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"It is my last conscious breath which shall sunder your being, demon! Let history remember that. Let him know that were it not for you, he would know my fury!"
N A M E / A L I A S
Lyrsaeyn Dryeir – Beacon of the Lost.
A G E O F L E G E N D
48,000.
M Y T H O L O G Y
As told from the Journals of Orthun Raith:
“Born among the once petty folk of Evaeryn, the larger of two islands off the southern coast of Evaeryn, Lyrsaeyn's story is one of tragedy. Loved only by his poor urchin parents, the young child was kept secret from the townsfolk so that the family, though poor and miserly, might live a peaceful life. It was not to be so, for at the age of seven their secret was discovered and so was revealed to the Islanders the blindness of the child. First he was cast into the forests, made to survive in the wilds of the town.
"Lost and alone for days Lyrsaeyn wandered among the trees, yet no beast attacked him and even what plants could have harmed him, did not. So it was that a month later the young, frightened child emerged from the forest...but alas he was changed. His blind eyes could see and his awakened sight was frightening to the villagers, as his eyes shone a haunting light, full of an intensity which pierced the soul itself. So he was chained and brought to knee before the city's leader and the execution whom he controlled.
"Yet, when his form they sought to kill, the winds rose, the woods shrieked, and the earth trembled—sky shrouded in malicious clouds. Thunder and lightning descended upon the village and so, as the blade swung through the air, it was struck, the executioner felled, and the blade struck through the air, where it pierced the leader's heart.
"Then, as if nothing at all had transpired, the sky was clear and the marketplace of the city...calm. The folk of Evaeryn looked at one another, and then to the boy with terror and awe in their eyes and so...they allowed him stay in the village for five more years. Still, as nothing further occurred in this time, the Islanders grew restless, forgetting the results before, and so sent him into Evaeryn's forests once more, bidding him farewell and warning him never to return.
"So the boy wandered among the wilderness, now more aware of his circumstances...and the world around him. He came to feel comfortable among the forests of the land, but the island, with its vile memories, made him restless. So it was that he came to Evaeryn's coast, and as if waiting for him, was a fishing boat. Allowed on board, the boy was delivered to the mainland, South of Heartlands.
"His path taking him through towns and forests, Lyrsaeyn brought peace to wherever he went, as spirits were called to him...and away from those whom they tormented. With time they became a burden and so, hearing of the Wisemen of Orthus' Isle, the young man made way to the smaller of the southern islands: The Isle of Orthus.
"Twas here, in the forests of the temple islands that the Wisemen taught him the ways of the Invoker, showing him the path he was to tread. It is said that he stayed for two years, before the winds of fate called him away.
"There were no winds. No, only the words of a hooded stranger come in the dead of night. To him the stranger spoke these words, 'To the Heartlands go, scion of mind and spirit both. Your life, while a burden to you, is one of just purpose. For in the Heart of these lands there slumbers a beast, and only by your hand and that of two others, can it be slain. Without one the others fail. Do not fail.' The man, it is said, turned and began to walk away. If the young man replied history does not remember his words.
"Nonetheless, given purpose by the enigmatic stranger, Lyrsaeyn bid the Wisemen farewell, and set sail, then made way to the Heartlands on foot. However, granted greater power and understanding of the world, Lyrsaeyn became a saviour to the people—or so many would like to think.
"Often untold by storytellers and minstrels both, there are those few who tell the story of Lyr's wretched trek. For while much good was wrought in his wake, the world is a balance, and so—though I regret speak it—evil was wrought as well. Though most benefited from his passing, there were those unlucky few who drew the mage's ire, and to them and all who were near came depravity of a sort not seen since his passing.
"Villages left with not a conscious soul, minds torn from their bodies while others still are haunted to this day, the taint of rage and fury in the errant spirits of old. Still, perhaps the outcome was worth the cost.
"However, with the fateful meeting of Lyrsaeyn and Sarynia, the storm calmed and so the beginnings of the Triumvirate were made. Then as news of blood spilled on the soil of Evaeryn reached his ears Lyrsaeyn, pulled by fate, made his way to the island where the third of the Triumvirate came to know the other two.
“Retracing his steps, Lrysaeyn made his way back to the Island of Evaeryn, a place which had brought little but despair to his life. So it was that he caught a boat to its shores and upon arriving discovered the people of the island in a sorry state. Everyone of them, women and children included, had been slaughtered—they had been judged unworthy, some say.
