Pheronia Ashfire

> "*The brightest lights turn all else to darkness.*"
> ― Pheronia to Veronyka on Avalkyra's talent
>
>

Pheronia at the time of Aryk's death; Webtoon

Pheronia was an emotionally strong but weak-appearing person, as well as an Ashfire.

## Personality:

A kind and compassionate person, she loved her family a ton. She was sheltered, which made her seem rather naive. Despite not being an animage, she had an Ashfire defiance streak within her. Pheronia's greatest acts of kindness may be her selfless giving of her own money to rebuild the empire.

## Biography

She was born to Lania of Stel at the same time as Avalkyra to Kyara, both with the father of Aryk. Pheronia was naive and dearly loved her mother, father, and sister. After her father died, she was able to remain stable due to Val and Lania. She was in the shadow of Val, not being a Rider or animage. Val taught Pheronia about animages, Riders and the history of the world, her being incredibly sheltered. It is implied that Pheronia wasn't intended to ascend, as she wasn't an animage.

In the Stellan Uprising, she realized her ideals and Avalkyra's diverged. Avalkyra was a fighter, while it's implied she was a healer.

When Lania died and Avalkyra was revealed as the culprit, her world fell apart. At this time she declared to herself and the world that Val was in the wrong and should not be the queen and Stel backed her, as she was one of them, thus initiating the Blood War. She was shown to be kind, donating her money to repair burned fields and buildings. At this point, she and her sister sent a series of letters to each other. It culminated at a failed peace treaty where the contract would undue Lania and Aryk's marriage (making Pheronia illegitemate, and Val the rightful ruler), and kill the councilors. She, disliking the terms, destroyed it. Tensions escalated more. In her personal life, she refused to marry Rolan as her mother wanted, and instead secretly got pregnant by her guard, Theryn, producing Veronyka. Around this time, she went to a negotiation with Val, who was hostile of her, but she held her ground and pleaded for them to meet in private. Val refused.

She later asked Val to come to her, as she'd wait on Genya's Tower around noon. When she heard wingbeats of Nyx, she came outside, but was shot dead by Val, who automatically nocked and shot an arrow. In her last moments, she had Val deliver Veronyka, and she recounted her story mentally to Veronyka in her last moments, saying how she never felt like she belonged in the family, and hoping Veronyka could right the wrongs of her sister and herself.

She dies.

## Relationships

### Aryk

It is not known what her relationship was with her father, but it was most likely good.

### Lania

Again not much is known, but Lania seemed to care for Pheronia. It might've been a ruse, as she had no problem trying to marry Pheronia off to Rolan.

### Avalkyra (Sister)

Their relationship was very close, but when Lania was killed, it drove a wedge and they became rivals. However, they never stopped loving each other.

Val was always favored and educated more than Pheronia was, so she taught Pheronia a lot. However, Pheronia's sisterly devotion had its limits.

### Veronyka (Daughter)

They never met, but she seems to have respected Veronyka, and sensing she was an animage and a strong woman/baby/girl, feeling that Veronyka was more Ashfire than herself. She hoped that she could right the sisters' wrongs.

### Theryn (Lover)

They were close enough to be lovers. She was his liege.

### Rolan (Arranged Fiance)

She didn't seem to like him, and instead pursued Theryn in secret. It was a purely political product of their parents' plot.

## Etymology

'Pheronia' resembles 'Veronyka', and is spelled in a way common to Stellan names. It also bears resemblance to Feronia, a Roman goddess of health, wild animals, abundance, and fertility.