Name: Ephias SagineEphias: combination of Epiales and Morpheus, a spirit of nightmares and god of sleep respectively.
Sagine: corruption of the last name of Carl Sagan.
Blood colour: Red #b22c1e
Gender: Male
Symbol: Polynucleotide Strand
Personality: Most of the time, Ephias is a relaxed and gentle troll. He is strongly averse to violence, and goes out of his way to avoid conflict. His open-minded nature allows him to accept the faults of others and makes him deeply sympathetic. When misfortune strikes, he is more than willing to lend a hand to help out anyone in need. He keeps a clear head and can analyse situations without personal bias... Again, most of the time.
The problem occurs when Ephias cannot sleep, which happens quite a lot, as he suffers from chronic insomnia. At such times, he loses the ability to focus. He is often lethargic and has no sense of purpose. He becomes uncharacteristically moody, frequently alternating between irritation and depression. When he has gone an exceptionally long time without sleep, he experiences nightmarish hallucinations and of course, rage. Fortunately, his lusus is usually around to nudge him into his recuperacoon for some healthy, soporific relaxation.
On the surface, Ephias appears disorganised. He tends to leave his things laying around, often in strange places, and is averse to cleaning. However Ephias simply likes to keep things consistently messy. There is a kind of order to his disorder, paradoxical as that sounds. He is in fact, highly organised. He keeps to a daily schedule and does not appreciate anything that deviates from it. Not surprisingly he is not a fan of spontaneous action, and dislikes surprises. He is always punctual - rarely early though. While Ephias may present himself as logical and calculating, which in a way he is, he is more often motivated by his emotions.
Ephias has a thirst for knowledge. He is highly observant, and he devours books with a ravenous appetite. He is especially curious about the natural world, and the worlds beyond. He spends most of his time studying and charting the movements of the stars. It gives him a sense of connection and purpose, even if he is not sure what that purpose is. Because he is not exactly wealthy, he has to scavenge for and build a lot of his own equipment. His greatest ambition is to one day venture into space. For now though, he contents himself with collecting meteorites. Ephias also has an interest in the connectivity of of various life. He collects plants to study cross pollination and grafting but struggles to keep his potted pets alive. He blames the brutal desert climate (it's not the climate). He does possess one sturdy cactus that has kept him company for one sweep now.
Ephias has a strong dislike for the hemospectrum, which is not surprising considering his place on it. He believes the so-called natural hierarchy largely unjust, and struggles to come to terms with it. For the most part though, he keeps his head down. As much as he dislikes the hemospectrum, he dislikes conflict more. Besides, it is not as though he is in a position to change anything about it. Raising a fuss would only result in an unhappy ending: his being culled. Generally, Ephias tries to steer clear of highbloods, simply because of their vicious reputation. However he does not harbour any kind special resentment towards them.
Though Ephias is in many ways a mild-mannered troll, there are several things he will not put up with. Abuse is one. Being so close to the bottom of the food-chain, Ephias has witnessed some of the hemospectrum's ugliness. While most times he may bow his head and swallow his pride, the minute he feels someone has violated his rights or his morals, he will step up. Ephias absolutely refuses to allow himself to be bullied. Interruptions are another thing Ephias will not stand for. An interruption of any kind will throw Ephias into a fury. He knows it's irrational, but despite that, he cannot seem to quell that burning sensation in his gut every time someone cuts him off mid-sentence. Finally, Ephias dislikes physical touch. Stemming from his struggle with social conventions, he is highly aware of his personal space bubble. It is his space, and that should be respected. While he will not usually voice his discomfort, he will make it obvious from the way he shies away from contact. As he warms up to people however, he may become more laid-back in this regard. He still won't initiate contact or anything though.
Ephias has a slight stutter. It becomes worse when he is angry or excited.
Strengths:
Compassionate
Perhaps empathy is not something a troll might usually consider in positive light, but for Ephais his compassion provides him with a kind of inner strength. It is his moral backbone. He feels strongly about the suffering of others, and is certainly not above offering a hand to help. He makes a good listener and is more than happy to be the silent audience to a one-sided conversation. His compassion drives him, and provides him with a clear sense of right and wrong. He excels at keeping his head clear while employing his feelings as a catalyst.
