User:Lyros

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I hate to break it to you, baby, but you're simply lost.
You're just a ghost at most; a set of empty bones
Searching for anything and everything to make you feel whole.

✦ Maleficar

Name: Lyros Levasca Vallaire
Official Status: Knight of the Black Ice
Race: Drow, outcast
Class: Mage (Maleficar; uses blood magic)
Age: Appears mid 20s (26); 182 using 1:7 ratio
Sex: Male
Eye Colour: Amber-red, sharp and watchful, sometimes gold
Hair Colour: Silvery white, a bit like the moon
Skin Colour: Dark grey-blue, patchy; piebald
Build: 5'10", tall and willowy figure, some muscle
Alignment: Chaotic (Neutral)
Birth Date: 5th December; Child of Frost
Marital Status: No
Home: Questionable; room in Frostmaw tavern
Clan: None
Affiliations: Hildegarde the Silver, Frostmaw

Notably:

— Introduces himself only with his first name, if that. He is more than a little paranoid and not keen to be tracked down.

— Has a high tolerance for pain and wears many scars, many of them jagged and badly healed, many of them self-inflicted.

— He does not carry a House insignia; he destroyed it. To those who know the importance of an insignia, that says a lot...

— Would rather not speak of his history, his family, or his birthplace. There is a reason he left it all behind and it is not publicly known.

— Always repays a debt or favour owed, however begrudgingly. He has too much pride to take without returning the favour somehow.

— Has a somewhat irregular appearance, most notable in his face; his eyes are amber-red, his skin dotted with light patches.

— Currently somewhat aimless; looking for a purpose, however temporary, and a new direction to take.

Recently:

Not everything; it's just the fun (and important) stuff.

— Something happened to split the Secondboy from his family and caused him to leave very suddenly, abandoning not just his House but the entire Underdark. His mother sent assassins after him, but so far Lyros has evaded them...

— Arrived on the surface by way of a lesser-used tunnel in the forests surrounding Vailkrin, then headed south onto the Milous Plains. He avoided large settlements in favour of camping alone in the wilderness, and tended to only stat in one spot for a day or two before moving on.

— Tracked prey into the desert and met an undead woman who may have lured him towards the Shrine to Vakmatharas. There was a storm and bodies lying everywhere within the temple. Lyros lost his appetite, after that, and fled northward back to the plains.

— While doing a perimeter check of his current camp, he ran into the undead woman again on the outskirts of southeast Sage. A forest fire was started (not by him) and attracted the attention of a small group of drow, who proceeded to attack the unlikely pair. He left one alive, and the fire burned for an entire day.

— Was tracked to his secluded forest camp and cornered by drow from their Sage military camp - upon discovering he was alone, unaffiliated with them and their cause, and seemed to be an exile, they fought. Lyros was forced to teleport to escape and barely made it out with his life.

— Much to his surprise and complete horror, the spell dropped him in Frostmaw. There, he was lucky enough to find the local clinic, where Eleenin and his mentee struggled to save the drow before he bled out.

— Stumbled into a wyvern nest and likely would have been eaten were it not for the protection of the Silver, a mysterious woman who kept Lyros company and introduced him to two of the nest's residents: the Nameless King, alpha of the flock, and his son, the Princeling.

— Visited a hot spring. Acquired a companion, or a bodyguard, or a bit of both. Perhaps a friend...

— Met the ex-matron of D'I'Sel D'issan, Laezila, in Frostmaw Tavern, then ran into her the next evening while on a walk with Riselet. She convinced them to find a weapon for her trial by combat, to come soon.

— With Hildegarde to watch over them, Lyros and Riselet travelled into the woods northwest of Frostmaw to visit the pack of wyverns led by Nameless. An attempt to befriend the alpha's two offspring inspired an impromptu flight session that soon went horribly wrong when Lyros fell from the back of the princeling, plummeting into the dark depths of Frostmaw's boreal forest. The group soon found themselves the target of the Heir, a massive undead wyvern and Nameless' first son, who was believed to have died some time ago. Hildegarde did what she did best, and Lyros created a big mess before passing out. He was carted back to the city by the Silver and his wounds attended to at the clinic.