Twas on that island that the Triumvirate united, though little is known as to exactly why. From there, the trio made their way northwest.
It was there, in the Heartlands, that the Triumvirate's Legend truly began."
"When the Restless March was completed, the three Trials of Mind, Body, and Soul overcome, the time came for the Triumvirate of eld to set their sights upon the Elysian Plains and meet the destiny that the Prince of the Void had laid out for them. Few records manage to recount precisely what it was that was fought, referring to it only as a great evil, but the true name of the scourge of the realm that they faced was Lazarus, the Undying.
As little literature survived Lazarus' various onslaughts, and history is written in the glory-emboldened eyes of those who did manage to drive the abomination into slumber, the truth of what Lazarus was or could do is lost, even to we Fates. Lazarus possessed unnatural durability, to the point that it simply could not be killed by normal means or normal men, and only with great sacrifices was it pushed to the brink of dormancy that it hovered upon before it set to consume all things. We believe that Lazarus corrupted and twisted the natural cycle of life to its own benefit, drawing strength from the untimely demise of those around it to extend its own time in this world. Perhaps, initially, it was no more than a nuisance but the continued reaping of helpless souls eventually rendered it beyond death until the Triumvirate arrived. Even now we do not know if this explanation is true, as none of the Triumvirate survived the encounter (with the exception of Lyr, whose mind was broken and thus was of no use)."
When the Triumvirate completed their respective Trials, they each marched upon the resting grounds of the abomination Lazarus and sought to vanquish it for all of eternity. In order to weaken the creature, Dormeria raised a veritable army of the dead whose vitality and souls had long been spent to wear Lazarus down, sacrificing much of her own life force to do so. Lyr shattered Lazarus' mind, bringing his own to the very edge of madness, and grappled with the creature long enough for Sarynia to perform the ritual to bind its soul within a mortal vessel that it might be slain. Lyr was the first to sacrifice himself, utterly breaking his own mind to temporarily render Lazarus vulnerable to the psychic and spiritual onslaught of Sarynia. While Sarynia bound the creature's essence, Dormeria prepared the ritual to bind the demon within her body and then die, killing them both in the process.
Dormeria's Trial of Body had taken its toll, and continued reliance upon Ukenagasu had left her with too little of her own inherent life force to bind Lazarus within herself for long enough to kill it. With no alternative, Dormeria bound the Undying within Sarynia's body and shortly thereafter breathed her last breath, crumbling to ash as she did so. Though strong of body and soul, Sarynia's mind could only contend with Lazarus for as long as Lyr's power weakened it, and Sarynia forfeited her soul to destroy Lazarus' - with no soul, Sarynia and Lazarus both expired within moments.
As only the three witnessed the battle, the stories that are told are all the world has to go by, with different cultures each celebrating a particular member of the Triumvirate and lording them above all others - some venerate Sarynia as an all-benevolent martyr betrated by Dormeria, some laud Lyr as the hero who outsmarted an undying demon, and some idolise Dormeria as the very essence of power and sacrifice. The only thing these various legends have in common is that they speak of the total eradication of Lazarus - and naught has been heard of the demon since.” - Historian Clorissa Thossarian, First Fate of the Order of the Skyward Eye.
A P P E A R A N C E
Standing at 5'9, slim form covered by cloak, hood, and the garments of a traveler, Lyrsaeyn has about him an air of mystery. His steps silent and his presence subtle, this mage is a man who keeps to himself. Often shaven despite his travels, Lyrsae does his best not to garner the attention of those around him, but despite his largely unassuming appearance, it is often that the lithe man finds others approaching him.
His form fairly athletic in musculature, features sharp and handsome, perhaps Lyr's most striking physical asset are his eyes. Shining from dark blue at the edges to a light cyan as they near their centers, Lyr's eyes have a subtle glow to them that, in the dim, clearly shine. Furthermore, should one catch the mage using his magic, this subtle glow shifts to a blinding ethereal fire. This is accompanied by the whispers, screams, and songs of any number of spirits as they whirl about him, bound to his being.
Lyrsaeyn's full traveling garb consists of many billowing layers, meant to insulate him from cold, but be loose enough to protect from heat. With the outer cloaks being largely waterproof from the oils of various plants and animals, Lyr's clothes serve him well in his travels.
