L'yhta Mahre

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Limsa Lominsa-transparent.png L'yhta Mahre
L'yhta Mahre Face.png
Stupendiferous Magnifijestic Mage
Gender Female
Race Miqo'te
Clan Seekers of the Sun
Citizenship Limsa Lominsa
Age 23
Height Tall (5' 5")
Weight Thin (100-110 ponz)
Profession "Spellslinger"
Patron Deity None (that she knows of)
Server Balmung

L'yhta Mahre (LEE-tah MAH-ray), formally known as Yhta of the Vipers, sired by L'mahre Nunh and commonly as Lyta (lie-TUH), is a miqo'te Seeker of the Sun who nominally lives in Limsa Lominsa. She's was once the Voice of Mysterium, but is now just one of its Masters.

Appearance

L'yhta is a tall (approximately 5' 5") miqo'te female with dark skin and long dark purple hair that she keeps tied back out of her face. She has bright, almost iridescent heliotrope eyes with the usual slits of her clan. Her tail is quite long for a Seeker of the Sun and, like her ears, often expressive. Her build is thin and wiry, though not especially muscular. Her face has the markings inherent to some of the Seekers of the Sun -- three on each side in an tiger stripe pattern. L'yhta's voice is a dramatic mezzo-soprano, fairly low for someone her size.

As of late, L'yhta's begun dying her hair and tail regularly, as well as changing her hair style seemingly at a whim. This began after she took a "sabbatical" to Greencliff around the time of the Starlight Celebration in the 5th year of the Seventh Umbral Era; exactly why that prompted her to take such a whimsical, impulsive approach to her hair isn't known, even to her.

History

In western La Noscea resides the small fishing village of Greencliff, named for its high cliffs and its relatively dense, yet small, nearby forest. The village was originally home to a small population of Sea Wolves, but they found themselves outnumbered by an influx of Seekers of the Sun approximately 95 years ago when L'sharhl Nunh established the area as hunting grounds for the Viper tribe and assumed the title of nunh there. As the miqo'te made their homes in the area and largely shifted to an agricultural and aquacultural lifestyle, the Roegadyn population slowly decreased, eventually leaving the village almost entirely to the newcomers. It was into this settled branch of the Vipers that L'yhta was born, the fifth child of L'arhi Xahlo and L'mahre Nunh.

L'yhta's early life was unremarkable; she had no especially outstanding characteristics other than a quick wit and a keen mind -- neither of which were particularly impressive, much less useful, in a village used to eking out a living through fishing and the occasional felling of lumber to fuel Limsa Lominsa's demand for ships. As far as the other miqo'te of Greencliff were concerned, what was remarkable about L'yhta was exactly how unremarkable she was. The tall girl proved to be passable with an axe, vaguely competent with the spear, moderately capable of catching fish, and not especially attractive, either. This surprised those who expected great things of the children of L'mahre Nunh and L'arhi Xahlo. L'mahre was considered by most to be one of the branch's greater nunhs; his physical strength and virility were highly praised. L'arhi, for her part, had borne seven children, an impressive number by any standards. The only son she bore him, L'rhilo Tia, was held as a pure example of miqo'te excellence. With gleaming golden hair, dashing features, lightning reflexes, and sparkling silver and gold heterochromic eyes, he was already beginning to turn the heads of the women of the tribe and sparking rumours that he'd prove to be the next nunh. L'yhta's sisters were equally fine specimens: tall, beautiful, and possessed of a nearly regal grace. By contrast, the lanky, average L'yhta was quite a disappointment. Nevertheless, L'arhi remained supportive, hoping that her fifth child would find something at which she'd be more than just minimally competent, even if that were simply bearing children to the nunh. For her part, the often isolated L'yhta spent a great deal of time staring out into the stars and across the sea and wondering if her destiny were always to be so painfully mundane.

Then, the Calamity changed everything. Bahamut's fire scourged the land, and amidst the chaos, L'mahre Nunh was struck by a shower of superheated shards of rock. While he survived, he lost a leg and an arm in the attack. Unwilling to see someone else lay his father low, L'rhilo Tia challenged him for the position of nunh. The fight was short; it took mere moments for the son to defeat the father. The tribe looked on as L'rhilo, hovering over the fallen nunh, exchanged brief whispered words with him -- then tore out his throat. To this day, no one knows exactly what L'mahre said to L'rhilo; some suggest the father asked his son to end his suffering, while others whisper that the once nunh begged for mercy and L'rhilo killed him anyway. Regardless of the truth, L'rhilo Tia became L'rhilo Nunh that day, and he celebrated the victory that night with some of the most beautiful women of the tribe.

