Auren Vale

MAIN CHARACTER:

🧍‍♂️ Main Character Overview ✦ Name: Auren Vale (Auren = “golden” or “of light”; Vale = hidden place, also echoes “Valemire”)

Locals sometimes call him “Quiet Vale” due to his withdrawn nature.

✦ Age: 18 years old, turning 19 soon. Right at the cusp of adulthood in the fortress—old enough to be called to serve in the Watch, but hasn’t volunteered.

Looks: Tall, set jaw, thick wavy black hair that falls in waves before his eyes, 6'2 almost 6'3. Sturdy shoulders with a smaller waist. Toned but not buff. Sharp blue eyes that pierce anyone's soul.

🩸 Family Background 👩 Mother – Naelen Vale (age 40s) A former orchard tender, now frail and quiet after a Mawborn encounter years ago. She survived, but won’t speak anymore—either trauma or spiritual silence. Auren tends to her daily, believes she still sees more than she lets on.

👨‍👧 Father – Unknown / Presumed dead Rumors say he tried to flee Sanct Valemire long ago. Some whisper he was a Dreamseer who saw something the Elders didn't want known. The Elders won’t speak of him, and Auren has learned never to ask.

🧒 Sibling – Little Sister, Sera (age 9) Bright, curious, always humming songs no one taught her. She has an odd habit of speaking to the fire—and sometimes says unsettling things like “It told me you’d come back.” Possibly gifted, but no one wants to acknowledge it yet.

🪵 Living Situation Lives in the Nesting Streets, in a creaky timber house with three rooms and a locked attic no one uses. The brazier outside their home is always kept lit, even when they struggle for fuel.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Relationships & Friendships:

🧑‍🌾 Best Friend – Renn Harrow (age 18) Son of a firekeeper. Loyal, blunt, and practical. Doesn't believe in “hidden truths”—just wants to survive and maybe one day marry someone and live quietly. Feels Auren is “too soft” but protects him like a brother.

🧝 Unspoken Connection – The Returned One The child who went missing years ago and returned hollow, nearly feral (from the earlier idea you liked). Auren remembers them as a friend from childhood—but they don’t seem to remember him. Drawn to them with a mix of fear and guilt.

SECRET:

📌 The Defining Moment: The Night His Father Left Auren was 11 when it happened. He and his father were fetching kindling from an old shed near the edge of Guardians' Row—a forgotten, half-rotted building that used to be part of the original Mawthorn construction. Inside, Auren froze. His hand brushed the beam beside the door. He began crying without knowing why—then screaming.

What Auren Felt: A wave of hollow grief, like something had been buried alive. A memory of someone being sealed into the walls. Panic. A final prayer. "Let Elonai take my voice if He must, but not my child." Auren fell to the floor, sobbing words that weren’t his: “They knew. They all knew. And they sang while I died.”

His Father’s Reaction: At first, he thought Auren was possessed. Then realized the truth: his son had a forbidden gift. Later that night, his father packed a satchel. No goodbyes. The next morning, the door was left open. The brazier unlit. All the Elders said was: “He chose the Maw.”

Auren’s Guilt: He has never told anyone what happened that night. He thinks maybe he broke something sacred. He’s terrified of that gift manifesting again—but it still flickers sometimes, when he walks near the Temple, or near the attic, or in the orchard where his grandparents lie.

🔐 How This Shapes Auren Now: He feels haunted, not by ghosts, but by truths no one else hears. Auren hates his gift, calling it "a memory that never dies." He lives in constant fear of slipping—of touching something and saying the wrong thing in front of others. His mother’s silence feels connected to what happened, as if she too knows the truth but can’t or won’t speak.

🧠 Auren Vale – Personality Profile 🪵 Surface Traits Quiet, steady, deeply observant Emotionally restrained, but carries everything inside Fiercely loyal, but wary of being noticed Cautious to speak, but when he does, it matters Carries a deep sense of responsibility for others’ peace, even if it means his own suffering

🕳️ Inner Life Torn between faith and instinct, loyalty and doubt Feels guilt as identity (about his gift, his father, his mother’s silence) Hides a simmering anger—at the Elders, at the lies, at himself Experiences wonder and horror more strongly than he lets on

