2024-11-18 19:19:14 ¶ ●

As she travels across the Vast and spreads the influence of her church, Apathy appears to mortals in the guise of Saint Appiya Palefertile.

Saint Appiya is a tall, sorrowful woman, her face shadowed by tears shed for her imprisoned betrothed. Most often, Appiya appears nude, covering herself only with her hair and adorning her head with a wreath of dried branches, pearls, and mother-of-pearl shells. Less commonly, when within the church or addressing her followers, she dons a cloak and a kokoshnik embroidered with images of the Worm.

She seems fragile and vulnerable to the point that men who encounter her feel an unbearable sorrow from their desire to comfort the delicate maiden. One by one, century after century, men would fall into her embrace, kiss her, caress her, and share her bed. Many of them returned, never realizing they had sired a new brood of ink-born creatures.
Twisted by the womb of the Pale Lady, the children of men and elves were born as dangerous, ravenous beasts, loyal only to their mother.