Nikodemos

Information

Player: Nikodemos

Character Full Name: Nikolas Kraul

Character In-Game Name: Nikodemos

Nickname: Niko

Associations: The Alliance, Stormwind, The Royal Library, Kirin Tor, Lakeshire, The Historical Institute.

Race: Human

Class: Mage (Scribe)

Age: 49

Sex: Male

Hair: Graying

Eyes: Green

Weight: 160 lbs

Height: 5' 9"

Appearance

Nikodemos dresses in a modest fashion, preferring to don a simple brown travelling coat and fishing hat in favor of the gaudy robes and accessories often worn by other arcanists. Scroll cases, pouches and a curved blade of southern origins hang from a number of belts at his waist. Underneath the dusty knee-level dust coat he wears simple woolen pants and a slightly formal vest of soft leather with dark green trim. Sturdy boots outfit his feet and a brown woolen cloak and dark green kerchief fill out his travelling attire. He also owns a heavier robe and cloak consisting of brown wool and bear hide for colder climates. In addition to his attire he travels with a brown duffle bag that contains the majority of his gear and a number of journals and historical tomes.

Personality

Alignment: Neutral Good

With his genuine interest in the cultures and history of nearly everyone he meets, Nikodemos generally comes off as a likeable individual. He values good company, a good yarn and most importantly good food above all else, making him a particularly valuable travelling companion. Though respectfully humble in regards to people of other cultures, he is often rather short with young knights and nobles who would insist on being addressed as sir, feeling such posturing to be an insult to his age and experience. His pursuit of history has encompassed his life's work and in the event that he is delving into an ancient mystery, few things can distract him from his goal with the exception of the well being of his comrades. As the city of Stormwind pays his retirement, he sees it as fitting to take a royalist stance on matters of politics and generally views such upstart movements as Solidarity and the Commoner's Party with a measure of contempt. Out of force of habit, he is careful to conceal his arcane abilities to the point of carrying a sword and using his knowledge of magic only when absolutely necessary. This habit has, however, allowed him to avoid any great measure of arcane corruption.

History

Born a bastard, Nikodemos was raised by his mother and her husband, a Westfall dirt farmer by the name of Victor Kraul. In an attempt to salvage her reputation his mother passed on Vic's family name to Nikolas, a choice neither the man nor the boy found appealing in the least. During the following years tensions became heavy between the young boy and his stepfather, particularly due to the fact that Nikolas attended school at the nearby village of Moonbrook as averse to assisting with the workings of the farm. It was there that the young boy learned to read and developed the keen interest in history that has consumed much of his life's passion. Victor found such learning to be a useless expense and had it not been for the boy's mother, Nikolas's education would likely not have continued as long as it did. Upon his mother's death, the eleven year old Nikolas was immediately removed from school and was forced to aid Vic with the farm. His instructor took pity and allowed the bright young boy to keep a few books of history which Nikolas cherished and still retains in excellent condition to this day. During this time, the relationship between Victor and Nikolas came to an unexpected calm. Neither held any particular liking for the other but a common sadness permeated the home and silence seemed to suit both of their tastes. While Nikolas spent his spare time pouring over his books, Victor spent his time pouring from a bottle of whiskey.

Nearly a year later a wandering conjurer calling himself Theron Demos made his way through the town of Moonbrook. Through much persuasion, Nikolas was able to convince the hedge mage to take him along as an apprentice. Though his apprenticeship consisted mostly of carrying the conjurer's belongings and tending to menial tasks, his master was good on his word and began instructing the boy in the rudimentary skills of the arcanist. Nikolas studied hard and showed great talent for the arcane arts though his ability in the school of conjuration was particularly weak to say the least. After three years of wandering alongside Theron, it was the master's opinion that the boy was prepared for more structured training, as his mastery of conjuration had not improved in the least. Thus they began the journey to the Alterac Mountains.

Upon reaching the wonderous city of Dalaran, the young man, now fifteen years of age, was removed from the charge of Theron Demos and was entered into the ranks of the new initiates. Over the next five years Nikodemos pursued the arcane arts with a fervor, focusing his studies in the schools of abjuration and transmutation. He also dabbled in the art of enchantment though to no real consequence in regards to a mastery. As with his early training in the art of conjuration, Nikolas failed miserably in his attempt to control the elemental forces favored by his Kirin Tor instructors, for the purpose of evoking damage unto one's foes. However, he did display a strong talent in the manipulation of pure arcane energies and was able to complete the majority of his combat training through the use of this ability. Despite the vast arcane resources at his disposal the true focus of his studies remained as it always had, the lush history of Azeroth. The libraries of Dalaran sported as many tomes of historical significance as those of the arcane and Nikolas spent most of his time in the stacks, transcribing copies for his personal use. When a librarian discovered this, though furious, he offered Nikolas a job caring for tomes in ill repair and copying those that were in irreparable condition. This allowed Nikolas to fund his continued training and plenty of time for his historical studies.