It wasn't long after he ascended to the position of nunh that L'rhilo came to L'yhta to ask her to his bed. While it wasn't unexpected that he'd attempt to carry on the impressive lineage of his mother and father, what surprised everyone (especially L'yhta) was when he passed over her elder sisters in favor of a lanky 18 year old. L'yhta doesn't discuss what exactly he said to her, other than that he made it abundantly clear that he expected her to do her duty to the tribe and bear his children. What the whole tribe knows is what happened next: when the sun rose the next day, L'yhta was gone.

To this day, L'yhta isn't entirely sure what prompted her to flee her fate. She would like to believe it was her wanderlust and curiosity pulling her away from a fettered life, but it was more likely due to the arrogant, lascivious, and forceful insistence of someone she'd previously trusted and saw as a friend. Rather than acquiesce, L'yhta collected some food, a spare set of clothes, and some small carved shells and pearls given to her by her mother, then headed south towards the only landmark she knew: a large lighthouse. It was there that she was able to trade the pearls for gil, then use the gil to travel to Limsa Lominsa to start a new life.

L'yhta was naturally overwhelmed by Limsa Lominsa when she first arrived. What struck her most of all was the way the miqo'te there acted. They were overly cheerful, extremely outgoing, and entirely willing to use their bodies to their advantage (and sometimes profit). Unwilling to take up any of the "trades" that were not so gently suggested to her by the city's more salty inhabitants, L'yhta instead wandered the city, using the last of her gil to secure lodging while she tried to figure out her next step. It was during one of these walks that she quite literally ran into Robert Fletcher, an antiquated hyur with piercing green eyes and an explosion of white hair bursting from his head. Little did she know that this man was a powerful Thaumaturge and also the Voice of the Wizards' Choir; she also wasn't aware that he'd been watching her, intrigued by a Seeker of the Sun without a purpose but a gift for the arcane. Robert took her in and introduced her to the three disciplines of magic, and was pleased to see her quickly learn to command her own Aether as well as to call upon that of the land. For her part, L'yhta was both shocked and ecstatic that she'd finally found something that she wouldn't make a fool of herself at -- something where her skill would live up to the name of her father. As part of her training, Robert introduced her to the rituals of the Choir and inducted her as his apprentice.

For the next four years, L'yhta lived with Robert, who she viewed as a quirky grandfather, and trained under him and the five other superannuated Chairs of the Choir. She came to love her strange new family of aging spellcasters, and they, while they could be annoyed by her youthful enthusiasm, cared for her as an adpoted child. Sadly, this life wouldn't last for long. In year 5 of the seventh umbral era, the Choir was requested by the Foreign Levy to help defend the city against a Sahagin assault. Ultimately, the Maelstrom won the battle, but at a terrible cost -- all of the Choir's members were struck down save L'yhta, who Robert insisted stay behind the lines. When she rushed to her mentor's side, his last words stuck in her memory: "Sing with a new Choir, young Voice."

Since she's continued her training within the various magical guilds of Eorzea, L'yhta has discovered that she possesses the Echo. She theorizes this might be why she has such a faculty for channeling Aether, though more importantly, she's quite sure this means that she has a great destiny she needs to fulfill.

Personality

A guildleve card for L'yhta, by Nahue

L'yhta is typical of many Seekers of the Sun in that she can be impulsive and tends to speak her mind; like her brethren, she shows her emotions readily, which often makes her seem more flighty and impulsive than she actually is. She's somewhat naïve, tending to believe that people are usually good, that evil is always apparent and obvious, and that everyone wants to hear and see truth spoken to power. It helps that she has a sharp wit and a constant enthusiasm, though this latter trait sometimes grates on others' nerves. At times, she can be self-centered and petulant, especially when her naivete about the world is challenged or when something stands between her and her goals.

