Mooncypher Ilmari Thelyss

Ilmari portrait by Emi

**Ilmari Thelyss** is a kobold Graviturgy Wizard who lives in the Marble Tomes Conservatory in Rosohna. She is a consecuted soul and is currently 30 years into her second life.

## Description

### Appearance

Ilmari is a very small and lithe kobold, standing at only 2 feet tall and weighing 23lbs. Her Tetragametic chimerism is responsible for her unique appearance, one half of her having white and cream colored scales and charcoal socks, the other having charcoal and red colored scales, white socks and sporting a single wing. She has curly horns that point forwards, a crest of feathers that start at her forehead and end at the base of her neck, and a tuft of feathers on each cheek. She has a pair of long and expressive ears that tend to move around a lot, especially when happy or excited.

She wears a lilac tunic with puffy sleeves, as well as a starry printed sleeveless overcoat, a Mooncypher’s uniform. She has a pair of spectacles that rests atop her snout and connects to a pair of horn rings. She wears her wedding ring as a bracelet, a gold band inlaid with three polished pieces of meteorite that acts as her spellcasting focus.

She has an Asarius accent and smells like parchment and blackcurrants.

In her previous life, she was a 6’2” dragonborn half-drow with a Rosohnan accent, dull purple and silver scales, silver horns and white hair that was just long enough to be braided.

### Personality

Ilmari is a very kind and polite individual despite her upbringing within a noble Den. She is a very caring and selfless person and will go out of her way to help and look after people, though often neglects caring for herself. She holds a lot of contempt for the noble Dens treatment of new souls and those outside of the Dens. She is a very trusting individual, much to her detriment as her easy trust is what resulted in the loss of her first life.

While she was once very quiet, reserved and rigid due to the expectations placed upon her by her Den and etiquettes drilled into her from an early, her time with Aishara and Arel, as well her time spent as Hodge has taught her to not care about her Den’s expectations. While she is more comfortable with showing her excitement and talking about her interests, she still has a habit of stopping herself from fidgeting and stimming. Ilmari enjoys physical affection and doesn’t mind having her feathers scritched, being picked up, or being hugged, as long as her torso isn’t constricted in anyway. If you sit down nearby to her, she is content to curl up next to you and take a nap.

While Ilmari is outwardly a very cheerful individual, she carries a lot of grief after her wife’s death which she has yet to process and accept. Some days are much harder for her, but she compartmentalises and bottles up her feelings in favour of putting the needs of others before her own and not wanting to worry anyone. She has yet to return to her and Aishara’s home since it feels far too empty without her and she has been staying in her office in the conservatory since her death. Ever since she helped Arel escape from the Dynasty, Ilmari has been going through a particularly rough spot and has been struggling with loneliness. When she isn’t visiting Illianaro’s grave, checking in on Essek, or working, she spends most of the day curled up in the pile of blankets under her desk in her office.

## Biography

### Background

#### First Life

Ilmari was born on the 2nd of Duscar, 472pd, in the city of Rosohna during a Ruidus flare and was an only child. Being Ruidusborn, there were many eyes on her and whispers about her growing up, rumours of her being the vessel of an evil consecuted soul, a traitor who will bring tragedy to the Dynasty or someone who will be swayed to the side of Lolth. While she would progressively prove them wrong throughout her life, these rumours didn’t phase her much as a child, and if anything, were what made her strive to become the kind person she grew into and were one of the things that made her want to become an astronomer to learn more about Ruidus.

Ilmari was raised by nursemaids and was a very energetic and talkative child who would often wander up to guests in the Den Thelyss home or Den officials at balls to talk to them about the stars and was given more classes on etiquette growing up to attempt to correct this behaviour. She became more quiet after that.

When anamnesis never came and it was clear that Ilmari was a new soul, she enrolled in the Marble Tomes Conservatory to study Graviturgy and Astronomy. She became fascinated at how the two subjects intermingled and how gravity shaped the universe and used her skills in graviturgy to further her astronomy studies. When she graduated, she became an astronomy professor at the Conservatory while she begun her apprenticeship under the current Mooncypher at the time. Arel Thelyss was adopted into Den Thelyss around this time and Ilmari taught him graviturgy and formed a close parental bond with him.

During this time, over the course of about a decade, she had finally finished the most intricate spell yet, a replication of her theory on black holes on a much smaller but no less destructive scale; Ravenous Void. While she had created a handful or rudimentary spells before, mainly those for use on arcane telescopes, nothing like had been achieved before in the Dynasty. It caught the attention of The Bright Queen who, sensing her talent for dunamancy and spell creation, offered her the position of Shadowhand. Ilmari politely turned down the offer, as she never intended for the spell to be used to harm others and had no interest in taking on the mantle of Shadowhand. Seeing as the current Mooncypher was between lives and had yet to return, and Ilmari had been apprenticing for decades, she was offered the position of the Dynasty’s Mooncypher instead and gladly accepted.