With the opening of the Dark Portal and the coming of the orcs, word reached Dalaran of a war to the south. Though the Kirin Tor mages took no official stance on the conflict many of Nikolas's contemporaries had the desire to aid in the efforts and headed south to war. Despite having little desire to engage in such a conflict Nikolas, as young men often do, desired adventure and had become restless in the sanctuary of the Violet Citadel. He sorely missed his earlier years wandering along by his master's side, exploring the places he now read accounts of. Thus, when a plea for assistance arrived from the mage Ilgalar of Redridge, Nikolas was quick to offer his assistance. For nearly a year he battled the orcs of the Blackrock clan in defense of Stonewatch and the village of Lakeshire on the edge of Lake Everstill. Then a new threat arrived in the valley, Morganth. Having been expelled from the mage tower of Stormwind for the practicing of dark magic, Morganth was able to enslave the gnolls of the region and led them on an assault of Ilgalar's tower, claiming it for his own dark purposes. Following the death of his employer and the loss of Stonewatch Keep to the Blackrock clan, Nikolas remained in the village of Lakeshire. Having seen firsthand the corrupting influence the arcane had manifested in Morganth, Nikolas deemed it necessary to tone down his usage of the skills he had been trained to evoke. On the occasion that Lakeshire was besieged, he commonly forsake the use of combat magic in favor of subtle aid to the remaining combatants that guarded the bridge and outlying borders. As the years passed and the conflict with the orcs dissolved into a state of infrequent raids, Nikolas purchased a home just across the bridge from the village, content to spend the days fishing the lake and enjoying the relative peace that had finally found a place in the valley.

Thus the First War came to a close, the second following swiftly behind it. Out of prudence, and due to the fact that any excursion outside the region had become a deadly roll of the dice, Nikodemos remained in Lakeshire for another two years studying his books and assisting with the affairs of the now isolated village. With the destruction of the Dark Portal and the defeat of the horde humanity once again made its way south. As the armies of the Alliance made their way through Redridge, word reached him concerning the death of his old master. Theron Demos had fallen in the failed defense of Stormwind a few years prior and it was at this time that Nikolas shed the name of his stepfather. In reverence to his master's memory he took to introducing himself as Nikodemos. Along with the news of his old friends passing came the offer of work. At the recommendation of the Dalaran librarian that had employed his services during his time as a student, the Royal Library of Stormwind requested his presence in the city. Tasked with handling the books for the reconstruction of Stormwind and the outlying townships, Nikodemos had time for little else aside from work. Unfortunately, said work also required that he handle the records of Stormwind's funding for the various internment camps that had sprung up in the north, a task that Nikodemos dreaded. For the next six years he continued this labor until the completion of the cities reconstruction. Strangely enough, the meticulous records he had kept all came to naught as the builders were never paid for their services.

With the tensions of the Second War long past and the reconstruction complete Nikodemos, now thirty four, once again felt the call of the road. Travel had become relatively safe compared to prior years and he spent the next six of them acting as an envoy to the alliance's various allies. He spent considerable time amongst the Dwarven peoples of Kaz Modan and was occasionally tasked to study their ancient places. Few things thrilled Niko more than field work of this sort and on the rare occasion that such ventures were sanctioned by the dwarves, he threw himself into it with all of the passion he possessed. On one such exploration into a lost dwarven holdfast, Nikodemos discovered a series of glowing runic symbols inscribed upon the stone walls. The guide of the expedition, a fellow historian by the name of Cairn Stonekettle, explained them to be arcane inscriptions that drew upon the magic of the world as adverse to those of the Twisting Nether. Facinated by this phenomenon, Nikodemos spent much of the next years researching such runic magics to the exclusion of his previous arcane studies. During this time he also spent a short stint in Quel'Thalas amongst the High Elves.

In his fortieth year, the world once again found itself at war. However the return of the Burning Legion and the coming of the Scourge found Nikodemos at home. Having long since grown weary of such conflicts he was content to ride out the storm from the comfort of his home on the outskirts of Lakeshire. Though a seemingly short lived conflict in comparison to the wars of previous years, the Third War was particularly disastrous for nearly all parties involved. Nikodemos felt quite fortunate in that he was able to spend the entirety of the war at his desk, compiling the records of his studies and research concerning runic magic for the use of the Royal Library. He completed this work a few months after the end of the war.

With the discovery of the alliance's newfound ally, the Kaldorei, Nikodemos was sent to Kalimdor to serve as an envoy between the city of Stormwind and Darnassus. Warned of the Night Elven distrust for magic users, Niko boarded the ship to Auberdine bearing a sword instead of a spell book. Though he was not particularly welcomed amongst the Kaldorei, through the institution of a respectful deference in regards to their culture, he was able to secure some measure of acceptance from his contacts. It occurred to Nikodemos that while his people studied their history and kept meticulous accounts of their findings, the elves had lived for millennia and essentially were history. As his studies of their ancient past progressed, he often found himself amused rather than appalled when fallacies in his people's historical accounts were made apparent. During this time he also studied the elven language and though he was incapable of the almost musical inflection, he became quite proficient in written Darnassian and was thus able to continue his studies on his own. Niko cherished his posting in Auberdine and choose to continue his tenure for five years, travelling by ship between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms as a messenger between the two nations of the alliance.

Over the course of the last three years, Nikodemos continued his work as a researcher, and on occasion traveled as a messenger or in search of lost library tomes to keep his wanderer's spirit sharp. After just over twenty good years of service to the Royal Library, Nikodemos formally retired earlier this year and has purchased his own small library on the outskirts of the Mage's Quarter in Stormwind with a portion of the coin he had saved over the years. Founding "The Historical Institute", for the purpose of continued archeological research and the education of those with a similar passion, he maintains close relations with many of his old contacts in Auberdine, Ironforge and the Royal Library. He has also resumed his study of the arcane, particularly interested in the magic of runes and leylines, though he is by no means a skilled practitioner as of yet.

Skills and Abilities

Nikodemos is a masterful scribe, having spent much of his career at such work. He is also moderately skilled in the art of enchantment. In addition he prides himself greatly on his ability to provide delicious meals for his travelling companions and, with the exception of fishing, finds this trait to be his most personally satisfying ability. He can read and write both dwarven and Darnassian but he is incapable of intoning the proper voice inflection and has long since ceased attempts at the spoken word. In recent years he has studied runic magic to the exclusion of his previous arcane studies and has some moderate skill in this field of magic as well.