Safina Character in Arhor'ha | World Anvil

Safina

Monk of the Order of the Sun Safina Marsa

Been to Hell and Back, again.

Physical Description

Apparel & Accessories

Safina always carries his compass with him. However, since discovering Balefire's fate and true identity, it no longer works. The gem inside the compass is broken and needs to be replaced.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Origins

Safina was born to the sea and always longed for it. The Dolphin tribe remained close to the coasts of the new Free Port. They remember the sins of a number of port cities in the past and keep their distance. It is not uncommon to see the fishing vessels alongside the sea or them playing by the shore lines. Some believe the coastal tribe descended from aquatic elves that favored the sun and sand over the cold deep. The are a bright and spirited folk. It was how her elvish mother met her father. Yet prolonged relations are forbidden and Safina would never come to know about his father.   In truth, he would not learn much about his heritage at all. As a half-breed he was not allowed in the activities of society. Never allowed on the boats. Not to crab or collect sea shells. It was restrictive. Never quite belonging or understanding why. Yet it was never short of love. His mother provided a village's worth. She would get shells for him and fresh fish. Tell the best stories and sing like a bard. It might have been because her time with Safina was to be short and she didn't wish it to be lacking warmth.   When he was old enough to fend for himself, he was banished from the tribe. It was a large ceremony in his honor that was not filled with animosity or hate. It was filled with tradition and well wishes. He was not taught everything as a half-breed, only what the tribe wished to share with the outside world. Safina is an emissary now, but he cannot stay. Much like it was with his father. And so he was sent away and walked the coast for many days.   Life in Arhor'ha is short for the lone wolf. It was only a matter of time before he came across trouble. Pirates. For all the warmth that was provided, there was a vulnerability to the first sea-faring vessel that would have him. He was taken and put in a brig with others slaves. Confined once more. But on a boat! Progress!   Safina was never sold into slavery. The pirates docked in Freeport and were immediately met with the Order of the Sun. These traveling monks heard of the slavery and, against Freeport customs, confronted the pirates about the trafficking. They won through right of duel. The lead monk, Solsera, had secured rights to everything the pirates own. She took only the slaves and returned the rest to the pirate who honored the parley. Dozens of humanoids were released to Freeport. Safina was one of them.  

Joining the Order of the Sun

  Struck with a combination of awe and wonder, he joined up with the monks. Over the next years he was accepted as one of them from the first day. Given the name 'TwoSun' or slurred as 'Tuson' for his colorful demeanor and attachment to things beautiful in the world.  

Meeting Balefire

  During a fairly routine mission, escorting some villagers who can’t afford proper armed guards, to Crystallis he met someone special. Safina was enjoying one of his special concoctions of tea and rum at one of the local taverns after the long trek, when all of a sudden a fight broke out. Surprise, surprise a bar brawl. Not overly concerned for his own personal safety since drunk sailors aren’t the most coordinated, he made his way towards the door. As he opened the door to leave a man, presumably participating in the fight, was flung against the door and ricocheted into Safina. As they both laid stunned on the ground their eyes met and there was an instant connection. The man, still lying on top of a poor Safina, smirked and suggested they get out of there before anyone of “authority” arrived to arrest or fine anyone in the fight. They escaped into the rainy night of Crystallis and the rest was history.   Balefire was only in Crystallis for a week, but hot damn it was a good week. After Balefire returned to sea Safina knew nothing could ever be the same.  

The Search for Balefire

  Safina contacted his master and explained his situation to her and requested a leave of absence in order to pursue Balefire. Solsera understood and wished him the best. She had friends in Crystallis and there was no shortage of trade vessels looking for more dockhands. And so they parted. A new adventure with the sea that has always called to him.   Looking for Balefire while aboard The Royal Corsair was exciting even if the path was perilous. Sea monsters. Pirates. Magical Storms that stories don't do justice. He met true aquatic elves more than once. In particular an elvish woman with a wonderful singing voice. Her name was Be'lania. She knew many of Safina's mother's songs and sang them for him whenever they entered her tribe's waters. Her tale was similar to Safina's. She never knew her father too, but knew he out there and one day she would find a boat that knew of him. Well, a boat that wouldn't mistake her for a Saughin at a distance and try to throw spears.  

