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π about
IVAN NIKLAUS π
necromancer-turned-reluctant grim reaper. here for a long time, not a good time.
BASICS
pronouns: he/him
dob: feb 22
age: 600-ish (he's stopped counting), appears late 30s
the pitch: a necromancer who fucked up so bad, he's doing community service for Death as a grim reaper.
APPEARANCE
height: 6'1"
build: lanky as hell
hair: black
eyes: gray
pb: Roman from Coffin Jackson
Kind of pale. A little cool to the touch generally. Dresses like John Wick (lots of tailored black suits, basically). Looks perpetually sleepy.
PERSONA
β positive
observant. quick on his feet. sympathetic. compassionate. kind of nice once you get to know him. great in a fight.
observant. quick on his feet. sympathetic. compassionate. kind of nice once you get to know him. great in a fight.
π° neutral
so done with everything. knows so much random trivia. minds his own business. quiet.
so done with everything. knows so much random trivia. minds his own business. quiet.
β negative
slow to form attachments. reckless. extremely dry. so, so fucking weird. absolutely not processing his decades of trauma.
slow to form attachments. reckless. extremely dry. so, so fucking weird. absolutely not processing his decades of trauma.
ABILITIES
π immortality
Per his agreement with Death, Ivan is unable to die. He can still be hurt, and still very much feels pain, but even the most severe of injuries will heal quickly.
Per his agreement with Death, Ivan is unable to die. He can still be hurt, and still very much feels pain, but even the most severe of injuries will heal quickly.
π inhuman abilities
Ivan stopped being human a long time ago. He's stronger, faster, and more powerful than a regular human might be. Working for Death has to have some perks.
Ivan stopped being human a long time ago. He's stronger, faster, and more powerful than a regular human might be. Working for Death has to have some perks.
π shadow magic
Whatever magic Ivan could wield before has long left him. In its place is the ability to manipulate shadows and darkness like a physical force, including moving through shadows to travel.
Whatever magic Ivan could wield before has long left him. In its place is the ability to manipulate shadows and darkness like a physical force, including moving through shadows to travel.
π reaper senses
Ivan can tell by looking at a person how long they have to live, and is drawn to those about to die as a part of his duty.
Ivan can tell by looking at a person how long they have to live, and is drawn to those about to die as a part of his duty.
π guidance to the afterlife
As befitting a reaper, Ivan guides souls to the afterlife when they die. Which afterlife? What's it like? idk man, what do you believe in?
As befitting a reaper, Ivan guides souls to the afterlife when they die. Which afterlife? What's it like? idk man, what do you believe in?
BACKGROUND
Once upon a time, a wizard bent the rules of life and death to their breaking point in order to save his dying wife. His efforts were for naught, and she died anyway. At that moment, he thought his own life was over, but so great were his crimes against the laws of nature that Death Itself came to him and said in no uncertain terms that he was indebted to the universe, indebted to Death: one lifetime of service for every soul he desecrated. A thousand lifetimes in all.
When his service was done, then and only then would he be able to see his friends and loved ones again in the afterlife.
Truly, a fate worse than death.
Roza quickly became Ivanβs whole world, a bright ray of sunlight that added much-needed warmth to his sometimes dreary disposition, but it was not to be forever. Roza took ill, and Ivan began to crumble. Wizards had lost the secrets to healing arts generations before, thanks to their tendency for ego and feuding among themselves, and any medicine that might be able to save her was centuries away from invention.
Rather than accept that fate, Ivan dove into the study of Necromancy β a school of magic that was forbidden for good reason β to search for a way to save his sweet sunbeam. His desperation nearly drove him mad, and he began to lose all compassion for the people around him, the ones still living who wanted to help him grieve and process and move on. He took their lives for his magic, desecrated the dead in the village cemetery, and when that wasnβt enough, he moved to the next village, and the next, destroying lives upon lives and twisting the cycle of life and death to its near breaking point.
In the midst of his mad quest, Roza slipped away from him, claimed by her sickness and none the wiser to the exploits of her husband and the thing he had been twisted into while she wasted away in her bed.
By now, Ivan more than possessed the means to resurrect her, but he knew from his experiences that she would not be the same. Her warmth would be sapped from her, her body given to decay no matter how much magic and life he poured into it. There was no bringing back the woman he loved now that she had been taken from him, so he sought to join her.
