Saphir

Saphir is a drow rogue (arcane trickster). He is played by KeruFaye.

Appearance
Saphir has dark gray skin, bright blue eyes, and long white hair. He's built stocky, especially for an elf, with a solid core and muscular arms. Saphir is typically clothed in dark leather armor. After losing his right arm to Bahn Shal, Saphir acquired a mechanical limb

Under moonlight, white glowing freckles appear on Saphir's skin.

Personality
Saphir is a guarded individual. He seeks to avoid answering questions about himself or divulging more information than necessary. Slow to trust, he keeps strangers and even allies at arm's length. If he fears that someone may be growing attached to him, he displays aggressive behavior in an effort to scare them away.

Despite his terse attitude, Saphir displays a good deal of emotional intelligence. He's capable of understanding others' feelings and has been willing to offer kindness to people struggling in tough situations or advice to his allies in supporting one another.

He has hinted at a dark past that has left him with intense guilt and bitterness. Because of his experience with other drow, Saphir believes that he is naturally inclined to evil, but may be redeemed through the heroic acts of the Adventurer's Guild. In his opinion, his greatest asset to his party is to execute any tough decisions that must be made.

Underneath his tough guy exterior, Saphir suffers from deep-seated insecurity, particularly in regards to his appearance and abilities outside of combat. His misguided convictions in his own irreparable brokenness are tough to crack, proving a source of consternation for his friends.

Background
Trigger warning: child emotional/mental abuse

Born as Ymille to a drow woman and an eladrin man, Saphir and his parents were separated when a group of Outriders attacked. They abducted a very young Saphir and, for reasons yet unclear, left him or lost him in the Mis of Elmstone.

Saphir was raised by his foster parents, given the name Mahlo (meaning "Vagrant" in Elvish) Florian. Their identities have not been disclosed yet, but Saphir has stated that they treated him more like a servant than a child. In order to control his behavior, the couple placed him under heavy enchantments. In a rare moment of lucidity, he ran away from their inn and spent several months on the streets. In a moment of desperation, he was approached by another drow and agreed to join her gang, the Coiled Serpents.

The Serpents' leader trained a preteen Saphir to be a ruthless assassin under the guise of keeping control and punishing people who dared to cross the gang. In reality, the gang was a cover for a cult worshiping Lolth. By the time Saphir discovered the truth, he was already entrenched in the Serpents' teachings of violence as a means of power.

The Serpents allowed Saphir to hold a job at a shipyard as cover. While working, he met a felllow orphan named Celica Noguera. Celica recognized that something was very wrong and began to establish a friendship with Saphir. Slowly, she helped him loosen the Serpents' grip and smuggled him out of Elmstone. Now entering the end of their teenage years, Saphir and Celica found work with a pirate crew aboard the Bitter Rose, leaving Elmstone and the Coiled Serpents behind.

Saphir worked as a cook for several years, earning some respect among the crew for his tenacity and work ethic. Celica continued to help him undo the damage that the Serpents and his foster parents had done, and taught him to read and write in common. During this time, he decided to abandon the name Mahlo and adopted the name Saphir (meaning "Blue" in Elvish) as his own.

When the original captain passed away, he appointed Celica as his replacement. In turn, she promoted Saphir to first mate. The two led the Bitter Rose on many adventures, picking up new crewmates along the way. Among them was a dwarven woman named Rowena, the ship's doctor who became quite the confidante to both captain and first mate.

As adults, Saphir and Celica pursued a romantic relationship together. While they were great friends and coworkers, they fought constantly as partners, to the detriment of their crew's morale. Rowena stepped in on multiple occasions to mediate, but it couldn't keep them together in the end. Eventually, the two decided to break up, though they remained friends until Celica's death. Saphir continues to harbor love for her, though he understands it was one-sided romantically.

In the middle of investigating rumors of a slave trade operated by the Vespucci family, Celica died of illness, appointing Saphir as her successor. Inconsolable at the loss of his closest friend and having outlived most of his original crewmmates, Saphir gained a reputation as a loose cannon captain. He made decisions rashly, refusing to listen to anyone else, including Rowena. It was all in an effort to finish his friend's work that ultimately led to a disaster. Rowena and many other crew members perished as a result of Saphir's choice. Those that remained performed a mutiny and left Saphir on the shore of Everrise, alone.

Disheveled and dishonored, Saphir wandered the countryside picking up odd jobs as a mercenary. In Loamdale, he met the other Adventurers Guild members and began his journey with the Seekers.

