"It's harder than it sounds."

"Why?"

"Varies, at least between each one of us. But there is always a theme of us having or finding a reason to do so. Whatever it is, it always makes it important for us to produce progeny. Or, enables us to produce progeny. It is not like we don't want to."

"I don't have anything like that."

"You don't actually need to. Sometimes it can just happen to us. Grayscale over there," he indicates with his head, "didn't, instead fate just conspired for him to forget his first wife and have kids with his new husband."

Uncomfortable shifting. "Why that happened to him?"

"The wars in his world are fought with weirder magic."

"But why that happens to us?"

"That much I don't know kiddo. Fate? I don't think it's impossible to bit, but I am the lucky one. In my world I am openly encouraged to seek out extra-marital pursuits and have tons of kids."

"That's unfair. I want that."

"Aw, I wish it was that easy for every one of us. And even I have caused some family-related disappointments. Though, they are harder to explain."

Sevet harumphs loudly and bitterly.

Lord Stephen snorts. "Oh, and it's not just us that get alted. We always have children with the same three people, the same six children even."

"What are they like?"

"Our wives, well, not always wives, but our spouses? Or our kids? Are you sure you want to know and not be surprised?" He doesn't wait for the young one to show annoyance. "Like us, they have a color in their last name. We always are gray-something. Theirs are Black, White and Green."

Sevet nods. He changes from a mostly blue-gray color scheme to one with stripes in the mentioned colors.

"Pretty. Well, let me start with the... Black branch. I get the impression it's usually our first wife, but the order may change. She strong, self-assured and when she cares, she cares with intensity."

"Sounds like a good spouse."

"She is. At least until our adultery ruins her. She doesn't handle feeling betrayed." He gives a pause to the small absorb that, and then continues. "We have two children by her, often our first and second borns."

Uncomfortable squirming, like there is something pressing around him. The shadow still is weird. "And our children?"

Lord Stephen Grayhunt smiles a very genuine smile.

"Ah, yes. By her, the Black-branch mother, though I suppose she could come in male in your world. Anyway, by her we have two. The first is adventurous, brave and noble like any warrior hero of a tale." He is quite obviously very proud.

"Are they a boy or girl?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It matters, for the Giants you're better as a man, and for the Faen you're better as a woman."

"I see. As far we can tell, the Black-branch firstborn comes in both."