St. Nicholas

## ***BACKSTORY***

Born the bastard offspring of Poseidon and a centaur millenia ago, the unsightly Nicolaeus was an insult to Mount Olympus. As punishment, the Old Gods banished the half-god to the frozen steppes of the north-pole. Come the rise of Christianity, the power of the old lords waivered. Ol’ Nick, now filled with resentment for those who never came to his aid, was free to walk among Humanity, one day per year. Being a cunning old dog, he posed as Bringer of Merriment and Joy, and in time the people named him a Saint. After years of growing his influence out, he set his bloodthirst and thievery upon the world, infiltrating the ranks of his victims, under the guise of the Christian Saint Nicholas.

Being a son of Poseidon, his heart yearns for water and salt, making naval invasions his preferred method of ‘Bringing Joy’. It was during one of these rites of his that he first met a pirate of the Isle, one “Danny-Boy” Starhawk. They fell upon the same ship one day, and a vicious parley was held to decide who would have the right to plunder them. The poor Royal sailors sat soaking their drawers as a demigod and a blessed pirate captain debated their fate, and swords were drawn at last. At this moment, ol’ Davy rose from the depths, showing himself to his erstwhile son for the first time in centuries. Making peace between them, they turned as one upon the Navy vessel and stripped it to the bone. Establishing a new covenant with Isla de Oro broke Nick’s bond, and he was now free to sail the seas year-round with his new pirate brethren.

## ***APPEARANCE AND GEAR***

* The image held by children of Nick’s appearance is not far from the truth. A head taller than most men, and rotund to match, he looks the part of the Jolly Saint, especially in his thick wool coat and hat, red as blood and trimmed white as the snow on his deck, as well as his striped cane. But the facade is just that, and conceals the tools of his true trade. Within the cane hides a cutlass he fashioned from his old sleigh. He also carries a 10-inch dagger beneath his coat, that he is fond of chewing on, and a standard flintlock pistol with which he signals his men to commence plundering.

## ***PERSONALITY AND ABILITIES***

* Nick’s personality is likewise typical, on the surface. He presents himself as a jolly old man, but the twinkle in his eye is rarely a benevolent matter. It more often betrays the onset of his bloodthirst, whether during a raid or to visit discipline upon an unruly shipmate. Whatever the case, his ‘jolliness’ is, more often than not, a display, used to catch his victims off-guard.

* As a demigod, Nick is, of course, immortal. It is said that he could be killed by conventional means, but his sheer bulk and divine ferocity have thus far denied this theory any evidence to prove it. He shrugs off blades slashes, bullet wounds, and even cannon fire as if utterly unphased by any of them. This latter has gained him unconditional surrender from his enemies on more than one occasion.

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