Lore:Lyranth

Lyranth the Foolkiller
Lyranth the Foolkiller circa 2E 582
Race	Dremora	Gender	Female
Resided in		Coldharbour Fargrave Deadlands
Appears in		ESO

Lyranth the Foolkiller is a powerful Dremora and a prominent member of Foolkillers Clan of Coldharbour. She serves Molag Bal, and views him as the true master of all Dremora. Lyranth's paleonymic is Wehkehpneht-kamdo. She views most other Daedra with disdain, although she sees the Xivkyn as potential allies that are held back by their Xivilai blood. Lyranth is a vengeful individual. Any being that she truly hates is documented in her Oghma of Inevitable Retribution.

Lyranth has a relatively positive view on mortals. While she sees weakness in their needs to rest, form attachments, and their tendencies to make assumptions of things beyond their scope of understanding, she acknowledges their positive traits, such as their unpredictability and their inclination to innovate. She also admires ambition, a prime example being that of Reman, who had a successful campaign to conquer Tamriel. She finds beauty in the mortal plane, seeing it as a "delightful playground" built by the foolish act of the Aedra which diminished them, a sacrifice admired by even Daedra such as herself. She holds the Magna Ge in great disgust for not finishing their work, as if they had further aided the Aedra in their quest, they could have achieved something greater. She however pities mortals that follow the Aedra, seeing their worship as unwarranted, as they are not as active beings as the Daedra.

Lyranth has seemingly gathered a cult following, earning the title of Dread Lady. Her (possibly self-proclaimed) prophet, Rogatus Cinna, teaches those that are willing to listen about his mistress. He and his sister, Rogatina Cinna, also act as messengers for Lyranth at her behest. Ironically, Lyranth sees Daedric cultists as deluded.

History

At some point, Lyranth was banished from Coldharbour after the betrayal of Deathbringer Clan, which then rose to prominence in the realm. However, the vestiges of her fellow Foolkillers were trapped by a Grievous Twilight named Dusk and humiliatingly incorporated into a set of armor. At some point, she was taught by Sage Rrvenk about the nature of mortal vampires and werewolves.

The Planemeld

Lyranth, summoned and bound by Dominion invaders

In 2E 582, the Aldmeri Dominion invaded Black Marsh in an attempt to exterminate the Argonians and conquer the region of Shadowfen. The invaders summoned Lyranth from Oblivion and bound her inside the ruins of Ten-Maur-Wolk, an ancient site of Daedric worship. The expedition leader, an Altmer alchemist named Ruuvitar, discovered a method to transform his soldiers into doppelgangers. These skin-stealers were created by using Hist sap to steal the victim's memories, and using Lyranth's essence to create the physical illusion. However, the Dominion occupation of Ten-Maur-Wolk was soon noticed by the Ebonheart Pact, and Ruuvitar's forces were driven off after the Battle of Ten-Maur-Wolk. During the battle, Lyranth was discovered by the Vestige and offered to reveal Ruuvitar's plans and help drive off the invaders if freed. It's unknown if this offer was accepted, but Lyranth escaped her prison regardless.

Once freed, Lyranth began an attempt to fulfill an oath of vengeance against the Deathbringers on behalf of her dishonored clan. Her first step was to free the trapped vestiges of her clanmates from their imprisonment at the hands of Dusk. The Grievous Twilight had been appointed Lord Warden of the Imperial Prison following the Daedric occupation of the Imperial City. Lyranth allied herself with a group of Undaunted who had come to brave the dangers of the prison, and guided them through the complex to a final confrontation with Dusk. After the mortals defeated him, Lyranth trapped his vestige in a shield as vengeance and gave it to the adventurers. She then freed her clan from Dusk's armor, allowing them to return to the Void. Although she assumed control of the prison on behalf of Molag Bal, Lyranth didn't remain long and eventually returned to Coldharbour to continue her vengeance.

