Saf Bloom

*Fairy Incubus Dancer*

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 We too can begin a new life, one that brings satisfaction and enrichment, whether this is by singing, dancing, running through the waves, walking barefoot on the grass or making love under the stars. Perhaps your dreams are greater than this, or perhaps more conservative, but whatever they are, Beltane is a wonderful time for expressing who you truly are.

— Carole Carlton, Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers: A Celebration of Pagan Festivals, Sacred Days, Spirituality and Traditions of the Year

For a hundred years, or at least the best estimate of about that length of time where the fae are concerned, Saf was known as one of the most skilled incubi of all Faërie. Then, a seduction went wrong and he found himself making a dangerous bargain... and the next thing he knew, he was living among mortals, doing his best to scrape by with new limitations on his powers and quite a lot to learn. Flash forward a few years, and he's settled into his new life. These days, he can be found working various clubs, dancing and stripping as a way to make a living... and to stay alive.

## Personality

While the classic Myers Briggs personality breakdown is an arbitrary and fundamentally synthetic way of classifying personality types, it's also convenient as a way to quantify a personality. Given this model, Saf would be considered Extroverted Sensing Feeling and Perceiving: "As an ESFP, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Your secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit with your personal value system."

When it comes to the question of introversion versus extroversion, Saf is more of the extrovert--a true people person who enjoys taking action and is good at reading and understanding others. In the question of sensing versus intuition, Saf is is much more reliant upon his senses, what he actually perceives, than trusting his intuition. It is noteworthy that his senses are keen enough that he may often seem to act on intuition, but he does not actually do well in trusting to luck, chance, or vague feelings. As to thinking versus feeling, he tends to be a feeler, but he is also a thoughtful person. Earlier in his life he tended to be foolishly indulgent, but he has learned to take more calculated risks and to think through the feelings he tends to act on, rather than following them blindly. Finally, considering judging versus perceiving, Saf is much more inclined to take in a situation and respond to it than walk in with a strict plan to follow. He is good at being flexible and handling a situation extemporaneously.

All the world's a stage, and this is especially true for the classic ESFP. Sif basks in attention and loves to put on a show, performing nearly as readily as breathing. He loves sensual pleasure, both in more intimate ways and in simpler ones. Sometimes, it's all about a piece of chocolate or a delicious fruit--meaning literal chocolate and literal fruit. It's in Saf's nature to treat life as a party, and he loves to play the host. Fittingly, the ESFP archetype has been called "The Performer," and the end summary of the archetype is quite fitting: "The ESFP has a tremendous love for life, and knows how to have fun. They like to bring others along on their fun-rides, and are typically a lot of fun to be with. They're flexible, adaptable, genuinely interested in people, and usually kind-hearted. They have a special ability to get a lot of fun out of life, but they need to watch out for the pitfalls associated with living entirely in the moment."

-- personalitypage.com

## SIGNATURE ABILITY

### Sybarite Overload

As an incubus, Saf has great influence over the passions of people around him. When those passions have been stirred to great ardor, Saf can take advantage of that to great effect. Essentially, whenever a group of people are worked up into a passionate frenzy, such as an angry mob, Saf can take steps to turn those emotions around. If a crowd's emotions have reached an emotional peak, such as the tipping point of going from being angry to becoming violent, he has the chance to change their emotional state. If Saf can get the crowd's attention in any way, then he has the chance to begin performing for them. And, as long as he dedicates himself to performing for the crowd and little else, he can instill a sense of highly pleasurable, relaxed calm over the crowd. This does not cause anyone to act in ways contrary to their nature, it simply drains away tension and gives them a sense of mellow pleasure and well-being, disrupting whatever heightened emotions had been about to erupt. This effect lasts as long as he is able to perform, whether he stops willingly, becomes tired, or is stopped by an outside force. When the effect ends, the crowd is not restored instantly to their previous emotions, but they can of course become angry again if they have cause.

## SKILLS

Saf has a fairy education, versed in the arts and humanities with a touch of mathematics and science. He's neither especially good nor especially bad with technology, and he speaks a smattering of mostly common modern Earth languages.

Saf is naturally athletic and extensively trained, making him equally adept at nearly any kind of athleticism, from motion-based skills like tumbling and leaping to strength-based skills climbing and lifting to dexterity-based skills, involving reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

Naturally charismatic and inclined toward being expressive, long practice had made Saf profoundly skilled at portraying any particular emotion or manner that he needs in a given situation. This includes being forceful or ingratiating, mannerly or seductive, and so forth as needed. As a fairy incubus, seduction is probably his greatest skill in this area, and he is among the very best at it.

