No Graves
an original story by Allison Riley (@acheyri)
These events occur about 20 years before the comic actually begins!
Lyra is an environmental scientist in her early 40s, studying how magic impacts their ecosystem in the age of technology, where magic has fallen out of use with the majority of the population. She is focusing on how ordinary creatures seem to be turning into large magic-fueled beasts that destroy everything around them, and how magic changes the physical environment. She also studies the history of how people used magic, and the process of channeling magic to change one’s shape. She often goes out into the field and is faced with dangerous creatures, and, since she is not a fighter, she puts out an ad to hire a “research assistant”/bodyguard.Svee is a lonely woman in her late 20s, from the southern end of the continent, fresh out of combat school, with little to no idea on what she wants to do next. She never knew her parents, and went to school because she had nowhere else to go and didn’t know what to do. She is not unhappy, but feels like she has no purpose or drive to do anything specific. Not wanting to join the military, she decides to become a freelance sword-for-hire and takes gig jobs as a hunter.She sees Lyra’s ad, and decides to move to the northern reaches of the continent to follow this potential job offer. She has no experience with magic or science, but she knows she is good with her swords, and that seems to be what Lyra is asking for.Lyra immediately finds Svee fascinating – though people in the present time no longer actively use magic and most don’t seem to even know how, Svee is actually physically incapable of perceiving or connecting with magic at all. Lyra can tell this immediately, and hires her. She is fascinated by Svee and wants to test the limits of her magic deficiency.Svee is immediately in love. She is at Lyra’s side every waking moment of her life. She does everything Lyra asks, and tries her best to be exactly what Lyra needs. Lyra gives her a purpose, and is very kind to her. She accompanies Lyra on all of her field expeditions, and spends many days in her office or lab watching her and doing everything she says.Lyra intentionally exposes Svee to areas and creatures with extremely high concentrations of magic, and smaller concentrations while under observation at Lyra’s side. Lyra is testing Svee, and Svee doesn’t know it. Svee is changing, and she doesn’t understand.Lyra cares for Svee, but she cares about her research much much more. Lyra enables Svee’s behavior, though. She entertains a romantic relationship with Svee, but always puts Svee below her work. Svee fails to understand this.Svee makes a lot of friends at the research institution. She is not a very “interesting” person (she has no hobbies and can only talk about Lyra and work) and is not very chatty in general, but she enjoys being in the company of others and learning what other people are doing. There is some negative opinion regarding Lyra, mostly that she does not want to work with others and won’t share what she’s learned or what she’s working on.Lyra believes very strongly in the old religion, the spirits/gods that died from excessive use of technology, which left magic stagnating and fading away. She believes she is doing the right thing by helping purify and strengthen the magic left in the environment, and believes she might be able to create more of it, or control it in some way. She thinks she is on the verge of something huge, that could solve all of the problems she’s been studying for years.Svee’s body eventually begins to rely on magic as a result of the exposure, but she can’t intake it herself. Her body starts to eat itself. Lyra has to infuse her with magic, and continuously increases the quantity.Svee becomes increasingly protective of Lyra. She grows distant from all her new friends, and only talks to Lyra. Lyra is working on something very big, and does not elaborate to Svee on what it is. Lyra starts testing things on herself, and starts leaving Svee out of things and doing things on her own. She assures Svee that what she is doing is simply very important and needs to be done in a very particular way.
(I can’t say much more after this. Too spoiler territory. But they have a big ugly breakup and Lyra goes missing.)
Cast
Svytlana “Svee” Farona
Late 20s (pre-timeskip), early 50s (post-timeskip)
Agender butch lesbian (she/her)Hired guard for Lyra Sandoval
Pre timeskip, Svee is a very friendly and genuine woman. She generally does not mind socializing, and has no problem approaching others. She speaks very little, and usually tries to avoid talking about herself. Svee is not stupid, but she may intentionally try to make you believe she’s stupid. She prefers to be underestimated, or even ignored. She is very quick-witted and picks up on new concepts quite easily, but work like Lyra’s is often still beyond her knowledge.She has little to no drive or aspirations in life. She has an attitude of “that’s a problem for future Svee” that quickly becomes a problem for present Svee. She simply wants to be given a job to do, and to do it well, and does not like to think about the “bigger picture” of her life.Post timeskip, Svee is very cold and emotionally closed off. She shows little emotion other than anger or irritation, often snapping at Anja for no reason at all, and is incredibly blunt. She mostly sleeps or occupies herself with metal- and leatherwork. She has a deep distaste for magic.Both pre and post timeskip, Svee is incredibly selfish. She has a deep sense of self-loathing, but is also self-preserving above all else. She seeks only to protect herself (and Lyra), and her morals center around this belief. She is undyingly loyal to Lyra, despite everything.She wields a pair of dual curved blades she calls the “Saber’s Fangs”.
art by Snooze
Lyra Sandoval
Early 40s (at time of disappearance)
Trans femme lesbian (she/her)Environmental Scientist & Primary Magical Ecology Researcher for the Dawnridge Department of Natural Resources
Single-minded, passionate, and relentless, Lyra has a very intense personality. She is cheerful and charming, and incredibly personable. She is generally well-liked in academic and professional circles, though she always invites others to criticize her work—she loves picking people’s brains.Lyra is married to her work, above all else. She loves Svee dearly, but they are permanently mismatched on how much they value each other over other parts of their lives.She is almost religiously fanatic about magic. She is relentless when it comes to her studies, and is constantly seeking to learn and witness and experience more and more of anything related to magic. She also is willing to put her own morals aside if it means making progress in her research. Despite it all, she is very honest and compassionate, and believes her work will benefit all of mankind.
art by ViTwixt
Anja Farona
Late teens
Nonbinary lesbian (she/they)Daughter of Svee Farona
Anja’s entire life is shrouded in mystery. She knows nothing of her mom’s past, or her missing mother, and feels a deep-seated sense of longing for a place she doesn’t know. They are very restless and anxious, and feel somewhat trapped in a cage. Despite this, they have a very optimistic outlook on life, and love to explore and learn more about the world. They have a particular passion for nature and wildlife.Anja is very compassionate and kind, desperately wanting to make friends and have any form of social interaction. Svee forbids it, however, and living in a very remote area makes it difficult for Anja to meet many other people. Her neighbors all know her, and are very friendly toward her, hoping to extend a hand in support after noticing how often Svee seems to leave Anja on their own.Anja is very talented at magic, but Svee does not allow her to use it. She practices in secret, which is not hard to do, considering how often Svee leaves her alone.She typically uses a bow and arrows, or a small dagger.
art by Noctli
Svee has fled the capitol city and now lives in a remote area of the mountains with her teenage daughter, Anja.Svee’s body seeks magic. Without Lyra, she has no way of obtaining it from the environment on her own—except to turn into an uncontrollable magic-consuming manticore, known to locals as “the Valkyrie”. When in her manticore form, Svee is incredibly violent, and remembers nothing. She only turns into Valkyrie when she “dies”, but Valkyrie is her body’s defense mechanism against death: she is permanently unable to die, because Valkyrie will simply consume more magic and bring her back.Svee is extremely, violently depressed. She is incredibly neglectful and distant to Anja, often leaving Anja alone for weeks at a time. She intentionally isolates herself and Anja, and has become incredibly paranoid about interacting with other people. She is also losing her memory, and spends most of her time missing a Lyra whose face she struggles to remember.Anja is aware of their mother, Lyra, but Svee lies or hides the truth from Anja about what happened between them. With Svee becoming sicker and sicker, however, Anja decides it’s time to look for answers, both about their missing mother and their eternally-dying mom.