Soon afterwards, a mortal expedition from Tamriel entered the realm to stop the ongoing Planemeld. After being split up by Molag Bal's magical defenses, a large group of invaders from the Fighters Guild ended up trapped in the Tower of Lies, a great pit where prisoners had their minds clouded and were forced to dig. Unaffected by the mind clouding, Lyranth watched the invaders, and eventually offered her aid when the Vestige came to rescue the group. Under her guidance, the mortals banished their Daedric overseers and escaped the pit. Lyranth later approached Vanus Galerion when the invasion was blocked by the Reaver Citadel, the Dremoras' last line of defense. By outlining the citadel's weaknesses, Lyranth allowed the invaders to storm the Daedric defenses. In order to disgrace the Deathbringers further, Lyranth sent the Vestige to banish their leader Valkynaz Seris in the heart of his power, a giant fortress known as the Pyramid. With his death, the Foolkillers were returned to power in Coldharbour, and in return Lyranth opened the way to the Endless Stair, allowing Meridia and her mortal champions to destroy the Planar Vortex and end the Planemeld.

The Four Ambitions

After the Planemeld, Lyranth became involved in thwarting Mehrunes Dagon, a bitter rival to her lord Molag Bal. In some long-abandoned volcanic mines in the Deshaan region of Morrowind, Dagonites of the Order of the Waking Flame began excavating an ancient shrine to their lord, and summoned a powerful Havocrel, Baron Zaudrus, to oversee their work. With the aid of the Undaunted, Lyranth slew the cultists, and recovered a map from the Baron's corpse. This would serve as the first step to uncovering the machinations of Dagon's plot.

Lyranth and the priest Weylin

The map led her to call for the aid of the Vestige to help her make sense of the conspiracy. Their investigation led to the discovery of a secret kept for three generations by the Longhouse Emperors, one that could threaten Nirn. These Artifacts were known as the Four Ambitions, but what they were required further investigation to uncover the truth and capabilities surrounding them.

Artifact retrieved from the Order of the Silver Rose

Lyranth, together with the Vestige and Eveli Sharp-Arrow ventured to the Doomvault Capraxus in the southeastern part of the Blackwood. They discovered that two Ambitions were kept there. It was revealed that they were not artifacts but people imbued with immense power, Destron and Calia. Dremora and her allies defeated the Dagonite who coveted the power of the Ambitions and escorted them to the Temple of Dibella in Gideon. Once the safety of the twins was ensured she attended the meeting of the Dagonites in Vandacia's Keep in the Deadlands. Together with her allies, she rescued Sombren, the third Ambition from the hands of the cult. Soon after the death of one of the Ambitions Destron and the High Priest Vandacia during the battle of Fort Redmane, she contacted the Vestige during the celebrations in the Gideon and informed them to prepare for further investigation.

Paths of Lyranth and the Vestige crossed once again when Dremora requested assistance in reclaiming the relic from the Knights of the Silver Rose. Together with a priest of Azura named Weylin, they defeated the Order and retrieved the artifact. She contacted one of the Imperial Battlemages of the Battlespire Martus Tullius and informed him of the Dagonite activity in the Dread Cellar. Mages of Battlespire, together with the Vestige stopped the cultists in the area.

Rogatina Cinna, one of the worshipers of Lyranth contacted the Vestige at the behest of the Dremora. The Dremora learnt of the potentially apocalyptic threat to the Nirn and aimed to prevent that. Adventurer followed the instructions of Rogatina and found Lyranth in her secret hideout. She was assaulted by the Order of the Waking Flame and trapped with the enchanted blade which prevented her from reforming in the Oblivion. Vestige freed her from the trap. Soon she found out that the relic she obtained from the Order of the Silver Rose was gone. With the assistance of the Vestige, she found one of the hideouts of the cultists and reclaimed the artifact. She also gathered schematics and documents related to the order's endeavors and learnt that one of the bases of the cult was located in the Oblivion. She decided to infiltrate the hideout with the assistance of the Vestige. Lyranth pretended to be a prisoner while her ally impersonated Devastator Rullen, one of the elite members of the cult. The secret hideout was located in Fargrave. They discovered that the place was a testing grounds of the cataclyst, a device designed to transform Daedra into Incarnates, powerful beings capable of mass destruction. Although their true intentions were revealed, they managed to escape the base and learn of the activity of the cult in the Fargrave.

