Lys

Background

Lys
Official Lys Art by Jack Kaiser
Characteristics
Age	Unknown
Race	Divine Shard
Languages	Telepathy
Status	Not Alive. Exists as fragments or echoes of their divine nature.
First Introduced	Episode 11: ...and the prom is tomorrow! (Named), Episode 20: The Face in the Attic (Met)

"If a person makes a mistake, are they a villain? Or is it...what happens after, that defines them? Or what happened before? Or, is it the now..?" _~Lys

Lys is a mysterious entity that was active in the City of Alivast. They resided inside the mysterious floating structure known as The Attic; a porcelain crystal that floats over the city. Lys is a being of enigma who gives away little information regarding themselves. For whatever reason, Lys took an interest in The Unexpectables and discreetly passed them multiple gifts without leaving a trace. The only clue that linked these items together was notes bearing the letters, L-Y-S.

Lys' full capabilities remain a mystery, but they appeared to possess knowledge of deeply held secrets of people in Alivast, likely through accessing their memories. This may explain how they knew of places and events far from Alivast, but which were known to people within the city. Lys resided in a location in Alivast that was almost entirely inaccessible unless Lys wished to guide someone to it. Lys explained that they were a shard of a dead god's power and they had access to a limited amount of their whole self's abilities, though even this small fragment had considerable power.

Lys also seemed to be the creator of the magical Alivast Tickets which are used throughout the city to keep track of job offers and rewards with arcane accuracy. This factor hints that Lys was more integral to the city than the vast majority of people realize.

When Lys helped the Unexpectables enter Stillhavity's realm to rescue Solly, Lys sacrificed themselves to ensure the safety of their mortal companions. Lys' death left the Attic slack in the air and their porcelain mask cracked in half. However, over time, the mask slowly began to repair itself in response to positive actions taken by the party. When it was completely resealed, the Attic returned to its original position.

Lys is essentially formless except for their mask. Any form Lys takes has the mask integrated into it. Lys' most 'natural' form is a shapeless, intangible blob.

Origins

Spoilers - Episode 114 / Podcast 101
Lys is apparently a shard of the dead god Lysalivast, who died long ago and fell to the material plane as a comet, and buried itself deep, deep below the earth to ensure that fiends, celestials, aberrations and fellow deities could not take these shards and use them for their own purposes. It was however discovered by the demigod Stillhavity who used a gnoll tribe as well as an arcanoloth to dig the shards out of the earth with great machines. When it was uncovered, this last gasp of Lysalivast's power shone brightly, and used its power to draw The Canary and it's captain, Christopher Canary, to the shores of Alivast, who killed the gnolls and sealed away the warhammer which contained one Stillhavity's eyes that was their link to the demigod. Canary then facilitated building the city of Alivast around the comet shards which became the attic. As the city grew, the waning power of Lysalivast grew as well, and ultimately rooted it in place for good.
The Arcanaloth's Journal
Stillhavity employed an arcanaloth in its attempts to steal Lysalivast's power. The fiend, in the guise of Jozah Muhirad, found itself anchored in place by the "pull" of the dead god. It hypothesized that if it could consume the remains of Lysalivast's power, it could not only gain freedom, but also godhood.
Word of a comet. Fallen in the time before man. In the time that the first dragons became mortal. It clattered to the earth in eons long past. Fragment of a dead god, or perhaps a memory of one? It held itself into the earth, to avoid being plucked by demon, devil, aberration, celestial and god alike. Afraid to make something new, or contribute to something already being. My employer, invoking the obedience of a clan of gnolls, led commands by a patron hammer. Unearthed such a comet, and found another aspect of power. The gnolls worked digging in the earth, erecting a machine to rip it from the rock. When the comet unearthed, he could finally consume it, but it never was. This fragment of power, not completely un-spent, invoked its god's power for one last weaselly attempt. Called a boat, or so the boat came. A heart filled with wonder. Captain Canary. And Urge or call, long forgotten. Not a destiny, but its power.  The Lysalivast Comet was... IS more than it presents itself to be. The largest remains. The Skull of the dead god. Consume that, and become a god all its own, or spring to power a new eon, a new plane, a new chance of god-hood. For anything willing to find and consume it. The captain came, destroyed the gnolls, captured and contained the aspect of the employer and built a city around the comet.  By the time it was risen it was bolted to the earth, and its power only grew as the people around it did. Perhaps the god still persists among the mortals, but fades as it does? Anchors of magical alloy, and of magical pure. Celestial miracle tethers it onto this place. But it spreads, like a disease.  Demon, celestial alike caught in a pull, like a boat into a whirlpool. Some escape, other.... get to close. Not so lucky. Frustrated. Escape is plausible, only if ascension is achieved. My Employer is gone, in a whisper, a whimper. Pathetic, contract still to fulfill. Nothing to be said if I am the one who benefits. Only a few know. Of the Lysalivast Comet's true identity. I know it's watching me. Like a mouse in its den with the fox on the prowl. Canary knows of it, perhaps saw of it as a friend. Bronze-fang has made meeting of it, but he denies. Enrobso knows of it, but he is denied. A human druid who flocks with peasantry birds may know of it.  Inquiries as this Almon book pusher provide no answer. A Contract binds perhaps. Puppets in all things, and so the mortal's praise the celestial, but we all play the same games. My employer's eye scars the sky, and yet no voice reached me. Was I only a side project in the grander scheme of things. They only wanted information. Perhaps they knew I would be locked here, so they themselves couldn't come too close.  And now they're as far as they possibly could be. But they've found some facet of power. So who says I cannot find my own. I shall spread and infect this place, to find its queen bee and eat it.  Four more now, added to the total. Another call, Like the boat. This time different. Is it scared? Does it know its time is running out? The city, its body, still functions as it does. I feel its power wane.  It’s still watching though. It’s watching them. Four fools, bumbling like a pack of blind acolytes. Are they for me? Or another purpose? Perhaps more desperate actions should be made on my account. Desperation breeds desperation. I'll call for some favors in the coming years. We're on the same schedule, comet. I will out-endure you. Another one rises. It steps into the plane of mortal men. This one never fell, it simply became. I am afraid, this one rose from the earth like the Primordial Phoenix from the flame. Where did this one come from? What does this one anchor? It is chained to the comet, like a brother arm and arm. It has spread my curse to others now. It is to weigh down to keep in place the waning comet's will. And so too us are crushed under its hold. Like some cosmic joke. The Lysalivast comet is dead or dying, and yet it persists. But where. Where is it hiding? Why are other aspects helping, rather than finding their own places to hide? Another call perhaps? How much can it call before it fades? I may be a fool. The four, the orc, the bird, the devil blooded and the endangered red kobold. They weren't called. Perhaps they are the call. This must be dealt with immediately. Before more anchors appear. These "extensions of the comets will", must be denied, or none of us will escape. Godhood may follow.

