Nikolai Kingslayer

Nikolai Kingslayer is a Riverki Reaper, an elite assassin, and Creed's hired blade in The Unnamed Story.

Handsome and charming but deeply hedonistic, Cole (or Kol) puts little thought toward the morality of his deeds, as the Riverki seldom do. His skill with knives and great physical strength make physical combat a one-sided affair, and his surprising charm disarms even the most guarded men, leaving them ripe for the kill.

Background
Twin brothers Kol and Rys Kingslayer grew up in the shadow of a hero father, and so they both sought to excel—but it was Rhs who was destined for greatness, their clan knew. That is, until the boy challenged the Riverki Elder to battle…and lost. His punishment was, among many things, exile. Soon after, Kol fell suddenly ill, and returned to the ranks without his left eye. Now crippled, and the only heir to his father, Kol was left to bear the weight of his name, with the shame of his brother’s pride on his shoulders and the skeptical gaze of the clan on his back. Determined to overcome, he rose to become one of the village’s most revered Reapers, in spite of his missing eye. He remains at the top of the ranks.

Personality
Years of training with the powerful and manipulative has taught Cole to judge at a glance and he is almost always right. His status as a Reaper makes him a figure to fear, and he relishes in the notoriety. Though outwardly charming and friendly, he won’t hesitate once provoked to kill a man—and promptly empty his pockets. Never one to waste, he sacks the bodies of those he slays and sells the valuables he can’t use, a practice Creed greatly disapproves of. Cole is very aggressive when it comes to getting what he wants, and he doesn’t much like asking permission; whether it’s picking a pocket or propositioning his repressed Contractor, he won’t hesitate to act on whatever impulse strikes him. He feels no shame.

Cole is a member of the Riverki third Clan, Vatesh, the local chapter of nomadic barbarians for hire. Though typical for his type, hedonistic and unapologetic in his every thought and gesture, Cole is unique in that he is one of very few Reapers who survived a crippling injury and returned to duty. His injury lies concealed beneath a leather eyepatch, which is never far from his face. What lies beneath is more than a scar, but questioning the mercenary is a one-way pass to a bleeding wound, and so its nature is not explored.

The Unnamed Story
Contracted—in a clearly private and embarrassing ritual—to protect him from those who would do him harm, Cole is the hired guard of Creed, a traveling cleric and jinx-witch—a magic-user with no powers, plagued by apparent misfortune. Creed’s mere presence causes minor destruction, due to an excess of magic in his body. Ever the problem-solver, the hedonistic mercenary devises a simple treatment: sex with him, to relieve his overflowing energy. Despite the priest’s initial objections, the arrangement works just fine, and they both enjoy it (one of them guiltily). When they’re not being assailed by thugs or “treating” Creed’s condition, Cole acts as guide to the sheltered priest, using his many contacts to help him search for the one he left behind. The details are fuzzy, but he isn’t asking. After all, Creed is not the only one with something to hide.

Creed
(A can of worms to be opened later)

Caspian
Cole and Caspian have a lot in common: both are money-minded, as attractive as they are deadly, and prefer the violent approach to settling conflicts. They also share a preference for men. Cole is aware of the sort of threat that Caspian poses to him, and has a healthy respect for both his shrewdness and his skill in manipulation. While hardly to the point of friendship, there is a camaraderie between them due to their common ground. If he had to like a Spider, Caspian would be the one.

Rainer
Cole does not understand Rainer at all. A man with power who refuses to use it is a mystery to him, as Rainer is clearly formidable, in his way. He knows too well the cost of pacifism for those who need protecting. It is for this reason that he voices his opposition to Rainer's stance, in hopes of opening his eyes to the far-reaching consequences of his refusal to kill. Some part of him finds Rainer's kindness touching, but he knows too well how easy it is to fell a man who hesitates. He hopes never to be the one wielding blades against him, if only because he would hate to put him in the ground.

The Elder
It's hard not to respect a giant, especially one that's past seventy and still able to break a man's neck. But more than that, the aging patriarch of Clan Vatesh is all that remains of Cole's family. He raised he and his brother after their father's death, and Cole greatly respects how much the task must have worn on him. While he is slave only to his own will, Cole considers the Elder's opinions more than anyone's, and often heeds his advice, partly out of guilt for the failure that was his brother's betrayal. The weight of the Elder's unspoken expectation weighs on him, and the man's reaction to his own inevitable death is something he dwells on often.

Rhys
Despite sharing identical forms, Cole and Rhys have always been day and night. Cole grew up reluctantly accepting the fact that Rhys would always be better than him, bigger and louder and stronger--destined for greatness he would never know. Despite this, there was no one Cole loved more. Then, Rhys got himself kicked out of the clan, and ruined both their lives. Cole wears a mourning braid in his honor, believing him dead, and for as much as he scorns his foolish mistakes, he genuinely mourns his loss. When he finds him alive five years later, it puts an understandable dent in their relationship. With Rhys still drawing breath, he represents the point at which everything went wrong. It was easier to forgive him when he was dead.

Trivia

 * "Cole" is derived from Creed's pronunciation of Kol (like 'call'), with a long Malvarian O as opposed to the short O found in Vot. He responds to it regardless. Rys, likewise, responds to the Crowne 'Rhys' (reese) as opposed to the Vot 'ries' (as in 'memories').
 * Along with his trademark kosovari('snake fang') daggers and Riverki flying spikes, Cole is also trained with a sword. Disarmed, he resorts to grappling, a martial art intended to cripple or render unconscious.