Nils Aristelle

Name: Nils Aristelle

Race: Human

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Weapons/Items Sword- Nils carries a longsword which is--more often than not-- strapped to his back, rising above his left shoulder. The blade is made of a metal alloy that is both strong and extremely light, and is carved with runic sigils that make it near unbreakable. Set in the cross guard of the blade is a small ruby, which when thumbed, engulfs the weapon in a shroud of blue flame. The magic stored within the stone must be replenished occasionally, which can be accomplished through means of Nils' other gear. Nils also carries a small knife in the top of his boot, weighted for throwing.
Other Gear - Nils' only other gear is a white glove that is worn at all time upon his left hand. Both the palm and the back of the glove bear large runic symbols, written in an ancient script that not even Nils understands. Combined with the tattoos that cover his left arm from wrist to mid chest, seamlessly flowing with the designs of the glove, this device allows Nils not only to negate the magic of all but the most powerful arcane attacks, but also to separate, momentarily store, and redirect said energies--so long as his is capable of understanding the basic elements needed to comprise the attack. The item only works if Nils is able to position it between himself and the magical assault, so it would have no affect on something that struck him from behind, above, etc. Also, since Nils was not born with innate magical tendencies, his body is not structured to harness said powers. Thus, he must reuse/release the energies that he pulls in within a matter of minutes, or he would start to be destroyed by the very thing that saved him. Finally, Nils is unable to alter the elemental effects of any spell that he absorbs (i.e., he couldn't absorb a fireball and return it as an ice arrow). He is limited in this as far as his knowledge allows him to break-down, redistribute, and recreate within the elemental confines.

Special abilities: Nils is a Master Swordsman, is able to speak many languages (picked up from his mercenary lifestyle), has an innate six sense when it comes to protecting his own hide, and is very, very lucky; to a point that people often question whether he is somehow enhancing the odds in his favor.

Personality/Character Description: Standing just over six feet tall and of a muscular build, Nils is a very handsome character. He usually wears his silvery white hair cropped short, and has eyes of a green to match that of the richest pasture. Tan-skinned, Nils hails from a southern nation and most often wears a white vest, shirtless beneath, and a pair of loose black leggings. By all accounts he is a charming, cunning, witty individual with a silver-tongue, known to talk himself out of the most precarious of positions. He likes to think that he cares little for the world's definitions of right and wrong--following his heart instead-- but more often than not the Band of the White Hand is leased out to causes that side with a common good. He is opinionated and opportunistic, with a good deal of luck to go with it.

Brief history/Other character info: Certain things can be expected of one when born into a mercenary camp where half the men have slept with the mother, and the other half have dreamed of it. Nils decided to follow the story one man in particular, having claimed to be his father, had once told him. His family was once of wealthy royalty, greatly heralded as the bringers of a new age of peace and prosperity to the land. They were, however, overthrown by a rebellious coup headed by the King's brother, and the land crashed into a bitter feud of war and strife. Forced to group the men still loyal to the once-King, Nils' ancient blood formed the first of many mercenary groups that would follow in the family's footsteps. Whether it was true or Not, at a young age Nils' took heart in the tale and decided to make it his life and worth to follow in those footsteps and live up to his blood's virtue. In the younger years of his life, the child became a quick learner with the sword and tactics, always seen near the commander's tents where he should never have been allowed. He was light-footed, tight-lipped, and light hearted, a combination that was endearing to all those around him. He was intelligent and witty, but always compassionate with those in need. And so, as he came of age, Nils was readily accepted into the band, earning his pay time and time again in various battles against various lords, always ready to prove his merit.

When he was sixteen, in a battle that was to decide the fate of the Raven's Caw, Nils slayed the enemies' chief officer and was able to turn the tide of an entire campaign, rallying the men to himself and routing the enemy before they could escape. This earned him the respect of nearly every man in the camp, and he was promoted to a first-lieutenant among the men. From here it was not long at all until Nils became the second in command, and following the tragic fall of their leader in a great war between even greater houses, it was Nils' that the Caw turned to for leadership. Only nineteen but already a life-long veteran, Nils took full control of the reins. He led them on expedition after expedition, working for wizards and warriors, damsels and dames--whatever it took to keep pockets and mugs full. It was on one such expedition that Nils gained the item that would eventually lead to the name of his rag-tag group of men. After chasing an errant wizard three hundred leagues across a barren wasteland, Nils finally slew the exhausted mage in single combat, through an astonishing display of skill, and even more amazing amount of pure luck. For his efforts, he was rewarded by the corpse with a white glove that would grant him the power to disassemble any magical attack that he could understand, breaking it down into its basic elements and disrupting the flow of these. After much study--and cost-- Nils found that through the tattooing of runic symbols on his skin in coherence with the glove, he could amplify its abilities so that he cold not only break down the magic, but absorb, and effectively redirect the powers back out of himself. Now a powerful weapon in his own right, Nils' named dubbed his men The Band of the White Hand--a name that has struck fear and awe into the likes of opponents. Multiple battles have been won on the mere bluff that The Band had been hired for one side of the other, such was their prowess. Nils continued to travel with his men, and has recently come upon Eldarus, though to what cause is still unknown.