Relations

Lys fan art by @Dark_E_Arts

Stillhavity

Lys and Stillhavity are naturally at odds with another given their natures. The two are also inexorably connected in regards to Lys origins. Stillhavity managed to land a killing blow on Lys, fracturing their mask in two before being cast away by Orun.

Task

Lys taught Task to move on from his past. He explained that holding on to junk from his old home would not bring them back and would not help him move on. Lys ensured Task he would still get his vengeance, but that he had to find balance before he could do so. As part of this lesson, Task burned Gnaryel's bow, his last keepsake of home.The two halves of Lys' mask connected when he forgave and apologized to Solly. Later, when Task put on Lys' mask and looked at the corpse of Athtar, he felt the worst terror of his entire life, greater even then when his entire clan had been killed.

Greckles

Lys taught Greckles that he needed to stop running and find courage and confidence. They showed him who killed his birth parents and what set him on the path his life had taken. When Greckles found himself alone, his friends possibly dead, he faced amazing fear and approached an enraged Silver King and calmly opened dialogue despite his desire to run and hide. In response to his actions the final fracture in Lys' mask closed.

Panic

Lys taught Panic about the effects his actions had on others, showing him visions of all the people he manipulated and tore apart emotionally, such as Ozzy. They also gave him visions of his past as Virgil in Tracadia. When Panic forgave Hellina, a fracture in his mask closed up. Panic made a point to sleep with the mask on after hearing Evelina mention that she felt lonely when she wore it to sleep. When he did, he had a dream of a featureless, dark landscape that went on for an eternity, broken only by a bottomless chasm, and a crushing sensation of absolute loneliness that lingered well after he woke.

Borky

Lys taught Borky that he had to move on from the death of his mother, presenting him in a scene where he's clinging to her memory and a porcelain piano for him to play. When Borky addressed Digsby's suffering and comforted him, a crack in Lys' mask sealed.

Ith

Sketch of the mask Panic saw in his vision by @MontyGlu

"Dust Drifting Directionless Divine" ~ heard by Panic in a vision of a new masked entity

In a moment of desperation, frustration, and emotional turmoil, Panic had a vision of another mask that was similar to, but different than Lys. It is unknown if this entity has any connection to Lys. MontyGlu drew a quick sketch of the new mask in response to a question during her own art commission stream.

When Panic was again on the brink of death, he had another vision of this mask. Like his first encounter, it spoke cryptic words to him - this time, five sets of three seemingly disjointed words each.

"appreciate anticipate disorder
crushing crippling crusade
simmering starve depraved
deep darkness dissuading
crawl climb brave"

It was seen once again inhabiting the Attic on a visit made by Panic, and it broke it's usual rhyming scheme to inform him that he would see him soon, then expelled him from the Attic. And indeed he did see him soon, however he would see him in the very darkest part of the Realm of Discord, and show him what he had needed to learn about himself, and instructed him to reawaken Omnimaw. It was revealed that in some way, this is what LYS had become post-fading, and had been keeping it's ultimate decay at bay. Panic making a pact with ITH caused one of the attic's chains to break loose with a second crystal. The significance of this is unknown.

Evelina

Evelina is a cleric of the United Clergy of Orun who was attracted to Lys' mask when it was looted from the party. She has since questioned Remy about where the mask came from and mentioned that she had a dream about a mask that was similar, but looked more like a bird. She also mentioned that when she slept with the mask on, she felt lonely.

Trivia

Lys Symbol fan art by Deedah

• Lys has the ability to teleport/materialize items in a way that is unaffected by magic wards, as the second item they left for The Unexpectables was in a place where arcane magic was supposed to be nullified.
• Lys repeats the last word of their statements in a whisper before they stop talking. However, if the statement is false, the echo will be replaced with "lies."
• In Chapter 28, cracks in the half of Lys' mask kept by Panic were repaired after he extended kindness to Hellina. This happened once again in Chapter 44, following a heart to heart between Borky and Digsby. It happened a third time in Chapter 49 in response to Task's apology to Solly, causing the two halves to re-seal. It happened for a fourth and final time in Chapter 61 when Greckles didn't run away from a confrontation with the Silver King. After that, the mask was fully repaired.
• The mask pieces have also exited the Sweet Dragon under mysterious circumstances.
• Lys has affectionately been given the nickname "Therapy Noodle" by MontyGlu.