There's an old folk tale in the Allir Reach that goes like this:

If one leaves their baby next to the fire unattended, and it breathes in a stray spark, then the spirit of the hearth can take up residence inside and burn through the baby. What's left of the beloved child is an ash demon - a reckless, tragic creature cursed to chase its own fiery desires without the temperance of a human heart.

There is, of course, a more substantial reason why sometimes children are born with horns and pointy teeth and a resistance to fire. Vilen doesn't seem to care about finding his true origins. He is what his family made him: a child lost to recklessness, mourned well into adulthood.

It was not until he found himself lodged at the Astenvale Monastery, that Vilen saw a glimpse of a better life. The monastery's teaching stuck in his head, and since he didn't have much else going on, Vilen swore some oaths and became a Knight of Dusk. Though the more noble pursuits are sometimes lost on him, the direction knighthood brings seems to be good for Vilen.