Getting a Lead

  Years passed and there was no sight of Balefire. It's possible that he went to sea and didn't come back... but then Safina heard an exciting lead, someone who sailed with Balefire said that he was in New Haven last. And so that is where Safina went on the next caravan out. The land roads are worse than he remembered as a traveling monk. The animals are more irritated. The land itself seems to groan like an old man. Gnolls skitter about and corruption brings blighted flora to life.   A few days in New Haven revealed that a man by Balefire's description went west, towards Duodecim. There wasn't a merchant caravan going out for several more days. However there was a prison caravan leaving in the morning. Escorting prisoners reminded of the time as a potential slave. But hey, so did being in a boat when being a sailor was an option.  

Joining Slayers Anonymous

  Safina joined a band of travelers called Slayers Anonymous and their travels underground, Safina was gifted a magical compass which pointed him in the direction of what he desired most. With this tool he and the group were able to catch up to Balefire. They discovered him in the mines below Duodecim where he was trapped inside a magical glyph. Upon investigation it was discovered that the circle he was in was about to transport him to Avernus. Safina's companion, Cedric, was looking at runes to possibly disarm the glyph but there was not enough time. The only way to save Balefire from going to Avernus was for someone to willfully take his place. Safina in a whirl of emotions decided to volunteer himself to replace Balefire, which then immediately transported him to hell.  

Journey In Avernus

  Safina would then spend over a year in Avernus and would meet other characters like Syn, Clyde, and Madislak who would eventually help him escape. Learning how to survive in the hellish landscape took a toll on Safina. He found himself fighting demons, fiends, and even some members of the Cult of Gigareth on an almost constant basis. In addition his ki was starting to feel different than it had before, as if the infernal landscape was slowly encroaching not only on his body, but also his soul.   Upon his return to Arhor'ha he returned to Duodecim hoping to meet up with the newly freed Balefire. He investigated through multiple social channels to discover where Balefire was last seen. A witness accounted that he and the rest of the Slayers Anonymous group were on their way out of the city via the eastern gate. Safina rushed to that area and from a resident that lived in the area informed him that the situation went sideways. As the group arrived at the gates Balefire took one of them hostage, and it was revealed that he was an incubus the entire time. The situation escalated and as a result Balefire was killed.  

Heartbroken & Lost

  Safina would spend the next couple weeks in mourning; the man he loved was not only dead but also a fiend. The reason he left his family at the monastery, traveled the high seas, and the depths of the earth was for a man that would never love him back. Safina thought he had finally found a home with an individual that loved him as much as he did but he was wrong.  

Meeting Thyme & Gabriel

  As soon as Safina could get himself together he took himself to the nearest pub. After bursting in he ordered a drink and found a booth that he thought was far enough from anyone to engage him in conversation. He sat there with his drink and occasionally looked at his now broken compass not entirely sure what his next step was. Noticing him from afar Thyme, a fortune teller, and Gabriel, a gnome tinkerer, joined him at his table. The two keep him company for a time and prove to be the first social interaction he has had with other people in a long while.   Regaling his story to Thyme and Gabriel, Safina realized that he was unsure as to where the Slayers Anonymous group went to after he was sent to Avernus. That in addition to his compass being broken it would be an effort to discover their whereabouts. Instead he thought it would be easier to simply return to Sol and debrief Solsera on what happened.   After further conversation with Thyme and Gabriel, they discovered that Gabriel and Safina were traveling in the same direction: towards Verde. The two agreed to later meet at a local inn in Verde since Gabriel expressed interest in exploring the north and learning more about the Order of the Sun.  

Nexus, Sol & Verde

  On his trek to Sol, Safina passed through the city of Nexus. In the past he remembered the city as prosperous. The city provided to those who were hungry, the commercial district was always busy, and more or less on the rise. Now it was like a hurricane had hit it. Entire districts of the city was abandoned, there was famine and the law was abandoned and there was an Elvish occupation. Safina was confused because this was the perfect place that Solsera and the Order of the Sun would come in order to offer aid. Why hadn't the order come to help?   Safina continued onto Verde and then through the mountain tunnel to Sol. Upon returning to the monastery no one was able to help Safina with the location of Solsera or the reason that she had left on what appeared to be a personal mission. All he had gathered together was that she traveled to the northern wilderness near Verde.  

