Nickolai Alaric

Alaric is an odd specimen. As a Basitin, Alaric is even-tempered and militaristic-minded. Because there is so such thing as a civilian Basitin, Alaric is competent as a soldier and warrior mentally as well as physically, also being fairly hard to intimidate like most. He has the same inherent compulsion to follow the orders of those higher up the chain than him, unless the order is something illegal, regardless of his personal feelings on the subject. This same genetic disposition also ensures that he follows the legal system, but often he finds ways to bend the rules without breaking them whenever it suits him.

Despite the tendency to bend the rules in any way he can get away with, Alaric had always been fully confident that the laws of his people were just. Any injustice came from the manipulation of those laws by those who were in power. It was only in the moments before he fell to his death that his opinion was swayed to the idea that it was possible for the law itself to be wrong...by his friend Keith. Morally he's fairly straightforward, not unerringly good but wanting what's best for his people overall. He's apparently not opposed to coexisting peacefully with other races and is not looking to hurt or take advantage of anyone else unless it's somehow for an important benefit. His oddness as a Basitin could also hint that in places outside of his home islands he would have more tolerance for customs that clash with those of his own society. It's also unlikely that he would place anyone in any unnecessary danger or simply throw their lives away without good reason.

Basitins are normally fairly prudish, having strict beliefs about physical contact, nudity, and sex...but Alaric is not very prudish at all despite mostly adhering to the laws. Nudity by his culture is having the feet, ankles, the base of the tail, or the groin visible to the naked eye. Things like ear petting or the nudging of one person's toes against another's, and likely the brushing and curling of tails against and around and someone else's, are considered intimate and therefore highly inappropriate to do casually...but then so is hugging your best friend in public. Sex is also by law restricted to the one week of the year that all of the females go into heat, and any sexual activity the rest of the time is illegal. He seems to like physical contact with Keith those he's fond of though and likes pushing the boundaries of what's considered appropriate, including doing things that make his friends feel awkward. Foot nudges and close proximity to ears are his favorites with Keith other Basitins. Sexually he's ambiguous, especially given his extremely obvious attachment to his best friend and the fact that he apparently had no love interests outside of most likely potentially Keith.

As the Master General he displays equal strength and brains along with his leadership qualities, whereas the Intelligence General would be the hardest to outsmart and the Arms General the strongest fighter. Intelligent and extremely determined once he sets his mind to something, but potentially stubborn to the point of foolishness, he is usually consistent in sound judgement but will take risks that can put everything on the line to reach a goal if he believes the goal is worthwhile or is being compelled by his orders. He's a good enough judge of character that he can understand his friends and allies fairly well and read them accurately once he gets to know them, and would be able to use that understanding even after a long period of separation unless they came back totally different from what they were. This is also true of those he interacts with regularly and is neutral toward or enemies with. Likewise he is able to look at and quickly assess a situation to decide on what he wants to do or should be doing, as well as being able to plan for many foreseeable outcomes given the time and drive to do so. He'll pull no punches in a fight, whether his goal is to kill or simply subdue, but isn't cruel and wouldn't willingly stoop so low as to inflict more damage than was needed to defeat that opponent. Tough but fair is supposed to be how a Basitin operates.

Even being of such an even-tempered, prudish, tough-but-fair, and apparently humorless race Alaric is pretty easygoing outwardly and, in comparison to most, is pretty queer. He's also a bit mischievous though not maliciously so, able to keep a straight face while leading a friend right into a prank that is well-thought out, though likely quickly imagined. He has the uncanny ability to go from lighthearted to dead serious and then back again at the drop of a hat when a situation requires him to be completely serious. He enjoys time spent with friends and enjoys conversation with them. He's also protective of them and will try to do what's best for them even if it's not the best for him.

Most of his motivation in life surrounded his best friend and the way the legal system had been manipulated to treat him unfairly because of someone's personal bias. His fondness for and loyalty toward his friend was strong enough to lead him to dedicate the majority of his life to setting things right for him. His ability to exploit the loopholes in the laws and his rise to Master General were both directly toward this goal, and his scarred eye is a testament of his first and failed attempt to stand up for Keith when they were kids. His desire to help his friend and have him be proud of him was enough to let him include the possibility of his own death as a way to reinstate Keith's citizenship. He obviously has strong feelings for Keith, possibly romantic, and would do just about anything for him. This loyalty is only rivaled by that to the justice of their laws and king. However he also regularly teases Keith because he's easy to fluster, being in close proximity and touching him in more than friendly ways by Basitin standards.

Abilities/Additional Notes:
While not in possession of any type of magical or otherwise supernatural powers, Alaric doesn't really need them because Basitins are inherently a tough race to contend with through their evolution and upbringing. There is also the fact that Basitins cannot wield magic naturally because their minds cannot handle it, so gaining the ability to do so would slowly rot their minds away leaving them stupid, docile, and easy to enslave.