Thatβs when Death Itself appeared to him, and denied him the one thing he wanted most: to be with his beloved again. Ivanβs crimes against the order of life and death were too great to be ignored, so Death conscripted him into service instead. He would serve as an agent of Death, a grim reaper ferrying souls to the afterlife, until his debt to the cosmic balance was repaid. One lifetime of service for every life taken, every body and soul desecrated. A thousand lifetimes in all.
Until then, Ivan could not die, could not step foot into the afterlife where his wife waited. Whether or not heβs made peace with that notion remains to be seen.
When his service was done, then and only then would he be able to see his friends and loved ones again in the afterlife.
Truly, a fate worse than death.
click for full write-up
Ivan was once a wizard β a person with an extended lifespan and the ability to do magic through a series of written runes. Though he was always sort of quiet and had no real standing to speak of in the magical community, he was studious and kind, and very good with his magic. So, it was both a surprise and no surprise at all that he managed to capture the heart of the daughter of the mayor of their little wizarding village, Roza.Roza quickly became Ivanβs whole world, a bright ray of sunlight that added much-needed warmth to his sometimes dreary disposition, but it was not to be forever. Roza took ill, and Ivan began to crumble. Wizards had lost the secrets to healing arts generations before, thanks to their tendency for ego and feuding among themselves, and any medicine that might be able to save her was centuries away from invention.
Rather than accept that fate, Ivan dove into the study of Necromancy β a school of magic that was forbidden for good reason β to search for a way to save his sweet sunbeam. His desperation nearly drove him mad, and he began to lose all compassion for the people around him, the ones still living who wanted to help him grieve and process and move on. He took their lives for his magic, desecrated the dead in the village cemetery, and when that wasnβt enough, he moved to the next village, and the next, destroying lives upon lives and twisting the cycle of life and death to its near breaking point.
In the midst of his mad quest, Roza slipped away from him, claimed by her sickness and none the wiser to the exploits of her husband and the thing he had been twisted into while she wasted away in her bed.
By now, Ivan more than possessed the means to resurrect her, but he knew from his experiences that she would not be the same. Her warmth would be sapped from her, her body given to decay no matter how much magic and life he poured into it. There was no bringing back the woman he loved now that she had been taken from him, so he sought to join her.
Thatβs when Death Itself appeared to him, and denied him the one thing he wanted most: to be with his beloved again. Ivanβs crimes against the order of life and death were too great to be ignored, so Death conscripted him into service instead. He would serve as an agent of Death, a grim reaper ferrying souls to the afterlife, until his debt to the cosmic balance was repaid. One lifetime of service for every life taken, every body and soul desecrated. A thousand lifetimes in all.
Until then, Ivan could not die, could not step foot into the afterlife where his wife waited. Whether or not heβs made peace with that notion remains to be seen.
INVENTORY
π©Έ scythe
Maybe it's a little cliche, but Ivan can summon a scythe from shadow and use it to fight. The scythe can hurt physical or incorporeal opponents.
Maybe it's a little cliche, but Ivan can summon a scythe from shadow and use it to fight. The scythe can hurt physical or incorporeal opponents.
π± cell phone
Despite what one might think, Death is very much caught up to the modern age. Ivan's phone functions as a regular phone, but he also uses it to keep in touch with his boss.
Despite what one might think, Death is very much caught up to the modern age. Ivan's phone functions as a regular phone, but he also uses it to keep in touch with his boss.
π°οΈ pocket watch
An ornate, silver pocket watch that doesn't tell time, but rather tells Ivan how long his servitude to Death lasts.
An ornate, silver pocket watch that doesn't tell time, but rather tells Ivan how long his servitude to Death lasts.
QUICK PERMISSIONS
backtagging: β
4th-walling: β
threadjacking: β
mind reading: β (talk to me for details)
fighting: β
romance: β (talk to me first)
injury: β
killing: β (he literally cannot die unless there are power nerfs. hmu to work something out!)
4th-walling: β
threadjacking: β
mind reading: β (talk to me for details)
fighting: β
romance: β (talk to me first)
injury: β
killing: β (he literally cannot die unless there are power nerfs. hmu to work something out!)
ramey . they/them . us mtn . exposition@plurk