Delia Rhildreth
Blood is a common component in many spells and rituals. It is an especially strong conductor of magikal energies, with a myriad of unique properties that witches continue to study and explore. But there are a rare few who have a special attunement to it, an intuitive connection that goes well beyond common understanding. Blood witches possess an innate mastery, and abilities other witches could never comprehend.
Karina Rhildreth was the first recorded blood witch to appear in almost a hundred years. While having no connection to nobility, her contributions to the advancement of the occult sciences were so significant that even the royal families recognized her accomplishments, and accepted her into their world. Between her skill and her wit, she cultivated an almost celebrity status. No one could have imagined that she would someday become known as the Great Betrayer, one of the most infamous and hated witches in the world.
It is still a mystery when she first became entwined with Barlow, although it is believed to have been even before he made contact with the antediluvian darkness that has come to be referred to as The Blight. Even the Heksenjager have only theories and speculation about her motives, although it continues to be an open investigation. All that is know for sure is that at the Battle of Draigh's End, when the united forces of the four great houses seemed on the verge of routing Barlow's legions, Karina single-handedly killed seventeen of the most powerful witches there, turning the tide and causing the entire region to be lost to the Blight. There have been numerous sightings of her since, and the Heksenjager have made hunting her down their top priority. Lisette Baudin is believed to have been the only witch to have come close to catching and defeating her, only to end up severely wounded, barely surviving the encounter.
What is not widely known, is that Karina had a daughter, who she left behind and abandoned when she revealed her treason, never returning to their home in Dog’s Warf. Delia was twelve years old at the time. Karina was largely absent for Delia's childhood, and Delia had developed a precocious resourcefulness at a young age. Completely unsupervised, she was constantly involved in some kind of trouble, although she and those closest to her always seemed to escape being caught. Most of her time was spent with the Lenkov brothers, and her closest friend Thornapple. The Lenkovs had been orphaned by the war, and Corbin was a few years older than the rest of them , doing all that he could to take care of his younger brother Abel, much of it illegal. Between Delia and the Lenkovs, it was hard to say who was a worse influence on who, often leaving Thornapple as the sole moderating voice of the group.
The only structure in her life came from the Maudslays, Thornapple's family. They practically raised her, despite having little means themselves, and she was a constant at their home. Even after the death of Thornapple's mother, her father did everything he could to make sure both girls were cared for. But after Karina's disappearance, Delia couldn't bring herself to accept his offer for her to move in with them. Even so young, the idea of what her mother had done making her more of a burden on the only people who had loved and supported her was too much to handle.
Delia did have a few unique advantages that allowed her to survive on her own. She had inherited her mother's abilities as a blood witch, as well as a savant-like aptitude for magik, her skills far beyond those of most older witches. When Thornapple set her sights on Balefire University, Delia made it her main focus to help her through any means necessary. Breaking into bookstores and private collections only seemed to motivate her to further hone her craft, and everything she learned made each successive trespass easier than the last. Forging arcane credentials to access forbidden libraries started as a means to an end, before she realized how lucrative the skill itself was. And in Dog's Warf, there was no shortage of people in need of mystic assistance that fell outside the law. By fourteen, she had a good business of odd jobs - healing injuries that no one wanted a hospital record of, illegal spells, potions, and devices. Clients that came to her for her reputed skill and discretion, her age quickly forgotten in the shadow of her results.
Very few know of her connection to Karina Rhildreth. Thornapple and the Lenkov brothers of course, as well as her roommate Krysa, whose past is equally as troubled. Some prominent witches are aware, but because of her young age at the time of Karina's defection, all early investigations showed no reason to suspect mother had passed on whatever motivations she had to her daughter, and she was mostly left alone. So far, she has managed to keep all of her illicit dealings beneath the attention of the powers that be. To this day, the identity of Delia's father remains a mystery.
Today, she keeps a small loft in a converted industrial building, and spends most of her time in pursuit of whatever interests her. Despite her unapologetic hedonistic lifestyle, she somehow always maintains the delicate balance of complete control. She mainly enrolled in Balefire University to look out for Thornapple, and is a mid-level student. She only really applies herself to the things that interest her, something that her professors, well aware of her obvious talent, are continuously frustrated by. With most of her classmates being from well-born families, this attitude, as well as her humble upbringing, has earned her some dangerous attention. But when she crosses paths with Alice of Autumn and Isblomma of Winter, she could never have predicted how these unlikely friendships would change her life forever.
