Saphirra's page

1. Gain 'justice' for Cazio's murder at any cost.
2. Gain power - both her arcane abilities and political
3. Overthrow the corrupt and hypocritical nobility.
4. Establish a new order - preferably with herself at the top, or as near to it as she can. Not necessarily the 'visible' top - but rather one who manipulates from the shadows, as is appropriate for one whose heritage comes from the shadowlands. Never again will she be beholden or helpless before another.

1. Like any sorcerer, arcane magic. She will focus on illusions, infiltration, battle control, with the odd blast spell thrown in for good measure. She will operate best either from the shadows or from behind the front lines, bringing her magic to bear to manipulate the outcome.
2. Skills: She will likely focus on stealth, perception, arcane knowledge, spellcraft, with bluff and intimidate to aid in social arenas.
3. I have no intent at this point in time to multiclass, though if a story-driven reason arises, it could be an option.
4. She is wise enough to know that she cannot obtain her goals alone. She is going to need other like minded individuals. She will work well with whomever she needs to.

“Pardon me.” He said, offering a mocking bow as he helped her to her feet – a bow which never fully formed as he took a step back with an intake of breath. ”Your eyes…”
Instantly, she stiffened. Stiffened, and then relaxed again. She even smiled as he continued on, “… are most exotic and fetching.”

Saphina could not remember a time when her eyes had not set her apart from the others. In fact, she could not remember much of her early childhood at all. When her adoptive parents found her in the woods one day, she was alone. No one knew where she came from, least of all the small, pale child. Her parents took her back to their home and raised her as they would their own, but from the beginning Saphina rarely fit in with the wider community. She had long silver hair and an ‘otherworldly’ grace to her, and an odd propensity for shadows (when alone she delighted in playing and manipulating them) and for playing out in the darkness of night when most people could not see. Yet it was her eyes that truly made others uneasy when they saw her. They were big, and slightly slanted, and utterly without color. Where others’ might be shades of blue or green or brown, it was as if all color had been drained out of Saphina’s. They were simply pale; the outline of her pupils were only visible if one looked closely.

So it was that when dashing mercenary hero Cazio De’Vintel bumped into her that fateful morning, sending her sprawling onto her rump, Saphina was completely taken aback at the young man’s kind politeness and how he even seemed to be quite taken with her. As time passed, the two became inseparable. She accompanied him on jobs, where her blossoming arcane talents came much in handy.

It was then that Cazio and Saphina began taking jobs for a young, arrogant nobleman named Marcaus. Neither liked the nobleman much, but the pay was good. Unfortunately, Cazio’s perceived disdain for Marcaus’s abilities both as a swordsmen and a leader combined with his own victories drew the proud noble’s jealous ire. Knowing he was no match one on one, Marcaus took his sons Balan and Gregain and five of his guard and followed the pair after they left the estate. They ambushed Cazio and Saphina in the dark; the first the pair was aware of their danger was the clumsy knife thrust from Balan’s dagger that grated along Saphina’s ribs. She was thrown to the ground, her fingers broken under Balan’s boot and could only watch on in panicked, pain-ridden horror as Cazio was murdered before her eyes.

Left for dead, she lay in a broken heap and swore she would have justice. Yet it would not come, for when she later recovered and brought her complaint before the King’s magistrate, it was but the word of a penniless vagabond against that of a respected nobleman. Magistrate Joram threw her case out due to ‘lack of evidence’ and gave her a strong admonishment not to ‘waste the court’s time’. Outraged, and feeling betrayed and insulted on several levels, Saphina stormed away, nursing her hatred. Her respect for society, its laws, it customs, even its government was shattered. Any society that denied justice to those wronged simply because of accident of birth or because it found giving such inconvenient was hardly one worthy of respect, Saphina thought. If justice was lacking then she would swear vengeance at least upon those responsible. She would kill all those who had a part in the affair, just as they had killed Cazio and had tried to kill her.
She would have justice no matter the cost, either to herself, or to others for that matter. Shadowy forces whispered to her of the aid they could bring her. Offers of aid she gladly accepted.

So she set to work over a span of years, for she had to be careful – two of the noble's guard were eliminated as she worked her way up her list. However the third job was botched badly. Wounded and bleeding, her quarry fled towards one of the many shrines of Mitra. The ruffians hired to help her deserted the job as the rays of the sun rose, shining light upon the shrine. She knew that the opportunity was slipping and she should take the safer course and flee with those in her employ. Yet she could not. Her quarry was none other than Gregain! Saphina knew the deaths of the guards would likely mean little to Marcaus. The death of one of his sons however… that would prick him deep. She needed him to hurt the way she hurt, and so she pressed forward.

*****

He stared unseeingly as if dazed from her spell as he lay bleeding badly, his blood spilling over the steps of the shrine. There was great commotion as those priests newly arriving for the day’s work who were not busy subduing Saphina rushed to his aid. She screamed in frustration, knowing it had all been for nothing.

She was sentenced as a murderess and an attempted murderess and for desecration of the sacred shrine by the very judge that denied her the justice she desired: Magistrate Joram. Now she was sent to Branderscar to await execution by burning. To add fuel to the flame, Gregain lived.

It would come soon, her death. No one escaped from this prison. Yet she would not give in. Not until after the flames devoured her. They preached the king's law and justice in their shining halls in their pristine city, yet they denied it to those wronged most. Cazio certainly received none! They only served to enthrone those with power She could not go to meet Cazio now knowing she had failed him.

They preached goodness and law and yet their actions told the lie. They did not practice what they preached. They were hypocrites and deep down, they were all as dark as sin itself. If the opportunity ever arose, she would use their law against them. She would make them eat it, even if it meant twisting and remaking society. But never again would she act so sloppily. She would be meticulous and methodical. She would be sure of her actions and their results. In the end, she would show them justice.

And in so doing… five men yet remaining would die.

No… Six… She thought. I want Magistrate Joram also. Six.

Shackled in chains, she smiled at the thought and calmly waited for her opportunity...

Defense Racial Traits

Shadow Blending (Su): Attacks against a fetchling in dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This ability does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance.

Shadowy Resistance: Fetchlings have cold resistance 5 and electricity resistance 5.

Shadow Magic: Fetchlings who spend their time studying the subtle magic of their adopted plane gain arcane insights on the use of shadow spells. These fetchlings gain a +1 racial bonus to the DC of any illusion (shadow) spells they cast. This racial trait replaces the skilled racial trait.

Magical Racial Traits

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): A fetchling can use disguise self once per day as a spell-like ability. He can assume the form of any humanoid creature. A fetchling's caster level is equal to his total Hit Dice. When a fetchling reaches 9th level in any combination of classes, he gains shadow walk (self only) as a spell-like ability usable once per day as a spell-like ability. A fetchling's caster level is equal to his total Hit Dice. When a fetchling reaches 13th level in any combination of classes, he gains plane shift (self only, to the Shadow Plane or the Material Plane only) usable once per day as a spell-like ability. A fetchling's caster level is equal to his total Hit Dice.
Senses Racial Traits

Darkvision: Fetchlings can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
Low-Light Vision: In addition to their ability to see perfectly in the dark up to 60 ft, fetchlings have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.