Nix Nightingale
Doctor Nix Illya Nightingale (a.k.a. Nixie, Mamma Bird, Nishka/Nichka)
He’s pretty much human, though his eyes tend to turn colours and he sometimes seems to smile with too many teeth.... He’s bossy when he thinks there’s a problem and has no qualms about hauling someone into the infirmary by force (with little difficulty, since he’s so large).
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Nix is physically fit and surprisingly strong, though he often suffers from insomnia/sleep deprivation. He is missing three fingers on his right hand which have been replaced by Ironwood prosthetic fingers. There is a scar on his face, which cuts straight down over his left eye, rendering it noticeably foggier than the other and at least partially blind.
Special abilities
Nix is a practitioner of both Arcane Magic and Witchcraft, something almost unheard of due to the persecution of Witchcraft in most parts of the world. Given that Nix was the first Nightingale to show signs of having Magical Abilities for several generations—allegedly due to a bloodline curse put on them by Kennis Nightingale’s part-fey mistress—it’s no surprise that he was sent to the College of Chenya as soon as it was acceptable to do so. There, he began studying various branches of magic, as most new students do, until he was able to figure out which he was best able to work comfortably in.
Like most graduates of the College, Nix possesses a working knowledge of each Branch, though he only specialized in Runecraft, Brewing, and Medical Magic. Due to his affinity and education in Witchcraft, Nix potentially has the ability to control and store a near limitless amount of Magical Energy, though his body would most likely not be able to handle the strain if he tried. As far as natural Magical Limits are concerned, Nix possesses an average amount of Magical Energy, however he greatly excels at Energy control and manipulation, which gives the illusion that his ‘Arcane Battery’ is much larger than average.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Nix grew up with an apathetic father who very possibly only had children to further the Nightingale bloodline, and a mother who had given up her ability to form familial bonds in a bargain with one of the Fey shortly before he was born.
Due to the way Luminese family units tend to live together, Nix was saved from a horribly lonely childhood by keeping company with his cousin Lumina Nightingale. Unfortunately, being that Lumina was the first girl born to the Nightingale Family in several generations—possibly due to the same curse which prevented the Nightingales from being Magically Talented—she was not always available to keep Nix company, so he developed a habit of following the house staff around, going so far as to be pseudo-adopted by the Family cook, Minerva, and her mother Deirdre, who both practiced and taught Nix Witchcraft in secret.
By the time Nix’s Arcane abilities started to manifest, he was already fairly accomplished with working Witchcraft, and continued practicing even after he was sent away to the College of Chenya. He spent ten years living on the campus, dividing his time between studying and getting into trouble with various classmates—including Lumina, who manifested her own magic a few years after Nix.
At twenty-one Nix graduated the College’s Medical program with honours, and moved to a village on the outskirts of Reigal, where he opened his own practice and lived peacefully for many years using a combination of Magecraft and Witchcraft to service the village’s residents.
When he was twenty-six, Nix helped a sickly young woman terminate a pregnancy that would have almost definitely killed her had she brought the baby to term, a procedure which was fairly common in Lumin. Unfortunately, the woman’s husband, a semi-recent Lasposan transplant, took this as grave insult against his family and rounded up several like-minded individuals, who then enacted their own version of vigilante justice on Nix. They maimed him using the same methods College of Chenya would use to mark a Medical Mage as having their license to practice revoked, as well as partially blinding him in one eye.
Shortly thereafter, the group realized their mistake:
Not only was Nix part of Lumin’s pseudo-ruling family, but there was a much steeper penalty for attacking an individual, rightly or wrongly, than there was for defending one’s honour.
To cover up their crime, Nix’s attackers dumped him, bleeding and in shock, onto a ship headed south toward Vega, where Nix was eventually left stranded with no way home. There, he met Mossy Ravenshire, who helped patch him up and quickly became his best friend. Together, the two of them made the journey to Norim Harbour to obtain a set of Ironwood Prosthetics, which would allow Nix to cast Magic with his right hand again, before settling in Dreitheos. For the next few years, Nix and Mossy ran a — now incredibly illegal — medical clinic out of various alleyways and shady backrooms, ready to pack up at a moment’s notice to keep from being arrested by the local militia for malpractice.
Nix joined the crew of the Blue Mariner at age thirty, shortly after Sierra Kidd appeared on his doorstep in need of his services. It is unclear as to why he hasn’t returned to Lumin.
While it is true that Nix is technically practising Medical Magic without a license, he has not actually been charged with any wrong-doing and could conceivably bring his case to the College of Chenya for some kind of restitution, which he would most certainly be granted due to the nature of the attack and subsequent revocation of his license. However, due to the fact that Nix has not returned to Lumin to bring his case forth, while simultaneously continuing to run various Magical Medical practices, it’s very likely that when Nix eventually does return to Lumin, he’ll be tied up in legalese and red-tape for at least a couple of years.
Eris Nightingale, Nix’s mother, has spent the time her son has been gone keeping tabs on Nix while simultaneously interviewing various Magical Lawyers in order to prepare for the litigation that will follow Nix’s return home. At this point, she has been reliably informed that the Nightingales could quite possibly have the legal grounds to sue the entire Country of Laspos (or at least the Monarchy) for attempted assassination of a ruling family member. The details still need to be ironed out, as the Nightingales aren’t technically royalty, nor are they elected officials, causing some argument over the exact charges. However, there’s a fairly high chance that upon Nix’s return, the Country of Laspos will be so tied up in litigation that their every move will be scrutinized for years to come.
Sexuality
Panromantic/Sex-Repulsed Asexual
Education
Nix was formally educated at the College of Chenya from age eleven to age twenty-one and specialized in Medical Magic, Brewing, and Runecraft. He graduated with honours with his Magical Medical license with the class of 1426.
He received an informal education in Witchcraftby Dierdre and Minerva at the Nightingale Manor until he was sent to the College of Chenya in 1416, and continued to teach him via letter until 1432.
Mental Trauma
Honestly just everything at this point.
Personality Characteristics
Personality Quirks
- Nix is right-handed, but can write fairly legibly using his left if necessary
- His chosen fiber-art is spinning yarn, he's known locally in Rionna for producing high quality fingering weight yarns
- Though he has a habit of "keeping his height in check" in order to keep from scaring people, Nix tends to loom over people when he's angry
- Nix has a habit of overworking himself and has been known on occasion to stay up for several days if he deems it necessary (usually in response to a medical emergency)
- When this happens, it's not unusual for Nix to be plagued with night terrors when he finally does get some sleep
- One of the more common responses to trauma Nix has is to touch aversion. He also tends to revert to speaking exclusively in Luminese at these times, which usually compounds the situation until he can calm down.
Relationships
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
1405
30 Years old
Circumstances of Birth
Father only interested in having children to further bloodline, Mother definitely wanted kids, but is unable to form familial connection with him due to a bargain with the Fey.
Birthplace
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Light Grey, tend to reflect ambient colour and light (left eye is noticably paler)
Hair
Long, dark brown
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale torso but tanned arms and face
Height
6'3"
Weight
~263lbs
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Comments