Nicholas "Niko" Vanceon {Van-sin}◆ 23 ◆ May 26th ◆ 5'9 ◆ GuardianNiko sprouts a few hairs shorter than most males at five foot nine inches though it is not a fact he consistently contemplates. His build is slender with equally petite arms hanging by his sides and longer than average legs holding him upright. Exercise and bulkiness are non-factors to the young man as he considers his Guardian enhancements enough of a physical advantage. Scars both large and small scatter themselves across his torso, back, and arms as sufficient replacement for creatively drawn ink and his facial features fall squarely into unremarkable territory with dark eyes, no piercings, and head of matching dark hair. His gaze, however, remains the sole discerning feature of his visage--a small hint of the complexity buried within.
◆ I D E O L O G YWhat is it they say about men who just want to watch the world burn? Some people do not perceive logic and rationale in the same way as others and concerning Niko Vanceon, this is most definitely the case. With a perplexing gaze of curiosity and judgement, Niko does not view black, white, or even grey. There are only those who are enemies and those who are not and what defines an enemy is a constantly shifting flux of variable and reasoning which constitute truth as only he can fully comprehend it. His mentality is broken down into separate pieces of self that co-exist in a single vessel, but ultimately must writhe, fight, and claw their way to the surface for an indefinite amount of time. This internal struggle manifests as a cursory glimpse into the many different sides of an aching persona and results in the decisions and forgone conclusions the young Guardian can be known to stand by.
In the realm of reality, and contrary to the belief, Niko is not afraid to engage with others. His actions strongly follow the ideals he holds dear and they bleed into conversation, dialogue, and mannerism. A sharp tongue is one that is calmly prepped and executed rather than impulsive and fiery. Short answers and inflammatory language are methods only to be used to in specific situations and are otherwise only relied upon by those who cannot formulate coherence. Niko employs a more respectful sort of speech that is yet tinged with embers and brutally honest phrasing. It does no good to lie to people as they can more quickly come to accept the truth if they are presented with it immediately. His sense of camaraderie can be lacking, but he also understands that a lone man cannot reach a goal in the face of almost insurmountable odds.
Happiness is a venerable word and one with an infinite number of meanings at that, but Niko has defined his own form over a number of years. His outlook is far from doom and gloom though he does not shy away from embracing a more realist perspective of events. A smile is rare, but the feeling of accomplishment and contentment is metered out from time to time resulting in a somewhat more lighthearted attitude. It is this very nature of uncertain demeanor that individualizes Niko Vanceon from his peers and most others you would meet anywhere. He is not one to be swayed into the opinion of anyone else, authority and rank be damned, but he is also not one to wallow in any sort of depression or sad feelings for any considerable length of time. He is a man with a particular mission and one that he will achieve through forceful and questionably brutal means if deemed necessary. A Guardian is not one who is blessed by the spirits, but one is blessed with control over the spirits--this is a mantra that serves as a guideline to the young man.
◆ B A C K G R O U N DNicholas Vanceon was born in Suji and left in the care of an orphanage known only as The Cathedral. His parents, both born and raised in Cetra, had been on a mission trip in Suji helping those affected by the ongoing war twenty years ago when they conceived their little accident. Not willing to give up their lives for the company of a child, they left their newborn waiting in front of the mighty doors of The Cathedral. The nuns within were more than willing to take ownership of the boy, but equally disappointed once again by the sheer selfishness of humanity. Even in times as tumultuous as these, part of humanity was still no more reliable than it ever had been. This kind of thinking had long been a standing belief of The Cathedral however and the more senior members were more than pleased that they could save another child from the arms of those who were not meant to survive. It did not take them long to discover that Nicholas, whom they took to calling Niko, was one of the chosen few with a high concentration of spiritual presence.
