Persephone

"Mother... I wonder... will you even remember me?"

Persephone is the goddess of seasonal change and vegetation (particularly grain), and daughter of Demeter. She was the wife of Hades but has since left for the world above. She was noted to be a stately and kind woman in her time as Queen. She is Zagreus' birth mother.

It is unknown why she left, or if she was successful in her escape, but she did not die. Nyx says that had she died, she would have returned to the House as Zagreus does via the River Styx.

Following her departure, Hades forbade all mentions of her in the House, and as such she remains a figure of mystery. She is known only from a flashback sequence triggered by Zagreus sleeping in his room, and from conversations between Zagreus and Nyx. Her mother Demeter will also confide in Zagreus regarding her daughter. She reveals that Persephone's father was an ordinary mortal and a farmer, and that she called her Kore, although she later took on the name Persephone. She left her mother at some point in the past, and Demeter departed from Olympus in a vain attempt to search for her. Demeter seems to pay no heed to rumors surrounding her disappearance, even doubting her brother Helios when he told her that Persephone journeyed to the Underworld. On the other hand, Hades is unsympathetic to Zagreus' attempts to pry more information about his mother, although he does mention that she always despised the name Kore.

Before the events of the game, nobody in the House except for Nyx and Hades themselves knew that Persephone was Zagreus' mother; by the start of the game, everyone in the House (sans Hypnos) has learned that this is the case. The Olympian gods are, however, still unaware of this fact at the story's start, and do not know Zagreus' true motives in escaping the Underworld.

Little is known regarding Persephone's appearance, until Zagreus breaks out of the Underworld and reaches Greece. In one conversation, Thanatos mentions that Zagreus has "her eyes. One of them, anyway.", implying that Persephone has green eyes, since Zagreus' eyes are red and green, Hades' eyes are red, and Persephone's mother Demeter's eyes are green. This is proven to be correct when Zagreus meets his birth mother for the first time.

Affinity
Persephone can only be gifted Nectar once she returns to the House of Hades; if this is done, she will give you the Pom Blossom.

Persephone's affinity gauge is maxed out at 9 hearts, requiring the gifting of 6 Nectar and 3 Ambrosia.

Favor
Persephone's favor involves her asking Zagreus if she was a good mother. The affinity gauge will unlock once this conversation is triggered.

Quotes
"For quotes and dialogue regarding, please refer to /Quotes."

Letter to Hades
"Hades: I can no longer tolerate my life here in this place. So, I am leaving, even if it kills me. I won't be returning to Olympus. If there is a place where I belong in this world, it must be somewhere between heaven and hell. Perhaps it's on the coast and has a little garden. Take care of Cerberus; I shall miss him."

- Persephone

Interestingly, she does not mention Zagreus in the note at all and instead wishes well for Cerberus. It is the narrator who accidentally tells Zagreus that she was related to him at all, providing him the revelation that spurs Zagreus to escape from the House. Nyx, who was left to care for Zagreus after Persephone's departure, mentions that this fact of his lineage and her and Hades' lies tell him only half the truth. Eventually, it is revealed that Zagreus was initially stillborn, and thus was not named until Nyx convinced the Fates to revive him, hence why Persephone did not mention what was, to her, a tragedy.

Relationships
Demeter: Persephone found her mother to be overbearing and controlling, implied to be somewhat similar to the relationship Zagreus and Hades shared. It became one of reasons why, when Zeus spirited Persephone away to the Underworld, she came willingly. Persephone spent years avoiding her mother and the other Olympians, due to the potential ramifications of what could happen if they discovered that Zeus had taken her and she married Hades (it is repeatedly suggested that should Demeter discover the truth, it may lead to war between the Olympian and Cthonic gods). This continued even after she left the Underworld. When she returned to the Underworld, Persephone discovered the eternal winter her mother had placed upon the Earth. Meanwhile, the loss of Persephone had changed Demeter, turning the once generous and fair goddess of season cold and vengeful. Once Persephone announces herself to the Olympians (with a slightly altered retelling of the events that had transpired to suggest that Persephone had simply run off), she is simply relieved to know her daughter is alive. From there, Persephone and Demeter reach an agreement where Persephone must spend 6 months of the year on Olympus, and spend the rest of her time with her husband and son, and Demeter, humbled by having lost her daughter before due to her harsh treatment, seems to have softened up on Persephone significantly. Whenever Persephone is in the Underworld, she regularly asks Zagreus to send her regards.

Hades: Although Persephone had left Olympus willingly, she was technically forced to come to the Underworld by Zeus. Hades was similarly forced into the situation by his scheming brother (although he had been smitten with the goddess). Hades did his best to give his would-be bride her space. The two would eventually come to love each other genuinely, bring a kinder side out of the god of the Underworld. However, their relationship eventually faltered, largely due to the death of their newborn son, Zagreus. Persephone left the Underworld, but did not return to Olympus, and Hades left her alone. However, Nyx pulled a favor with the Fates, and had Zagreus revived, but Hades chose to not tell Persephone in a bid to protect them from the Olympians, and concealed Zagreus' true parentage from the boy, even going so to forbid her mention in the House of Hades. When Zagreus brings Persephone back from the surface, she reunites with Hades, and the two slowly patch things up. She encourages her husband to be kinder and more patient with Zagreus.

Zagreus: Persephone spent many years believing that her only child had died in childbirth, only to discover years later that he had been revived by the Fates when he visits her on the surface. Although she was upset that the truth had been hidden from her, she eventually comes to understand that Hades had done this to protect her from the Olympians, and asked Zagreus to stop visiting her. However, Zagreus, who had come to decide he needed his mother in his life, persisted, and convinces her to return to the Underworld with him. From there the two are simply grateful to have the chance to get to know each other, and work together with Hades to resolve the tension between the Olympians and the Cthonic gods.

Nyx: Persephone greatly respects Nyx, due to the kindness she shared during Persephone's time as queen of the Underworld, and for her role as Zagreus' godmother. She admits to feeling she is unable to measure up to Nyx as a mother, due to having not been present for much of Zagreus' life, but Zagreus assures her that he is happy to have both his mothers in his life. Nyx is similarly fond of Persephone, considering her to be a respectable, stately woman with a good head on her shoulders. She considers her to be a good influence on Hades and Zagreus, and was instrumental in reuniting the family, something that Persephone is also grateful for.

Olympian Gods: Persephone did not get along with her fellow Olympian gods, due to their constant squabbling and scheming. She was so fed up with them, that when Zeus took her to the Underworld, she went willingly (although she admits she probably did not have a choice in the matter regardless.)

Denizens of the Underworld: Persephone, in her time as Queen was regarded as a fair and graceful leader, and a good influence on her husband, and is fondly remembered by many of the denizens of the Underworld. Persephone recalls that while she was treated kindly, had felt she never quite fit in in the Underworld, but was nonetheless grateful for the kindness she was shown. When Persephone eventually returns, it becomes a point of celebration, and Persephone eagerly takes on responsibilities in helping Hades and Nyx run the Underworld.