offer

Famished and penniless, Davian hobbles out of Deilannis, heading north towards the capital. Looking for work and food, he stops at an inn where a beautiful girl hurriedly offers him a free meal. She introduces herself as Ishelle, and flirtatiously asks him questions about his journey as he scarfs down his food. As Davian tries to introduce himself, he stumbles over his words, suddenly feeling totally exhausted. Before he loses consciousness, Ishelle remarks that he must not remember her from their previous encounter.

Davian wakes up bound with a Shackle, but is easily able to overcome his restraints. Before he flees, Elder Driscin Throll of Tol Shen emerges from the shadows, highly impressed with Davian's abilities. Davian tries to read the man, but finds that his mind is blocked by a kan shield. Impressed even further, Throll asks Ishelle to come out of hiding, revealing that the girl is an Augur as well. Ishelle apologizes for drugging Davian, admitting that she saw no other way to keep him at the inn until the Elder could return to speak with him.

Wary, Davian asks how the pair have been tracking him. Ishelle confesses to being the girl who bumped into him at the market in Thrindar, and Throll explains that Ishelle has the unique ability to perfectly track someone for life after making even slight physical contact. They had been meaning to intercept him for some time, but were befuddled by his seeming disappearance in Deilannis, and close to abandoning their goal altogether until he suddenly reappeared.

Throll explains that he is a member of the underground sig'nari, working to restore the Augurs to their former power. He has been the guardian of Ishelle for years, and means to extend the protection of Tol Shen to Davian as well. More immediately, he requests that Davian join them in returning to the Tol so he can practice his skills in service of repairing the Boundary. Davian is skeptical, due Tol Shen's infamous reputation, but accepts the offer one one condition: He will join them after he helps defend Ilin Illan from the Blind.

As he stays at the in to rest and eat (uncontaminated food this time), he exchanges knowledge of Augur abilities with Ishelle, who teaches him to become invisible with kan. She also tells him that she's been Reading him, and knows that he thinks she is attractive, much to his embarrassment.

Before Davian leaves, Throll warns Davian about Taeris, stating that he was the one who brought Davian to Caladel as a child, and that he orchestrated the thugs' attack on Davian as a boy in an attempt to manifest his abilities. Davian doesn't believe him, but makes a mental note to ask Taeris about it upon their reunion.

### Miraculous Reunions

Davian continues his journey towards Ilin Illan, finally arriving at the palace gates. He asks a guard to send a message to Prince Torin that his friend from Calandra requests entry into the palace. The message is successful, and an incredulous Wirr emerges to greet Davian — having long believed that his best friend was killed in Deilannis. The reunion extends as Asha joins them, as she and Davian are overjoyed to see each other alive and safe. While surprised by her transformation into a Shadow, Davian is no less attracted to her for it.

Taeris is relieved to see Davian unscathed, though he is saddened to learn that Nihim perished in Deilannis. Davian, emboldened by Throll's words, asks Taeris if he was responsible for the attack on Davian in Caladel a few years ago. Taeris denies it, stating that the incident was the first time he ever saw Davian. No black smoke emerges from his mouth, but a faint pain in Davian's head serves as proof of his deception. Feeling betrayed, Davian storms off, his trust in the Gifted man irreparably damaged.

Eager to discover the truth about the man, Davian requests to see Ilseth Tenvar, who has been confined in Tol Athian's prison for treason. The former Elder smugly tells Davian that his mental defences are too strong to be broken, but in a moment of anger, Davian stabs a knife through Tenvar's leg — shocking the man and lowering his guard. Davian forcefully delves the man's mind, discovering that a member of the Venerate gave him the instructions to send Davian north with the bronze cube Vessel — promising that it would ensure Aarkein Devaed's victory.

This unintentionally leaves Tenvar as a brain-dead husk but before Davian can fully process this, he rushes to stop Taeris and Caeden from using the bronze cube Vessel. He is too late, as Caeden has regained the memories required to use the Vessel, and activates it — revealing that it has been a portal box all along. Davian makes a last-second plea for Caeden to remain put, but the young man bids him a regretful farewell and departs through the open portal.

### Defending Ilin Illan

Davian joins Wirr, Aelric and Dezia atop the First Shield as they wait for the Blind invasion to begin. The Shainwieres are excited to see him alive and, hoping to gain some combat ability, Davian asks Aelric to share his memories of sword training. The conflict quickly turns grim, and he is forced to retreat to the barricades along with the rest of his allies. There, he witnesses the death of Northwarden Elocien Andras and, with the bereaved Wirr, heads to Tol Athian to change the Tenets in service of helping the Gifted defend the city.

