Story

Pirate Years
Joining Captain Amra's crew, Sieryl changed her name to Lyreis Levy, cutting part of her mother's name for herself, and making it clear she was now a child of the Leviathan, their ship. She grew from a little princess to a real pirate after years of teaching and harsh conditions. The Leviathan was the only ship that could navigate the treacherous sea of her world, where magnetic storms leads many to their deat. Amra had a magic compass that could protect his ship, and he used that to travel to unknown islands and continents. He was against slavery, and soon Lyreis shared his views, fighting the many slave traders and freeing their slaves to bring them somewhere they couldn't be found again. Amra gave her his ship and role on his deathbed, and she holded unto his teaching until one day, the compass didn't protect them and she was thrown into the deep sea. When she woke up, she had lost her memory, emotions, and found herself in another world, on the eorzean coasts with an unknown power that was the Echo.

Early times in Eorzea
Found by gridanians, she was sent to the capital to be checked by E-Sumi-Yan who took an interest to her particular ether, and taught her about Conjuring and healing spells. She partook in the art easily, and was then thrown around as an adventurer, meeting with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. It took until the events of the Praetorium to get her emotions back, and until after the Dragonsong War for a man named Aether to find a way to unlock her memories. Between those, she spent months in the Gubal Library to learn as much as she could about this world and its magic, bringing some finding to an abandonned house south of Idyllshire. During one night she mistaked two bottles and drank a fantasia, turning into a miqo'te in the morning. Returning to Ishgard, she decided to learn the art of Astromancy and left her conjurer staff behind. Lyreis then met people by chance working with the Scions, and created friendships with a small group that would soon leave together and create a new Free Company named Edelweiss, after a hard fight against a creature akin to a Primal borned from nightmares. At that time, she also fell for Aether, and soon started a relationship with him and had her first child, Sohen, who sadly had his aether tainted by the "Primal".

The Edelweiss
A group of eight people started this Free Company that became known to work closely with the Warrior of Light, a role Lyreis took during her first years in Eorzea before the real one would be ready to take the mantle. While working to keep the company afloat, she lost her husband while having to take care of her son alone, before he was brought back from the sea of stars by their friends. But things didn't turned out well, as Sohen, their son, was sook by a powerful voidsent who felt the aether of Nightmare on him. Talking to the boy in his dreams, he told him he would be his friend. Aether decided against his wife advice to bring the voidsent to their world by giving him a body made from his own aether so he could control him. But things didn't went accordingly, and the voidsent could act on his own. He did though played his part as to lower the parents guard. At the same time it was found that Nightmare had created artefacts before being defeated that would bring him back, and posessed one of the Edelweiss member, forcing the group to find their friend. Lyreis had then to use the Benediction of Light attributed to her to seal the creature away in her friend's soul, having no other choice, but leaving her weak and cutting her link to the aether. At that time, she then doubted of Hydaelyn's place as a benevolant God, and started saying that she was a Primal, more powerful than any other. Now incapable of using the aether around her to heal, she met X'Rhun Tia and learned about red magic, training as much as she could while being pregnant of her second child, Lyra.

The Source and the Shard
It took a few years before Lyreis met with her Source counterpart. Given a strange tomestone by an elezen, she found a laboratory within Azys Lla with her friends containing a program to train loyal soldiers of the Emperor. Inside was a teenage girl stuck into a box, frozen in time, who would awake with the laboratory. She looked like Lyreis but with a red right eye, an allagan royalty of sort. Named Sieryl, she was the "real one" for the First Shard. This sent Lyreis into a spiral of thoughts leading to her thinking she shouldn't be there and that all was a mistake. At the same time, troubles stearing around her Company made her decide to move her family away in Hingashi, so they would be hidden from their ennemies. There, she visited Yanxia and at one point found rests of a shipwreck : it was half of her ship, the Leviathan. She decided with Aether to rebuild the ship, and seeing that even in Shirogane, their ennemies found them and put their children in danger, they sent them on the ship with their caretaker, Lilyven. Aether, on his part, wanted to leave anyway since he grew tired of this life, only wishing to return to his spy life. Without telling much of what he was going to do, he asked Lyreis to hide too, and having learned about the Populares faction in Garlemald, she decided to join them to maybe help settle the war raging near Gyr Abania.