For eighteen years, The Cathedral taught and trained their newest obsession. The establishment had never been graced with one of high spiritual presence before and they sought to indoctrinate all they could before the inevitable military order would arrive. Concepts of the world, the weakness of humanity, and the strength of the methodology of the Mordrem were feverishly taught to the child. A Guardian is not one who is blessed with spirits, but one who has control over the spirits--this belief The Cathedral held is what was passed on to their budding student. Physical training began as soon as he could walk though it only consisted of lessons in balance, footwork, and agility. The Cathedral thought to give their pupil a strong foundation for facing the world they wanted him to face--ingrained with the thoughts they wanted ingrained.
Niko was purposely sheltered from the outside world during his time at the orphanage. Despite having freedom throughout the facility itself, it was always a strict rule to never set foot outside. The senior members were worried that their teachings would be corrupted if their young student were to leave the sanctity of The Cathedral and interact with those of the world at such an impressionable age. As the boy grew so too did his curiosity; Niko soon found himself sneaking small trips outdoors through side exits, windows, and even the main doors once or twice. Though he was never able to get off the grounds successfully, he learned to enjoy the open air and these little moments of isolation. As the boy became older however, these moments became fewer. His training intensified and his mastery over the spirits inhabiting his body increased. He learned to harness abilities the members of The Cathedral could only dream of and even though he began to understand his importance to those who were raising him and the greater world at large, something was slowly breaking in his mind.
It was at the age of eighteen that Niko made the decision to join Oakridge Academy. The orphanage forbid the action, but with the strength he possessed, the members of The Cathedral could not stop the young man from pursuing his new goals. He wanted to not only continue growing stronger in spiritual ability, but he yearned for the reality of the world around him. He needed to understand why his adoptive family had always held everyone outside their doors in contempt and why they wanted to see the world burn so badly. With strong resolve, Niko joined the academy and immediately took to the curriculum, but he would not be able to truly begin his journey until graduation. It was not long before that day arrived.
◆ W A R F A R EUsing his footwork as a base, Niko is most skilled in agility and his ability to accurately judge, create, and use space effectively. While hand to hand combat might seem more apt, the young Guardian prefers his trick weapon. The weapon begins as two separate pieces consisting of a one-handed mechanical blunderbuss and a shortsword with an equally mechanical hilt held in the underhanded style. Rather than physical ammunition, the blunderbuss fires explosive electrical static charges. These charges are only effective at short range--much like a shotgun--and rather than outright damage caused, these shots can immobilize or disorient an enemy's body or a specific part of their body if a direct hit is not achieved. Once fired, the charge spreads into sparks that immediately dissipate after achieving a short range of flight. The blunderbuss is used in conjunction with the shortsword for a combat style that favors critical or incapacitating strikes over prolonged clashes of weaponry.
In its second, and true, form the shortsword's mechanical hilt is combined with the barrel of the blunderbuss, extended, and the blade rotated and curved to create a scythe. The scythe is wielded with two hands though lightweight enough to be one-handed when necessary.
◇ Slingshot { Lightning } - With the crackling of electricity around him, these spirits allow Niko to move almost instantaneously from one position to another. The ability stops short of being teleportation rather the spirits allow the body to move at superhuman speeds. The caveat is that Niko is required to see where he is going and he must return to his starting point every time like a yo-yo.
◇ Ulciscor { Dark } { + Empower } { + Curse } { + Blind } - Embracing the darkness within, these spirits embody vengeance, aggression, and volatility as they gift Niko with a heightened state of being. His sensory perception is increased dramatically which effectively increases his combat prowess for a duration of time. Due to this power stemming from the darkness however, Niko can neither be healed nor land any critical hits for the duration of the activated ability.
◇ The Reaper { Dark } { + Dispel } { - Curse } - In the ultimate combination of man and spirit, the spirits within overtake Niko and imbue his scythe with a supernatural black flame of darkness while radiating a blackened aura from the body of the weapon's owner. In this state, physical attacks with Niko's scythe damage the soul rather than the external body and reap the spirits within the target. This method of attack breaks the mental state of the target and has the potential to leave them without the power of their spirits as well.
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