Dyvar

A dyvar is a sort of ascetic who spends time in contemplation, exercise, and exposure to severe impacts in order to be able to create barriers.

Exercises

The three exercises practiced by dyvaris are mach ndazy, or exercises to make the arm muscles stronger; mav'zeh, or meditation in order to improve the will; and zadan, or having your arms struck in order to toughen them.

Mach Ndazy

The most common practice is simple exercise, but arm wrestling is the preferred form. A dyvar will have a davam, or second, who is also a dyvar. If they lock eyes during mach ndazy, they may also exercise their will. It is through mach ndazy that a dyvar and their davam will form a bond.

Mav'zeh

Dyvaris have a chant that translates to "I am the wall; let nothing pass through me. I am the border; let none move me. I am the chasm; let none cross me." They meditate on this for hours and hours, every day, for years, until they feel its truth within their very bones.

Zadan

The practice of zadan is done, usually, between a dyvar and their davam. They take turns striking one another's arms. The dyvar will stand with their feet planted for maximum stability, with their arms forward and upright, fists clenched. The backs of the arms face the davam, who takes various objects and strikes them. Novices will fight with special, hard but flexible leaves that sting and hurt, but are not truly dangerous. They then escalate through flexible sticks, fists, bamboo, hard wood, stone clubs, metal ball maces, metal spiked maces, dulled blades, sharpened blades, small boulders, hot coals, freezing metal, electrical staves, blunted crossbow bolts, and finally sharpened discuses fired from a special launcher. If they are keeping up their other exercises, they will take very little damage, growing stronger and stronger as the years pass.

Baes'thaen

Dyvaris who are masters of their arts can use their strengthened arms and wills to deflect almost anything. From weapons and physical assaults to esoteric energies, they can drive them away with their arms. It takes the form of the martial art baes'thaen, or blocking.

Davamis

A davam is a dyvar bonded to another dyvar via mach ndazy. Once the bond is formed, their defensive abilities are doubled if they act in tandem, and they can practice together in order to quicken their training. Almost all dyvaris have a davam after they graduate from novicehood.

A group of davamis can from a zanjir. A zanjir is a group of dyvaris who stand in a line with arms linked, side by side, creating an impenetrable barrier. Only those who have reached the point of resisting hot coals can do this.

Rah Krahdan

When dyvaris form a zanjir, it is very difficult for them to release from one another. To do so, they must simultaneously meditate until one is able to step free.

Afrastan

Dyvaris who have reached the final point of resistance have made both their bodies and their wills impenetrable, and they can sense materials near them, but underground, that can form strong barriers. They can plant their hands beneath the ground (and their strength is such that they can usually penetrate stone) and lift by will various barriers.

Stats

The typical dyvar will have the following variations from the base stats of their nation/species:

PRO +2
ATH /
STR +5
AWA +1
WIL +5
STH -2
PRS -1