On The Road Again

  In the caravan from Sol back to Verde Safina made note of a half elf named Elara. He couldn't gather much information from her, she appeared to be new to the region as she was unaware of the regional customs. Safina kept an eye on her to make sure she wasn't hassled and she made the trip with the least amount of harassment as possible.

Gender Identity

Identifies as Male

Sexuality

Identifies as Gay

Education

Trained at the Order of the Sun's monastery in Sol.

Failures & Embarrassments

Most significant romantic relationship was with an incubus.

Mental Trauma

Spent more than a year in Avernus, and was betrayed by his first love.

Intellectual Characteristics

Emotional, Impatient, Caring, Instinctual, Passionate, Compassionate, Artistic, Intuitive, Gentle, Wise, Musically Inclined

Morality & Philosophy

Safina has always tried to do the morally good thing when he can. With that said, he finds the many hypocrisies in Arhor'ha annoying. He see's a paladin punish a child for stealing bread but not asking why the child stole bread. He sees the city guard ignore the person being beaten up because they couldn't be bothered intervening. He sees lords ignore their famished vassals because they are too busy preparing for a great feast. This leads him to inherently mistrust those in positions of power and only trusts those who do the right thing out of the goodness of their hearts and not for the material reward that awaits them.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

To do good, and find someone who can love him, finally "be normal" in respect to having a family.

Likes & Dislikes

Likes: being alone, sleeping, music, romance, visual art, swimming   Dislikes: know-it-alls, being criticized, the past coming back to haunt him, cruelty of any kind

Virtues & Personality perks

Safina is very friendly, so he often finds himself in a company of very different people. Monks are selfless, so he is always willing to help others, without hoping to get anything back.

Vices & Personality flaws

Overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality, can be a victim or a martyr

Personality Quirks

Taps his foot when feeling impatient.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Solera, Head of the Order of the Sun
Safina is the student of Solsera.   Be'lania
She was a shipmate of Safina's on the Royal Corsair.   Balefire
Safina's first love who's true identity was that of an incubus.   Thyme
Acquaintance met in a Duodecim tavern after discovering Balefires fate. She read his tarot cards and introduced him to Gabrielt.   Slayers Anonymous
Orion, Layla, Donovan, Zanna, and Clyde were all Safina's companions once joined the prisoner caravan which was heading to Duodecim. During their adventures they would visit underground temples, fight giant spiders, and eventually help him find Balefire. After he was sent to Avernus he never saw them again.

Social Aptitude

Compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise, musical

Hobbies & Pets

Being alone, sleeping, music, romance, visual art, swimming

Relationships

Mig Travers

Associate (Important)

Towards Safina

2

Honest


Safina

Associate (Trivial)

Towards Mig Travers

1

Honest


Artemisia Morgan

Captain (Important)

Towards Safina

3

Frank


Safina

Mentee (Vital)

Towards Artemisia Morgan

4

Honest


Be'lania Eiar

Shipmate (Trivial)

Towards Safina

3

Honest


Safina

Shipmate (Trivial)

Towards Be'lania Eiar

4

Honest


History

Both of them were crew-mates aboard the Royal Coursair. Be'lania knew many of Safina's mother's songs and would comfort him by singing them whenever they were near the Dolphin Tribe's territory. They took a liking to each other because they shared a similar story; neither knew their fathers. This drew them together, however she was determined to find out about her father, where Safina had no interest in discovering who his father was.

Wealth & Financial state

As a member of the Order of the Sun, Safina is not particularly wealthy. He accepts donations and uses the money to keep himself fed and equipped during travels. Excess funds, which is rare, go to the overall order which typically go towards the defenses of settlements in Arhor'ha.
Species
Conditions
Ethnicity
Birthplace
Dolphin Tribe
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Blue-Green
Hair
Medium length, black hair
Height
5'8"
Weight
184
Aligned Organization
Known Languages
Common
Elvish
Orcish

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