Lyri

A young mage studying elemental spellcrafting at Valefar Academy, and the third scion of the esteemed noble House of Arcanta. Lyri is a talented scholar who wants to make a difference in the world with her research... but between her difficult studies, social anxiety, and complicated relationship with her family, she's barely managing to stay afloat in her grad student life.

Recently, she set off on a research trip to investigate some strange mana anomalies near Valefar Shrine, and somehow stumbled into a thousand-year conspiracy that threatens the fate of the entire planet. Now she's on a journey to save the world, as unlikely as she is for the role.

To Strangers:

Those who are familiar with House Arcanta - a family of socialites and leaders - tend to be shocked when they meet Lyri for the first time. She's a shy, bookish girl who prefers classwork to people. While she does have some of that signature noble charm in one-on-one conversations, she starts stuttering and floundering the second she's put into the centre of attention.

Though she's a nice girl who gets along well with most people, some of her classmates are privately annoyed by how wishy-washy she is. She tends to go along with the general consensus in any conversation, and becomes very distressed if asked to pick a side. The more mean-spirited students would tell you she's just a suck-up with no opinions of her own, who will do anything to make connections at the Academy.

To Friends:

Lyri's public-facing persona is a result of her anxiety. Social conflict makes her extremely uncomfortable, and she will do whatever she has to in order to avoid it. She often says things she doesn't believe to avoid disapproval, and convinces herself in the process that the other person probably knows better anyway. As a result, her acquaintances all like her well enough, but she has very few friends who know her for who she really is.

As she becomes comfortable with someone, she allows herself to show more of her true personality - and proves to be surprisingly driven and opinionated. She's a serious young woman who holds herself and everyone around her to a high standard... and gets a little judgemental when they don't live up to them. Really, her biggest enemy is her low self-esteem; she has good instincts, but second-guesses herself, and ends up not doing anything at all.

Childhood

Lyri was born into the House of Arcanta, an influential family of mages that shares hundreds of years of history with Orlisian royalty. Her parents, who already had two promising heirs and were disappointed by her lack of proper horns, left her upbringing up to the tutors and maids. They rarely came to see her, and even when they did, they only talked about her academic achievements.

Hurt by her parents' dismissive attitude, Lyri dedicated herself to studying magic - the family's signature trade - in an attempt to impress them and earn their approval. At the age of nine, she moved to the family's vacation house in Valefar and enrolled at the school there, so she could make use of the Academy's research resources.

Valefar

At first, Lyri had a hard time adjusting to the public school system. Between her upbringing and her much older sisters, she wasn't used to talking to children her own age. Her anxiety made things even worse, and she struggled to make friends. About a year after the move, she met Remy, whose shenanigans managed to bring her out of her shell somewhat.

Lyri excelled in her studies, but it wasn't enough to escape the increasingly long shadows of her overachieving sisters; by the time she was 13, Sonorie was being lauded as a war hero, and anything she could do seemed meagre in comparison. Stubbornness (and, later, a genuine passion for spellcraft) propelled her onward, though, and she continued working toward her degree.

When she became a certified mage at the age of 18 and all she got from her parents was a little congratulatory card, she finally accepted that it was the best she was ever going to get. She resolved to cut ties with her family and continue her research on her own terms... but she hasn't gathered up the courage to overcome her social anxiety and say it to her parents' faces. She still attends formal events with the rest of House Arcanta, to avoid the awkward questions.

Research

Recently, the ambient mana levels near Valefar Shrine have dropped to a record low. Lyri had been struggling to find a suitable research project, and so jumped at the opportunity. Mysterious figures, spirits, & plot ensue from there!

Remy • childhood friend?

Ten years ago, Remy jumped out of a bush and shoved a slime in Lyri's face, and they've been friends ever since. Lyri finds him exhausting - he's impulsive and thoughtless, and loves to drag her around even when she's busy - but at the same time, she can't help but admire his earnest and straightforward attitude. She hopes to break out of her constant worrying and be a little more like him someday.

Her classmates don't really understand why she puts up with him; from their perspective, he's just some random summoner kid who won't leave her alone. She resents this attitude and wishes she could find the words to correct them, if only for Remy's sake.

Grace • big sister, reluctantly

Between their different life paths and 15-year age gap, Grace and Lyri have very little in common. Still, they managed to form an awkward bond of sorts, over House Arcanta's unfair treatment of both of them. To Lyri, Grace is more of a sympathetic aunt than a sister - someone to go to for advice, or when things go seriously wrong.

Sonorie • big sister, unfortunately

Lyri's studying the same branch of magic Sonorie specializes in, but can't match up to Sonorie's natural genius, and the family makes it crystal clear how disappointed they are about it. Worse, Sonorie herself seems to hate Lyri over a stupid misunderstanding. She's tired of living in Sonorie's shadow, and wishes she had the guts to tell her how she really feels.

Physical

• 160cm-ish, chubby, pear-shaped.
• downturned eyes make her look a little nervous even on the rare occasions she isn't.
• her eyes are dark purple, similar to dark brown eyes irl - they look black usually but more purple in direct light.
• blushes really easily - fluster her and she turns bright pink.
• has a tiny little tail, though it's usually not visible.

Demeanor

• always in motion - fidgeting with her hands or clothes, looking around, shuffling back and forth, etc. has the air of a nervous little animal.
• rarely ever smiles, but it's very cute when she does.

Style

• outfit examples
• usually in her school uniform (default outfit).
• almost always has a hat on in public, to hide her horns.
• prefers practical but classy outfits with little fancy accents, like short heels, ribbons, and frilled edges.
• avoids wearing blue or purple whenever possible, since they're associated with House Arcanta. Unfortunately, there are some formal events she can't get out of attending...

• She plays the viola, but doesn't too often - mostly when she's feeling lost and needs something to help her focus.
• In Empyria, ambient mana radiation causes people's appearances to vary depending on where they're born. The House of Arcanta has bought out large tracts of land to turn huge intimidating horns into their exclusive signature trait. Unfortunately Lyri's birth was unexpectedly early, and, well. You see her nubs.
• Her coat was a special award for graduating at the top of her class.