L'yhta is also known to put on a bit of a haughty air when discussions of race come up. To L'yhta, miqo'te who fall into the "cute, sexy cat" stereotype -- "domesticated kittens," as she calls them -- are denigrating their whole race and contributing to the hypersexualization of miqo'te women. She also holds the other races with a degree of contempt for supporting this behavior by employing miqo'te as dancers and prostitutes. However, L'yhta also holds no love for tribal miqo'te, who she feels are limiting themselves and their race in addition to participating in what she now considers a barbaric system of mating. Her time in Limsa Lominsa has given her a strong desire for freedom and a respect for the dual virtues of self-sufficiency and teamwork, and the incompatibility of these with tribal miqo'te culture is part of why she holds it in such contempt.

Like a young college student, L'yhta believes she's figured the world out thanks to her newfound knowledge and experience, and this has driven her to arrogantly make rash, ill-advised decisions. In general, though, L'yhta's motivated to help others and make the world a better place, even if lately she's taken on a rather significant anti-authoritarian streak. In D&D terms, her alignment is Chaotic Good. In Palladium terms, she's largely become Unprincipled.

Affiliations and Known Associates

L'yhta is a citizen of Limsa Lominsa and a member of the Foreign Levy of the Maelstrom. She's also a Master of Mysterium, an order of mages based out of Limsa Lominsa. In particular, she been known to have significant connections with (in no particular order, save that NPCs are last):

  • Clalaris Sil'laris -- A lalafellin conjurer and, it's rumoured, white mage lately of Gridania is one of her closest friends.
  • Nathalanee Reinhart -- This bard who's recently been turned into a miqo'te through a complex and dark sequence of events is clearly close to L'yhta and often the recipient (and giver) of casual hugs and playful teasing, leading some to wonder (despite L'yhta's vehement denials) whether the two are actually romantically involved, as opposed to just very close friends.
  • Eamont Desormaux -- This elezen conjurer is essentially L'yhta's surrogate father, though as with Nathalanee, some believe their relationship is rather more than platonic.
  • Seth Honeybrew -- Seth is, quite shockingly, the only person from whom L'yhta will accept casual racism towards miqo'te. Exactly why she's willing to laugh off from Seth what from others would usually get a verbal barrage isn't clear, but it is clear she considers him a good friend.
  • Sazhi'to Bajhiri -- L'yhta feels a particular kinship to Sazhi'to (who she often just calls "Sazhi"), as both of them are, in her mind, refugees from tribal malfeasance. As for his sister, Mholi... L'yhta would be fine pushing her off a cliff.
  • Rosamund Cartwright -- A minor noble from Limsa Lominsa, Roz is one of L'yhta best friends.
  • Racilian Lyenum -- "Raci," who was once a member of the Ivory Tower but joined XI:7 to take a more direct approach to defending Eorzea, is one of her friends and can always bring a smile to her face.
  • Llaine Tetheros -- While they've not interacted to a great extent, L'yhta finds Llaine's perspective on religion (and Halone in particular) interesting.
  • Garryson Shipkeeper -- These two are known to, when they meet, get into deep conversations of philosophy, allegedly fueled by their mutual ability to put down large quantities of hard liquor. Whether or not drink is involved, though, L'yhta has a deep respect for his thoughts and counsel.
  • Gus Pumpkinweed -- Gus was once one of L'yhta's apprentices, and the two of them got along quite well (perhaps due to the fact that they both have a strong drive towards excellence). She's ecstatic to hear that he's now opened a business of his own.
  • Kevaraan Annorek -- This troubled miqo'te lancer was one of L'yhta's close friends, though she wonders what's happened to him as of late.
  • R'kyala Mahji -- Since the two of them met through Camille, they've gotten along smashingly, perhaps because they both act like chocobos hopped up on X-Ethers.
  • Paran Hywel -- L'yhta considers Roz's boyfriend a friend of hers, and is terribly (perhaps abnormally) interested in his less savory past.
  • Camille Everardi -- L'yhta enjoys Camille's company and her keen intellect and ability to plan.
  • Cieranaux Aramont -- Robert Fletcher's apprentice prior to L'yhta, Cieranaux has nothing but disrespect for her and typically lobs idle insults and cliché attacks in her direction -- a way to show his distaste for her while reminding her that she's, to him, nothing more than a trifle that doesn't warrant a more serious effort.
  • Volkido Tekido -- Robert Fletcher's personal assistant, this lalafell is the majordomo of the Ivory Tower and also acts as L'yhta's personal assistant. As much as he complains about being put upon by these "wizards with their heads in the clouds," and the "foolish girl" that he's "stuck with," Volkido cares deeply for her and the other wizards.
  • L'ehli Tia -- When L'yhta last went to Greencliff, this tia -- one of her nephews by her eldest sister -- followed her back. For only being 12, he has a surprising faculty with a sword, and L'yhta couldn't bear to send him back to her tribe when he'd followed her with an eye to be an adventurer. He currently resides in her apartment (while she lives at the Tower's headquarters) and is being trained and raised by Volkido and the Marauders of the Coral Tower.

