Reina

**Reina** is a Darkrai Lumminai bonded to Aria. She calls herself the "Queen of Shadows" and desires to overthrow the Grand Lumminai Neifelyn and take the title for herself.

## Appearance

Reina has a monstrous appearance somewhat similar to that of the mythical gorgon, with swirling tentacles for hair, needle-sharp teeth, and heavy, claw-like hands with moon-pale talons. However, recognizing Neifelyn's effortless beauty as the advantage it is, Reina hides her visage behind a sparkling midnight-blue veil that reaches the ground and a flowing floor-length gown. She has huge black wings, but she keeps them folded behind her back and allows others to believe them to be a cape, and she sweeps her tentacled hair in a fancy bun atop her head that prevents it from squirming quite so much. Her eyes are pitch-black.

## Personality

Persuasive, deliberate, and always looking ahead to her next move, Reina is a dangerous Lumminai to have as an enemy. She is happy to lie in wait for years in order to carefully build a strategy that will get her what she wants, and there is no action too vile for her to consider. She is quite intelligent, and she hoards information about anything that might be relevant to her goals in hopes of always making an informed decision in any situation. Coolly logical, she kept her underground lair brightly lit for years so Neifelyn could not eavesdrop on her plans to stage a coup, despite the natural inclination of a Darkrai Lumminai being to exist in darkness.

By far Reina's most dangerous talent is her voice, which she wields as the subtlest of weapons, influencing all she comes across to work in her favor. Reina's talent for persuasion is second to none, both due to her way with words and the subtle magic of her voice, which charms listeners and molds them to her will. Beware in particular when she begins to sing, as her power is unleashed in full through the inhuman notes she can produce, and no mortal yet has been able to resist her song.

## History

Reina has been plotting her overthrow of Neifelyn for years before the game begins, eventually coming to the conclusion that what she needs in order to best her rival is a Herald to increase her own power. To this end, Reina began searching for the perfect candidate, though only in daylight under the cover of her veil, so as to avoid the ear of Neifelyn. The perfect candidate literally fell into her lap when Aria, daughter of Shemya, fled from the Dakrumi and ended up in Reina's onyx halls.

To mold Aria's abilities and instill the ruthlessness Reina desired in her, Reina kept Aria in her halls as a servant, treating her poorly and leaving her mostly to her own devices. Behind Reina's back, Aria befriended the other Darkrai Lumminai under Reina's command and rallied them to her to rebel against Reina, and even taught herself some of Reina's dark magic in order to counter the Queen of Shadows' spells. When Aria sprang her trap, however, Reina revealed that she had been watching Aria's efforts all along and that they pleased her immensely. Offering revenge on the Dakrumi and utilizing her legendary persuasion, Reina won Aria to her side and was able to make a Pact with her.

After putting Aria through many lessons and tests to increase her knowledge of dark magic, Reina and Aria left the underground, where Reina's plan hit a snag when they encountered Lianna, who convinced Aria to join the Twelve Stars to fight the Dakrumi. However, Aria and Lianna fought like cats and dogs, which was a relief to Reina, who waited patiently for Aria to decide to leave of her own accord. Before this happened, however, a more tempting opportunity presented itself: the ability to use the Rift of Parallels to travel back to the past, where Reina could join forces with her past self, ensuring Neifelyn's defeat.

Upon coming to the past, Aria had her final spat with Lianna and separated from the Twelve Stars, traveling the land on her own. Desiring to foil the Dakrumi, Aria began to chase people away from places where the Dakrumi would soon invade, alternately pretending to be a fortuneteller prophesying danger or a dark sorceress taking over the land. Reina allows this, as she is steering Aria toward the underground to unite with the past Reina, but the two begin to have spats during this time as they travel alone, spats that Reina tries to lose graciously in order to keep Aria happy but is having increasing difficulty doing.

If Leon or Lucia takes Aria to Reina's underground lair and Reina meets her past self, the changes Aria has wrought in the future Reina give her pause. Seeing herself completely cool, aloof, and distant, Reina realizes how much she has really changed and gives up her rivalry with Neifelyn for good.

## Relationship to Aria

On the surface, Reina and Aria have an amiable relationship, where Aria pursues her goals and Reina watches indulgently. Naturally, things are much more complicated. Often Reina is secretly calling the shots by cajoling Aria in one direction or another, and Aria is beginning to recognize when this is happening and fights Reina when she realizes she is being manipulated. These fights are having a positive effect, however. The more Reina interacts with Aria, rather than simply using her as a pawn, the more Reina begins to recognize her own long-dormant emotions, slowly changing her for the better.