·✦ " The fire did not spare me of its roar, it made me become part of it " ✦·

Note that you do not have to pay attention to this! This is merely for me to yap about my birdboy.

‿̩͙🕯⋆⸸BASIC INFORMATION༒︎⋆🕯‿̩͙

Name: Vaelis
Origin: Harpy (specifically inspired by a Bearded Vulture)
Age: 24
Height: 5'7
Backstory: Vaelis does not speak of his life before belief clearly. He whispers about a heat so intense it felt alive when they first found fire. They listened to the crackles. And in the roar of the blaze, they heard something... vast. Not a voice, more like a presence pressing against their mind. When the fire died, Vaelis was found alone among the ashes, untouched where others had burned. From that moment on, they believed the flames were not destruction, but revelation, a glimpse into something greater beyond the mortal world.
Goals: Make everyone feel the same desire for flames like himself.

༻𓋹Origin & The Vigil Of Ash𓋹༺

The Awakening: Vaelis does not speak clearly of his life before the fire. He recalls a heat so intense it felt alive. When the blaze died, he was found untouched among the ashes while others burned.
The Chosen Child: Marked by the flame's embers at birth, the Elders designated him as their chosen child.
The Cost of Perfection: Any mistake or sign of weakness was met with punishment disguised as devotion. Burn scars mapped his skin, teaching him early on that love and pain were indistinguishable.
Every trial completed was just an invisible stepping stone toward a warmth and praise from the Elders that never actually came.

The Nature of the "Family"

The Vigil of the Ash does not waste its breath trying to convert the world outside its doors. They do not preach to outsiders, believing that anyone truly worthy of the truth will eventually feel the pull of the Fire and wander inward of their own accord. For those rare, desperate outcasts or curious travelers who do find their way to the compound, the transition is seamless. They are absorbed into a society that frames itself as a warm and protective "Family." offering sanctuary against a cold, chaotic world.

Within the walls of the compound, life is governed by an unyielding rhythm of devotion. Every morning begins in quiet solitude with individual prayers whispered in private quarters, before the entire Family converges upon the central chapel for the main preaching of the day. There, beneath the towering arches and the ever-watchful gaze of the Elders, the community listens in absolute silence as sacred doctrine is spoken, binding their days entirely to the service of the flame.

While the Family is predominantly self-sustaining through generational birth, the origin of Vaelis’s unique and agonizing burden stems from the very moment he entered it. Shortly after his birth, a violent sputter of the sacred flames spat a shower of live sparks directly against his shoulder, searing a permanent burn mark into his skin. To the Elders, this was no accident or tragic misfortune; it was an undeniable omen. That single, blistering mark was interpreted as a direct baptism by the fire itself, elevating Vaelis above his peers and cementing his destiny as their chosen child.

More lore about the Vigil Of Ash lays in code. (the page of Vaelis info on my strawpage holds many secrets, and because hes my attempt of a ARG protagonist, I am not giving too many hints :))

Aka, I got lazy- go do my attempt at a ARG LMFAOOO

https://voxilitys.straw.page/vaelis

In the future, I knew that once the season ended, I wanted to find a way to end Vaelis' road of lore connected to the SMP. And this is what I had came up with!

When the god finds Vaelis' remains in the storm wreckage, they use the frantic, rule-breaking magic to bring him back. They had to rewrite his essence with fire and ash to anchor his fragile vulture soul into something immortal, resulting in the Phoenix transformation.

Although, there is a AU stuck in my head where he never met the god and continued to live in the Vigil of Ash before the whole sacirifce thing.. so.. heh.. yeah In this alternate timeline where he never met the god, the Vigil of Ash takes on a heavier, more haunting atmosphere. Without that divine intervention or partnership, Vaelis is entirely defined by his endurance and his impending sacrifice.

---

Also I did draw/write Vaelis and Ante meeting, I'm so fucking funny..

If Ante and Vaelis were thrown into a room together with absolutely no explanation whatsoever, not much would happen at first. Vaelis would immediately find his way toward the furthest corner he could find, settling himself down and keeping a careful eye on the centipede across the room. He'd count the seconds, watch for any threatening movement, and make absolutely certain he wasn't doing anything that might attract Ante's attention. As far as Vaelis was concerned, the safest course of action was to simply sit there and wait until whatever had put them in the room decided to let him out.

Ante meanwhile, would be far more interested in figuring out where exactly he'd been taken. He'd run his claws along the padded walls, listen to the room around him, and eventually settle somewhere nearby. He'd sharpen a claw against one another while he waited, the scraping sound echoing through the otherwise silent room.

