Name: Lyra Banes
Companion: Strix
Age: 22
Race: Human
Height: 5’ 2”
Eyes: Violet
Hair: Black, shoulder-length
Build: Lithe
Physical Characteristics: Left hand is missing the last two fingers from a training accident in addition to both arms being liberally scarred from Strix’s talons
Archetype: Fwizard
Occupation: Monster Hunter
Clothing: Grey tank top worn under a black leather hooded jacket. Roughly scuffed pants end in sturdy, clearly travel worn boots.
Relationships: None Worth Mentioning
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elvish
Likes: Strix, the ocean, seafood
Dislikes: windy days, complications, small talk
Notable Traits: Often quiet, prone to solve problems violently, considerate to those she shares a bond

Lyra grew up in tiny town notable only for her father’s inn on the Vilpamolan Coast. Very few people lived there, fishermen primarily, which deprived her of playmates, for the most part, beyond her elder sister growing up. The solidarity bothered her as a youth, but in time came to appreciate the solitude. Intermittently some guests would remain long enough, and be bored enough, to pay attention to a youth and teach language, gossip, and swordplay. Some of this random spattering of information benefits Lyra even still.

However, the more time passed the more Lyra realized she had no desire to remain in her hometown the rest of her life. Her sister was clearly interested in learning her father’s trade and eventually inheriting the inn. Lyra dreamt of grander things. She wanted to explore the world and create her own place in it. She could never do so at home. Her mother hoped Lyra would be drawn to her trade as a musician and teller of tales, but to no avail. Lyra learned to use her mother’s panpipes, but that was the extent of her musical inclination. She favored the sword, as her father once had. It slowly caused a rift to form in their family as Lyra failed to find her place.

Then came the day Lyra discovered Strix. There was nothing auspicious to mark the day; it started as any other day might. The inn had no guests present and as the chores had been completed,Lyra was turned loose. It was autumn and the temperature promised to chill in upcoming days. As such, the now young woman elected to venture into the mountains while the weather still permitted it. Her life changed forever when rounding a tree revealed a large opalescent egg in the process of hatching. Nothing else was near, no mother to safeguard the child or even predators drawn by that lack. Just the odd egg and Lyra. Knowing it likely unwise, but proceeding despite it, Lyra drew cautiously closer to discover the egg contained neither bird nor lizard- per se. A pearlescent dragon the size of a tome- but not nearly so hefty- lifted its head to turn to her as it shed the last of the shell. Lyra stood frozen mere steps away as she realized he beheld the emergence of a dragon. As she did the dragon’s opalescent eyes began to swirl in color and seemingly expel a violet color into its scales, purple pushing out the white. Lyra stood transfixed right up until the tiny dragon stumbled from its shell pieces and bumped into her leg. It mewed at her. Lyra had been promoted.

Her parents were far from pleased. They would not allow what Lyra named Strix into the inn. It was small now, but it would grow to be a menace and a threat to the region. It had to go. What they did not expect was for Lyra to go with it. They fought to convince their daughter to stay, but they ultimately failed. What Lyra didn’t expect was for her parents to come to terms with it. They knew of her unhappiness and knew also that she would not find it at home. And as they would not allow the dragon to stay, they equipped their daughter as best they could to allow Lyra to find her way in the world. Her sister was less forgiving about her choice, but Lyra hoped to mend that bridge some day.