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A middle child among a gang of six siblings, Delfina grew up half-wild, learning stubborn resistance to bullying and bossiness as well as how to charm gifts from adults even before younger, cuter children. The siblings were raised in an environment of benevolent neglect in a small but firmly established noble House in the Lyceum, with a father who attended to the business of the vineyards under the family's control and a mother often abed with a chronic illness. Extended family taught the children as it amused them, some with lessons far too mature for their tender years. Delfina learned discipline only as a teen when an uncle took her under his wing to teach her swordsmanship, finally managing to harness her drive and intensity. She seemed clever enough that he first thought she might make a good military commander, but it was one-on-one where she really came to shine. Under his guidance, she began to learn when to shove and when to smile, when the point of a pen might be more useful than the point of a sword. She came to love puzzles and secrets, in the way information might sometimes be used as a weapon to greater effect than force. She was on the cusp of departing the family villa for a grand adventure, perhaps going to Arx itself, when her great uncle the Count informed her of a political match to be made with a House in the Mourning Isles. No tears or wheedling would change his mind, so it was a stubborn and resentful woman who showed up on the docks of Darkwater Watch, loudly complaining of the damp and the chill. Was she disappointed when she first laid eyes on the lean, tumble-haired antiquarian who was to become her husband? For a few years, they managed to develop what seemed to be a companionable relationship. Delfina spent her free time honing her skill with the sword, becoming a knight sworn to House Darkwater. She took the opportunity to travel on House business, seeking the adventure she had wanted since childhood. Until, that is, the journey she took made her seem to vanish from Arvum entirely. It was years later that she returned to Darkwater Watch, unwilling to speak much about where she had been, but quick to rededicate herself to rebuilding what was destroyed in the Pirate War.

Lanky and graceful in the way of someone who knows what her body is capable of, Delfina projects a warm confidence in everything she undertakes. Dark, brown hair tumbles just past her strong shoulders in waves, occasional flashes of silver hiding in the darker spill. Curiosity and wit sparkle in her blue-gray eyes, and determination is evident in the set of her squared, angled jawline. Quick, expressive hands and agile limbs imply years spent in physical pursuits and being used to travel.

Driven. Determined. Fickle, perhaps, but whatever Delfina has decided is her goal will be her unwavering focus. She is witty and creative with a curious streak, inclined to explore and experiment even at the risk of the safety of herself and others. She enjoys a challenge and respects skills of all sorts, until that person gets in the way of what she wants. The one thing guaranteed to sway her is the best interest of her House, and she will sacrifice much to achieve those ends. She has been a knight of House Darkwater for many years, and even though she married into it rather than being born into the bloodline, that makes her no less dedicated. Does that give her a kind of flexible morality? Life is about priorities, and Delfina is willing to do many things for Darkwater's sake. Friends and allies are likely to describe her as kind and generous, amusing and quick to laugh, though not always in a nice way. She is not the sort of woman one wants as an enemy, but those things aside, she is otherwise pleasant company.