Reasonable
Ephias operates logically. He thinks in a linear fashion, without skipping around or losing focus. He has a healthy amount of scepticism that allows him to be open to new ideas and perspectives, without falling prey to superstition. He is highly organised, even if his manner of organisation does not necessarily reflect that. When it comes to decision-making he considers all aspects of a situation before forming any kind of judgement. As a result, it can take him a long time to reach any kind of conclusion. He has the potential to be a great teacher; he is articulate in his explanations and excels at problem-solving.
Steadfast
While Ephias is largely open-minded, once he has reached a conclusion about something, he is unlikely to suddenly budge from that. After all, he has considered his decision very, very carefully. Though this can make him seem stubborn at times, his adamant nature is redeemed by his dependability. Ephias does not sway from his allegiances, and once he has a task in mind, he will see it through to the end. His word is his promise. While Ephias may back down from conflict, he will never compromise his principles. As such, he is not easily bribed or intimidated. Ephias values truth and honesty above all else.
Flaws:
Literal
Ephias is very literal and very direct. He does not believe in beating around the bush. He tells things how they are. This can lead him to making some harsh but honest judgements when it comes to more sensitive matters. Any brusqueness however should not be attributed to a cold pump biscuit, but rather a lack of tact. In addition, Ephias is not very good at picking up on social cues. He tends to take people's words at face value. It is not so much that he is gullible as he fails to read the underlying dialogue. As an outsider observer he tends to perform a little better, though some things still mystify him; sarcasm, wordplay, and metaphors usually fly right over his thinkpan.
Morose
Though Ephias wants to be an optimist, he is often overwhelmed by negative possibilities. It is not uncommon to find him with an aura of doom hanging over his head. He gets hung-up on all the bad things that could and probably will happen, and struggles to acknowledge that a more positive outcome might be just as likely. While Ephias is a herald for change, he has his doubts, especially in regards to his own influence. He considers himself a realist, but really that's just a stealthy label for 'pessimist'. He has yet to realise his own potential.
Undemonstrative
Though Ephias has a wide emotional range, he tends to resemble a cold, unfeeling robot at times. His face seems to be stuck in this kind of perpetually bored or annoyed expression. His body language in general is stiff, so he can be hard to read. In addition, It can be hard to tell if he is upset or happy, because most of the time he simply will not say anything. When pressed of course, he will produce an honest and direct answer, but if there is even a hair of uncertainty he will mask his opinion behind a safe wall of fact. He seems to expect others to somehow psychically read his mind. Not surprisingly, he often feels a sense of disconnect, which is frustrating.
Weapon: Shearkind. Ephias uses them to cut metal as well as trim Wolly's thick wool.
Appearance: Ephias is average height and average weight. He has crazy fly away hair that defies all gravity or reason, with uneven bangs. His face is somewhat squarish. He has dark circles under his eyes, short, thick, triangular brows and a snub nose. Three teeth protrude over his lower lip. He has double-helix shaped horns. As a kid, his horns only cross once. As an adult his horns will cross multiple times. He wears a thin red and black jacket over a grey t-shirt. He has black cargo shorts, white socks, and red converse shoes.
Home: Chittentown. Ephias' hive is built on the canyon floor. It is an unfortunate location for star-gazing due to the limited visibility of the sky as well as all the light pollution, so Ephias often leaves home for his astronomical pursuits. It is a small hive, two stories tall but incredibly narrow, without much furnishment. Ephias prefers to keep things simple. Books are stashed everywhere, as he ran out of proper bookcases. In general, things seem to be in disarray. His respiteblock, located on the second floor, serves more as a workshop, as it is where he assembles all his instruments.
Lusus: A large, squat woolbeast by the name of Wolly. He is so short that his legs are practically invisible beneath all his marshmallow soft wool. He seems to scoot around the ground.
Wolly is a relaxed, gentle creature, with the patience of a saint. He is slow to anger, and even then, quick to forgive. He and his charge have a healthy relationship - Ephias adores Wolly, and Wolly adores Ephias - but Wolly sometimes worries about his charge, especially when it comes to his insomnia induced rage. As a result, Wolly can be rather smothering. He likes to keep Ephias safe at home, away from the dangers and brutalities of society. Unfortunately Wolly's mild nature ensures that Ephias usually gets his way. However If Wolly feels particularly strong about something, he might employ guilt-tripping tactics.
Wolly is very friendly and very intimate. Much like Ephias, he would rather resolve conflict peacefully, though he is not afraid to horns. He is not especially bright, and when something confuses him, he is likely to pretend that it does not exist. He enjoys the company of others, especially if there is a chance of cuddling. Wolly loves cuddling. Sadly, Ephias does not.
Power: NOPE.
