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Sapphire Appearance Update and Bio

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Just gonna put the notes first before the bio. I've been working on improving my reptilian faces and facial expressions, so expect to see more practice in that regard. I gave Sapphire a more angular face with more prominent features and a more openly-friendly expression. I also got rid of her mace because I have a better idea of her fighting style and weapon choices and maces don't suit her nearly as much as smaller items like throwing daggers.

Sapphire is also distinctive for having shiny, metallic scales. In a nutshell, this is because she carries the Redeemed Kobold trait. (To explain: in Dungeons & Dragons, chromatic dragons are considered evil while metallic dragons are considered good. Consequentially, a good kobold can develop metallic scales as well.)

It's been a little bit tricky figuring out how to render her scales as metallic, but when I hit upon this (due partially from what I learned from :icontomek1000: , I was delighted. I'm really proud of how this turned out!

I'll be talking more about my practice on reptilian anthro features on my next picture, but in a nutshell, I am EXTREMELY happy with this submission... even if the background is really plain. XP

So, let's go on with some more trivia about our squirmy little ball of cute. <3

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Name: Sapphire (formerly Krgliak)
Species: Kobold - Metallic Blue
Alignment: Good
Age: Unknown (no official recorded birthday), but assumed to range from 16-18.
Height: 2'1" - roughly 1/3 the size of a human
Weight: 20lbs - fairly skinny build
Class: Journeywoman Cleric for the goddess Sarenrae
Notable quote: "Sapphire not strong like dragon. Sapphire not wise like elf. Sapphire not brave like human. Sapphire just Sapphire."

Sapphire is young and idealistic, with big dreams and a big view of the world. Although she can be somewhat naive, she has seen the absolute best and the absolute worst of human nature and is nobody's fool. She understands that humans - like everyone - have good and bad in them. That said, she thinks that no one is beyond redemption, though deep inside, she harbors EXTREME resentment and hostility to other kobolds for the death of her adopted family. As such, she honestly doesn't know how she'd react if confronted by the cowardly members of her old tribe.

She thinks very little of herself and has no illusions about people's perception of her as a loathsome creature. But she also knows that she doesn't need people's trust in order to do good things. She is 100% totally dedicated to her faith and her world view of mercy, compassion, and justice.

Sapphire was once known as Krgliak the Craven among her kind because she was "too weak" and always made excuses for not robbing people. This label still haunts her to some extent and she still worries that she is weak and fearful. After all, compassion and empathy were considered sins rather than virtues among her tribe, and she was reminded of that daily in her earliest years. As a result, Sapphire is often meek and self-conscious, worried she might say or do the wrong thing. Nevertheless, she IS extremely brave and even though she is tiny of frame, she is immeasurably strong of spirit. When push comes to shove she will always, ALWAYS do the right thing and remain loyal to those who deserve her trust. 

Sapphire's self-esteem issues run deeper than simple self-doubt. Deep inside, she knows that she is a kobold and she fears that maybe she truly IS like the worst of them. Or at least that she shares their common traits because of her form and her blood. The question of her species history runs through her. Was she always destined to cause pain? To be jealous, insecure, and petty? To be sneaky, conniving, and selfish?

To answer this question, she often turns toward her goddess, Sarenrae. Sarenrae believes that all creatures are capable of redemption. She teaches compassion and peace. These teachings don't fully eliminate her inner turmoil, but they do give her guidance and comfort. She has only recently learned the meaning of her metallic scales (which baffled her early on when they began to appear), and this is also a source of comfort... and a bit of pride and happiness.

Physically, she is fairly small even for a kobold at scarcely over 2 feet. She has a thin, wirey frame with tiny spikes and ridges along her back and frills on either side of her head. Her scales are a shimmering, metallic shade of rich blue, kept clean and maintained, even during her molting times. She proudly wears her clerical garb; reminded always of her dear late Friar Thomas and Brother Johann as she carries their legacy with her. The clerical robe can hide her form at a glance - she can curl her prehensile tail around in front of her to conceal it and pull the hood of the robe over her snout. Her size is a slight factor, but not unreasonable to pass off as another, more socially-acceptable humanoid species such as a particularly short halfling. This makeshift disguise won't pass anything more than a cursory inspection, but it allows her to be relatively unmolested if she finds herself alone and unprotected in human villages for the most part, so long as she doesn't speak. Her very slightly raspy voice (not nearly as bad as many kobolds, but still noteworthy) as well as her dialect and accent take some concentration to disguise with any effectiveness. But small sentences and single-word phrases are generally unnoticed.

Her holy symbol is a medallion on a pendant she keeps around her neck, under her clerical garb. It is a round medallion made of gold given to her by Friar Thomas. Emblazoned upon it is the insignia of Sarenrae on the front and "The Dawnflower" written in Draconic on the back. She ALWAYS has it with her, even while bathing and while asleep, but is incredibly protective of it and often keeps it hidden unless showing it seems prudent.

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