Kalza Palod
Kalza was one of the first people that Saphir bonded with after losing his crew. She teaches him about magic, since they both share the same school. He appreciates her forthcoming attitude, but her quick temper causes him concern since it gets the whole group into trouble on occasion. Currently, he is trying to play devil's advocate so that Kalza may gain a better understanding of Sorithyn's attitude. Nonetheless, he considers Kalza a friend.

Sorithyn Tolkuthol
Sorithyn and Saphir often act as a check to one another's trauma tendencies. He challenged her rush to conclusions when she first confronted Volkuhl, and she offered him support when he was debating whether or not to look for his birth family. After entering the Spring Court, Sorithyn encouraged Saphir to confess his feelings to Clairen, spurring a closer bond between these two walled-off individuals.

Alavara
Perhaps because she's even more stoic than him, Saphir sees Ally as the most stable member of the party. Aside from the fact that everything about her is extremely odd to him. Every time he learns more about her history, it boggles his mind.

Ally was the first to journey to the Tolkuthul fairy ring with Saphir. Saphir helped mediate between Ally and Sorithyn when an argument between the two broke out. While he'll never admit it out loud, Ally has all the makings of a mom friend.

Clairen Longridge
Saphir was deeply distrustful of Clairen when she first joined the party. In particular, her padlocked book drew his suspicions. After she threw a fireball at him out of surprise, Saphir became fearful and apologetic. It wasn't until Nhaa revealed that Verien tricked Clairen into a warlock pact that he fully came around to her. Sympathizing with her position, Saphir saw Clairen as an equal among the team.

Over the course of their journey together, Saphir came to fall in love with Clairen. Her admires her growth, her passion and sense of humor. This blossoming love came to a head in Winter's Walk, when Saphir watched Clairen perform for the Winter Queen. He professed his feelings to her on the way to the Spring Court. While she needs time to sort out her feelings, her small touches and words of encouragement have Saphir absolutely smitten with the warlock.

After the trials of the Spring Court, Clairen met Saphir in his room. They shared stories about their pasts, insecurities, and dreams, culminating in Clairen reciprocating Saphir's confession in a "pact" sealed with a kiss.

Rylee Puddlefoot
Rylee is the hardest member of the party for Saphir to read. He assumes that her cheerfulness is either a front or a vulnerability just waiting to be exploited. Nonetheless, she's helped him better understand the fey, having traveled to the Tolkuthul fairy circle together. Saphir opened up to Rylee first about his desire to stay in western Curanna in order to look for his birth parents, and it was her counsel that prompted him to seek reconciliation with them.

Celica Noguera
Saphir's best and only childhood friend. He loved her even after their breakup and sought to complete her last mission, but failed.

Gronash
Appreciative of Saphir's strength and cunning, Gronash treated Saphir kindly. When Saphir began to develop feelings for Gronash, he cast Friends on Gronash and attempted to intimidate him. Gronash was perturbed by the spell, but understanding. He explained that he was mourning his late wife, and therefore uninterested in a relationship.

Gronash gave Saphir his totem for luck during the siege of Tolkuthul. Saphir keeps it with him as a reminder of Gronash's sacrifice.

Silas Morengrow
Perceiving Silas as giving off "bottom energy", Saphir proceeded to bully him and steal his book. Silas refused to give in to Saphir's taunts, politely asking for his book back. It was returned after the party guilted Saphir into taking notes. He holds a begrudging respect for Silas.

Phyrra
Saphir first saw Phyrra in a crowded tavern in Daledyun, wearing a brilliant cloak. Stalking her to her caravan, he revealed himself in order to question her. Shocked, she confronted him, but was given extreme pause once he stepped into the light. She revealed that Saphir was in fact her lost son, Ymille, who was kidnapped by the Outriders as a very young child.

At first, Saphir responded in anger and refused to forgive her for her inability to find him. After speaking with his party, however, he decided that he wants to attempt a relationship with his birth parents. He promised to keep in touch with Phyrra via sending stone and to stay safe, replying to her admission of love that he hopes to learn to love her too.

Laern
When storming out of Phyrra's caravan, Saphir determined that Laern was Phyrra's husband, his eladrin father. He blamed Laern for his abduction and attempted to provoke him into a fight. Laern, disgusted by Saphir's invocation of his lost son's name, cast Zone of Truth upon him. His stern demeanor held even when the spell revealed Saphir to be telling the truth. He left Saphir and Rylee in the road upon his wife's intervention.

