The world had turned gray, color draining from it much in the same way Oris’ lifeblood was draining from her. She gripped the large tree splinter in her side and pulled. The sensation of her insides becoming outsides would have been more unsettling if not for the adrenaline and unfathomable pain.
“Isolde,” Oris whispered. She wasn’t entirely sure if she actually said the name aloud or if it just echoed in her head. Either way, it garnered the attention of her other half.
The dirt and snow next to her was blown into the air by an unseen breeze and became a reflection of Oris’ lithe, long-haired figure. Isolde was a snowstorm in human form, dirty flurries whipping about into a worried expression.
Isolde projected calming sensations into Oris’ mind as the eauath placed a swirling hand across Oris’ side. Next to her head, Oris watched the Crystal Focus begin to glow, and a similar glow shined under Isolde’s hand. Waves of warmth covered her wound and cascaded across her body, each wave returning a bit of color to the world.
As the color returned and her body was repaired, sounds began to make their way to Oris. She could hear screams, from in front and behind, as people fled the mayhem. She watched another chunk of rock smash into a shattered hut. Far away, a roar akin to a landslide echoed through the mid-day air.
Looming over the hills and town, an ancient taller than any Oris had seen stomped into view. The avatar had no idea what had sent the behemoth into such a mindless rage, but he had targeted her village, and he must be stopped.
The fifty foot ancient plucked a tree from the ground and raised his arm. Next to Oris, the Crystal Focus began to glow and rise high above her head. She understood what her other half was doing, giving the ancient a target so the commonfolk had a chance to flee.
This time he won’t catch us off guard, Isolde’s voice said in Oris’ mind. The bait worked, and she watched as the ancient’s eyes locked onto her and he hurled the tree in her direction.
Isolde’s swirling body stepped behind Oris, and as one they extended their arms and channeled their power at the debris. In a flash, the wood turned to ash and rained down upon the two, Isolde’s form absorbing the fine detritus.
I can’t hold this form much longer, Isolde said as Oris watched the swirling figure of dust, snow, and ash begin to fall apart. I’ll give you everything I’ve got left.
The avatar nodded and began to stride forward, taking as much power as Isolde could give. Her eyes began to glow white, and the hairs on her body began to rise, white energy arcing across her arms and shoulders. From hundreds of feet away, she locked eyes with the ancient and saw only blind fury. With Isolde’s help she could calm him, but it would take time.
She let all the energy stored within flow out into the world and focused on filling her mind with images of restraint. A rabbit caught in a trap, a man stuck beneath a fallen tree, a barred door. She directed these images to Isolde and the eauath molded the power to fit the theme.
Glowing chains sprung from the ground and wrapped themselves around the ancient, locking him in place. He roared and heaved against the spell, but they held fast.
Now, let’s see what this fuss is all about, Isolde said as Oris strode forward, past throngs of cheering faces, to have a chat with a force of nature.
Avatar is a White and Blue Specialization that focuses on disrupting their opponent’s game plan with properly timed control and healing. All Manifests form bonds with their eauath partner, but on rare occasions, the eauath and the host connect on a much deeper level, closer to soulmates than partners. Avatars are a peaceful group, the host relying on their eauath’s wisdom and strength to help dispel the superstitions of the commonfolk by helping in any way they can.
In combat, the eauath subdue their opponents and offer healing to their host, but rarely resort to lethal attacks. Should the worst happen, the eauath can sacrifice themselves in order to revive their host, granting them a small portion of their power and healing their wounds one last time. Avatars who have undergone this process are known as The Slain, and such a violent separation from their longtime partner often sets them on a path towards vengeance.
In order to mechanically represent the sacrifice of their eauath partner and their own revivification, Avatar is the only specialization in the game to have a different Second Wind. While Second Wind is a comeback mechanic for every character, Avatars in particular gain an enormous amount of value from theirs, oftentimes negating the attack that triggered their Second Wind through the heal and drawing a considerable amount of cards.
What Avatars lack in offensive presence, they more than make up for in healing and utility. No other specialization can heal as well as an Avatar can, especially since their heals are often combined with other effects that help further their own game plan. By combining healing and card draw, Avatars can negate the attacks of their opponents while getting further ahead in card advantage.
Additionally, Avatars are suited to a more control-oriented style of deck due to their ability to find specific answers through card draw and deck manipulation, something no other specialization has access to.
Bring peace wherever you walk as the Avatar!
Grab a copy of Winterstorm to play as this Specialization!