At first, Ante wouldn't mind the silence. however after a few minutes of plain light buzzing, it would start to bother him. “So...” Ante would tilt his head in Vaelis' direction, his grin remaining slightly mused. “You planning on tellin' me your name, or are we gonna sit here and count these cushioned walls?”

“...Vaelis.”

“Wonderful. I'm Ante..." He cleared his throat, waiting for a response that never appeared. "You always this talkative?”

“Yes.”

Another stretch of silence. Ante would probably laugh to himself after that, more amused than offended. He'd try again a few minutes later, asking where Vaelis came from, what he thought of the room and what it actually looked like, whether he knew why they were there. Most questions would receive little more than a word or two in response. Eventually, Ante would simply accept that he wasn't getting much out of him.

Vaelis would spend the entire encounter watching him from the corner, quietly convincing himself that the enormous centipede-man sitting across from him was quite possibly some physical manifestation of sin itself. Every movement would be catalogued. Every time Ante's claws scraped against the floor, Vaelis would probably wonder if this was finally the moment he'd decided to eat him.

Then without warning they'd both be removed from the room. Vaelis would be dropped back to the Fire's grounds with the sort of expression that suggested he had just witnessed something he would never be able to explain to anyone around.

Ante would probably leave thinking. “Bit quiet, that one.” And go back to what he was originally doing. that would be the end of it.

At least under normal circumstances. Because if they had met somewhere different, under different circumstances and perhaps without the strange room and the immediate fear surrounding their first encounter, the two might actually have gotten along surprisingly well. They are both creatures shaped by loss. Both carry the memory of someone who is no longer there. Both have built something around themselves to give that absence meaning, even if those meanings could not be more different.
This is all I've written so far.. erm gulps cries You can have this Q&A I did with other people on the SMP heh-

Q: "If Vaelis was left entirely alone in a completely modern, mundane city for a week, what would be the absolute first thing that completely stresses him out?"

Vaelis: "The people. Easily. There are too many of them and they make far too much noise. I was raised in a small Family, not amongst thousands of strangers shouting over one another. I would avoid the busiest streets entirely if possible. There is no reason to walk directly through a crowd when a quieter path exists."

Q: "Does Vaelis have any odd eating habits or food preferences tied to his harpy traits, or is he pretty normal about what he eats?"

Vaelis: "Bones. I am a bearded vulture. What else would you expect? They provide what I require, and I have never had much interest in fruits or vegetables. Meat is tolerable, but bones are preferable. Pure calcium is far more useful than whatever else people insist on putting on a plate."

Q: "How does Vaelis react when someone accidentally invades his personal space without permission? Does he freeze, snap, or try to politely back away?"

Vaelis: "That depends on who it is. If I know them and trust them, I will simply make room and say nothing. If I do not know them well, I will probably tell them to step back. I do not enjoy confrontation, but that does not mean I enjoy people standing unnecessarily close to me either."

Q: "Is there any particular sound or kind of music that instantly puts him on edge, or conversely, something that oddly calms him down?"

Vaelis: "I keep a disc from the old village. It is... calming, in its own way. Though I suppose it also reminds me of things I would rather forget. Strange, is it not? Something can soothe you and hurt you at the same time."

Q: "How does Vaelis handle compliments? Does he get flustered and suspicious, or does he take them with deadpan seriousness?"

Vaelis: "I would be suspisous, very suspicous. I was not given many compliments when I was younger, so I have never learned what to do with them. YBSC used to give me some, but I assumed he was simply being kind. If someone compliments me now, I generally ignore it or change the subject. There is no reason to make such a fuss over me."

Q: "Looking back at his childhood, what is one memory from the cult that Vaelis actually looks back on with a strange sense of fondness, despite how messed up everything else was?"

Vaelis: "Elder Malakor's presence. He was... familiar. I do not think I need to elaborate beyond that."

Q: "Does Vaelis ever catch himself trying to 'enforce' rules on other people who have nothing to do with his past cult?"

Vaelis: "Sometimes. It is difficult to stop yourself from correcting something when you have spent your entire life being taught that everything must be done properly. If someone is unwell, behaving recklessly, or drawing attention that could have been avoided, I will usually say something. Whether they appreciate it is another matter."

Q: "Are there any physical scars or marks (aside from his fire brand) that Vaelis has a specific story behind, and how does he feel about them?"

Vaelis: "I would rather not answer that one."

[Vox's Note:] Vaelis has several scars beyond the mark left by the Fire. Some are remnants of the years when the Family placed burdens on him that he was not equipped to carry. The subject is deeply personal to him, so I think it is better left there.

Q: "If Oris suddenly walked up to him on the street today, would Vaelis try to fight him on sight, turn and walk away, or freeze up?"

