| Name | Camlaen “Aaric” Tauri |
|---|---|
| Age | 20 (Iron Flame), 21 (Onyx Storm) |
| Species | Human |
| Status | Alive |
| Quadrant | Riders Quadrant, Basgiath War College |
| Rank/Title | Prince of Navarre; Cadet |
| Signet | Precognition |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Hair Color | Sandy-brown |
| Dragon Bond | Molvic (Blue Clubtail) |
| Family | King Tauri (father), Alic Tauri † (twin brother), Halden Tauri (brother) |
| Love Interests | Not specified |
| Appears in | Iron Flame (2023), Onyx Storm (2025) |
Biography
Prince Camlaen Aaric Tauri, better known by his alias Aaric Graycastle, is the third son of King Tauri of Navarre. Instead of remaining within the royal court, Aaric secretly enters Basgiath War College as a first-year cadet in the Riders Quadrant, hiding his true identity from most of the people around him.
His decision to join Basgiath is a direct rejection of the passive role expected of him as a prince. While his father and the Navarrian monarchy continue to hide or minimize the threat of venin, Aaric chooses to become a rider and fight directly. His alias allows him to distance himself from the Tauri name while still using his royal knowledge and training when necessary.
Violet Sorrengail recognizes Aaric almost immediately because they knew each other as children while their parents attended political and military meetings. When she confronts him, he insists on using the name Aaric Graycastle, making it clear that he does not want his father’s influence or the expectations of the royal family attached to his place at Basgiath.
During his first year, Aaric proves himself to be a capable fighter. He crosses the Parapet, survives his early training, and eventually bonds the sapphire-hued blue clubtail dragon Molvic. His ease around Molvic and his disciplined bearing show the effect of the elite training he received long before entering the Riders Quadrant.
Aaric’s royal blood becomes important during the mission to steal the journals of Warrick and Lyra from the Archives. Violet and the others need him because his connection to the royal family allows him to help access magically sealed spaces that would otherwise remain closed. Although he initially refuses, especially because of his hatred toward Xaden Riorson for killing his brother Alic during Threshing, he eventually agrees after realizing that the mission means stealing from his father.
During the Archives heist, Aaric helps Violet pass through the wards and reach the vault. The task injures his hands, leaving them badly blistered, but he is not exposed as an accomplice afterward. His involvement marks one of the first times he actively uses both his royal lineage and his position at Basgiath against the secrets protected by Navarre.
At the end of Iron Flame, Aaric is present in the wardstone chamber when Violet and General Lilith Sorrengail attempt to imbue the repaired wardstone. Lilith recognizes him and mentions that his father is looking for him. When Lilith sacrifices herself to restore the wards, Aaric holds Violet back, apologizing while preventing her from stopping the sacrifice.
In Onyx Storm, Aaric becomes part of the quest squad and steps further into the political side of the conflict. He uses his royal status when it benefits the mission, but makes it clear that he has no intention of returning quietly to the role his family expects of him. His loyalty lies with the fight against venin and with the people actively trying to save the Continent.
Physical Description
Body & Build
- Muscular build with broad shoulders
- Strong chin and square jawline, often shadowed with light brown scruff
- Taller than Dain Aetos but shorter than Xaden Riorson
- About five inches taller than Sloane
- Long legs and exceptionally straight posture, giving him a controlled and commanding presence
Hair
- Sandy-brown hair
- Usually neat, matching his disciplined and polished appearance
Eyes & Skin
- Striking green eyes, one of the clearest signs of his Tauri heritage
- Fair complexion and sharp features
Clothing & Gear
- Standard rider gear while training at Basgiath
- His posture and bearing often make him appear more formal than many other cadets
Personality
Aaric is confident, sharp, and observant, with the polished discipline expected from someone raised in the royal family. He often notices people’s reactions and motives quickly, which makes him useful in both political and dangerous situations.
Despite his royal background, Aaric is deeply critical of his family’s choices. He resents King Tauri’s inaction and does not want to return to the life expected of him at court. His decision to enter the Riders Quadrant under an alias shows both defiance and a strong need to act rather than remain protected by his title.