Karina Rhildreth was the first recorded blood witch to appear in almost a hundred years. While having no connection to nobility, her contributions to the advancement of the occult sciences were so significant that even the royal families recognized her accomplishments, and accepted her into their world. Between her skill and her wit, she cultivated an almost celebrity status. No one could have imagined that she would someday become known as the Great Betrayer, one of the most infamous and hated witches in the world.
It is still a mystery when she first became entwined with Barlow, although it is believed to have been even before he made contact with the antediluvian darkness that has come to be referred to as The Blight. Even the Heksenjager have only theories and speculation about her motives, although it continues to be an open investigation. All that is know for sure is that at the Battle of Draigh's End, when the united forces of the four great houses seemed on the verge of routing Barlow's legions, Karina single-handedly killed seventeen of the most powerful witches there, turning the tide and causing the entire region to be lost to the Blight. There have been numerous sightings of her since, and the Heksenjager have made hunting her down their top priority. Lisette Baudin is believed to have been the only witch to have come close to catching and defeating her, only to end up severely wounded, barely surviving the encounter.
What is not widely known, is that Karina had a daughter, who she left behind and abandoned when she revealed her treason, never returning to their home in Dog’s Warf. Delia was twelve years old at the time. Karina was largely absent for Delia's childhood, and Delia had developed a precocious resourcefulness at a young age. Completely unsupervised, she was constantly involved in some kind of trouble, although she and those closest to her always seemed to escape being caught. Most of her time was spent with the Lenkov brothers, and her closest friend Thornapple. The Lenkovs had been orphaned by the war, and Corbin was a few years older than the rest of them , doing all that he could to take care of his younger brother Abel, much of it illegal. Between Delia and the Lenkovs, it was hard to say who was a worse influence on who, often leaving Thornapple as the sole moderating voice of the group.
The only structure in her life came from the Maudslays, Thornapple's family. They practically raised her, despite having little means themselves, and she was a constant at their home. Even after the death of Thornapple's mother, her father did everything he could to make sure both girls were cared for. But after Karina's disappearance, Delia couldn't bring herself to accept his offer for her to move in with them. Even so young, the idea of what her mother had done making her more of a burden on the only people who had loved and supported her was too much to handle.
Delia did have a few unique advantages that allowed her to survive on her own. She had inherited her mother's abilities as a blood witch, as well as a savant-like aptitude for magik, her skills far beyond those of most older witches. When Thornapple set her sights on Balefire University, Delia made it her main focus to help her through any means necessary. Breaking into bookstores and private collections only seemed to motivate her to further hone her craft, and everything she learned made each successive trespass easier than the last. Forging arcane credentials to access forbidden libraries started as a means to an end, before she realized how lucrative the skill itself was. And in Dog's Warf, there was no shortage of people in need of mystic assistance that fell outside the law. By fourteen, she had a good business of odd jobs - healing injuries that no one wanted a hospital record of, illegal spells, potions, and devices. Clients that came to her for her reputed skill and discretion, her age quickly forgotten in the shadow of her results.
Very few know of her connection to Karina Rhildreth. Thornapple and the Lenkov brothers of course, as well as her roommate Krysa, whose past is equally as troubled. Some prominent witches are aware, but because of her young age at the time of Karina's defection, all early investigations showed no reason to suspect mother had passed on whatever motivations she had to her daughter, and she was mostly left alone. So far, she has managed to keep all of her illicit dealings beneath the attention of the powers that be. To this day, the identity of Delia's father remains a mystery.
Today, she keeps a small loft in a converted industrial building, and spends most of her time in pursuit of whatever interests her. Despite her unapologetic hedonistic lifestyle, she somehow always maintains the delicate balance of complete control. She mainly enrolled in Balefire University to look out for Thornapple, and is a mid-level student. She only really applies herself to the things that interest her, something that her professors, well aware of her obvious talent, are continuously frustrated by. With most of her classmates being from well-born families, this attitude, as well as her humble upbringing, has earned her some dangerous attention. But when she crosses paths with Alice of Autumn and Isblomma of Winter, she could never have predicted how these unlikely friendships would change her life forever.