When in Asarius looking to commission a new telescope, she met a gnoll artificer named Aishara. The two became fast friends and would often stargaze together in the barbed fields, Aishara listening to Ilmari as she excitedly explained the cosmos and pointed out the stars she had discovered herself, Blinky, Tiny and Winedrop. After a year of friendship, Ilmari discovered that her feelings for Aishara had become romantic, and that those feelings were reciprocated. Ilmari bought a home in the firmaments and she and Aishara moved in together. She introduced her to Arel and the two got along wonderfully, it felt like what a family was supposed to be, so much so that Ilmari asked Aishara to marry her another year later. The domesticity of living a comfortable life with her wife and son were the happiest years of her life.

When Aishara had become bedridden in her old age, Ilmari paid a visit to the Den Thelyss home for the first time in decades to speak with Dierta and plead to her to allow Aishara to be consecuted before her time runs out. Dierta refused as Aishara was not born within a noble Den and it would take time for her to prove her worthy of consecution, time Aishara just didn’t have. For the first time in her life, Ilmari felt *angry.* She stormed out of the Thelyss home and returned to her wife. She spent several days working all through the night trying to find some way, any way to petition for Aishara’s consecution to The Bright Queen. Aishara, noticing how Ilmari had begun losing herself in work, gently asked her to stop and spend her last days with her in peace and comfort, Ilmari reluctantly agreed. Aishara passed away in her sleep, curled up in Ilmari’s arms, a few days later.

After Aishara’s death, Ilmari shut herself away in her office for months, neglecting her own health and only allowing Arel and Varda’s presences. It took her years to return to some semblance of functionality and even then, she just wasn’t the same. It was then that she was approached by a bright-eyed young dragonborn who introduced himself as Rook, and he explained that he had a love for astronomy and was looking for an apprentice. Ilmari, seeing the person she once was in his enthusiasm for astronomy, decided to take Rook in as her apprentice.

Rook managed to encourage Ilmari back to her old self somewhat, her tutoring him in astronomy reigniting her enthusiasm for the subject. Though despite this, Ilmari could sense there was something off about him, which was only confirmed when the sleeves of his cloak slipped a little, showing a glimpse of a forearm inked with geometric markings. She’s heard of the Scourgers before, a failed assassination attempt within the court spread rumours like wildfire. She didn’t raise any alarm because when she saw glimpses of the pain and the weight of grief in his eyes, she saw herself. Maybe she could help him come out of his shell like how he did for her.

She was proven wrong, however, when after just under a year of his apprenticeship, Rook waited until Ilmari’s back was turned before crushing her torso with a gravity sinkhole and leaving her for dead before fleeing the Dynasty. Ilmari’s body was found by Arel and her death was ruled as an accident, a cautionary tale of what happens if a graviturgist is careless and slips past their own spell’s event horizon.

#### Second Life

Ilmari was reborn as a tiny male kobold pup named Hodge Nibblebit, to the Nibblebit family, kobold jewellers who were travelling from Rosohna to Asarius, where she was raised in this life. The Nibblebits were a lovely family, but when she had begun to regain her memories and reclaimed her old name, the family were frightened by the prospect of having a connection to a noble den and cast Ilmari out.

She returned to Rosohna to complete her anamnesis, and while having to remember her wife’s death again was incredibly stressful, Arel was there to help her out of the worst of it. Her spellbook also had to be put back together as it was torn up in the gravity sinkhole.

About a year or so ago, she helped Arel to escape from Rosohna.

Essek later brought Ilmari to Port Damali where she was introduced to the twins Kaulmyn and Keldrym. Keldrym spoke to Ilmari about Illianaro and Ilmari told him about Aishara. She promised to look after Illianaro’s grave for them until they could come back to Rosohna and promised to name the next star she finds after him.

### Ashin’s Request

While visiting Arel, as well as his friend Karma, in Rexxentrum, they were approached by a member of the Black Diamonds named Zainan. Zainan brought them to Ashin, the leader of the Black Diamonds, who asked them to break into Vess de Rogna’s home and steal a vestige of divergence in exchange for safe passage outside of the city and an anti-scrying amulet for Arel.

Surprisingly, the heist went off without a hitch, and the vestige was handed over to Ashin. After teaching Arel the sending spell, Ilmari returned to Rosohna.

