Pirena

Pirena

(Sang'gre, Keeper of the fire gem)

Kingdom: Lireo

Father: Hagorn, the King of Hathoria

Mother: Mine-a, Ynang Reyna of Lireo

Children: Mira (deceased, daughter with an unknown soldier from Lireo)

Spirit Guide (gabay-diwa): Alipato, who could bring dead beings back to life

Powers: Manipulate fire and produce fireballs from her hands. She can morph into any humanoid form, a trait she inherited from her father. But unlike Hagorn, her diwata blood allows her to use this ability without getting drained of energy. She could also use her power to fly, lauched herself in the sky like a fireball. Like the other Sang'gre's she could also orb.

Weapon/s: Twin blades.

Strength/s: Cunningness, which is both her strength and weakness.

Weakness/es: Sly and devious.

The eldest among the four sisters and the keeper of the fire gem. having been brainwashed from such a young age by her nursemaid, Gurna, she grew up to be jealous and bitter of her sisters, especially Amihan.

She rebelled and sided with the Hathors when she was not chosen to succeed her mother as the next queen of Lireo. Her only daughter, Mira, was born as part of plan to usurp the throne from Amihan. But despite using Mira as an instrument of her revenge, she loved her daughter wholeheartedly and was willing to give-up everything for her.

Underneath Pirena's seemingly cold and evil exterior, lies a kind person who is in need of love and affirmation from her family. After betraying Amihan and suceeding in her plan, she got the crown that she desired. But her happiness was short-lived for the Hathors, her so called allies, played her game of betrayal and took Lireo from her. After realizing her mistake and discovering Gurna's misdeeds, she repented and made amends with her sisters. The memory of her departed daughter is her inspiration to stay on the path of goodness.

Pirena is a major character from the Philippine fantasy series Encantadia and Etheria produced by GMA Network. Among the four elemental Sang'gres, Pirena is the guardian of the red Gem of Fire. Filipina actress Sunshine Dizon plays Pirena.

Pirena also appeared in Mulawin as an accomplice of Ravenum. Her character was only seen as a ghostly image, with her face in shadow. It is quite unclear whether her appearing in humanoid form was prior to her being in a smoke form or vice versa.

The name Pirena may derive from the root pyro- meaning "fire", which evokes the character's affinity to this element.

Character story

Pirena is the eldest daughter of Minea, the Queen of the Diwatas by Hagorn. She is known to be the most intelligent Sanggre of all the four. When she was young, Gurna, her dama, poisoned her mind. She made Pirena believe that Amihan is up to stealing the crown of Lireo from her. Proud and cunning, she has always believed the throne was her birthright. She felt hurt and betrayed upon overhearing a conversation between Minea and Imaw in which the queen expressed that she would rather that any of her daughters ascend the throne other than Pirena.

During the test to determine the true heir, she is disqualified and the throne was granted to Amihan. In a last attempt to get back her birthright, Pirena challenges her mother for the throne. To aid her in the duel, Pirena steals the Jewel of fire. She would have defeated her mother had her other sisters not intervened. Failing to get the throne, she curses Encantadia and leaves, taking the Jewel of Fire with her. Her theft made Queen Mine-a decide to separate the remaining gems by giving each to her other three daughters for safe-keeping.

Pirena immediately seeks an alliance with Hathoria and as a gift, used the fire gem to rekindle the fires of their forges (the fire gem used to belong to Hathoria but their former king lost it in battle with the army of Sapiro). King Hagorn welcomes her and she joins in their campaign to conquer Encantadia.

Upon hearing the news that Amihan is pregnant, Pirena hatches a plan to conquer Lireo. The first step to her plan is to get pregnant and give birth at the same time as Amihan. She does this by mesmerizing a Lirean palace guard then killing him after getting what she needed. She secluded herself in Hathoria during her pregnancy, and few knew that as Queen Amihan gave birth to Lira, heir to the throne of Lireo, Pirena also gave birth to a baby girl, which she named Mira.

Pirena returned to Lireo and presented herself before the young queen, pretending repentance and asking for forgiveness. Amihan forgives her, unaware of her evil plans. While no one was looking, Pirena switched the queen's baby with her own daughter. By this act, Pirena designed that it is her daughter, and not Amihan's, who will ascend to the throne.

Intending to kill Amihan's real daughter but unable to do so because of the protective magic surrounding the child, the only way she could think of disposing the child is to bring it across the portal of Asnamon and leave the baby in the world of mortals where she hoped it would die.

Amihan would not suspect the switch. Mira herself would grow up thinking that she is Lira, the queen's daughter.