Inside Garlemald
Coming Soon

Snips and Prompts

Strained
The long corridors felt even bigger and intimidating than usual today. Paintings of ancestors long gone, windows taking over all the height of the walls, and here and there some furniture and plants to remind her that this place was, in fact, not haunted and left alone. Walking at her normal pace, followed by a silent maid with her head low, Sieryl knew that if she was alone she would have run away in the other direction. It wasn’t so much the place than the person she was going to meet that made her shiver. His majesty summoned her today, and she couldn’t refuse. Her steps were slow, the silence making everything go at an eerie pace.Soon she got to the door and a butler who was standing there opened the door for Sieryl to enter the room, where a few people were enjoying tea in pure bliss. Something she hadn’t experienced those last few months. Certainly, they were all people she couldn’t bear to see, but couldn’t escape from. Stepping gracefully into the room, she bowed to the king, her step-mother who didn’t daigned looking at her, and her step-brother who was stuffing his mouth with cakes. The king took a moment before telling her to rise, as maybe enjoying the situation, or because he didn’t want to see how much his daughter was resembling his past wife.-It took you long enough to come here, Sieryl.
-I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I will make more haste at your next summoning.
-Yes, yes, he said while moving his hand. Now that you’ve finally arrived, it is time to speak about your future.
-My future, Your Majesty?
-Of course, darling dear.The woman finally looked at her with a fake smile and an air of contempt, her eyes sharp on the small girl that was the princess. Sieryl trembled a bit, wondering what this woman had decided for her, using her charms to sway her father.-See, you’re an adult now, and it is time you think of marrying a man and bear children.
-An adult? But-
-And thus we have discussed much with your father here, and since you haven’t got any suitors yet…
-Kadra had the lovely idea of organizing a banquet to invite bachelors to meet you and make an offer for your hand.The rest of the discussion fell deaf into Sieryl’s ear. An offer for her hand… Was she to be sold to someone? Is that what they were thinking of? Her face didn’t show any of the turmoil in her head, but she was feeling sick. So, that was how it was going to be. This was the grand plan to make place for the new heir of the throne, making the Adelevy line break for good. No words came from her as she bowed down to her father’s decision and went back, but she was nauseous, and once far from the corridors, found a patch of flowers in the garden to let it all go, once more, far from prying eyes…

Achieved
From where she was, she could already see the sights of leaf cats roaming around the island. The sun was still setting, and those critters were running around before finding the best place for their morning nap. On the ship, people were waking up from their slumber, still unsure of what was going to happen. In between the scent of the sea Lyreis could breathe, there was the underlying fear of the unknown for the group of ex-slaves. While she folded-up her telescope, she stretched her back, then scratched her head. They always acted that way, and she couldn’t blame them, but it was something she wished wouldn’t happen after all those years. It’s not like Amra didn’t prepare her for this life, but still… She shrugged : they would change their mind after seeing the great city of Ayothaya and its people, all welcoming of anyone in need.Going down the few stairs, she joined the ex-slaves slowly waking up and seeing the island not far from them. They didn’t believe something existed out in the great ocean, the unknown always quite scary after all. Her hands on her hips, Lyreis looked at them, acting once more as the proud captain of the Leviathan.-We’ll soon arrive to your new homeland. I know some of y’all still don’t trust me, and I won’t blame ya, but ya can now see I wasn’t lying on y’all.She smiled fiercely to the faces of those who soon will be completely free, and able to have a new life far from the horrible treatment of Rune-Midgard. The children were already unable to stay in place, running around and screaming of joy after the ship was close enough to see the jungle and wild animals roaming, and the city coming slowly in view. The adults, not necessarily linked by blood, were now together in this, and awed to the splendor of the land of the sun. Who would have thought a whole world existed beyond the thunderstorms of the ocean ? And that the most wanted pirate of all could sail without a worry, protected by the Gods ?Setting foot on the island, Lyreis took her red hat from her purple hair and watched as the now free citizens of Ayothaya be welcomed by the locals, and even some previously freed slaves. Some family reunited, some friends found after many years, some lovers able to renew their vows. It was moments like this that made it all worth it, for her and her crew. Julian, her quartermaster, stood a step behind her, watching in silence, but a soft smile turning the corner of his lips that were normally set in stone. The only reward they needed, the joy of people being freed from despair and a fate sometimes worse than death itself. Lyreis looked up to the temple, farther from the port, and then, holding her hat to her chest, said a small prayer to her adoptive father.“We’re doing it Amra. Keeping your legacy alive. I hope you’re proud of us…”

