Ikselam/Sapphire
Contents
Star Sapphire
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Character Background
Backstory
Star Sapphire was born in the Valley of Summer, an unusually temperate region nestled deep in the Northeastern taiga. The bright blue eyes which gave Sapphire her name also determined her fate; pacts made with Sanguarde, a foreign wind god who claimed dominion over the valley through his marriage to a local spirit called the Frost Maiden, demanded that all blue-eyed children be given into his service as payment for his keeping the valley warm. Because of this, Sapphire was raised by the village shaman, along with the only other blue-eyed child of her generation, a boy named Snow Ptarmigan. The hope was that if the two were schooled in the ways of spirits, the mighty Prince of the South Wind would find a nobler purpose for them than playthings or concubines.
This plan worked even better than hoped; when Sapphire and Ptarmigan were surrendered to Sanguarde's court on their fourteenth summer solstice, the Prince of the South Wind was exceptionally pleased by them. Not only had they been well-trained, they were also the first blue-eyed villagers to be born since he laid claim to the valley; in fact, their birth had coincided with the hundredth anniversary of his arrival, an extremely favorable omen. The two were made his mortal hands, responsible for patrolling his domain and keeping him apprised of any untoward developments among his lands and subjects.
This state of affairs persisted for several years. Sapphire was happy with her lot; she enjoyed ranging through the valley and surrounding taiga, learning the secrets of the land and the animals, plants and spirits which made it live. She worked closely with Ptarmigan, her best friend since childhood. The two eventually became lovers, to the great suprise of no one with the slightest interest in their personal lives. Together, he and Sapphire rendered much good service to the Court of the Summer Valley, including uncovering a hidden Manse on the northern border of Sanguarde's territory -- an auspicious discovery which elevated their status above even some of the lesser gods.
Shortly after his twentieth birthday, Ptarmigan Exalted as an Air-Aspected Dragon-Blooded. Sanguarde saw this as yet another good omen for his reign, and made Ptarmigan his personal attache. Through him, Sapphire began to hear rumors of unrest in the Wind Prince's court. She had long known that some of the valley's small gods chafed under his rule, but Ptarmigan told of conflict within Sanguarde's inner circle; the Frost Maiden spurned her husband's presence, and frequently made veiled reference to her desire to be free of him. Sanguarde seemed to expend an inordinate amount of time simply keeping his authority intact.
Sapphire couldn't do much with this knowledge, until she was sent out to investigate a mysterious cave unearthed by the fall of an ancient tree. An unknown power prevented spirits from entering the grotto, but had no effect on animals -- or people, as she discovered. Upon entering the small cavern, she discovered an ancient skeleton, lying within a ring of faintly-glowing sigils. When Sapphire touched the silvery ring on the skeleton's finger, memories of the First Age burst upon her mind's eye. As the last of the images faded away, the Unconquered Sun spoke to her, saying "My subjects have forgotten their duties, turning away from their heavenly obligations to pursue their own base desires. In their unrighteous greed, they ravage that which they were meant to protect and nurture. Go forth, and rectify the Celestial Bureaucracy in my name."
When Sapphire stumbled out of the cave, shining like the Sun that had Exalted her and clutching the ring and bow which had lain with the bones of her past self, she was met by a spirit she immediately recognized as Twelve Lightnings, Sanguarde's greatest enemy. The mighty thunderbird told her how Sanguarde had usurped his throne and stolen his wife, and asked her to help depose the Southern pretender and end the unnatural summer which was upsetting the natural balance of the region. With her new powers, Sapphire saw that he spoke truly, and agreed to aid him.
Returning to the court, she and Twelve Lightnings confronted Sanguarde. The South Wind spirit ordered Ptarmigan and his other retainers to attack them, but the spirits refused to budge and the young Terrestrial deserted his master to stand with his lover. Sanguarde raged, but even his great power could not overcome all those arrayed against him. Eventually, after much bluster from all sides, Sapphire managed to broker a truce between the valley's three gods. Sanguarde would join the old seasonal court as god of the summer, but would give up his false claims of kingship, release the Frost Maiden, and allow winter to come to the valley.