A B I L I T I E S & E Q U I P M E N T
V A E N Y R -- L Y S A E A, G A T E W A Y S T O M E R I D I A N
A pair of rings, one crafted of the Merkstave's Dark and the other of the Heaven's light, Vaenyr and Lysaea were gifts from the God Orthus granted to Lyrsaeyn and Sarynia before their fateful battle against Lazarus, the Undying. While the rings appear to be polar opposites, the two are in truth twins in disguise. Possessing identical abilities, Vaenyr and Lysaea are capable of transmitting the boons of one upon another, thus transmitting certain protective properties between the wearers.
While the rings can be worn and utilized by anyone, they are strongest when worn by the two they were created to unify. When worn by these two the effects are as follow.
Lysaea, the ring which was worn by Lyrsaeyn, grants its wearer Sarynia's protection, thus shielding the mage greatly from outside influences, which would otherwise pull on the soul and affect the mind. This primarily works upon negative or harmful influences meaning that Raelia, one of Lyrsaeyn's other Artifacts, would be unaffected by his wearing Lysaea. In fact, the two empower one another for reasons that only the two heroes know.
On the otherhand, Vaenyr, Sarynia's ring, grants its wearer heightened spiritual awareness, thus amplifying one's natural perception as well as allowing them to view emotions and impressions as Lyrsaeyn does.
Last among the abilities of the two rings is their ability to allow their wearers an awareness of eachother's mental and emotional state. While this does not make them capable of reading one another's minds, it does make it easier for them to work together and for either to know whether their counterpart is alive and well.
While the rings may be worn by anyone they are partial to their owners meaning that should another wear one of the rings, the owners—whether wearing a ring or not—will be capable of tracking down whomever has dared steal the Artifacts. Should both rings ever be taken from their true wielders they attract one another and bring misfortune to their wearers in addition to the boons of one another's protection. Should the rings ever go unworn they will begin to release a sound beyond the perception of most men, allowing them to be located only by the spiritually or magically aware.
R A E L I A, C H A R M O F T H E S I R E N
While it is said that Lyr bound the soul of a great magus into the amulet, the truth of the matter is far different. In truth, the Charm of the Siren was given to him by Sarynia Bael as a gift to sooth his pain and sharpen his focus. This reveals the Artifact's ability to bring a form of peace, infusing them with a dangerously disarming calm as the voice of the being held within, like a siren, sings its wearer into paradise. At least, this would be its effect should another without the blessing of its owner wear it. Instead, when worn by those with the blessing of its owner the Charm of the Siren diffuses stress, soothes the soul, and increases the focus of the wearer. In Lyrsaeyn's case, the amulet also serves to amplify his focus almost twenty-fold, thus increasing his range and potency phenomenally. This is largely due to the resonance which takes place between Lyrsaeyn and the Amulet's soul. How the amulet came to be inhabited by this soul is a detail lost to time, but perhaps, with his Resurrection, the mystery can be unraveled. Perhaps.
A R L A Y R E, W E L L O F S O U L S
An artifact of immense power, the Well of Souls is a longsword and sheath, the first more plain than the second. The longsword, which has been glimsped by many, but remembered by few due to its nature possesses a host of complex inscriptions upon its form written in an unknown tongue. The longer the blade is exposed, the more these runes shift and shimmer upon the blade's surface. In regards to its sheath, which the longsword should have never been drawn from, it is ornately gilded with materials resembling silver, gold, and obsidian. The last of these three constantly shifts its location and arrangement when the blade is sheathed. It is said that this material is the essence of the Merkstave made stone, but such things are impossible to confirm.
What is not difficult to realize however are the devastating consequences of drawing the Artifact. In fact, so great is the power of the drawn blade, Arlayre, that since the loss of its sheath during the slaying of Lazarus, The Undying, the weapon has been placed upon the Altar of Souls in the center of the temple on the Isle of Orthus where it remains to this day. Since its relocation to the Isle, none, but the priests of Orthus have been capable of coming within twenty miles of its shore without being entrapped by the tool's insidious influence. This influence is such that it draws those with spirit, be they dead or living, to its form—culling their reason and sense of self. As a result those affected by the cursed blade often die of exposure, dehydration, or starvation—whichever comes first—due to the mindless urge to become one with its form. For the living, death binds the soul to the object while the spirits of the dead are bound the moment they enter its sway.
As a result the Isle of Orthus has come to be known as the Bedlam of Souls and none who have so foolishly sailed the waters which surround it, let alone walked upon its shores, have left since the blade was relocated to it 30,000 years ago.
