Character Name: Lyra Gu

SHADOW: 60
STATUS: UNHINGED

Lyra Gu had everything she worked for. Plenty of good grades, a healthy selection of friends from both academia and parties, her family to support her dreams of being a film technician. As she was called to the stage of her graduation, she saw something peeking out between reality. Then everything went wrong.

Emergency services found her buried in the rubble, her graduation gown slowly disintegrating as the bodies of her family and friends were swallowed by their own mouths; jaws extending to feast on flesh. She was only one of three survivors.

The other two were her roommate, who made a deal with a dark god and a little boy who wandered into the hall.

Since that day, Lyra has dedicated herself to finding out what happened, both to sedate the trauma of the incident and find answers from her roommate. But the hunger of the mouths is never ending and Lyra's drive is turning ravenous by the hour.

PERSONALITY

Lyra used to be the perfect girl: hardworking, humble, kind, a great person to be around and a party animal at the same time. These days, it's as if her old personality never existed. Having seen her life's work crumble down, Lyra is a generally moody and pessimistic individual. Her lack of humor and surly attitude is only matched by her obsession with making Mimi suffer. This has reached the point that she has no compunctions with throwing her friends to the grinder if it means a step closer to the girl who ruined her. In fact, despite people flocking to her like in her college days, she treats them as little more than assets. All the necessities of life she sweet-talks, pleas or blackmail them for acquirement.

This hellish personality is only offset by the deep fear and loathing she has for herself. When others aren't looking, she weeps for the future she was denied, the happy days that were consumed by those "oh-so-loathed" maws. While her despair leaves her no chance of reclaiming that life, thoughts of it becoming more hellish by the second fuel her manic fixation on vengeance: it's as much a quest to grasp as much happiness as her miserable state allows. Yet she will never willingly show that side of her, her heart died with Whateley University.

As a result of the clash between wallowing in misery and trying to find happiness, she has mixed feelings toward her Artificial Angel. It's not far-fetched to imagine a punching session with the golem ending in a river of tears on its shoulder.

LOCATION:

The Neighborhood (+5 Life Skills)

CAUSE OF DEATH:

Death of Self - Accidental Death (+10 Shadow, +20 Trauma, +65 Life Skills)

You can't just tell a psychiatrist that a mouth sprouted from your graduation cap and tried to bite your head off. Not in Dunwich Town.

Modifiers:
Betrayal (+5 Shadow, 10 Trauma)

People will always be jealous of success. Thus, the zeal to reach it soars to a fever pitch. Be it studying extra hard or praying for hours to a god of craving, no hurdle is too high when you wish to excel.

Mimi gained everything from that gruesome day: bank account numbers, how to score a field goal from the edge of a basketball court, secrets and regrets of every person in Whateley University. Who knows what a woman with all the knowledge of a university body could do. And Lyra is about to spill the memories of her family from her, even if it means beating her to a bloody pulp.

To hell with the visits to the arcade, the birthday gifts, the drunk karaoke sessions. The last thing Mimi will learn is the suffering she wrought.

Mass Death (+20 Shadow, 15 Trauma)

It went so quickly. Walls shouldn't have mouths sprout from them. It took 15 seconds for the hall to come collapsing and only 6 for the audience to devour each other, trying to pull their jaws away to no avail.

(20 Shadow, 48 Trauma, 75 Life Skills) (including Life Events) (All Trauma used)

PERKS:

Chosen Line: Paranoia
Propaganda (Free)

"If the government could bat an eye to Whateley Uni's razing, would they even care about us normal folks? Who just wanted to live our lives and celebrate it? I'm NOT going to those stuck-up sociopaths and I'm NOT going with anyone who supports them. Get out." - Lyra

Their Crafted Lies - Overclocked (-4 Trauma)

"I've had every opportunity in my life dashed in one full swipe. I'd do anything to take it back, even if I have to throw you down. Sorry, but I'm not sorry." - Lyra

No One (-3 Trauma)

The only way you can find her is through the whispers of her blade...

N/A (Free)
[Something's wrong with Rentry. Every time I try to write something here, it keeps disappearing when I reopen the tab. Could someone check what the problem is?]

Looming Dread - Overclocked (-4 Trauma, +10 Shadow, +1 Paranoia Trauma Type)

"That hurts? That hurts? I'M JUST GETTING STARTED!" - Lyra
Lyra's particular use of the ability involves giving a person's greatest desires before the true horror erupts in front of their eyes. Some favorites include the long-dead husband of a mugger turning into a mass of maggots and a veteran's old squadron shot by firing squad.

Fright of the Known (-2 Trauma)
Imaginary Ghost (-3 Trauma)

For some reason, a plaster-like golem has been wandering around Lyra's vicinity. Disembodied wishes of congratulation echo around the figure, its joyous atmosphere enticing those it encounters. But those who give in to the bait will find less than they wish for as its strength is matched by its bizarre powers. If a victim has a great desire for something, their energy will be drained from them, leaving them lethargic and emotionally hollow. In this state, the golem cannot kill people but things may change as Lyra continues her vengeful path.

