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Entry tags:
Saffron Larkspur ; Guild Wars 2 OC ; Darkness App
name; Saffron Larkspur
nickname; Saf, "Crocus" (via Asteffiel)
species; Sylvari
class; Warrior
home town; wanderer (originally from The Grove, Maguuma Jungle)
age; 3 (1324 AE)
brief background / history;
THIS APP CONTAINS HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE SPOILERS FOR GUILD WARS 2: LIVING STORY SEASON 2. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
25 years ago in the continent of Tyria, a new race emerged from the branches of the Pale Tree in the Maguuma Jungle. The Sylvari, sprouted fully formed and grown with a natural curiosity for the world they had been born in to, became the Firstborn of The Grove. Why they came to be was a mystery, and all that was known was that a mysterious seed of unknown origins had been planted by a man named Ronan decades before and that it in turn had sprouted in the Pale Tree.
But this story is not about the Pale Tree herself, or even the Firstborn that came from her. It is, instead, about a quiet, reserved Secondborn who came in to the world much later.
Saffron, like so many other Sylvari before him, woke from his pod in the Cycle of Night with memories of The Dream of Dreams - a lucid state of being in which all Sylvari begin their life, and which connected all of their kind to one another via shared information, experiences and emotions. Unlike Sylvari before him, though, Saffron woke in fear of his Dream rather than curiosity. In his Dream darkness prevailed, fires burned and voices screamed and howled in pain and agony. A dark winged figure loomed in the smoke-filled skies above, and all around him there was nothing but despair.
But it was not all bad. In the distance a light could be seen, bright, warm, inviting and a voice called out to him, promising safety from the hell he saw around him.
He remembered little more than that, having woken upon attempting to reach the voice. Uncertain of the Dream's meaning and terrified to find out, he stumbled about an explanation to those caring for the pods he had come from and merely hedged around a sort of "I don't remember" answer. False, of course, but a lie he felt deep down he had to maintain.
Lacking a Wyld Hunt (a "goal" given to many Sylvari within the Dream) he simply went for basic training of weaponry, taking up the mantle of a Warrior and training in both the longbow and dual swords. Time passed, skills increased, and the horror of his Dream faded in to the back of his memory, making his claim of "not recalling it" all the more easy to let roll off his tongue.
Eventually he chose to leave The Grove along with several other of the Secondborn that had been woken close to him, but he did so with a constantly nagging feeling inside. The world beyond The Grove was vast, it's races numerous and dangers plentiful. Though the memory of his Dream was distant some part of him fretted he might find that terrible place full of pain and suffering with the looming shadow of the dragon should he wander far from home.
Yet he did anyway, putting on a brave face for those around him. He knew he couldn't remain sheltered by the Pale Tree forever, and fear did little to override a Sylvari's natural curiosity of the world around them.
His travels eventually brought him in contact with one of the three Orders of Tyria, The Durmond Priory. Though a Warrior by class and training, he expressed an interest in learning and expanding his knowledge much the way the Priory did - through research, exploration and study. He began shortly after his first birthday as an initiate, eventually meeting his mentor - another Sylvari with a hyperactive and bubbly personality named Sieran. Sieran was of the Magister rank, much to the contempt of her superior, the Asura Steward Gixx.
In spite of her personality and tenancy to get them in to trouble often, Saffron found her to be the much needed foil to his own cautious and uncertain behavior. She pushed him to take leaps where he otherwise would not, took him on adventures he never would have attempted, and even showed him places secret and beautiful. It would have been a stretch to say that he was in love with her, but their connection was strong, and she often praised him as being one of her favorite trainees.
But their fun adventures were not to last. Something loomed on the horizon, and the discovery of a Risen creature from the spoiled continent of Orr in Lion's Arch had them as well as the rest of the Priory (and the other Orders) on high alert.
Attempts to warn the advance Lionguard at Claw Island, the port just before Lion's Arch and the "last defense of Tyria" fell on deaf ears. Commander Talon, the Lionguard in charge of Claw Island, insisted that their forces would be more than enough to push back any of the Elder Dragon Zhaitan's Risen forces that would dare attack.
Talon's hubris would prove to be fatal in the end, not just for him but for hundreds of others.
Including Sieran.
One Risen ship appeared, their numbers easy enough to drive back, but soon after it's destruction countless other ships appeared in the water. Risen masses swarmed the beach, the fort, taking down one after another. Sieran, Saffron, and another Sylvari Firstborn named Trahearne along with the rest of the Lionguard as well as others who had tried to come and assist did their best to fight them back but it became clear very quickly that Claw Island was going to fall.
Saffron and his Sylvari companions ran to light the towers to warn Lion's Arch of the fall, and the impending attack that would be coming just as one of Zhaitan's minions, a massive dragon called Blightghast dropped down on to the fort.
Talon dead from his injuries, and so many others dead or injured, retreat was the only option. Just as they began to head for the boats to flee, though, Sieran stopped and revealed that Blightghast and the Risen would not let them get far. They would be surrounded long before they were able to sail to safety.