Characteristics

L'yhta envisioned by sanguineFenrir
  • Nicknames: Eee, Lee, Lyta
  • Age: 23
    • Nameday: 12th sun of the 3rd Astral Moon, 1555 of 7th Astral Era
  • Gender: Female
    • Sexuality: Unclear, definitely confused
    • Marital Status: Single
  • Alignment: Neutral Good/Scrupulous
  • Height: 5 fulms, 5 ilms
  • Weight: Generally around 105 ponz
  • Body: Thin, lanky, but with the wiry musculature of a dancer
  • Hair: Varies, but naturally, long, straight, and violet
  • Eyes: Iridescent heliotrope
  • Skin: Dark with light facial markings
  • Clothing: In public, she tends to robes, pants or leggings, high boots, and ring guards or fingerless gloves. As of late, she's also been wearing fairly "daring" outfits involving short skirts and light, sleeveless tops. Her choice of clothing in public is as fluid as her mood, though she never wears armor heavier than a breastplate and leather boots. In private, she usually wears leggings and a bandeau top, light and minimal smallclothes, or nothing at all.

Likes

  • Music and dancing
  • Battle (though she'd only confess to "battles to protect people")
  • Jellied fruits -- or any fruit, really
  • Conversation
  • Proving how great she is

Dislikes

  • Probing questions about her tribal past or especially about her sexuality
  • Failing at a task (especially in front of other people)
  • Miqo'te females who fit the "cute" or "sexy" stereotype
  • Evil, in any form
  • People who deny her "clearly obvious brilliance"

Areas of Expertise

  • Martial: Conjury (very strong), Thaumaturgy (very strong), Arcanima (very strong); Thaumaturgy is her greatest skill, followed by Arcanima, then Conjury
  • Crafting: Alchemy (weak), Goldsmithing (weak), "Aether-tek" (moderate)
  • Other: Vocal performance (moderate), dancing (moderate), general/local knowledge (moderate), literacy (strong)

Strengths

  • Magically adept: L'yhta has a considerable natural talent for weaving Aether and practices all three Disciplines of Magic (though she's not nearly as great as she thinks she is).
  • Driven: When she's set her mind to something, it's very difficult to dissuade her.
  • Witty: L'yhta can be pretty quick with a quip or a joke about a situation, even in the midst of a pitched battle.
  • Active: If nothing else, L'yhta is a constant dynamo of energy. She does have an "off switch," so to speak, but most of the time, she's always in motion.
  • Sidethinker: When she does actually deign to plan, she's good at coming up with unexpected alternative solutions to problems.

Weaknesses

  • Naive: L'yhta believes that people are essentially good, that evil is always obvious, and that Good will always triumph over Evil in the end. More subtle and devious forms of wickedness can slip right under her nose, and as a result she's not the best judge of character.
  • Stubborn: Going hand in hand with being driven, once she's chosen a course of action -- for good or ill -- she rarely changes her mind unless the situation changes such that she has no other option. If she, for instance, decides someone is evil, it's very difficult to convince her otherwise.
  • Overconfident: At present, nothing in the world can convince "Limsa Lominsa's most spectaculofabulous sorcerer" that she's not, in fact, "Utterly Excellent" and "Destined for Great Things." This overconfidence more often than not leads her to take unnecessary, completely foolish risks.
  • Lack of planning: L'yhta rarely plans her actions in advance, preferring instead a "Geronimo!" approach of leaping before she looks.
  • Manichaen worldview: L'yhta tends to view morality in black and white terms, and is both willing to do, and is capable of doing, fairly wicked things to ensure the success of what she sees as Good, then rationalizing it away as for the greater good. At the moment, this is limited to simply not caring if she happens to kill someone she considers evil in the context of a battle, but if she were to acquire more significant authority -- watch out. (If anything besides her obscene overconfidence were setting her up for a fall from grace, this would be it.)

