LOTUS
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I've always believed there is good in everyone. Everyone is good. People are good. I know this in the core of my heart and soul no matter what happens. We fight not because we don't want what's best, but because we don't agree how to get there. - LOTUS [1]
LOTUS (/loʊtʌs/, LOH-tus) is a major character in doughbyte. She is a Sunkissed Llokin who leads the caretaking of the Tears, being possibly the most knowledgeable of their abilities out of any Llokin. Like others involved with the Tears, she has lived multiple lives. She has no known biological relationships with any other characters, but is notably linked with ROMAL, JAELA, and later VETTE through the caretaking of the artifact.
Appearance
LOTUS is deeply red scaled, with a typical Sunkissed triple-pair set of amber lightning-bolt shaped horns and matching orange eyes. She is sometimes described wearing a red or green kinjewel, despite not being in any relationship, [2] and sometimes depicted wearing a faded orange loincloth.
Characterization
LOTUS is dutiful and caring. She is fully committed to the well management of the Tears for the greater good rather than her own gain, and believes deeply in the inherent goodness of others, acting as a contrast to the Tears' other caretakers. [1] However, her personality is comparatively much more reserved and quiet. She is undeterred of her responsibilities even with ZSUNG's intense disapproval.
She seems to revel in secrecy, choosing to protect the Tears through hiding.
Plot events
Uncertain origins
Because LOTUS and her lives have spanned potentially hundreds of years, it's not exactly clear where she came from. Given that she has a Sunkissed body, she most likely originated from an ancient Sunkissed tribe or town. She has also mentioned that she was born in a time of turmoil, [1] so it is possible that this town does not exist any more. LOTUS appears to be highly traveled, which makes her origins even more murky. It is highly unlikely that LOTUS has any living relatives, but she may have descendants.
Learning to use the artifact
It is never described how LOTUS came unto this knowledge, but it is implied that LOTUS is one of the first Llokin to understand how to use the Tears. It is also possible that she discovered the Tears themselves, or was the first Llokin to obtain them. Given that they most likely originate from the corpse of the RHOMB in the glacial wastes outside the Terminator, it's unclear how exactly she or another Llokin would have obtained them. She is possibly the only one capable of "rebirthing" Llokin from newly created eggs, a process she does to herself and others many times throughout the plot. However, other members of her group have been shown to be particularly adept with the Tears, [3] [4] so it is possible that they are also aware of how to do it.
Moving the artifact
Chronologically, LOTUS's earliest appearance in the story is during a meeting of the original caretakers, composed of herself, ROMAL, JAELA, KHYEL, AERIS, and HEKAE. She breaks up disagreement about where the artifact belongs by suggesting it be moved to Clearstone, which is eventually done. [5] There, she is reborn (for what is apparently the third time [1]) along with JAELA.
Hiding in Vetteswoods
Being reborn before the others, JAELA tries to convince LOTUS to kill the other caretakers and make off with the artifact to become gods over the Surface. After vehemently refusing, then seeing her murder KHYEL anyway, LOTUS makes off with an unborn ROMAL and the Tears, moving them both to Vetteswoods. She hides ROMAL's egg underground so it is not found by JAELA. [1]
Here, she seems to pretend to be a normal child, meeting VETTE and becoming friends with children KIRII and METIS. The artifact ends up in their possession, and as VETTE comes to understand what it is, LOTUS eventually confronts him about it, though exactly what comes of this is not clear. [6] VETTE is later reborn by SILLH when she comes into possession of a Tear, meaning that he must have consented to being reborn by LOTUS. The motives behind his rebirth are unknown, but he seems bent on stopping ROMAL. [4]
Splitting the artifact
Once ROMAL hatches, LOTUS expresses her desire to gather a new group of caretakers and split the artifact across the Surface so that the group can be more easily kept in check. After ROMAL refuses, it seems LOTUS proceeds with her plan anyway, as Tears begin showing up in various undergound shrines across the Caldera.
Escaping to the Littlelands
LOTUS is not seen again until ROMAL has begun hunting the Tears. With at least one already found, she and EVJAR follow LOTUS to the Littelands, where LOTUS has been welcomed and sheltered by the natives. Unwilling to give the artifact shard she holds to ROMAL, but also unwilling to kill or hurt ROMAL, she allows ROMAL to take it by force, causing her to be gravely wounded and lose her right arm. [7]
Her fate is currently unknown.