Sariel of Sehanine

BEWARE **SPOILERS BELOW!**

Sariel, the moon maiden - official character art by Bee

The Origin of the Dawnbringers 01-38The Rising Dawn 01-03

Sariel is an Elven Druid, and one of the four members of The Dawnbringers. She is played by Sasha on Life Of The Party: *The Origin of the Dawnbringers* and *The Rising Dawn*. Currently, as with the other player characters, Sariel is Level 6.

At the start of the series, Sariel sets off from Mirrortail with the rest of the party pursuing a cartography contract to chart the flooded hills and mangrove swamps en route to the legendary city of Sanskra.

Sariel is a spellcaster with a number of ranged/area effect spells, but is also known to put herself front-and-centre on a battlefield, utilising *Primal Savagery,* her staff and scimitar to deliver melee attacks. As a Circle of the Moon druid, she is also adept at taking on the form of numerous different animals with her Wildshape ability.

## **About Sariel**

#### **Appearance**

When we first meet her in *Origin of the Dawnbringers,* Sariel has long, messy white hair with various braids and black feathers woven throughout it. She has pale skin and wide, haunted silver eyes that reflect everything she looks at like a mirror. She wears ragged, dirty clothes that cover all of her skin except for her hands and her face. She has a moon cycle tattoo on her forehead.

In the episode "Bathhouse Blues" when Sariel unrobes, it is revealed that she is covered entirely by painful looking scars, as though made by something sharp raking across her skin. These scars are particularly brutal around her wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, knees and ankles.

In the episode "Into the Wilds", Cassian surprises Sariel with a full set of bespoke clothing that he has spent time making for her. She states that she has never had anything so nice to call her own, and that none of her previous clothing had originally belonged to her.

In more recent episodes, Sariel has become cleaner and more confident in her appearance. She wears long skirts of soft pinks and purples, a bodice, pale blouse and dark greyish purple cloak. She also wears the fur bracers that Cassian made for her.

#### **Personality**

When we first meet Sariel, she is incredibly reserved, quiet, and distrusting. It is clear that she has been through some kind of trauma, but the details regarding this are unclear. She displays a keen interest in the 'Fallen Star' that the party learn about in the Flooded Hills, though this seems to be due to her penchant for the moon and her worship of Sehanine, who she is seen to be fervently dedicated to.

As the story of the Dawnbringers progresses and Sariel gets more accustomed to the group, she is seen to be practical and brave - more than one member of the party refers to her as 'fierce' - as well as particularly caring and sweet when someone needs comforting or support.

#### **Religion**

Sariel has a strong connection to the moon goddess Sehanine, who she refers to as 'The Moon Mother'. In the episode 'Howl', Sariel conducts a ritual to honour Sehanine during the full moon. She mentions later to Cassian that she has done this ritual for a very long time, and continues to do so "For those who can't". She allows Cassian to accompany her and watch this ritual the following month.

When the Dawnbringers visit the Lost City of Velathra, Sariel is overcome with emotion by the city's links to Sehanine on a number of occasions.

#### **Equipment and** **Key Possessions**

* *Vandil Ithilden* - a white wood and crystal staff created in Velathra by Celena Olonrae for Eldír Silvertongue when he became Champion of Sehanine.
* *Helios* - *+1 Silvered Scimitar* made from the silvered metal of a sickle found in the spider den ("Howl"), and imbued with the magic of a unicorn horn obtained from the Weeping Eye barracks ("Friends in High Places")
* *Cloak of the Manta Ray*
* *Longbow, +2*
* *Silvered Arrows, +1*
* *Crystal Ball containing Twilight Quartz*
* *Scrying Eye*

## **Relationships**

#### Vanden

Initially, Sariel displays a deep distrust of Vanden. In early episodes of *The Origin of the Dawnbringers*, he makes a number of comments or asks questions that she deems too impertinent, and she tersely shuts him down. When Sariel shows signs of stress after a nightmare in Sanskra and Vanden grabs her wrist, she reacts viciously, creating further animosity between them.

However, their view of each other is seen to change over time. After facing the Weeping Eye for the first time in the ruined abbey, Vanden confesses to Sariel that her attitude towards helping him with his urgent quest has changed his opinion on her and that he could see her as a powerful military figure one day, perhaps even his second in command. He notes that she could do with more restraint as a fighter, and she agrees. Sariel admits that she misjudged him in the beginning and has come to realise she was wrong about the kind of person he is. They joke that they better not talk for too long before they let anyone think that they're friends.

Vanden is the second person to discover Sariel's hidden scars, when he takes her to buy armour. It is this realisation that leads him to lend her his signet ring for the Shadebourne Ball, thus giving her the illusory guise of unblemished, unscarred skin when she wears it.