Sieran knew what had to be done to buy the rest of the survivors some time, and though Saffron argued with her with a terrible ache in his chest at the mere idea of what she was about to do, she insisted it was something she must do.
"In my short life, you've taught me the most important lesson. Friends will go through anything for each other. That's why I have to do this."
Saffron's pleas ignored, Sieran turned and went back inside to the fort, the doors closing behind her as they offered a last glimpse for him - a mob of Risen charging at her while she prepared to fight any and all that she could in her last moments.
"There was so much left that I wanted to see... can't let you hurt them. I won't!"
By some miracle, Saffron managed to keep his head long enough to flee with Trahearne, making it to the ship successfully and escaping Claw Island before he fell to his knees and mourned the loss of his first true friend.
Even for the sake of Sieran, though, Saffron would not return to Claw Island to reclaim it with the rest of the Orders. Upon setting foot back in Lion's Arch he was overtaken by the same dread and fear that had been a part of his dream, and though so many things did not match up he could not shake the feelings no matter how hard he tried. Everything inside him had been gripped by a desire to flee further, to escape, to go somewhere that he hoped Zhaitan couldn't reach. As much as he knew it was cowardly to do so he was unable to squash the feeling as he had in the past, and as the boat unloaded at Lion's Arch he used the chaos of the injured and the dying to slip away.
He hated himself for it. For days he simply hid away in Lion's Arch, and even after word reached him through gossip that the attempted invasion of the city had been thwarted by the Orders he remained there.
Nearly a week later he finally made the trek back to the Durmond Priory headquarters in Lonar's Pass, going on foot through biting cold and bitter snow as if taking punishment from the elements for what he had done. His arrival was met with low whispers and avoiding glances. Steward Gixx tore in to him, and though he claimed to understand that Saffron was grieving just as much as the rest of them over the loss of Sieran, it was still no excuse for his cowardly behavior and abandonment of his duties.
Saffron took the lashing with muted understanding and willingness, knowing he deserved that and more. He returned to his quarters silently, having been suspended from field work for the time being.
Trahearne came to see him once after that, saying that he too felt pain at the loss of one of their own. He tried in vain to convince Saffron that a setback like this shouldn't be enough to stop him from advancing forward, insisting that Saffron had the makings of some one who could do great things if he believed in himself the way that Seiran had.
Saffron disagreed, admitting quietly that his existence had always been plagued with near-crippling fear and that Sieran had been the first and only person in his life that had been able to pull him beyond that. Without her he wasn't sure if he could continue on as he had, and though Trahearne kept trying to argue against that Saffron wouldn't have it.
A day later Saffron resigned from the Priory, sold his belongings, bought equipment for extended traveling and left Lonar's Pass for good.
It wasn't in him to return to The Grove after what he did, so he simply wandered through the continent as a nomad with no home or connections to call his own. Though time spent in different lands did bring about some acquaintances (and the desire to add the surname "Larkspur" on to his own name, even though it was not common for Sylvari) he rarely stayed more than a month or two in one place.
Traveling did calm him, and the fear that had overtaken him from the events at Claw Island ebbed once more, and though the world was no less dangerous than it had been he found himself at least able to find a strange sort of peace in continuing to see it much as Sieran had wanted to before her death.
From time to time he considered returning, asking for forgiveness for his actions and continuing where he had left off but more often than not he found reasons to remain as he was. Deep down he felt he was truly nothing but a coward in the end and nothing was going to change that.
He did not remain a lone wanderer forever, though. For a longer length of time he studied with the Soundless, a group of Sylvari who had trained themselves through meditation and other methods to keep their thoughts separate from the Dream of Dreams. Their presence was yet another calming one in Saffron's life, but only temporary. Try as he might he couldn't fully pull himself away from it as they had and while he was grateful for their teachings and their attempts to help him in his grief and pain he eventually left them as well.
Some time following that he came across another Sylvari named Asteffiel who seemed quite keen to keep and care for other plants and had an odd fascination with cactus, which were only native to the deserts of the Maguuma Wastes. Despite Saffron's desire to keep himself lone and solitary he forged a friendship with Asteffiel. Asteffiel also introduced him to another friend of his, Viliandre, though Saffron's relationship with her was distant at best.
It was in this time with Asteffiel that they were approached by some one who belonged to a faction of Sylvari known as the Nightmare Court. The Court, unlike the Dreamers of The Grove, did not consider the protection of the Dream and all it entailed to be the "right" path of the Sylvari. As all things were shared, including experiences and emotions, they believed that as a new race it was their right - nay, their duty to learn both the good and bad of the world.
Unfortunately most of the Court saw this as an excuse and a reason to be as cruel as possible, not only to others but to their own kind. They would often forcibly recruit those that were reluctant to join of their own accord and would even convert those they wanted information from.
For Saffron, though, the approach of this person and their offer of joining was met with more interest than reluctance. Nothing else had worked for him so far, after all, why not try this and see if it would fit? Though Asteffiel agreed to come along, Viliandre did not and remained a Dreamer away from the Court.
It didn't take long once within the Court for them to realize this was not the sort of people they wanted to be around. But once in the Court it was all the harder to get out. And to make things worse Asteffiel seemed to be losing his grip on his sanity, leaving Saffron in a position of not being able to leave without him for fear that doing so would surely break him.
