Name: Sareth Halzaen Age: 22 Nationality/Region: Half-Noctic Elf (Noctis Labyrinthus) / Half-Marineer (Northwest Xanthe, near Araby) Raised in Velgrath Hollow, between the Noctic Labyrinthus and the Mariner Canyons Role: Protagonist's Sidekick Class: Scout / Duelist -Keeps his feelings close to his chest, especially when it comes to his elven heritage -Once someone earns his trust, he becomes fiercely protective -Uses dry wit as a coping mechanism to mask deeper resentment and sadness -A skilled observer and fast learner, especially with ancient languages and wilderness tracking Sareth was born on the rugged slopes between the Noctis Labyrinthus and the northwestern edge of the Mariner Canyons, where the cliffs cast long shadows and settlements cling to steep rock like lichen. His mother, a Noctic Elf, had been exiled from her community for choosing a human partner, a rare and unspoken shame among her people. His father, a trader from a dry hillside village in northwest Xanthe, near Araby, returned to his native lands shortly after Sareth was born, unable to endure the cultural hostility and harsh terrain. Raised in a quiet hamlet built along a dried aqueduct, Sareth grew up under the silent burden of his mother’s ostracism and the quiet disdain of the Marineer villagers, who viewed elves as secretive and unnatural. Though his mother never spoke ill of her homeland, she taught him the elven tongue in private, and passed on techniques for moving unseen, hunting without disturbing the dust, and reading silence like a book. Yet, to Sareth, these lessons were tainted, reminders of a world that rejected them both. Straddling two cultures that wanted little to do with him, Sareth grew up with a biting sense of irony and a lone wolf’s instinct. He joined Ereno Vastal and Rhoziel Embaran not out of kinship at first, but because they treated him without fear or pity. As he travels, he carries his anger quietly, but deeply, not just at the elves, but at a world that made exile hereditary. -Braids a leather cord into his hair before battle as a mental anchor -Sleeps with a dagger beneath his pillow, even when safe -Prefers dusk over daylight, claiming “it’s when the truth hides less” -Mimics bird calls instinctively, a habit from tracking game -Carries an old, worn copy of an elven manuscript he can’t bring himself to burn