| Denotation | Lens del N’stl’d (Germanic, short for Laurence, from the Latin Laurentius: crowned with laurel, also English, a curved piece of glass used as an optical instrument, a focal point; all Yggdrasil emanations have the surname del N’stl’d, Skarsian: of Nightside.) |
| Numeration | 40th emanation of Ashtara; 2nd branch of Yggdrasil; 19 in the correspondence chart. |
| Age | 38 |
| Hotness | 7/10 |
| Vital Statistics | 1.695 meters tall, cock size 15.44 cm when erect. |
| Description | Nerdy-cute with prominent cheekbones, an appealing shyness, has dark brown hair with sideburns. Wears stark black clothing, unique, steampunkish spectacles: From the outside, both lenses look dark gray, but from the inside, the left is clearly blue, and the right rose-colored. |
| Skills | Surveyor. The left lens of his spectacles sees from the mothman’s perspective, which means that he has an erratic ability to make predictions (sometimes he doesn’t understand what he’s seeing.) |
| Sexual Prowess and Kinks | Being peeled, juiced and served in a cocktail. |
| Average Duration of Play | 16 minutes, 4 seconds. |
| Totem Tree | Yucca brevifolia, the Joshua tree. |
| Fixed Star | Ain, the eye of the bull (ε Tau). |
| Color |  |
| Esoteric Symbol | The geomantic glyph Via, the way. |
| Function | Visionary insight. |
| Official Title | Most Astute High Herzog of Nightside. |
| His Prophecy | Depth of field. |
| Dessert | Schneeballen dusted with nau’gsh powder |
Biography:
Warning – major spoilers for The Perpetual Rose.
Lens first appears in The Perpetual Rose. His existence is predicted on the note left by Malachi for Axel, who immediately understands that Lens is short for Lawrence – it’s a four-letter designator like his own. The Yggdrasil emanations are mercenaries who will be granted a life within the pleroma if the war with the Denolin is won.
Lens emanates to study the history of the Great Dread. While he is on the station, he realizes that the hundreds of tiny crustacean spacesuits are for Hreck expected to sacrifice themselves in suicide missions against the Dread. When Beat emanates, he will not allow this.
The roots of the trees fully connect while Lorcan is emanated at Nightside. As the Atlas emanations awaken, they emerge into the central passage of the tower only to realize that a second tower – representing Yggdrasil – has appeared alongside the building. Axel, Lens and Beat emerge in the lobby. Lens tells them that Tara is safe, teleported to a friendly spacecraft. He knows because he possesses a pair of glasses – the left eye allows him to see what Ashtara sees, including a vision of the future. Certain things – Tara’s appointment as Combine Nuncio – Lens sees with clarity. Others – the problems upcoming at the colony – he sees as a hazy mist in the distance. At this time, Lens sees something very disturbing that he does not want to share.
The emanations have their usual trouble sharing Lorcan’s experiences, but Lens is able to describe what is happening visually. Lens says that he believes the spectacles are proof that Ash does not consider the Yggdrasil emanations disposable – they are too valuable as a means for communicating his intentions to the emanations.
When they return from Nightside, Ailann has emanated to deal with the Combine, but Tara requests that she meet her new husbands. That night, Tara receives a note slid under the door of her bath. It’s Lens – he emanated, but did not want to shock her. He has been chosen because his vision gives him the capacity to deal with Rivers’ condition as well as Ailann could. Tara is impressed by his good looks and amused by his shyness and Germanic accent.
Tara offers him a drink. Lens finds that he has no idea of his own preferences. He takes the drink, surmising that the important point is neither the flavor nor the effect of the alcohol, but that Tara has made the drink for him. She orders a buffet so that he can discover the kinds of foods he likes. When Lens explains her spectacles, Tara has to try them. She experiences the left, blue lens as similar to a Gyre vision. The right, rose-colored lens seems to allow her to experience the n’aashet n’aaverti Ash feels towards her. Tara is taken aback by how melancholy Lens seems.
The next morning, Lens and Tara run into Neliit. Neliit proposes taking some of Ash’s seeds to the Eer-gaaani homeworld, which initially shocks Lens and infuriates Tara. Tara maintains her composure and tells Neliit that she has to discuss it with Ash. They visit Clive. Lens examines him and says the course of treatment will take at least three weeks, but that they can bring him back to Nightside with them.
Back at their quarters, Lens says the conversation with Neliit was awkward – having no seeds of his own, he didn’t know how to answer her. Tara takes this as an opportunity to seduce him. Meanwhile in the pleroma, Tarlach and Patrick explain pollination to Axel and Beat. Lens realizes that when he uses his spectacles, he can see directly into Tara’s metabolism, and employs that information in bed. He’s also aware of Axel and Beat, and that Beat is using an unusual method of vibrating his branch with sound to better distribute his pollen. Lens promises them that they will produce the perfect fruit. Afterwards, he gets a performance review from the pleroma, with Even calling it “poetic,” but Cillian complaining that Lens needs more edge.
Lens agrees to give his seeds to Neliit, providing that Tara eats the fruit first. He tells her that there is much benefit to eating the fruit, and that a less provocative way to consume it would be to make juice.
Lens returns to Nightside with Tara. On board the flagship, Tara drinks some of Dermot’s juice. It makes her realize that Lens is terrified; she also has a premonition that something important is about to happen. She asks Lens, but he begs her to respect his privacy.
Axel emanates to help Tara with the orchard – he inspects the fruit on Lens’ branch. He worries about the content of the vision which seems so upsetting to Lens. Whirljack becomes convinced that something is very wrong, and demands that Lens share his vision. It turns out to be a vision of Tara’s death. The emanations are devastated until Lorcan realizes that Tara’s death happens before Tara’s Destiny is fulfilled, a seemingly impossible contradiction. Suibhne assures them that “all will be well.” The emanations are still distraught, but convince Lens that he should never try to bear his visions alone, no matter how terrifying they might be.
When Sloane brings Tara inside of the pleroma for the first time, Lens is emanated to deal with Clive’s treatment. Neliit enters the room bearing a sign which says “There’s yummy pie at the commissary.” But Lens can make out a blurry message with his left eye – it’s something Till will write later that night. Neliit and Till have devised a unique trick to employ Ashtara’s ability to perceive future events. After seeing the message, Till emanates and Lens joins the strategy meeting inside of the pleroma.