So instead he did his best to keep his head low, following orders even if it pained him to do so. During his training with them he made a return to Caledon Forest, a Sylvari-inhabited area just outside The Grove. This is where he came across a set of Pod Triplets - three pale-barked sisters that struck him with their beauty and grace. He was reminded of the warm, inviting light and the voice that had called to him in the depths of his dark Dream. He was so struck by their beauty that he didn't even realize he was staring as they danced together, and soon enough his presence was noticed by the middle sister.
She dragged her other sisters over to speak to him. He was somewhat flustered by this and barely able to make much more than awkward conversation. He found all three sisters equally beautiful but it was the eldest, Livi, that held his attention more than the other two. And it would not be the last time he saw them, either. Time and time again he would cross paths with Livi or her sisters, and the conversations went from awkward and uncertain to comfortable and natural. With them he felt that same warmth he had felt in his Dream and, though reluctant to given his past, he embraced them as friends.
Soon enough the conversations with Livi turned to his status in the Nightmare Court, and Livi revealed to him that she, too, was wanting to remove herself from it. While she did not agree with the general teachings and morals of the Sylvari, she did not see why going a different direction had to mean the level of cruelty that the Court brought about. That, and she worried for her sisters, fearing that the two of them and their loved ones may very well become targets if Livi remained.
Between the two of them they were able to formulate a plan to remove themselves from the Court, and to aid any others that might want to join them. That, of course, included Asteffiel even in his worsening mental state.
Moving all of his precious plants was something of a more difficult task, all things considered.
But they were successful in the end, and not a moment too soon.
During all of this many things had been happening in Tyria. Roughly a year before a Sylvari calling herself Scarlet Briar had taken to attacking Lion's Arch in earnest and had succeeded, drilling a hole that woke an Elder Dragon called Mordremoth. For a time following Scarlet's defeat the world had gone quiet again, but soon enough his minions began appearing all over the continent. Spiked vine tendrils began to wrap around the magic-infused Waypoints all over, siphoning magic from them at a frightening rate. Forts where armies resided were attacked and torn asunder. And to make things even worse, a band of people called the Zephyrites crashed their massive air ship in to the Maguuma Wastes following sabotage done by a Sylvari who had seemingly gone insane while aboard it.
Mordremoth's presence was becoming stronger and stronger, with entire areas in the Wastes becoming overrun with vines and Mordrem creatures. Whispers and rumors began to circulate. How odd, they said, that Mordremoth is the Elder Dragon of plants. How strange that two Sylvari, made of plants and life, had already lost their mind and caused such damage...
The rumors, unfortunately, turned out to be true. Sylvari were to Mordremoth as the Risen were to Zhiatan, the Branded to Kralkatorik. Minions to an Elder Dragon, meant to serve him, and yet some how given far, far more free will than any other minion in the past. Why, no one knew, but the effect of this became very clear, very quickly.
All over Tyria the presence of Mordremoth was felt in the minds of Sylvari. Many were capable of fighting his influence, but many more fell to it. The Pact (a group consisting of the Three Orders and lead by Trahearne that was put together after the fall of Claw Island) launched an offensive against Mordremoth as his power came full force in to the world, but their airships were torn from the sky and sabotaged from within by Sylvari that found themselves unable to fight the influence of the Elder Dragon.
The fate of the Pact uncertain, other races turning against Sylvari both affected and unaffected all over, things were looking bleak for Saffron and his friends. They took refuge in The Grove in Livi's home at her insistence (much to Saffron's dismay of returning to a place he had felt he turned his back on years ago) and hid with hopes of finding safety and mental solidarity closer to the Pale Tree. Saffron feared his own strength wouldn't hold up against Mordremoth and every day he felt the claws of the dragon scraping ever closer.
But Livi was strong willed and stubborn, insisting that she would not abandon anyone who feared this fate and wished to be helped through it. More than that she insisted that Saffron was a friend, some one she cared enough about to make sure that he didn't become yet another of Mordremoth's minions.
It was through this that Saffron and Livi also began to develop a more romantic connection, though both tried very hard to deny it. Saffron, in fact, was adamant that even if he did have feelings for her that acting on them would have not only been in poor taste for their situation but a risk to both of their safety and the safety of others around them.
Not that it stopped her siblings from teasing both of them relentlessly on the feelings that were so clearly there. Eventually they did take some time alone to talk and while the words were never clearly stated, Saffron admitted that his life for quite some time had been lonely and the idea of Livi joining him on his adventures later on would be something he would enjoy greatly.
Again, it was a happiness not meant to last.
In the end it was not Saffron who turned, though. The middle sister's stubbornness and unwillingness to be kept away from her love, a human named Rurik Ackermann caused a constant rift between her and Livi. Livi insisted she was merely trying to spare her sister from whatever horror might befall her should she be corrupted like the others, but the sister did not see it that way and refused to understand that it was only temporary.
She fled back to Queensdale upon hearing that Rurik was ill, and though it seemed at first that her love may have been able to push through the dragon's influence, it was not meant to be. She turned, and her death at the hands of those she cared for most was all but inevitable.