Lyranth traveled to the Fargrave and meet with the Vestige and the mysterious amnesiac woman known as the Anchorite in the old bathhouse in the Shambles district of the city. By the time she arrived there Sister Celdina's cult already started using votive runes to create tension on the streets of the Fargrave. They confronted her in the underground section of the bathhouse and foiled her plan by destroying the runes and interrupting her ritual. They scoured the hideout and found coded missive of the order. She ordered her mortal associates to find the codebreaker.

The Anchorite

The Anchorite sought the help of Mazken known as Madam Whim. Lyranth, although reluctantly, decided to agree to strike a deal with the Dark Seducer. Whim recommended them to visit Gazmod the Collector, a watcher who kept a skilled codebreaker captive. Lyranth requested him to let his codebreaker Arox decipher the coded message but Gazmod declined. They however became interested in the mask of the Anchorite and decided to examine it in private. Lyranth and her mortal associate used that opportunity to release Arox. They confronted the watcher, freed the Anchorite, and retreated from the villa to the establishment of the Madam Whim. There Arox deciphered the encoded message. It was proof that Daedric troops from Burning Gyre Keep in the Deadlands are preparing to invade Fargrave. Lyranth decided to infiltrate the keep and stop the planned attack. The moment she and the Vestige arrived there an incredible amount of energy was just unleashed inside the building. They found a weapon with a sign of the Bladebearer Clan and challenged the leader of cultists Celdina once again and defeated one of her Incarnates. She has grown more interested in the Riven Cataclyst since it had the power to alter the very nature of the Daedric beings. She decided to seek Rynkyus, the leader of the Bladebearers in the Wretched Spire due to their presumed connection to the events that transpired in the Burning Gyre Keep. Although initially hesitant Rynkyus agreed to form a temporary alliance. While the Vestige worked together with Rynkyus, Lyranth intended to examine the missing memories of the Anchorite in search of important clues. She managed to help Anchorite recall a few memories and managed to find a connection with a blind seer Elegian who was imprisoned in the Blood Pit. She sent her mortal associates to meet with the prisoner. They learned the current location of the Riven Cataclyst and Sister Celdina and that Elegian crafted the mask that suppresses memories and gave it to Anchorite.

Lyranth decided to organize an attack at the Annihilarch's Summit, the place where they believed Celdina resided. With the combined forces of her associates and the Bladebearers, she hoped to examine and destroy the device. After they fought their way through the forces deployed at the summit they found nothing but a portal leading back to Nirn. Lyranth detected that it was altered to disintegrate her had she attempted to travel through it. She opted to send the Vestige, Anchorite, and Rynkyus to challenge the Breton leader of the cult. They managed to learn of the location of another stronghold of the order and destroyed the device but both Celdina and Valkynaz Nokvroz managed to escape. Lyranth was disappointed that the device was destroyed before she got a chance to examine it properly but was intrigued by the prospect that another stronghold was hidden in the Deadlight. Soon she began to search for the lost realm and ultimately managed to find the sealed portal to the Deadlight. It was however warded against the Daedra and she decided to send her mortal associates to explore the stronghold. During the expedition, Anchorite managed to access her lost memories and learnt that she was Mairead, the daughter of late Emperor Moricar and Sister Celdina. Her mother was killed but Anchorite was captured by Nokvroz. Vestige managed to escape only due to the intervention of Lyranth who opened a portal for them as a way out of the Deadlight.