Changed
The day had been quite long and the sun was slowly setting in the shabby house she’d take as her shelter since few months. Having spent days in the Gubal library these past days, Lyreis had many books to read to free her head from the growing guilt building inside her mind. Leaving wasn’t an easy choice. Staying would have been even harder if she was honest. But she couldn’t keep going on as it was. And so she decided to hide away for a time, how long she hasn’t decided, and to maybe find answers to her many questions. In the ruins of Old Sharlayan she found a place to stay that standed still beneath the many houses left as they were. She could protect herself from the few monsters around, and find food and herbs to keep on going. The library, that she sneaked in with the blessing of Master Matoya, was her source of knowledge, countless hours of research to know. Know if she was human. Thordan words kept ringing in her ears even after she ended his life…Now watching the sun setting off, she tightened her shawl around her shoulders. Not that it was cold, as for once the land was actually having a warm summer, but she always felt a chill when the light disappeared, as she only counted for herself “One more day, and still nothing”. Lyreis wasn’t sure she would find any in her lifetime anyway, but the hope made her keep going. She lost everyone anyway, left for Tataru and Alphinaud, and she didn’t want to lose them too. The hyur couldn’t save anyone close to her heart, misery followed her, or maybe she created it by her presence only, and she preferred to stay away, thinking it would be a good ward to chase death from them. A sigh, and Lyreis decided it was time to sleep. The night would be there soon, and with it the darkest thoughts. Better to be asleep than to think of ending it all. Climbing the stone stairs, she found her bed between piles of books and a few clothes, and got under the cover, to warm her heart more than her body. The heat was getting stronger somehow, but she didn’t think much of it, and let her mind wander, seeking the solace of the unconsciousness.She was running as fast as she could. Behind her, a dark shade was walking, slowly, a face of desperation barely visible, eyes scared but accusing. A monster. A monster. It was her face. Her eyes. Her voice saying those words. “It is what you are. You cannot escape.” But still she was running, trying her best to get away from herself, from the dark presence inside of her.Lyreis was now awake, in the middle of the night. Her eyes had difficulty finding focus in the dark, and her heart rate to calm down. Her breath was short, locked in her throat, but soon a breeze broke off the nightmare that was still playing in her mind. A window that wasn’t tightly shut was making noise and forced her to rise from her bed. It was better anyway than staying in it and having the nightmare coming back again. Stepping down, she latched the window, and looked around. Nothing was missing or moving. It was just her that didn’t do her job correctly for once. Slowly making her way to the kitchen, she stumbled a bit but finally got to the bottles on the table. She needed something to calm her down, to numb her mind, and she remembered a few potions she found in Gubal would do the trick. But it was the night, and there wasn’t much light to show her the labels on the bottles. It was already too late to read any of them anyway, as she chugged the one in her hand down as fast as she could. Going back to her bed, Lyreis didn’t feel anything special, and went back to sleep, only wondering what she’d do the next day, if there was anything to do anyway.Waking up was harder than usual. Nesting in her cover, Lyreis didn’t feel like opening her eyes. The sound of birds chirping outside was louder than usual, and she put her pillow on top of her ears to make it go away. But it felt a bit strange. Her ears didn’t seem to encounter the pillow. It was as if they weren’t there anymore. “Not there… ?” Surely she was still half-asleep and that thought was utterly stupid, but she opened her eyes with a sudden apprehension. The cover fell from her as she sat on her bed. The light coming from behind the curtain hurted her eyes a bit, and her left hand touched something made of fur, which moved in surprise as she reacted to it. Lyreis looked down, feering a creature had come into her house during the night in the open window and found its way to her bed. It was… long, furry, moving… purple ? The same shade as her hair falling down in front of her gaze. “A tail”. Indeed it was a tail. Hers. Her hands moved slowly toward her head, in a slow realization of what was happening. They didn’t stop at where her ears used to be, but higher, softly touching two appendices that weren’t there yesterday. Her whole body felt different, stranger, a skin a bit too tight. Her vision changed, her senses exacerbated from her new sight, new hearing. Trying to get out of bed and standing felt like climbing the highest mountain. Keeping her balance with a tail was harder than she would have thought. A miqo’te. She turned into a miqo’te during the night, but why ? How ? And then it hitted her : the potion. In her haste, she did something terrible to herself. But, at the same time… No one would recognize her now, right ? Maybe… maybe she could use this change as a way to start her life again…