Delphia smiled and nodded. ”Not all of the dangerous or bothersome creatures of Caido need to be handled with force. Rae would have surely grown bored if such was the case. Cleverness is as valued by nature as strength.” she reminded sagely, looking up at the ceiling. ”I am aware that this Hollowed Ground is home to many a monster, so it is easy to forget that lesson.” she added quickly, to make clear she made no judgement. People were products of their environments in a way. Someone like Maea might very well assume that violence was always necessary when dealing with pesky critters.
But her head tilted as she grinned at Maea affectionately. ”There is much that I have not seen or know of either. Such is the way of the world. Only the gods know all, and even that is skewed by their whim.” she said with a light laugh. Only Caido likely truly knew all, but none had heard from him in…forever. Truly a forever. Her question though made Delphia smile at her warmly, if only with her eyes now rather than her lips. ”I see, you would know how it is I truly came to be.” she said thoughtfully, looking back up at the sky and bits of remaining ceiling.
”The gods do not procreate in the way humans do, though I suppose they could if they truly wished.” she said to clarify off the bat. ”My mother, Circe, was of the Thanatos family on the very Northern edges of the Greatwood, where they had lived as undertakers and soothsayers for generations. They have always been particularly devout to Mort given their trade. Circe was particularly devout, praying to Mort each day of her life, bringing him offerings, carrying out his will as best she could. And though he never appeared in all those years, he heard. When it became clear he needed help seeking out the lost souls of the Greatwood, he appeared to my mother, and asked that she carry a child destined to do his work, as Ludo was locked away in the barrier. Upon accepting this blessing, Mort placed within her womb my soul from his realm, a child begotten but lost within the first few hours of life. My physical body mostly resembles my mother…but my father clearly influenced a few of my traits if only for sentimentality’s sake.” she said with a light laugh, tapping her very full eyebrows, so much like Mort’s. ”My mother never married, nor did she try to replace his presence with another man, so Mort is the only father I have ever known. He would visit me once a year, sometimes more if there was some major event, like when my mother died. “ she said smiling warmly at memories she held close to her heart.
”So if you were to say I could only truly be the child of Mort if he had laid with my mother, then no, I am not. But I believe he would challenge the notion that he is not my father.” she said.
Delphia
when you can't look on the bright side
i will sit with you in the dark