Still plotting to conquer Lireo, Pirena knew she had possess all four gems. When Alena thought that her beloved Ybarro had died, she grieved alone in the woods where Pirena took the opportunity to disguise herself as Bathala and convince her sister to give up the Jewel of Water in order to alleviate her pain. To cover her tracks, Pirena wiped out Alena's memory and turned her over to the care of Hitano, a Lirean lieutenant in love with Alena, who promised to hide Alena in the woods where they would live under different identities. Thus, it was Pirena disguised as Alena that the Lireans discovered lifeless in the woods. It would take years, long enough for Mira to turn into a young woman, before Pirena would show her true colors and Amihan discovers her treachery. The Hathors and Pirena invade Lireo and conquer it. Pirena had a long battle with Amihan but she failed to defeat her because Amihan had training from her father when she was young and Amihan is the strongest warrior in the whole of Encantadia. She could have killed Pirena if it wasn't for Alena who was confused at that time but Alena sided with Amihan. Pirena was able to escape and thousands of Hathors sourrounded Queen Amihan. Pirena lost no time in declaring herself as the new Queen but in the eyes of the Diwatas, the mandirigmas and the Adamyans, Amihan still remains queen of Lireo and of Encantadia. The first thing she does is imprison Amihan and attempt to take the Jewel of Air from her. Amihan would eventually escape.

 

Pirena would discover that her troubles do not end once she becomes queen of Lireo. She had to deal with rebels led by her sisters, and her daughter Mira, who finally discovers the truth, despises her. She would get a dose of her own medicine when King Hagorn turns his back on her. Her reign would be short-lived and she soon finds herself stripped of the crown, homeless and alone - with only her loyal dama, Gurna, to attend to her.

Still proud, Pirena would not join forces with her sisters even though Hathoria had become their common enemy. When King Hagorn held Mira hostage, Pirena struck out on her own to save her daughter but ended up being captured instead. Asval struck her fatally and she dies without releasing the gem in her possession, thus depriving Encantadia of the benefits of fire which her jewel controls.

The real Lira would embark on a quest to get her, and her jewel, back from Devas in order to save Encantadia from disaster. Hagorn also coveted the fire gem and found a way to intercept Pirena's spirit as it travelled to Devas. Hagorn won the race in reaching Pirena and grabbed the gem from her. Pirena's spirit woke up at the touch of Hagorn and through it realized he is her father.

Back from the dead, the ungrateful Pirena still refused to join her sisters and she goes back to living alone. She could remember nothing of what happened while she was in transit to Devas, and she could not pinpoint what it is about King Hagorn that is tugging at her memory. She will eventually suspect that he is her father.

The turning point in her life happened when she learned, through Imaw's magic staff, how Gurna's web of lies had made her suspicious of her mother and sisters and blinded her to the love they were willing to give her. Angry at being manipulated, she kills Gurna. Full of remorse and guilt at the havoc she brought upon Lireo, she attempted to kill herself but was prevented from doing so by her sisters, who at the time were looking for her in the forest. This time Pirena was sincere in asking forgiveness from each of them. Danaya healed the wound Pirena inflicted on herself and the four sisters were united once again. It would have been a happy ending had it been a time of peace. Unfortunately, Lireo and its allies are still at war with Hathoria, and Pirena would lose her daughter Mira before it is over.

It is Pirena who would battle Hagorn and his armies to aid her sisters in ending the war, and at his death Pirena would get back her fire jewel and confirm that she is the daughter of the last king of Hathoria.

In the last war of Encantadia, she confronted Hagorn at the Sapirian front and officially tells him that she did not recognize him as her father because of the things he had done to her loved ones. She told her father that she could kill him and in an angry fit, Hagorn uses the gem of water, which he Alena gave him together with her life to save Arman. As Pirena fell, Hagorn pointed his dagger at Pirena but suddenly said that he could not kill her as Hagorn stabs himself. Pirena screams "AMA!!!" (Filipino for father) and witnessed as Hagorn dies. In Hagorn's death, he gives the gem of water to her daughter telling her that he is very proud of his daughter and removes the dagger out of him and dies leaving Pirena in tears.

She teaches and guides Queen Armea as Armea rules over Sapiro. After her work in Sapiro was done, she said her goodbyes to her birthplace, Hathoria and destroyed the kingdom using the gem of fire. Like her other sisters, her story became the stuff of legend as they play in the air as they all say.

Pirena in Etheria

Pirena would go back in time with her sisters to save her grand niece, Cassandra, who was kidnapped by remnants of the lost kingdom of Etheria.

Their presence in the past distorts the history of Encantadia and Pirena realizes that her own existence is threatened. The events immediately push Mine-a, her mother, closer to Raquim, Amihan's father. If Mine-a does not spend time with Hagorn and become pregnant by him, Pirena would not be born, and this disturbs the four sang'gres.

In order to ensure her conception, Pirena goes to Hagorn. She offers him help in finding Mine-a and Raquim, both of whom have just eloped and have fled to the forest. Summoning the elemental powers of Fire within nature, Pirena succeeds in creating a fiery circle that detects the whereabouts of both Raquim and Mine-a. Hagorn then says that he knows where the two lovers are hiding. Pirena teleports Hagorn to where Mine-a is. Raquim decided to leave Mine-a's side for a while, which gives Hagorn the chance to be alone with Mine-a. Pirena gives Hagorn a portion of her power to shape-shift into any humanoid form. She tells him that he can become anyone he desires. Hagorn then transforms into Raquim and approaches Mine-a. From this trickery, a red flower blooms which is a sign of Pirena's conception.Pirenas stone have the (gabay diwa)Ruler named Alipato,that have the power to resurrect the dead and callt ther spirits from Devas(heaven)

Personality

Naturally proud and gifted with a keen intelligence, Pirena believes that Amihan stole the throne of Lireo as well as the affections of their mother Mine-a from her. She is focused and is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve her ends. Pirena looks upon her hand-maiden Gurna as a confidant. Though outwardly cold, Pirena is actually a kind person, consumed by the belief that she can rule Lireo much better than Minea.

