Nicodemos (Nikos) Stephaniou

From: Mark Kobrak 
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 10:57:27 -0500 (CDT)

One additional note: Nikos and Gregor are not identical twins, as we had originally laid out. It's just easier to justify them having different stats this way (sorry we didn't get a chance to justify this, Chris, but I don't think it changes anything).

         Nikos is a tall, broad-shouldered man with a square jaw and chiseled features. His skin is dark, as per his Byzantine heritage, and his eyes a clear brown. His hair is long and usually tied back, but he keeps his face clean-shaven. He moves very deliberately, but his large hands are surprisingly quick and dextrous.

         Nikos is an excellent craftsman, preferring to work in iron but skilled in wood- and stonework as well. Bonisagus leaves most of the mundane maintenance of the covenant to Nikos, who pursues it patiently and methodically, seemingly enjoying the break from his studies.

         As a student, Nikos has always left something to be desired. While he excels in the more concrete areas of his studies, he seems unable to grasp less tangible forms and is slow to understand the more abstract elements of the theory. The other apprentices can always tell when Nikos is struggling with such areas, as he spends hours roaming the tower halls and the countryside wrestling with his frustration. Sometimes he has been known to disappear for days, journeying to Metz to work with mundane artisans there. Usually there is some pretext for the project, such as fabricating items necessary to Bonisagus' tower or research, but Bonisagus has the resources to hire such skills and almost never wastes his apprentices' time on such things (not while there are hot bowls to be held!).

         As one of Bonsagus' senior apprentices, Nikos is often called upon to play "wrangler" when it comes to organizing the grogs and younger apprentices. Trianoma was too haughty to do such things without arousing unnecessary resentment, and Gregory too easily distracted by his work. Nikos always endured Trianoma's arrogant rantings stoically, never letting any hint of anger or jealousy leak onto his features, which tended to make her still angrier. Nikos seems to view his brother with a mixture of amusement and affection, taking pains to see to it Gregor's perpetual state of distraction does not lead him to harm. But he also holds a great deal of respect for his brother's opinion, particularly on issues relating to magic. Secretly, Nikos believes his brother is a far more powerful magician than himself, and that the gap will continue to widen as the years go on.

         Because he knew them all as children, Nikos views the other apprentices as younger siblings. He seems to have a particular soft-spot for Idelle; when Guernicus made one of his drunken advances on her, it was Gregor who had to restrain Nikos to prevent him from striking Guernicus and becoming a pile of charred ashes on the floor. Nikos seems to respect [what is the the Wolf's name?] as one of Bonisagus' trusted servants.