4 days on my end before Thorns of Devotion drops, and this little lad has already started activity here on my blog. He's the last piece of this puzzle of my EOD OC cast!
Meet the sharp-minded young High Priest working on innovating Essail magic and may or may not have an underlying sense of vindictiveness underneath his merciful grace:
Vendrix! He's one of Feli's best friends (with a lowkey highkey crush on him) and the priest who helped Dáinn gain control and mastery over the curse.
He hails from a noble family who are close allies with Sage Tasso's bloodline, though he wouldn't be meeting Feli after this one particular incident:
That someone was his father. A priest who happened to have said something too true for Velara's comfort and was subsequently silenced. Nowhere to be seen with no trace left behind except for a wife and son. This would spark the flames of vengeance and grudge towards the High Priestess within the young Essail, not only for taking his father away from him and his mother but also leading her to be sick from grief, causing her to be bedridden.
That's when Feli would pay his household a visit and help in any way to cure her sickness. His healing magic enchanted Vendrix, seeing the potency in his magic. Inspiring him to join the priesthood soon after in hopes of getting to spend more time with Feli, especially after learning of their mutual interest and love for researching and doing experiments with their magic. It's what would bond the two together in a lovely friendship, and shine a light in Vendrix's darkness.
Still, he had his motives. His goal was to replace Velara entirely someday as the High Priest of Sal'thorin. To take over her station, power and grace in hopes that his sway will lead to a better Sal'thorin. Velara's actions opened his eyes to the real corruption running in their veins, the oppression plaguing their system, the abuse of the common folk. Seeing Velara especially as a pillar hypocritical in her words and actions. His faith in their Queen, at first merely afloat now begun to sink under the weight of his heavy heart.
What finally hammered the nail in the coffin for Vendrix was the moment Velara killed Feli in the same cold blood as the day she made his dad disappear, mid-EOD, just as he was getting caught up and involved with mi Merlins, Anona and Dáinn. It was just earlier ago that he was seeing the Surface with Feli for the first time, and getting to plant the Mirage Blooms with him at the edge of the cliff. The sunlight kissing their faces as they played together.. before that wretched woman took him away from them. He and Dáinn made sure she paid with her life in Helthor's Temple with the help of their new friends and allies.
While Feli focused on the more benevolent use of Essail magic, Vendrix took interest in its inherent destructive nature. Wanting to learn how to harness its malevolent force, the vindictiveness within creating his venomous magic that seeps into even his stigmas. Making sure that even the soul rots away once it is planted. However, commoners say that stigmas placed onto them by Vendrix feels.. like a soft comforting pat on the cheek. A bandaid on a wound more than anything and how it fickles out in less than 2 days.
Eitherway, Vendrix has a resolve that may or may dissolve those from within or absolutely refresh and vitalise those who aren't rotten to their core.
Thats all for the EOD cast of Celverse! Phew xD that was alot but finally I can focus soon on back to my actual Merlin OCs for next season. Thank you for ready this far, I highly appreciate it🥺