— Hildegarde extended an invitation to join the ranks of the Knights of the Black Ice to both Lyros and Riselet - the latter readily accepted, while the former held some reservations. The pair took their oath alongside reinstated knight Ayras, but the trio appear to have gotten off to a rocky start together...

✦ Physical Description

Give him a quick once-over and Lyros is little more than your typical drow: dark-skinned with fierce, fiery eyes and silver-white hair, his features darkened by a seemingly permanent scowl. Upon closer inspection there are various discrepancies with the stereotype, however, the most notable being his eyes, which fall closer to an amber hue than true red. Small, light, white spots under his left eye, a streak across the right side of his face, and splodges on his neck hint toward another inconsistency hidden beneath the mage's many layers of clothing - Lyros suffers from vitiligo, a skin condition that has turned patches of his dark skin light. Most of his body shows signs of it: the palm of his left hand, his arms, calves, and shoulder blades are the largest affected areas. The condition, while mostly harmless and non-contagious, has earned Lyros plenty of snide remarks over the years from his fellow drow, who have even gone so far as to question his pureblood ancestry, and judge him for it. Needless to say, being the target of such prejudice hasn't helped him accept himself or his unique appearance. He harbours quite a chip on his shoulder.

Accompanying the vitiligo are possibly more scars than can be counted - Lyros has suffered more wounds than half of the most seasoned warriors of House Stavret, which is a little strange as, for his race, he seems to be fairly non-confrontational...

He stands quite tall for a drow at 5'10", with a willowy frame that seems neither too frail and lanky or particularly strong (he is, after all, a mage) and has a good balance of muscle. His dress is mostly a mix of mage and ranger gear; cloth robes and leathers with some metal thrown in by way of the plate greaves protecting his legs, pauldron on his left shoulder, and clawed gauntlets encasing his forearms and hands. He is all sharp edges, spiked shoulder guards and heeled boots, but much of him is geared more for intimidation than for actual use. Lightly armoured means light on his feet. His cloak keeps him warm and dry, and is often a makeshift pillow or an extra blanket at night. He also owns a cape with a detachable hood. Beyond looking slightly cobbled together, as though he's only wearing whatever he happened to grab from the nearest wardrobe, Lyros' clothing reveals a little history that he might not personally bring up - though there are tattered and frayed edges, holes in his cloak, and shoddily repaired tears, beneath it can be found worn, intricate patterns and insignias that speak of fine, expensive garments, the sort you might find in an exclusive boutique. A past he obviously cares little for or may not have fitted into, as he seems to have no problems dragging it all through the dirt— literally.

He carries two daggers, crossed and sheathed at his lower back, and a bow he uses mostly for hunting, his quiver hanging at his left hip. The daggers' use range from killing and skinning his dinner to distracting targets and...other things. Lyros is primarily a motion caster, using hand movements, spoken incantations, and eye contact to unleash his spells, but he carries a rune-etched wand all the same. A belt around his hips holds various poisons and herbs in small pouches, and an emergency supply of bandages, gauze, and the materials needed to stitch a wound. He keeps a couple of vials of coagulation agent on him at all times. A leather satchel contains other necessities: waterskin and rations, a spare shirt and pants, socks!, a journal and charcoal stick, maps of the surface, flint, rope, compass, string and wire, more bandages, and a folded 9'11' waterproof cloth (for protecting camp). He attaches a tightly rolled fur sleeping bag to the bottom of the satchel, and a small cooking pot on the outside. His current situation sees Lyros camping often wherever seems (relatively) safe and dry.