It's quite likely that he is completely blind in his left eye, though he seems to have adapted to the point where it seems to be of no hindrance to him at all.

Alaric excels at various forms of combat, apparently preferring swordsmanship above others, as all Basitins start training at a young age. The fact that he rose to the rank of Master General before his nineteenth birthday shows that he is roughly the second all-around best fighter on the island, given the fact that rising through the ranks and being able to respectfully assert one's rights is directly connected to one's ability to win in one-on-one combat. It's very likely that aside from swords, spears, maces, and other such weapons he can use bows and crossbow proficiently and hold his own in hand-to-hand combat.

Living on on island where many things are toxic, Basitins have naturally strong immune systems that help protects them from sickness and gives them some immunity to poisons. They also have a bit more of a pain tolerance than many races due to their way of life. If the injury isn't fatal then odds are he'll be up and moving the instant he has control of his limbs.

The average Basitin seems to be very able-bodied, and they have been able to crush skulls protected by helmets with a one-handed strike (Alabaster, who is an old man) and demolish an entire bridge with a sword (Keith). So it's just as likely that Alaric has physical strength that is around the same level. They have good balance and hearing but their ears and feet are also very sensitive, probably part of how they evolved in their home. They're not naturally from cold or temperate climates, so their fur provides little protection from lower temperatures.

Canon: TwoKinds
Character: Nickolai Alaric
Age: 19
Timeline: Post-death
Background:
Born on the Basitin Islands south of the main continent, Alaric was raised the same as most young Basitin are. His best friend was a boy of the same age named Keith Kaiser, who was the son of the Arms General. He liked that Keith was a little different like him, though in Keith's case it was the fact that he was gentler and easier to poke fun at, which likely also had led Alaric to be somewhat protective of him.

Not much is known about his history, childhood especially, though he attend military training at age seven most likely as that was the norm in their society. Keith started attending a year later and for five years apparently things were normal. However, when they were thirteen, both of Keith's parents were killed within the same night and Keith was charged with the crime. Alaric knew that Keith had neither the strength nor reason to kill his parents in cold blood, but when Keith was being banished from the island Alaric was alarmed because his friend hadn't been able to request an appeal because he hadn't known he could. The fact that Alaric did know this is probably because he researched the matter as soon as Keith was put on trial.

Regardless, he never got to tell Keith this because the Intelligence general, Alabaster, forbade him from doing so because he felt that Keith's father was a better man than either of the boys and that Keith was getting what he deserved...even going so far as to rake his claws over Alaric's face, permanently scarring and possibly blinding his eye, when Alaric had insisted on trying to help his friend. It was then that Alaric realized that he was too weak as he was to set things right, and that if he was going to help his friend he needed power and a deeper understanding of Basitin law because he would have to manipulate the system in Keith's favor.

In less than six years, Alaric had excelled at his training and fought his way to the position of Master General. He began to study all of the laws and learn every loophole, using all of the applicable ones to plan various ways that Keith could not only have his citizenship reinstated when he finally came home...because Alaric was confident that he would, but also be placed in a position of importance as well. He also began to work on an almost completely nude statue of him, going off of what he imagined that his friend would look like.

Some point before the main characters arrived on the island, the Templar from the mainland did, offering to rectify the unfairness that rendered the Basitin race completely non-magical. They began to construct a tower that could grant them magic, though Alaric was a little suspicious of their motives despite his own eagerness for the use.

Not long after, a ship came to their island and before it was even allowed to dock he knew Keith was aboard. He initially greeted his long lost friend warmly and with a big hug, but was forced to watch Alabaster, still Intelligence General, berate and belittle Keith. He eventually spoke up that Keith was to be allowed to explain himself, at which point he had the immense satisfaction of seeing Alabaster furious and unable to do anything because Keith had met his condition to return from banishment...though he was not yet reinstated as a citizen so easily. Alaric led Keith and his companions to an inn they could stay in, reminding Keith of this and that he would need to stand trial again.

That same day, he sought Keith out again, but correctly guessed that when his friend was gone from the inn that he was visiting his mother's grave and sent a messenger to invite him to the bathhouse. There he told Keith that someone was looking for him, that he wanted to hear about Keith's adventures first, even putting aside the chance to tell him about his eye when asked about it...though after Keith completely forgot about wanting to know when Alaric's news had been that a female Fox Keidran had moved onto the island recently in search of him, because she was Keith's fiance. It was too late to see her before curfew, but Alaric promised to take him to see her the next day.