Other Notes

L'yhta dancing, envisioned by Eckzein

Naming

L'yhta usually uses a slightly simplified version of her name, "Lyta," among non-miqo'te primarily because she dislikes them butchering its actual pronunciation and spelling. It's easier and less obnoxious, in her mind, to just use a name that matches how people would typically read her name anyway. As such, she often uses the alias on legal documents in the city-states to simplify transactions. Among other miqo'te, however, she uses and prefers her real name. In close company, she, like many Seekers of the Sun, is known to drop her tribe letter and call herself Yhta (EE-tah).

Religion

L'yhta venerates the Twelve, but doesn't worship them, nor does she recognize any of them as her patron deity. If anything, she views Hydaelyn itself as her patron based on recent events.

Quirks

L'yhta adores jellied and candied fruits, and is rarely without a pouch of them. She also tends to introduce herself using made up adjectives, usually created by forcefully merging two words, to describe her "greatness;" for instance, she's been known to refer to herself as "stupendiferous," "brilliantastic," and "magnifijestic."

Equipment

In order to make up for her physical weaknesses, L'yhta has taken to stealing Garlean magitek and, with the aid of associates of the Garlond Ironworks, modifying it to operate on channeled Aether instead of ceruleum. The devices so modified can only be operated by a thaumaturge or arcanist of fairly significant power (the external elemental Aether of conjury isn't conducive to being used in this fashion) and require the caster to devote concentration and almost all of their Aether to powering the device, leaving them largely unable to use their magic. However, these "Aether-tek" devices can turn a physically unimposing mage into an armored juggernaut. One such device commonly used by L'yhta is the lalafellin-named "SHISHCAPAB," a suit of armor that enhances the physical attributes of its wearer and provides a magical deflection field against attacks. Another is the Reaper armor that she rides while adventuring in lieu of her chocobo, Shera. Unfortunately, the modifications required to change magitek into "Aether-tek" put considerable wear on the devices' components, few of which can be synthesized outside of Garlean factories. As a result, L'yhta spends a fair amount of time raiding Garlean encampments to acquire the parts necessary to keep her "toys," as she calls them, operational.

Rumours

The following rumours can be heard about L'yhta, predominantly in Limsa Lominsa. (If your character has an opinion about her that might become a rumour, feel free to add it here.)

Common rumours

  • "Remember that wizard, Robert Wotshisname? The one with the white hair? Yeah, he was totally making his bed with that Seeker girl, ifyaknowwhatImean."
  • "Nah, she was just leading him on to get his inheritance once he was returned to the sea."
  • "She was just being trained by him, actually... and since he knew all forms of magic, that's why she knows them all, too."

Uncommon rumours

  • "Remember what I said about her killing her family? She went back to finish the job! Why else's she got black hair now?"
  • "Oh, I heard that she actually killed that old man she was bedding! She hit him with a spell while he was fighting on the front lines."
  • "I used ta say she had no magical power, b-but... listen, bub, I-I saw her vaporize a ship's mast at full sail! Snap, boom, it was just gone!"

Things whispered only in the darkest of alleys (rare rumours)

  • "L'yhta's family is looking for her, and they're worried sick that she's going to fall in with a bad crowd or get killed."
  • "She travels between here, Gridania, and Ul'dah a lot -- I bet she's a secret assassin working for some rich noble."

Player Character Rumours

Known Haunts

You might have run into or otherwise know L'yhta from:

  • Mornings at the Bismark in Limsa Lominsa, where she's usually there just after dawn for tea and fruit.
  • All three magical guilds, which she regularly frequents and almost always with a journal in hand.
  • The shores of La Noscea, where she's known to go swimming on a somewhat regular basis.

OOC Inspirations

L'yhta is inspired by Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor -- particularly her "devil may care" attitude and wild overconfidence -- as well as Lina Inverse. Apparently, she also shares a fair number of characteristics with Leslie Knope.

References