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Old Lara Croft Biography

The daughter of Lord Henshingly Croft, Lara was brought up in the secure world of aristocracy. During her school years she attended a lecture by renowned archeologist Werner Von Croy, and this sparked an interest in archaeology. When she was 16, she found out Von Croy was preparing an expedition to Cambodia, and convinced her parents to let her join him on the expedition. The expedition ended in disaster though, as Von Croy triggered a trap resulting in him being sealed inside a tomb - Lara having to leave him in order to avoid the same fate. Von Croy survived, but the incident caused a grudge between them that lasted for years. Later, at her Swiss finishing school, she took to the art of extreme skiing and spent a holiday in the Himalayas searching for more challenging terrain. However, on her return trip, the plane crashed deep within the mountains, leaving Lara as the sole survivor.

She spent two weeks wandering alone through the Himalayas before walking into the remote Tibetan village of Tokakeriby. Her harrowing experience had a profound effect on her. No longer able to stand the suffocating atmosphere of upper-class British society, she realized she was only truly alive when she was travelling alone.

Despite this drastic life change, Lara still retained some essence of her upbringing - most notably her polite, upper-class accent.

Lara's parents though were less than convinced about the benefits of this chosen lifestyle. They ceased to associate with their daughter, terminating her monthly allowance.

While staying in England, Lara lived in a mansion in Surrey which she inherited from an aunt many years ago. At one time she saw little use for it but now realises that, if nothing else, it at least proved handy for storage of the various artifacts she has acquired on her travels. The mansion is looked after by her butler Winston, who has been with her since her childhood, and as a result has developed a fatherly bond with her. She has also had a custom-built assault course constructed on the grounds for training purposes.

Lara doesn't consider tomb raiding as a job, but as a way of life - although she has been known to uncover archaeological artifacts on commission. To fund her radical lifestyle, Lara writes travel books. Titles so far have included 'A Tyrannosaurus is Jawing at My Head' and 'Slaying Bigfoot'. Her common complaint, though, is that she doesn't have enough time to put pen to paper.

As well as uncovering many notorious archaeological sites - including the Atlantean pyramid and the last resting place of the dagger of Xian, Lara has found fame in other areas. She has driven the dangerous Pan-American Highway from Tierra del Fuego in South America in record time (although this was later denounced by the Guinness Book of Records due to her "reckless driving") and she hit the headlines again when she hunted out and killed Bigfoot in North America. She also became the youngest ever to climb Mount Everest.