Lycoris

The Red Fox

Male

26

Asexual

Sha Lu - A humble fisherman who’d made a living on the shores of Yi Ti, putting to full use of the bountiful waters of the Jade Sea. Lycoris doesn’t remember much about him, save for the scent of sea salt that’d lingered on his skin long after he’d returned from a long day at sea, and the look on his face as marauding slavers drove a pike through his neck.

Qing Na - A kind, portly woman who spent her days tending to her children and selling the fish her husband caught at the market. Lycoris remembers peeking out from behind her skirts as she fended off haggling customers. Her fate, however, remains unclear to Lycoris, though he holds little hope in his heart that she still lives.

Sha Xian - Sha Lu and Qing Na’s first son; died in infancy from an untreated fever.

Sha Ruo - Lycoris’ sister, older than him by five years. With choppy, black locks and crooked teeth from one too many scuffles with the neighbourhood children, she’d been a boisterous child who dreamt of things far beyond her station, at least until her capture by Volantene slavers when she turned fifteen.

R’hllor

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At first glance, Lycoris might seem like someone you could easily befriend. He’s usually affable, polite and good-natured, but that’s only if you have something he needs. Deceptively charming and friendly, he is exceptionally skilled at talking his way out of any and all situations. For all his lies and trickery, however, he is damned good at what he does, and never makes a promise he does not intend to keep. Depending on which day of the week you catch him on, he can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. To his subjects, he’s always cordial, almost sickeningly sweet, giving them exactly what they want, each and every time they come crawling back.

As for those he has no need of, however, they often find themselves put off by his unfriendly exterior. Going from an almost saccharine geniality to a tepid monotone is a specialty of his. He doesn’t abide by anyone’s rules apart from his own, though he’s very good at pretending otherwise, biding his time until he can snatch up the prize. Naturally venomous, aloof, and even distant, he is used to putting on a variety of faces to achieve the means to an end.

While he does surround himself with dark and dangerous people who most certainly do not mean well, and it is no secret that he’d rather serve himself instead of lifting an arm to help others, one should not forget that while Lycoris is a priest of R’hllor, that doesn’t mean that he’s heartless or without morals. He isn’t a cruel man; he does not believe in unnecessary violence towards others. He kills only when necessary, preferring to resort to other measures to achieve his ends.

Interestingly, while he has a rather obnoxious habit of grandstanding, he has very little tolerance of the habit in others. Lycoris, whenever the situation allows it, frequently admonishes others to get to the point. But with a keen wit, a penchant for absurdism, and a horrifyingly macabre streak, you get the sense that he always has a snicker hidden at the corner of his mouth, even if everyone around him is a little afraid to join in.

Lycoris was born Sha He, in a small fishing village right on the edge of Yi Ti. He lived a stable yet unremarkable life as the youngest son of a fisherman and his wife. He’d been a shy, introverted child, often driven to tears as his fiery, red hair marked him as a target of ridicule early on in life. Instead of seeing his unusual hair color for what it was - the result of a recessive gene born from distant Asshai’i relations - the other villagers thought of it as an omen, a warning of turbulent times to come. His family, however, remained steadfast in their support. Many a time, as he waded through the churning, green shallows of the Jade Sea, he dreamt of fleeing Yi Ti, and leaving his life behind. Surely, there had to be something out there for him, far beyond the horizon. He almost believed that nothing could be worse than the whisperings behind his back, and the bruises he got from neighbourhood bullies. Little did he know, however, that there was an opportunity that awaited him, though it came in a form neither he nor anyone else expected.

From the Free Cities came a fleet of slaving ships, intent on pillaging small seaside towns for the young and able-bodied. Lycoris and his sister, Sha Ruo, were among those taken, though they ended up on separate ships, each emblazoned with unique symbols and headed to different destinations. Lycoris didn’t know why or how the slavers came so far; perhaps the slavers were running out of resources on their own continent, or maybe it was just a need to satisfy curiosities about the Golden Empire. Whatever the reason, however, he couldn’t find it in himself to care after he was locked below deck with a mass of shivering, sweating bodies.

Days stretched into weeks, and weeks stretched into months. It seemed like an eternity before the ship finally made its way back to Essos. Lycoris thought it a miracle that he even survived the long, arduous journey. He’d seen with his own two eyes as child after child drop dead in the damp, dark cellar, flies swarming their bodies before the ship’s crew finally got around to dumping them overboard. And then, for the first time in months, he set foot on solid ground, the warm, golden sun beating down on his skin. Of course, none of that distracted him from the cold, iron shackles around his wrists and ankles, nor the appraising gazes of rich men who sought a new slave to add to their collection.

He spent a year as an errand boy to a Lyseni noble, before the man finally grew tired of his reluctance to carry out his tasks. Deciding that he could make a pretty penny selling the boy off to a local brothel - the madames were always looking for fresh meat - he had his seneschal haul Lycoris off to one without delay. He should count himself lucky, he supposed, that he was only there for a month, though he still loathed the experience with every fibre of his being. While passing one of the many Red Temples in Lys, the high priestess saw him, and offered him a new, more respectable life as a servant to R’hllor. Needless to say, he jumped at the opportunity; going back to that dreadful place was the last thing he wanted. The high priestess gave him a new name, in reflection of his new life - Lycoris.

It was a decade later when he finally completed his training. Now a grown man, he was also a priest of R’hllor, a servant to the Lord of Light. The high priestess sent him to Westeros, as an envoy of sorts. For the most part, Westerosi were still reluctant to accept the teachings of R’hllor, and they were going to need more than an army to fend off the Great Other. Thus, Lycoris arrived to new lands and faces, eventually rising in rank to become an unofficial advisor to the Baratheons.

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