With the fate of the Pact unknown, the breadth of Mordremoth's power still growing by the day, the corruption of the Sylvari only getting worse... Saffron, Livi and the others returned to The Grove, silent in their grief and uncertain as to what their next step forward was going to be.
personality;
As stated above, Saffron came in to the world as a quiet, reserved Sylvari. Though he maintained much of the typical Sylvari nature (curiosity, interest in the world around him, etc) he was one far less likely to take to adventure and travel than his brothers and sisters. The Dream he woke from left him frightened of the world at large at first, fearful that any step outside the Grove could bring about the doom and terror he saw and felt inside it. He struggled for much of his life to ignore the voice inside him that wanted to flee, to run and hide himself away. He tried very hard to behave as other Sylvari did, finding purpose not in a Wyld Hunt but in the Durmond Priory.
In some ways it was the best thing he could have done, because even with Sieran's influence in his life the Priory did give him access to ways to feed his natural curiosity that didn't step on his cautious nature too much. When he wasn't being dragged around on adventure with her he was often found in the massive library curled up in a comfortable corner, pouring through book after book and even re-reading stories of legends who seemed larger than life to him. His love of reading, knowledge and learning is a trait that has stayed with him even following the events at Claw Island.
Sieran was also one of the better things that came in to his life, and while a part of him will always be cautious and wary of the world at large to some extent her presence in his life encouraged him to take to travel and adventure far more than anything else did. The desire to travel remained even after her passing, a part of him feeling he owes it to her to see everything he can even if deep down he still fears all the "what ifs" that might come about during it.
All of this aside, Saffron is a naturally kind, magnanimous person. Fear has never stopped him from wanting to help others, and while he is hardly the kind of Warrior that jumps face first in to danger he will still hold out a hand to anyone who needs aid. He despises suffering (which was one of the many reasons he was so quick to turn his back on the Nightmare Court) and loathes the very idea that he might ever cause some one pain or sorrow.
In that, he is the kind of person who feels things very deeply. Joy, sadness, anger... he is much like a child learning what emotions mean and how they affect him and others around him. While he certainly won't lash out without a good reason to, it is very clear when things happen that elicit some sort of emotional reaction that he is greatly affected by them, sometimes to the point where he simply can't handle it.
Unfortunately this makes him a prime target for the corruption of Mordremoth, as it is cracks in one's will and strength that let the dragon's influence in. It is only by the grace of being around those he cares for so much (despite his attempts to not get attached, which almost never works for him in the end) that he has been able to maintain some sort of balance within his mind.
Still, it was made clear that he was not completely free of the dragon's influence, as the mere idea of anyone threatening the people he came to care for sent him on the defensive back home, so much so that he nearly attacked without thinking or asking questions first.
Luckily, away from the dragon and Tyria, this will be less of an issue. He will protect those people with his life, of course, but with far less anger than he showed in that moment.
Quiet and reserved he may be, Saffron has learned that companionship is not only needed but desired far more than he was originally willing to let on. Making friends has started to become easier for him, and the chances of him shying away or failing in to awkward, stunted conversation have become less and less.
Three years seems like a short time in the life span of a human or other race that has existed for much longer, but to Saffron that has been his entire life. Short though it is, much has happened, and by the grace of the Pale Tree he hopes to experience even more before his time is up.
weaponry and abilities;
» Weapons
» Weapon Skills (Sword)
» Healing
» Utility Skills
» Elite Skill
» Weapon Skills (Longbow)
(other abilities)
aquatic
Urchin's Needles
Impaler
Gavebeoron Breather
armor
Carrion Draconic Heavy Armor
acc
Elegant Weaponsmith's Backpack
Bone Fragments of Tequatl
Twister in a Jar
Settler's Amulet
Settler's Ring
Shaman's Ring
inv
Starter Backpack
*Black Lion Salvage Kit (x2)
*Master Salvage Kit
*Mystic Salvage Kit
*Town Clothes
*Delicious Rice Balls (x29)
*Fried Golden Dumplings (x4)
*Lunar New Year Fireworks (x54)
*Exploding Drake Tails (x22)
10 Slot Thin Leather Pack (x4)
Empty
gathering
*Orichalcum Mining Pick
*Orichalcum Logging Axe
*Orichalcum Harvesting Sickle
nickname; Saf, "Crocus" (via Asteffiel)
species; Sylvari
class; Warrior
home town; wanderer (originally from The Grove, Maguuma Jungle)
age; 3 (1324 AE)
brief background / history;
THIS APP CONTAINS HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE SPOILERS FOR GUILD WARS 2: LIVING STORY SEASON 2. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
25 years ago in the continent of Tyria, a new race emerged from the branches of the Pale Tree in the Maguuma Jungle. The Sylvari, sprouted fully formed and grown with a natural curiosity for the world they had been born in to, became the Firstborn of The Grove. Why they came to be was a mystery, and all that was known was that a mysterious seed of unknown origins had been planted by a man named Ronan decades before and that it in turn had sprouted in the Pale Tree.