🌿 Enneagram Type: 4w5 — “The Individualist with an Investigator’s Mind” ✦ Core Type: Type 4 – The Individualist Deep-feeling, identity-focused, and emotionally honest but prone to melancholy Feels like an outsider in Sanct Valemire—even if no one says it Values truth, authenticity, emotional depth Seeks meaning in everything—especially his suffering Often mourns the idea that something is missing in him Tends to withdraw when overwhelmed Core Fear: That he has no identity or meaning Core Desire: To find and express his true self

✦ Wing: 5 – The Investigator Withdrawn, introspective, secretive, curious about hidden truths Has an analytical, quiet mind that notices small patterns Keeps a journal or secret markings in the attic Wants to understand his gift, but is afraid of it at the same time Reads sacred texts or watches the rituals for comfort always trying to get closer to Elonai When healthy: Insightful, emotionally powerful, deeply honest When unhealthy: Isolated, despairing, bitter, self-punishing

🎭 Summary of Auren’s Emotional Arc: Act 1: Quiet, unsure, haunted by memory—he exists in the cracks of the village. Act 2: His gift stirs again. He begins seeing things others don’t, emotionally and spiritually. Act 3: He must either speak the truth or let Sanct Valemire never know. His arc is not about becoming loud—but about becoming brave enough to be seen.

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Verbal Map of Sanct Valemire

1. Outer Boundary – The Mawthorn Wall

The fortress is enclosed in a semicircle of natural and unnatural barriers. The Mawthorn Wall rises like a crooked spine out of the earth—made from a tangle of jagged stone, blackened branches, and massive thorns long as a man’s arm. Time has warped the wood and stone together, the thorns thick and waxy with black sap. Some say the sap smells like the Mawborn. Wooden watchtowers, spaced every 100 feet or so, loom overhead—crooked, hand-built, always manned. Bells hang from the towers, ready to ring “a red cry”, the warning sound of a Mawborn attack. ❝The wall curves like a scythe, and where it ends, the sea begins.❞

2. The Sea Wall

To the south, the semicircular wall ends at steep, craggy cliffs that drop into a gray, churning sea. No wall needed here—the Mawborn fear the water. It is said they sink like iron, unable to swim, screaming until they vanish. A few broken stone steps lead down to the shore, but they’re blocked by rusted gates and watched closely by the Guardians. Only fishermen are allowed to leave and fish in long boats. An old, unused watchtower stands near the cliff, black with age and sea-spray, and always cold to the touch.

3. The Outer Ring – Guardians’ Row

Just inside the wall sits Guardians’ Row:A line of wood-and-clay homes for the Watch, the men and women who patrol the towers and the perimeter. Each home is simple, with burning braziers outside, constantly tended. Behind them lies a long storage hall filled with pitch barrels, wood, kindling, and dried lichen used to ignite fire fast. Guard barracks and a healing hut lie to the east end of the Row, near a wooden training square used for drills.

4. The Heart of the Fortress – The Commons

A wide central clearing, muddy and packed-down, serves as Sanct Valemire’s only true plaza. Here sits the Stone Table, a flat altar where sermons, announcements, and blessings are given. Surrounding the plaza: A well, rumored to never run dry. A communal bakery built from kiln-fired stone, always smelling faintly of ash and sour bread. A small trading post, more of a bartering station than a shop, with wooden tokens as currency. Children play here during the day, but all are called inside before sundown by the evening bell.

5. Residential Quarters – The Nesting Streets

Winding, close-knit lanes with homes built of timber, stone, and salvaged metal form the “Nesting Streets.” Most houses are small, maybe 2–3 rooms, with little fenced gardens where bitterroot or herbs are grown. All doors are built with iron latches and small slits to watch the outside. Windows are few and often shuttered. Fires are lit every night in sconce-like towers beside each home, part of the fire ritual.

6. The House of Elders – The Temple of Elonai

At the northernmost point of the commons stands a building of whitewashed stone, overgrown with ivy and carved with spiraling symbols. A tall, cracked bell tower rises above it, called The Voice of Light.

Inside:

The Elders’ Hall, where decisions are made. A long, dimly-lit prayer hall, filled with candles and a massive mural of Elonai seen as a ball of light with a huge sword slaying a black beast. A chamber behind the altar holds the Book of Ember, which only the elders are allowed to read from. The Elders’ quarters sit behind the temple, plain but well-maintained.

7. The Grave Orchard

Beyond the eastern side of the nesting streets lies a sloped orchard, where twisted fruit trees grow from sacred ash. Beneath each tree is buried a soul—infants wrapped in white linen, warriors burned with pitch, elders in prayer robes. Lanterns sway from the trees, and people leave offerings in silence. The orchard is thought to be blessed ground, and the Mawborn have never been seen near it—yet.

