Selena Daria van der Merwe

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> This page contains non-canonical info, which isn't part of
> the Xyrinfe Shadow Project's canon.
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**Selena Daria van der Merwe** is a major character in the 'Lunar Shadow Project, first appearing in *Lunar Shadow*, as well as one of the playable characters in *Selenic Shadow* and the first two *Solar Shadow* games.

## Appearance

S.D. has rainbow-colored hair and fair coloured skin. She wears a pale bluish-purple sleeveless top, maroon jeans and brown shoes. She has heterochromia in that her right eye is green and her left one blue.

Throughout Selenic Shadow she wields three weapons: Ray Pistol, Sickle  and the Chakram.

## Personality

In Lunar Shadow, she appears to be a bit crazy which is shown if Serenity talks to her (she'll shout about her rainbow hair). However, Selenic Shadow expands upon her character and shows her an individual who is actually rather reasonable and was once an undercover agent before she died)

## Story

### *Lunar Shadow ZERO*

Outside the Lunar Soul Castle, she meets an unarmed man. She hands him a Fireball before heading into the castle.

### *Lunar Shadow*

S.D. stands outside the castle, seemingly having lost her mind and gone crazy. It is currently unknown why.

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> ```
> This section contains non-canonical info, which isn't part of
> the Xyrinfe Shadow Project's canon.
> ```
>

### *Selenic Shadow*

S.D. is the initial playable character, waking up inside Grié'dýr. She ventures through various parts of Grié'dýr, trying to get answers as to why she's here. Along the way, she's forced to fight the Grié'dýr Guardians and eventually faces off against Invidia. She's killed during the fight against them, and Shana fights on in her stead. Her meeting with Evan O'Neill proves to be significant because it reveals a lot of information about her family (at one point, Selena responds in disbelief over the idea that her grandmother had an affair). It's also where she reveals that went undercover as a fashion model to investigate death threats made toward Lexus Rhubynis (noted to be a "fanservicey" model). She didn't want to do it, because she was the only agent available. She wonders to herself if she died after the fashion show, possibly implying that Grié'dýr is either the afterlife or her dying dream.

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> ```
> This section contains non-canonical info, which isn't part of
> the Xyrinfe Shadow Project's canon.
> ```
>

### *Solar Shadow*

Selena Daria is the main character of Solar Shadow in which she only has several hours to escape before the lunar eclipse comes. Depending on how much progress you make before time runs out, Serena will either escape, die or become Shadow Serena. It's also revealed that she has ties to Aidan Flamberge and was possessed by him. In the DIabolical Ending, she sides with him willingly and becomes Shadow Serena.

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> ```
> This section contains non-canonical info, which isn't part of
> the Xyrinfe Shadow Project's canon.
> ```
>

### *Solar Shadow 2*

S.D. is the only playable character, arriving at the New Lunar Soul Castle after being sent there by the TIA on a mission to shut down the castle's operations. She ventures through each area of the castle, before defeating Ataraxis and Terrah Horton. In doing so, she manages to prevent those in control of the castle from invading Tirahnys with their robot army.

## Image Gallery

Serena Daria's sprites in Lunar Shadow.Serena Daria's sprites in Selenic Shadow.Both Eron Araia Armweak and Selena Daria appeared in Hope of Shane: FROST as shown in these sprites.It's possible that Selena was inspired by this character, or it's a co-incidence."Kim Tyranto" confirmed that her Selena Daria is a different character to Hope of Shané: Frost's version."Kim Tyranto" confirmed that she intended not to use any content from Dragon Riders.A line that was originally a mistake but was kept in later on.Selena Daria as an NPC in Hope of Shané.
## Trivia

* S.D. gives a hint regarding a Life Capsule in Tower X, where she says that she thinks the spikes there are fake.
* S.D. gives a hint regarding some of the treasure chests that are sealed off if Alexis Flamberge dies.
* Considering that Selenic Shadow is non-canon to Lunar Shadow, it's possible that Selena's characterization in that game differs to her character in Lunar Shadow.
* It's possible that Selenic Shadow is either the afterlife (Grié'dýr: Thunder resembles Myst Zone, and both areas contain dead characters) or Selena's dying dream after she was killed during an investigation.
* Unlike Serenity, she also appears in Pteriforever's Solar Shadow games as the main protagonist which makes her the only non-canon Lunar Shadow protagonist so far.
* Selena Daria, much like Ginny Anderson is a reference to one of Cibryll (as Shane)'s works, appearing in one of her mods, Hope of Shané: Frost. It's also possible that she was inspired by Hope Dianke Selena whose Familar (Serenity) is also a girl obsessed with rainbows.
	+ This is further supported by how both her and Eron Araia Armweak are minor characters who were reused from Hope of Shane: FROST, one of Cibryll's old Cave Story mods.
* Kim (sockpuppet) confirmed that she disapproved of 99% of Dragon Rider's content. This either implies that Selena Daria was the only thing she liked from Shane's works or that she contradicted herself, because Selena Daria originated in Hope of Shané: Frost as an NPC.