But this story is not about the Pale Tree herself, or even the Firstborn that came from her. It is, instead, about a quiet, reserved Secondborn who came in to the world much later.
Saffron, like so many other Sylvari before him, woke from his pod in the Cycle of Night with memories of The Dream of Dreams - a lucid state of being in which all Sylvari begin their life, and which connected all of their kind to one another via shared information, experiences and emotions. Unlike Sylvari before him, though, Saffron woke in fear of his Dream rather than curiosity. In his Dream darkness prevailed, fires burned and voices screamed and howled in pain and agony. A dark winged figure loomed in the smoke-filled skies above, and all around him there was nothing but despair.
But it was not all bad. In the distance a light could be seen, bright, warm, inviting and a voice called out to him, promising safety from the hell he saw around him.
He remembered little more than that, having woken upon attempting to reach the voice. Uncertain of the Dream's meaning and terrified to find out, he stumbled about an explanation to those caring for the pods he had come from and merely hedged around a sort of "I don't remember" answer. False, of course, but a lie he felt deep down he had to maintain.
Lacking a Wyld Hunt (a "goal" given to many Sylvari within the Dream) he simply went for basic training of weaponry, taking up the mantle of a Warrior and training in both the longbow and dual swords. Time passed, skills increased, and the horror of his Dream faded in to the back of his memory, making his claim of "not recalling it" all the more easy to let roll off his tongue.
Eventually he chose to leave The Grove along with several other of the Secondborn that had been woken close to him, but he did so with a constantly nagging feeling inside. The world beyond The Grove was vast, it's races numerous and dangers plentiful. Though the memory of his Dream was distant some part of him fretted he might find that terrible place full of pain and suffering with the looming shadow of the dragon should he wander far from home.
Yet he did anyway, putting on a brave face for those around him. He knew he couldn't remain sheltered by the Pale Tree forever, and fear did little to override a Sylvari's natural curiosity of the world around them.
His travels eventually brought him in contact with one of the three Orders of Tyria, The Durmond Priory. Though a Warrior by class and training, he expressed an interest in learning and expanding his knowledge much the way the Priory did - through research, exploration and study. He began shortly after his first birthday as an initiate, eventually meeting his mentor - another Sylvari with a hyperactive and bubbly personality named Sieran. Sieran was of the Magister rank, much to the contempt of her superior, the Asura Steward Gixx.
In spite of her personality and tenancy to get them in to trouble often, Saffron found her to be the much needed foil to his own cautious and uncertain behavior. She pushed him to take leaps where he otherwise would not, took him on adventures he never would have attempted, and even showed him places secret and beautiful. It would have been a stretch to say that he was in love with her, but their connection was strong, and she often praised him as being one of her favorite trainees.
But their fun adventures were not to last. Something loomed on the horizon, and the discovery of a Risen creature from the spoiled continent of Orr in Lion's Arch had them as well as the rest of the Priory (and the other Orders) on high alert.
Attempts to warn the advance Lionguard at Claw Island, the port just before Lion's Arch and the "last defense of Tyria" fell on deaf ears. Commander Talon, the Lionguard in charge of Claw Island, insisted that their forces would be more than enough to push back any of the Elder Dragon Zhaitan's Risen forces that would dare attack.
Talon's hubris would prove to be fatal in the end, not just for him but for hundreds of others.
Including Sieran.
One Risen ship appeared, their numbers easy enough to drive back, but soon after it's destruction countless other ships appeared in the water. Risen masses swarmed the beach, the fort, taking down one after another. Sieran, Saffron, and another Sylvari Firstborn named Trahearne along with the rest of the Lionguard as well as others who had tried to come and assist did their best to fight them back but it became clear very quickly that Claw Island was going to fall.
Saffron and his Sylvari companions ran to light the towers to warn Lion's Arch of the fall, and the impending attack that would be coming just as one of Zhaitan's minions, a massive dragon called Blightghast dropped down on to the fort.
Talon dead from his injuries, and so many others dead or injured, retreat was the only option. Just as they began to head for the boats to flee, though, Sieran stopped and revealed that Blightghast and the Risen would not let them get far. They would be surrounded long before they were able to sail to safety.
Sieran knew what had to be done to buy the rest of the survivors some time, and though Saffron argued with her with a terrible ache in his chest at the mere idea of what she was about to do, she insisted it was something she must do.
"In my short life, you've taught me the most important lesson. Friends will go through anything for each other. That's why I have to do this."
Saffron's pleas ignored, Sieran turned and went back inside to the fort, the doors closing behind her as they offered a last glimpse for him - a mob of Risen charging at her while she prepared to fight any and all that she could in her last moments.
"There was so much left that I wanted to see... can't let you hurt them. I won't!"
By some miracle, Saffron managed to keep his head long enough to flee with Trahearne, making it to the ship successfully and escaping Claw Island before he fell to his knees and mourned the loss of his first true friend.
