Lirael (character)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lirael is a fictional character from Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy. She is the main character of the book Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr, and Abhorsen.
Contents |
[edit] Clayr's Glacier
Lirael was born and brought up on the Clayr's Glacier in the Old Kingdom. She is not a normal Clayr (as a Clayr's gift is to See into the future, to have the Sight -- which she doesn't), and at the age of fourteen years she is highly outcast, and feels outcast since girls younger than she were obtaining the Sight. Alongside this, the Clayr were usually dark-skinned and had blonde hair, whereas Lirael had a pale complexion that never tanned, and dark hair. Plus, she has never been Seen by any of the Clayr.
Her mother, Arielle, died sometime between Lirael's fifth and tenth birthday. She had left the Glacier when Lirael was five. She had no idea who her father was, and while Clayr were accustomed to taking lovers from the merchants passing by the Glacier, her mother had gone away and returned pregnant -- and refused to say who the father was. Her quote of the time was 'No Father, No Mother, No Sight'. She considered committing suicide on her fourteenth birthday to get away from everything, but thanks to two elder Clayr, the twins Sanar and Ryelle, who revealed to her that their Sight had come when they were sixteen, stopped her. To keep herself occupied, she was promoted to being a librarian, something she found herself good at.
Over the next few years Lirael's thoughts of suicide slowly leave her and she feels at place. She creates the Disreputable Dog accidentally when she attempted creating a sending of a puppy. After many long and twisted adventures, she finally is Seen by the Clayr; and her journey outside the glacier begins.
[edit] Heritage
The reason Lirael is so outcast, is because she is not just a Clayr. The blood of the Clayr run in her veins, but the blood of the Abhorsen is stronger. Her mother went to seek the Abhorsen Terciel after seeing a vision of the future. The vision showed of the need of a Remembrancer in the coming battle, so Arielle did what must be done. Lirael will never receive the Sight, but her unique parentage gives her the ability to be a Remembrancer, someone who looks into the past using a Dark Mirror while in Death. She also became the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, the Abhorsen's apprentice and assistant in the fight against the Dead.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Lirael is one of the most powerful Charter Mages in existence. She has used tremendously powerful marks, for example when sealing the Stilken. She has used many thousands of such marks when conjuring the Disreputable Dog. Any who "test" her Charter mark remark at its unprecendented power and clarity. This is due to her having the rarest Bloodline (Abhorsen) as well as the far more common Clayr. As the Abhorsen line is so rare, its power is shared by very few, only 2 at most times, the Abhorsen, and the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. This is probably the reason for her incredible power. Lirael has the full knowledge, powers and abilities of an Abhorsen and wields her bells proudly. Due to her Clayr heritage, she also posses the power to "see" the past (whereas all other Clayr see the future), but must use both aspects of her heritage to do so, as it is only observable from the realm of Death.
[edit] Possessions
Lirael owns:
- The Pipes- A set of 7 panpipes, that have the power of the Bells but in a lesser extent. (She later gave them to her companion Prince Sameth in Abhorsen after acquiring the bells)
- The Bells- 7 bells that balance free magic with the Charter and allow Necromancy.
- The Dark Mirror- Allows Lirael only to perceive the past, while in Death.
- The Book of The Dead- Guides an Abhorsen in their duty, and gives a map of Death.
- The Book of Remembrancing and Forgetting- Guides a Remembrancer in their skill.
- A powerful sword- Combines with the Pipes in the Final Battle against Orannis, and was used to break Orannis' bound form in two. The name of the sword was Nehima when it was first given, however the name of it at the end is unknown as the inscription then read "Remember Nehima".
| Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series | |
|---|---|
| Novels | Sabriel • Lirael • Abhorsen • Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories |
| Characters | Chlorr of the Mask • Disreputable Dog • Kerrigor • Lirael • Mogget • Orannis • Sabriel • Terciel • Touchstone |
| Magic | The Charter • Five Great Charters • Free Magic • Nine Bright Shiners |
| Places | Ancelstierre • Death • Old Kingdom |
| Magical objects | Necromantic bells • Nehima • Paperwing |