While the origins of Arlayre have never been confirmed, it is likely that, due to its immense power, it was not crafted by the hands of any mortal man, but was instead given as a gift to Lyr by Orthus himself.
It should be known that while the blade may appear powerful when unsheathed, it is useless without its sheath as it cannot even be carried into any populated location unless it has first been sheathed. Additionally, the Well of Souls is not without its disadvantages, the most notable of which is the fact that while the unsheathed blade may have nigh undisputable power, this power is essentially useless to someone even so skilled as Lyrsaeyn. In fact, it is only with the sheath that the power can be contained within the blade, allowing its wielder to contain the spiritual power which has gathered to the blade over the millenia that it has been unsheathed. Still, even with its sheath the power's influence is not entirely curbed for its wielder. In fact, the very nature of Arlayre practically assures that the blade may only be partially unsheathed unless its wielder wishes to sacrifice themselves in one final attempt at victory.
While more rumor than fact, it is said that the strength of one's consciousness, and thus mind and will, dictate how strongly the Well of Souls will influence any given person. So it is seen that the weaker the will or lower the power, the less ability to resist one possesses. It is said that the ability of the Priests of Orthus to resist the blade's infernal power is evidence of this. However, it is just as true that no one has seen a living member of the isle's priests since the blade made the temple its home.
Who knows what is fact or fiction now?
V A L E ' S I N S I G H T
Born into a world of indistinct colors and shapes, Lyrsaeyn was said to be almost blind to the physical world, and this holds true. Rather than view the material layer of Ansus like most mortal men, Lyrsaeyn was born with the ability to perceive both the spiritual energies around him as well as the realms of Heaven and Merkstave. This makes him abundantly aware of the subtle energies of magic, the emotions, and the mind in particular. However, while he can sense those with powerful magics or strong minds, Lyr cannot intrude into the minds of the living in any direct sense. Instead, the mage can pick up on the emotions projected between people, allowing him to tell how someone is feeling and gain impressions as to their basic intentions or mind state. Still, this is not to say that he can ordain the intricate details of one's mind, nor the reason for one's emotions any better than most men—though the ability does allow him to largely circumvent his inability to read body language or facial expressions due to the blurry nature of his physical sight.
While this ability is primarily tied to his vision, over the course of his life it progressed further, tying itself into all of his senses, allowing him to better discern energies through the use of taste, touch, smell, and even sound. This as such allows him to hear the voices of the dead or disembodied as well as feel the whispers of consciousness which remain woven into the very fabric of Ansus itself.
Perhaps least known of his perceptual abilities is related to his awareness of the Heavens and Merkstave respectively. Once his awareness of the former allowed him a unique connection to what became his patron god, Orthus, Prince of the Void. Unfortunately, with the death of the gods, the Heavens are largely empty now and so it is that the Merkstave writhes while its counterpart remain earily quiet. Nonetheless, this ability may serve some purpose in the conflicts to come, after all, the future is a strange and nebulous thing and one can never be too prepared.
I N V O C A T I O N
A magic art which few in the lands of Ansus have ever taken to and even fewer have mastered, Invocation is the power to call upon and manipulate spirits or beings from either the Merkstave, or perhaps for the most favored of the gods, the Heavens themselves. For Lyrsaeyn, this allowed him, via his Mind aspect, to tap into the energies inherent to the spirit, namely the emotions and consciousness itself. By tapping into these forces Lyrsaeyn is capable of manipulating, purifying, and otherwise influencing the spirit and its energies—known commonly as thoughts, emotions, and lifeforce. A wielder of this magic is first and foremost capable of affecting change to the spirit by imposing their will and their emotion upon them.
In the case of the living, Lyrsaeyn is only capable of emitting emotional or thought-form suggestions, which can influence one's natural actions only if their own will and emotion does not overpower the suggestion—as it so often does. However, unlike the minds of living men, the consciousness of a spirit is often weaker as it fades away and is integrated with the fabrics of Ansus. Due to Lyr's unique perception he is even capable, unlike any after or before him, of drawing spiritual energy, which has been integrated with Ansus, out and moulding it into a physical force, which he may wield to his own devices. More often than not this energy is utilized to impart greater tangibility to the spirits which he so frequently used as his tool in the world.
It is said that with this power, Lyrsaeyn could sunder even the minds of immortal beasts, but storytellers do love their drama do they not?
