Llyre es vel Volaerys

""Llyre es vel Volaerys is the High Lord of Kumaur, as well as the former Prime Minister and Minister of Communications of the Autokratoria of Sirradra, 14th Archon of the Imperial Archonal Union, and the former Warden of the Almmori Freehold, a sovreignty of Kartek in Sparwood.

Appearance
Standing at upwards of 204cm (6'8") and muscular, Llyre almost always cuts a distinctive (and intimidating!) figure, especially when compared to most people around him.

While almost always wearing his notable wooden wolf's-head mask, beneath it Llyre lies on the plainer side of handsome, or would without his scars. He has dark hair, as well as pale greyish-tinted skin with faded freckles, and unsettlingly pale grey eyes circled by long eyelashes and fading dark circles. His eyes are described as the colour of dirty ice, paler than stone and darker than milk, like two white moons, and they reflect light like an animal's eyes in the dark. He is blind in his right eye. The right side of his face is marred by a large and jagged burn scar, and the left carries three long lacerations held shut with staples that extend from his mouth (exposing some teeth) to his temple, and he has a large amount of other scars across his body, including a series of Lichtenberg figures across his chest. Llyre's ears are pointed, and shorter than a full-blooded elf, but longer than those of a half elf, and his teeth are also pointed and inhumanly long. He rarely smiles, and when he does it looks like an animal snarling. In life he had tanned skin and golden eyes.

Llyre also possesses two large, feathered wings. In terms of appearance they are between those of a hawk or owl, adapted to passive soaring and diving, though capable of high energy flight. The plumage is tawny brown with white undersides, similar to that of a barn owl's, though there are mottled patches of black iridescent feathers like those of a corvid. His wingspan is close to 370cm (12') naturally, but due to the fact that his left wing has been pinioned, he keeps the remaining wing clipped and feathers trimmed extremely short on both wings, reducing his wingspan to around 190cm (6'3"). He is incapable of flight due to the pinioning (removal of the pinion joint of a bird's wings) and trimming of his wings.

His left leg from just above the knee, as well as his right arm from just above the elbow have been replaced with netherite prosthetics powered by redstone.

Clothing + Armour
In terms of clothing, Llyre dislikes unecessary extravagance, preferring simple and plain clothing which often does not befit his station. Colour palettes tend to be dark neutral colours in browns, greys, and dark blue or green, with some off-whites on occasion.

One of the always present elements of his outfits is his plain wooden mask, carved in the shape of a wolf's head. The eyes have dark stains following the patterns of tears from dried blood. Additionally, he usually is wearing netherite armbands and bracelets, as well as a garnet droplet earring on the left side, his wedding ring (gold and jade), and amulet bearing his family crest, usually hung from his belt. Also commonly worn is a thick wing binder made of canvas, leather, and boning, which is laced up from the front and used to bind his wings for the sake of practicality (often when in uniform or armour).

In correspondance with the common clothing of Kumaur, Llyre is often wearing a thick woolen sweater and trousers, as well as heavy overcoat, laced boots, and gloves. He does not wear them out of necessity or protection from elements, but to set an example for the residents of his city. When not in Kemria, he usually is dressed in a tight black tank top with grey hakama and tall leather boots. For formal events he often wears the Kemrian military dress uniform or a loose silk-linen shirt under a soft light blue coat with pink embroidery and copper piping, accompanied by tall boots and high-waisted pants. For colder formal occasions he will also wear a dark cloak with fur lining and leather gloves.

Due to his undead nature, protective armour is less necessary, and Llyre prefers to wear armour he can move more freely in, prioritising mobility over effectiveness. Because of this, he only wears light half-plate over gambeson, composed of a netherite chestplate, gorget, singular pauldron, bracers, couters, and gauntlets, as well as a smaller diamond spaulder. His gorget is embossed with the Kemrian sun sigil, while his pauldron bears the Sirradrii bull's head and laural wreath, but is otherwise unadorned and battle-worn. Recently he has added small wave motifs over his bracers, and the inner surface is marked with tallies counting his kills.

Personality
Ultimately, the easiest way to describe Llyre is complicated.

He believes in complete seperation of his work/political and personal lives, and it translates into violently different personalities interacting with his friends and family, vs Kemrian citizens and the Sirradrii government. In both regards, he does not believe in making exceptions or compromising his morals for the comfort of others.