Although war was averted, Sapphire was no longer welcome in the court's domain. Sanguarde hated his treacherous retainer, and Twelve Lightnings feared her power. Needless to say, the valley's mortal residents were also unimpressed, ignoring the fact that she had helped prevent a destructive conflict between the spirits and instead focusing on the fact that they would no longer enjoy perpetual warmth. The gods and shamans suggested, respectfully but firmly, that she leave. Sapphire, seeing that her continued presence would jeopardize the court's stability, bowed to their wishes. Ptarmigan wished to accompany her, but she prevailed upon him to stay and help smooth the transition to the new order. She then set off into the West, leaving behind only the moonsilver ring which had been given to her by her First Age husband, and which she now gave to Ptarmigan.
Description
Sapphire's gangly, boyish build makes her appear taller than she actually is. She has light cappucino skin and mousy brown hair, just long enough to be bound into a short ponytail. Her heavy-lidded, luminous cobalt-blue eyes are the only feature which saves her from appearing outright plain. She normally dresses in drab, roughspun clothing, with a patterned poncho thrown over top and bandages wrapped around her forearms for protection. Sapphire rarely smiles, and often comes off as rather distant.
Sapphire is wise beyond her years, and very firmly grounded in the here-and-now. She has no desire to rebuild the Old Realm; it is a thing of the past, and her duty is to the future. She also interprets her charge to "Rectify the Celestial Bureaucracy" rather liberally, seeking to foster harmony between spirits and men rather than reinstituting the old order. The Celestial Exalted, she believes, have become corrupt and full of hubris, forfeiting their right to be Princes of the Earth; she will actively oppose Solars who attempt to amass great power for themselves.
Sapphire's strengths are her unusually fair and even-tempered nature, and her great knowledge of spirits and their customs. Her weakness is that she oftentimes favors reason over emotion. Her strongest wish is to improve the world. Her greatest fear is of making unwise decisions.
Sapphire suffers from severe motion sickness. She can catch fish with her hands.
Game Stats
Name: Star Sapphire
Caste: Zenith
Nature: Judge
Anima: Puma
Concept: Itinerant shaman
Attributes:
Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3
Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2
Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Abilities:
Archery 4, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 1, Dodge 3, Endurance 1, Investigation 2, Linguistics 1 (Riverspeak, Old Realm), Lore 1, Medicine 1, Melee 1, Occult 5, Presence 3, Resistance 1, Stealth 1, Survival 3
(Note: Sapphire is only literate in Old Realm, not Riverspeak. She's never had a need to learn any script besides that used by spirits.)
Backgrounds: Allies 2, Artifact 2, Contacts 1, Manse 2
Virtues:
Compassion 2, Conviction 3, Temperance 4, Valor 2
Virtue Flaw: Ascetic Drive (Temperance)
Willpower: 7
Health: -0,-1,-1,-2,-2,-4,Incap
Essence: 2
Essence pool: 13/28(32)
Charms:
- Archery
- Fiery Arrow Attack
- Dazzling Flare Attack
- Wise Arrow
- Dodge
- Reed in the Wind
- Investigation
- Ten Magistrate Eyes
- Judge's Ear Technique
- Lore
- Essence-Lending Method
- Occult
- Spirit-Detecting Glance
- Spirit-Cutting Attack
- Spirit-Repelling Diagram
Combos:
- Sun Strikes the Unseen Transgressor (Dazzling Flare + Wise Arrow + Spirit-Cutting)
Even incorporeal spirits cannot hide from the Sun's judgment. When Sapphire uses this attack, white-gold light gathers within the arrowhead, sparkling and throwing off blinding rays as she takes aim. When she looses, the arrow vanishes to mortal eyes; spirit-senses perceive it as a searing beam of light lancing toward its immaterial target. When it strikes, the outline of the wicked spirit is briefly visible in the real world, limned by a corona of burning sunlight.
