ii. statistics and permissions

The Basics

⪢ NAME. Nicholas John Andrew Sayre
⪢ DOB/AGE. c. 1909 AW, nineteen.¹

⪢ HAIR/EYE. Blond / blue
⪢ HEIGHT/WEIGHT. 6′0″, 170lbs
⪢ CANONPOINT. post-Goldenhand

First Impressions

⪢ APPEARANCE. Described as tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed, and possibly quite handsome. He is recovering from a long illness and still a bit thin around the edges. His one really distinctive feature is a mark on his forehead rather like a rune, described by his contemporaries as a “caste-mark” or the brand of a cult. This is usually hidden under his hair, though, which has a tendency to fall into his face.

⪢ LANGUAGE. Speaks Anceslstierran, which is what we would call English. His accent is very posh and his vocabulary and syntax very U, though smattered with young people’s slang & affectations.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

⪢ GENERAL SKILLS. Has been to university for two terms, can read, write, recite his times tables, ballroom dance, shoot a gun, talk nonsense with the debs in Corvere, drive a motorcycle (somewhat poorly), and tie his own tie. Fenced épée into the national championship and won the sixth form cricket tournament as a spin bowler with no competence as a batsman.

⪢ MAGIC. In Nick’s universe there are two distinct, fundamentally opposed types of magic:

i. Free Magic — the original, unhemmed power of the universe, inimical to life, chaotic and dangerous. Free Magic can do almost anything, and requires no training to use, but must be guided by a fierce will, as it always wants to turn back on the wielder. It manifests as blue flame and feels like bile in the throat.

ii. Charter Magic — the Charter describes and binds everything in Life, above and below it. While Free Magic is corrosive and hostile, Charter magic is welcoming and feels like sunshine, though it is not precisely safe.

Nick is sort of a Free Magic reservoir that who is also a way into the Charter. Functionally, magic reacts strangely to him, either not working at all or working too much. He touches a magic sword and it bursts into flames, spells meant to bind him , that kind of thing. Nick can control this power, either making spells around him stronger or quenching them out, but he really doesn't know what he's doing.

N.B. In Nick’s world (and the one next door to him) magic and technology are incompatible, and strong magic will, e.g., cause guns to misfire and lightbulbs to flicker out.

Permissions Various & Sundry

⪢ FOURTH-WALLING / CANON PUNCTURING. Please discuss before you do this. Obviously on memes, dear_player, &c, it's fine and expected.

⪢ THREADJACKING. Go ahead, blanket permission.

⪢ BACKTHREADING. The song of my people, feel free to shoot me a note if you want to continue something.

1. Nick is explicitly nineteen in The Creature in the Case, which takes place six months after Abhorsen, and where the year is given as 1928 A.W. No one knows what A.W. stands for.