#Melchior really likes Emmrich btw

[persephoneggsy]

Random fact about Phryne Ingellvar:

Her favorite animal is the humble rat. She caught one in the kitchens once as a child and proudly presented it to her mother, asking if she could keep it. Prudence Ingellvar was horrified, soundly rejecting the idea and making her release the rat outside. But little Phryne was so mopey that Prudence eventually gave in and agreed to let her have one as a pet.

Prudence, a noblewoman, arranged for an Orlesian fancy rat to be presented to Phryne on her ninth birthday — because if her daughter insists on having a rodent, it will at least be one with a pedigree!

Phryne named her new rat Melchior and loved it with every fiber of her being. Unfortunately, even rats in fantasy settings don’t live for long, so Melchior passed away at the impressive age of four, when Phryne was thirteen.

But we’re in Nevarra, babey! Land of the undead, wisps and spirits in abundance! A passing wisp noted Phryne’s sadness as she buried her pet, and decided to inhabit Melchior’s corpse. Phryne was delighted to see her beloved companion back on their doorstep the following morning. Her mother was… concerned, but being a necromancer herself, she quickly deduced that the wisp was harmless. And she loved to see her daughter happy.

The wisp acts exactly like Melchior did in life, causing Phryne to believe in the theory that some part of the departed’s souls do indeed come back upon reanimating. Even as Melchior’s fur falls out and it becomes just a skeleton scurrying about, Phryne still loves and cares for it (it doesn’t eat anymore, but it does like having its skull petted, and it likes being carried around in pockets or on top of heads).

Phryne passed Melchior down to her children, twins Elke and Rothe, who also adored it. Then, Rothe had his own son, Malavai, and Melchior passed to him. It’s still living its best un-life with the ever-doting Ingellvar family.

Eventually, Phryne introduces her oldest friend to her new paramour, Emmrich. I think it would be interesting if Emmrich had a minor phobia of rats (due to the headcanon of him being trapped in a collapsed building for hours with nothing but his parents’ bodies and rats for company). So he’s terrified of Melchior, and Phryne notices. But when she apologizes and tries to take Melchior out of his sight, Emmrich stops her. He knows that Melchior is like family to her, and he wants to be on good terms with all the important people in her life. Even if they’re undead rats.

Besides, a creature that’s been benevolently possessed for nearly four decades! His fear aside, that’s astounding!!