Abris

*The blackened streets of Batice didn't smoke, but the smell of smoke still somehow lingered in the air. Asha stepped across spongey damp ash and noticed that mould had crept up the side of some of the buildings. There had been a few rains since the fire. Judging by the weather patterns in the area, and the mountains between the village and the howling sea, it must have happened at least a month ago. Maybe two. She dragged a finger along a roadway, scraping off the ash, and noticed a fine gravel underneath. Interesting. This place had been busy once. She headed back to the edge of the village and paced the perimeter, iron boots blackening in all the ash as she looked for tracks.*

*A noise caught her attention. A barely caught voice somewhere in the village. Asha pulled out her hammer and pulled out her symbol of Abris. "I'm in the village of Batice," she murmered into the brass medallion, "it has been over a month since something burned down the entire village. I chose to investigate when a huntsman told me he thought he saw a man with no features on his face head this way. I carry six letters bound for the city of Sgein. I am Asha Yulvaster." In the event of her death, her voice would remain in the medallion, ensuring that whatever she said here would pass on, preventing her knowledge from being lost to the world. It would be better to not have lived, than to have lived and died without passing on the lessons of life experience.*

*"I love you," said a voice. Asha's neck tickled as the hairs on her nape stood up. She froze. "Hey sprout. I love you." Asha clutched her hammer with white knuckles beneath her gauntlet while she slowly craned her head to look in the direction of the voice. "Hey sprout. Hey sprout," said a crow perched on a mouldy black foundation stone. It regarded her with its beady black eyes. "I love you."*

*Asha held back a relieved laugh as she looked at the crow. Judging by little body language cues, it was stressed out but seemed somewhat comfortable with her. A pet, she realized with a sigh. This must have been the voice. Poor thing must have escaped whatever happened to this village and come back to find it empty of the people she knew. She pulled out the symbol of Abris and as soon as she opened her mouth to speak the crow flew at her. She easily batted it aside but that gave her pause. It hadn't seemed hostile a moment ago. It scrabbled up awkwardly and flew at her again. It seemed to be flying to her amulet. "You silly thing!," said Asha, "you just like shiny objects hey?"*

*The crow stopped and looked at her a moment. "I love you." it said again, and then, "It can hear you."*

*Asha's blood ran cold. The crow looked at her and flew off. She heard the sound of movement somewhere else in the village. She had to leave. But her survival was not assured. There was only one way to ensure what she had discovered here was passed on, as there was nothing in the records of something such as this. She pulled out her symbol of Abris.*

*Leagues away in the refuge of Abris a gemstone glowed in front of a waiting scribe. He diligently wrote down Asha's last words, and then her screams, and gently placed the scroll in the library.*

Some say Abris' primary concern is the growth of the mind. His clerics can be librarians, instructors of wizardry, and even barbarian-esque explorers. The leadership of the Refuge of Abris insist that he is responsible for teaching the first mortals how to use magic, although he reportedly refuses to answer questions about his history.

One of the more centralized Refuges, the Refuge of Abris is responsible for delivering mail and providing some kind of educational standard in the larger cities of Inoa.