Kael Vurn
Sergeant Kael Vurn (a.k.a. Ember-Eye)
A veteran of the Sky-Ridge Reclamation and the Othari Blitz, Sergeant Kael Vurn is the embodiment of grim endurance. With ember-colored skin crisscrossed by scar tissue and a mane of fire blazing from his scalp like a battle standard, he stalks the battlefield with unflinching discipline. His permanent scowl is both a warning and a promise — he has seen the worst of war and stands ready to meet it again.
Kael’s left eye was lost in a skirmish with a rogue warforged warbeast and replaced with a Beaumont-issue Arc-Cybernetica Model IV, which pulses with the same arcane purple glow as his plasma rifle. The weapon, custom-modified and affectionately named “Whisperspike,” crackles with unstable magical energy, bending the very air around it.
Unlike the tailored regalia of his superiors, Kael’s uniform is functional and battle-worn — reinforced armored fabrics in navy and iron black, trimmed in radiant gold. A sigil of the Royal Navy is half-burned on his shoulder pauldron, but he wears it with pride.
Though he follows orders, Kael is not without a moral compass — his squad calls him "Ember-Eye" not just for his gaze, but for his ability to see through lies and hesitation in the heat of combat. His loyalty to his unit is absolute, and those under his command would follow him into Avernus, knowing he’d likely come back dragging a devil’s corpse.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Kael places heavy emphasis on honing his body to be a weapon and spends a minimum of 4 hours per day in intense exercise, often citing it helps him "keep his cool." His body burns hot due to an internal flame core and he is more dense than the standard enlistee for his height.
Body Features
Kael has a cybernetic eye that has been equipped with a state-of-the-art Plasma-incendiary round Guiding System (PiGS) and dense urban penetration technology capable of seeing through walls up to 1' thick or crowds up to 20 people deep. His hair smokes as his temper rises and ignites once his hair-trigger has been pulled.
Facial Features
The scars across his face are often mistaken for cracks, lending some to assume his lineage as an Earth Genasi. This infuriates Kael whose pride in his lineage and long-standing military status have been known to be sparks to an already short fuse.
Specialized Equipment
Arc-Cybernetica Model IV - Augmented eye replacement
Whisperspike - Custom manufactured GLO-18v Plasma Rifle with enhanced plasma-round tracking linked to the Model IV eye
Whisperspike - Custom manufactured GLO-18v Plasma Rifle with enhanced plasma-round tracking linked to the Model IV eye
Mental characteristics
Education
Kael was raised in the industrial undercity of Savior, where education was scarce but survival was a lesson in itself. He later received formal military education through the Beaumont Royal Navy’s Accelerated Combat Initiative — a brutal program focused on urban warfare, magitech integration, and tactical unit command. He has advanced certifications in:
- Arc-Integrated Weaponry
- Recon and Suppression Tactics
- Field Mechanics and Cybernetic Maintenance
- War Ethics & Xeno-Interaction Protocols
Accomplishments & Achievements
Hero of the Iron Pulse Conflict – held the final breach for 16 hours solo, allowing his unit to escape encirclement.
Shadow Ember Medal – awarded for leading a non-combat rescue of civilians trapped in a collapsing arcane reactor zone.
First NCO to Field-Test the Arc-Cybernetica Eye Implant – survived despite 38% failure rate.
Personally trained three current lieutenants now stationed across the outer ring garrisons.
Shadow Ember Medal – awarded for leading a non-combat rescue of civilians trapped in a collapsing arcane reactor zone.
First NCO to Field-Test the Arc-Cybernetica Eye Implant – survived despite 38% failure rate.
Personally trained three current lieutenants now stationed across the outer ring garrisons.
Morality & Philosophy
Kael is a stoic pragmatist with a soldier’s honor code: do the job, protect your own, never fire first unless first means last. He believes in "earned loyalty" — not to a flag, but to the people who bleed beside you. Despite his gruff exterior, he holds immense compassion for the vulnerable and displaced, seeing echoes of his own past in them.
Taboos
Cowardice in Command – officers who use soldiers as expendables disgust him.
Mind magic – especially magic that tampers with memories or free will; he calls it “soul theft.”
Excessive ceremony – he despises hollow pomp and ritual when lives are on the line.
Mind magic – especially magic that tampers with memories or free will; he calls it “soul theft.”
Excessive ceremony – he despises hollow pomp and ritual when lives are on the line.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Kael fights not for glory, but to prevent others from experiencing the pain he grew up with. Every skirmish is another wall between war and the innocent. His long-term dream is to train future generations of soldiers to protect without becoming what they fight.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes
- Engine grease & the smell of ionized metal
- Quiet mornings before deployment
- Tactical board games
- Ramen noodles, extra spicy
- Combat sparring with rookies ("Keeps 'em humble.")
Dislikes
- Political officers
- Cold environments (they dampen his flame)
- Out-of-date tech
- Idle chatter during ops
- Being called "sir"
Virtues & Personality perks
- Loyal to the bone
- Protective
- Resilient beyond reason
- Quick tactical thinker under pressure
- Able to make hard decisions without cruelty
Vices & Personality flaws
- Hypercritical of leadership
- Poor communicator outside of combat
- Represses trauma
- Hard to trust outsiders
- Will sacrifice himself too easily
Personality Quirks
- Cracks his knuckles when annoyed
- Occasionally checks his cybernetic eye diagnostics mid-conversation (it pulses when he’s agitated)
- Says “Tch.” before giving orders
- Keeps an old, scorched ring looped into his rifle’s side grip — never explains why
Hygiene
Due to his lineage, Kael is never dirty and is frequently covered in a thin layer of soot. During missions he can go weeks without bathing but never holds an odor despite looking dirty. Kael does not sweat though he has been known to steam.
Social
Speech
- Sounds annoyed when he speaks although he generally isn't
- Talks slowly, often in incomplete sentences
Wealth & Financial state
Kael comes from an upper middle-class military family but has been raised to earn everything he owns and to treat each possession with pride.
Current Status
On a mission in Ellisbeth to drive recruitment near the Blackaxel-controlled southern coastline
Current Location
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Sergeant
Age
47
Birthplace
Skardaban
Children
Sex
Male
Presentation
Masculine
Eyes
Cold and hardened, left eye has been replaced with a cybernetic upgrade and right burns the color of fire
Hair
Coal black, fiery when his temper flares
Height
6' 3"
Weight
235 lbs
Quotes & Catchphrases
Mercy is for after the fight. First, you survive it.
Stay hot. Stay sharp. We’re not dead yet.
Belief/Deity
A'Man, Sanctuary, Magra
Aligned Organization