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The portal in Tor Lara was a strange one. When she ran up to the top floor there was nothing, not even any windows, only bare, mould-covered walls. And on one of the walls burnt an irregular oval filled with an iridescent gleam. She hesitated, but the portal drew her on, summoned her; literally invited her. And there was no other way out; only that shining oval. |  | |
| - pg. 258, Time of Contempt (U.K. edition) | |||
The Lara Portal, also known as Benavent's Portal, after its discoverer, is a periodically active fixed portal, located on Thanedd Island, on the highest floor of Tor Lara.[1]
Originally built by the Aen Seidhe, the portal connects to a similar one in Tor Zireael, though due to damage, it became skewed and numerous forks and dispersions became possible.[1]
History[]
Construction[]
Sometime during the Age of Migration between 2230s BR and 1240s BR, the Aen Seidhe elves constructed Tor Lara, including the portal, as a quick mode of transport to Tor Zireael.[1]
Brotherhood takeover[]
After the Brotherhood of Sorcerers took control of Thanedd, Immanuel Benavent discovered the portal, which word spread of quickly. Many mages wished to see where it led, and those who went through either perished or were lost due to the portal's unstable nature. These experiments became forbidden, and magic was banned in the tower; only to be used if a specialist were to conduct authorised tests.[1]
Fall of Thanedd[]
On the morning of July 1st 1267, a large-scale coup took place between the Brotherhood, with many siding with the North or Nilfgaard. In the process, the young girl Ciri ran from the conflict through the portal, and due to its unstable nature, was ejected mid-air deep into the Korath desert. Afterwards, the portal was destroyed, along with the tower, due to a magical explosion at the peak.[1]