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Adalgar d'Lerian? What, that man is still alive? Ha ha ha ha ha! He always did have a knack for bailing himself out when things got too hot. Sure, I can tell you about him. More than anyone else, certainly. Where to begin...

Well, he's a Nord. Dark-haired, beardless, doesn't drink and has a strong affinity for magic... not what you'd expect from his kind, eh? I watched him grow up, and it wasn't exactly a traditional Nord upbringing. His mentor was very strict when it came to manners and personal studies, and I guess he wanted Adalgar to grow up to be a respectable heir for... his name? I was just getting there. Marthein, of House Lerian. Breton like me, although far higher up on the social ladder. He adopted Adalgar, who was pretty much a street urchin at the time - can you believe it? - because his own son died in the war, and his wife passed away with grief from the loss. Aye, it was a sad time. I used to keep him company in the evenings. Ha ha... kept trying to convince him to go out drinking with me and find another woman to get his mind off of his troubles. There was this really fancy brothel I used to visit, and the Mistress there...

Pardon? Oh yes, Adalgar. Marthein was very impressed with his progress, he's a natural-born mage. From what I hear he mastered both the Illusion and Alteration schools within a year after his adoption. Pulled pranks with those every chance he got, he he he. But what he really excelled at was Destruction magic. Fire magic, to be specific. He used to put on a show for us whenever he learned something new, and the things he could do with the flames... it was spectacular to behold, true art if I ever saw it. Marthein kept telling him not to get conceited, but I know that old coot was just about bursting with pride every time.

Then, of course, things changed. I'm not certain on what grounds, but Marthein was accused of treason against the Empire and sentenced to death. Adalgar was never quite the same after that. He buried himself in the books his mentor left behind - said he wanted to learn everything Marthein hadn't had time to teach him, but I'm fairly certain he was looking for something that would help him get revenge on whoever had gotten his mentor executed. Then one day he just up and vanished. All of his things were gone overnight, the manor was empty save for the furniture... it was as if he had never been there at all. I always assumed he had messed up a magic ritual and gotten himself eradicated from this plane of existence. And now, years later, you elves show up on my doorstep and start asking questions about him.

Well, if he really still lives, I do have a good bit of advice for you about him. Never, ever, make him angry.