Llyre is, as a general rule, apathetic and detached, bordering on cold. Llyre rarely shows any sort of regard for the feelings of others, showing almost no empathy, though he is occasionally capable of showing compassion or sympathy. That being said, he is not particularly cruel or malicious, just struggles with connecting to the emotions of the living since his ressurection. Llyre is extremely serious, rarely smiling or laughing, and often turns to extreme measuresd for simple problems, commonly leveraging his connections to mercenary groups and militaristic nations as a threat. He strongly dislikes frivolty and easily becomes annoyed/irritated when others do not take situations in how he percieves it he appropriate reaction.

Additionally, Llyre is highly adverse to social situations and rarely goes to any sort of events, meetings, or festivals unless obligated to, at which point he will do so begrudgingly and leave at the earliest convenience. Despite his general atitude, he is fairly soft-spoken and mild mannered, rarely raising his voice or losing control of his emotions, Every action he takes is deliberate, and while things may be slow, ultimately, even his most impulsive actions are likely carefully calculated. He despises social interactions, distractions, disturbances, and following the orders he sees as "incompetent". He would rather tend to settle things peacefully, but sees the value in decisive actions— inconsistency, hesitation, and cowardice are the easiest ways to gain his ire, though his greatest peeve is immature, selfish leaders and people who make rash, reckless choices.

Inversely, in situations where he does not feel the pressure to perform as the High Lord of Kemria, he is much more soft-spoken and gentle, expressing his fondness with gifts and physical affection. When his sons were children he often would make them stuffed toys by hand, or bring back gifts from his travels, and he regularly showers his partner Ryou Bakura with gifts despite his intense distaste for opulence. This softer side of Llyre is rarely seen by people outside of his immediate circle, but it becomes clear that he cares deeply for his family despite his struggles to express it verbally.

EARLY LIFE
Llyre's mother died when he was just a young child, leaving him and his older sister, Rhaelys, alone before they were sent to join their father, the then-Lord of House Volaerys, where he was renamed from Lirei to Llyre. He and Rhaelys were also granted the name “yu vel Volaerys”, one meant to denote an illegitimate bastard child.

There’s nothing left beyond snapshots and memories. He remembers his mother's laugh, soft, his siblings, a brief glimpse of the sea over a field of golden wheat. He knows that his childhood was happy, for a time, but much of it is tainted with a deep sense of misery.

The siblings were subject frequently to their father’s anger and disdain, though Rhaelys was saved from much of it when she came of age and left home in order to seek a higher education and to see the world.

Not much else remains. Years have long slipped away to nothing more than these fragments.

Wanderer —
By his fifteenth birthday, his father seemed to have grown weary of his youngest child, and following what could have been a harmless misunderstanding or an act of wilful malice, removed his son from the family tree, exiling him to the wilderness. Much of his time as an adventurer is also shrouded in the same mystery as his youth, large gaps in his memory that he can’t seem to recall much of, if anything.

While travelling, Lyre kept a (now-lost) journal detailing his findings, including sketches and pressed specimens of plants, and detailed notes on a strange discovery he had made– the ruins of a city now wreathed in fire. It is thought that this city was Asahiri, but due to his journal’s whereabouts being unclear, this fact is unknown.

During this time he was captured and hunted for sport, getting his left wing pinioned haphazardly using shears, which almost killed due to the resulting infection.

Shortly afterwards, while he was still recovering, the people hunting him caught up once again, mortally injuring him. Far from a warrior and unable to fly or do much more than lay down to wait for the blood loss to overcome him, the boy found a small cave and accepted his fate.

Resurrected —
When he woke up again, things were different. Someone, or something had brought him back from the darkness, the eternal void, but it had gone wrong. Cold, delirious, and barely clinging to his newly found second life, the young man found that despite his revival, some of his wounds would not heal, and his mind was infected with a quietly simmering anger, a desperation to see the world around him engulfed in flames like the strange city he had once seen. Quelling this desire, he slowly began to recuperate in the cave that he made his home until he was well enough to travel. On his journey home, he began to hide his undead face with his distinctive wooden mask, dying his wings black for a reason he could not explain. Strange magical abilties began manifesting in him around this time, as well as his strange dreams.

After months of travel, he had finally made it home.

