Deux semaines avant le mariage, dans le Frigid Northern Wasteland connu sous le nom de Winter Court.
Un messager de la capitale de la Rus est arrivé à midi, tremblant et couvert de gel. Le message portait des nouvelles d'un mariage entre la noblesse d'Europa et The Rus. C'est certainement une nouvelle joyeuse, pour eux au moins. La parole a été remise à la Cour de la Reine d'hiver, elle était beaucoup trop préoccupée par des questions plus « à la maison » pour même envisager d'arriver au mariage. Plusieurs gens de rang supérieur étaient surjoyés, un événement comme celui-ci améliorerait sûrement leur statut social et les rendrait plus intéressants.
Ils ont chargé leurs chariots et sont partis au mariage.
Dans la salle principale, la reine Mab ordonna à Sir Nikolai de suivre. Pour servir de substitut à la reine elle-même. Il est certain que cela a eu plus d'incidences. Refuser une invitation à un mariage et envoyer plutôt un diplomate pour enregistrer les événements. Certains seraient insultés. Cependant, ne pas envoyer un mot, ou ignorer carrément l'invitation serait plutôt une insulte.
Nikolai a obligé, en partant tout de suite pour se préparer pour le long voyage. Il n'y a pas de routes permanentes à Winter Court. Seul le chemin coupé par ces quelques audacieux qui s'aventurent dans le froid. Le voyage à destination et en provenance de la Cour d'Hiver est toujours perfide, rend difficile la guerre contre eux. L'invasion est suicidaire au pire, stupide au mieux.
Il rend également difficile le commerce général.
Je digresse.
Dans les chambres personnelles de Nikolai, un regardeur sournois le verrait enfiler un costume de fourrures étanches à la peau, du cou aux pieds, qui couvraient son corps. Pourquoi porte-t-il ça? L'armure métallique sur la peau nue dans le froid est la pire chose possible, vous n'avez aucune idée. Le costume de fourrures était de l'isoler et de lui permettre de porter son armure en même temps. Après s'être glissé dans la tenue, il a glissé son armure dessus. Le chainmail d'abord et puis le platmail, bien sûr.
Après que ses fourrures et ses armures furent enfilées, il tira une robe sur son armure, la cachant de vue. Autour de sa taille, il attachait la corde que sa tête accroche, coupant la boîte sur l'écharpe.
Pour compléter sa garde-robe, il a glissé un manteau autour de son cou. Son capot a été retiré et maintenu en place avec un certain câblage en métal, le capot avait également un cadre en maille devant lui. Derrière le cadre se trouvait un tissu de soie, rendant impossible pour les gens de voir son manque de tête. Un autre inconvénient à être sans tête, c'est surprenant pour tout le monde.
Après s'être habiller chaudement, il marcha vers les écuries et monta son cheval fidèle Pheidippedes. L'étalon colossal était déjà chargé de nourriture, d'équipement, de rations et de ses armes. Le cheval portait aussi un manteau de fourrures pour le garder au chaud.
Avancez vite après toutes les tristes séquences de marche enneigées, n'ignorez pas le fait qu'un couple nobles est mort lors de leur voyage au mariage en raison d'une attaque de raideur, et puis vous avez Nikolai à la porte principale de la ville où se tient le mariage. Le cavalier avait un peu de mal à passer devant les gardes, leur expliquant qu'il avait une grave déformité qui offenserait d'autres personnes. Il doit cacher sa vraie tête juste pour passer la porte.
Lorsque les Dragons sont arrivés, Nikolai s'est positionné à l'auberge la plus proche et s'est assis au comptoir avec le capot levé. Ne rien commander, pour des raisons évidentes, simplement s'asseoir là et écouter les conversations autour de lui. Pendant les deux jours suivants Nikolai reposa dans l'auberge, plutôt que de s'occuper de l'autre noblesse. Ils l'ennuyaient, et honnêtement, s'il avait su que le ruckus se passait avec le prince Charmant, il aurait été plutôt contrarié qu'il ait dû rester ici et participer à un mariage stupide.
Name: Sir Nikolai Pelletier
Titles: Emissary and Champion of the Winter Court
Affiliation: Highborn to the Winter Court, born into a lower family of Nobility. His position of nobility was raised upon his revival from the dead.
Gender: Male
Age: 89 (26 years alive, 56 years dead, 7 years undead.)
Birthplace: Cannala
Origin: The tale of the Dullahan from Irish Folklore, also known as the Headless Rider.
Race: Undead Fae
Appearance: (A Picture will come soon enough, but for now, a detailed description.) Nikolai Pelletier is an above average man in height, weight, and build. He has no remarkable traits such as beautiful eyes, golden locks of hair, or strange skin color. Except for one minor detail. Nikolai has no head. Well, not on his shoulders anyway. He carries his head on his waist in a glass case. The case is ornately designed to ensure that his head doesn't look ugly while he totes it about. The trim around it is made of polished brass with silver inlay. The portion of his neck that is severed has a silk cloth laid across it and is tied in place by gold lace. The case is attached to his waist by a chain of steel, coated in silver to give it a more high class look. When he truly wishes to hide his undead-ness, he will cover the case in a square of chainmail. This hides his head from those around him.