Personality

✓ Determined || Disciplined || Composed || Cunning || Superficially Charming || [Situationally] Kind
✘ Avoidant || Abrasive || Prideful || Callous || Envious || Self-Critical & Deprecating

Not one for social niceties or skilled in (surface) eloquence, Lyros tends to be on edge around others. His persistent scowl and mocking grin are more to avoid interaction and less out of malice, though he's partial to company on his own terms. Primarily, Lyros presents himself as cold and stoical with a prickly exterior; emotion is a hindrance. Still, despite his asocial behaviour, he can't help but find himself attached when he actually does take a liking to someone - he may show a smile and relax into a calmly charming demeanour, played with subtle, affable remarks. But this might be a ruse; a possible facade portrayed to use, to manipulate, and to conceal ulterior motives, worn around those he deems useful in some way. It is difficult to tell with drow.

Under all those false faces and walls he uses to keep some semblance of distance between himself and others, Lyros is a quiet, reserved thing, almost shy, easily embarrassed and bad at handling emotions. Compassion, genuine attempts to help, and friendly gestures are met with confusion - he might even be thought somewhat naive, in a sense. He is clumsier than he would care to admit— kinder, too. Even so, he still has the pride nurtured by living as a drow and does not react well to personal insults, and it is difficult for him to drop his barriers and reach out to others. Trust, as well, is something he struggles with.

Partly due to his youth and partly due to how he was treated in drow society, he's developed an abrasive shell to keep unkind thoughts both in and out. After all, surrounded by more capable and 'perfect' drow specimens in his own House, Lyros is no stranger to envy and certainly has his fair share of inferiority nurtured from earlier days. Condescension of any sort drives him up the wall — valid as it may be — but in the face of poorer odds he'd rather back down than face any real consequences.

When left to his own devices, he has an unsavoury habit of 'borrowing' things...but he is not without morals or a sense of duty. His beliefs that all favours should be reciprocated (begrudgingly or not), work is to be accomplished without fail, and sympathies expressed to those unfortunate enough to be in a similar position (specifically, struggling with physical conditions others may judge without thinking) stem from a multitude of lessons and experience he's kept close to his heart— if only because they give him his own direction. His stance on drow is conflicted; preferably, he'd rather avoid getting dragged into their messes.

✦ The Maleficar's Arsenal

Having received years of basic training in a variety of melee weapons at the drow warrior school, Lyros has the knowledge to wield a sword, staff, mace, and daggers in battle without risk of stabbing himself (unintentionally). This does not mean he is of unparalleled or even competent skill, rather that he has the means to utilize and possibly defend himself with a weapon should he be forced to - but he would be no match for a swordsman using melee skills alone. Of the conventional weapons he was trained in, Lyros favours the bow the most, preferring the ranged style of combat he also makes use of in his magic. Even then, he is no fine archer, and he won't be winning any competitions for his skill. The bow he owns is most often used to hunt for food.

Lyros knows enough about alchemy, herbology, and the human body to mix his own poisons and restoratives, and tend to most of his wounds. He is only able to patch up minor/moderate injuries, however, and has trouble dealing with internal injuries, stab wounds, and anything requiring stitches. His sewing work is shoddy, which may explain some of his awful, jagged-edged scars. A pouch at his side contains a few vials of coagulation agents and poisons, for quick use in battle— mostly paralytics and sleep drugs. He carries a small journal in his satchel which is used to note down all manner of related information: good locations to find certain herbs, notes on particular injuries and how best to attend to them, recipes for his various potions, malign and helpful alike, and a makeshift bestiary of surface creatures; complete with sketches, details on eating and movement habits, and possible uses of their parts in alchemical creations. He could certainly make use of his knowledge to help others, but why the hell would he?