Homecoming and Time in Serafaint —
Lyre returned to Serafaint to find his father, who, reasonably, was horrified by the fact that his bastard son and greatest disgrace, was somehow still alive. Llyre promptly turned the (unfortunately for him) still-living Lucian mo sen Volaerys inside out, ending the man's long life. Unltimately, his older half-brother, Aerin, wasnow head of the house, and legitimised his younger brother. His reunion with his siblings was short lived, but he set to rebuilding his own life, as well as the family name that had been so long slowly descending into obscurity. During this time, Noodle joined the family, initially as an employee, but soon revealed his true identity and purpose.

The rest of Llyre's time in Serafaint was marked with turmoil. While in Serafaint, the family had run a brewery from a large warehouse in the port district of the city near their home. While initially seemingly quite positive, relations with the Doge, Exarian Crimsone, rapidly declined after a perceived slight towards Aerin during a discussion in the brewer's guild. Due to the rising tensions, House Volaerys announced their departure from Serafaint and Tovarisha as a whole, which only drove the wedge further between the formerly friendly relations of House Crimsone and Volaerys. They left shortly after, with the tensions turning to outright hatred and distrust. Following this event, Noodle returned to complete his vengeance against House Crimsone, finally getting justice for his own past.

Thalassii —
After leaving Serafaint, Llyre and House Volaerys as a whole settled in Thalassii, establishing themselves in the promising young nation as it healed from the Kartek Wars. Llyre, who had befriended a young Blake Almmore during his travels, began alongside several others to develop the Thalassii peninsula into a small town, which Blake became the Duke of, founding what would later be known as Almmoria.

While initially continuing their brewing business, Noodle, and later Aerin and Llyre would expand into selling arms and other enchanted gear alongside alcohols, helping to fund both Almmore’s expansion and growth. It was during this time that Llyre also became friends with the ruler of Thalassii, King Chorboi I, who encouraged his political career, first on the Almmori high council, before becoming Chancellor of Thalassii. He was wholeheartedly dedicated to unification and peace in Northern Sparwood as well as the development of a dedicated ice road network, eagerly throwing himself into the work along with his responsibilities as head of Thalassii Secret Police.

He would consider these times his happiest, the return of his sister to the family home and living a relatively carefree life spent fishing, writing, and befriending citizens of the neighbouring states, including Jonathan Lozharo of Lozaria. The two grew closer quickly, sharing a common interest in peace and prosperity for the North. Llyre felt as though he had finally recovered from his own traumatic death and subsequent resurrection, and had begun to look to the future, occasionally even entertaining the idea of building a future with his friend, who he had started to develop feelings for.

The Traitor —
However, it seemed that it was not to last.

What began as an idle thought and a happy dream soon festered into something darker. Something dangerous. The Unification of Northern Sparwood was all he wanted, all he could think about. Any means necessary, he told himself, as he began to feud with Chorboi over how Thalassii should proceed in terms of international politics. The once pleasant and cheerful young man grew paranoid, prone to fits of madness, the hunger and evil in his mind that he had so long repressed slowly unfurling itself within him.

It's unclear what drove him to this place, the gaps in his memory growing wider and deeper, eating away at his mind. An infection.

When Loic returned to Rathnir, promising conquest, this new creature that Llyre had become saw an opportunity that could not be missed, a chance for Sparwood under one ruler, the Uniter himself. One day Noodle came to him with the news that his order had allied themselves with Loic, he saw it as a natural reaction, as simple as breathing, as simple as flying had once been.

Perhaps this was how things always would have ended. It wasn't hatred for anyone, or a specific desire. He saw it as nothing more than a transaction, business, but in exchange for his loyalty, he would be paid in his dream coming to fruition. The only price was his own honour and the future he’d wanted with Jonathan, one that had become more than just an idle thought.

In time, word of his betrayal reached his former friend, King Chorboi's ears. Furious and hurt, he exiled Llyre, as well as Noodle, the two stripped of their ranks and titles without trial, something that had been promised to them by their citizenship in Thalassii. Horrified by the treason, Jonathan cut all ties with Llyre. By then, the madness had already taken root in his mind, and he resolved to see the Thalassii capital of Nova Thebanii conquered, swearing as he left that he would be back, and Chorboi would regret not seeing reason and allying with Loic when he had the chance.

