Nivaea Bitar

## Background

### Early Life

Nivaea was born either in Helios or Matrihm. Her exact origins are not known to her as mother does not recall where she gave birth to her. All she knows is that it was a hard labor but eventually she was born. The young girl was part of a caravan group that included her parents, older siblings, and a few other families. They traveled from village to village, most of the time facing harsh conditions from the elements. Matrihm was mostly known as home, though sprawling deserts are not necessarily very homey. At the age of five, Nivaea found out that she was very different to most. On the night of the summer solstice, she woke to find that she was no longer a human but instead she was a fennec fox. It scared her and she was soon screeching in her tent, trying to cry out for her mother.

It was then that the raiders came. Hearing her noises, they threw back the flap of the tent to find Nivaea still in her fox kit form. The raiders thought she was just a fun exotic pet they would be able to sell, so they captured her and threw her in a crate. They proceeded to burn the small encampment, killing anyone they found. Nivaea was taken to the closest village by the raiders, though when they drew her out of their cart, they found a small girl instead of a fox. Her true identity as a shifter was known then and she was sold as a slave to the highest bidder, but not before the men had a bit of fun. They forced her to shift between her forms by burning her and beating her. To this day she has scars on her hands, along her collar and down her left side.

She entered a life of slavery with a decently well off family. The woman of the house was cruel and often worked her past the light of the day. She took on many chores such as cleaning, cooking, and washing, though sometimes she would be forced to shift into one of her forms to parade around as a prized pet.

### Adulthood

At the age of twenty two, her master was caught in an affair and she was taken with the former lady of the house and moved to a new village. They were not able to keep up the same life as before and so Nivaea had to take on more responsibility. One day when she was out by the river doing the washing, a sand storm rolled in. Afraid, the woman dropped her goods and tried to outrun the storm. Soon it was upon her though, and she was forced to try and ride it out. She chose to shift into her preferred fennec fox form in order to be lower to the ground and perhaps find her way. It was a fruitless plan and she became lost in the desert. After several days wandering over the sand dunes, she was truly miles from home. After nearly a week, the woman was close to death.

But before she was to parish, she heard a voice in her head saying: “Your family is slaughtered. You have no home. Others have claimed you as theirs and you have seen the true evils of men. Why, then, do you continue to struggle? To keep on going even when the world seems hopeless?” Thinking herself delirious, she did not try to answer, though she was able to see a falcon begin to circle overhead. A laugh escaped her then as she thought she might be dreaming. As a shifter, one of her forms happened to be that of a falcon, but then the voice called to her again. “Follow my servant. He will bring you to your salvation and there you will learn my name and know my power.”

The falcon led her through more dunes until she stumbled and fell into a cave. Inside she could hear the soft burbling of a spring, the cool water snaking it’s way through the sand at her feet. Before she was able to drink, the voice addressed her directly, the falcon bowing its head low as words filled the cave.  “I am Syntherion. The god of the sun. The god of the sky. I give the birds flight and I bring the lightning and thunder. The wind, the rain. The stormy skies and the clear days. Your struggles have made you strong and for this I have chosen you. Now drink of the spring and replenish your strength. The realms of men await me and you will bring them to me.” A book appeared in the slowly shifting sands. Feeling drawn to it, she took the book and then drank all she could. After a night within the cave, gaining her strength and reading the words that appeared in the book, the young woman was renewed in mind and body

It is now Nivaea’s mission to wander the lands and seek those that might need to hear of Syntherion’s might and promise. She can be found preaching in villages from the book she was given in the desert, and sometimes she is able to see visions. She has a heart for children in particular, and it is often to them that she is able to teach.

## Defining Features

She has burn marks upon her hands and her left side. She covers the ones on her hands by having them decorated with elaborate henna tattoos on a regular basis.

### Abilities

Nivaea is a shapeshifter. Her two main forms are that of the falcon and the fennec fox, but she is also able to transform into a sand cat and a burro as well.