One does not simply live a century in Faërie without picking up a few skills. In Saf's case, despite sometimes acting like a delicate flower, he's pretty good in a fight. He fights dirty as hell, and he's as likely to claw, scratch, and kick someone in the balls as he is to throw a punch, but nobody ever claimed he was a good sport. He's a scrapper, not a duelist or a kung fu warrior.

Self-reliance is important for the wyldfae, and Saf is no exception. This means he knows how to keep a good house and home, which includes the ability to make, tailor, and mend clothing; to cook quite well, and otherwise to maintain a hospitable and comfortable household. As a performer, he's also very well-versed in things like personal grooming, make-up, hairdressing, and so forth. To his mind, it's all part of the skill set.

Educated in Faërie, Saf is a capable spell-caster and occultist. He possesses knowledge of various supernatural creatures, magical forces, and realms. He is also an experienced traveler of the Ways and can identify a very wide array of enchantments, curses, and other mystic effects.

Naturally inclined toward most forms of art and expression, Saf is a masterful performer. A skilled visual artist, singer, and musician, he could succeed in any of those fields. However, his trust skill is as a dancer. When Saf dances, even without using magic, it's often described as a supernatural experience.

The land of Faërie is full of many predators with very keen senses, and it is there that Saf honed his skill. Capable of sneaking and hiding, both by staying out of sight and moving silently, he is quite competently stealthy when he needs to be.

Having traveled a great deal, particularly through the Nevernever, Saf has some basic survival skills. However, much of this depends on magic and knowledge of the Ways, so in practical terms he is only a novice.

## CASTING

As a fairy of some power, Saf has honed his craft for over a century. He can accomplish nearly any feat of magic to some degree, from common offensive spells or command over the elements to barriers or wardings, the summoning or banishment of various spirits or creatures, transmutation of matter or energy from one form to another, mystic travel between locations or realms, and many other effects. Notably, the more power he uses at once, spread out over the number and potency of active effects, the more focus and energy he must have. In terms of what he can do, Saf's abilities generally operate at the Enhanced level, but they're limited by how he can adapt them to fit each situation, and he must sufficiently fuel his power in order to maintain control. Obviously, some applications of this power are heavily governed by consent. His powers are currently more limited than usual due to the pact he entered into with the Erlking.

## POWERS

Thanks to the blessings of his fae blood, Saf is able to move at Enhanced-level speed in short bursts, though he cannot maintain beyond Basic speed for more than a few seconds. However, as a trade-off, his agility and dexterity, where raw movement speed is not concerned, operate at Supreme level, especially when considering grace and sensual movement.

Thanks to the blessings of his fae blood, Saf is physically stronger and more durable than ordinary humans, at Enhanced level. He also heals at an increased rate, several times human normal. This very thorough, allowing him to recover from any illness, toxin, or non-fatal wound, given time.

As a primal fairy of some strength, Saf has greatly enhanced mental fortitude. This allows him to resist most mental or spiritual intrusions, influences, or compulsions, as well as granting him extremely potent willpower for non-mystical purposes.

As a full-blooded fairy, Saf enjoys the blessings of their immortality. He is ageless and cannot become sick or infected with any ailment, and his enhanced physique makes him more difficult to harm than a normal human.

Saf is able to absorb tremendous amounts of magical power from other living beings. Unlike a vampire, he does not "drain" them of their essence or vitality. Instead, by engaging in intimate acts with a partner or by inspiring sufficient pleasure or lust in others, he actually generates magic. This may leave his partners physically tired, but this is only the same sort of fatigue as caused by healthy exercise. Saf must generate magic in this way in order to use his Fairy Magic power.

This power also allows Saf to instill pleasure in others. This is most potent when used on a single partner, but it can also be highly effective if spread out among a larger group, such as when Saf dances in front of a crowd. If he has to lean on this aspect of his power, then he is able to keep much less of the energy he generates, but at a pinch he can use it to help him survive. He tends to take more from an encounter than he puts in, so to speak.

Finally, this power enables Saf to subtly change himself to suit his partner. This is not so overt as whole-body shapeshifting, but his physique can alter subtly, his scent can change, his voice adjust a bit... and it's effortless. With spells and magic preparations, he can of course accomplish much more extensive transformations, but suiting himself to his partner is as easy for Saf as breathing.