8. The Sea-Facing Shelter – The Wayfarer’s House

Built near the cliffs, just before the sea wall curves out, sits an old stone building known as the Wayfarer’s House. This is where aides from King Alric are received. Its rooms are often locked or covered in holy symbols. Some say the walls whisper at night. The aides rarely stay long, and when they leave, so do the whispers.

🔥 The Powers of Elonai Also called: Ember Gifts, Second Kindling, or The Flame Within

🌕 1. Origin & Belief Every child born in Sanct Valemire is believed to carry a spark of Elonai’s divine breath. The gift is placed in them during the Rite of First Breath—a sacred ceremony where Elders pray over the newborn. The gift is not visible at birth. It manifests later—only in moments of intense emotion, fear, or suffering.

✨ 2. When the Gift Appears Known as the Second Kindling, this occurs when: A child experiences deep trauma or spiritual clarity. The person is in danger or must protect someone else. Sometimes revealed during death, childbirth, or great prayer.

⚠️ Some people never awaken their gift. Others discover it in old age. A few are never the same afterward.

🕯️ 3. The Ritual: Rite of First Breath Held in the Temple of Elonai, within 48 hours of birth. Baby is laid on a stone altar and blessed with ash in the shape of a sunburst. The Elders do not name the gift—only say: “The flame is seeded. May it burn in time.”

🔮 4. Known Ember Gifts 🔥 Flamekindle Can produce or manipulate fire under emotional or spiritual duress. Holy flame sears evil or drives away the Mawborn.

🌿 Woundmender Heals injuries by touch—but often takes on the pain or a spiritual burden. Considered a sacred but taxing gift.

🕊️ Voice of Calm Can silence anger, fear, or panic with their voice. Even animals and infants may fall still in their presence.

🌘 Dreamseer Receives visions through dreams (past, future, or hidden truths). Often cryptic and symbolic—sometimes mistaken as madness.

🜂 Ashbone Skin temporarily hardens under stress, becoming like bark or stone. Useful for protection but causes great exhaustion.

💧 Teargiver Can summon water or rain through weeping or song. Sometimes linked to mourning, sacred wells, or growth.

🦢 Silent Step Able to move unseen or unheard when the heart is calm. Called the “veil of Elonai”—not true invisibility, but spiritual concealment.

💡 Lightbearing Emits pure light from the body—especially dangerous to dark things. Burns the user if overused, causing fever or internal damage.

🌬️ Breath of Words Can speak all tongues or be understood by anyone when honest. Highly feared by Elders—breaks barriers of secrecy and control.

🪴 Greenblood Makes plants grow or wither with touch. often found in gardeners, orchard keepers, or herbalists.

⌛ Soul Echo Can “read” the emotional residue of a place or object—feeling what others felt there. Rare and deeply unsettling. Said to bring madness if overused.

⚠️ 5. Perception of the Gifts Most gifts are revered—seen as divine blessings. Some gifts (Dreamseer, Soul Echo, Breath of Words) are feared or controlled by the Elders. Those with dangerous gifts may be: Kept close to the Temple. Reeducated.

🗝️ 6. Cultural Sayings & Beliefs “The fire does not lie—it reveals.” “Every soul holds a spark. Some burn. Some smolder. Some consume.” “Obedience fans the ember. Sin snuffs it out.”

🔹 Technology Level: No electricity, no guns, no printing press. Lanterns, torches, flint and steel are used. Tools are handmade—blacksmiths, woodworkers, herbalists thrive. Writing exists but is rare and controlled by the Elders. Walls and homes are made of stone, clay, timber, and salvaged metal.

🔹 Cultural Vibe: Deeply religious, theocratic rule. No formal science; illness is often treated spiritually. Clothing: Wool, linen, leather. Dark, earth-toned, and modest. Very little contact with the outside world—when it happens, it feels like a threat or a contamination.

🔹 Social Hierarchy: Elders = religious + political authority The Watch = soldiers, firekeepers, and wall sentries Ordinary folk = families, farmers, bakers, orchard workers, herbalists The Gifted = admired or feared depending on their Ember Gift Outsiders = distrusted, often diseased or ideologically “corrupt”

🔥 The Ember Days (4 times per year — seasonal) Celebrated at the turn of each season, marking birth, trial, decay, and death. Fires are lit across the commons. The Elders lead prayer, and gifted children are sometimes revealed during these days. Each Ember Day includes a Night of Silence, where no voices are raised after sundown.

