Lilyra Urika Vryloka

The Prodigal daughter of the Noble House Vryloka, seldom referred to as "the Scarlet Heiress," Lilyra was born into a life of opulent wealth and privilege. From the time she could speak, she was denied nothing she desired. Her father seemed never able to refuse her and her demands became increasingly extravagant as she grew from a young girl. Money, toys, jewels, servants, foods, expensive dresses, countless admirers, fantastic parties... for all that she had, she was always in want of more and expectantly received it all.

Appearance
Lilyra is relatively short and stunningly beautiful. Her eyes are an icy blue. They don't seem to reflect any light, but always seem brighter than they should be. Her wavy, well-groomed hair is the color of ancient rust. Her skin is pale and her freckled cheeks flush easily. Her favorite dress is a deep red with a dark-green corset and details that flaunt her shapely figure. She wears a large amber set in a necklace that is very dear to her. There is an ornately crafted silver knife that she keeps hidden in one of her pockets.

The Noble House Vryloka
Family Tree: http://www.familyecho.com/?p=START&c=5zmablcr87&f=188310015612821158

The Vryloka were once a very low family over a thousand years ago, barely surviving the nights and living much as animals do. However, one Vryloka woman named Mina had aspirations beyond her meager life. She learned to behave properly, to act as the civilized people do, to look and dress prim and proper then dazzle the highborn with her charms. With time and "talent," she married a rich man and had many children. After the death of her husband, she insisted that all of her children take her family name rather than their father's.  Thus was secured the Vryloka's position of wealth and influence which continued to grow with every one of Mina's successive husbands, all of whom lived only a few years after marriage. Since her, the husbands of Vryloka women seldom last long. Now the Vryloka revere her more than they do any god as their "Mother Mina."

The crest of the House Vryloka is a Blood Rose, a particularly thorny red flower indigenous to the Grey Wood set on a circle of bronze.

The Grey Wood
An array of Vryloka holds dot the north of Hazane, each ruled by a single Vryloka and their immediate family. Members of the family thrive by lording over their respective holdings and conducting various means of espionage and aristocratic skullduggery. Vryloka holds often squabble with each other in petty power struggles, but yield unquestioningly to the will of the Count (or Countess), the undisputed head of the family, a powerful and terrifying figure. The current Count himself, Count Golkaceviech Olveria Vryloka, Lilyra's father, rules over the first and largest Vryloka hold, referred to over the ages as the Grey Wood. The Grey wood is a cold and moist climate where it rains most of the year. The Count's estate, Greyhollow, a towering and extravagant fortress-palace, stands at the edge of a swampy waterfront that offers misty shelter before the adjoining river gives way to the sea several miles out and a settlement has crowded desperately around the estate's walls, seeking the family's favor in exchange for fealty. Although bitter and dreary at first glance, the lands in and around the Grey Wood hold a bounty that bolsters the wealth of its ruling family. The nearby vineyards endure the bitter winters and produce spiced wines of decadent quality. The eastern mountain chain yields vast quantities of silver and rubies. Fishing boats reap lobsters and shellfish from the swamps and even brave seawater for larger prey. A flourishing slave trade frequents the Greyhollow marketplace, mostly dealing in members of the "lesser races" (mostly skavr and a few other nonhumans). Under the intrigued patronage of the noble house, the arts have flourished. Theater and music have surpassed that in the rest of Hazane by ages with bombastic chords and grandiose symphonies. Unconventional machines, largely driven by cranks and chains, have prevailed in coming into popular use with the county's peasants as such inventions have been successful in winning the Count's favor. The Vrylokas have become famous amongst aristocracy for sponsoring extravagant theater productions with phenomenal effects, such as the implementation of blasting powders. The amount of coin poured into the furtherance of drama increased exponentially after Lilyra became enamored with the craft. The estate itself is worth no small fortune. At the base of the Vryloka home is a veritable Bastille of a fortress that to this day remains impregnable. Towering within its walls is a palace that appears godlike when compared with the squalor of homes the nearby huddled peasants inhabit. Its construction began nearly a millennia ago and continues on in growing as the family's tastes and interests evolve with time.

Personality
With this sense of privilege, she developed a habit of doing exactly what she wanted, when she wanted and how she wanted to do it at every moment of every day. At times, Lilyra's impulsive desire for something was so great that she couldn't even bother asking her father to pay for it before taking it, simply stealing what she wanted.

Lilyra has a very refined and superior attitude. Every pose and motion has been rehearsed and every word carries the emotion of passionate acting. From the sway of her hips to the occasional trembling of her lips, she is the center of attention and if anything in the room were to threaten her ego, she'd likely demand that it be dragged screaming out into the streets and shot. In her years she has studied art, dance, poetry and theater. Everything in her life simply must be dramatized and theatrical. She loves the art of wordplay and such games are mostly one-sided. The concerns and well-being of others don't bother her at all, she is much more focused on herself and there is little in the world that rivals the importance of her own enjoyment.

Lilyra enjoys speaking her full name and proudly introduces herself thusly:

Lady Lilyra Urika Vryloka, Firstborn and Heiress to the Vryloka Family, Estate, Fortune and the County of the Grey Wood; Sole Surviving Will of the Andalka, Furthington and Lautrachaunge Families and nine-year Champion Conductress of the Annual Orchestraic Symposium

Allure
When Lilyra wants something, she tends to get it. She seems to have a sinister grip on the men she speaks to. They empty their hearts, their souls and their pockets for her and she happily exploits all three. The hold she has on others is not just a natural attraction, but forceful. She tends to travel with a whole entourage of admirers that grovel for her affections and do her bidding.

She is a fluent liar. Falsehoods flow from her lips like cheap wine. She will say anything and everything to get what she wants.

Quarrel With the Count
Over the past few years, Lilyra has been engaged three times. Each one of these men "tragically" died, but not before publicly declaring their undying love for her and that all that was theirs would be hers in this life and the next. However, her father was growing old and more weak every year. Eventually, he became ill. He declared that before he died, that as Lilyra had failed to have any children of her own thus far, that he would personally see to it his family line was continued. His declaration was that HE was to choose the man that was to be her husband and that she WOULD marry this man without incident, lest she be removed from his will. The thought of being bound to motherhood, of not being able to do as she pleased terrified her. She begged and pleaded with her father, but for once in his life, he would not yield to her. Therefore, the only remaining course in her mind was to run away. One night, she stole with her as many of the valuables from her father's house as she could carry, traded much of it for coin and fled her home for far-off lands. Now Lilyra works to reclaim the life she felt she had to flee and harbors ill thoughts of her father.