Lyra de Vampes

### **Relatives**

Athos de Vampes (Granduncle)Ryland de Vampes (Father)Miranda de Vampes-Fey (Mother)Enold de Vampes (Brther)

## Physical Description

### **Weight**

unknown

Lyra de Vampes is a Freeblade in the Leman Sector originating from House Vampes an Imperial Knight House. She was after years of imprisonment by the Blackshield Knight House Paylon exiled which was explained with her failure on Sorus I which costed the House her Knight and five other ones. Seeing this as a failure and as a proof of her willingly kneeling before House Paylon. Lyra was for years imprisoned in one of the palaces of her family until she was able to flee. Her escape lead her to the Forge World of Guria where she was able to strike a deal with the local Techpriests who gave her a new Knight. Now she again fights with a Knight against the enemies of the Imperium and her erstwhile House

## History

### Early Years

Born in 006.M42 in the village of Cheyon on the continent of Haverland during a tour of her parents were her first days a cause for celebrations in her familly and the villages whose villagers flocked to the hospital to see the new noble. Back in Headow Castle was she raised in luxus and teached by the best tutors of the House. Lyra showed a talent in several subjects like piloting a Knight or biology

Lyra was well integrated in her House and took part in the hunting trips of her House already with 12 years and learned by some trick by the accompanying hunters. Eager to prove herself in combat took she part in dueling lessons and training fights with Knight Armingers light Knights serving as support for the larger ones. Her successes were noticed but the High Barons and her parents hesitated to let her loose into combat, which was only supported by a group of influential Barons demanding to throw the youth into combat. With more and more crisies in the Segmentum after M41 saw the High King himself forced to give in to the pressure.

### Imprisonment and Enslavement

Her first combat was on Sorus I when her Knight Gallant was with other Lances sent out to fight against House Paylon which plundered the planet. But fighting them was more difficult than awaited with the terrain preventing any mass engagement allowing only one-one duells with the enemy. Lyra took part in fightings taking a defencive stands against the attacker. Combating against the also newly knighted Zacharias vo Paylon suffered her Knight Gallant a fatal hit by the enemy plasma gun destroying it. A half conscious Lyra was later arched out of her Knight by a group which she at first mistook as Households Troopers. But in fact were they soldiers of Paylon who carried her to the enemy lord. Attempts of selling her back failed always with the Vampes never engaging in talks. Finally even after threathening to enslave the young Knight telling which fates she would met. Nothing came from the House. Cutting their looses retrated House Paylon from Sorus I and gave Lyra over to Zacharias her defeater as his personal slave.

For the next three years was Lyra reduced from a noble Knight to a lowly slave serving her master as a prestige object also used as a personal servant. Often accompanying him to social events and sometimes also onto the battlefield with Zacharias excitment of Lyra shrinking. This time ended for her when the vessel with her on was boarded by the Hochmeister Chapter freeing her and hundrets of slaves.

### Return and Housearrest

Her return home was a "out of the frying pan into the fire" situation when her granduncle alongsidea squad of his bodyguards arrested her and threw her into a prison cell. The members of House Vampes saw her martydom in a different light. For them was Lyra de Vampes a unskilled fighter ready to throw her loyality away at the first occaison. Athos de Vampes gave her failure to hold the position the fault for the destruction of five Knights - half of the lost Knights. In a short cause were her rank and her surname stripped of her and she exiled into the Inlands. A mild sentence because on betraly stood the death penalty but the Inquisitor investigating the Paylon couldn`t find proof of treason preventing them from executing the fallen scion. Chateu Rasponse owned by Baron Hiros de Vampes a distant second cosine was chosen to function as her prison. Forgotten and disdained by her House.

During this time made she a decision: to leave her so-called House turning to the path of a Freeblade, Knights not answering to any Knight House and free of wearing any symbols. But for this had she to escape from Bresse. She didn`t needed to wait too long for her chance. One day was she transfered into the Hive City of Kiola Prima where the House had a holding near the spaceport. A miscommunication between the guards resulted in her convoy being only lightly guarded and making a rest near the mentioned port. A group of sympathetic servants supported by two ex-members of the House had weeks before made contact with her, wanting to help her who had in their eyes done nothing wrong. The group used stun grenades and smoke-balls to free her and smuggled themself with the help of a Merchant Captain off-world. Lyra de Vampes before she stepped onto the vessel swore revenge against the person who she made responsible for her fate, High King Athos de Vampes.

Ironically, was he and her father the ones who paid the group to free Lyra. While the later one unconditionally believed in his daughters innocence, was Athos still convinced that she carried a responsible for the losses on Sorus I but saw them as a result of the use of not fullly trained Knights and he was also aware of the threaths made by the Lord of House Paylon who were brushed off by many as a trick to cover his spy. But he was mostly alone with his opinion in the House and the laws of House Vampes also demanded her exile after her failure.

### A new life

When the group arrived at Guria joined Lyra a group of Freeblades called the Knight Consortium which members were also disgraced Knights or Knight leaving their House after arguments or if they feeled that their House lost its chivalry. The group was founded in early M41 and had survived for nearly 1000 years seeing combat in nearly all Segmentums and had even included 8 members of House Vampes. Knight Commander Diedrich von Bern offered the newcomer the Knight Paladine *Revenge* a machine once used by Herman de Vampes an exiled Baron from her House. After hesistation decided Lyra to use Revenge as her Knight meaning that she didn`t fully broke with her House (at least in her eyes) but using it to defy her old House giving them a clear signal.

## Appearance

Lyra de Vampes is a blond women with average hight and a slight figure. Her left should has a scar from an operation during her captivity to remove a beauty patch although the use of a inapt medical tool resulted in a brownish scar. An ritual tattoo picturing a Mossian dog which her family owned in her childhood decorates her upper right arm. Her typical attire is Windor Tan trouser, a wine coloured blouse, black shoes and gold-coloured trimmings on the trouser and the blouse.

## Personality

Originally, an outgoing person and - maybe because of her upbringing - a bit reckless when taking risks. However, after her years in captivity and house arrest made her reclusive and giving her trusting problems. She has only a few persons who she realy trust. Her combat stiyle changed also. Seeing a defencive stand as a danger for her, chosing aggressive tactics and better shields for her Knight. Such disregard for defensive tactics resulted in problems with Knight Leaders who command groups of Knights, hence is Lyra a member of an aggressive acting Lance.

## Wargear

* **Master crafted Knive Dagger:** A knive dagger made out a steel mix with a lion head engraved in the blade. Is a hidden weapon for self-defence.
* **Master crafted rapier:** Lyras duel weapon.

### Revenge

A Knight Paladine once piloted by her ancestor Herman de Vampes. Its armament is a Reaper Chainsword, a Rabid-Fire Battle Cannon with a Heavy Stubber and a twin-linked Icarus Autocannon on the Knights back. A flammethrower replace the Heavy Stubber in the turret. Revenges armour is painted in a black with the hydraulic painted in a light grey. The loincloth with the symbol of the Knight Consortium protects the part of the machine between the legs and is coloured in a light green.

## Relations

* **House Vampes:** In her first decades living was she a proud member of House Vampes ready to fight for its glory. But her "treason" of getting captured smashed this feeling into pieces. She has only for her father positive feelings who defended her.