Lorlae Adaere (pronounced: 'lôrlī ā'dī(ə)r or "lor-lie a-dire") b. 2E 559 - Altmer Sorcerer

Lorlae was just a child when she lost her family. Originally from Skywatch in eastern Auridon, her parents were well known archeologists on an excavation at the Aylied ruins of Culotte in southeastern Cryodiil. They had been warned that the continued Interregnum in Cyrodiil made the entire region dangerous for travelers without some kind of escort or protection, and the Culotte ruins were in heavily disputed territory. Dunmeri forces from Black Marsh frequently ran pillaging raids into Elsewyr, taking the bridge just to the north of the ruins, and they were known to set up basecamps in the Culotte ruins, but Lorlae's parents were confident that they would be safe. For months now the Kajiit of Elsewyr had been steadily pushing the Dunmeri back to Black Marsh, and Culotte had not seen any conflict in over a month. Her parents were confident that this was their chance to explore Culotte; confident enough in their safety that they not only brought Lorlae, they also brought her infant sister, Lorana, on the expedition.

On the fourth night, word came from a pair of Kajiit returning home that Dunmeri raiders had just made a push to the west towards Cropsford, but were still too far away to be of concern. What they didn't know was the conflict would force several bands of goblins to flee west; scattering the protecting forces from Elsewyr, and allowing the goblins right into the center of the expedition's camp. It was a slaughter. Lorlae's mother only had moments to hide the sleeping children before both adults were dragged out of their tent. With no remaining opposition, the Dunmeri continued to advance further west than they had in months. It was only the noise and confusion that kept the girls hidden until the goblins moved west; avoiding the approaching raiders.

The Dunmeri arrived a few days later expecting to set up camp in preparation for a push across Culotte Bridge. Instead, what they found was a dirt-covered, young Altmer girl wandering among the slaughtered bodies of her parents and the expedition team. The tall, dark-eyed Dunmer Raid leader ordered the burning of the bodies and not to unload their own gear; he chose to move on rather than set up camp in freshly desecrated ground. His second order was to leave the child behind; "Let the Altmeri gods save her." They scavenged through the expedition's supplies, taking what they wanted, and the soldiers moved on... All but one.

Wandering off behind some nearby outcroppings, one Dunmer remained behind. Orders or not, he couldn't stomach the thought of the young child wandering into a pack of wolves or worse. He and his wife had been left broken hearted; never having been able to having children. It wasn't the child he had wanted, but it was a child that needed them. Once the rest of the raid had cleared out of the camp and the last of them crossed the bridge, he returned to the camp and sought out the child. Lorlae sat on a patch of grass near one of the tents still standing when he walked up.

"Come," he said, "we must leave here quickly. What is your name?"

She looked up at the stranger with red eyes, "L-L-Lor-lae."

"Do you know which tent is yours, Lorlae? Can you show me?"

She pointed at a tent not too far away and he let her lead him by the hand to it. Once inside he began to search for anything that looked like it might belong to a child. The raiding party would only have taken valuables, weapons, or food. They would have left anything belonging to her, and that's what he was going to need. Through the mess he was able to find a small, opened trunk with girl's clothing, a few toys, and a journal. Opening the book, he glanced at the inside cover and saw written in a woman's hand:

To Lorlae, on your wedding day - Mother

Most of the journal pages were blank, but the beginning pages were filled with daily entries beginning with her birth. The last entry dated just yesterday...

Lorlae caught her first butterfly. She tried to set it on top of Lorana's head, but it flew away when Lorana began to cry.

"Lorana?" He said aloud.

"Siser!" Lorlae replied, "Baby siser!"

He felt a shock of realization. He hadn't seen any other children among the bodies. Searching more deeply through the tent, he found a few items meant for an infant... And another journal. In it he found the same handwriting and dedication but to Lorana. Based on the first entry, Lorana was only a few months old. His heart sank. Easily portable, one of the goblins had likely taken the baby with them for a later meal.

"These must be yours, Lorlae," he said with a forced smile, and gathered up some of her clothes and the two journals. "Let's get going!" and handed her a small doll.

"Siser," Lorlae said looking at the doll.

Eyes held straight ahead and hand resting on her head, he replied "Lorana isn't here."

Forward 20 years...

Though she was raised by Dunmers, her Altmer blood still boiled when others said her name incorrectly or looked at her as an outsider. She often comes across as snobbish to the people around her (again, her Altmer lineage), but she genuinely loves her adoptive family and friends. Also in spite of her lineage, Lorlae is fiercely loyal to the Ebonhart Pact.

She lost many friends as a result of the Akaviri invasion, and she was proud to see the three races, Nord, Dunmer, and Argonian, come together as one. She was also proud to join that force in protecting their lands from the Daggerfall Covenant and newly formed Aldmeri Dominion.

She has little stomach for fighting, but understands the importance of the war effort. Though she's been trained by Mage's Guild in Dark Magic and Storm Calling, she was drawn to the role of a healer; repaying the debt she still feels she owes the Pact and to those that saved her from certain death wandering alone in Cyrodiil. However, she was growing increasingly frustrated as the war progressed; she just wasn't as effective as a healer as she wanted to be. She was afraid to say it out loud, but she knew her abilities were far more suited for battle, than healing.

Before she returned to the Southern Morrowind Gate and to battle, she made one last stop at her private shrine. Hidden away down the hill from her parents' farm, she had secretly crafted three memorial markers from stone pieces she found a various Aylied ruins she had passed through while fighting in Cyrodiil. Simple in design, and framed by several white hosta (a plant common to Auridon), the marker faces contained only one word each: "Mother", "Father", and "Lorana". She never knew her real parents' names. Lorlae only knew her sister's name thanks to the journals her adoptive father recovered when he had found her. She knelt down in front of her first family and said a prayer. Though she was raised Dunmeri, she still managed to find time to study the Altmer pantheon and even learned a prayer she thought would pay respect to her long lost family...

"The heart of Mara beats beneath the breath of every mer, connecting us by blood and spirit."

Lorlae stood, let out a sigh, and turned toward her horse to make the ride from Kragenmoor to meet up with her comrades in the Pact Militia at the Southern Morrowind Gate.

“Will this conflict ever end?”, she wondered. Though her life was in the east, deep inside her heart she wondered about her birthplace and if she would ever get to see it?

***