Lore:Lamae Bal

Lamae Bal
Lamae Bal
Race	Nede	Gender	Female
Born		Merethic Era
Resided in		Skyrim
Appears in		ESO

"The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She... was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful daedric lord, and his will is made reality. — Serana

Lamae Beolfag (better known as Lamae Bal or the Blood Matron) was a Nedic priestess of Arkay who was transformed into the first vampire sometime between the middle and late Merethic Era. She is the progenitor of a strain of vampirism caused by Noxiphilic Sanguivoria. Over time, she discovered that as others fed from her and spread her curse, instead of becoming weaker she became stronger, her power multiplying as the number of her "children" grew. She is an enemy of both Molag Bal and Arkay.

Through blood and sorcery, Lamae altered her bloodline to create Blood Scions, vampires whose strength almost rivals that of the vampire lords that were turned directly by Molag Bal. She embraces her condition, seeking to use it against her hated adversaries. She openly encourages vampires to feed freely upon the blood of mortals, and her alterations to the bloodline allow her children to become stronger by consuming blood.

History

Lamae was unfortunate enough to be a priestess of Arkay at a time when Molag Bal, an avid wielder of necromancy, decided to spite Arkay for daring to hold sway over the cycle of life and death. Lamae was brutally raped by Molag Bal in the wilds of Skyrim, leaving her viciously mangled. Once Molag Bal finished his assault, he shed a single droplet of his own blood on the gravely injured girl's brow before disappearing back into Oblivion.

The comatose Lamae was discovered by a coven of nomadic Nedes, who took her in and cared for her wounds. They noticed her injuries unnaturally rapidly heal on their own. Horrified, the nomads attempted to cremate Lamae, but as the pyre was lit, Lamae awoke in a state of undeath. Disoriented and enraged, Lamae massacred the nomads and feasted upon them. She eviscerated the women and children, and raped the men as savagely as Molag Bal had raped her. After finishing her rampage, Lamae began to return to her senses. Horrified by what she had become, she desperately prayed to Arkay for help. Despite her efforts, Arkay did not answer. Embittered by Molag Bal's attack and Arkay's subsequent betrayal, Lamae cursed their names and swore to undermine them wherever she could.

"A handful of greater vampires lay claim to a twisted shape gifted to them by the Defiler. Why should my children not possess such horror-wrought strength? In you, we shall see this form perfected."
—Lamae Bal

Lamae later founded a cult of vampires, its core tenet being hatred for both Arkay and Molag Bal. She considered the members her children, who referred to her as Mother Lamae. Those infected with Noxiphilic Sanguivoria who found their way to her crypt would be given the option to engage in the cult's initiation ritual, known as the Rite of the Scion. During the Rite, initiates would experience visions of Lamae's past and would profane symbols of Arkay and Molag Bal. After the first portion of the ritual was completed, the initiate would kneel in a pool of blood. The initiate would then be completely drained of their own blood by the cult's priests. If the initiate was deemed worthy, Lamae Bal herself would appear and fill the initiate with her own blood, enhancing their power and transforming them into a Blood Scion.

Lamae was seemingly the progenitor of the Lyrezi, Selenu, and Vraseth bloodlines, which are named after Nedic Wyrd people present at her burning that she devoured. Emblems featuring her visage were spread throughout the Second Era.

Notes

1. ^	Lamae Bal's curse was given to her in Skyrim, putting the creation of Vampirism sometime after the Nedes migrated to the province, and sometime before the Direnni's move to Balfiera, as vampires were encountered in Summerset during the Merethic Era.

Gallery

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  A young Lamae, moments after becoming a vampire (ESO)

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  Lamae Bal performs a blood transfusion (ESO)

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.