Even for the sake of Sieran, though, Saffron would not return to Claw Island to reclaim it with the rest of the Orders. Upon setting foot back in Lion's Arch he was overtaken by the same dread and fear that had been a part of his dream, and though so many things did not match up he could not shake the feelings no matter how hard he tried. Everything inside him had been gripped by a desire to flee further, to escape, to go somewhere that he hoped Zhaitan couldn't reach. As much as he knew it was cowardly to do so he was unable to squash the feeling as he had in the past, and as the boat unloaded at Lion's Arch he used the chaos of the injured and the dying to slip away.
He hated himself for it. For days he simply hid away in Lion's Arch, and even after word reached him through gossip that the attempted invasion of the city had been thwarted by the Orders he remained there.
Nearly a week later he finally made the trek back to the Durmond Priory headquarters in Lonar's Pass, going on foot through biting cold and bitter snow as if taking punishment from the elements for what he had done. His arrival was met with low whispers and avoiding glances. Steward Gixx tore in to him, and though he claimed to understand that Saffron was grieving just as much as the rest of them over the loss of Sieran, it was still no excuse for his cowardly behavior and abandonment of his duties.
Saffron took the lashing with muted understanding and willingness, knowing he deserved that and more. He returned to his quarters silently, having been suspended from field work for the time being.
Trahearne came to see him once after that, saying that he too felt pain at the loss of one of their own. He tried in vain to convince Saffron that a setback like this shouldn't be enough to stop him from advancing forward, insisting that Saffron had the makings of some one who could do great things if he believed in himself the way that Seiran had.
Saffron disagreed, admitting quietly that his existence had always been plagued with near-crippling fear and that Sieran had been the first and only person in his life that had been able to pull him beyond that. Without her he wasn't sure if he could continue on as he had, and though Trahearne kept trying to argue against that Saffron wouldn't have it.
A day later Saffron resigned from the Priory, sold his belongings, bought equipment for extended traveling and left Lonar's Pass for good.
It wasn't in him to return to The Grove after what he did, so he simply wandered through the continent as a nomad with no home or connections to call his own. Though time spent in different lands did bring about some acquaintances (and the desire to add the surname "Larkspur" on to his own name, even though it was not common for Sylvari) he rarely stayed more than a month or two in one place.
Traveling did calm him, and the fear that had overtaken him from the events at Claw Island ebbed once more, and though the world was no less dangerous than it had been he found himself at least able to find a strange sort of peace in continuing to see it much as Sieran had wanted to before her death.
From time to time he considered returning, asking for forgiveness for his actions and continuing where he had left off but more often than not he found reasons to remain as he was. Deep down he felt he was truly nothing but a coward in the end and nothing was going to change that.
He did not remain a lone wanderer forever, though. For a longer length of time he studied with the Soundless, a group of Sylvari who had trained themselves through meditation and other methods to keep their thoughts separate from the Dream of Dreams. Their presence was yet another calming one in Saffron's life, but only temporary. Try as he might he couldn't fully pull himself away from it as they had and while he was grateful for their teachings and their attempts to help him in his grief and pain he eventually left them as well.
Some time following that he came across another Sylvari named Asteffiel who seemed quite keen to keep and care for other plants and had an odd fascination with cactus, which were only native to the deserts of the Maguuma Wastes. Despite Saffron's desire to keep himself lone and solitary he forged a friendship with Asteffiel. Asteffiel also introduced him to another friend of his, Viliandre, though Saffron's relationship with her was distant at best.
It was in this time with Asteffiel that they were approached by some one who belonged to a faction of Sylvari known as the Nightmare Court. The Court, unlike the Dreamers of The Grove, did not consider the protection of the Dream and all it entailed to be the "right" path of the Sylvari. As all things were shared, including experiences and emotions, they believed that as a new race it was their right - nay, their duty to learn both the good and bad of the world.
Unfortunately most of the Court saw this as an excuse and a reason to be as cruel as possible, not only to others but to their own kind. They would often forcibly recruit those that were reluctant to join of their own accord and would even convert those they wanted information from.
For Saffron, though, the approach of this person and their offer of joining was met with more interest than reluctance. Nothing else had worked for him so far, after all, why not try this and see if it would fit? Though Asteffiel agreed to come along, Viliandre did not and remained a Dreamer away from the Court.
It didn't take long once within the Court for them to realize this was not the sort of people they wanted to be around. But once in the Court it was all the harder to get out. And to make things worse Asteffiel seemed to be losing his grip on his sanity, leaving Saffron in a position of not being able to leave without him for fear that doing so would surely break him.
So instead he did his best to keep his head low, following orders even if it pained him to do so. During his training with them he made a return to Caledon Forest, a Sylvari-inhabited area just outside The Grove. This is where he came across a set of Pod Triplets - three pale-barked sisters that struck him with their beauty and grace. He was reminded of the warm, inviting light and the voice that had called to him in the depths of his dark Dream. He was so struck by their beauty that he didn't even realize he was staring as they danced together, and soon enough his presence was noticed by the middle sister.
She dragged her other sisters over to speak to him. He was somewhat flustered by this and barely able to make much more than awkward conversation. He found all three sisters equally beautiful but it was the eldest, Livi, that held his attention more than the other two. And it would not be the last time he saw them, either. Time and time again he would cross paths with Livi or her sisters, and the conversations went from awkward and uncertain to comfortable and natural. With them he felt that same warmth he had felt in his Dream and, though reluctant to given his past, he embraced them as friends.