His body is reasonably fit, about as fit as you would expect a soldier to be. Where his neck would connect to his head there is another piece of silk held in place by a length of gold lace, this keeps him from showing his insides to those that he converses with. It makes diplomacy a bit easier. His skin is a bit pale, but nothing unnatural.
Adorning his form is a suit of classy armor, the armor of nobility of course. It is a suit of hybrid mail with a mix of chain and plate to give a full range of protection. It is made from damascus steel, forged in a crucible and then hammered across a mold of his body. The suit was forged specifically for him, making his movements significantly more natural while wearing it. To make discussion with others even easier, he had a special helmet forged. This helmet attaches to his back and chest, rather than his shoulders. This allows him to turn the helmet to substitute natural movement. It makes him more alive than he really is.
His head is a normal humanoid head, though with several fae traits. (Which is understood, as he is a fae, not a human.) His head is rather angular with a pointed jawline. His eyes are closed, though his eye color is hazel. The hair on his head is relatively short and well kept, his hair color is dark brown. His nose is a bit long but not unattractively large. His ears are pointed at the top and his lobes are a bit long.
Nikolai himself stands at 6'7" and weighs 212 lbs.
Occupation: A diplomat from the Winter Court, serving as Queen Mab's personal champion for duels and to accompany her to potentionally dangerous events.
Resources:
- Hand Forged Armor: A suit of armor specially forged for him, ordered by Queen Mab herself to be made. It is a simple suit of armor that can be concealed under clothing or worn openly.
- Cavalry Sabre: A three foot long blade with a sizeable crossguard, it is a simple and elegantly curved blade. Perfectly suited for combat on the ground and on horseback. Made from steel, its handle is made from yew and is coated in cattle hide.
- Combat Lance: Unlike the lances seen in jousting competitions, this lance is designed for true mounted combat. It is a deadly sharp length of metal with a cross shaped tip, it is brutally efficient at punching holes in his foes. It is an oak lance, measuring seven feet long from tip to pommel. The tip is made from steel, stone sharpened and adding another seven inches to the weapon. It is unweildy when not on horseback.
- Reasonable wealth: His social status allows him to earn money passively, though his job is high risk, it actually doesn't involve much more than him riding about on his horse and occasionally mounted combat. He constantly has money to pay for room and board, food, and the like. It is a good living, albeit a simple one.
- Pheidippides: Nikolai's trusty horse. A massive war horse, standing at 24 hands.(8 feet tall.) This horse is a monstrous stallion, towering over man, elf, and fae alike. Its coat is charoal and mottled with white splotches, its mane is a deep black with a beautiful gloss. Its eyes are intense, shining and hazel like his rider's own. Pheidippides is as high bred as you can get when it comes to horses. He can haul a four horse cart on his own, able to pull three tons of weight behind himself.
Pheidippides is a 228 stone horse. (3,000 lbs.) Tremendously strong and fiercely loyal, Pheidippides refuses any rider but Nikolai. Bucking them off with an intensity unmatched by lesser horses. Pheidippides is not the fastest horse in the world by any stretch, but he is significantly faster than any human. Able to gallop at 38 mph, canter at 15 mph, trot at 10, and walk at 5. Pheidippides has great stamina, most horses can only gallop for short bursts. He, however, can gallop for three solid hours before even showing signs of exhaustion.
However, Pheidippides's greatest shortcoming is his own size. Pheidippedes has joint problems due to his weight, extended periods of riding without rest can leave him exhausted and worthless for riding. His hooves must be filed daily, otherwise they turn rough and painful for him.
Skills:
- Diplomat: As the emissary from the Winter Court he is required to be skilled in diplomatic ventures. His specialties are interrogation, intimidation, and parties.
- Rider: What? He's a headless horseman. He's skilled at riding horses.
- Soldier: Upon being raised from the dead, post him learning of his killer's death, Nikolai joined the military and swiftly jumped through ranks. Of course later being promoted to Champion and Emissary through a long series of events that would take a while to record.
Personality: Nikolai is a cynic by trade and a racist by hobby, as a nobleman of the Fae-kind he holds himself in a much higher standing than other 'lesser' races. Humans, elves, and other kinds are lesser to Fae in his eyes. However, he is a professional, and never lets his personal view of others obscure his thoughts. Outside of his duties he is still an uptight and generally unpleasant person to be around.
Biography: The tale of the Dullahan isn't a story with a "Long long ago." or a "And they lived happily ever after." It's simply a tale of a man who lost his head in an argument, and then lost his head in the following fight. With death fresh on his collar and fury fresh on his lips, he was not so bound to the grave as normal men would be. The horseman rose from the grave to seek vengeance, but he was too late. Now he roams the earth, seeking purpose in mortal lands as one no longer among the living.