Sylvis
Sylvis is a Cothellon elf who serves as a high-ranking Mission Control operator and Mission Commander during the Return. As the first-in-command under Scientist General Orym, she plays a vital logistical and operational role in executing the Cothellon's planetary Ascension and managing the sky cities.
Appearance and Demeanor
Over her centuries of service to Orym and the Cundu, Lorelei, the intense stress and responsibility of her duties have begun to physically manifest; lines of age and weariness mark her face, a rarity among ageless elves. While on duty in Mission Control, she is almost always seen wearing a signature black headset and working rapidly at her console.
Sylvis is highly competent, pragmatic, and strictly adheres to protocol. She is not afraid to vocalize her concerns when her superiors demand reckless actions, frequently warning them of catastrophic risks to the cities and their populations. However, despite her reservations, she is deeply loyal to the chain of command and ultimately carries out her given orders.
Early Career and the Darkprime Discovery
Eighty-three years prior to the Ascension, Sylvis worked as a research assistant under Orym, alongside her colleague Luthar. During this period, the team was heavily involved in uncovering the mechanics of Prime magic. Sylvis was present when Luthar controversially tested newly discovered "metalwood" (darkprime wood) on a human volunteer. Though Sylvis tried to stop the unauthorized test, she was the one to present the successful, paradigm-shifting results to a furious Orym, marking a major breakthrough in the Cothellon's mastery of darkprime magic.
The Ascension
During the execution of the Cothellon Ascension, Sylvis operates as the primary Mission Commander, monitoring global events and city diagnostics. When Orym is trapped in San Francisco traffic during the devastating Typhoon Velma, Sylvis monitors his status and repeatedly offers to dispatch a gatesender to extract him, though Orym refuses in order to maintain the secrecy of elvenkind.
Sylvis is frequently the bearer of bad news for the Cothellon leadership. She informs Lorelei when violent riots break out on the surface due to missing transmuter supplies. During the city liftoffs, she warns her superiors of impending retaliatory strikes from the United States military, prompting Lorelei to order the cloaking of the cities. Later, she solemnly reports the total loss of all hands aboard City Seven (New Tokyo) after it is destroyed by an Eldrim saboteur.
The Conjunction
Sylvis's dedication to safety protocols constantly puts her at odds with Lorelei's impatience. When a timer bug threatens the launch and Lorelei demands they advance the mission timetable by bypassing critical testing, Sylvis strongly advises against it, warning that the entire system could fail or explode. When Lorelei makes it a direct order, Sylvis complies, forcing the mission clock to T-minus 12 hours.
The Splinter Soul
During the final cosmic conflict against the Anubis Twins, the political landscape shifts dramatically, and the United Sky Cities fall under human leadership. Sylvis remains at her post in Mission Control, but she now takes her orders from the young underkid Shot (Shane Greyson), who has been placed in command by President Greyson.
When Shot orders the connected sky cities to jet at full speed toward Louisberg to intercept the Twin Nelenor, Sylvis once again protests, warning that moving the massive structures at such velocities could rip the cities apart. Former Cothellon council member Grathgor attempts to undermine her, but Sylvis asserts her authority, noting she is following the President's orders. She expertly coordinates the helmsmen to execute the dangerous maneuver, bringing the cities into position for the final battle.