Though he is not actually needed for the ceremony, Wirr asks Davian to power the massive Oathstone with Essence and repeat his declarations in order to change Tenets. Before they can continue, Administrator Ionis arrives and, given his unique mental state, almost successfully orders Wirr to add a Tenet commanding all of the Gifted to immediately take their own lives. Seeing no alternative, Davian forcibly drains all of the man's Essence — saving the Gifted of Andarra and killing the Administrator on the spot.

The ritual starts again. Despite the temptation to change the words to better suit the Gifted, Davian trusts his friend's judgement and parrots his words perfectly. Their new Tenets allow the Gifted to use Essence to protect themselves and Andarra in self-defence, and no longer force them to follow Administration's orders.

With the ceremony complete, Davian and Wirr return to join the newly-liberated Gifted in the conflict outside. While the revised Tenets have made a difference, Andarra's forces are still losing the battle, and all hope seems lost. Shortly after their arrival, Davian witnesses as Caeden reappears, wielding a mysterious sword, and uses it to singlehandedly eradicate the invading force.

Davian thanks Caeden for his timely rescue, but panics when he realizes the man intends to leave without explaining what is happening. In an attempt to stop him, Davian tries to draw from his Reserve, only to discover that it contains far more Essence than he could ever imagine. Nonplussed, Caeden shrugs off the small nuisance, leaving an exhausted Davian behind as he uses the portal box once more.

As Ilin Illan reels from the attack, Davian reflects upon his journey as he catches up with Asha. Ishelle arrives, and introduces the pair, slightly oblivious to Ishelle's sudden jealousy. He asks Asha to join them at Tol Shen but she politely declines, stating that she can do the most from Ilin Illan. Before he leaves, she asks him to hold on to her silver ring Vessel — the same one that summoned him through the rift. They share a long embrace before Davian leaves with the other Augur and heads towards the Tol, vowing to see Asha again soon.

## Activities in *An Echo of Things to Come*

Davian is in Tol Shen, training with Ishelle as an inner ward student. He also finds two Augurs in Prythe, that of Erran and Fessi. Around this time a new Augur appears and Davian, Erran, and Fessi are forced to save Prythe from a grave threat.

## Activities in *The Light of All That Falls*

**This section is in progress.**

Davian is imprisoned by the Venerate. Gassandrid forces Davian to fight Metaniel. Gassandrid grows tired of Davian's defiance, and imprisons him in Zvaelar. There, Davian runs into his father and mother, though he does not know it at the time. He also runs into Malshash, who is hiding out in Zvaelar for a time.

## Abilities

As an Augur, Davian displays a variety of unique abilities and talents that he uses throughout the story. Most are intentionally wielded, though some are activated subconsciously.

* **Lie Detection:** Davian's unique, signifying skill. When anyone lies to him, he perceives it as a wisp of black smoke exiting from their mouth. Certain knowledgeable individuals are able to hide this but Davian will still experience a slight pain in his temple indicating their deception.
* **Reading:** Davian can Read people's minds to uncover their thoughts and memories. He is able to experience them firsthand, and even transfer them over to himself in bulk. He can also access memories shielded by a mental lockbox with perseverance or the element of surprise, though the safety of his target is not guaranteed.
* **Un-Death:** Davian died before he was born, but survives by drawing Essence from his surroundings in minute amounts. This allows him to travel through the temporal rift unscathed, but prevents him from creating his own Essence and poses a severe hazard if he is in an environment without an Essence source.
* **Swordfighting:** After transferring over Aelric's memories, Davian has a passable understanding of melee combat with a sword. On his own, he is not formidable, but with the help of his Augur abilities he becomes a much more deadly force.
* **Foresight:** Davian can see the future and the past in vivid detail. He does not have much control over this ability, and it only occurs on occasion when he is dreaming.
* **Time Dilation:** By concentrating and using kan, Davian can slow time for himself, making his motions incredibly fast to outside observers and greatly increasing his combat potential.
* **Invisibility:** After learning the trick from Ishelle, Davian can manipulate kan to make light reflect light in a manner that makes him invisible.
* **Essence:** After discovering he does not possess a Reserve, Davian can use kan to wield Essence, although he has to pull from sources in his environment to do so.
* **Shapeshifting:** Davian can shapeshift into other bodies, though the first time he attempted it he was unaware that the user of this technique can only take the form of someone they have killed.
* **Hardened Kan:** Perhaps Davian's most powerful skill, his unique state of un-death allows him to store hardened kan Vessels within his body. This originally only includes an artificial Reserve that helps him survive in Essence-devoid areas, but his arsenal grows to encompass various Vessels for strength, concentration, pain management and several other superhuman abilities.

## Trivia

* Davian's name is an example of a bootstrap paradox: Niha named him Davian because that was the name of the future version of him. However, the future version of him was given that name by Niha for the same reason.