Magic

Lyros wields a dark and twisted form of magic, honed by both the drow schools and by his equally twisted House. Similar to necromancy, his magic has a distinctly 'off' feeling to it, and may send shivers down the spine of those in the nearby area simply due to how awful and unnatural it is - even those not particularly sensitive to magic may be affected, and those attuned to magical energy would likely feel vaguely uncomfortable to nauseated in his presence. The exact cause is not immediately obvious; blood magic itself is not detectable and there is little to give its presence away save for the scars and that aura of darker magic, both of which are fairly typical for a drow.

Lyros is, technically, a wizard - a mage who wields arcane magic. It must be learned by the caster and remembered, perfected through constant study. His spells are cast through a mixture of mystical incantation and motions of the hand, which bring the powers of magic to him and are directed to their use. Due to the dark art of blood magic corrupting his abilities, Lyros has trouble casting any regular spells without first activating his blood magic— a process which requires gruesome self-injury, of course. Thus, he usually has to be wounded to have any fine control over his spells. As a mage with no real specialization, Lyros is learned in the basics of a variety of arts. He seems to favour electromancy when casting elemental magic, although the element he is most skilled with is hydromancy. The use of each elemental school is tied in with his blood magic somehow:

Hydromancy: Actually the element he is most skilled with, but Lyros does not often utilise it on its own. Knowledge of hydromancy is useful for gaining additional control over blood, so is usually employed in some subtle form.

Necromancy: Raising of the dead is generally a no, although due to its similar dark ties, Lyros is likely capable of ritual summoning and resurrection if provided with the right tools (including a very thorough guide in a spell book). The magic he uses that can be attributed to the school of necromancy involve the necrotic corroding of flesh.

Illusion: A select few of Lyros' known spells incorporate illusion magic, often involving the use of blood to distract and deceive, or instill unnatural fear through a process of tainted blood. A skilled mage, especially an illusionist, would likely sense the use of this magic if not see through it completely, rendering its effects useless.

Electromancy: A couple of his spells mix blood and electromancy with disastrous results. It is his favourite elemental school; he is quite fascinated by lightning. Lyros will usually use it against drow as the light of an arcing bolt can easily blind, while shielding his own eyes. The extent of his grasp on this art allows him to create small, powerful lightning bolts and static clouds.

Cryomancy & Pyromancy: Reserved mostly for the rapid heating and cooling of things, usually blood. He can control ice to a better extent than fire due to its close link with hydromancy.

Blood Magic

A truly horrific and exceptionally difficult art to master, blood magic requires the user to spill their own blood in order to tap into this twisted form of sorcery - it involves a good degree of risk, especially as the most powerful spells require a lot of Lyros' own blood to fuel them, as well as the blood of the enemy. Things are not easy if you're a maleficar.

Much like necromancy, the effects of it can be felt by both its caster and by those around him, as well as the unfortunate targets of such malign sorcery. As well as the visceral, gory sights of this magic at work, the presence of it alone can instill a sense of nausea within all in the vicinity as Lyros' body draws on darkness, shadows and corruption around him, which may flicker like fell black flames across his arms. Blood magic includes not only the mere control of blood but the ability to change its state and attributes - Lyros can infuse his own blood with arcane taint and force it into the body of another to induce great pain, hallucinations and fear, or fits, as well as other things: turning blood acidic, heating or cooling it, causing it to explode, etc. His blood is as much a weapon as any swordsman's tricks of the trade — and indeed, he can even form a solid weapon with it, although hardened blood makes for a brittle blade — and can have necrotic and acidic effects on others, while seemingly not damaging the maleficar himself. However, Lyros must struggle with the constant mental strain of wielding this magic, which ever seeks to destroy him as it does his enemies.

It was never Lyros' choice to walk this dark path, but he appears to be stuck with it for the rest of his life. His mother, Maerani, saw the talent for blood magic within him when he was young - as a practitioner herself, she was so proud that she came to tutor him personally, and frequently. As a result of its interference, the mage now finds it difficult to cast regular spells without spilling his own blood. Lyros is neither particularly fond of his family or his skills with blood magic— the latter, partly because his mother forced him to learn it but also because he feels he can blame it for many things, including his vitiligo and all the prejudice he suffered as a result of it. And, not that he would ever admit it, but Lyros is secretly terrified of his own magic. Anyone interested in his skills will be met with bitter words and anger. Generally he tries not to use it at all and just keep out of everyone's way.