Almmori Independence —
Following his banishment from Thalasii, he returned to his home in Almmore, where his old friend the Duke, Zeth Cogaidh, secretly sheltered him and offered sympathy for his situation. For the time being, he travelled to the city of Maxstadt, where he spent some time before receiving a letter from Zeth.

Almmore and Dubris, two of the provinces of Thalassii had declared independence, temporarily uniting together under the now-King Cogaidh of a united Almmore-Dubris. Thalassii refused to accept this independence, giving the deed to the Almmori peninsula to Rohel, who then granted it to Almmore several days later, officially establishing the state as independent of the Thalassii crown. Dubris and Almmore then seperated. Llyre, who had been heavily involved in the negotiations, was installed as Hand of the King, taking over diplomatic discussions with the neighbouring states.

Peace —
Following Almmore's independance, Llyre put a forefront to his political career, despite the nation's isolationist stance on world affairs. Much of his time and energy began to be put towards construction and terraforming the peninsula, while the rest was put into expanding the family business, The Cache.

During the holiday truce, Llyre seems to have also began to attempt to fix some of his relationships, sending a letter to Jonathan in an attempt to explain his side of the story and any questions the other had. It seemed as though he was in a better place mentally, but it was still unclear if his motivation were a true desire to reconcile or just an attempt to clear his name. He mostly seemed to want to move past the entire situation.

Following the end of the holiday truce, Llyre's mental state seemed to take another turn for the worse, being killed and brought back several times, with each new attempt seemingly degrading his stability. While continuing with his business endeavours with his siblings, he spent a lot of time in the Nether or with bandits, often in Eisenland more than his own hometown.

As the war drew nearer, he travelled to Viodoxa City several times, both to scope out the city as well as see he historical sites, though on his last visit he was apprehended by the town guards under Hazel's orders. He was later rescued by his mother, Mel, and didn't return to the city until the seige.

Aroung this time, Llyre also joined the Viesten Order, and began practicing swordplay.

Days before the Viodoxan war began, Mercrio abdicated the throne, and Elijah An Scha Faidh and Llyre were installed as the diarchs of Almmore in his stead, the Overseer and Warden respectively. For several days, this system worked, but it quickly devolved into threats of violence and screaming matches between the diarchs. Following a string of thefts by Blake Almmore and Elijah an Schá Faidh, the pair were exiled from the nation and Llyre took complete power, with no second Diarch.

First Siege of Viodoxa City —
During the first battle of the Second Purple Insurrection, Llyre remained in Maxstadt with several others, building up city defenses as the battle waged on in Viodoxa. It wasn't until after the battle that he returned to the south, witnessing the chaos and destruction from the battle. He lingered there for some time with his mothers, briefly visiting the Hexturnal and the library, though he was denied access to the latter. The destruction of the city disgusted him and he left to return to Maxstadt.

Shortly afterward, he resumed stabilisation and reconstruction attempts in Almmore, absorbing Refugio and Thalassii under the Freehold's banner, as well as entering discussions with God Emperor Cube of Kartek that resulted in Almmore becoming a protectorate of the empire.

It was around this time that he killed two seperate people with an axe, though the crime seems to have been either swept under the rug or otherwise hidden, as he was never prosecuted in court for either murder. Around this time, he also visited the ruins of Istanboulder, looking for something.

It was shortly after this trip that he went to Voskovy, managing to get his hands on several restricted books and taking them home with him. His mental state took another turn for the worse after this, experiencing long stretches of amnesia and finding a strange book in his own handwriting that he didn’t remember writing.

Moyye's Maze —
(Dubiously Canon) During the maze event in mid January 2022, Llyre entered the maze with Hiiro dem Spheniscidae and CASELOAD, the trio aiming to get the artefact. They passed through the Stone section with comparative ease due to their cooperation, but ended up trapped within the second section of the Nether reigon.

Second Siege of Viodoxa City —
Llyre spent the second battle deeply unwell due to redstone poisoning, having severely burned his lungs and throat to the point of permanently damaging his voice. Despite this, he remained in Maxstadt, initially in command of the Defense Garrison, but once Uldarashi forces entered the city, killing most of his unit, he was hit in the side of the head by a loose flare, severely burning his face and right hand. Following this, the rest of the defense garrison retreated, and command was passed to the reinforcements led by Only100Gamer and Jericho dem Spheniscidae, who alongside some members of Ulfaeng, demolished the Uldarashi strike team. Despite his injuries, he considered the battle a victory for the Union, as they had managed to hold the city despite heavy casualties.

