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| A self portrait of Philia. |
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Description
Philia is a humanoid being resembling a pale-skinned woman with long wavy pink hair, light pink eyes, and unconventional clothing and accessories. She is often seen wearing a long white dress with a golden rope tied around the waist, golden bracelets around her wrists, and a golden necklace with a pink jewel in the middle. At the center of her dress is a large heart-shaped jewel. She has been spotted with a white veil, crown of pink roses, or golden headpiece resembling a pair of wings adorning her head.
Philia possesses a large pair of wings allowing her to fly at high speeds, which she can manifest and dematerialize at will. She carries a large pink staff with her at all times, which can be turned into a bow with a set of arrows. However, she claims to rarely use these weapons.
Her presence in an area can easily be indicated by a sweet aroma of flowers and sweets, and a sudden sensation of peace being spread around all those present in the room with her.
Biology
Philia uses she/her pronouns. She also presents as female, though her gender is not biologically determined in the same way as a human's due to her nature. Unlike humans, she claims to have no need for nourishment to survive. She completely lacks internal organs and cannot bleed, instead releasing a substance resembling a pink mist when hurt – theorized to be a condensed form of lifeforce energy.
Furthermore, Philia claims that her body is capable of rapidly regenerating, with the ability to replace any dead, sick, or missing part with ease. As such, most damage done to her never lasts long, and she can even remove and recreate any part of her body at will. Her healing powers, which she refers to as "restoration abilities", have a negentropic effect on matter; allowing her to heal any wounds, regrow limbs, revert developing illnesses, and even repair broken objects.
Philia has a soothing effect which manifests through an aura around her that she can control at will, turning most hostile beings around her docile and amicable. Her charming abilities are correlated to her connection with "Love", as she described. She has the ability to convince someone to follow her instructions, but she only ever uses it in emergency situations, seeming to dislike using them at all.
Lastly, Philia is able to summon pink heart-shaped energetic shields, which are resistant against a relatively high amount of force. She can also use her arrows to momentarily freeze and pacify those around her, though they cause no pain or injury when piercing a target.
Discovery
Philia has allegedly existed ever since ancient human beings inhabited the Backrooms — and perhaps even earlier. There have been numerous references to her in the past, through sculptures, illustrations, murals and even written documents or poems — dating as far back as several centuries ago. These recordings have been well-preserved by the Lost, who claim that she was once worshiped as a goddess in their pantheon. In the religion of The Lost, Philia has been described as the goddess of Love, who coexisted alongside her companions for centuries before the rumored downfall of the gods separated them all — after which all formal worship of Philia ceased.
As with other beings speculated to have a link to The Lost’s pantheon, it is theorized that the ancient human inhabitants of The Backrooms perceived Philia as a goddess due to the level of power she possessed, and their inability to attribute it to anything other than a “divine” nature. Philia has neither confirmed nor denied such claims.
The Lost has created an article that was written with information gathered over the years by their ancestors. Which describes Philia as a being through the lens of the religious perspective of the time. It is stored in the Lost Archive and will be linked below.
Behaviours
Philia has been described as an amicable, kind and selfless person. She has reportedly helped thousands of people over the course of her existence, through acts such as using her healing abilities to treat injured wanderers, assisting groups in gathering supplies, or providing the M.E.G an opportunity to study hostile entities up-close by pacifying them.
Philia is also friendly towards entities, in fact, they seem to rapidly change behavior around her. Most become docile and amicable themselves, and will want to stick around her for as long as possible. She has often been spotted with Hounds or Smilers by her side, who seem to have been completely soothed by her presence. Most entities who are near Philia will avoid attacking human beings, too.
Furthermore, Philia has explained that she is incapable of feeling any form of resentment, since she "exists with only goodness in mind" in her own words. She prefers to give second chances to anyone who deserves them, and generally avoids or tries to prevent conflicts and arguments. She claims she is very anxious regarding arguments happening around her. Philia is also a self-proclaimed pacifist and vegetarian, despite her not needing any food; whenever she's seen eating, she always makes sure to not consume meat.
Philia often brings gifts to the people she likes, and said gifts always fit the preferences of the receiver. Many reported being gifted dresses, jewels, handmade objects or baked goods that Philia personally creates. She also describes herself as a dreamer who often is lost in her thoughts — particularly romantic ones.
Gallery
Relations
Philia is confirmed to have relations with most, if not all beings speculated to have some form of association with The Lost's pantheon. Whenever she is questioned about it, she describes all of them as her greatest companions and friends. She is still seen spending time with most of them in present day.
- Olivia — "My fair knight and friend! She has been by my side for a shorter time than the others, yet she's still so dear to me. She's determined and protective, I just wish I could have saved her earlier than I did…"
- Val — "Their music is the best! They're a good hearted person and I'm glad they found a true friend within Olivia. I did good by sending her to check on them when they first became an avatar, I'm proud of how far they've come!"
- Fengári — "Fengári… I truly miss them… I only want them to be finally happy."
- Keymaster — "Ah he's a very adorable one! He's a bit of a quiet bookworm and he's very nice to be around. I try my best to hang out with him as much as I can. Even if… the version of him I knew and cherished is gone. He is still someone I care about, with or without those memories."
- Kushim — "A man who has made many mistakes… And yet I've chosen to give him the chance to redeem himself. He was never a bad man, but he was carried away with his grief. It led him to give up everything and run away from the disaster he created. I do not resent him, instead I wish he can be happy."
- Y'liad — "Like Kushim, he has made many mistakes in his past. He had nobody to guide him and help him and he was desperate to be worthy. Now, he is married to Olivia, they are happy… he has finally atoned for his sins. He made an oath to protect all human beings and I'm glad he found his true purpose."
- Vincent — "I've heard he has a friend that he can rely on at all times. I have never spoken with him yet, but I know he's a good man who went through a lot. I'm glad he has found happiness regardless."
- Blanche — "Lady Blanche! She is the one I admire the most, being both refined and kind! She's one of my greatest friends, and I often go visit her. We often have tea parties together."
- Kirai — "My best friend Kirai! He may look intimidating or sound mean, but he's a total sweetheart! He really cares about me and truly tries his best to help. He is not a bad person, and I wish people did not judge him badly…"
- Pillar Scribe — "Poor soul… He has suffered so much. I wish I could help him properly, but I never get to see him… He is kept away from most of us."
- Divus — "I've been helping aem with rehab and things are going pretty well! Ae needs help and shouldn't be ashamed to ask for it. Don't worry, I'll be by aer side no matter what!"
- Alchemist — "His knowledge and intelligence are so impressive! I truly admire him and appreciate him for being so patient with Fengári. He's a good mentor and friend to them, although sometimes I think he finds me too sweet and clingy."
- Dark Sovereign — "He is a strong figure and a good leader. Sometimes I feel like he's quite lonely, so I try to find any excuse I can to hang out and try to help him in his tasks!"
- Red Knight — "Claudius… You've always protected me and took care of me. I wish I could return all the favours you've done for me… I often feel like I should have done more for you."
- Argos — "Shhh, don't tell him, but he's an absolutely cute guy. I like his tough exterior and cold mannerisms. Deep down he's a sweetheart that tries his best to slow down and learn how to treat others kindly. I've been helping him as a patron and member of the Sons of Guilt, since forever!"
- Game Master — "She's definitely a bit scary, but I feel pity for her. I do not know her well, but I wish to talk to her and try to understand her."
- Puzzle Maker — "He's like a son to me. As soon as I knew of his existence, I took him under my wing. He's happy now, we are a family! I really cherish him dearly and I hope I can protect him properly."