Saf is well aware of the world around him, both in a physical and mystical sense. This means that his vision, hearing, sense of smell, and other senses are all exceptionally keen and potent, allowing him to go beyond the limited human capacity when it comes to seeing spectra of light, hearing vastly extended frequencies, tracking by smell with great accuracy, and even guessing at chemical components to some degree by scent or taste. He can perceive beyond many magical effects or illusions, and he is able to perceive the true forms of many physical and spiritual creatures.

## ADVANTAGES

While Saf has been somewhat exiled from Faërie, he still has many contacts among the fae. Some would make small deals with him if he needed something, others would check up on him if anything happened to him, and a few might actually be friends, but he still has quite a few contacts. Unfortunately, his greatest contact, the Erlking, will do nothing to directly aid him until the completion of their pact.

As an alchemist of some talent, Saf generally keeps a number of useful potions around. None of these offer particularly epic effects, but they're good at accomplishing the basics: delivering a direct magical effect through a potion, salve, or similar. Saf often has access to various minor to moderate healing and restorative substances, as well as a few with more exotic effects, mostly used to enhance pleasure and relaxation in others.

As a popular dancer at a number of clubs, Saf manages to always have gigs lined up. his skills make him exceptionally popular, and he routinely makes hundreds of dollars a night in tips. Since this is paid largely under the table, he's able to live quite a comfortable lifestyle and seldom wants for any material needs.

## WEAKNESSES

As a fae, Saf is susceptible to the weaknesses of the fae. While iron does not do him actual harm, it does cause a very painful burning sensation when he touches it, as though he had grasped a red hot coal. Binding him with iron also completely negates his ability to use magic, and he cannot break it even with enhanced strength. Unlike some other fae, however, he is not affected at all by steel. Only wrought iron seems to affect him, particularly for the sake of binding him. He cannot lie, though he can mislead or evade the truth. When he is really pinned down on something--asked thrice--he must give a direct answer that adheres to at least the letter of the truth. Oaths binds him more powerfully: He is not capable of willingly breaking any Oath he makes, though if one is broken by circumstances beyond his control, he suffers no harm from it.

As an incubus, Saf must feed in order to survive. If he does not feed by inspiring sufficient pleasure and other intimate emotions between himself and others, his powers will first begin to activate without his ability to control them. They will reach out, seeking anyone whom he can touch magically, allowing him to feed himself. If he goes long enough without feeding, he may even turn to dust... but if he does, he will eventually be reborn in Faërie, once he's able to restore enough power.

Saf has sworn a pact with the Erlking. In exchange for a future position of power and prestige in the Goblin Court, Saf must live for a century among mortals. While this pact is in effect, he can only derive mystic nourishment from mortal beings, such as humans. His powers have also been bound to some degree, making his magic significantly less powerful in many respects than it was before he made the pact. However, he does not regret the pact. As he sees it, it's only a century, and when it's done, he'll have proved himself and will inherit a position that will last far, far longer.

Born in the mysterious manner of the pure-blooded fae, Saffron Narcissus Oleander Bloom grew up amongst pixies and sprites. He grew up quickly, yet it was nearly an eternity, for such is the flow of time in Faërie. While the Earth was fighting its world wars, Saf dwelt in the wondrous lands of the fae, playing among dreams and feasting on pleasures great and small. He could spend weeks at a time among satyr revels or at the courts of the sidhe, enjoying the sublime pleasures of the finest food and music in all the worlds. There is at once little to tell and an infinity of stories, but such experiences translate poorly to mortal understanding. Suffice to say, he learned to excel in every aspect of his craft, learned to take the most and the best from every possible type of pleasure, and he became an exquisite performer in many ways, surpassing nearly all of his contemporaries.

Such was his skill that he boasted that he could seduce the Erlking, himself. Little did Saf realize that the Erlking himself overheard this claim, and so the Erlking, disguised, goaded Saf into making a pact that he would, indeed, seduce the Erlking. He gave it his best, of course, but in the end, all the talent in the world simply was not enough to contend with the will of the Erlking. However, the Lord of the Goblin Court was entertained by Saf's audacity, and he offered him a counter-pact to replace the first. If Saf could live a century in the mortal world, feeding only on mortal pleasures and with his most powerful sorcery bound, then the Erlking would grant him a title and position of great prestige in the Goblin Court. Saf eagerly accepted.

So, for some years now he has been learning to live in the mortal world. He's come to know how to get by, learned to perform for mortal tastes... and even to revel in it. What are a few paltry decades living among mortals if, at the end, he gets to be a lord of the Erlking's court?

Logs featuring Saf Bloom:

*Coming soon!*