Following the battle, and while still recovering, he wrote several speeches and sat in on multiple meetings under the order of Archon Hiiro of the Viodoxan Union, eventually also providing the public announcement published intentationally by the Union. He eventually settled down back into ruling Almmoria. He had another episode, writing/translating a completely incoherent play named "Of Tekhelet Blue", before his health took a turn south for a few days. He soon stepped down from his position as Warden of the Almmori Freehold due to this.

During this time, he experienced multiple panic attacks, as well as falling into a deep depresion, which only became exasturbated at his crumbling relationships (both platonic, romantic, and familial) and increasing responsibility. All of this came to a head with his father, Vansh Tizoc expressing a desire to "repair" him with redstone technology (an attempt to alleviate Llyre's chronic pain and increasing anxiety over his health).

Heavenly Gardens —
Following his discussion with Vansh, Llyre immediately packed up his entire apartment in Almmoria in one afternoon and fled to Viodoxan Union territory with the help of Havi Asagrim, convinced that if he didn't that Vansh would operate on him regardless of his own opinions on the matter. His mental health quickly spiralled out of control, leading to nearly-constant anxiety and paranoia, accompanied by out of control sobbing and despair. Being in either Viodoxa City or Miklagard proved to be too much for him to handle, and shortly afterward, he and Jericho moved to the half-constructed town of Ryoujing, ruled by Ryou Bakura.

Ryoujing quickly became home to Llyre, and he began constucting his own house, an elaborate, multi-level structure with extensive underground rooms and spaces for his projects, as well as his large pack of dogs and Jericho dem Spheniscidae. Shortly afterward, he married Ryou Bakura, which quickly devolved into emotional abuse from the other, causing increased distress on Llyre's part.

The One-Day Archon —
On the order of Loic dem Spheniscidae, Llyre was made Archon of the Imperial Archonal Union of Viodoxa and Tovarisha for the entirety of 24 hours after buying Loic a sandwhich. He spent most of his reign asleep, and breifly considered declaring war on Huitca for relatively vague reasons, one of which was "disliking [Huitca's] flag", and "everyone asked [him] to". He also began the Unity Project, a massive collectivisation of Union nationalism and culture. He was ultimately relatively uncontroversial as Archon and reasonably popular.

Nekovirus Outbreak —
During the Nekovirus outbreak in Cymru, Llyre was the original head of the task force formed by the government, being one of the first on the scene of the initial infection of Maxstadt. Shortly afterward, Jericho was infected by Kogan, leading to Llyre trapping him in their basement and quarantining himself, keeping the populace updated via radio broadcasts.

Shortly afterwards, Jericho managed to escape, infecting Llyre, and leading the the reinfection of Maxstadt, as well as much of the Ryoujing populace, including Ryou. At some point during the outbreak he was taken to Valron by his mother, and held in a lab, driving a violent wedge between them. He broke out of the lab (presumably with assitance) and went to Maxstadt, staying there briefly with Ryan von Dirkson, and eventually was cured through unknown means.

Winterstone —
One night, a letter arrived at his doorstep from Ryou, asking him to come to Winterstone Prison in Aurora in order to free him, as Hazel Caicuria-McSpeigel had taken him hostage. Initially Llyre didn't see the message immediately, but once he recieved it he immediately went west in a state of panic. Upon his arrival, he was interrogated by the surgeon before he was taken to the prison, When they reached the cells, he was berated by Ryou for taking so long to arrive, leading to increased scrutiny on both of them from Hazel. Eventually Llyre had a nervous breakdown while watching Hazel and Ryou fight, and eventually Hazel and Rum forcing Ryou to drink Wither Rose Tea, resulting in his memory being partially lost and his release from the prison under the condition the pair would remain in Aurora for observation.

Lady of War —
During Segra's attack on the city, he sat at the window and watched, even as people were killed outside, even going so far as to refuse to help an Auroran soldier who was begging for help. He even eventually stabbed the soldier and leaving him to die, claiming "this is mercy".

