Phoenixes
Overview
The death of an elf, immortal as they are, is most often by choice. When an elf decides that their eternal life has been lived long enough and they wish to transition to the next phase of existence, they willingly pass on and allow their spirits to reincarnate as other forms of life across the world. Death is often a celebrated event among all elves, as rare as the birth of a new elf, and it has historically been rare for an elf to die without choosing to do so.When an elf dies outside of their own control, when their passing prevents them from fulfilling some duty or task, or when their last moments burn with a desire for vengance and retribution, their soul cannot simply pass on. Other sapient creatures leave behind ghosts, but an elf's restless spirit explodes from its body as a phoenix, an undying bird formed of spectral flames and fury.
From that moment on, the phoenix single-mindedly pursues whatever its final goal was. It does not eat, sleep, or rest; if it dies once more, it immolates everything around it in a flaming explosion, leaving behind an egg in the ashes that will birth that same phoenix once more in a few days' time. Only when the phoenix has proof that its last wishes have been fulfilled will its flames flicker out and allow the elf's soul to pass on. Those phoenixes whose wishes cannot be fulfilled or who cannot (or will not) accept proof must be exorcised by an elven priest to break its endless cycle of resurrection.
The original elf's soul still inhabits the phoenix, and it can still speak, reason, and carry on its memories from life. All fires must consume to survive, however, and both time and subsequent rebirths will eat away at the phoenix's ability to remember its original purpose. If forced to exist for too long, a phoenix will eventually have nothing left but a gnawing loss and regret, and with no memory remaining of their previous life to temper their rage, their flames will inevitably turn on the world around them.
Phoenixes were once incredibly rare in Tron Daurat's history, but the onset of the Nightmare has brought tragic losses to the elves. These flaming spectres are now much more common of a sight, and their wishes to protect families that may have also passed or to see the Emperor's peaceful reign returned have become much harder to achieve.
The Seraphim
A phoenix has one option to stave off its self-inflicted entropy, but it is an option that comes at the cost of one of its kin. As a spectral creature, a phoenix can possess another elf, granting them the phoenix's powers of flame and also driving them to fulfill the task the phoenix could not. The victim of a phoenix's possession could be an adult elf or a child still in the womb. In either case, the phoenix's presence is more than a mere occupation of the elf's body: their souls become entangled, and the phoenix's flame can feed off of both its own soul and that of the elf it has bonded to, greatly extending the phoenix's mental longevity.The phoenix cannot directly control the elf it has bonded to, nor can it directly communicate with the elf, but for the elf's entire life it will feel the phoenix's driving urge as its own without necessarily knowing why. Over time, the elf will change: its eyes glow like embers, wings of sunset-hued flame grow from its back, and heat and light emanate from its heart like an inner sun. Elves who have been identified as vehicles of a phoenix are revered by their kin as agents of a higher cause, and they are referred to as seraphim (singular seraph), or "burning ones" in Draconic.
A seraph's life is no longer truly their own. While they can choose to ignore the goal engraved in their soul by their phoenix, a seraph is nearly incapable of feeling at peace unless they act according to their phoenix's will. If the seraph dies and the phoenix's will is not yet fulfilled, the phoenix's power resurrects the seraph in a burst of flame. The seraph's body is still flesh and blood, however; repeated deaths in too short of a time will destroy the seraph, body and soul, as the phoenix rises again out of their ashes.
by Jason Nguyen
Seraphim frequently are made to feel anger and resentment toward anything that prevents them from carrying out their goal or distracting them from it, and as a result, many seraphim end up living outside of larger society. Most are brought into elven churches, where the priests and nuns there are trained to help seraphim come to terms with their existence. There the seraphim are taught to control their powers, and with meditation they can learn to commune with the phoenix inhabiting them. A rare few seraphim have even managed to soothe their phoenixes, allowing them to come to terms with their passing. Most of these phoenixes pass on willingly, but some have become inspired by their seraphim to take advantage of this second chance at life and work toward a new goal.
Contents
Details
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Origin/Ancestry
Elven ghosts
Lifespan
Immortal
Average Height
6 feet
Average Length
9 feet
Geographic Distribution
