Custom Reborn Popoko
THIS PROFILE IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS
& CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BRIGHTLY BURNING.
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1.26.16 - Overlay + background revamp finished.
Things to do: Fill in CI info, TC items, minion overlay.
Stronger Than Fire
Fuego.The flames flickered and danced before his hazel eyes, alighting them and his young, soft face with a bright golden hue. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head; it was not from the heat alone, but rather the concentration and effort for the current task at hand. Lavan narrowed his eyes, attempting to focus and reign in his power. The beast was ever-hungry, wanting to consume all in its path, but he must control it. He had to restrain it, for without a boundary it would surely destroy everything within reach, perhaps even consuming its source in the destructive process. Too many lives it had taken already; too many of those sparks had been extinguished. The thought that it had been all his fault began rushing to mind, even though he knew it to be false. It rang loud in his ears, distracting him with its harsh whispers that if only he had known - but even so, what could he have done to prevent it? One lonely boy, overwhelmed with hurt and agony -
Once again the fire roared up, pushing against his tightly-woven grasp, threatening to break his hold; this was no contained furnace fire, but a mighty dragon, wild and ravenous, lashing out against its collar and chains with a vengeance, turning its ferocious eyes upon its master with no compassion, only the instinct and burning desire to kill. For a panicked moment, Lavan thought that it would break free, exploding violently and tearing through his skin with those sharp, lacerating talons. Fear began to creep throughout his being, welling up from his core and spreading throughout his limbs, like a rapid infection that would paralyze him from the inside and eat away at his most vital organs, leaving him helpless. Lavan fumbled, tensing up with the images in his mind. Already he could taste the bitter ash in his mouth, the smell of burning flesh and blood; his vision faltered as he saw not the grass of the Companion's Field, but writhing black bodies in a sea of crimson and orange, screaming for mercy, and the pain - so much pain -
:No!: her strong voice cried out into the darkness of that despair, reaching in and dragging him back out and into her welcoming light before he could be consumed by his blinding terror. He felt the embrace, allowing it to caress and engulf him, and her shining, glorious love driving back the demons of his mind, crying out defiantly, :You will never be alone again! I am here!: Kalira stood proudly beside him, the image of his savior - a white horse? No, Kalira was more than that. A Companion - his Companion - lifebond and soulmate, a bond that was above the heartbreak and loneliness of this world, transcending even time and death with its call. This force, much stronger than his own, wrapped his Gift in its encompassing aura, renewing his strength and sending out flowing tendrils and wisps of encouragement his way. Lavan braced himself, gaining back the hold he had lost upon the fires before him. In no way was the beast tamed, but with Kalira by his side, he was stronger than it. He would overcome it, fight it, and prevail; it would not be allowed to have its way and unravel everything he and others had worked so hard to achieve.
With one final push, the fire flew above him, spiraling in circles like a beautiful slithering serpent, elegant and weaving, then vanished, dissipating in the air that fed it. Lavan turned around, smiling, and embraced Kalira, overjoyed with what he had just accomplished.
Love is stronger than fire.
Together, we will overcome the flames of adversity.
Story by
Vaixation.The pain of the lash. . . .
INSIDE COVER EXCERPT
Lan had stopped thinking some time ago; now all he was doing was feeling. It was pure fear, and barely contained rage that consumed him, the ice of panic, the heat of anger, contending for his mind. There wasn’t much room left over for thought.
He struggled to hold in the rage; somehow he felt dimly that if he couldn’t keep control over it, something terrible and irrevocable would happen. But the part of him that tried to hang onto a little rational thought was al the part that hurt. The blinding pain of the worst headache he had ever felt without passing out entirely was slowly eroding his ability to hang onto his anger.
The pain of the lash was worse than anything Lan had ever felt. It cut right through the headache, broke his paralyzing fear, and left him with only instinct.
He had to get away! He had to get away, and now!
The fear joined the anger, and together they destroyed the last of his rapidly eroding control over that overpowering rage—and the terrible thing that his rage had summoned. . . .
A Curse of Fire
BACK COVER SYNOPSIS
When Archer and Nelda Chitward moved their family from a small rural village to the bustling city of Haven, it was cause for great celebration. After all, their textile skills had made them leaders among their Guilds, welcomed into the highest of Guild social circles.
But not everyone in the Chitward home was happy about this “improvement” in the family’s position. Lavan, their middle son, had no desire to be a cloth-merchant, needleworker, cloth-dyer, or anything related to his family’s Guilds. He didn’t really know what he wanted to be— except back home in Alderscroft! To make matters worse, his parents had enrolled him in an “exclusive” private school. It was a place where the arrogant older students were expected to keep discipline, and as a lanky, undersized, sixteen-year-old newcomer, Lavan quickly became the primary scapegoat.
It didn’t help that whenever the older boys caught him he turned a bright scarlet with suppressed rage— a rage which left his skin feeling sunburned and tender, and so filled his mind that he was unable to see, hear, or even to think. For days on end Lavan was overwhelmed by blinding headaches and was unable to attend classes, yet even his pain was a welcome respite from the daily torture he suffered at school.
