Nimble Mercury Waywocket

Background

Nimble Mercury Waywocket, better known as Nim, is a tiefling warlock of 17 years, as of early May 2020.

For as long as they've been alive, their parents have been gone, presumably dead, considering what happens to tieflings who've disappeared in Troef. Nim knows nothing about their parents* but their names, Trickery and Dredd, and were raised their whole life by Donella Waywocket. They don't know how their parents died, only that Don says that one day they were gone. She doesn't say much about the subject, but Nim believes if she knew what happened, she'd tell them, and figures they both have an idea of what happened anyway.

Nim knows next to nothing about tiefling culture, nor do they have the means to find such information if they wanted to, as information around it is forbidden and scarce. For the majority of their life, they've stayed within Don's cottage, in the Gnomish and Dwarven mining village of Norma. They lived a sheltered childhood, almost entirely indoors, and have grown up to be a very reserved, quiet person because of it.

Their main sources of entertainment have always been books. In fiction, almost anything could happen. Nim could go on any adventure you liked from the comfort of your bedside, imagining heroes with the virtues you'd like to possess. They could picture them with fangs and teeth and claws and purple-tinged skin, like their own. And in non-fiction, Nim could read of freer times, long passed, and yearn for better times they were never around to experience. Sometimes, they'd ask Don about life before Troef, and she would talk about the Gnomish, Dwarvish, and even Tiefling bards and wizards and paladins who used to roam the lands, adventuring, a pursuit which is now almost dead.

Nim became enamored with magic from the stories Don told, a power anyone could wield and possess regardless of who they were, and by the age of ten, they had gained a passion for it. Even then, they knew they'd never be able to pursue magic out in the world like a wizard. But there were other ways to learn and obtain magic. At age thirteen, after copious research, they made a pact with the deity Bairan (details in the relationships section), a loyal and kind forest deity, in exchange for magical abilities.

Since then, they have used their powers for self defense, disguise, and job-related purposes. They do odd jobs around their village as a "wizard for hire", since warlocking is a little less legal than wizardry. They scour taverns and other public places for willing clients with loose coin, or flyers on the walls asking for favors that a magic user might help with. They leave home in disguise, under the Infernal alias "Rexes".

Magic gives them a sense of security and control in world where they have little. It's something they can learn and study, something exciting and light and fascinating, in a life full of cold realities. They feel incredibly fulfilled being able to help Don financially, and it doesn't hurt knowing they could defend her if the need arose. Nim has since become a competent warlock, but every so often feels a bitter taste in their mouth knowing how different both Don's life and their's could've been if the emperor and caste system were abolished.

Appearance

Nim is a mere five feet, meaning that visually, they fit in relatively well among their Gnomish and Dwarven peers. They have short, shaggy black hair and yellow eyes with goat-like irises and pupils. They once had tall, lightly curved, ram horns and a thin tail with a shag-tipped end (think of medieval unicorn tails). When they were too young to remember, their tail was cut to keep them safe and allow them to pass as non-tiefling, and their horns were later shaved down with the same goal. They retain several sharp teeth and claws, and they have hooves where feet would usually be. They are brownish, almost purple if you look closely. They wear large, round glasses, which are thick and very reflective, hiding their eyes. They also typically wear loose brown trousers held up by suspenders, tightened around their middle with a large belt, and workers' boots—all items borrowed from Don. When they leave house or any designated safe place, they wear a heavy dark coat, a scarf wrapped around he bottom half of their face, an old gardening hat, and gardening gloves. These are meant to hide any trace of their skin, claws, or teeth.

Nim often carries a leatherbound journal, crafted with the help of Don. They use this item to channel their magic and to summon Bairan. They also received a small clock-within-a-locket in Session 1 among the collateral damage of their cottage, which they wear underneath their scarf.

Personality/Demeanor

Nim is internal, often stoic, and sometimes awkward. They are a huge nerd at heart, and have a love of learning, knowledge, and stories that seems to have been passed on to them from Donella. They encounter many people in their day-to-day, but get to know few. They don't have much experience in dealing with their emotions and have never been the type to bring them up much (neither is Don), nor are they the most adept when it comes to dealing with people beyond business and small talk. They are intelligent and may come across as stern, but as a result of their youth and lack of closeness with others, may also develop small crushes quite easily. They have a strong drive to better the world around them for those they consider to be "their people", whether it be through earning money, physical protection, or otherwise. They are very staunchly anti-emperor, anti-monarchy, you name it. They believe Troef is completely corrupt.

(5/5/20) note from player: i am fucking KICKING myself for not playing up the loss of Donella and their desire to bring her back much, but like a true Nim Waywocket, my instinct to Not Appear Vulnerable kicked in and i was like "must. be. as. stoic. as. possible. during. this." but safe to say Nim loves and misses her very much they just don't articulate it very well

Relationships

The Gnome Child has appeared to Nim physically and in dreams, often with prophetic though mysterious advice.

Donella Waywocket raised Nim their whole life, and the two of them have a warm, familial relationship. Donella understands them when few do. Nim tries to fill the holes in Don's life, to be someone who gives her a word of appreciation when she does good work, and to think of her and know her for the mind she is.

Bairan is the fae deity with whom Nim made a pact for their magic. He is known as Bairan of the Dark Forest and the Guardian of Lost Souls, among other variants, and favors "those who are needy, deprived, lose, or trapped", according to Nim's books. All he asked in return for Nim's magic was to hear their life story, especially their struggles, and seems to draw power from the bonds, especially the emotional ones, that he has with his patrons. He's almost an outlet for a person's strife and grief. After this first exchange, he does not generally require more hard truths or revelations from his patrons, but enjoys being privy to those things as they happen, being that it does feed him in smaller ways. The more difficult something is to say, the more powerful it will be.

Kadota was the first tiefling Nim ever encountered, in Session 3

Updates Here:

— Quillan Dornwood appeared in a dream with Nim in Session 3 — Kadota appeared to Nim in the latter half of the dream, severely mutilated, being the first tiefling Nim ever knowingly encountered, apart from themself.