Bright and early he collected Keith at the inn, but first he took him to see the tower, which Keith was horrified by the presence of until Alaric explained what it was for. He also explained that in exchange for the power to use magic, the Templar now wanted Trace Legacy, who Keith had brought as his condition to return. The Basitins would hand over Trace and Keith was to assassinate one of his other companions, a wolf Keidran that was suspected of being a spy, before his trial the following day. Alaric stressed that none of this was to be revealed to Keith's companions.

After this, he took Keith to see the nearly-completed statue, asking him to pose naked so that he could finish the details...though this was also part of a prank because he'd arranged for Keith's fiance to meet them there and she walked in while Keith was naked, resulting in a lot of embarrassment between the two. This was also likely revenge for Keith's being more interested in her than spending time with him, but he let Keith go to her, saying they could continue later. Later was not to be though.

By nightfall Keith and his companions had been labelled a threat to the Basitin peace and Alaric was ordered to stop them from reaching the tower. He tried to talk Keith down and Keith explained that he had learned that the gift of magic was a trap to rot the minds of all the Basitins and make them easy to conquer, confirming Alaric's suspicions of the Templar. But Alaric still had his orders and believed that Keith was currently in the wrong so they fought on the bridge leading to the tower. Alaric was the stronger opponent, but Keith proved to be more cunning and managed to maneuver them so Alaric was on the wrong side of the bridge before breaking it. Alaric jumped the gap, unwilling to let him escape, but the bridge crumbled under him and Keith caught him.

Keith revealed that this wasn't about good or evil and that he didn't want to see anyone else important to him hurt, which included Alaric. But the injuries from the fight had left Keith too weak to pull him up and eventually Alaric fell to the ground far below. As he lay dying, he took some comfort in the fact that he had set in motion a prank against everyone who had ever or would try to do wrong Keith in the aftermath of this. He had arranged for a witness to observe their battle and made an ambassador position for Keith to take with his experience off the island, his defeat making it legitimate for Keith to take the position and recent events ultimately making an ambassador something they needed.

Personality:
Alaric is an odd specimen. As a Basitin, Alaric is even-tempered and militaristic-minded. Because there is so such thing as a civilian Basitin, Alaric is competent as a soldier and warrior mentally as well as physically, also being fairly hard to intimidate like most. He has the same inherent compulsion to follow the orders of those higher up the chain than him, unless the order is something illegal, regardless of his personal feelings on the subject. This same genetic disposition also ensures that he follows the legal system, but often he finds ways to bend the rules without breaking them whenever it suits him.

Despite the tendency to bend the rules in any way he can get away with, Alaric had always been fully confident that the laws of his people were just. Any injustice came from the manipulation of those laws by those who were in power. It was only in the moments before he fell to his death that his opinion was swayed to the idea that it was possible for the law itself to be wrong...by his friend Keith. Morally he's fairly straightforward, not unerringly good but wanting what's best for his people overall. He's apparently not opposed to coexisting peacefully with other races and is not looking to hurt or take advantage of anyone else unless it's somehow for an important benefit. His oddness as a Basitin could also hint that in places outside of his home islands he would have more tolerance for customs that clash with those of his own society. It's also unlikely that he would place anyone in any unnecessary danger or simply throw their lives away without good reason.

Basitins are normally fairly prudish, having strict beliefs about physical contact, nudity, and sex...but Alaric is not very prudish at all despite mostly adhering to the laws. Nudity by his culture is having the feet, ankles, the base of the tail, or the groin visible to the naked eye. Things like ear petting or the nudging of one person's toes against another's, and likely the brushing and curling of tails against and around and someone else's, are considered intimate and therefore highly inappropriate to do casually...but then so is hugging your best friend in public. Sex is also by law restricted to the one week of the year that all of the females go into heat, and any sexual activity the rest of the time is illegal. He seems to like physical contact with Keith those he's fond of though and likes pushing the boundaries of what's considered appropriate, including doing things that make his friends feel awkward. Foot nudges and close proximity to ears are his favorites with Keith other Basitins. Sexually he's ambiguous, especially given his extremely obvious attachment to his best friend and the fact that he apparently had no love interests outside of most likely potentially Keith.

As the Master General he displays equal strength and brains along with his leadership qualities, whereas the Intelligence General would be the hardest to outsmart and the Arms General the strongest fighter. Intelligent and extremely determined once he sets his mind to something, but potentially stubborn to the point of foolishness, he is usually consistent in sound judgement but will take risks that can put everything on the line to reach a goal if he believes the goal is worthwhile or is being compelled by his orders. He's a good enough judge of character that he can understand his friends and allies fairly well and read them accurately once he gets to know them, and would be able to use that understanding even after a long period of separation unless they came back totally different from what they were. This is also true of those he interacts with regularly and is neutral toward or enemies with. Likewise he is able to look at and quickly assess a situation to decide on what he wants to do or should be doing, as well as being able to plan for many foreseeable outcomes given the time and drive to do so. He'll pull no punches in a fight, whether his goal is to kill or simply subdue, but isn't cruel and wouldn't willingly stoop so low as to inflict more damage than was needed to defeat that opponent. Tough but fair is supposed to be how a Basitin operates.

