NOK
Details
Full Name: Nok
Race: Goblinoid(Grackle)
Sex: Male
Age: 5.5 years
Height: 3'6”
Weight: 47lbs
Birthdate: 52nd of Ash, 115th year in the Age of Steel
Birthplace: Hahseu, Midden of Kalzasi
Profession: None
Housing: Shanty shared with family
Partners: None
Titles: None
Factions: Grackle Town
Fluencies: Common, Goblish
Conversationals: None
Ineptitudes: None
Appearance
Nok is a young grackle with pale green skin, a snub nose, and shifty, beady black eyes. His large, slightly rounded, but still very pointy ears stick out from beneath a very pointy hat, which hides a very pointy tuft of blond hair that he likes to style when no one is looking. A sharp chin is offset by a large mouth of yellowed teeth, which stay perpetually clenched or chewing at his chapped lips. He carries himself in a stiff and practiced manner, his movements deliberate and calculating, but under the right amount of pressure he becomes a scrambling mess no better than his peers. Adorned with ragged children's clothing both stolen and found, he likes to project illusions upon the fabric in an attempt to hone the magic that was bestowed upon him, resulting in hems lined with matte gold trim and lopsided patterns. He is particularly proud of a pair of fine boots with are a bit too big for him but in his opinion makes him look distinguished. A Rune of the Masquerade is etched into his back and faintly glows a dull white when in use though he is careful to keep it well covered.
Disguise
While on the surface, Nok attempts to pass as a Fae'ethalan to distance himself from the less than savory reputation that Grackles have in polite society. He wears a cloak and a hood to hide his ears, filling either side with leafy branches to mimic the kind of hair that many Fae are known to possess. A scarf is used to cover his mouth and nose. His black eyes are hidden by illusionary magic to make them appear to be a soft, honey brown. He is currently unskilled in disguise so while it may fool many at a passing glance, it's clear upon close inspection that he is not what he appears.
Personality
Insatiably curious, Nok stands out from the other Grackles of his community in his consideration for the world around him. The ability to read has given him insight that little others of his kind concern themselves with, a fact that he is aware of and is source of some arrogance. His intelligence can be insufferable at times, being not so great to justify the airs he puts on, but just clever enough to get himself out of trouble.
His affinity for storytelling and the attention it brings has made him into a pathological liar. The thrill of seeming greater than he is drives him to achieve that greatness, or at least that's how he justifies it. Still, deceiving those that he considers friends feels much satisfying and in those that he trusts he is much more earnest.
History
Nok's early life felt hurried and meaningless. He was just one of the hundreds of young Gracklings that scurried throughout Hahseu, dodging rats and avoiding the Big People. Though his community was tolerated by most, usually due to the menial services they provided, it was well known that many young Grackles were still preyed upon by opportunists looking to harvest their valuable innards. Still, humans and their ilk had always been something of a curiosity: the way they talked, the way they acted, and the dramas that consumed their lives. But more than that was the hint that something grander, that above was a world beyond the filth and desperation of the Midden. He had gleaned as much, listening to their stories from under tables and squeezed within tight alleys. So when Nok, barely 3 years old, disappeared while collecting mousetraps, it was natural that all should assume he was dead.
Instead, a pure white moth, one he had never seen before, had caught his eye and he followed it into an unfamiliar Waterway. There he spotted a house much different than the shacks in Hahseu, finely constructed and made of rich wood. Scraps, stone, and sewage had been all he had known and he became enchanted by the sight, continuing onward and wondering what kind of mousetraps such a place might have.
They were very mundane, as he would find, but still he collected as many as he could. In the midst of this a monstrous woman came upon him, tall, beastly, and ancient. She demanded to know what he was doing in her house. Instead of running, he panicked. He told the woman that he was a human boy on an errand for his human mother and kindly asked her for the traps, all spoken in his best Common with as many “please”s as he could manage. Despite his best efforts, the young Grackling soon found himself locked in a bird cage and at the mercy of a terrifying Fae'ethalan that called herself “The Sewer Witch”.
Each day the Sewer Witch threatened him with death, listing off the various potions and dishes she could make with tender Grackle flesh. Despite this, Nok insisted that he was indeed a human boy and began to relay and create stories based his eavesdropping. When the threats turned towards what she could do with a human boy, he then asserted that he was a very accomplished human boy, a force to be reckoned with and one with powerful allies. As the threats escalated so did his stories and the Sewer Witch grew endeared with his persistence and imagination, humoring him and eventually promising to send him back home if he served her for a time.
Dressed in fine clothing, Nok became a something of pet and servant for the witch. He kept house, served her tea, and regaled her with stories. Eventually his deception became a source of guilt as the old Fae showed him affection that he had never known. Each morning she baked him treats and each night she tucked him into a bed crafted just for him, reading him to sleep with one of the many stories from a thick, gilded picture book. Finally the guilt became too great and Nok admitted that he was indeed a Grackle this whole time. Rather than being angry, he was shocked by the Sewer Witch's delight. Feigning surprise, she claimed that he had great potential as an illusionist such as herself and would reward him with a Rune of the Masquerade.
The process threatened to tear him apart at the seams as his body roiled and shifted under the strain of magic. The pain was excruciating and as he looked to his surrogate grandmother for comfort instead he found the studious eyes of a mage who watched his initiation with unwavering fascination. By the end of it, his flesh had settled but his hair remained a fleecy blonde. The Sewer Witch assured him that his hair only appeared blond and that such things were perfectly normal.
It was then that he became her pupil, each lesson making him the target of an ongoing series of pranks to show the full breadth of an illusionist. These ranged from harmlessly absurd to mortally terrorizing, but no matter the extreme the Sewer Witch was entertained by Nok's reactions and his attempts to copy her. It wasn't until he was able to produce convincing pranks of his own that the novelty of teaching such a creature began to wear thin. One day, the Sewer Witch told Nok that she had business to attend to and instructed him to take along the picture book he had grown fond of and accompany her. They traveled along a Waterway for what felt like hours until the Sewer Witch finally stopped. She then turned around, patted him on the head, and vanished. The clothes he was wearing were once again ragged and the cover of his picture book had turned a dull brown, though the text and illustrations still remained. Her final prank.
At the end of the tunnel, he soon found Hahseu and he realized that this was the same path he had taken so long ago. And long it had been, for upon arriving back to his home he realized that it had been over a year since he had disappeared. Their celebration for his return was as brief and intense as their grieving had been and soon he returned to his mundane life as though nothing had ever happened.
Being older, he was now expected to help his father in hunting Dire Rats and watch over the dozen or so younger siblings that he now had. His previous life with the Sewer Witch now seemed like a cruel dream, but it had all been very real, and what had happened and the changes he had undergone made him a subject of great interest among his peers. The attention was intoxicating but soon his embellishments and the limitations of his magic turned their interest into annoyance and boredom. He remains something of an oddity in his community, not shunned by any means, but somewhat alienated. This, along with his desire to be greater, drives him ever closer to what lies in the world above the Midden.