Soon enough the conversations with Livi turned to his status in the Nightmare Court, and Livi revealed to him that she, too, was wanting to remove herself from it. While she did not agree with the general teachings and morals of the Sylvari, she did not see why going a different direction had to mean the level of cruelty that the Court brought about. That, and she worried for her sisters, fearing that the two of them and their loved ones may very well become targets if Livi remained.
Between the two of them they were able to formulate a plan to remove themselves from the Court, and to aid any others that might want to join them. That, of course, included Asteffiel even in his worsening mental state.
Moving all of his precious plants was something of a more difficult task, all things considered.
But they were successful in the end, and not a moment too soon.
During all of this many things had been happening in Tyria. Roughly a year before a Sylvari calling herself Scarlet Briar had taken to attacking Lion's Arch in earnest and had succeeded, drilling a hole that woke an Elder Dragon called Mordremoth. For a time following Scarlet's defeat the world had gone quiet again, but soon enough his minions began appearing all over the continent. Spiked vine tendrils began to wrap around the magic-infused Waypoints all over, siphoning magic from them at a frightening rate. Forts where armies resided were attacked and torn asunder. And to make things even worse, a band of people called the Zephyrites crashed their massive air ship in to the Maguuma Wastes following sabotage done by a Sylvari who had seemingly gone insane while aboard it.
Mordremoth's presence was becoming stronger and stronger, with entire areas in the Wastes becoming overrun with vines and Mordrem creatures. Whispers and rumors began to circulate. How odd, they said, that Mordremoth is the Elder Dragon of plants. How strange that two Sylvari, made of plants and life, had already lost their mind and caused such damage...
The rumors, unfortunately, turned out to be true. Sylvari were to Mordremoth as the Risen were to Zhiatan, the Branded to Kralkatorik. Minions to an Elder Dragon, meant to serve him, and yet some how given far, far more free will than any other minion in the past. Why, no one knew, but the effect of this became very clear, very quickly.
All over Tyria the presence of Mordremoth was felt in the minds of Sylvari. Many were capable of fighting his influence, but many more fell to it. The Pact (a group consisting of the Three Orders and lead by Trahearne that was put together after the fall of Claw Island) launched an offensive against Mordremoth as his power came full force in to the world, but their airships were torn from the sky and sabotaged from within by Sylvari that found themselves unable to fight the influence of the Elder Dragon.
The fate of the Pact uncertain, other races turning against Sylvari both affected and unaffected all over, things were looking bleak for Saffron and his friends. They took refuge in The Grove in Livi's home at her insistence (much to Saffron's dismay of returning to a place he had felt he turned his back on years ago) and hid with hopes of finding safety and mental solidarity closer to the Pale Tree. Saffron feared his own strength wouldn't hold up against Mordremoth and every day he felt the claws of the dragon scraping ever closer.
But Livi was strong willed and stubborn, insisting that she would not abandon anyone who feared this fate and wished to be helped through it. More than that she insisted that Saffron was a friend, some one she cared enough about to make sure that he didn't become yet another of Mordremoth's minions.
It was through this that Saffron and Livi also began to develop a more romantic connection, though both tried very hard to deny it. Saffron, in fact, was adamant that even if he did have feelings for her that acting on them would have not only been in poor taste for their situation but a risk to both of their safety and the safety of others around them.
Not that it stopped her siblings from teasing both of them relentlessly on the feelings that were so clearly there. Eventually they did take some time alone to talk and while the words were never clearly stated, Saffron admitted that his life for quite some time had been lonely and the idea of Livi joining him on his adventures later on would be something he would enjoy greatly.
Again, it was a happiness not meant to last.
In the end it was not Saffron who turned, though. The middle sister's stubbornness and unwillingness to be kept away from her love, a human named Rurik Ackermann caused a constant rift between her and Livi. Livi insisted she was merely trying to spare her sister from whatever horror might befall her should she be corrupted like the others, but the sister did not see it that way and refused to understand that it was only temporary.
She fled back to Queensdale upon hearing that Rurik was ill, and though it seemed at first that her love may have been able to push through the dragon's influence, it was not meant to be. She turned, and her death at the hands of those she cared for most was all but inevitable.
With the fate of the Pact unknown, the breadth of Mordremoth's power still growing by the day, the corruption of the Sylvari only getting worse... Saffron, Livi and the others returned to The Grove, silent in their grief and uncertain as to what their next step forward was going to be.
personality;
As stated above, Saffron came in to the world as a quiet, reserved Sylvari. Though he maintained much of the typical Sylvari nature (curiosity, interest in the world around him, etc) he was one far less likely to take to adventure and travel than his brothers and sisters. The Dream he woke from left him frightened of the world at large at first, fearful that any step outside the Grove could bring about the doom and terror he saw and felt inside it. He struggled for much of his life to ignore the voice inside him that wanted to flee, to run and hide himself away. He tried very hard to behave as other Sylvari did, finding purpose not in a Wyld Hunt but in the Durmond Priory.
