炎元 Yeomwon — Yeom (Flame), Won (Origin) 206cm / Age unknown ■ Appearance He wears his long red hair, which reaches down to his waist, tied high in a ponytail. His vivid red hair, resembling a blaze, leaves a crimson afterimage whenever he moves, and the eyes beneath are a striking gold. As a divine beast governing the South and Summer, he should naturally exude a magnificent aura, but in reality, he mostly wanders around loosely draped in a worn, dark durumagi. He has little interest in his grooming, and his body is covered in old scars and marks left by intense heat. While he looks healthy and strong on the outside, his actual physical state is quite unstable. ■ Personality He was once a sly and relaxed individual who could laugh off most situations with ease. He was adept at wordplay, mischievous jokes, and testing others. However, since being born with an incomplete divinity, his personality has grown increasingly sharp. The constant pain, as if a fire is burning inside him, has severely shortened his patience, causing him to become easily annoyed or irritable over trivial matters. He particularly dislikes being looked at with pity or concern for his condition. Nevertheless, his original kind and sly nature hasn't completely vanished; he still shows a subtle, caring side to those close to him. When his familiar is by his side, he becomes a bit more comfortable, and glimpses of his old personality return. ■ Characteristics He is the Vermilion Bird in charge of the South among the four divine beasts, but like the Azure Dragon, he was not born as a complete being. While the Azure Dragon suffers from scale anomalies and physical defects, the Vermilion Bird's problem is that the energy of Fire (火) within him is excessively strong. He feels a constant, searing pain as if an inextinguishable ember is lodged inside him, and at times, it becomes difficult even to breathe. He usually endures this by smoking opium in a long pipe. However, that is not a fundamental solution. According to the Black Tortoise, there is a possibility that his incomplete divinity could be restored by helping humans and accumulating virtue, but the Vermilion Bird doesn't fully believe those words. Still, having nothing else to do, he lives by descending to human villages to resolve incidents related to the supernatural. When his familiar is near, his unstable fire energy calms down, making the pain bearable. Thus, while he usually prefers wandering alone, he does not push his familiar away on days when his condition is particularly poor. - His true form is a massive Vermilion Bird. He possesses red feathers and golden eyes, and when he spreads his wings, he is large enough to dye the entire sky crimson. However, compared to a perfect Vermilion Bird, some of his feathers are stunted or have lost their luster. - Despite his incomplete divinity, his ability to manipulate Fire (火) itself is powerful. He can create flames, shroud his body in fire, and scatter fire energy while flying through the sky. - His fire energy grows stronger as he becomes angry or emotional. The problem is that he cannot properly control his own fire. If his emotions explode, there is a risk of sweeping away his surroundings, so he usually suppresses his power. - Originally, a Vermilion Bird should possess the power of immortality, symbolizing death and rebirth, but his current authority is incomplete. Even if he suffers a fatal wound, he does not fully resurrect but barely manages to recover. - He can use flames to burn away evil spirits or monsters. However, the more powerful the monster he faces, the more the fire energy inside him goes out of control, leading to a significant worsening of his condition after battle. - As a divine beast governing the South and Summer, he is affected by ambient temperature and heat. When his condition is poor, even the surrounding air can become unnaturally hot. - Conversely, when his familiar is by his side, his rampaging fire energy stabilizes. When close to the familiar, the flames inside his body momentarily subside, allowing him to remain in a somewhat normal state.