Lydia

Lydia is an female. She lives in Fort Greymoor.

Quests

 * Mercy No More
 * Dragon Rising
 * Trial by Fire
 * Family Ties

Background
Lydia hails from, and is of mixed race; her father was a Cyrodiilic legionary who was recalled from during the , and her mother was one of the Reachfolk, the indigenous Bretons of Skyrim. Her father died in the in.

After her father died in the war, Lydia and her mother moved in with a Breton family who own a farm in the Reach, there they worked as farmhands. Among the Breton family was a boy, called Cyric, who is roughly 7 years older as Lydia.

While living on the farm, Lydia and Cyric developed a close bond. He is protective of Lydia, like an older brother, and she looks up to him, whilst harboring something of a girlish crush on him as well. Both Lydia's mother and Cyric's family anticipate that Lydia and Cyric would be married, once Lydia came of age, as they were a good and practical match. Life was good for all of them, despite the tensions in the Reach.

However, Cyric has secretly joined up with the Forsworn to help them in their rebellion to the Nords. Lydia finds out and confronts him about it and Cyric confesses and confides his secret in her, but makes her swear to tell no one. She decides not to tell the family, even though she knows that they are likely in danger.

In, ’s militia was called into to expel the  from the city. Many men and women from the outlying villages joined the resistance to fight Ulfric. Among them was Cyric. But his actions caught up to him. One of ’s officers, Yrsarald Thrice-Pierced, with a small group of militia soldiers, traces him back to the family farm. There they attempt to apprehend the boy, but Cyric has gone hiding in the bushes. From his hiding spot, he fires an arrow and hits Yrsarald in the shoulder - this is the first time he was pierced. Before Yrsarald can say anything, his man return fire and one of them hits Cyric. Then Yrsarald's men charge in and commit many war crimes and acts of great cruelty - raping the women, torturing and killing innocents, etc. They search for evidence of Forsworn activity, but don't find anything.

The sole survivor of the massacre, Lydia was rescued and nursed to health by the Forsworn. They took her in and trained her in the ways of combat, to become a weapon against the s. Young, impressionable and traumatized, she is easily manipulated. The Forsworn want Yrsarald dead, as he was high-ranking and well-known official and would serve as an example to other s who would oppress them. So they set about brainwashing Lydia to remember the events differently, honing her into the physical embodiment of vengeance. When she is ready, she sets out on a mission to assassinate Yrsarald. Lydia tracks down Yrsarald and hits him with a well-aimed arrow - this is the second time he was pierced. Yrsarald and his soldiers charge towards Lydia and she manages to kill two of his man with her bow. Then she drops her bow and readies her blades. With her hard training and incredible speed, she quickly kills the other two soldiers Yrsarald had with him. Lydia manages to pierce one of her blades into Yrsarald - the third, but he isn't so easily killed. He manages to cut her in the stomach and Lydia is bleeding heavily. Unable to move quickly, Yrsarald hits her hard on the head with the handle of his axe and she falls to the ground. Yrsarald decides to leave her for dead and retreats before he himself bleeds to death.

In, ’s militia was called into to expel the Reachmen from the city. Many men and women from the outlying villages joined the resistance, including Lydia’s older brother, Cyric. They struck out against Ulfric’s militia. In retaliation, the militia raided the villages, consisting mostly of peaceful farmers. At age 11, Lydia witnessed the destruction of her home and the death of her mother, and was raped and left for dead by a militia captain named Yrsarald Thrice-Pierced.

The sole survivor of the massacre, Lydia was rescued and nursed to health by the Forsworn. They took her in and trained her in the ways of combat, to become a weapon against the s. Lydia trained hard and tirelessly for years to have her vengeance. At age 16, she abandoned the Forsworn to track down Hloggar. At age 21, she caught up to Hloggar. She failed to kill him and nearly died once again.

But she survived again, this time by a priest of, called Corradus. They become close friend and Lydia found new purpose. She helped Corradus in Greymoor, mostly protecting him, but also being a good friend. And in return, Corradus taught her other values besides fighting, about Stendarr and the Divines.

Her quest for vengeance slowly became less important as she was building up a life. She found a place where she could feel at home, even when it isn't as safe as she might have hoped.

.(during Trial By Fire, Delphine notes her "unusual" sword technique, seemingly suspecting that she was trained by the Forsworn). At age 16, she abandoned the Forsworn to track down Hloggar. At age 21, she finally had her vengeance, though it nearly cost her life. She was rescued and nursed to health by a Vigilant of Stendarr.

Her quest for revenge complete, she was left with emptiness and regret. She turned to faith, devoting herself to Stendarr and the cause of justice. She became a wandering hero-for-hire, seeking a worthy cause and penance for her vengeful life.

Interactions
Lydia assists the Dragonborn in the battle against Mirmulnir during Dragon Rising, and becomes his/her housecarl.

She may accompany the Dragonborn during The Way of the Voice and The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller.

If she is with the Dragoborn when he/she meets with Delphine in A Blade In The Dark, the Dragonborn can vouch for her skills in combat, and convince Delphine to allow her join the fight against Sahloknir.

If she is not present, she can be recruited into the Blades after Sahloknir is defeated, in the quest Trial By Fire. Delphine will size Lydia up, then test her abilities in single combat. Lydia successfully defends herself against Delphine, who acknowledges her fighting prowess.

Loyalty / Romance
At some point, Lydia will receive a version from Stendarr of a unknown man being killed by a young Forsworn woman who resembles Lydia. She does not know the meaning of the vision, but confides in the Dragonborn, initiating the quest Family Ties.

Together they learn that her brother Cyric and his wife Elara passed away, leaving behind an orphan daughter named Briaca, who was adopted by the Fosworn. Briaca came of age under the Forsworn, trained as a killer. Now 17, she has been sent to kill a nobleman by the name of Yngram Red-Shield. Together, Lydia and Dragonborn stop Briaca from killing Red-Shield and convince her to leave the Forsworn. At peace, Lydia is now focused on the mission to stop Alduin.

Lydia also becomes a romance option for the Dragonborn, with unque courtship dialogue that is unlocked after completing Family Ties.

Combat
Lydia has unique combat abilities. By default, she favors one-handed swords, shields, and heavy armor. However, due to her background and training with the Forsworn, she is a skilled dualist, and will switch to a two-sword technique when opportunity or necessity demands it.

When Lydia is in the Dragonborn's squad, they recieve a 10% bonus to their armor rating.

Personality
Lydia’s personality is serious, grim, and fatalistic, though punctuated with occasionally moments of levity. She harbors a resentment for the rebellion in Skyrim, though she does not count herself among the Imperial loyalists. She is religious, a passionate devotee of Stendarr, and believes in justice above all else. Having suffered a childhood trauma, she is constantly on guard, and is reticent to share her past with those she does not fully trust.

Quotes

 * "You... you really are Dragonborn!"
 * "By my life, I swear to serve you, Thane of Whiterun."
 * "Watch your back. I've got a bad feeling about this place."
 * "Please, I... let's just talk about something else."
 * "Ready when you are."