Phyrra mediated between them at first. She informed Saphir that Laern is in a state, perhaps distraught that their son was alive all this time without their knowledge. The next day, Saphir spoke to his father over sending stone. Laern apologized for his reaction and aided Saphir with information about his time searching for the Godslost.

Personal Quests
Saphir met his birth parents in Daledyun. After an explosive reunion, they attempted to mend the rift Saphir's abduction formed between them. Before departing for the Pillar of Valor, Saphir acknowledged his desire for a family and confessed his love for his parents. They bonded on the journey to and from the Pillar, and accompanied the party back to Everrise.

When confronting Torl Shal within the Pillar of Valor, Saphir learned the truth about his abduction. Unwilling to give the child to Nyl but unable to completely disobey, Torl Shal stole Saphir to Elmstone as a compromise to protect him from corruption. The Outrider was slain by Kalza, providing Saphir with closure.

Celica died before she could complete her investigation into the Vespucci trade. Saphir had given up hope of completing her work, as he led his crew into a death trap while relentlessly pursuing a lead. However, Paril Vespucci's interest in the rumors surrounding his family has reignited Saphir's determination to finish what Celica began.

Current Items

 * Laern's Starmetal Sword (AKA Star's Promise)
 * Grue's Bite Daggers
 * Leather Armor +2
 * Tilly's Handy Haversack (received from Nhaa after the siege of Tolkuthul)
 * Brooch of Shielding (unattuned)
 * Wyrmfang Vials x4 (received from Nhaa after the siege of Tolkuthul)
 * Potion of Water Breathing
 * Gronash's Totem
 * Ally's Carvings x2
 * Swim Speed Talisman
 * Ring of Evasion (gift from Phyrra)
 * Bunda (silver toy frog repaired by Phyrra)

Former Items

 * Dust of Disappearance (Used in the fight against the Lady of Black Ice and to escape the forest of Nyl)
 * Vial of Spider Queen Venom (used against Torl Shal in the Pillar of Valor)
 * Potion of Fire Breath (used against the Trio atop the Pillar of Valor)

Abilities
Unless otherwise noted, the following abilities are as assumed from the standard Dungeons & Dragons materials:

Feats

 * Mage Slayer

Elf Abilities

 * Superior Darkvision
 * Saphir does not suffer from sunlight sensitivity due to his half-fey heritage.
 * Keen Senses
 * Drow Magic
 * Trance

Rogue Abilities

 * Sneak Attack
 * Expertise (Thieves' Tools, Acrobatics, Stealth, Intimidation)
 * Rougeish Archetype: Arcane Trickster
 * Mage Hand Legerdemain
 * Magical Ambush
 * Spellcasting
 * Uncanny Dodge
 * Evasion
 * Steady Aim

Paladin Abilities

 * Divine Sense
 * Lay on Hands

Cantrips

 * Minor Illusion (learned from Nimi)
 * Friends
 * Shape Water
 * Mage Hand
 * Dancing Lights (from Drow Magic)
 * Booming Blade

1st-Level

 * Color Spray
 * Faerie Fire (from Drow Magic)
 * Disguise Self

2nd-Level

 * Misty Step
 * Spider Climb Alter Self
 * Invisibility
 * Hold Person
 * Darkness (from Drow Magic)
 * Mirror Image

Weaknesses

 * Due to his half-fey nature, Saphir is vulnerable to fire damage.

Resistances

 * Psychic (from Laern's Starmetal Sword)

Quotations
Saphir: "Cleaning duty?" Saphir: "No. Some people fall on hard times and it's hard to get out." Gronash: "Maybe it's a sign the system is broken.  But you are here, so it's a sign that your people are doing good." Saphir: "Yeah, I can tell."
 * (in Barchibald's messy office) Barchibald: "Brought you here for an important duty."
 * Gronash: "Everything in the tribe is equal, you choose your position. Are your Steps like this?" (referring to the Steps of Elmstone)
 * (on the platform exiting the Pillar of Song) "Why does the sky have to be so high?"
 * "Rise and shine, sleepyheads. We have a funeral to attend."
 * Silas: "I'm not great at [being a prince]."

Trivia

 * Saphir is the only male member of the party.
 * Though they have nothing in common, Saphir's name is taken from Tales of the Abyss's Dist.
 * As discovered at the Pillar of Song, Saphir is afraid of heights.
 * He is panromantic asexual.
 * Elvish is Saphir's first language. He didn't learn common until he was nearly an adult.