Season Ember Day Meaning Spring: Ember of First Flame- Celebrates birth & hope. New children are blessed. Summer: Ember of Trial- Marks youth, hardship, and spiritual testing. Autumn: Ember of Ash- Focuses on memory, loss, and sacrifice. Many fast. Winter: Ember of Light- A day of fire and protection against darkness.

🌕 The Kindling Night (Annual – usually midsummer) A sacred night where teens (ages 12–18) are brought before the Elders to be tested for their gifts—though gifts cannot be forced. Fires are lit along the Nesting Streets. Each child walks barefoot to the Stone Table and kneels before the flame. Some gifts awaken this night. Most do not. But all are recorded in the Book of Flame. “Some embers take decades to burn.”

🌊 The Vigil of the Sea Wall (Irregular – only after a death or disaster) When a Mawborn attack occurs, the dead are honored through this midnight vigil. The families of the fallen gather near the cliffside Wayfarer’s House, carrying torches to cast into the sea. It is believed the light helps their soul reach Elonai beyond the waves.

🌳 The Orchard Tending (Spring & Autumn) The Grave Orchard is sacred. Citizens tend the trees twice yearly—spring for pruning and autumn for lantern-hanging. Each lantern hung honors a buried soul and must be lit with a personal fire (not taken from communal ones). Children are told that unlit lanterns will call the Mawborn.

🕯️ The Day of Breath (Date varies by child) Celebrated individually after each child’s Rite of First Breath. Families light a new fire in a brazier outside their home, which must be kept burning for seven nights. If the flame dies, it is seen as a bad omen, and the child must be reblessed.

💀 Ashbound Week (Late Winter) A week of fasting, silence, and low fires, marking the binding of Elosyn beneath the earth. No singing or storytelling allowed. Meals are plain, and trade is paused. At the end, a black effigy of Elosyn is burned in the plaza.

Manners and Social Behavior in Sanct Valemire:

1. Respect for the Elders and the Faith

Elders are treated with absolute deference. Their words are not to be questioned openly. When an Elder speaks, one must stand silently and listen, often lowering their gaze. It is considered disrespectful to interrupt or show impatience. Religious rituals and prayers are sacred; participation is expected without complaint. However, under casual settings, Elders can be spoken to and approached with friendliness and unformality.

2. Greeting and Address

People greet each other with a nod of the head or "Greetings"—no casual handshakes or hugs except among close family. Titles or religious references are used when addressing others, especially Elders (e.g., “Lightbearer,” “Blessed One”). Avoid direct eye contact with authority figures as it can be seen as challenging or disrespectful.

3. Speech and Tone

Speak softly and deliberately—loud voices or laughter are frowned upon, especially near the wall or in sacred places. But in homes and at festivals or during the day, it is okay. Flippant or sarcastic remarks are seen as signs of irreverence and ignorance. Sharing doubts or fears about Elonai or the Mawborn is taboo and typically done only in whispers or secret. Speaking in riddles or metaphors is common in religious or elder circles, to veil forbidden knowledge.

4. Behavior Around Fire

Fire is sacred and must be treated with reverence—never extinguish another’s flame without permission. When passing someone’s fire brazier, a slight nod or lowering of the head is expected. Children are taught never to play with fire but to respect it as a protective gift of Elonai.

5. Children’s Manners

Children must be seen and not heard during most public or sacred gatherings. They are expected to obey without question and never wander near the wall or woods. Whispers and gossip among children about forbidden topics (like the Mawborn or gifts) are strictly punished. Respect and fear of the Elders and the Mawborn are drilled into them from a very young age. Children are often put in time-out or spanked for minor things.

6. Social Interactions

Personal space is respected and expected; standing too close or touching without invitation is rude and unacceptable except among married couples and close knit families. Before marriage, a boy and a girl should almost never touch each other, unless necessary. This is to prove that love is not based on physicalness. Sharing food or drink is a communal act, but only among trusted family or friends. Strangers or outsiders are met with suspicion and kept at a distance.

7. Handling Conflict

Open aggression or loud disputes are unacceptable. Problems are settled quietly or by the Elders. Public displays of anger or grief are controlled and subdued, especially during sacred times. Punishments for breach of manners can range from public reprimands to exile.

• When a person turns 18 they have that whole year to find a job, or else they will have the choice of the Elders placing them wherever, OR they will be banished for laziness.