Schäfer

* Inventor Aspect
* Forger Aspect

> *"Gather your people, your soldiers and your loyalists. Pray that it will be enough. I know Jasper's kind. He is not one to back away. He will come for you with all that he is. You do yourself no favors by being slow to act."*
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> -Forger Aspect Schäfer, to Sapphirian
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**Schäfer** is the German God of Invention, and a member of the Sapphirian Pantheon. His sphere of influence involves creativity and creation in any form, whether it be for peace or war. He has multiple personalities to reflect this, with one half focused on making helpful inventions and simple trinkets, whereas his more dominant, warring half is focused on creating weapons of war.

## Biography

### Myths and Legends

Old German folktales told of a wizened old goat man who would live far away, isolated from the world in the depths of a dense and seemingly endless forest. Every so often, the old goat would place carved trinkets on the edge of the forest path; they were nothing more than simple good luck charms for passing strangers. Sometimes, these carved items would be larger things, like rocking chairs or other such items of measurable size and worth. For a time, the old goat was happy to gift these items away, honing his craft in the process. However, there were those who rejected these gifts.

Some of lesser morals found themselves destroying such gifts; throwing the charms upon the ground, they would shatter with ease. The old goat knew when it happened, and he had no love for those who shunned his creations. The humble, old craftsman in the woods turned into a much darker beast. Those who rejected his craft were spirited away into the woods; none know what becomes of them, as they are never seen or heard from again. Some have speculated on those who anger the goat of the forest. Popular theories suggest that he would simply eat them and take their bones unto his craft, though nothing suggests that the goat man is a carnivore. Other theories suggest that the old goat turns them into trees, using their wood to carve new things. If the theory proved to be true, it would suggest that the goat considers it penance for those who harm his creations.

### Sapphiria Today

Nothing is known about how Schäfer came to be in modern day Sapphiria, but much as was his nature in the ages before, all can only be speculated. The most logical conclusion is that the old goat had involved himself in the Great War, only to see the destruction that came in its aftermath. Certainly after such a calamity, the goat god could no longer sit idly by and watch. With the rise of the great nation of Sapphiria, Schäfer installed himself as the patron deity of the Kingdom of Westaria. Deep in the mountains, the German people had taken it as their mission to create and craft as they saw fit, inventing things that even the old goat could be proud of. While Schäfer often remains in his more peaceful aspect, no longer seeking to punish those who spurn his gifts, there are moments in time which still trigger his transformation. When war breaks, the kind old goat will be kind no more.

### The Sapphiria/Rubidia War

Schäfer had little direct involvement in the war, only appearing at a summit early on to warn Sapphirian about how depraved and determined Jasper could be. His Forger Aspect was increasingly irritated with how Sapphirian was so slow to act, especially since Jasper had just essentially declared war on them, reigniting the war from four years prior. Schäfer's words rung hollow when Jasper took initiative, attacking Sima Cao and destroying much of the city before stealing the Goddess' powers for himself. While Westaria would never end up being a prime target for the Mad God and his Red Army, Schäfer huddled himself away in the mountains and got to work. He never made a public appearance during the war, but many of the weapons and armor used by Sapphirian's forces were Westarian-made, some even by his hand. This included automatic weapons and vehicles such as tanks. Not everything used in the war was made by the West, as much of Sapphiria's arsenal still consists of refurbished Old World relics.

Following the end of the war, news struck that Alek'voyna had perished during the final battle. Since they had been such good friends during their collective tenures as gods, Schäfer was heartbroken by the news. He was one of the few who was present during Alek's memorial service, alongside the other members of the Sapphirian Pantheon, sans Sapphirian and Cyndi.

## Appearance

### Inventor Aspect

In his Inventor Aspect, Schäfer appears as a half-man, half goat biped, with around 5 feet in height. His legs are double-jointed, with thick, cloven hooves for feet. Thick, brown fur covers his legs, with patches of fur over his shoulders as well. His torso is left entirely exposed, displaying an impressive musculature that was likely cultivated from excessive physical labor over thousands of years. Down his right arm and left leg, Schäfer wears plated bronze armor, fastened against his body by a myriad of leather straps. A similarly crafted helmet covers his face. His goat horns are thick, and curl backwards for a full loop.

