Dilly, also known as Dillard, is a young sheep. During the events of The New Low, he acquires a spark and thus becomes the first fae sheep.

He is less than a year old: young for even a wild sheep.

Appearance

Dilly is a white sheep with a pale face. He has a short tail and has yet to grow horns. He is rather plump, though this is expected of his species and upbringing.

Personality

Dilly is actively receiving education to bring him to fae standards not only intellectually but also socially. He is very curious, inquisitively prodding at things before even learning to speak.

He has issues with self-identity; he struggles to understand that he is a sheep and a fae. He is aware of his spark, however, and can tell that other sheep are not like him.

Dilly loves licorice- and apple-flavored hard candy. He learned quickly how to ask for candy, and he practices that particular question frequently.

Backstory

Dilly was born without a spark as a farm animal within the jurisdiction of Iapetus. He was named Dillard by his owner prior to becoming a fae, though his owner usually called him Dilly. Dilly was bred partly for wool but mostly for mutton.

Sometime at night or early morning, he acquired a spark. Presumably, this spark spontaneously formed via fluctuations in the æther and managed to diffuse into his skeleton. This process is astronomically unlikely even after considering the increase in fluctuations after The Shattering.

The next morning, the farmer noticed Dilly acting very unusual. He had a "gut feeling" something was different about Dilly; most likely, his own spark sensed Dilly's spark. He invited other farmers, who together suspected Dilly to have a spark. They brought Dilly to the citadel of Iapetus, where Dilly was confirmed to be a fae.

The citadel's council promptly arrested the farmer for investigation. Although their investigation is officially ongoing, the citadel promptly decided that the farmer was likely innocent and allowed him to leave. He however refused to leave without Dilly, whom the citadel refused release.

Iapetus educates Dilly and helps him adjust to being a fae.

Controversy

Much controversy surrounds Dilly, mostly regarding the propagation of his species, as well as issues with animal welfare.

Propagation

The biggest debate regarding Dilly is how to allow sheep fae to carry on beyond Dilly, if it should be done at all.

Dilly's presumed uplifting occurred spontaneously and against astronomical odds, so fae cannot expect another sheep to naturally come into existence. Furthermore, Dilly cannot simply breed with another sheep upon reaching adulthood; obvious moral issues notwithstanding, this would be ultimately ineffective, as a fae offspring acquires their spark from their mother, and Dilly is male.

One proposed approach is to artificially "uplift" another sheep of a similar age to Dilly with a spark. Artificial uplifting is already a highly controversial practice that isn't yet fully understood. The current goal is to uplift a fetus, possibly one created through in-vitro fertilization. Currently, it is not known how to reliably uplift a fetus outside of a fae's uterus, and no fae species is closely related enough to Dilly's species to develop the fetus. If this can be achieved, however, then the sheep would be born a fae and close to Dilly's age.

Several groups of fae argue that Dilly shouldn't continue his species at all. Some believe that Dilly should have a choice; he may, for example, not want to have children when he becomes an adult. Others believe that the continuation of sheep fae will negatively impact the economy and further limit resources, especially since sheep are a large source of meat, milk, and wool. Many fae fear the societal changes any new species of fae would bring, especially livestock: a fear which drives them to argue against it.

Animal Rights

Dilly's spontaneous uplifting has brought attention to the treatment and use of farm animals, especially sheep.

The biggest issue directly pertaining to Dilly is whether sheep should continue to be raised for meat, especially if more sheep fae are to be expected. It is already seen as immoral to keep a wild as a pet or farm animal regardless of the purpose.

Radical animal welfare proponents argue that any animal can become a fae and thus should not be farmed. This is despite the extreme unlikelihood of a spontaneous spark forming and diffusing into a new species.

A very small number of fae insist that they should just eat Dilly anyway.

Criminal Allegations

Some fae suspect that the farmer artificially "uplifted" Dilly. Though the technology to artificially uplift creatures is imperfect and underdeveloped, it is theoretically possible. Statistically speaking, this is many magnitudes more likely than spontaneous uplifting.

As artificial uplifting is a criminal offense, Iapetus spearheaded the investigation. A primary interrogation of the farmer found no evidence that he had the means or intentions to uplift Dilly, though the citadel has not made an official statement.