Bifrost

Bifrost was build to simulate a humanoid form, except for the addition of two rigid wings that provide motive flight for its form. It has well-sculpted arms and legs intended to show simulated musculature for its form, and a proportional form that is intended to seem humanoid standard. Its rigid wings do not actually move, but are fluted internally, to allow the arcane energies to lift him off the ground when needed. When in flight Bifrost will often take a seated, meditative pose.

Tanis, Bifrost's creator, intended Bifrost to be morphologically appealing to the wide variety of mortal life it would encounter. Since most mortals orient their preferences to a specific facial structure, Bifrost was constructed with a mirrored face plate, so that creatures would see their own reflection in its face. As a concession to the community of faithful, Tanis added the feature to animate eyes of light when needed to communicate with others. The light can take on a variety of forms, from ovals to circles to crescents to squares in order to communicate basic emotions.

Bifrost is neutral gender and feels not need to wear normal clothing. It is frequently armored in scale mail when travelling, and as a badge of its office as a warpriest, despite being generally non-confrontational. It tends to wear a simple head-mantle at all times, though, to show its status as a student. When it ascends to the next rank among Nivyn's clergy, it will exchange the student's mantle for the learner's biretta, and then eventually the teacher's tam.

Tanis, a scholar of Nivyn, came to the Seeker's Enclave at the edge of the King's Valley 15 years ago. Voracious for knowledge, driven by curiosity and a desire for secrets, Tanis hoped the delving into the ruins and relics of the Fae'rohs might grant new and profound insights. The Seeker's Enclave had been founded as a response to the frequent plundering of the ruins by tomb robbers and treasure hunters, and the orderly excavations of tombs and structures in the King's Valley had become an entire community project, overseen jointly by Nivynite faithful and Mystia Academy personal in absentia. As such it was a strange blend of religious commune, open air academy, archaeological camp, and mobile township, sending traders to the Nile to resupply from time to time, and shipping excavated relics and wonders via ship to Calrune for display in museums and schools.   Tanis explored metallurgical samples in the sites, and found a mystia-reactive blend that they hoped could be combined with Nivynite Automaton design to provide a superior connection to the natural world. Saving the funds and materials, eventually Tanis received permission to craft Automaton, and they manufactured two prototype Automatons, Bifrost and Anhata. Constructed of Brass, and of similar design, Bifrost was created with rigid wings, while Anhata was created with four arms. Despite this, it was unknown what their ultimate purpose was going to be. The community awaited their Day of Quickening to discover who these two new members would become.   On the Day of Quickening, each automaton was given the spark of life by Nivyn's divine power, and each declared their name. Bifrost found a powerful call to the faith of its god and quickly sought to take holy orders, while Anhata worked among the Enclave for a few years before embracing a more martial role to protect the people of the Enclave. The pair share a close bond from their shared quickening, and they write letters to each other often.   In time, Bifrost felt the need to wander. The faith of Nivyn requires a growth in experience, and staying in the King's Valley was always a chance to learn, but only the same thing. A Lore Oracle in the Enclave, Serasia of Emerald Port, felt called to return home, and requested an escort. Serasia's blessed knowledge was often crippling when her gift was in full force, and she needed someone who could help her deal with others as well as negotiate the difficult passage. Bifrost, after speaking with Tanis and Anhata, embraced the chance to travel, and became Serasia's companion, travelling first to the Nile, then down to Calrune.   In Calrune they visited the remnants of the Mystia Academy, and stumbled upon a ring of child sellers, who kidnapped runaways and sold them to wealthy families for various purposes. Serasia and Bifrost could not confront the slavers directly, but revealed their actions to the authorities, which saved the lives of some of the children who had gone missing.   Then Bifrost and Serasia undertook the dangerous crossing of the bisecting mountain range of Almanha. While at first they seemed to make good passage, they soon stumbled into an ambush by mountain-dwelling giantkin, and were held by the giants in captivity until they could stage an escape with the help of other adventurers who came through. The escape across the mountains took a terrible mental toll on Serasia, though, and the last few days of their escape she fell into a disabling madness that required Bifrost to carry her to Shear rock.   After making it to Shear Rock, Serasia needed medical attention beyond Bifrost's daily healing, so Bifrost spent the weeks of her convalescence hauling ore and helping keep the miners of Shear Rock healthy. The miners, at first uncertain of what to make of the automaton, eventually grew to appreciate its selflessness. When Serasia's mental state stabilize, the community pooled resources and helped pay for the pair's passage on a caravan to Emerald Port.   The journey was peaceful, and Serasia began to return to her old self, so it was a surprise to both of them when she was suddenly overtaken by a vision when they arrived in Emerald Port. In that vision, she was told of a number of future events, which she kept secret. But one part of the vision she shared with Bifrost: it was being called to assist the Azuluzambi sabertooths with a terrible curse. Bifrost, accepting this vision as wisdom from its god, stayed in Emerald Port only long enough to make certain that Serasia was safely in the care of her family before departing on the next leg of its wandering.

Bifrost was raised among the Nivynites of the Seeker's Enclave. As such, it was trained in an eclectic style, and was also expected to perform basic manual labor during digs and excavations. Well read and eager for knowledge, Bifrost seeks to learn about every place it travels.

Tanis, Bifrost's creator, is a Cowan Scholar of Nivyn, and one of such calibur that they were given the secrets of constructing Automatons. Tanis, despite being the creator Bifrost and Anhata, has since expressed being underwhelmed with both of their creations, having hoped that either would be unique and possessing of qualities that hadn't been observed in previous Automatons. While Tanis might be a talented creator, they are not a stellar parent. Surprisingly individualistic among the Nivynite community, and known to delve deep into the ruins in the King's Valley alone, despite safety concerns or rules in the Enclave, Tanis seeks something that hold the secret to the fate-altering properties evidence in the ancient Prophecy.   Anhata - The more physical of the pair of siblings, Anhata is well loved in the Enclave, and is a tireless protector and member. Anhata has developed as a monk, and its martial prowess shows great promise. Affectionate and invested in knowing everyone in the Enclave, Anhata seems likely to never leave, and has declare it will protect all members with its life. In the quiet of its heart, Bifrost realizes that it is jealous of its sibling for its connection to the Enclave, and part of Bifrost's wandering is to find a community of its own. Worse, Bifrost's most private fear is that Anhata is beloved in the Enclave because Anhata is simply a better person.   Serasia - A half-fey woman from Emerald Port, Serasia was thought to be fey-touched and strange until a wandering mendicant diagnosed her as a Lore Oracle. Eventually her family agreed to allow her to be trained by the Nivynite Order, and she was brought to Calrune for training. In Calrune they discovered that she had a particular gift with getting flashes of insight from the pictographic writing of the peoples of the ancient society ruled by the Fae-rohs. In time she requested to be transferred to the Seeker's Enclave, and so she came to work in the community for a time. Her trauma during the return to Emerald Port has required her to seek shelter with her family, but she received an extensive vision there that clearly has importance for the future.