Immediately after leaving Fornost, Llyre and Ryou returned to the Bakura family estate of Kalai Bali, meeting with Dausnd, Ryou's brother, their son Delta, and their newphew Cheng. During the entire meeting, Llyre was extremely bitter and agitated, refusing to take off his heavy netherite armour, and unable to sit still for long. He threatened several times to pull Dausnd's tongue out through his teeth, or to gouge Delta's eyes from his head for being a disappointment. He also continually paced around outside of the meeting room or gardens, with a bow. Several hours later he left with Ryou, returning home to Ryoujing.

Dark Days—
As time went on, Llyre began to distance himself from even his close friends and family, leaving for longer and longer wanderings across Rathnir. As the war in Sparwood between the Union and the Diarchy of Paradise loomed on the horizon and tensions grew, he became more and more irritable, often hiding it under a mask of unsettlingly intense calm. During this time, he continued to have visions, primarily of his goddess, the Ashen Mother, and strange dreams. He frequently mutilated animals, including killing his beloved pet fox Hulijing and several cats while in a fit of mania.

One afternoon he came home to Ryoujing, and in a moment of rage following a brief disagreement, smashed Ryou's skull open against the floor. He did not feel any sort of guilt, but did take care of Ryou out of obligation, cleaning up the mess and putting him to bed. It is unclear if Ryou remembered this incident, as it was never brought up again.

Eisenland's independance caused friction in Llyre's life to say the least. Ryou's sudden ascension to Archon and the fallout resulting from the Paradise war led to another nervous breakdown, Llyre going AWOL from the emergency government meeting that ensued, leaving his ministry in the hands of Wilhelm. He returned to Kumaur, lingering near the ruins of the fortress. For a moment, life felt normal again, the chaos and drive as morale shot through the roof in remaining provinces and within the goverment.

Several days later, while in Kumaur surveying the land, he stumbled upon his disgraced Eisenlandian son, Arturo Swanson, and the Tortugan captain Warwick Walterson in discussion over bottles of rum. After a heated discussion with Arturo, Llyre threatened him with a trident, telling him that if he saw Arturo on his land again, he wouldn't be leaving alive, as well as the fact that at least Llyre had fought for custody of Arturo, unlike the Kaiser, who had hardly cared. Despite his anger and resentful words, once Pixel left, Llyre confessed to Warwick that he did care about his son's safety and hoped that he would come back one day.

Spouse(s)

 * Ryou Bakura (RyouBakura1789) - [DIVORCED] To say their relationship was complicated is an understatement. Llyre was usually extremely affectionate and gentle with his first husband, often proclaiming his adoration with pet names, attention, and gifts. However, behind everything, he resented the Son of Heaven following the Winterstone Incident, and saw the Ryou he dealt with now as a poor substitute of what he could have instead. Ryou and Llyre are (despite the divorce) incredibly sappy and romantic, while Llyre's behaviour with the demonic entity that also shares that body can most succinctly be summarised as violent. Despite the fact that it shares the same body as his lover, he seems to have no qualms against resonding to the Son of Heaven's psychological torment with force.

Children

 * Arturo Swanson (JDBPixel) - Llyre's only biological child and the oldest of his three children, Arturo was at one point Llyre's pride and joy, but following the secession of Eisenland from the Union, Llyre stopped speaking to his son and no longer mentions him in conversation. As of lately they seem to be on tense, but no longer actively hostile terms.
 * Kichirō yu vel Volaerys (Dommic) - Initially finding him as a fox rooting through the slums of Ryoujing for trash to eat, he eventually revealed himself to be a Kumiho. Llyre adopted the child as his own and taught him to speak, read, and write, as well as granting him the name Kichirō, meaning 'lucky son'. As his only remaining child, Llyre is extremely protective of Kichiro, and often treats him as if he was still a child.
 * Seth es wir Volaerys-Bakura - Adopted by Llyre as a baby shortly before the end of the Viodoxan Civil War. Following his marriage to Ryou Bakura, he gained the family name as well and was raised in Ryoujing by his fathers. Several months later he suddenly and mysteriously fell ill and died hours later at the age of 11, to Llyre's distress and Ryou's amusement.