With regards to the exact extent of his capabilities with blood magic, that will be left to RP and further development through RP. The below is a brief overview of some of the things he can do:

Corruption: Lyros' dark magic can induce intense pain within the enemy, and his blood can have necrotic and acidic side effects, among other things. Can also cause revulsion and nausea.

Bleeding: All of his successful attacks cause more intense bleeding than would be normal for such wounds, allowing him to wear down enemies faster and fuel successive spells.

Unnatural: Most healing magic (arcane/natural) has a diminished effect on Lyros; the healer would find that they'd need to use twice the amount of power to normal. Oddly, paladin/divine healing seems to function the same as it always should. His blood seems to react badly to healing, attempting to repel or resist it, and causing Lyros a great deal of pain in the process.

Focus: Many of his spells require constant recital of the spell for it to remain active, or fixed eye contact - managing to interrupt him in any way will cause the effects to end.

Toxic: As if the magic is some insidious snake coiling through his blood, untamed and vicious, Lyros can become increasingly bloodthirsty and violent the longer this magic is active, as its effects upon his mind are both stressful and maddening. Too much use of blood magic could corrupt him irreversibly, although he is skilled enough to remain in control for longer periods than most. He is afraid of it, though he will not admit to that, and it is partly why he is reluctant to use it. The same mind-altering effects can be picked up by those who remain around the maleficar for long periods of time while his magic is active.

Travel: He can teleport via blood magic but only if there is a large amount of visceral liquid around to form the 'door.' It is not exactly precise.

Buffs: Some of Lyros' spells can be used to give a temporary boost to adrenaline, vitality, etc. This boost can be granted to allies (assuming he has any), empowering a weakened friend or giving them the strength to stay on their feet. He can also draw malign substances such as poisons out of the blood.

✦ History

It is unlikely Lyros will ever speak in depth of his past to those he meets on the surface - there are few pleasant memories to be found there and many things he would prefer to leave behind for good, and he does not consider his past in any way important when it comes to determining his future. However, his history will be recorded here for posterity and cool background info.

Lyros was born into an average noble House as its Secondboy, the second male son of the Matron Maerani. When of the right age, he attended both Magthere d'Malarin and then the Arcania, once his high magical aptitude made it obvious he was more suited to become a mage than a warrior. Midway through his training at the mage's school, his mother discovered his talent for blood magic.

House Vallaire

Ruler: Matron Maerani

Type: Matriarchal

God: Vakmatharas

Position in Trist'oth: Fourteenth House

Goals: Vallaire's goal is not to rule but simply to be feared and respected - their focus lies not on obtaining a position upon the Drow Council but on researching and mastering dark magic, much of which is outlawed in various lands, dangerous, and long-forgotten. Maerani is satisfied with their position so long as they remain vaguely aristocratic in Trist'oth's social sphere, and is ruthless in maintaining that status. A woman twisted by the insidious powers she wields, Maerani is almost as mad as she is frightening, making good use of her House's assets to ensure others think twice about picking fights with House Vallaire.

Members:

Maerani Vallaire (NPC), Matron

Various daughters of Maerani; the majority of them are priestesses

Eirherren Seraivel Vallaire (NPC), Elderboy and House Wizard

Lyros Levasca Vallaire, Secondboy

Vallaire is not particularly notable for either magical might or physical prowess, ranking them somewhere among the average noble Houses of drow society, in a region vaguely upper middle-class. The most interesting thing about them is heard through the rumours passed here and there throughout Trist'oth: that they have a penchant for dabbling in strange and frightening magic. Its head is the Matron Maerani, Lyros' mother and a skilled practitioner of blood magic and the necromantic arts.

