Illyria

Illyria is one of the Old Ones, a powerful pure-breed demon who ruled earth prior to and during the rise of humankind on Angel: The Series
I walked words of smoke and half-truths, intangible
Character Name: Illyria
Fandom: Angel: The Series
Canon Point: Angel, series finale, "Not Fade Away"
Special Abilities: Superhuman strength, reflexes, near-invulnerability, enhanced senses, limited shapeshifting
'Programme'd Possession: Her sarcophagus
=="In my time, nightmares walked among us": History==
 
Before the Rise of Men
Illyria was one of those most feared Old Ones in her time, when powerful breeds of demons walked the earth. She ruled from her citadel, Vahla ha'nesh, and commanded an army of doom to wage war on her enemies. In her true, primordial form, Illyria was a monstrous demon with tentacles and clawed, perched feet. When the Old Ones lost their claim over the old world, Illyria was murdered by her rivals. She was placed in stone sarcophagus, her powers drained and placed in jewels embedded in her coffin, and placed in a mythical graveyard called The Deeper Well. However, the Old Ones were both loved and feared so much that worshipers still existed millions of years following their fall. Thus, having arranged her own vengeful resurrection, Illyria was resurrected, as predestined, and reincarnated in the body of Winifred Burkle.
Wolfram & Hart
Illyria's resurrection was brought about by her Qwa Ha Xahn, her high priest, a man called Knox who chose Winifred Burkle as the vessel by which Illyria would emerge. Knox has Illyria's sarcophagus delivered to Fred Burkle's science lab at Wolfram & Hart. While examining the mysterious artifact, Fred touches one of the crystals and inhales Illyria's essence, which acts as a bodily infection--liquifying her organs, hardening her skin, and consuming her soul. Within the day, Fred dies and her body is completely taken over by Illyria, who retains many of Fred's memories.
Although Illyria attempts to destroy mankind by returning to her home and resurrecting her army, she is devastated and lost to discover the realm lies in ashes, her army destroyed. She enlists the help of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, who was in love with Fred and is thus drawn to the ancient being, to help her learn how to live in the world. She spends her time at Wolfram & Hart engaging in training sessions with Spike (read: beating him up), who is testing her abilities, freeing Charles Gunn from a hell dimension, and talking to plants.
Eventually, Illyria's power becomes extremely unstable, unable to withstand her human form. She begins skipping backward and forward through time. In order to save her and the world from the consequences of Illyria literally becoming a time bomb, Wesley uses a Mutari generation to diminish and eliminate some of her power. As a result, she can no longer alter time, open portals, communicate with plants, and her strength is diminished. Humiliated and defeated, Illyria reels from this latest blow and focuses her attention on exploring Wesley's feelings for Fred by morphing into her form (one which he rejects) and semi-bonding with Spike (who can relate and helps her venture out into the world).
Illyria decides to join the final battle against the Senior Partners when Hamilton brutally beats and humilates her. She helps take out the Circle of the Black Thorn with violent enthusiasm, and finds Wesley dying and comforts him by transforming into Fred and bidding him a final goodbye. Filled with unexpected and uncontrollable grief, Illyria violently dispatches his killer, Cyvus Vail, shattering his head with a single punch—an action that does not begin to assuage her grief and leaves her with a strong desire to "do more violence." Her wish is granted when the Senior Partners send their army against the surviving members of Angel's team; Illyria joins Angel, Gunn, and Spike in the final battle against the Senior Partners. It is from this point that Illyria is drawn into Taxon.
=="A True Ruler is as Moral as a Hurricane--Empty, But for the Force of his Gale": Personality/Psychology==
Illyria the Merciless, formerly one of the most powerful pure-breed Old Ones on earth before humanity infected it, certainly lives up to her name in mind, if not body. While she retains much of the strength, agility, and might she had back in her glory days, she now has the body of a human, and with that, she is weakened greatly. This newfound weakness is not something she expected, and it’s arguably the core of her psyche. Although her ego has remained quite intact, Illyria cannot begin to come to grips with the fact that she is physically on the same level as a human being, the little maggot-like things who should be cowering before her. Her bitterness grows when her powers are stripped from her, something she considers one of her biggest defeats and humiliations. She finds herself lost in a world she does not belong, stripped of a purpose. And part of the reason she latches onto Wesley (as her guide) is because she craves understanding, as well as being driven by the little pieces of Fred inside of her.
That brings us to another great piece to the great, complex puzzle that is Illyria. She is infected by her memories of Fred, and Fred’s memories of others. Just as Illyria infected Fred as an indestructible virus, cooking her organs from the inside out and hardening her in preparation for harvesting her body, so does Fred Burkle, in a way, infect Illyria. She has her memories, like fragments, as part of what she describes to be her “function system.” Because of that, she struggles with the bit of humanity she imagines to be inside of her, rotting her core, infecting her mind. It’s enraging and utterly perplexing, and also intriguing. She tries to explore the nature of Fred and Wesley’s love by taking her form (an attempt he smartly rejects), as well as the nature of human grief by appearing as Fred to her parents. She’s always trying to understand, while not necessarily accept, her surrounds and the people with whom she is forced to walk among.
As far as other personality traits go, she’s not exceptionally friendly. She’s completely out of the loop as far as everyday slang, pop culture, lingo and clichés go. She’s abrasive, egotistical, and not at all very conversational. If you interest her, she may bide her time by allowing you to talk to her. But if you don’t? She won’t bother. She enjoys violence, and will likely relish any opportunity Taxon throws at her to enact it.