Altered Lore

Lyra

7 min read

Lyra

Overview

The Lyra are one of the six factions that follow The Covenant. They are the last heirs of the Tumult Nomads, the first humans to have been able to read the currents of The Tumult before its winds swept over the world.

Philosophy

The Lyra understand the world as expression above all else. Every living being exhales ideas and emotions just by existing—sensory impressions that must be felt to be truly understood. Lyra Alterers traverse this vibrant cosmos, pierced by its beauty.

The Lyra make sensation the cornerstone of their values. Their heightened sensitivity means they absorb impressions like sponges, and this excitement compels them to express themselves in turn—through feverish dances, thunderous or crystalline voices, passionate declamations, or artistic creation. For Lyra Alterers, reality itself is a stage or canvas to fill with their energy and feelings.

Like a vase being filled, a Lyra Alterer must overflow, letting their creative fire erupt lest they be consumed by it. After pouring themselves out, they feel feverish and emptied, yet ready to receive the world’s gifts again. This process is the crucible of their transfiguration. The Lyra’s core philosophy is reciprocal influence: to transform, and to be transformed in return.

Though their proximity to artistic domains is undeniable, the Lyra are not limited to artistic practice. They are also excellent communicators, talented educators, adept craftsmen, and inspired architects.

Organization

The Lyra perpetuate their nomadic way of life, mostly organized into traveling caravans called processions. They roam the peninsula constantly, stopping only briefly, guided by mood or opportunity. Individual Lyra may leave their caravan and return later after immersing themselves in a place or group of people.

Organizational Hierarchy

The Lyra are organized into nine Sarabands—groupings of caravans that share common ancestry and customs. Each Saraband contains one or more Clans, and each Clan operates multiple processions. The hierarchy is as follows:

  • The Nine Matriarchs: Supreme authority, one per Saraband. Elders who ensure respect of traditions and serve as exclusive interlocutors for The Nine Sisters.
  • Shepherds/Shepherdesses: Daily authority figures representing their Matriarch. They manage logistics, maintain cohesion, and direct caravan operations—functioning as conductors creating melody amidst cacophony.
  • Processions: Individual traveling caravans of varying sizes, from modest groups to imposing assemblies.

While Shepherds are the official faces of a Clan, the Matriarchs pull the strings from behind the scenes.

Known Clans

Six of the nine Lyra Clans are documented:

Alteration Style: The Ignescence

The Lyra practice Ignescence, their unique Alteration style. They draw Mana directly from within themselves or harvest energy sparked when performing before an audience. Their Alteration revolves around creativity—artistic, architectural, or artisanal expression. It is a raw style, charged with emotions, as powerful as the feelings evoked. Though instinctive and perhaps inconsistent, it allows them to alter the world with scope unmatched by any other Faction.

The Lyra are considered the Alterers closest to The Tumult. Their way of altering the world through singing, music, or daring constructions closely resembles how Tumult winds transform reality. Alterers from other Factions feel this similarity viscerally. Many Lyra believe the Tumult is not a phenomenon to be entirely banished but to be mastered—the expression of nature in its fiercest form, the very embodiment of change.

Rites and Initiation

The Lyra rarely refuse someone joining their processions, viewing additions as opportunities to create new dynamics. However, only those demonstrating exceptional artistic abilities are invited to become Alterers.

Emergence

Applicants undergo Emergence, a dangerous initiation rite. They must enter a Tumult singularity and allow themselves to be transformed by it. An Alterer always accompanies them to limit the metamorphosis, but the process is inherently risky.

The vast majority of Lyra visibly bear physical alterations from this exposure—changes in hair color, elemental parasitism, or even crow wings on their backs. While most mutations are cosmetic and non-functional, some Lyra inherit talents such as increased longevity, underwater breathing, or limb regeneration. The extent of marks varies depending on the Tumult’s violence and the guide’s control.

Return to the Tumult

The Lyra constantly work toward achieving the ultimate masterpiece of their life. When they feel their days are numbered or believe their life’s work is complete, some decide to leave their caravan and head toward a Tumult zone. They enter the Tumult without protection, letting themselves be transformed without restraint—as if returning to it at the end of their existence.

Iconic Locations

Sahankas

Due to their nomadic existence, the Lyra do not have a Bastion in the strictest sense. The largest caravans, especially those accommodating Matriarchs, center around a Sahanka—a building, palace, or small town that moves with the procession. These enormous structures are not technological feats but places brought to life through Alteration. Like gargantuan beasts of burden made of metal, glass, beams, bricks, or stone, Sahankas transport dwellings serving as shelter against elements and Tumult. Each is unique, shaped by the sensibilities of the Alterers who created it.

Known Sahankas include:

Kalann Mae

Once per cycle, the Lyra feel a mystical calling to a constantly changing location. Those who answer gather at a caravanserai to celebrate Kalann Mae, a festival dedicated to Art in all its forms. Troubadours, contortionists, sculptors, and painters compete in talent, becoming intoxicated with fever to unleash unbridled creativity. The gathered energy shapes the location, and at the festival’s climax, a Wonder blossoms—grandiose and sumptuous. The Wonder is left behind or entrusted to local populations.

Known Wonders include the Reversed Waterfall of Cuyvar, the Olive Grove of Sartonis, the Alabaster House of Ser-Karran, and the Valtrecht Centaur.

Current Objectives

Find the Two Other Tribes

Before Asgartha’s civilization, the Tumult Nomads were divided into eight Tribes from distinct world regions. All received a mystical call to converge, but only seven arrived safely. The eighth was lost entirely, earning the name The Lost Tribe. Before Asgartha’s foundation, another Tribe decided to continue nomadic existence elsewhere, named The Exiled Tribe. The Lyra wish to discover what happened to these two Tribes. The Rediscovery Endeavor is their opportunity to find out.

Finding Their Paramour

The Lyra’s gift of Alteration, Ignescence, is an inner fire burning with incredible intensity. Expressing this fire is natural but also necessary for survival—if they cannot release it through Alteration, their flesh chars and skin flakes to pale ashes. Conversely, pouring out too much fire leaves them empty and prone to lethargy.

A persistent legend speaks of Paramours: soulmates capable of neutralizing Ignescence’s harmful effects by absorbing a portion of this inner fire or feeding it in return. Many Lyra embark on quests for their other half so their creative abilities can be fully expressed without restriction.

Relationships

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