Lyra was born in 1609 in a coastal town of Surat, India. Her father, William Norrys, was a trader and an employee of the East India Company, her mother, Diya Farooq, was a Dayan — a mystical figure among her people who have connections to ancient, spiritual practices. From an early age, Lyra was exposed to the contrasting worlds of British colonialism and the deep-rooted spiritual and cultural traditions of India. While her father’s world was one of trade, profit, and British influence, her mother’s was was filled with rituals, the supernatural, and a rich history of Indian mythology. Lyra’s mother often took her to remote temples, teaching her about the Dayan's connection to spirits, cycles of nature, and the powers that exist beyond human understanding. These teachings left a lasting mark on Lyra, shaping her respect for the mystical and her understanding of the world beyond human perception.
In 1619, Diya was killed in a conflict between the East India Company’s forces and local Indian rulers. 10 year old Lyra fled India with her father, boarding a ship bound for England. Life in England was difficult for Lyra, especially as a child of mixed heritage. She often found herself caught between the loyalty to her British father and the teachings of her mother, never quite belonging to either world.
When Lyra was 16, her father arranged her marriage to a wealthy but older (by 15 years) English nobleman, Lord Reginald Latham, in a bid to secure a future of comfort and stability for her as he was dying. Though Lyra’s heart remained distant, she complied with her father’s wishes. Her father would die within the year. The union, devoid of love or affection, was cold and suffocating, and her husband's domineering nature only served to fuel her mistrust of those who sought to control her. Reginald was a suspicious and cruel man, prone to fits of violence. They were married for seven years when one evening after a bitter argument, Reginald attacked Lyra, beating and strangling her before passing out himself. When he found her alive and well the following morning as though nothing had happened, believing her to be a witch or demon, Reginald called her such and she was arrested. It was during her trial that an old friend of her fathers came to her defense, a man named Ramsey Torryngton. Ramsey, it turned out, was immortal, and he had come back as quickly as he could once he heard what had happened. Too late to whisk her away to safety, Ramsey used the guise of knowing her father as a way to see her, vowing to plead with her to confess. However, once alone with her he explained to her that she was immortal and the pair came up with a plan -- Lyra would be hanged, Ramsey would dig her up after, and they would leave England together.
Over the next decade, Lyra stayed with Ramsey, learning the intricacies of Game and how to defend herself. Ramsey was her mentor, her lover, and her closest companion, though even with him, she kept much of herself hidden behind a wall of emotional detachment. She trusted him, but never fully (this would become a rule in al of her relationships). Not long after leaving Ramsey, Lyra met an ancient immortal named Cassandra, a mystic with profound knowledge of the arcane and spiritual realms. Under Cassandra’s guidance, Lyra deepened her understanding of her mystical heritage and the forces beyond human comprehension.
In the years that followed, Lyra’s travels took her across the globe in search of knowledge and power, driven by an unyielding ambition. She visited places steeped in ancient mysteries, her thirst for understanding never waning. The more she learned, the more she distanced herself from the idea of sentimentality or moral righteousness.
In 1727, in Philadelphia, Lyra met Nicodemus Bell, an immortal who shared her hunger for arcane knowledge. Lyra became his teacher as far as immortality was concerned, and his companion in the search for knowledge. The two traveled together for nearly a century, visiting places that were whispered to hold secrets to the mystical aspects of the world, spending time in South America, Indonesia, Nepal, Tibet, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Romania, Greece, and Africa.
The pair returned to America in 1815, settling in New Orleans. However, two years later, Lyra parted ways with Nico. The separation was something Lyra had seen coming, having realized that their paths were fundamentally different. Nico had become increasingly fascinated by darker, more dangerous magics — those that bent the rules of nature and the universe. He saw power in the shadows, and his curiosity grew towards forces that could manipulate life and death itself. Lyra, on the other hand, found herself drawn more to the light, seeking wisdom in the natural world, in healing forces, and the deeper, more spiritual aspects of the arcane. She believed that true power lay in understanding the balance of the universe, not in breaking it. Their differing philosophies led to tension, culminating in an argument .
In 1842 Lyra befriended famed showman P.T. Barnum. She worked with Barnum for six years, her mystical insights and abilities adding an air of mystery to his exhibits. But as Barnum’s ambitions grew, Lyra realized that as had been the case with Nico, their paths were different.
Lyra returned to England, where the weight of her choices began to settle upon her. In 1850, Lyra was living in a small, quiet village, when she became the unexpected guardian of a young girl, Charlotte, a child orphaned by a tragic accident. At first, Lyra remained emotionally distant, keeping her usual walls in place, but as Lottie grew attached to her, something in Lyra began to shift as she realized the sacrifices she had made for the pursuit of power and knowledge. She had forsaken so much — relationships, ideals, and even her own humanity — along the way. Her ambition had consumed her, and through her daughter's love she learned that the pursuit of knowledge and strength had come at a severe cost.
Lyra remained with her daughter (and her ever growing family --- children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren) until Lottie’s death at the age of 72 in 1916. When Trips hit Lyra was visiting her great-granddaughter in California.
