L'yhta Mahre
 L'yhta Mahre
| |
 leeyta | |
| Gender | Female |
| Race | Miqo'te |
| Clan | Seekers of the Sun |
| Citizenship | Limsa Lominsa |
| Age | 22 |
| Height | Tall |
| Weight | Thin |
| 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 and the current Voice of the Wizards' Choir, a semi-secret society in Limsa Lominsa.
Contents
Appearance
History
L'yhta was born in the small fishing village of Greencliff in western La Noscea, so named due to its high cliffs and its relatively dense (for La Noscea), yet small, forest nearby. 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 was granted 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; as the fifth of seven children and one of the many children of that generation, she had no especially outstanding characteristics other than a quick wit and a keen mind -- neither of which were particularly impressive or useful in a village used to eking out a living through fishing and the occasional felling of lumber to trade with Limsa Lominsa to feed that city's constant demand for new ships. In fact, what was remarkable about L'yhta to the other miqo'te of the village was how average she was. The tall girl proved to be passable with an axe and vaguely competent with the spear and rod and reel, which 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 born him a son, L'rhilo Tia, whose gleaming golden hair, dashing features, lightning reflexes, and sparkling silver and gold heterochromic eyes were already beginning to turn the heads of the women of the tribe. L'yhta's sisters were equally impressive specimens: tall, beautiful, and possessed of a nearly regal grace. By contrast, the lanky, average girl was quite a disappointment. Nevertheless, her mother remained supportive, hoping that she'd 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, L'yhta spent a great deal of time staring out into the stars and across the sea and wondering in a journal what existed of the world outside Greencliff.
The Calamity, however, changed the dynamic of the tribe immensely. 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 to the attack. Unwilling to see someone else strike him down and with the support of some of the tribe's women, L'rhilo Tia challenged his father for the position of nunh and, after knocking him to the ground and having a brief whispered conversation, killed him by tearing 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 he 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 the elder sisters in favor of the gangly 18 year old. L'yhta doesn't discuss what exactly he said to her, other than that he impressed on her that it was her duty to the tribe to bear his children. What the whole tribe knows is what happened next: when the sun rose the next day, L'yhta was gone.
It turns out that the idea of bedding her older brother struck a sour note with L'yhta. She's to this day not entirely sure why it bothered her so much; perhaps it was seeing the life of the last Roegadyn family in the village, or maybe it was her wanderlust and curiosity trying to pull her away from a fettered life. It simply may have been due to the rather forceful way that he approached the issue. Instead of being bound to that fate, she collected some food, a spare set of clothes, some small carved shells and pearls given to her by her mother, and 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 seek her destiny within that jewel of Vylbrand.
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 -- 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 her walks that she literally ran into Robert Fletcher, an antiquated hyur with piercing green eyes and an explosion of white hair. 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 this soul with -- to his eyes -- a gift for the arcane arts. 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 standards of her family. As part of her training, Robert introduced her to the rituals of the Choir and inducted her as his apprentice.
L'yhta's training under Robert wouldn't last for long. The Choir's members were requested by the Yellowjackets to help defend the city against a Sahagin assault, and in the battle, all were struck down save L'yhta, who Robert insisted stay behind the lines and only observe. When she rushed to her mentor's side, his last words stuck in her memory: "Sing, and lead a new Choir." With that, she was left by herself again -- though this time with a purpose. This purpose has been strengthened since her recent discovery that she possesses the Echo.
Personality
L'yhta is typical of many Seekers of the Sun in that she can be impulsive and tends to speak her mind; she also 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. She's also known to have a bit of 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. That said, she 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 somewhat 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 been known to drive 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. In D&D terms, her alignment is Neutral Good. In Palladium terms, she's Scrupulous (if annoyingly Unprincipled from time to time).
Affiliations
L'yhta is the Voice of the Wizards' Choir. She's also a citizen of Limsa Lominsa and a member of the Foreign Levy of the Maelstrom.
Other Notes
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 a patron deity. If anything, she views Hydaelyn itself as her patron based on recent events.
