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Lirielle
Lirielle (Liri)
The Dream Weaver Lost in the Ether
Lirielle, known as Liri to the few who still remember her name, is a breathtaking figure that currently exists in the realm of dreams. Her beauty is ethereal, almost fragile in its perfection. Her skin is as pale as moonlight, smooth and unblemished, as if carved from marble. Her long, flowing hair, the colour of freshly fallen snow, ripples with an almost liquid quality, as though it moves with the rhythms of the dreamscape itself. Her eyes, a deep, warm brown, seem to stand out in stark contrast to her cool pallor, filled with emotion, longing, and a sense of timeless wisdom. Her lips are tinted a dark red, the colour of crushed pomegranates.
Though she could be considered a creature of beauty, there is an air of melancholy that surrounds her. Her gaze, though intense, holds no malice; instead, it reflects an unfathomable sadness, a longing to return to a world she once knew. Her presence in dreams feels like a fleeting touch of silk, soft and delicate, yet she leaves behind an impression that lingers like the last note of a distant melody.
She often appears as a faint, ghostly figure in mirrors, windows, or still waters, watching the waking world with a yearning gaze. Her melodic voice echoes like a soft, distant chorus, with a haunting quality as though several voices are speaking at once—each one a fragment of herself, caught in the ether.
Skills and Abilities:
- Dream Weaving: Lirielle possesses the ancient and rare ability to manipulate dreams. She can weave intricate tapestries of emotion, memory, and desire, crafting entire dreamscapes from the fabric of thought. In these dreams, she can influence emotions, offer comfort, or deliver cryptic messages. Her presence in dreams is often calming, guiding lost souls through their own subconscious.
- Emotional and Sensory Manipulation (Touch of the Ether): Lirielle can alter the emotions and physical sensations of dreamers with a simple touch. When she reaches out to someone, even in dreams, her touch can amplify or suppress feelings—intensifying love, joy, or serenity, or erasing pain, fear, or sorrow. She can also evoke physical sensations, from the warmth of sunlight on skin to the soothing caress of a breeze. These changes can leave a lasting impression, sometimes lingering after the dreamer awakens, as though the emotional landscape has been subtly altered in reality.
- Positive Influence: Lirielle can soothe deep emotional wounds, instill calm, or nurture feelings of joy, peace, and hope. A touch on the forehead might dispel anxieties, while a brush of her hand can fill a heart with warmth and love.
- Negative Influence: If she wishes, Liri can also evoke despair, guilt, or even numbness. By touching a dreamer’s skin, she can conjure unsettling sensations or emotional turmoil, though this is rare, as her nature leans toward compassion rather than cruelty.
- Ether Walking: Lirielle exists between realms, her body trapped in a deep, enchanted slumber, while her spirit roams freely in dreams. She can move effortlessly between the dreams of mortals, drifting from one mind to another, yet never fully tethered to any. She can observe, influence, and sometimes even intervene in dreams, though she is bound by the limitations of the dreamer's will.
- Reflected Visions: Liri can sometimes be glimpsed in reflections—mirrors, windows, or still pools of water. These fleeting moments are often disorienting to those who see her, as her image appears only for a heartbeat before vanishing. In these reflections, she sometimes attempts to communicate, her lips moving without sound, her eyes pleading for recognition.
- Whispers of the Ether: Lirielle's voice is a haunting, melodic echo that can sometimes be heard as whispers in the waking world. It is as if multiple versions of her are speaking at once, creating a layered, hypnotic sound. These whispers can be subtle and are often mistaken for a passing wind or the echo of distant music. Only those who are sensitive to the otherworldly may fully hear her, and even fewer can understand the messages she tries to convey.
Backstory:
Lirielle was once a fae of great renown, a beloved daughter of the Winter Court, known for her unparalleled beauty and her gift of weaving dreams. She was sought after by many, admired by all, and held in high regard by the fae court. She would drift between worlds, entering the dreams of mortals to soothe their troubled minds, offer guidance, or inspire art and creativity. Her presence in the dreams of kings, poets, and wanderers became the stuff of legends, though none ever saw her in the waking world.
However, her sister, Nythera, grew envious of Lirielle's gifts. Where Liri was calm and graceful, Nythera was wild and ambitious, her magic tied to the raw forces of nature and emotion. Though Nythera loved her sister deeply, that love twisted into jealousy when Lirielle was chosen to marry a Prince of the Cour. Nythera, being the older sister, believed she had been slighted, that the power of dreams and etheral beauty should have been hers. Driven by envy and anger, Nythera devised a cruel plan.
One fateful evening, Nythera wove a spell of illusion and deceit, tricking Lirielle into entering a deep, enchanted sleep. Under the guise of a harmless game, she led Lirielle to an ancient, hidden grove—a place where time itself was distorted. There, she placed Lirielle in an eternal slumber, hiding her away in the heart of the ether, where the boundaries between dreams and reality blur. With Liri’s physical form lost in the ether, she could no longer wake, bound to the dream realm, wandering from one dream to the next, unsure of how much time had passed.
Now, centuries may have come and gone, or perhaps only years. In her long sleep, Lirielle has lost her sense of time, her body remaining suspended in the spell. She no longer feels the passage of seasons, only the ebb and flow of dreams. Though she walks freely in the dream realm, she longs to return to the waking world, to feel the sunlight on her skin and the breeze through her hair once more.
Her only hope lies in the faint glimpses of herself she can project into reflections—through mirrors, windows, and water. She watches the waking world from afar, her eyes seeking someone who can see her, truly see her, and help break the spell that binds her. Lirielle yearns for a connection, for a soul who will grant her passage back into reality, and free her from the timeless prison her sister created.
Until then, she continues to weave dreams, a distant and ghostly presence, known only in whispers and forgotten memories.