[center][h2] The Mer Saga - Stirring [/h2][/center]

Leviane studied an old material along their travels. As they community expanded, it became harder to feed everyone. Occasionally, they had to swim further north than was comfortable. The frozen north had its mysteries in that certain places there was a barrier separately the mer from the dead space. Ao would collect broken pieces of the barrier for trinkets and curios, believing it would offer them some protection. However, it had the odd trait that it would begin to vanish when brought to warmer waters. 

The pearl-keeper could begin to feel division in the community, between those who wanted to travel north for this arcane substances protection, and those who wished to continue to their journey to find more pleasant warmer water. However, there was there loyal not to their own desires, but to the desires of the Almighty Ao-Yurin and her speaker. There presence keep those from quarreling to loudly with each other. 

While studying the northbound material, Leviane also studied the orb. She felt as though as she had still not understood the mer's true potency. While she peered deep into the pearl, she felt as though she understood the material better. She noticed how despite not being within frigid waters, the material had not left her. She announced to the community that like the fish, this ice material was of the mer and the work of one of the Almighty's subordinate gods. She did admit that she was still attempting to truly understand this so that she could better understanding the mer, however most where appeased with that simple explanation. 

This announcement had only embolden those who wished to travel north. They approached this disagreement differently than they had before. Instead, they would gather exquisite foods and precious things as tithe to the Great Ao-Yurin and her speaker. Once the gifts were delivered, they would give their argument in manner practiced to be pleasant to hear echo through the waves. There was a moment when she tempted to agree with them, partially because it would allow her to better understand this ice and its associated subordinate god. When it seemed like the situation was shifted from there favor, those that preferred warm waters began to emulate the practice that they seen the others do. While those two positions were first upon everyone's mind, people started to mention other concerns in this manner. 

It was rather difficult to decide, however cruel faith tore that opportunity from her. Some distance away, there was a subtle change in the water and shortly following it was a pillar of pure energy traversed through the mer and into the dead space above. It distorted the water around it, causing cataclysmic waves and ominous remnants remained within the water. The community was forcibly divided, not by internal strife but external tragedy. 

A large group of the followers devotedly followed the pearl-keeper. She did not know if it was to protect her, or in the vain hope that she would protect them. The ominous energy chased after them, their escape made difficult by the churning of the mer. A wave came from above to crash down upon the pearl-keeper, however an Ao had quickly swam to push her out of the way. Upon watching a clutch of eggs about to escape from their parent's grasp, Leviane held tightly to the pearl pushing it towards the source of the destruction. She prayed and the sacred orb shone brilliantly. The waves around them settled and a barrier of ice appeared between them and the pursuing power. The frozen barrier absorbed the energy, before naturally begin to float to the dead-space, thus diverting it away from them. 

In the aftermath, they had discovered that the crashing wave had killed the Ao that had protected Leviane. Leviane promised that their name would not be forgotten, and bid the survivors to continue following her in silent reflection. The calamity was not caused by something of the mer, but of the foundation. But perhaps it was not entirely malicious, for the pearl-keeper had realized a great many things from the encounter. Upon finishing her reflection, she had announced her discovers to her remaining followers. 

The most critical lesson was that powerful forces lay below the foundation, and they were not to be taken lightly. Unlike the dead space, the foundation was not to be treated with hostility, but healthy suspicion might be the difference between life and death. She reminded those most angry at the ground below that without it, there would be nowhere for the seagrass to grow. 

She revealed that in her great dreaming that the majestic Ao-Yurin could still provide them with strength. She had named this power hydromancy, after the fallen Ao, Hydron. She demonstrated it by causing the water to form into ice and then melt back into water. Leading into her final lesson, ice was merely the mer taking a different shape and that using hydromancy, they could bring the protection of the north wherever they may travel. 

Knowing that they might benefit from both the protection of the subordinate god of ice's protection, while benefitting from more pleasant waters, along with surviving the rapturous waves due to pearl-keeper's power had unified all the remaining survivors under her guidance. However, she had know that some had said words bordering upon the treasonous and those echoes chased them even her. She taught hydromancy only to those who were first loyal to her, and the others accepted this. They knew not to try her patience regarding this. 

During the calm, she also realized that the young Trit was not immediately near her as he should have been. She realized that she had left his care to the community, which while not uncommon along the merfolk, she did feel regretful. However, one of the Ao had guided him through the dangerous waves. Without her guidance, his poor swimming would have likely failed him. This Ao had said disloyal words before, however her actions had proved her worth. She was had also been a mother before, and by all accounts was proficient. She was appointed to watch over Trit and any like him, and everyone understood the importance of such a charge granted by the pearl-keeper. 

The group continued forward. With less people to feed, and her followers more cooperative and motivated, they moved at a far greater pace than before. Eventually, the long journeybrought them to pleasant waters, overgrown with the seagrasses and teeming with fish. Nearby was a great chasm leading deeper into the foundation. While they were suspicious of it at first, but Leviane had felt an odd sense of safety from it. The deeper waters felt more attuned to the majestic sleeper. 

Their travels had reached its end, they found where they would flourish. 
[hider= Story] 
Driven further north to find more food to support their growing population, the Ao find ice. They like it because provides a barrier from the dead space. This causes some Ao to want to travel north, while others still want to find warmer waters. 

Leviane is distracted, trying to study the ice and the pearl and starts to discover basic hydromancy, described in further detail in the spirit summary. However with this new found magic, she realizes that it is apart of the mer and announces it to be the work of another subordinate god. 

The group is divided between wanting to travel north and travel south, but instead of arguing between themselves, the group wanting to travel north start trying to bribe the pearl-keeper and give their arguments in a way that would be appealing to her. She how effective it is, the group wanting to travel south start copying them. 

However, a mana vent opens beneath the waves, causing the water to go wildly and burst of mana to fly through it. However, Leviane calls upon the depths of her power to still the waves and create a block of ice to block the incoming blast of magic. 

The remaining mer following Ao become intensely loyal to her, however she remembers those who were loyal to her before the event and begins to teach them hydromancy. 

This post as establishes that Leviane believes the foundation, the sea-floor, is ultimately a good thing but is to treated with suspicion. She also appoints another Ao to raise the triton.  

After a long journey, Leviane finally finds a place with plentiful fish and sea-grass, pleasantly warm waters and a nice ravine to settle. 
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[hider= Spirit] 
Leviane, Pearl-Keeper: 3 
Starting 6, +3 for Post 
+4 completing significant quest: Find a home for the merfolk. 
-10 for the following: 

-8 Spirit: Invent Hydromancy: Hydromancy is the manipulation of mer by calling upon the latent power of Ao-Yurin. It can only naturally be taught to blue-eyed merfolk, however it is not impossible that others learn it through supernatural or godly means. By extending their arms in front of them, they can manipulate the water between their arms. This is disrupted by any large amount of substance not dissolved into the water between their user's arms. This includes air, however it is the least disruptive of all materials. Complex organic material is the most disruptive material. Uses of this power include freezing water into ice, modifying ice so that it doesn't melt, melting ice, or creating currents of water. 

-2 Spirit: To push her hydromancy to its limits to protect her remaining community from churning waves and bolts of mana released by a mana vent opening. 
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