Ullii (Well of Echoes)

Infobox character | name = Ullii


real_name =
portrayer =
creator = Ian Irvine
species = Old Humans
gender = Female
first = Geomancer "(chapter16)"
last = Chimaera "(chapter17)"
last_cause =
age = 18
occupation = Seeker
title = Seeker
family = Myllii (twin-brother)
spouse =
children = Yllii (son)
relatives =
footnotes =
Ullii is one of the main characters in Ian Irvine's "The Well of Echoes" quartet.

Characteristics

Ullii is an extremely pale eighteen year old girl with white hair and very light grey eyes,and displays many autistic traits,as such stimming by rocking back and forth and by repeating the same words over and over again whilst stimming, as well as all of her senses being hypersensitive to the point where almost any light, sound or touch is extremely painful and most tastes and smells are overwhelming. Because of this, she can only live comfortably in almost total isolation. She prefers to be naked because coarseness of clothes hurts her skin. However, Ullii also has an extraordinary talent. She has developed a special way of viewing the world which she calls her lattice. Any form of the Secret Art such as crystals, mancers or artisans appears in this lattice and the shape it makes is unique. Because she usually lives in total darkness, she identifies people (only those with a talent for the Art) by the shape or 'knot' they make. She can also see Lyrinx in her lattice and calls them clawers. Ullii's talent identifies her as a Seeker.

Origins

Ullii was born to a poor family along with her twin brother Myllii. She developed her hypersensitivity when she was separated from Myllii at age four and was prone to constantly screaming or withdrawing from the world completely. When her family failed to discover why or beat it out of her, she was thrown out and would've died, but she mentally constructed her lattice to try and find her brother. Ullii soon came to the attention of Perquisitor Jal-Nish Hlar.

He sent her to one mancer after another but none of them could cure her hypersensitivity or utilise her lattice usefully. Finally, an old mancer named Flammas placed her in his dungeon and forgot about her. She spent five years in the dungeon and regards it as the happiest time of her life as she was kept in near total darkness and solitude. During this time, she tried to examine a knot in her lattice that turned out to be a Lyrinx. The experience terrified her so much that she screamed continuously and Flammas was reminded of her and sent her back to Jal-Nish.

Ullii's Role

Geomancer

Jal-Nish finally discovers how powerful Ullii's lattice is, but worried that others will steal her and use the power for themselves, takes her to the Tiksi manufactory with him. There, his son Nish, and the Artisan Irisis Stirm solve the problem of her hypersensitivity by making goggles, earmuffs and clothing out of spider web, which is light enough that Ullii can wear it for longer than normal clothing.

Ullii then accompanies Irisis and Nish on a mission, lead by Jal-Nish and Fyn-Mah, to recover Tiaan Liise-Mar and the precious Amplimet. Ullii is a key member of this team as she is able to track Tiaan and the ampliment she carries in her lattice. When Ullii becomes distressed by a lyrinx using the Secret Art, Jal-Nish, who is frustrated, lashes out and physically abuses her. Irisis, who has grown close to the young Seeker, defends Ulli by punching the Perquisitor in the nose. Jal-Nish never forgave Irisis for that humiliation, praticuarly after her failure to allow him to die after he is mutulated by the lyrinx, Ryll. Fyn-Mah became commander of the small band on its way back to Tiksi.

Failing to recover either Tiaan or the amplimet, the small band return to Tiksi to discover the Scrutator, Xervish Flydd (a friend of Ullii's) would be taking over the mission. Flydd sends Ullii and Nish by balloon to Tirthrax (where Ullii sees Tiaan is headed in her lattice) to return her to the manufactory and to help in the war. When they arrive they are witness to the invasion of the Aachim.

Tetrarch

During the hunt for Tiaan, Ullii developed strong romantic feelings for Nish. After witnessing the invasion of the Aachim, Nish captures Tiaan and Ullii is kind to the young artisan. Nish's triumph is short lived as Malien, Matah of the Aachim of Santhenar, intervenes, humilliating Nish and setting Tiaan free. Ullii is friendly with Malien, as the Matah seems to understand her. Malien instructs Nish and Ullii to leave Tirthrax, but they discover the amplimet and take it with them.

Malien intervenes for a second time, retrieving the amplimet. Nish and Ullii's air-floater is attacked by the lyrinx, Liett and they fall to an almost fatal landing.

While stranded, it is clear at first, that Nish returns Ullii's feelings and even has sex with her, making her pregnant.Though later on he develops deeper feelings for Irisis and when Ullii is reuinited with him, when Nish is a captive of the Aachim, she feels betrayed.

Ullii uses her lattice in an incomprehensible way and frees Irisis from a room protected by a powerful spell placed by Chief Scrutator Ghorr. She then transports Flydd and his air-floater to there position and accompanies him to Snizort.

Ullii helps Irisis and Xervish to destroy the node-drainer at Snizort, though the device they were supplied with had been tampered with and the node itself explodes. Ullii is separated from Xervish and Irisis.

crutator

Ullii discovers Xervish and Nish (after he is freed from the Aachim), have been cast out as traitors, and sentenced to haul clankers, as slaves. Ullii ventures to the slave camp, intent on rescuing them, though Xervish ends up being the one to save her.

Ullii is the one that disovers, through her lattice, that the exploded node had created the mystical tears of the node.

The feelings Ullii possessed for Nish turn to hatred when she finds her brother Myllii, who is accidentally killed by Nish. The Council of Scrutators use her emotions to control her and the Chief Scrutator, Ghorr, orders Scrutator T'lisp to use her talents with the Art to cause Ullii to have a premature birth, which her baby Yllii does not survive. T'lisp captures Ullii and binds her to her will with a braclet, once belonging to Myllii .

Taken hostage by the Council, for many months, Ullii is eventually forced to help the Council by tracking down her former friends to Fiz Gorgo, where they are to be executed. Ullii, once she has directed Ghorr to his main enemies, then goes to find Nish, who has avoided captured.

Chimaera

However, Ullii eventually forgives Nish, breaks free of T'lisp's will, realising the death of her brother was an accident and helps him to foil the attack on Fiz Gorgo. She dies during the attack, sacrificing herself to protect her friends. Chief Scrutator Ghorr uses a multiple crossbow that Ullii knocks from his hand, sending four of the five bolt harmlessly astray. The fifth bolt slams into Ullii's chest, creating a neat hole. She dies in Nish's arms, with a sad smile, happy to be going to her dead brother and son.