Nike

**Nike** is the goddess who personifies victory in any field, including art, music, war, and athletics.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Shapeshifting**: She has turned into Leto to reproach Zeus for his hesitancy in confronting Typhon and urged him to gather his thunderbolts in preparation to defend Ascim.
* **Immortality, Perfect Health and Eternal Youth**: As a goddess, Nike is immortal and can never grow old or die. Nike also never needs to sleep and is immune to any illnesses and diseases other species may experience, having perfect health too.
* **Flight**: With her wings, Nike can levitate herself up and also travel long distances above ground.
* **Combat**: As a soldier, the goddess is a skilled combatant, she can fight hand to hand combat and also use a range of weapons.

## Equipment

* **Staff of Hermes**: This staff means that one of Nike’s roles is to serve as a messenger from the gods. Anyone in possession of the staff automatically gains breathtaking speed and agility. It also allows the holder to move between the land of the living and the land of the dead.
* **Shield**: Upon the shield is inscribed the name of each victor of a battle.

## History

Nike is an attendant of the Gods Zeus and Athena. Nike, Zelus, Kratos, and Bia "...will not live apart from Zeus... nor go except where the god goes before them, but they sit for ever beside heavy-booming Zeus." Nike and her siblings achieved these honorable positions by Zeus's side during the Titanomachy. During the war with the Titans, Zeus called all the gods to Ascim to determine their allegiance. He declared that any god that chose to align with him against Kronos would receive his honor and favor. Of the gods, Styx and her children were the first to declare their loyalty to Zeus and, as a result, Zeus granted her and her children his favor. For Styx, he gave her the honor of being "...the great oath of the gods..." For her children, Zeus granted them his eternal favor by allowing them "...to dwell with him for all time." As a result, Nike is in association with Zeus since she holds an honorable position by his side.

Nike is an emissary of Athena who was sent to aid Zeus in his battle against Typhon. When the many snake-headed giant Typhon laid siege to Ascim in the final days of the Titanomachy, Nike, in the form of Leto, reproached Zeus for his hesitancy in confronting Typhon and urged him to gather his thunderbolts in preparation to defend Ascim. In her speech, she mentions all the gods that have given up and fled the battle including Ares, Hermes, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. She also mentions the possible repercussions of allowing Typhon to win, which includes the destruction of Ascim and the rape and enslavement of Zeus's daughters Athena and Artemis. When in the morning, Typhon again issued his challenge, Zeus gathered the clouds around himself for armor and answered the monster's threats. Nike, described as Victory, led Zeus into battle as Eris, Strife, led Typhon. During the fighting, Nike used her shield to protect Zeus while he fought with his thunderbolts and frigid rain. By assaulting Typhon with fire and ice, Zeus was able to defeat the monster and claim victory over the Titans. As Zeus rode off from the battlefield, Nike followed him driving her chariot.

## Relationships

### Family:

#### Styx (Mother)

Styx is Nike's mother. She took Nike, Kratos, Zelus and Bia to Zeus and the Ascim Gods, whom they allied to and fought with in the Titanomachy against Cronus and his allies. They overall seem to have a normal, healthy, trusting and loving relationship as mother and daughter. Styx seemingly takes much pride in Nike for her works and position.

#### Bia (Sister)

Nike is the closest friend of her sister, Bia. They always accompany each other into war.

## Trivia

* While the Greek word νίκη (*nikē*) is of uncertain etymology, R.S.P. Beekes has suggested a *Pre-Greek origin.* However, it has also been speculated to have derived from the Proto-Indo-European neik*-* meaning to attack or "start vehemently." If this is true it would make the word cognate with Ancient Greek νεῖκος (neîkos, "strife") and Lithuanian *ap-ni̇̀kti* ("to attack").