When Vanden is thrown from the balcony of Valentian's estate and revealed to be an Aasimar, it is Sariel who comforts and soothes him by speaking to him in Celestial, a language they share. The experience seems to bring the two closer still, and they are shown to be particularly close friends in *The Rising Dawn.*

(R has referred to Sariel as Vanden's 'Emotional Support Druid')

#### Cassian

Cassian is the first member of the group that Sariel really seems to open up to or get along with. Coming from such different backgrounds, it is surprising that the two are so close, but their shared elven heritage acts as the icebreaker for what might have otherwise been a tense relationship. In *The Origin of the Dawnbringers*, Sariel and Cassian have a private conversation about their long lifespans, which ignites a trust and understanding between the two of them. The two are firm friends as the series progresses.

Cassian spends the journey from Lakeside to Shadebourne crafting Sariel a bespoke set of clothing suited to her taste and practical needs, which leaves her overcome with emotion when he presents it to her. She tells him that she has "never had anything this nice to call my own", and that she had "had nothing" when she met the rest of the group. The trust and amity this exchange yields prompts Sariel to later offer for Cassian to accompany her to her full moon ritual to spectate.

Sariel is the first to have any inkling that there is something going on between Cassian and Vanden, having been intrigued by Cassian's comment "I told him I was going to kill him... but now it makes me sad when he's unhappy". She has been known to give moral support or advice to Cassian when he is irritable or in a quandry, and has pushed him to talk to Vanden about their feelings for each other.

#### Astra

Sariel and Astra appear to be very fond of each other. Astra refers to Sariel as 'little Sapling' with regularity, and has compared her to his younger sister, Lunette. This may well contribute to Astra being incredibly protective of Sariel, though he is aware that she can take care of herself.

Astra exhibits a lot of trust in Sariel, trusting her to carry his backpack across a river when he is otherwise very secretive and possessive over it. He also offers to teach her how to speak Sylvan, and she in exchange offers to help him learn Elvish.

**Previous Dawnbringers**

#### Boblem

While Boblem was still travelling with the party, he and Sariel got along well. The two of them bonded over druid skills and wildshape conversations, and she seemed very endeared to his happy and innocent nature.

#### Elyse

During their time travelling together, Sariel and Elyse did not have many conversations. Elyse was the first person to see Sariel scars in the bathhouse in Sanskra, though Elyse chose not to pry and instead the two of them drank in relative silence.

#### The Oracle

Sariel has mentioned knowing an elf who lived into her 800s. In Velathra, the party saw a vision of Sariel's home region of the Copper Hills, and saw her questioning an old, blind elf woman with long, 'cloud-like' white hair. Sariel knelt before this woman and referred to her as 'Oracle'.

#### Valerian

> *"His name is Valerian... He is a Magister in Riven... We were all taken, and he bought us... He gave us these [scars]... I'm going to kill him"*
>
>

## **History**

#### **Background**

Very little about Sariel's background is currently known, though she is said to have experienced "absolute cruelty" at the hands of someone only known as 'Valerian'. She has also referred to the Copper Hills as 'home'.

As is the custom of some elves, Sariel changed her name when she came of age. She was previously known as 'Elaneth' (Elvish spelling "*Elanessa*"), which she says means 'Young Star'. She chose the name 'Sariel' for herself, and describes the name as having belonged to a warrior in one of her clan's stories.

#### **Pre-Series**

Sariel meets Vanden, Astra, Boblem and Cassian outside the Giggling Squid Tavern in Farrelstadt, where they help an old woman with a Water Weird in her basement. She travels with the group across the sea to Mirrortail, where she parts ways with Astra, Cassian and Vanden, to spend the day with fellow druid Boblem.

## **Technical Information**

#### **Known Proficiencies and Skills**

* Speaks Common, Elvish, Druidic, and Celestial. Learning Sylvan
* Darkvision
* Misty Step

#### **Druid Abilities**

* Wild Shape
* Find Familiar

#### **Spells**

Cantrips

* Druidcraft
* Frostbite
* Primal Savagery
* Word of Radiance (with *Vandil* *Ithilden*)

1st Level

* Absorb Elements
* Cure Wounds
* Entangle
* Faerie Fire
* Ice Knife
* Protection from Evil and Good
* Shield (with *Vandil Ithilden*)
* Thunderwave

2nd Level

* Healing Spirit
* Find Traps
* Lesser Restoration
* Locate Object
* Misty Step
* Moonbeam
* Pass Without Trace

3rd Level

* Call Lightning
* Conjure Animals
* Dispel Magic
* Erupting Earth
* Flame Arrows
* Protection from Energy
* Tidal Wave

4th Level

* Blight
* Divination [Ritual]
* Ice Storm
* Fire Shield
* Summon Elemental