One is wrong if they do not fit the mould of the Spider Queen's design: dark, dangerous, red eyes, light hair. Any anomaly is treated as a monstrosity, however minor - the wrong eye colour, skin a shade too light to be considered wholly true to the drow blood, a strange fascination with any race or thing living above the Underdark, the ability to restrain one's potent rage and refrain from killing everything in sight on that blighted surface. Lyros, not particularly conventional in various ways, had been an outcast for most of his life and was initially disregarded by the majority of his family...until his mother learned that the son she had written off as a failure had the talent for a dark and malign magic that even his powerful older brother Eirherren, the Elderboy and a fellow mage, had not been able to grasp so naturally. Blood magic: the art of self-destruction to fuel the destruction of one's enemies. Perhaps his upbringing made him more attuned to its power, making it easier to tap into, or perhaps this was merely the will of fate and the gods. Whatever it was, it gave the Matron of House Vallaire a reason to reclaim the forgotten boy she had all but disowned, welcoming him back into her arms. And she took a knife, buried it in his arm, and taught him everything he would need to know. Over many years she corrupted him, branded her memory into his flesh, traumatising her own son for the sake of dark magic and twisting his own powers until he could barely summon a flame without first opening a wound in his arm.

Lyros is no stranger to pain. In those early years of his life, he was regularly subjected to torture and bloodletting, "To deepen your bond with this magic," the Matron had told him. Willing or not, he was tutored and taught these wicked spells mostly after his training with the Wizard's Academy came to an end. It has left a marked effect on him, both physically and mentally. The few spots of vitiligo he had developed and spread rapidly while learning his mother's favourite art, and he has come to blame the magic for much of the unpleasantness in his life. While he may not particularly like his kind, Lyros is a prideful creature like them, and did not appreciate the accusations that he might be a half-blood because of his peculiar skin condition - the fact that such remarks came from within his own family led to multiple feuds, and may be part of the reason he came to the surface.

✦ Out of Character

I'm a long-time player recently returning from a break of a year or so - I might be a little out of the loop and rusty. You may know me! I have a fondness for unconventional character types, strange magic, corruption, and making my characters suffer. Sometimes I draw.
Contact through Hmail or Tells only. My skype is strictly for people I know well and generally consider good friends. I'm mostly friendly and open to things if you approach me. :)

Important:
Yes he is a blood mage and no you will not know that ICly unless Lyros has specifically told your character or they were present in an RP where he actually tapped into those powers. That is to say, there is nothing to give away his blood magic save the scars and the faintest hint of darker magic about his person - but those are both fairly typical for a drow. As for what he's capable of, you'll just have to play and find out!

Notes on RP:

— Lyros is not the kind of drow to attack without reason, so please don't be wary of RPing with me because you think he'll only try to kill your character! There are much more fun things to do than harass everyone to cross his path, and he's a rather non-confrontational member of his race.

— He is neither particularly loyal or fond of his kind or an overly-friendly surface drow; he may be curt, rude, or ignore things your character says to him, but don't take that as me being bored of the RP. That's just how he is. He'll warm up to you! Under that stoic exterior is a marshmallow tbh. In the same vein, any of Lyros' mockery or insults are not my personal opinion of you, your character, or their skills/beliefs/etc, and most of the time he is only joking around. His sense of humour isn't that great. I shouldn't have to say any of this, really, but I've run into trouble in the past over similar issues. :/

— Anything your character learns about Lyros should be kept IC, please and thanks! :) RPs may sometimes get wiki'd but you shouldn't take any of the information you get from those ICly unless you were actually present in that RP, or something.

— I'm always willing to RP so feel free to poke at me if you'd like to do some writing, especially if my status is set to "Looking for RP."

— Also, don't let my lazy OOC typing style dissuade you from RPing with me - I write proper posts, I swear. ;o