Hayaak

Eternal of Summer

Sobriquets

Hayaak is called the Gryphon-King.

He is also known variously as the Brother of Lions and the Hawk Lord.

Appearance

Hayaak is a heavy-set masculine figure with a feathered brow. When he is in a warlike mood he wears a helm shaped like the head of an eagle, armour made from the thick hide of some monstrous lion, and gauntlets with clawed fingers; when he is calm, he wears fine gold and brown clothing in the style of a Dawnish Earl with a golden crown. He is rarely without his warhorn and his great two-handed axe.

He is usually encountered in the wilds; while he apparently owns a great castle, he is most often found hunting in the vast expanse of the Forest of Arden, which surrounds his domain and the dominion of which he contests with several other Summer Eternals. Those who meet Hayaak are left in no doubt that this is a being with a quick temper; he has an aura that warns them of the danger of attracting his ire. Weak-willed individuals cannot meet his gaze, and must fight to stay in his presence if they think they have offended him.

The Gryphon-king has a well-known weakness; he enjoys and savours tales of romance, especially those that involve treachery and retribution. Some bards and troubadours have performed before Hayaak and received valuable gifts or boons when their work has pleased him, and occasionally painful curses when their work has bored or offended him.

Concerns

Hayaak exemplifies the wrath that lies at the heart of the Summer Realm. When he is in a good mood, he is gregarious, regal and welcoming. His mood can shift quickly in response to a real or imagined slight, and while it is rare for him to become angry when he does he seeks to annihilate whatever has drawn his ire. He is often involved in conflicts with other Summer Eternals.

Relatively straightforward and bluff, Hayaak is passionate about questions of honour and revenge. He encourages those who consider themselves wronged to seek redress, but seems to lack a sense of justice. One stargazer described him as being "wildly disproportionate in his retribution; tread mud through his home and he will burn down your town to settle the score."

Boons

This moody Eternal is known for his Lion-bound horn that drives foes before it, and the one-handed spear Retribution that shatters the shields of his enemies and inflicts deadly wounds on their bodies - only a knight in full harness can hope to stand against Hayaak in battle - and he will sometimes offer a fraction of these powers to mortals. He can also fan the flames of wrath or vengeance in a mortal heart, helping to harden them for the retribution they feel they must take.

Many of Hayaak's court are knights and warriors, and he is known to lend their aid to mortal endeavors from time to time, especially in pursuit of vengeance.