Sundercliff during the invasion of Mehrunes Dagon

Lyranth orchestrated the assault on Ardent Hope, the fortress of the Valkynaz Nokvoz. Bladebearers led by Rynkyus served as a diversion for her, Vestige and Arox traversed the keep in search of the Anchorite. They found her and the Nokvoz by the volcano, where the Vestige approached Valkynaz and slain him. Soon after his demise Mehrunes Dagon arrived and attempted to destroy them but Lyranth managed to save them by opening the portal to the Fargrave.

After the victory at the Ardent Hope, she wanted to find the Fourth Ambition and track down two remaining Ambitions and ensure their safety. She ordered Eveli Sharp-Arrow to search through the documents of the Longhouse dynasty to find the clues regarding the last ambition. Together with Madam Whim Lyranth decided to uncover the last hidden memories of the Anchorite. They managed to uncover only a fragment since the ritual was interrupted by Eveli. Madam Whim however managed to scry and locate the souls of Longhouse Emperors in the Brandfire Reformatory. Emperor Moricar revealed that Anchorite was the last Ambition and guided them to the Isle of Joys. The conversation was however interrupted by the arrival of Sombren and Calia. He destroyed the souls of the emperors and invited Anchorite to follow him to the place meant only for Ambitions. She agreed despite Lyranths warnings. Dremora decided to follow the Ambitions when the Vestige and Eveli were sent to explore the Isle of Joys. It turned out that Sombren betrayed the Ambitions and attempted to steal their power. Dremora opened the portal and together with the Vestige saved the remaining two Ambitions from Sombren. Nord Ambition however managed to escape and steal Calia's power.

The Vestige and Eveli uncovered that Longhouse Emperors hoped to use the egonymic against Mehrunes Dagon and found a relic that Emperor Moricar intended to give to his daughter. Lyranth decided to led an attack at Prince's capital, Destruction's Solace to stop Sombren and organized a squad of allies consisting of the Imperials of the Ivory Brigade, Argonians of the Black Fin Legion and Four Winds and Dremora of the Bladebearer Clan. Arox helped to open the portal to the capital of the Deadlands where they fought against the overwhelming forces of the loyal servants of the Mehrunes Dagon. Lyranth together with the Vestige and the Anchorite chased Sombren through the Deadlands and then through the portal to the Sundercliff in the Nirn. Opening of the portal between Sundercliff and Dagon's capital of Destruction's Solace in the Deadlands, resulted in the instant destruction of the fort and the surrounding town. Upon manifesting on Tamriel, Dagon began the process of merging his realm with Nirn using the power of the Ambitions. However, Dagon and Sombren were followed by a force of mortals and Daedra led by the Vestige, who interrupted the ritual. Another Ambition, Mairead, was able to steal power back from Sombren and used Dagon's egonymic to bind and weaken the Prince. With the help of the Vestige, Dagon's physical form was destroyed and he was banished to the furthest corner of the Deadlands via the use of his egonymic. Immediately after this happens Lyranth extracted the power of the Ambitions from Mairead and escaped.

The Vestige sought to talk with Lyranth after her betrayal. They found the Dremora in the Fargrave and talked with her. She explained that "the ability to shift destinies" Ambitions possessed started to fascinate her. She took the power to fulfill a promise she made a long time ago. She described her future as the path "no mortal nor Daedra has even ventured". After this brief conversation with the Vestige Lyranth disappeared.

As of 2E 582 she planned a scheme she described as minor and hoped that Vestige could assist her when it comes to fruition circa 3E 119.

Gallery

• 

  Lyranth (ESO, base game)

• 

  Lyranth (ESO)

• 

  With a transparent background (ESO)

• 

  Lyranth restoring the Foolkillers to Coldharbour (ESO)

• 

  Lyranth within the Imperial City Prison (ESO: Imperial City)

See Also

• For game-specific information, see the Elder Scrolls Online article.

Books

• Meet the Character - Lyranth by Rogatus Cinna, Prophet of the Dread Lady — The preachings of a Dremora's mortal prophet
• Oath of a Dishonored Clan by Lyranth — A Daedric oath