Ileana Lupei

**Ileana Lupei** was the descendant of Ecaterina Lupei. She was born 17 years after the founding of the Fulger Empire. Her brother is Viorel Lupei. She is the first Chosen the goddess Fulger chose. Ileana was tasked with facing the Trial of Lightning in order for her to take down rebels in the Fulger Empire. She was responsible for the legendary Vengeful Howl of the Lupei event in Fulgerian history.

## History

### Pre-Trials of Fate

Ileana Lupei was born in the Fulger Empire 17 years after its founding. She grew up as a miner's daughter in Codru Verde with her little brother, Viorel. Ileana always had the more adventurous side of the Lupei, always taking trips since the age of twelve. The young woman always left her brother behind.

When she was 16, she left the Fulger Empire for good and traveled around the continent as a songstress. Ileana was quite popular for her low, clear voice. Her fiery temper and right hook kept her safe from most potential suitors. She stopped by the Adradia Empire and sang for the Mori Family many times for festivals and ceremonies. When she went to the Adoiri Kingdom, she sang at local taverns and in the streets to earn money for her travel expenses.

At the age of 22, Ileana was visited by Fulger in the Sleryn Kingdom and tasked with facing the Trial of Lightning. As a Lupei, the young woman had to comply and she found her feet taking her to the Labyrinth of Elements. Ileana never told a soul the nature of her Trial, too traumatized to talk to anyone about it. But she passed and gained the ability of lightning. Her control was incredible, the best anyone had ever seen. And then she got wind of rebellion brewing in her home country. She immediately returned home, faced with the sight of Codru Verde in flames and her brother laying dead on the dirt road. In her fury, Ileana managed to call a lightning storm covering the country that lasted two weeks. One by one, the rebels were struck down by lightning while the innocent were miraculously spared. The storm was soon called the Vengeful Howl of the Lupei.

In her grief, Ileana left the Fulger Empire and lived in the Ilmenvey Kingdom. She joined a orchestra that traveled around the country as their songstress. At the age of 27, she met a man whom she fell in love with. Ileana would meet him after concerts and they would take walks. One day, he disappeared without a word, leaving Ileana alone. After a month, she found out she was with child and the young songstress decided it was time for her to return to her place of birth.

The village of Codru Verde had been rebuilt and it was thriving. But Ileana's family was no longer there. The Dalca, to keep their promise with Ileana's goddess ancestor, offered her a place in their castle. She spent the remainder of her pregnancy hold up in her room at the castle, singing songs to her unborn child and wishing to see the man she loved once more.

Ileana gave birth to a beautiful boy and cried as she saw her child had her love's eyes. But Ileana knew she couldn't raise a child in a castle, especially a Lupei child. The Lupei needed the freedom that came with freedom. So Ileana ran away from the castle under the cover of night with her newborn son. She traveled until she reached the ocean, the waves touching her bare feet. She settled down in the nearby village and continued her work as a songstress while raising her son.

When she turned 41, Ileana found herself captured by pirates while her twelve years of age son was away with a miner learning the trade. She was sold off to a corrupt nobleman in Astrikós who made her sing until her throat was raw. Ileana, when she tried to use her Chosen ability, found herself powerless and unable to contact her goddess. But she never gave up hope. She held a torch in her heart to one day be reunited with her son and even her love.

A decade later, a 51 year old Ileana managed to escape and stow away on a ship that took her across the sea. While the ship never went to the Fulger Empire, she managed to take one of their small rowboats and enough rations to hopefully keep her alive until she reached shore. But a terrible storm hit her and the boat was destroyed. Ileana clung to a large piece of the debris and drifted for many days, losing consciousness. She wound up washed ashore and was found unconscious by her own son, who was now 22 and a well-respected miner. To him, finding his mother was a miracle of his goddess ancestor. Ileana never regained consciousness though and sadly died two weeks later.

Ileana was burned on a pyre with all her written music held in her arms with the sole painting she ever made.

### Book One: Trials of Fate

Ileana appears as a spirit in Luminita's Trial of Lightning. She helps the young woman face her fear of lightning by being the embodiment of her fear. The former Chosen showed Luminita the origin of the event in Fulgerian history known as the Vengeful Howl of the Lupei.

## Personality

Ileana is rather adventurous and oozes charisma. She is a true performer with a fondness for her home country. She loves to sing and often does things out of order. Ileana has a rather fiery temper that usu gets her into trouble. When she falls in love, it's for good. Her patience and hope are almost never endin. She'll hold a torch of hope in her heart forever if she had to. Her mental strength is her best attribute.

## Appearance

While having the classic Fulgerian height and the slightly rare auburn hair, Ileana is an oddity by their standards. Despite having no foreign blood, she has grey-blue eyes. Her skin is on the darker side of the Fulgerian standard and her body is rather sturdy. She has a brand of her goddess on her left shoulder blade.

## Trivia

* Ileana Lupei is the creation of FictionPress Author Fairy Lori.
* Her appearance is based off Rachel Hurd-Wood.
* Ileana is a Romanian name meaning Torch.
* She was never married, but the father of her son was an Ilmenvey man.
* She was the first Chosen of Lightning. The brand of the goddess Fulger is located on her left shoulder blade.
* She had her son at age 28.
* The village where she raised her son is the same one Cosmina Funar was born and raised.
* She loved to travel as a songstress with just the clothes on her back.
* She ran away from the Dalca Castle barefooted with her newborn son.
* Her control of lightning was exceptional.
* She lost her powers after her son was born, but since she didn't use them since she stopped the rebels Ileana didn't know.
* Ileana doesn't paint, but she made an exception when her son was two years of age and painted the image of her love holding her son.