(+1 Trauma Token, -1 Paranoia Trauma Type and 9 Trauma, +15 Shadow)
Artificial Angel (-1 Trauma Token)

The strange presence has finally shown its true form. A construct born from Lyra's memories of the graduation hall, the corpses of Lyra's campus shift in and out of the plaster limbs. Wood grinds on metal chairs as clapping and the sound of joyous celebration echo from its fluorescent eyes. It's energy-draining powers have been enhanced to a nightmarish degree, now capable of draining a victim's life force. The strongest desires can drain a human so much that they are reduced to dust.

Extra Tree: Rage
Enraged (-1 Trauma)

She wasn't a sports person but for now, her adrenaline drive exceeds even the greatest athletes. As well as a boiling rage towards those who abandoned her.

Catharsis (-2 Trauma)

Now nothing can hurt her except for herself.

Chrysalis (-3 Trauma)

"First thing to do when I get my hands on her... DIG MY THUMBS INTO HER EYES and PULL HER FUCKING NERVES OUT!" - Lyra

Whenever she activates this power, mouths begin to sprout around her eyes and arms, always screaming. Sometimes laughing even.

Flagellation - Overclocked (-6 Trauma) (+1 Rage Trauma Type)

An odachi resembling a stretched skinless human body and countless mouths all around it. Lyra usually summons it by slicing her tanto across her fingertips, the blood collecting onto the blade and expanding it. She can shift the position of the mouths to block attacks, open their jaws for feints, bite pieces off her opponents or act as a grapple. She swears she heard her parents' voices from one of the mouths.

The Longinus (-1 Trauma Token)

The odachi has stretched beyond the constraints of a blade, able to turn into nothing more than a disembodied maw on a handle. Lyra can whip the maw around, consuming everything it makes contact with no matter how hard it is; it can even consume air to cause pressurizing vacuums with each slash. The maw can also turn inside out to hide her, which nullifies its combat prowess. Lyra also gains every piece of knowledge about everything it consumes although the sheer data overflow makes it hard to gleam important information.

Schadenfreude (-2 Trauma, +10 Shadow)

Ever had that feeling where your stomach rumbled from emptiness? Magnify that feeling by a hundred and paste it across your body. That's what she's doing to you.

Salem (-3 Trauma)

She tends to use more torturing Curses such as constantly vomiting every 3 minutes for an hour and cutting limbs until they're dangling by a shred of skin.

(+1 Trauma Token, -1 Rage Trauma Type and 9 Trauma, +15 Shadow)

LIFE SKILLS:

Savvy: Electronics (-5 Shadow, -10 Life Skills)

She's wanted to be a film technician. Machinery and electronics are just part of the job.

Parkour (-5 Shadow, -5 Life Skills)

A skill that she learned to survive her post-Whateley life. Dine-and-dashes take quick nerves and quicker timing.

Cyber Skills (-5 Life Skills)

Another skill that she picked up after her Cause of Death.

Spider's Web (+5 Shadow, -10 Life Skills)

The Gu family was once beloved and respected within the neighborhoods of Dunwich. Any sign of that has been near-consumed by the darkness but some pockets of their connections remain.

Social Butterfly (-5 Shadow, -5 Life Skills)

You can always make new friends but you can never rub off the marks of the old ones.

Weapon's Mastery: Odachi (-5 Shadow, -10 Life Skills)

Yes, she watches anime. No, not to THAT extent, that was from a visit to a local film studio.

Beholder (+5 Shadow, +3 Trauma, -10 Life Skills)

The larger the mouth, the more powerful the creature is. Don't ask why she perceives them that way, she hates it too.

POSSESSIONS:

Gadgets (-2.5 Life Skills)

Night-vision binoculars, flint and steel and a map of Dunwich Town because Google Maps hates that place.

Melee Weapon (-2.5 Life Skills)

"Why did my lao gong have a tanto in his closet? Our family left China by World War 2: HOW did he get it?" - Lyra

Investigation Kit (-2.5 Life Skills)

Her old college-issued laptop, a notebook, a camera and some Ziploc bags. You'd be surprised at what one person can do with all these.

Survival Supply (-2.5 Life Skills)

She's been wandering since the incident. How do you think she survived so long?

LIFE EVENTS:

Old and Dusty Library: Deep Drive (-10 Shadow)

"The Feds were covering something up. Not because they didn't want anyone poking in their business, nor due to national embarrassment. No, they thought nothing good could come out of revealing this nightmare. That the horrors slithering within this town were better off buried and left to fester."

"Then again, "gaze into the abyss" and all that." - Lyra

Helper of the Asylum (+3 Trauma, +5 Life Skills)

"Have you ever get paid by calculating the "number of anomalous appendages per patient" or "duration of eldritch transcription"? Have you seen how the patients whisper as if something from the darkness was puppeteering them? This place isn't an asylum: it's a containment facility and the people in the straight jackets aren't human anymore."

"Best 6 dollars per hour of my life." - Lyra

Hardcore Training (-5 Shadow)

"Everything was red by the time the training finished. At that moment, I wanted to puke my guts on the floor and crawl into a ball. But it was worth it. Now, even with the slightest poke, anyone who bothers me will be the one crawling on the floor." - Lyra

"In every heart the seed of dark abides. The makings of a lord when watered well... With hate. Sweet hate. She springs eternal. Sings... All-tempting draught. We'll drink of her again." - Oersted, Live A Live. She'll never play the game again, not in her current state