In some ways it was the best thing he could have done, because even with Sieran's influence in his life the Priory did give him access to ways to feed his natural curiosity that didn't step on his cautious nature too much. When he wasn't being dragged around on adventure with her he was often found in the massive library curled up in a comfortable corner, pouring through book after book and even re-reading stories of legends who seemed larger than life to him. His love of reading, knowledge and learning is a trait that has stayed with him even following the events at Claw Island.
Sieran was also one of the better things that came in to his life, and while a part of him will always be cautious and wary of the world at large to some extent her presence in his life encouraged him to take to travel and adventure far more than anything else did. The desire to travel remained even after her passing, a part of him feeling he owes it to her to see everything he can even if deep down he still fears all the "what ifs" that might come about during it.
All of this aside, Saffron is a naturally kind, magnanimous person. Fear has never stopped him from wanting to help others, and while he is hardly the kind of Warrior that jumps face first in to danger he will still hold out a hand to anyone who needs aid. He despises suffering (which was one of the many reasons he was so quick to turn his back on the Nightmare Court) and loathes the very idea that he might ever cause some one pain or sorrow.
In that, he is the kind of person who feels things very deeply. Joy, sadness, anger... he is much like a child learning what emotions mean and how they affect him and others around him. While he certainly won't lash out without a good reason to, it is very clear when things happen that elicit some sort of emotional reaction that he is greatly affected by them, sometimes to the point where he simply can't handle it.
Unfortunately this makes him a prime target for the corruption of Mordremoth, as it is cracks in one's will and strength that let the dragon's influence in. It is only by the grace of being around those he cares for so much (despite his attempts to not get attached, which almost never works for him in the end) that he has been able to maintain some sort of balance within his mind.
Still, it was made clear that he was not completely free of the dragon's influence, as the mere idea of anyone threatening the people he came to care for sent him on the defensive back home, so much so that he nearly attacked without thinking or asking questions first.
Luckily, away from the dragon and Tyria, this will be less of an issue. He will protect those people with his life, of course, but with far less anger than he showed in that moment.
Quiet and reserved he may be, Saffron has learned that companionship is not only needed but desired far more than he was originally willing to let on. Making friends has started to become easier for him, and the chances of him shying away or failing in to awkward, stunted conversation have become less and less.
Three years seems like a short time in the life span of a human or other race that has existed for much longer, but to Saffron that has been his entire life. Short though it is, much has happened, and by the grace of the Pale Tree he hopes to experience even more before his time is up.
weaponry and abilities;
» Weapons
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Dire Aureate Rinblade (x2) |
» Weapon Skills (Sword)
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Sever Artery: Bleed your foe with a slash. (Turns in to Gash then Hamstring) |
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Savage Leap: Lunge at your foe and strike them with your sword. |
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Final Thrust: Strike your foe with a final powerful thrust that does extra damage against injured foes. |
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Impale: Throw your sword at your foe to impale them. (Turns in to Rip) |
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Reposite: Block the next incoming attack. Riposte and bleed your foe if you block a melee attack. Gain adrenaline if you are not attacked. (Turns in to Adrenaline Rush |
» Healing
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Mending: Heal yourself and cure three conditions. » Extra Skill Info: n/a » Extra Skill Info: n/a |
» Utility Skills
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Signet of Might: Passive: Improves power. » Active: Your attacks are unblockable. » Extra Skill Info: n/a » Extra Skill Info: n/a |
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Signet of Fury: Passive: Improves precision. » Active: Gain adrenaline. » Extra Skill Info: n/a » Extra Skill Info: n/a |
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Dolyak Signet: Passive: Reduces incoming damage. » Active: Gain stability. » Extra Skill Info: n/a » Extra Skill Info: n/a |
» Elite Skill
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Summon Druid Spirit: Summon a Druid Spirit to fight at your side. |
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Phoenix Longbow |
» Weapon Skills (Longbow)
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Dual Shot: Shoot a pair of arrows at your foe. |
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Fan of Fire: Fire a spread of three flaming arrows, burning foes. |
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Arcing Arrow: Shoot a slow, arcing arrow that explodes on impact. |
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Smoldering Arrow: Shoot an arrow that explodes on impact, blinding foes. |
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Pin Down: Fire an arrow that bleeds and immobilizes your target. |
(other abilities)
aquatic
Urchin's Needles
Impaler
Gavebeoron Breather
armor
Carrion Draconic Heavy Armor
acc
Elegant Weaponsmith's Backpack
Bone Fragments of Tequatl
Twister in a Jar
Settler's Amulet
Settler's Ring
Shaman's Ring
inv
Starter Backpack
*Black Lion Salvage Kit (x2)
*Master Salvage Kit
*Mystic Salvage Kit
*Town Clothes
*Delicious Rice Balls (x29)
*Fried Golden Dumplings (x4)
*Lunar New Year Fireworks (x54)
*Exploding Drake Tails (x22)
10 Slot Thin Leather Pack (x4)
Empty
gathering
*Orichalcum Mining Pick
*Orichalcum Logging Axe
*Orichalcum Harvesting Sickle