B I N D I NG
An advanced form of Invocation, Binding is an art, which Lyr is said to have created himself, thus being the first Bound Mage in history. In essence, an Invoker can call upon the energies at their disposal and weave them into the bonds which hold an errant spirit to the physical world via their life's attachments. Once this is done the Mage imposes their will upon the bond, which the spirit's attachments have crafted and shifts the focus of said bonds. For Lyr, the Beacon of the Lost, this ability was utilized to bind errant spirits to his own, giving him greater influence, and ultimately complete control over both their energies and consciousness as a whole.
This art comes with great boons, allowing a bound mage to utilize the spirit to do their bidding, act as envoy for them, and supply them with its mental and spiritual energies thus empowering them in the process. However, binding or utilizing the energies of another is not an act which comes without a price—a fact which Lyrsaeyn was acutely aware of. When consuming the psychic or spiritual energies of a spirit bound to oneself, the user becomes reliant on these energies over time in addition to their own psyche becoming weaker and weaker over time. Additionally, should a malignant spirit or force be bound to something or someone that force will feed on their consciousness regardless to whether or not they feed on its energies, thus causing them to gradually lose their sanity. This incidentally makes it more likely for a Bound Mage to impart in the energies of these spirits to keep themselves sane.
This, as such, can turn its wielder into a form of psychic vampire, feeding off of the spiritual energies of other entities to maintain their own. In Lyr's case the Charm of the Siren was utilized, increasing his ability to resist the pull of the spirits bound to his person in addition to placating their lust for spiritual energies greatly. This alongside his proximity to Sarynia, the Soul's Bastion kept him sane and in relatively good mental health till the fateful battle against Lazarus.
A U R A
As a result of Lyrsaeyn's excessive use of Bound magic in his time, the man has become what one might call a spiritual Beacon. This is caused by a passive aura of psychic and spiritual energies, which flows from his form, created via his own energies mixing with those of Ansus, where they spread outwards. The resultant effect is an air which beckons people to come to him whether alive...or dead. The further away one is from him the weaker the effect, with few exceptions. The primary way in which this ability influences others is by causing an impulse to interact with Lyr, whether one knows who he is or not. However, this impulse is not specific and so the nature of that interaction is undefined. Furthermore, due to the sheer density of spiritual energy which became inherent to his being, Lyrsaeyn is a spiritual beacon, making him easily detectable by almost anyone with even a shred of magical sensitivity. While he can mask his exact location and suppress this energy greatly with the use of bound spirits, it is impossible for him to become wholly without presence. Perhaps this will remain a burden in this life as it was in the past...or maybe the world has changed.
Nonetheless, it is said that in life, it was this Aura which brought many a tragedy upon Lyrsaeyn. Though perhaps it brought him good fortune as well, since it is likely the very force which brought the Triumvirate together. Such things are hard to tell as in legend fact and fiction are blurred together making the truth quite the illusive thing indeed. Such is the nature of Myth.
R E N D I N G
A dark power discovered only due to the mind enhancing effects of Binding Lyr was capable of achieving heights unheard of by any before or after him. By this it is meant that he discovered that with sufficiently vast quantities of spiritual energy one is capable of damaging the soul or spiritual energy of others. Considered his most devastating ability, Rending came to be known particularly well among select communities south of the Heartlands, who were exposed to Lyrsaeyn's power before he had gained hold sufficient enough to contain it.
It is this power in its strongest form that served to slay the seemingly immortal Lazarus. In its most powerful form, Rending is capable of shattering the very bonds of soul and mind and forcibly integrating them into the world or the mage themselves. This spell, known as Mind Rend, is however immensely taxing not only in the energy required, but in the fact that it draws not only from the spiritual energies gathered by the user. No, instead, Mind Rend sacrifices both four times the energy density of the soul the mage wishes to affect, and a portion of the user's consciousness. It is for this reason that the use of Mind Rend upon Lazarus sundered Lyrsaeyn's mind as well, rendering him practically bereft of any mind at all, the rest of which he lost in the years that followed.
Due to its immense power and the sacrifices which are intrinisic to its use, Mind Rend is an ability not to be utilized lightly. Furthermore, the greater the power and psychic resistance or resilience of an individual the more energy it requires to use Mind Rend upon them. Lyrsaeyn, though legend tells not of it, firmly abhors this spell, despite being its creator.
