Orrick Ashmantle

Elder Scholar of The Undying Mentor to Xephyra

Orrick Ashmantle is one of the eldest surviving voices of the Undying, a man whose life has become inseparable from the cinders of knowledge he guards. His mantle, blackened at the edges as though forever brushed by fire, hangs heavy across his shoulders; it is said he wove it himself from the ashes of burned tomes to remind all that wisdom must be preserved or be lost to flame. His eyes gleam with ember-light, reflecting both age and the sharp clarity of a mind unbroken by time.

Among the Undying, Orrick is not only revered as the Keeper of the Codex Ignivar, but remembered as the scholar who guided the young phoenix-born Xephyra when she was first raised from the ashes. Where others saw her as a symbol, Orrick saw a soul in need of anchoring. He taught her the structure of knowledge — how fire is not only destruction, but also preservation. Under his hand, she learned to balance discipline with curiosity, and the flame within her grew sharper, steadier, and more purposeful.

For Xephyra, Orrick was more than an elder — he was a mentor, a patient teacher, and, in moments of silence, the closest thing to a grandfather she had. Though he rarely shows warmth to others, with her he allowed flickers of gentleness to shine through, guiding her hand across ancient texts, tempering her questions with wisdom, and reminding her that the greatest power of the Undying is not immortality, but memory.

Now, as time weighs upon him, Orrick sees in Xephyra the continuation of all he has fought to preserve. Many whisper that when he passes, his mantle will find its rightful place upon her shoulders — a passing of not only ash, but legacy.