Lyra is the eldest daughter of the high ranking Melmara Telanonel, conceived and born scandalously before the young Pheonix Nation elf was wed. To add to the scandal and to the great delight of the court gossips, she came out half-human. Shortly after Lyra’s birth Melmara was pushed into a marriage by her father to a proper elf of high rank (though not so high ranked as they had hoped, but they had to accept somewhat lower deals on ‘spoiled goods’), and the newly named Galanion Telanonel quickly got Melmara with an heir and a spare.
Lyra was raised with the upper echelon of the Pheonix Nation but was very aware of her second-class status, somewhat from her being a bastard but mostly from her human heritage. She was seen as ‘not a proper elf’ and was thus ridiculed and scolded for both trying to be too elvin and not being elvin enough. As she got older she noticed that her younger siblings were taking over the roles she was expected to inherit, and it became very clear that she was quietly being nudged out of succession. At last, fed up with it all, she ran away from her privileged life and toward a life of independence and adventure. After traveling around aimlessly, she at last found her new home at The Templeton-Vane Terrific Traveling Troupe, where she became adept in acrobatics, stage swordplay, and knife-work for the entertainment of the masses. She renamed herself “Lyra Steeldancer”. Her family, who didn’t put up too much of a fuss about finding her but did almost by accident (they’d hired someone and didn’t expect him to succeed but Lyra wasn’t trying very hard to hide, and they were quite put off that they had to pay the man), are quite embarrassed at her new profession and like to pretend she is at some expensive finishing school very, very far away, or perhaps that she was going to that school and died in a tragic shipwreck. The story changes every few years but people have stopped asking and caring. Lyra is almost convinced that she doesn’t care though the facade drops occasionally, mostly in her glee at the thought of her family’s disgust and horror at her latest exploit. She doesn’t really care who her father might have been (“Mother always said I was named for him, but I could never tell if it’s because he played the lyre, or if he was a liar.”). She has other men in her life who she could consider every bit as good as a father. She loves traveling, finding new places, and meeting new people. However, she doesn’t care to get very emotionally close to people and tends to form surface relationships so that the parting isn’t as hard. Or perhaps it’s leftover from her childhood trauma. The only people she is genuinely close to are the members of the troup.
 
Due to her upbringing, she has quite a bit of (slightly outdated) knowledge of the Phoenix Empire's political scene.
 
One night, while the troupe was camped near a fortress town in a pocket of the mists, a group of adventurers stormed into their camp, pursued by a pack of vicious gnolls coming out of the mists. In their frantic attempt to escape, the adventurers commandeered Lyra’s house-wagon, mistaking it for a quick getaway. Lyra, who had been sleeping in her cot, was suddenly and violently pulled into the chaos.
 
Before she could fully grasp what was happening, the wagon was careening into the mist, with the gnolls hot on their heels. Lyra, now part of the wild chase, quickly grasped the situation. The adventurers, singularly focused on their goal — getting a powerful artifact out of the gnolls hands — had no intention of returning her to her troupe. She was stuck with them, whether she liked it or not.
 
As the gnolls closed in, Lyra grabbed her swords. The gnolls leapt into her wagon and she confronted them head-on, her years of stage combat proving invaluable in real battle. With swift, precise movements, she fended off the goblins, her acrobatic skills allowing her to balance in the out of control wagon, dodge their attacks, and strike back with deadly accuracy.
 
The adventurers, impressed by her unexpected prowess, grudgingly acknowledged her presence, but there was no time for pleasantries. They had to either escape or defeat the gnolls to keep the artifact away from them and whatever mischief they intended.
 
Despite the initial shock, Lyra couldn’t deny the excitement coursing through her veins. This was the real deal—no scripts, no staged fights—just raw, unfiltered adventure. Lyra’s skill and courage earned her a place among the adventurers, even if it was by accident.
 
After the adventurers secured the treasure, they gave her back her wagon and she eventually found the rest of the troupe, who had also been looking for her. But the reunion didn't last long. Lyra had gotten a taste of excitement she hadn't had in years. And so, with a mixture of excitement and determination, Lyra Steeldancer embraced her new path, promising her friends that she would return one day, armed with new tales, skills, and perhaps even some amazing treasure.