Rorden's mother was a human farm girl, seduced by a long line of wastrels - Rorden's father among them. She gave birth to him right on the fields of the family farm. She's almost a stereotypical 1800s literature 'fallen woman', and after too many children out of wedlock she ended up going mad and was sent, with kind intent, by her brother to an asylum in the City. Rorden never saw her again - the capital city was the first place in his homeland to fall to the demons.
Sian's birth mother died giving birth to Lyrican, so he knew her only for a few years. He grieved for her deeply at the time, but it happened when he was so young that he has moved on. He and his brother inherit their red hair from her - their father is a brunet. His stepmother is his own age, which horrifies him - is father essentially took a midlife crisis trophy wife. Sylgi Tarsdottir is the daughter of a queen but not a princess (in the land she hails from royalty is gained by trial by combat, not hereditary, and their children only get the honorific Tarsson or Tarsdottir and no special status) and a mad inventer, alchemist, and brewer. She invented a machine that makes perpetual ale. Sian's father married her not just for her good looks (she's basically like an incarnation of the St. Pauli girl) but because her ale singlehandedly saved his inn.
Mary's mother and Rorden's mother had a lot in common, but just one wandering man was her downfall. She was left by her lover, and gave birth in a cave alone, where the drow of the underdark too her and most of her litter. Mary survived because as the runt of the litter, she went unnoticed when she hid. Her father heard of what happened, came to the cave, found Mary alive, dropped her off with her mother's parents, and that was that.
no subject
Sian's birth mother died giving birth to Lyrican, so he knew her only for a few years. He grieved for her deeply at the time, but it happened when he was so young that he has moved on. He and his brother inherit their red hair from her - their father is a brunet. His stepmother is his own age, which horrifies him - is father essentially took a midlife crisis trophy wife. Sylgi Tarsdottir is the daughter of a queen but not a princess (in the land she hails from royalty is gained by trial by combat, not hereditary, and their children only get the honorific Tarsson or Tarsdottir and no special status) and a mad inventer, alchemist, and brewer. She invented a machine that makes perpetual ale. Sian's father married her not just for her good looks (she's basically like an incarnation of the St. Pauli girl) but because her ale singlehandedly saved his inn.
Mary's mother and Rorden's mother had a lot in common, but just one wandering man was her downfall. She was left by her lover, and gave birth in a cave alone, where the drow of the underdark too her and most of her litter. Mary survived because as the runt of the litter, she went unnoticed when she hid. Her father heard of what happened, came to the cave, found Mary alive, dropped her off with her mother's parents, and that was that.