Aaric also has a dry, sarcastic edge and does not always make himself easy to approach. However, his actions show that he can be loyal and emotionally aware. In the wardstone chamber, he holds Violet back during Lilith Sorrengail’s sacrifice and apologizes to her, showing that he understands the pain of the moment even while doing what he believes is necessary.
He is also pragmatic. Aaric dislikes Xaden because of Alic’s death, but he is still able to work with Violet and the others when the mission matters. By Onyx Storm, he is willing to use his title when it serves the quest squad, even though he rejects the royal family’s larger political stance.
Powers
Lesser Magic
Through his bond with Molvic, Aaric can perform lesser magic. This includes locking and unlocking doors without touching them, moving with preternatural speed, manipulating mage lights, powering ink pens, and placing runes.
Like other bonded riders, Aaric’s access to lesser magic comes through his dragon bond. His royal training and controlled temperament make him especially effective in situations that require precision, restraint, and quick decision-making.
Signet
Precognition: Aaric possesses true precognition, allowing him to see possible future events before they happen. This rare signet gives him a powerful advantage in both combat and diplomacy, where anticipating danger, reactions, or outcomes can change the course of a mission.
Abilities
Languages
Aaric was extensively trained for a future as a diplomat and is fluent in nearly every spoken language except dead languages. He speaks the common language and sign language with ease, along with regional languages and dialects such as Unnbrish, Zehylish, and Hedotic. His command of Zehylish is strong enough that Violet remarks he sounds like a native speaker.
Combat
Raised as a prince, Aaric was trained by elite tutors in hand-to-hand combat, sparring, and multiple weapons. His performance at Basgiath shows that he is already a skilled fighter before beginning formal rider training.
Although diplomacy is one of his strongest areas, Aaric is not limited to negotiation. His physical training, tactical awareness, and later dragon bond make him valuable in missions where political knowledge and combat readiness are both needed.
Relationships
| Violet Sorrengail | Violet and Aaric knew each other as children because their parents often attended political and military meetings together. Violet recognizes him when he enters Basgiath under the alias Aaric Graycastle, and she later becomes one of the few people who knows his true identity. Their shared history helps create trust, even when Aaric is reluctant to involve himself in dangerous plans. |
|---|---|
| Dain Aetos | Aaric grew up alongside Dain Aetos and Violet Sorrengail because of their families’ connections. Years later, Dain assigns him to Fourth Wing and helps conceal his true identity, allowing him to remain at Basgiath as Aaric Graycastle rather than Prince Camlaen Tauri. |
| King Tauri | Aaric has a strained relationship with his father, King Tauri. He rejects the passive stance of the Navarrian monarchy and resents his father’s role in ignoring or concealing the venin threat. His decision to enter the Riders Quadrant in secret is a direct act of defiance against the life expected of him as a prince. |
| Halden Tauri | Halden is Aaric’s oldest brother and the Crown Prince of Navarre. Aaric understands that Halden is expected to inherit the throne and does not view kingship as his own destiny. Their relationship reflects the tension within the royal family and the different ways the brothers respond to power, duty, and responsibility. |
| Alic Tauri | Alic was Aaric’s brother, whose death during Threshing deeply affected him. Aaric hates Xaden Riorson for killing Alic, and that anger initially makes him refuse to help Violet and the others with the Archives heist. His grief over Alic remains one of the clearest sources of conflict between him and Xaden. |
| Xaden Riorson | Aaric’s relationship with Xaden is tense because Xaden killed Alic during Threshing. Although Xaden does not express regret for killing Alic, Aaric eventually works alongside Violet and the others when the mission to steal the journals becomes more important than his personal hatred. Their connection remains shaped by grief, anger, and political necessity. |
Dragon
Molvic
Aaric is bonded to Molvic, a sapphire-hued Blue Clubtail dragon. Molvic’s coloring is distinctive, and Aaric’s ease while riding him suggests a strong and controlled bond between rider and dragon.
Through Molvic, Aaric gains access to lesser magic and eventually manifests his signet of true precognition. Their bond strengthens Aaric’s role as both a rider and a political figure, making him valuable in combat, strategy, and negotiations where seeing the possible future may be as important as surviving the present.