Even being of such an even-tempered, prudish, tough-but-fair, and apparently humorless race Alaric is pretty easygoing outwardly and, in comparison to most, is pretty queer. He's also a bit mischievous though not maliciously so, able to keep a straight face while leading a friend right into a prank that is well-thought out, though likely quickly imagined. He has the uncanny ability to go from lighthearted to dead serious and then back again at the drop of a hat when a situation requires him to be completely serious. He enjoys time spent with friends and enjoys conversation with them. He's also protective of them and will try to do what's best for them even if it's not the best for him.

Most of his motivation in life surrounded his best friend and the way the legal system had been manipulated to treat him unfairly because of someone's personal bias. His fondness for and loyalty toward his friend was strong enough to lead him to dedicate the majority of his life to setting things right for him. His ability to exploit the loopholes in the laws and his rise to Master General were both directly toward this goal, and his scarred eye is a testament of his first and failed attempt to stand up for Keith when they were kids. His desire to help his friend and have him be proud of him was enough to let him include the possibility of his own death as a way to reinstate Keith's citizenship. He obviously has strong feelings for Keith, possibly romantic, and would do just about anything for him. This loyalty is only rivaled by that to the justice of their laws and king. However he also regularly teases Keith because he's easy to fluster, being in close proximity and touching him in more than friendly ways by Basitin standards.

Abilities/Additional Notes:
While not in possession of any type of magical or otherwise supernatural powers, Alaric doesn't really need them because Basitins are inherently a tough race to contend with through their evolution and upbringing. There is also the fact that Basitins cannot wield magic naturally because their minds cannot handle it, so gaining the ability to do so would slowly rot their minds away leaving them stupid, docile, and easy to enslave.

It's quite likely that he is completely blind in his left eye, though he seems to have adapted to the point where it seems to be of no hindrance to him at all.

Alaric excels at various forms of combat, apparently preferring swordsmanship above others, as all Basitins start training at a young age. The fact that he rose to the rank of Master General before his nineteenth birthday shows that he is roughly the second all-around best fighter on the island, given the fact that rising through the ranks and being able to respectfully assert one's rights is directly connected to one's ability to win in one-on-one combat. It's very likely that aside from swords, spears, maces, and other such weapons he can use bows and crossbow proficiently and hold his own in hand-to-hand combat.

Living on on island where many things are toxic, Basitins have naturally strong immune systems that help protects them from sickness and gives them some immunity to poisons. They also have a bit more of a pain tolerance than many races due to their way of life. If the injury isn't fatal then odds are he'll be up and moving the instant he has control of his limbs.

The average Basitin seems to be very able-bodied, and they have been able to crush skulls protected by helmets with a one-handed strike (Alabaster, who is an old man) and demolish an entire bridge with a sword (Keith). So it's just as likely that Alaric has physical strength that is around the same level. They have good balance and hearing but their ears and feet are also very sensitive, probably part of how they evolved in their home. They're not naturally from cold or temperate climates, so their fur provides little protection from lower temperatures.

Advocate Note:
No advocate here.

Sample Network Post: [Voice]

[Alaric's voice is pleasant, but obviously curious.]

Paradise is definitely a fascinating place so far. Vastly different from any place that I've ever heard of. As is the technology. I am curious to see what else I find.

Is it true that you can do as you please here?

Sample RP:
Dyning hadn't ended the way that Alaric had expected it to. Not that could say that he'd know exactly what to expect when he died, beyond the whole not being alive in his world. But he knew it wasn't that you died and were sent to some far away world to play a game normally. Here he was though, a world that had no rules or laws. He didn't know how to feel about that.

The hospital staff had been kind enough to give him some casual clothing so he wasn't in his bloodied clothes, as well as a bag to carry everything in, which he appreciated...especially the jacket since it was much cooler here than was normal for his islands. The explanation about Paradise had been pretty straightforward and he'd been released to fend for himself. He mind was wandering around more than he was though. He had moved into the Northeast Quadrant, without really absorbing anything there once he'd started thinking about things.

Walking the streets, he found that he didn't have a direction to take his new life yet. He was a general but that meant little here, especially since the amount of freedom here implied no government structure at all...which was a little baffling because he wondered how people determined their rights here. A type of honor system was plausible, but that was sort of assuming everyone had a sense of honor. That aside, his core motivation had been accomplished already. He knew Keith was still alive because he hadn't fatally wounded him and because he had survived six years away from home. He wouldn't die and would help their people, and he would be a citizen again. That made having died somewhat okay, but meant he now had to find a new purpose in life, starting almost from scratch. He had to learn how it worked and how he could fit into that.