Vaelis: "I would not fight him. I think I would simply... stop. I cannot imagine I would know what to say. If he offered me his arms, I would probably go to him and ask for forgiveness before I could think better of it. That is only a dream. Dreams are not particularly reliable."

Q: "Do his feathers or wings react involuntarily when he experiences intense emotions like anger, fear, or surprise?"

Vaelis: "Unfortunately, yes. My wings are rather poor at keeping secrets. If I am startled, they may jerk upward before I have time to control them. When I am upset, they tend to droop and drag against the ground because I cannot be bothered to hold them properly. If I am surprised or... pleased, the feathers along my arms and wings become noticeably fluffier. I dislike that one in particular. It makes it painfully obvious when I am happy."

Q: "How does he deal with grooming or maintaining his feathers and wings on his own without any guidance from a flock or family?"

Vaelis: "Poorly. I use mud and dust. I keep both with me when I travel, and if my feathers become uncomfortable, I work them through the affected areas until the irritation settles. It is simple, effective, and does not require anyone else."

Q: "If someone tried to gently touch his wings or feathers without asking, what kind of reaction would they get?"

Vaelis: "I would tell them not to do it. My wings are not there for other people to touch. If they ignored me and did it again, I would make it very clear that I was serious the first time."

Q: “What’s something completely mundane that Vaelis is weirdly good at?”

Vaelis: "Cleaning. I spent years cleaning chapels. You develop an eye for dust after enough time. I can usually spot it from across a room. It is particularly irritating when someone insists a surface is clean when it very clearly is not."

Q: “Does Vaelis talk to himself when he’s alone, or is he the type to sit in complete silence?”

Vaelis: "If something is troubling me, I write it down, not talk to myself. Elder Malakor taught me that. Put the thought onto paper, let the Fire take it, and allow it to disappear. There is something comforting about watching a thought become ash instead of carrying it around inside your head."

Q: “Has Vaelis ever accidentally broken something by forgetting how much strength his wings or talons have?”

Vaelis: "...Yes. I once broke a Family member's arm because they came up behind me unexpectedly. My wing moved before I could think about it, and their arm happened to be in the way. I did not intend to hurt them. I am... more careful now.

Q: “What is something Vaelis had to teach himself because nobody ever taught him?”

Vaelis: "Preening. I had to learn how to tend to my own feathers because nobody else was going to teach me. I still do not do it particularly carefully. If a feather becomes irritating enough, I would rather remove the problem than spend half an hour worrying over it. Mud and dust remain considerably easier."

Q: “If someone he cared about was crying, would Vaelis know what to do?”

Vaelis: "No. I am not good at comforting people. If someone cried in front of me, I would probably stand there wondering what I am supposed to say. I might offer a few words simply so the silence does not become unbearable. If it were someone close to me, I would try harder. I could offer them my hand, or tell them to breathe properly until they calm down. That is the most I could offer.

Q: “What would younger Vaelis think of the person he became?”

Vaelis: "I would rather not answer that."

[Vox's note:] This one hurts a little too much to answer in his voice. Younger Vaelis would have struggled deeply with the person he eventually became. He would have seen his older self as someone who abandoned the Family and carried a burden he was never meant to carry alone.

Q: “Does Vaelis believe he deserves happiness?”

Vaelis: "No. I... I do not think I should answer anything about this further."

[Vox's Note:] This is one of those questions where I think Vaelis himself would shut the conversation down. His feelings surrounding happiness, guilt, and what he believes he deserves are much more complicated than a simple answer could cover.

Q: “What would finally convince Vaelis that he is safe?”

Vaelis: "Words. If someone I trusted told me I was safe, I think I could eventually believe them. I have always placed a great deal of faith in what other people tell me. If someone I trusted believed I was safe, perhaps I could allow myself to believe it as well."

Q: “Does he cry easily, rarely, or almost exclusively when he’s alone?”

Vaelis: "...Rarely. And I would prefer not to discuss what happens when I do. I do not enjoy being emotional in front of others. If something truly breaks through my composure, I would rather be somewhere private until it passes."

Q: “What is something he desperately wants to hear but would never ask someone to say?”

Vaelis: "That YBSC forgives me. I know what you are going to say. That perhaps he would. That perhaps he already has. It does not matter. I would still want to hear him say it himself.

Q: “What animal or bug would Vaelis absolutely refuse to be left alone with?”

Vaelis: "Beetles. I hate them. I can tolerate most creatures. Birds, insects, reptiles, whatever else you wish to name. But if a beetle comes crawling anywhere near me, I am leaving.

Immediately.

Are we done now?"