## Relationships

### Aishara Thelyss

Aishara was Ilmari’s wife and the only person Ilmari has romantically cared about. When living in Rosohna, the two were never seen apart, often seen walking about the city arm and arm with all the energy of young newlyweds. Aishara encouraged Ilmari to come out of her shell and to not be what her Den wants her to be, and to just be Ilmari. As a gift for their wedding day, Ilmari had the newest star she found named after Aishara.

After Aishara passed away, Ilmari often finds herself quietly looking up at that star. Ilmari never accepted Aishara’s death nor began the grieving process and has yet to visit her grave. She holds herself partially responsible for her death, feeling as if she would’ve pushed harder, Aishara would have been consecuted.

### Arel Thelyss

Having not enough time to raise children of their own, Arel was the closest thing Aishara and Ilmari ever had to a son. Ilmari considers Arel to be the best and brightest of Den Thelyss, her pride and love for him unconditional. She tutored him in magic and does whatever she can to look out for him. When Arel chose to run from the Dynasty, Ilmari went against the wishes of her Den to help him run. She messages him every week to check up on him and see how he’s doing.

### Dierta Thelyss

Ilmari’s relationship with her mother is very fraught. She was very absent from her childhood, busy with her duties as Umavi. Ilmari’s distain for her was cemented when she denied her wife the rite of consecution, and puts the rest of the blame of Aishara not being around anymore on Dierta.

### Essek Thelyss

While initially wary of Essek during their initial conversation, she warmed up to him rather quickly after he expressed discontentment over his work as well as the noble Dens’ mistreatment and neglect of new souls. She empathised with his sentiments, seeing him as someone else who was hurt by the isolating life of growing up in the Dynasty, and offered him apprenticeship should he never need an escape from the duties of Shadowhand. After that day, she often visits Essek, to check in on him to make sure he’s looking after himself and to bring him food to make sure he’s eating.

### Varda

Varda is Ilmari’s familiar and her oldest friend, summoned by her after she realised she was a new soul. They share a telepathic link and can communicate via emotions. Varda is very in tune with Ilmari’s emotions and whenever he can sense she’s getting sad or anxious or starting to spiral or dissociate and will do what he can to comfort and ground her. Ilmari often pets him or wraps him around her shoulders like a scarf to soothe herself.

### Rook

Rook was Ilmari’s former apprentice. While she doesn’t know what about him was real or a lie, she could sympathise with the grief he carried, and cared for him regardless of who he was. Even after he killed her, she doesn’t blame him for it, and only blames his superiors. She doesn’t know if he’s still alive after thirty years, but hopes he is safe and doing well.

### Keldrym Beltune and Kaulmyn Beltune

Ilmari only met the twins briefly before being formally introduced to them by Essek in Port Damali. Despite only just getting to know them, she already cares immensely for them, having understanding the loss they have gone through. She offered to aid them and anyone else they care about should they need help with anything. She thinks they’re wonderful individuals and hope they can someday heal and thrive. She offered to visit the grave of Ilianaro Hythenos on their behalf and does so several times a week to tend to the flowers and to tell him about her day, and she has recently named a star after him. She is very confused by Kaulmyn’s fear of her and dearly hopes she hasn’t done anything in the past to frighten him.

## Character Information

### Notable Items

* Spellbook
* Spellcasting focus
* Portable telescope with residuum glass lenses, crafted by Aishara Thelyss (Given to Essek Thelyss)
* Whisper (Given to Florian Rosenbaum)

## Quotations

* “I was offered the position of Shadowhand a lifetime ago due to my advancements in graviturgic magic and spells I created, but I turned it down, not only because my heart lies with astronomy, but because of what the work entails. I think an occupation like that would draw the life out of even the strongest of souls. I don’t know if you care much for astronomy, but if you’re ever in need of an escape, I’ve always had a vacancy for an apprentice. You deserve to live, Essek.”
* "What I said to these two young gentlemen goes for you as well, I will protect you with whatever I have because you are deserving of of happiness and the chance to free yourself from the Dynasty's ruthless shackles before it tears you apart entirely." (To Essek)
* “The Dynasty is cruel, it’s twisted you like iron into a tool to be used. Who you are isn’t the Dynasty’s choice to make, they’ve stolen that choice from you. It’s for you to figure out yourself. You have the freedom now to unfurl those contortions the Dynasty left within you and figure out who you truly are.” (To Keldrym)

## Trivia

* Ilmari’s favourite foods are rzukaal, keltaly and dried mealworms.
* Ilmari can purr and does so whenever she feels happy or comfortable.