Nictyx
Nictyx
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Continuity NPC
Age ???
Species Deva (Spirit)
Hair Color Red
Eye Color Gray/Blue
District North
Journal [http://conpuzzled.dreamwidth.org]
Player Sparrow
Theme Song Jupiter - Gustav Holst

"Is everything not a puzzle, a riddle, awaiting its answer? Are you all not the same? And yet, no two answers are alike."

History

Nictyx hailed from a world called Lyre, divided into continents spotting its surface. More specifically, she came from a continent called Juten, driven by a caste system that proved rather hostile to magic users. Being a studious young lady who hoped to incorporate magic into her practice as an Elder, Nictyx came to appreciate magic in all its uses and learned firsthand that magic users weren't all the scheming cutthroats that Light society had made them out to be.

Unfortunately, while attending a mage's college, a friend of hers vanished without a trace. It prompted Nictyx into learning all sorts of magic, which attracted the attention of the godly pantheon of Wisdom in her world. A demigod named Darbus appeared to her, infused her soul with magical symbols from the divine realm, and made her an immortal Spirit of curiosity, introspection, and inquisition. Nictyx kind of went insane for a while after, but thankfully started to remember who she was, and what she stood for. She never did find the whereabouts of her missing friend, but she learned how to use her powers for the greater good of helping mortals attain needed wisdom while discovering who they truly were.

She finally Woke after many years of her own introspection, after many years of attempting to cross what felt like a great sea between realms set before her.

In Kalliste, she made good friends with Ymiras and Lixue, aiding them in obtaining human bodies for themselves through Bending. As she ascended through ranks, being a quick study meant that she was quite able to master different powers and abilities, finally perfecting the magic she'd sought in her Dreaming life. She was contented to fill her life with books, riddles, and learning… until people stopped Waking.

While she kept neutral for the most part as the council argued to reach a solution, she had no choice but to come out against Isis' efforts and manipulations as war loomed on the horizon. As Ashura were ushered into the Labyrinth, creating as many Deva as possible to stand against Isis' efforts, Nictyx herself volunteered to walk the Halls (as the Ashura of Questions at the time).

After Ascending to Deva of Puzzles, she set off into the Between with other Deva to see what could be done against Isis' followers. One by one, they were either Unmade or forced back to Sleep, until only Nictyx remained as a sole survivor.

For a long while, she lived in the Between with the occasional safe harbor at a passing world she checked for Flaws, fixing any damage by Isis that she could find. But she never really found home, or any reason to stay anchored anywhere. She was alone, she was reeling from the pain of watching her comrades fall. Her other dear friends from Kalliste were nowhere to be found, and so she found respite in studying the Chaos itself, the Between itself, trying to find answers as to what stopped the cycle of Waking. What had been the key to Isis' power? What had given her so much strength?

She thought she finally found a path to some answers, but… well, a Chaos Storm raging out of control found her chasing it to Nautilus' doorstep.

Personality

She's compassionate, almost motherly. While she may have a mischievous streak in the odd place (oh sorry, did your locks just change on you for no reason broseph), where it concerns her duties or when someone is being impractical? There's a stern, no-nonsense attitude. She's sympathetic to people who are anxious, damaged, hurting, even angry, having faced those emotions within people she's helped only several thousand times before. Because when people are looking past the transient to see what's really inside themselves? They deny. They hurt others. They hurt themselves. They scream, they curse, they cry, they fight, they laugh, they learn to love, they retreat into hatred, they become braver, they become broken. Nictyx has been around for a very long time and has seen it all before. Her kindness never died completely, even when she was taken by the Pantheon.

She deals with every individual, treating every last one of them like people, and tries her best to guide them to the light at the end of the tunnel. She's patient if nothing else, though unafraid to force an issue as needed. Nictyx is not here to tell you what you want to hear. While she will support you and help you through the tears, while she will tend to your wounds, she is not here to coddle you. She is not here to stroke your ego or shelter you from the truth. Whatever her illusions reveal about you, the truth is what it is, and she won't deny or water down the truth of what you discover when you invoke her help or talk to her.

An intellectual at heart, Nictyx is cerebral and always curious about others around her, where they come from and what motivates them. She wants to see them get better, be better people. She's not close-minded by any means, though she tends to fall back on logical conclusions and is not afraid to be skeptical. She doesn't really like 'fluff' explanations; even magic in her world had its principles, laws and explanations.

Nictyx has no tolerance for selfishness, melodrama, or those who seek to stifle the curiosity of others or those who dismiss children and their imaginations. And of course, being a Spirit means she's utterly intolerant to what is referred to as spiritual violence; killing is distasteful, desecrating the dead or the soul is unforgivable, and you best not be talking smack about the Wisdom Pantheon unless you wanna be in a world of hurt. Generally speaking, pissing off the Spirits or the Demigods they serve is never a smart idea. Do so at your own risk.

Abilities

Healing Magic: Pretty much what it says on the tin. Yes, Nictyx is more of a cleric than she is a warrior. It's not her specialty, though.

Into the Dreams: Because what are dreams, really, if not puzzles of the human subconscious? Nictyx has the ability to look inside a person's dreams (or nightmares) and watch what's happening. She even has the ability to slip inside a person's dreams to guide them a certain way, though this is never done without the person's total consent.

Walking Lockpick: Eh, more like a convenient trick than a power, but she can grasp a feel for the inside of locks and figure out how to pick them almost instantly. In essence, locks are just tightly bound puzzles often accompanied by their solutions (keys), after all.

Riddle Illusion: Nictyx was a Spirit in her world that generally found purpose in helping people solve the puzzle of themselves. Her job was to help guide people when they peered into the very core of who they were, to see what lied at their center. This would be why she was invoked by magic users via ritual, with the practitioner hoping for her visions or waking dreams. Nictyx is able to cast powerful, surreal illusions that test a person's ethics, mettle and mental strength. These illusions aren't always pleasant, but then it's not really a puzzle without the adversity of being challenged. Perspective, morals and views are all too often pushed to their limit when she's invoked. To find a sense of self is no small task, and aiding in this is a duty that Nictyx takes very seriously.

Relationships

Lixue - She knew Lixue as a Wakened and all throughout both their ascensions up the ranks. A close and dear friend that she cherishes very much, and was deeply saddened to hear of Ymiras' fate.

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