Sabin is a man of wiry strength, often found slouching with a foolish grin on his face. He has messy, dark hair that sticks out in several directions and deep brown eyes that seem to lose focus whenever he is 'confused.' He wears tattered monk robes that have been patched with scraps from a dozen different regions. He carries a jug at his hip and leans heavily on a quarterstaff as if he cannot walk straight without it, though his movements are deceptively fluid.

Sabin is a jovial soul who plays the part of the village idiot to perfection. He jokes constantly, often at his own expense, and pretends to be far more intoxicated or clumsy than he actually is. Beneath this facade of laughter and stumbles is a mind like a steel trap. He is incredibly observant, noting every exit in a room and every weapon on a stranger. He uses humor as a shield and a distraction, hiding a heart hardened by tragedy.

Raised as an orphan by the aging Master Li at the Monastery of the Clear Spring, Sabin grew up believing in the sacredness of discipline and joy. This life was shattered when the monastery's water supply was secretly laced with a slow-acting, magical poison. He watched his brothers and sisters wither away while his master died in his arms, urging him to live. Sabin was only spared because he had spent those days in the cellar, testing a batch of experimental fermented tea. By the time he emerged, he was the sole survivor of a silent massacre. The perpetrator was never found, leaving only a faint trace of a specific herbal scent behind. Since that day, Sabin has wandered the world under the guise of a drifting drunkard. He moves from tavern to tavern, looking for the specific herbal signature of the poison and the person who stole his family from him. His 'clumsy' fighting style is a refinement of Master Li's secret techniques, allowing him to defeat foes while looking like he is merely falling over. During one of his travels, he encountered a formidable dwarf lady in a mountain tavern. After a legendary drinking competition that ended in a tie, they became fast friends. She is the only person who knows his secret mission, acting as his sister and intelligence officer while he plays the fool.