Lyra "Goat" Gallenus

► Race:  Imperial
► Sex:  Female
► Height:  5'0" (152.4 cm)
► Born: 4E 169
► Birthplace:  a farm on the outer shores of Lake Rumare, Cyrodiil

► True Name:  Lyra Gallenus (this is rarely used and known only to a select few)
► Prefers To Be Called:  Goat
► Is Also Known As:  Lita, The Mountain Goat, Rock-Hopper

► Personality Type:  Advocate (INFJ-T)
► Alignment: Neutral Good

► Positive Traits:  determined, resourceful, generous, compassionate
► Negative Traits:  bullheaded, insolent, juvenile, reclusive

► Skills:  archery; alchemy; rock-climbing; agriculture and animal husbandry (goats, chickens)
► Weaknesses:  small stature; limited physical strength; poor skills with most types of weaponry (except bows); little to no magical abilities
► Unique Abilities:  in addition to the natural charm and diplomacy that all Imperials share, hers appears to manifest itself in strange and unpredictable ways, as it has in the past for others in her bloodline. There is no name for it, and so it has been dubbed "Radiant Charm," a potential side-effect of a combined Imperial and Bosmeri heritage. Those that possess this innate ability have no knowledge of or control over it, but may find that alliances form more readily with certain groups. In some cases, it has even been known to work on animals and otherwise hostile creatures (such as goblins), rendering them docile in the presence of the bearer. Apart from this, there is no discernible benefit or means of controlling those who would fall under the ability's effects.

► Alliances and Affiliations: None
► Religious/Spiritual Beliefs: None

► Basic Description: Lyra is a light-skinned Imperial woman with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. She is short in stature, average to slightly underweight, with a medium bust and somewhat prominent hips. Apart from her diminutive height, she has no distinctive physical features or markings. Her personality is best described as open-minded and observant, but cautious. Although she is unlikely to judge anyone based on their race, she does not trust easily. Despite this, she feels compelled to help anyone that is being abused or treated unjustly, and may even defend them at great personal risk. As a general rule, she is polite to most newcomers, but tends to prefer the company of animals. Her knowledge of the world at large, including politics and history, is quite limited; however, she is perceptive, and her quiet, introverted nature lends itself to being a great judge of character. She may 'instinctively' discern when one is a potential threat just by observing their behavior, even if there is little to no interaction with them. While she lacks a formal education, she is eager to experiment and learn. She finds idolatry ridiculous and believes religion, in general, to be divisive and distracting, therefore she does not follow or worship any Divines.

  Biographical Information  
Born to parents Thaddeus and Adrienna Gallenus. Approximately two years after Lyra's birth, the Great War had begun and her mother, a skilled archer, left home to fight for the Empire, never to return.

Because of her young age, Lyra has no memories of her mother, and her memories of the war itself are traumatic, confused, and disjointed. Much of her family's farmland and home are destroyed in the war and, despite multiple attempts to rebuild and start again, Lyra's home never returns to its former state. Eventually, she and her father are forced to move closer in to the Imperial City with other survivors.

In 4E 175, Thaddeus joins the efforts to repair the extensive damage done to nearby Imperial City. From age 6 onward, Lyra becomes the sole caretaker of the few surviving animals from her family's farm. They are one of her only sources of companionship, which leads to her adopting their mannerisms and earns her the nickname "Goat." She insists on this nickname being used exclusively and even introduces herself as such to new people, although her father still uses her birth name. During this time, Lyra also becomes interested in archery and starts to practice with her mother's old bow.

In 4E 178, while visiting Imperial City with her father, Lyra meets an Altmer boy named Adano. Their friendship is instantaneous, which draws the ire of Adano's father, Malandro, a wealthy, staunch supporter of the Aldmeri Dominion.  Despite Malandro's verbal attacks and threats, and Thaddeus' hesitancy, Lyra maintains her friendship with Adano for many years. They continue to meet in secret as often as possible, engaging in horseplay and juvenile humor, but also supporting one another in their pursuit of specialized skills. Their relationship quickly evolves into a source of motivation and encouragement. During this time, Lyra also begins to experiment with alchemy, although her lack of proper equipment restricts her to using only readily available and easily combined ingredients. She is able to create a few basic, restorative potions.

In 4E 182, Thaddeus is killed after a verbal confrontation with Malandro over Lyra and Adano's relationship. With no other witnesses present, the murder is framed as a tragic accident due to the collapse of a damaged structure in the city. Lyra is heartbroken by the loss and suspicious of the alleged cause, but without proof, money, or power, she is unable to do anything. Adano and Malandro return to their home in the Summerset Isles shortly after Thaddeus' death. Before their departure, Lyra and Adano conspire to stay in contact. Later that year, Lyra receives her first letter from Adano.

In 4E 184, Lyra and Adano continue to exchange letters. Due to a lack of steady income, Lyra sells what she can, including the last remaining goat from her family farm, and moves into Imperial City's waterfront district to look for work. Most of her jobs involve household and servant duties, although in early 4E 185 she secures a job at an apothecary and further improves her alchemy skills. During this time, she learns that Adano has received much praise and recognition for his magical skills, although his letters have become less frequent and less detailed. Lyra continues to practice archery in her spare time.

In 4E 186, Adano writes to Lyra and promises to visit her soon. This never comes to pass. His next letter does not arrive until the year is almost through, at which point Lyra learns that Adano has begun a new career, although he does not elaborate. The vague wording leaves Lyra with more questions than answers. Adano's letters become shorter and shorter, and the time between them grows longer. He apologizes for this, claiming that his duties keep him busy, and that maintaining their secrecy has become more difficult than ever.

In 4E 188, Lyra and Adano's correspondence is discovered by Malandro when a courier is intercepted. Rather than confront his son, Malandro instead keeps the knowledge to himself. The courier is set to another task and Adano's letter is destroyed. Malandro arranges for a Thalmor agent in Cyrodiil to kill Lyra. The attempt on her life is unsuccessful, but when more attacks follow, the apothecary and its owner become caught in the crossfire. Lyra is forced to flee Imperial City.

From 4E 189 onward, Lyra continues to move across northern Cyrodiil, hoping to avoid further attacks by the Thalmor. She sends letters to Adano, telling him of her plight, but the letters are intercepted by Malandro and destroyed. She never receives another letter from Adano, and ultimately stops writing to him. She settles in Chorrol until she is again discovered and forced to relocate, this time to Bruma. By then, she has become quite adept at surviving outside city limits. Her archery skills are a force to be reckoned with, and she has developed various poison recipes to aid her fight against hostile forces. She stops using her true name, preferring the nickname "Goat," although she sometimes uses "Lita" as a more socially-acceptable codename. Despite her best efforts, she is discovered by her pursuers and chased north into the Jerall Mountains.

Sometime in 4E 201, Lyra unwittingly crosses the border into Skyrim and is picked up by a group of Imperial soldiers en route to Helgen.

This is where her adventures begin...

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► Trivia: When she was first created, Lyra had no name and was known only as "The Mountain Goat." Her true name was inspired by Philip Pullman's protagonist Lyra Belacqua, from the "His Dark Materials" trilogy (the Dragonborn in her story, although only a minor role, is also named for a character from this series). Her overall creation was heavily influenced by the music of Fleetwood Mac.