### Forger Aspect

When Schäfer dons his Forger Aspect, his entire appearance changes drastically. He still appears somewhat goat-like, with double-jointed legs and cloven hooves. His height grows to well over 7 feet, and his body becomes covers in some sort of dark substance, resembling dead plant matter. Much of his body features are lost as this matter covers his entire form, draping off at his waist like a loincloth of sorts. His face has turned into that of a bleached goat's skull, lacking any features or even eyes to see with. His horns curl forward instead of backwards, pointing straight upwards after a 180 degree curve.

## Personality

### Inventor Aspect

Once upon a time, Schäfer had been more of an isolationist, preferring no company but his own. Times have changed in recent years, with the founding of the Sapphirian Empire and Schäfer taking his place as the patron deity of Westaria. By default, Schäfer is peace-loving and kind; he respects all those who give respect back, and rather enjoys the company of those with creative minds. He takes a certain level of pride in that which he crafts; whether it be his small, carved trinkets, or arming his followers with the knowledge to craft amazing inventions. Though, even the peace-loving goat god has his breaking point. With the level of pride he has in his work, it crushes him to see anyone tarnish it in any way. Depending on the severity of this incident, Schäfer has a chance of morphing into his secondary personality, the Forger Aspect.

### Forger Aspect

With Schäfer's good will crushed, he changes into his Forger Aspect; a more mean-spirited, evil-hearted version of the once peaceful god. The Forger Aspect is almost entirely opposite from the Inventor Aspect; Schäfer becomes cold and mean, focused more on punishing aggressors rather than taking pride in his work. This translates into one of several ways; Schäfer been known to capture those who have crossed him or his people, turning them into trees, and using their wood to make his trinkets. When immediate apprehension is out of the question, he will turn towards whoever is available and attempt to gain their aid, in order to vet out justice. The Forger Aspect is more likely to come out during times of war, where Schäfer will lend his creative mind to build weapons of war.

## Abilities

Schäfer's ability lies in his intellect. He isn't a master strategist or a genius scientist, but he can see how things can and will work. He's a master engineer and architect, able to piece things together and give practical application to even the most seemingly useless of objects. Schäfer is capable of envisioning every step of the process, either creating magnificent inventions or helping in their creation. In his Forger Aspect, Schäfer has intimate knowledge of modern military hardware. Using a photographic memory, he is able to compartmentalize blueprints and schematics, and can call upon them whenever he needs to. By his guidance, Westarian technology has jumped significantly since the end of the Great War. Aside from his intellect in engineering, Schäfer speaks both fluent German and English. Though no one has seen him do it in recent years, Schäfer also has the ability to turn people to wood if they anger him enough.

## Relationships

### Sapphirian

The exact moment when Sapphirian and Schäfer first met is left largely unknown, but the two deities have formed a lasting friendship, as close as the friendship between their kingdoms. Sapphirian remains entirely aware of Schäfer's constant shifts in mood, and has remained vigilant in reminding Schäfer that it is not wise to turn people into trees. Schäfer still does so regardless, though has managed to cut back since his past days. Likewise, Schäfer was partially responsible in designing the Imperial Castle, of which has solidified him as a welcome addition to the Sapphirian Empire.

### Alek'voyna

Schäfer and Alek'voyna share a rocky relationship, mostly due to the fact that Schäfer will only appear to Alek while the former has assumed the Forger Aspect. Schäfer's belligerent nature and anger has often gotten on Alek's bad side, of which the latter often maintained a cool demeanor, even in times of war. Nevertheless, Schäfer has successfully provided Alek and Northaria with many of their modern-age military equipment, and has helped Northaria bolster their military might in the past few decades. While Alek would prefer not to associate with Schäfer while he is like this, Schäfer's creative genius makes him a valuable ally. When Schäfer shifts back to his Inventor Aspect, he apologizes profusely, helping to maintain the friendship between the two gods.