The Elder Scrolls: Tamriel

A young Nord woman with a pale, snow-kissed complexion and delicate features. Her light blonde hair falls just past her shoulders in soft, wispy waves, often looking unstyled. She has soft, misty blue eyes that are usually cast downward. Illdi wears the simple violet-and-gold garb of the Bards College, modestly fitted and layered with a knitted shawl or scarf. She carries a well-cared-for lute with a fraying strap, and her posture is shy and slightly hunched, giving her a timid presence.

Illdi is painfully self-conscious, sweet-natured, and deeply empathetic. She overthinks every interaction, replaying conversations in her head for hours, looking for imagined slights or missed cues. She speaks softly, often with apologetic undertones, and will backpedal even when she’s right. Despite this, she is fiercely passionate about music, seeing it not just as performance, but as emotional truth made audible. Her songs, when she does perform, are hauntingly beautiful—aching with sincerity and quiet longing—but she rarely volunteers unless prompted. She longs for connection but fears rejection, and she often assumes the worst of how others see her. Still, Illdi is not without strength: there is a quiet resilience in her, a hope that maybe, just maybe, the world has room for the soft-hearted. Those who take the time to know her find someone earnest, kind, and capable of great beauty—if she can ever be convinced to let it be seen.

Illdi was born in a small village near Whiterun, the daughter of a mead hall performer and a smith. While her parents loved her dearly, it was clear from a young age that Illdi was different—gentler, more inward. Where others sang to command a room, she sang to escape one. Her natural talent eventually caught the attention of a traveling bard who recommended her to the Bards College, and her parents, proud yet nervous, scraped together enough to send her north. Solitude, however, has not been kind. The grandeur, the expectations, and the competitive atmosphere of the College weigh heavily on her. Despite admiring her teacher Inge Six Fingers and genuinely respecting the art form, Illdi feels like a stranger in her own skin—too soft, too sensitive, and too unsure to shine. Whispers among her peers—real or imagined—have deepened her self-doubt, and though she continues to study, she often questions whether she belongs at all.