Equipment: Sturdy clothes and moccasins, decorated woolen poncho, belt pouches containing incense, herbs, polished stones and other oddments, bead necklace, blue jade ring (a token of affection from her lover), long knife, flint, quiver of broadhead arrows, Heaven's Judgment
Combat:
Base initiative: 7
Soak: 3B/1L/0A (unarmored)
Dodge: 6
Attacks:
Heaven's Judgment: Acc 9, Dmg 8L (broadheads), Rate 2, Range 300
Knife: Spd 10, Acc 4, Dmg 4L, Def 3
Sapphire's Expanded Backgrounds
Allies ••
Snow Ptarmigan, an outcaste Air-Aspected Terrestrial, serves the same spirit court that Sapphire once did. He and she have been best friends since childhood, and became lovers shortly before he Exalted. Although he still serves the court, he goes out of his way to assist Sapphire if she is within his domain. If something bad happened to her, he would almost certainly rush off and do anything within his power to help her. He and Sapphire wear Gemstones of Synchronicity from the same Manse. He also carries the moonsilver wedding ring which Sapphire found in the grave of her past self.
Ptarmigan is a handsome, slender young man with blue-grey eyes. His cyan hair is perpetually tousled by the cool breezes which swirl about him, betraying his Dragon-Blooded heritage. He is very imaginative, but often finds it difficult to stop daydreaming and take real action. Ptarmigan has a kind heart, and a great love for the outdoors; he's both an excellent storyteller and a skilled woodsman. He and Sapphire are sickeningly in love with each other, and it's something of a mystery why they aren't yet formally married.
Ptarmigan collects neat-looking stones. He plays the panpipes when he is trying to relax, or to think.
Inconstant Spark, a firefly-spirit, worked together with Sapphire on court business and was her closest friend among the spirits. Although Sapphire has been expelled from the court, Inconstant Spark maintains contact with her, and keeps her abreast of spirit matters from home. The young spirit has always admired Sapphire's self-sufficiency and discipline; she regards the Zenith as something of an elder sister.
Inconstant Spark appears as a young girl with black hair and glowing chartreuse eyes. A pair of antennae poke up through her pageboy haircut, and instead of eyebrows she has rows of luminous yellow-green jewels. Except for her head, her entire body is concealed by a charcoal-grey cloak with a bright orange hood.
Inconstant Spark can only materialize when stars are visible in the sky. She loves nothing more than watching candles and other small fires.
Artifact ••
Heaven's Judgment</i>
Orichalcum short powerbow Acc +3, Dmg +3, Rate 2, Range 300 Requires: Strength 3; Commitment 4</tt>
Sapphire found this orichalcum short powerbow in the grave of her First Age incarnation. It is not particularly ornate, as such weapons go; it looks to be composed of ordinary seasoned yew, its ends capped with plain orichalcum tips. There is some orichalcum inlay near the grip, as well as a minimalist hearthstone setting. The bow's name, written in neat, small Old Realm characters, is burned into the wood near one end.
Contacts •
All of Sapphire's contacts are minor spirits from the Northeast; her only major contact is the Frost Maiden, one of the co-rulers of the court which she once served. The melancholy ice spirit doesn't particularly like her, but she does harbor an unrequited love for Snow Ptarmigan. Helping Sapphire is the Frost Maiden's very oblique way of apologizing for the fact that she desires the young Zenith's lover.
Manse ••
A small crystal cave in the Northeastern taiga. The Manse is constructed in a hexagonal snowflake pattern, and produces Gemstones of Synchronicity, one of which is set in Sapphire's bow.
Misc. Notes
Sapphire's First Age Lunar spouse is out there somewhere, and she knows it; she could feel it when she held the ring. However, she is both in love with Ptarmigan and firmly grounded in the present. Her visions of the First Age have convinced her that it was an era best left behind; her Lunar husband is no exception. When they meet, she'll use all her willpower to deny their magical bond and treat him as someone she is meeting for the first time.
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