Sapphire is a member of the Thieves Guild that the player can come across in the town of Riften. She doesn’t play a very prominent role in the faction’s questline and only offers one miscellaneous quest inSkyrim. However, she has a surprisingly fleshed-out backstory.
To fully explore Sapphire’s backstory, the player must haveSkyrim’s Dragonborn DLC installed. This allows the player to travel to Solstheim, where they’ll find an important piece of Sapphire’s history.
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Meeting Sapphire in Skyrim
When the Dragonborn first enters Riften, they’ll overhear Sapphire arguing with a stable hand named Shadr. Shadr had borrowed money from her and promised to pay her back double the original amount. However, he couldn’t hold up his end of the deal because a shipment he was expecting was robbed. Sapphire hints that she was the one who robbed it, but continues to press Shadr for his payment.
Talking to Sapphire about Shadr’s debtwill trigger a miscellaneous quest. Depending on the player’s standing with the guild, her dialogue will change. Regardless, the quest can end with the player either helping Shadr with his debt or splitting the profits with Sapphire. Before this quest is completed, Sapphire will usually hang around The Bee and Barb inn. Upon completion, she’ll start staying in the Ragged Flagon — Cistern more often.
Despite Sapphire’sconnection to the Thieves Guild, it’s hinted that the other members don’t fully trust her. When in the Ragged Flagon – Cistern, the player can pick up a note labeled “Eyes Open.” It’s unclear who wrote it, but the message reads: “Keep your eyes on Sapphire. There’s more to her than meets the eye.” Though this is never fully explored.
That said, Sapphire’smiscellaneous quest could offer some informationon this. If the player talks to her about Shadr’s debt as a member of the Thieves Guild, she’ll mention something about the player ratting her out to Brynjolf. Her dialogue is even more telling if the player approaches her as the Guildmaster. When prompted about Shadr’s debt, she’ll say, “I was going to speak to Delvin about cutting the Guild in, but I forgot.” This confirms that Sapphire is taking on jobs behind the guild’s back.
It’s also worth mentioning that Sapphire seems a lot more cutthroat than the other members of the Thieves Guild. Though Brynjolf explicitly tells the player that killing is frowned upon in the Thieves Guild, Sapphire has a line of dialogue where she boasts thatshe’s a deadeye marksmanand lethal with a blade. She has another line of dialogue where she tells the player about how she cut off the hand of a person who cheated her — and that she still has it.
Even with her notoriety within the guild, some members, particularly, Vipir the Fleet, aren’t afraid to try and get to know her better. Granted, Vipir’s methods are forward and can come off as crass. In one conversation,he flirts with Sapphire, and she responds by jeering at him. She even threatens her fellow member, saying that he’ll “turn up missing” if he keeps talking to her like that.
There’s a reason for Sapphire’s attitude, and the player can find out by asking her about her real name (She only calls herself Sapphire because she lovesstealing the blue gems). Sapphire will respond with disdain at first but will eventually though begrudgingly open up about her past.
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Learning Sapphire’s Story
Sapphire grew up with her family on a pig farm. Its exact location isn’t specified, but she says it’s “in the middle of nowhere,” so it was probablyfar from any of the major cities. From childhood to her early teens, her family barely earned enough to get by. So, they ate the same food that they fed to the animals.
At one point,bandits attacked her family’s farmand killed everyone there — except her. They took Sapphire with them and abused her. Despite it all, Sapphire endured the torture. Slowly, she managed to gain the bandits’ confidence. And when the time was right, she stole a knife and killed them all while they slept.
With her captors dead, Sapphire was free. She didn’t go back to her family’s farm because there was nothing left for her there. She doesn’t say what she did after that but, eventually,she ended up in the Thieves Guild. She was probably a member for a few years before the Dragonborn arrived because she recalls what the guild was like before its decline. Sapphire never reveals her real name, though she does tell that player that she might one day.
An Unexpected Revelation
In the Dragonborn DLC, players are given a whole new area to explore — Solstheim. There, in the town of Raven Rock, they can meet a man named Glover Mallory. Talking to him as a member of the Thieves Guild will prompt some unique dialogue where he asks about Delvin, as well as the quest “Paid in Full.” Upon completion of this quest, Glover will hand the player the key to his house and tell them to take whatever they want from the basement.
In that room, the player can pick up a note labeled “Glover’s Letter,” and it reveals that he is Sapphire’s biological father. Decades ago, Glover was tasked with robbing a caravan that was passing by a small farm settlement. There, he chanced upon a beautiful womanand instantly fell in love. Glover stayed with her for a year, but when he found out that she was pregnant, he ran away.
Glover stayed away from that farm settlement for 15 years, afraid of what he’d find. Though when he finally decided to visit, he found the place burned to the ground, ravaged by bandits. Years later, Glover was surprised to see Sapphire in the Thieves Guild. He writes that she was the spitting image of her mother. However, he still couldn’t tell her the truth, so he ran away again —all the way to Solstheim. Even after everything, Glover still hopes that Sapphire will pay him a visit.
The player can choose to take the letter and present it to Sapphire. She’ll be surprised by the revelation, saying that her mother never told her about it. Still, she’ll express her thanks and reward the player with an Exquisite Sapphire, which is one of themost expensive miscellaneous items in the game.
Unfortunately, this is where Sapphire’s content and unique dialogue. She never ventures out to Solstheim to meet Glover, neither does she reveal her real name to the player. Still, her story is a compelling one, and it makes her a much more interesting character despite her small role in the game.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
