Avangion

Avangions are not fond of physical combat. They are generally physically weak and depend upon their powerful magics and potent psionics to defend themselves. Among the most powerful weapons of the avangion is its ability to employ psionic enchantment spells as well as regular psionic and magical powers. Another powerful ability is the gradual development of a magical aura. This aura is visible as a bright light that radiates from the creature’s gleaming body. When it first manifests, the aura protection from evil and also dissipates any magical darkness on contacts. Later, it enfeebles all evil creatures within it. Ultimately, it becomes an almost impenetrable defensive barrier.

Unlike dragons, avangions go through no animalistic stage where they lose their mental faculties. These extremely powerful creatures are concerned with adventures of epic proportions - they have the power and influence to do so. They are the first of their kind in recorded history, a focus of change toward good, and perhaps are the most powerful good creatures on Athas. Advanced beings like the avangion are extremely powerful, but large numbers of lesser creatures can still bring them down. The downfall of many dragons is their inability to work as a team. Avangion certainly attract followers, though they must leave these people for stretches of time during their metamorphosis.

Avangions and dragons are arch-enemies who seek each other out for battle whenever possible. Clashes between such powerful creatures can have horrible side effects and often end in stalemates. In such battles, the dragon generally takes a wholly offensive tack, whereas the avangion employs more subtle strategies and defensive tactics. A preserver on the road to becoming an avangion must employ a special spell at each stage of advancement. 

The preserver changes physical form drastically upon the spell’s completion, each time bridging approximately onetenth the gap between human and full avangion form. The exact material components, preparation time, and casting time depend on what stage the preserver is about to achieve.

Early: As the next stage draws near, a calling within leads the preserver to leave the company of his fellows and seek isolation. For low-level metamorphosis, the preserver must gather physical remains of the enemies of life, usually those of powerful defilers - their bodily remains, destructive belongings or artifacts, ash from their spellcasting, etc. These items must be gathered during the preserver’s period of isolation as evidence of a devotion to life and the land. The spell must then be cast at night, beneath the light of both Athasian moons. Any interruption results in spell failure.

Middle: The preserver advancing through these intermediate stages hears another calling for isolation. The material components at the middle stages are gifts gathered from no fewer than three powerful good creatures during isolation. Obviously, the powerful creatures realize the consequences of contact for the preserver, so they leave the gifts after the preserver achieves extremely dangerous or important goals. The material component for the spell (not consumed in casting) is a single tree or bush personally saved by the preserver from defiler magic destruction. The casting time is 12 hours. The preserver must cast the spell in a forest or area of dense vegetation - at the time of casting, there must be living vegetation for at least one mile in all directions, untainted by defiler ash or evil creatures.

High: Unlike previous eve a advancements, the preserver has no calling toward isolation at high stages , but instead must collect a core group of powerful companions, no fewer than eight in number. All the companions must be of good alignment. The preserver must spend the preparation time with these companions. The material components are a single gift from each of the companions in the core group. During the casting of the spell, the preserver must have the aid of a single companion for the entire ceremony. If the companion is not absolutely good, the spell fails and the companion is slain in the release of failed magical energy. Companions cannot repeat the process with a single preserver - new companions must e found for each stage.

Final: To cast this spell, the preserver must make an area of lush vegetation (crops, scrub grass, forests, or any combination) at least five miles in diameter. At the time of casting, the lush lands must be free of evil creatures. The material components are a diamond, of no less than 10,000 gp value, with which to capture the life-giving qualities of sunlight; a large stone tomb; and a perfectly sealed glass case built around both preserver and tomb. The casting time is one round. Once the spell is cast, the preserver/avangion, diamond, and stone tomb disappear, bound for planes unknown. After many months, perhaps as long as two years, the avangion returns, wholly transformed, to the glass case. If the glass case is damaged in the meantime, the avangion is lost to oblivion.