But nothing could have prepared Lavan or anyone in Haven for what was to come. For from his rage a Gift unlike any know in Valdemar would be born in a fiery conflagration which Heralds and Healers alike would be hard-pressed to contain….
Name: Lavan "Firestorm" Chitward
Nicknames: Lan, Firestarter, Firestorm
Etymology: Lavan is a Hebrew boy name, variant of Laban, and means white. Given that all Heralds of Valdemar don white clothing to mark their status and to match the color of their Companions' coat, and is a symbol of purity, this is quite apt. If the name's last letter is removed it spells the word lava, which is also suitable given that Lavan himself uses Firestarting (pyrokinesis) as his main Gift (element) and the one from which he gets his adopted surname. His real surname, Chitward, may be related to the surname Chitwan, a Hindi name meaning heart. Together, his full name could possibly be referring to a "pure heart," though this is unconfirmed and should not be considered official canon.
Gender: Male
Physical Description:
"Lavan stood no taller than Pol's shoulder; short for his reputed age of sixteen, thin, and lanky, with the loose-jointed, unfinished air of a boy who hasn't yet grown into what he will one day be. He had chestnut hair, more red than brown, with a slight wave to it, hazel eyes prone to change colors as his mood changed, and a thin, finely chiseled face, delicate, but in no way effeminate."
(pages 159-160 of Brightly Burning)
Parents: Nelda Hardcrider & Archer Chitward
Siblings: Macy, Samael, and Feoden
Gifts: Mindspeech (telepathy), Firestarting (pyrokinesis)
Lavan earns his well-known surname of "Firestorm" through his reputation. He is the strongest Firestarter to ever grace Valdemaran history, going down in the records as a legend in books that follow his. On his own, his Gift is incredibly destructive and dangerous, and if not for Kalira's Companion-bond and lifebond, would not be contained at all. Within the book it is often described as a hungry dragon, seeking what it can to destroy. It seems to have a life of its own, an intense desire to devour whatever is in its path. Lavan's relationship with his Gift is often a struggle to control the fiery rage of this "dragon." Because it does not want to be contained, it may also harm Lavan and lash out at him when he tries to do so.
Companion: Kalira, daughter of Satiran (Companion of Herald Pol)
Companions are guiding spirits that take the shape of white horses with blue eyes and silver hooves that sound like bells when hitting a hard surface. They "Choose" an individual to which they bond, and their Chosen then undergoes training to become a Herald of Valdemar. Heralds perform many roles, from peacekeeper, to judge, to guard, to ambassador, etc. They are generally tasked with protecting Valdemar and upholding the law.
A Companion can make mistakes, but they will never make a mistake when judging one's character and are a fundamental asset to the way the country works. For instance, one cannot be a monarch of Valdemar if they have not been Chosen. Companions have many abilities, but they tend to be enigmatic on purpose as to the extent of what they can perform. All Companions have Mindspeech and only talk to their Chosen (who must also have the Mindspeech gift in order to communicate). They converse frequently with each other, but only very rarely has a bonded Companion ever spoken with one that is not their Chosen, and it is only ever done in times of great need or peril.
Lifebond: Kalira
It should be noted that within the Valdemar / Velgarth series, lifebonds are a rare occurrence that are sometimes held as sacred / ordained by the gods themselves. They are essentially "soulmates" - especially even more so since Heralds and Companions (among other creatures) have the ability to reincarnate if they so choose. Lifebonded couples have the tendency to share some form of higher connection, usually in the form of strengthened abilities when together or being able to achieve tasks that are not possible with a single soul. Often, because they are so interconnected, should one of them die, the other tends to follow suit.
In Kalira and Lavan's situation, because she is lifebonded to him on top of having the Herald/Companion-formed bond, she is able to control his Gift where he cannot and anchors him to reality. Without her, his Gift is far too strong to be contained.
Hobbies: (before the move from Alderscroft to Haven) Riding, hunting, fishing, shooting at targets, spending time with friends, etc.
This is a tribute and a fanpet of the character Lavan Chitward from the book Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey. This profile is in no way affiliated with DAW Books / Mercedes Lackey and does not claim ownership of the character, being entirely fanmade.
Background art, overlay, divider/scrollbar,
profile, and coding byVaixation.
"Stronger Than Fire" story byVaixation.
"A Curse of Fire" and "The Pain of the Lash" by Mercedes Lackey.
Book cover art by Jody A. Lee.
Profile textures from CGTextures and Free Stock Textures.
profile, and coding by
Vaixation."Stronger Than Fire" story by
Vaixation."A Curse of Fire" and "The Pain of the Lash" by Mercedes Lackey.
Book cover art by Jody A. Lee.
Profile textures from CGTextures and Free Stock Textures.
If you enjoyed this profile, I heavily recommend that you buy the book! You can get it on the Kindle for as low as $5.99! It's an excellent read and a stand-alone from the rest of the series, and serves as a good introduction for the world / setting, although it's not the first chronologically.