Family

 * Rhaelys es vel Volaerys (welcometothehive) - Llyre's only full sibling, Rhaelys' death following the birth of her twin children pushed Llyre farther from the public eye, and eventually led to his retirement from all political aspects of Sirradra. He feels intensely guilty for not seeing her more often when she was alive, and is unsure how to face either her death, his grieving brother-in-law, or her still-living children. Llyre and her were close as children and he still thinks of her very fondly.
 * Aerin mo sen Volaerys (Cyme_) - The middle of the Volaerys siblings, Aerin is Llyre's older half-brother, through their father. They were once extremely close, but in the years since his sudden disappearance, Llyre struggles to remember the person he once cared so much about. Despite this, he refuses to accept that Aerin is likely dead.
 * Noodle es wir Volaerys (Noodle_Woodle) - Adopted by the Volaerys family, Noodle and Llyre are often political allies, beginning in Thalassii and through the March. For some time they proceeded in business ventures together, but Llyre's reclusive nature has strained that close relationship.

Friends

 * Jericho dem Spheniscidae (JerichoZ) - Llyre's "best friend", their relationship is tense due to Llyre's refusal to allow Jericho into Kumaur, as well his increasingly erratic behavious. Jericho resides in Llyre's house in Ryoujing.
 * Maximal ad Alendir (_Max_imal_)- Originally, Llyre and Maximal did not get along well, but time has dulled Llyre's attitude and sharp tongue, and now that they are both older, they get along quite well. There is, to a degree, a sort of comiseration in being middle-aged.
 * Fawkes ad Alendir - Unlike his father Maximal, Llyre and Fawkes seem to have always gotten along, with both of them being rather emotionally disconnected from the world. At Maximal's behest they were briefly engaged, but Llyre broke it off after expressing his disinterest in pursuing a relationship with anyone other than Ryou-- for better or for worse. Still, he considers the man his friend.
 * Zhetian es en Chen - The lighthouse keeper in Kumaur, Llyre and Zhetian are close, but in the recent years, Zhetian's erratic, unstable behaviour has made Llyre increasingly uncomfortable and frustrated, and Zhetian has turned into more of a chore than a friend in his eyes. Despite this, he does care to a degree about his friend's well being.
 * Ryan vom Dirkson (decoratedmean60) - Ryan and Llyre initially met during the war but did not become close until several years later. They quickly became very good friends, travelling across Rathnir together several times. He also became friends and political allies with Ryou, which further improved Llyre's opinion of him as his husband's approval made him feel much better about associating with Ryan. Following the failed reunification of Eisenland, Ryan left Eisenland for Kumaur under Llyre's reccomendation, and became part of the attempts to revive the city. Unfortunately Ryan did not live to see the city's return and committed suicide.
 * Hamsterz (sub123machine) - They initially became friends during the Second Purple Insurrection, and the pair places a lot of trust in eachother, though since Hamsterz has lost his memory, their relationship was distant for some time, but during the Eisenland crisis, they grew close again, and Hamsterz is the only Eisenlandian citizen currently allowed in Kumaur.

Enemies

 * None, finally.

Other Relations

 * Jonathan Lozharo (NateThunder_) - In another lifetime things would have been different. Before Llyre's maddened obsession for Northern unification had consumed his mind, the two were friends. On Llyre's end at least, he had considered courting the king, but never made any moves towards his affections beyond writing some poems that he burned after Lozaria sided with Thalassii. Following his defection to Viodoxa, the two were not on speaking terms for a time, and any remaining relationship seemed to have fizzled out over the years.
 * Loic dem Spheniscidae (Loic_1) - Llyre idolised Loic, in a sort of form of somewhat unrealistic hero worship to a degree. He was willing to sabotage both Thalassii and Almmore for the Uniter, and expressed a strong desire for the man's approval, happily and eagerly throwing himself into writing speeches and propoganda for the Archonal Union. His family being ardent supporters of the Union were likely to have influenced his opinion as well.

Trivia & Meta

 * His full name, Llyre es vel Volaerys, means Llyre, legitimised bastard of Volaerys. This follows the naming conventions of House Volaerys, as Birth House > Marriage House(s, in order of importance) > Adopted House (s, if applicable) > Other House(s, in order of importance).
 * The name he was given at birth, Lirei, is based on the the characters of 黎 (lí) meaning "black, dawn",  鈴 (rei) meaning "bell". Thusly, his name could be translated as "bell of the dawn".
 * He is completely colorblind, seeing the world in shades of grey.
 * His favourite food is hotpot, especially with whale or seal meat, thick udon nooodles, chewy rice cake, and mustard greens.
 * Llyre's favourite flowers are lily of the valley.