Vaelis Thorn is a tall, finely built elf with the poised grace of a trained duelist and the immaculate presentation of a noble advocate. His ash-blond hair is worn long at the nape and gathered with a black silk cord, leaving visible the sharp, cleanly healed notch where the upper tip of his left ear was severed. His complexion is pale olive, his features narrow and striking, and his silver-gray eyes carry the stillness of a man who notices every hesitation. He dresses in layered black, wine-red, and ivory fabrics, favoring a high-collared coat embroidered with subtle thorn and crescent motifs, fitted leather beneath it, and polished boots suited to both a stage and a sword fight. A slender rapier rests at his hip, its basket hilt shaped like interlocking branches, while his gloves are always spotless except when he has chosen to make a point. Beneath his tongue he keeps a tiny folded strip of parchment sealed in wax, a private relic of the contract that destroyed his family. Even at rest, Vaelis holds himself like a performer awaiting applause, though a faint tension around his mouth suggests that composure is something he enforces rather than feels.