Avatar

Myth's tell tales, particularly among followers of the Animal Pantheon, of Avatars, people imbued with a God’s powers, who do great or terrible deeds. As the Gods and their children are tied in to one another, an Avatar is considered one mostly finely attuned with their deity. There is no proof that an Avatar has ever existed. Some claim that an Avatar can be detected by signs of a deities power in a area or in a person. However, no known Avatar has ever concretely come forward, so their existence is often treated as little more than a legend.

## The Avatars

### Siren

Siren’s are said to be the avatar of Iku-Turso and embody his power of fire, light, and water.  Legend states that they can be identified by a tattoo or birth mark shaped like a star and by their powers of their element being stronger and more destructive.

* Of the Avatars, Siren seem to be the most commonly supposedly encountered, consisting of Armelia, Sarina Aideen, and Keren, due to their distinctive tattoos and natural affinity for fire. However, theories usually state there can only be one Siren at a time, and all three would have been alive at the same time.

### Alpha

Guaros’ Avatars are known as Alpha’s, named after the leader of wolf packs. They are believed to be master wind manipulators and have the power of prophecy. The wind seers of Guaros claim that his Avatars can be distinguished by their ability to affect the wind, their increased power over it, and strong breeze’s forming around them to guide them on their quests.

* Aella is believed to have been an Alpha due to her affinity to wind magic and prophetic ability.

### Amber

Amber’s who are El Rabee’s Avatars are the hardest to distinguish according to legend, their effects being much more subtle. In an Amber’s presence the harvest may grow larger and last longer. The ale and spirits may taste sweeter and get people intoxicated quicker. El Rabee’s priests also state that Amber’s reach physical maturity quickly and are rumored to conform to what is considered a highly desired physique of the time, and that they also remain youthful looking and fertile for most of their lives.

* Kaya Lem is believed to have been an Amber due to her shapely form, mysterious origins, and favor of the Nightmother.

### Sage

Sages are Armela’s Avatars and are believed to have an appearance or personalities similar to bears, with great physical strength or a great protective streak. Some of her Avatars may have dominion over ice, but all are considered to effect the temperature in the area they reside. The Sages tend to reflect Armela during the seasons. They are the most active in winter and solitary or insular during the other ones. Though as the name implies they all thirst for knowledge and will always seek it out.

* Armela is the only one of the main four Animal Deities to have no encountered Avatars.

### Other Avatars

Very few legends or stories of the Avatars of the other gods remain. What their names are or what they are believed to do has been lost to the ages.

* Some scholars suggest the Queens of the Amukreen are Khapri-Amun's Avatars.
* Thanh, the Dragon of the East, is believed by some to be an Avatar of one of Phanez's heads.

## Mysteries and Contradictions

While Avatars are considered to be a member most tightly bound to the spiritual nexus that is their deity, there are a number of factors that seem to prove these believes wrong. Furthermore, of those believed to be Avatars, there are some curious trends.

* With the exclusion of Thanh and the Amukreen Queens, all Avatars have been Human, or half-Human, and not the 'child races' of their respective deity. Due to the alien nature of Humanity, and their lack of true deity on Castores, they if anything, should be incapable of having Avatars.
* Almost all supposed Avatars have been female. However, Thanh, if truly one, is the exception. However, all Avatars seem to be the opposite gender of their deity, meaning an Avatar of Armela might be male.
* Despite legend suggesting a deity can only have one Avatar at a time, there have been three possible Sirens encountered around a time such that they would all have been a live at the same time at one point.