On International Women’s Day, and considering the current world we live in, I couldn’t bring any character other than Sypha Belnades, or Mya Galanis. Sypha/Mya is my RPG character, and her story has been shaped by both violence and art.
She was a bard and a dancer in her hometown, the daughter of merchants and truly a jewel to behold. She married the “White Knight,” and despite their disagreements, it was a good marriage.
The problem began when Maegor, the Mad King of Andor, became enchanted by her. Despite her refusal and rejection, Maegor did not respect her will, her body, or her marriage.
He took her by force, imprisoned her husband, and blackmailed her with the lives of her parents. Even as she fought against it, Mya was forced into an engagement she never wanted, to a king she hated more than anything in the world.
As she walked toward the altar where she would seal the end of her freedom, the White Knight—once imprisoned—came to her rescue. He gave her his sword, his shield, and his horse, and surrendered himself to certain death so that she could escape from Maegor’s grasp.
Mya fled—terrified, broken, and already pregnant with her true husband’s child. By sheer luck, she found Madame Rizzo, who sheltered her and helped her when the time of childbirth came.
Mya changed her name to Sypha, cut her hair, and began living as an adventurer in order to support her son. Along the journey she made allies, made many mistakes and many right choices. And she lived on the run.
She kept running until she arrived in Barovia, where the fear of never returning to her son consumed her every single day. To her complete misfortune, Maegor also ended up in Barovia—and to her despair, so did her son.
Once again, she was forced into an alliance with her worst nightmare in order to save her child, Roman.
In this artwork, Mya/Sypha is illuminated by the sun itself, dressed as the muse she always was, playing her golden lyre. Maegor lies in the amphora, decapitated, with his blood at her feet and on Mya/Sypha’s hands. She is finally at peace.
The pomegranates surrounding her are a reference both to her fertility and to her son, Roman.
