Raphael

Raphael is also real inspired by Hythlodeaus, mixed in with parts of how I envision my Azem is. Chronologically I wrote his backstory second, after Sariels, and his epilogue the most recently: 

When Raph was a simple young lad in conyberry, he was in love with a Neverwinter noble's daughter who resides in his village due to her poor health. To his surprise, she returned his feelings and they dated in secret. It was a simple romance with the purity that only first loves can have. Or so Raph thought.

The pair of lovers usually met in secrecy away from the eyes and ears of her few servants. He’ll sneak in through the window of her bedroom at dusk and they’ll spend the evening chatting away. The girl's health was improving month by month, and was soon summoned back to the City for a few weeks.

Raph missed her dreadfully while she was gone and longed for her return. And upon her return, he was overjoyed. Perhaps too happy. For he didn’t notice that she was acting a little more reserved than usual. Weeks went by and he slowly sensed something was amiss but dismissed the notion that anything was wrong. Again the foolish confidence that was only possible when a heart has never been broken before.

One evening, not unlike any other evening, he visits her house but finds her window locked. Peering into her window, he does not spot her in the bedroom. Alarmed, Raph immediately runs towards to the front of the house. He almost barges in the door before he realize he has no explanation for the servants' inevitable questioning as to why he would be there. Instead he decides to anxiously wait slightly down the road where some bushes can conceal his presence but still offer a clear view of her houses door.

An hour…two hour…Raph doesn’t actually know how much time passed but the sun has long set and stars have already come out. He suddenly sees the door open and an unfamiliar young man stepping out of the house. The young man bows and kisses his beloved's hand before leaving the other direction down the road. Raph’s mind is spinning in a million different directions, does he follow the unfamiliar man and demand to know what’s going on? Does he run to his beloved and demand the same? Frozen with anxiety, he does nothing but continue to crouch next to the bushes until the night deepens. Knowing the man is long gone and his beloved asleep, he slowly trudge home in a daze.

The next evening he approaches his beloved window, naively hoping last night was just a misunderstanding and surely there was a simple explanation for all that he witnessed. That he and his beloved can just go back to their blissful and innocent chats. But the shades are drawn… Raph pauses, feeling the anxiety overwhelm him. He tumbled forward and tried to open the window. The windows are locked. He bangs on the window before even realizing what he’s done. When he came to his senses, he hears the servants voices in her room and quickly runs away without even looking back. The next day, the day after that, for almost a whole week Raph goes to her house and finds the shades drawn and windows locked. Driven almost to madness, he resolves to make a formal visit.

A servant opens the door and eyes him with suspicion. Raph rattles off a seemingly convincing reason to see the mistress of the house. The servant reluctantly brings the girl to the front door. Upon seeing his beloved for the first time in almost a week, Raph felt all his anxieties melt away. It was no longer important to know what happened, he just needed to be with her again and everything will be alright.

He was just about to say something before the girl curtly said: “I’m sorry but who are you and what business do you have with me?” Raph distorts with shock and starts stammering, calling the girls name frantically. She grimaces for a second before turning away and asking the servant to show him out.

Raph spends the next few days in an even stronger daze. He was already behind on his farm work and now could barely concentrate on the simplest of tasks. He tried going back to her house multiple times, but now the servants don’t even answer the door. And one day the house was just empty. He didn’t even notice her moving out, nor did the other villagers provide any new information.

Raph wasn’t sure when the shock wore off and the anger started to appear. But somewhere, somehow, he became sure that the young man was a noble from Neverwinter and that they started a romance when she was away. But if he could just see her again, convince her that his love is far greater than that of some random noble, they can be happily together again.

He started working furiously on his farm to squeeze out some extra harvest so he can travel to the city. He did succeed on that, but could only manage to subside in the slum quarters. He roamed the streets aimlessly hoping to see his girl or the young man (not that he’d recognize him). Somewhere, somehow, he stumbled upon a suspicious character (well he too was a suspicious character at this point) that led him to discover devil and otherworldly inhabitants. Grasping at straws, but with focus that only comes with desperation, he studied the dark arts and manage to gain an audience with Levistus. Easily seduced by the promise of reuniting with his lost love, Raph very willingly offered his soul to the devil.

But of course Levistus didn’t give Raph anything helpful. Deceiving these idiotic humans was as basic as breathing. And to Raph’s credit, he quickly sobered up after the transaction and realized the gravity of his mistake. But the thing about humans, and really any race, is that they need hope to live. Doesn’t matter how small, even the tiniest spark is sufficient. So Raph hangs onto his will to live for the chance that he will meet his girl again. But his soul is gone and that is his first problem.

“Luckily”, Levistus doesn’t really care whose soul it is. So Raph brings him other souls. First the easy preys in slums, eventually other adventures in the same party. He puts on a cheerful and easy going mask, quick to befriend new adventures, blend into new parties. Everything to make the target feel at ease. Then all it takes is an accident, then that year’s quota is complete. Eventually this is just habit to him, the girl of his past an entirely meaningless symbol. His act is so convincing that he manages to fool himself most of the time. All until a young high elf joins his party.

...

Raph is once again annoyed by the vast difference in human and elfin lifespan. Since returning to his home village after few quick adventures without Sariel, he feels that his days are unbelievably long. Just how long does the adulthood ceremony take, after all a few years to elves probably feel like a few days to humans. It’s not fair that the two decades he spent traveling with Sariel feels so short in comparison. He can’t wait to see them again, to hear their voice throughout the day, to share simple meals, to confidently jump into battle fully trusting that they will always have his back. Also to finally let that dense idiot know that his fondness for them is beyond platonic, to loudly declare his love, to softly whisper it in their ears. Whenever Raph thinks of Sariel, which is all the time, he also is reminded of how much he’s changed. Now he’s actually become the person that Sariel thinks he is. A good person.

Raph is again lost in his longing as he slowly finishes his breakfast just as dawn breaks. Preparing for another long day in the fields, he allows his thoughts to remain with Sariel a little longer as he clears the table. But sudden loud clamours outside his rustic lodging interrupt his tender moment. The other villagers seem to be panicking, shrieks and screams fill the air. Raph’s senses immediately sharpen and he dashed towards his adventuring gear. After quickly donning his equipment, he rushes out the door. Whatever the trouble is, he will protect his village from it. After all, he is awfully looking forward to showing Sariel his hometown.