Impulsive and willful, Pirena is very transparent with her emotions. She is the most frank and brutally honest of the sisters, sometimes inconsiderate of the effect of her words to those around her. Because they share so many of the same personality traits, she always ends up quarrelling with the youngest of the brood, Danaya.

There are very few gray areas when it comes to Sang'gre Pirena. This combined with her passionate nature, sometimes results on her being blinded by her emotions. This was especially evidenced in Asval's betrayal.

When together with her sisters, Pirena often acts as the mastermind, playing the role of both analyst and cynic on all situations.

Characteristic of the element of fire, Pirena is very assertive. Her bravery and ferocity in battle stems from both her Hathorian and Lirean blood.

It was her decision to betray her kingdom and steal the jewel of fire that prompted then Ynang Reyna Minea to entrust the remaining jewels to her three other daughters.

Family affiliation

Pirena is the firstborn among the daughters of Ynang Reyna Mine-a. Her younger half-sisters are Amihan, Alena and Danaya. Although it was never said aloud, it soon became apparent that her father was King Hagorn of Hathoria, from whom her powers of shapeshifting and swiftness in battle are believed to have been inherited. She gave birth to Mira and exchanged her daughter with Amihan's to make sure that Lira will not become Queen of Lireo.

All she ever wanted was to prove that she was worthy of the Lirean throne. Pirena grew up believing that her mother and sisters did not love her. As a result, she became bitter towards her family.

Her importance in the balance of nature

As the keeper of the Jewel of Fire, Pirena is the embodiment and literal vessel of fire in Encantadia. Her life force is tied to all warmth and breath in the world.

This was evidenced when Pirena was killed by Asval during her attempt to save Mira from Hagorn's captivity. Hagorn forced her to give up her fire gem, but Pirena being courageous and stubborn chose death. She ordered the jewel to remain with her even in the afterlife. Her death cursed the land of Encantadia to an everlasting winter until she could be revived.

Powers and Abilities

• Teleportation and cloaking

The primary form of transportation of Sang'gres, Pirena shared the ability to teleport to any place, or be with any person, at will. However, there are two limitations to this ability. First, it cannot be used when a Sang'gre is bound, chained, or magically imprisoned. Second, it cannot be used to teleport from Encantadia to the Human World or vice versa.
This ability also grants her invisibility at will. Springing from her Etherian blood (through Minea), she used this ability during their journey to the past whenever Etherian soldiers appeared.

• Shapeshifting

Pirena has the ability to take the shape and aura of any humanoid she encounters. She used this several times within the saga's run to alter her appearance and deceive the other characters, and in one occasion, even took the form of Bathalang Emre, with divine radiance emanating from him, to make the illusion more convincing. However, this ability is useless against strong psionics as they can see right through the glamour. Both the telepath Andorra and the precognitive empath Cassiopea are able to see through her illusions.
Pirena received the Gift Of Fire upon birth that allows her to tap into the powers of the Brilyante, granting her the ability to create and summon flameat will. Among the Sang'gres, it is she and Amihan who rely heavily on their innate and acquired elemental abilities during combat.

Weapons

• Balaraw

Pirena wielded 2 daggers and used them in battle until the events towards the end of Etheria. Upon retrieving their abilities when Bathala bestowed the Brilyante ng Buhay to the four rulers of Enacantadia-- Cassiopea, Meno, Aegean, and Bartimus, Pirena received a boon on her arsenal as well and the twin dagger were transformed into a single broad sword.

• Brilyante ng Apoy

This red gem was created when Ynang Reyna Cassiopea cleaved the Brilyante ng Buhay using the Kabilan into 4 independent gems that correspond to each element-- Brilyante ng Apoy, Brilyante ng Hangin, Brilyante ng Tubig, and Brilyante ng Lupa, to prevent the warring clans of Hathorians and Mulawins.
The wielder of the Brilyante ng Apoy gets full access to the gem and can use it to its fullest potential. Whoever holds the Brilyante has control over the Basbas ng Apoy and is able to create or summon fire at will. On top of this, the wielder is able to bestow the Basbas ng Apoy to anyone she wishes to. Due to this, both Hagorn and Mira had the limited ability to use the element of Fire when Pirena was keeping the Brilyante. The gift was later taken away by Hagorn from MIra when the former stole the gem from Pirena.

Aside from its control over the element of fire, the Brilyante has the power to resurrect any denizen of Encantadia who has left to Devas or Balaak. Though this can bring anyone back to life, flesh and blood, there is no guarantee that it can retrieve the person's memories and feelings when it was still alive.