Nikias

This character is based on a supporting character in Lewdnar's The Sculptor

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Nikias
Biographical information
Born	c. 435 BCE Paros Island
Political information
Affiliations	Spartan army
Real-world information
Appears in	The Sculptor

Nikias of Paros was a Parian oligarch siding with the Spartan army during the Peloponnesian War. He fathered the bright Alexa and ambitious Linos with a former Nubian slave. At the outbreak of the war, Silanos of Paros came into power with the help of his mighty friends on the main land. Helping Myrrine of Sparta's admiral and rebel Euneas behind the scenes, Silanos was eventually disposed of and Nikias entered the position of oligarch.

Upon the arrival of the Sculptor and his acolytes, Nikias entered a years-long conflict with the man. In the end, Nikias and his son were ambushed. Nikias told his son to flee, taking an arrow for him to the chest. Nikias still survived, and was kept at the Atoll Point for half a year until he escaped with the help of misthios Kassandra, who had been hired by his daughter to avenge him and bring an end to the Sculptor's reign of Paros.

Relationships

Alexa - daughter and oldest child of Nikias and a former Nubian slave. Alexa was a bright and caring girl. She took good care of her brother, but was traumatized in early age. During the reign of Silanos, her mother was one day caught with a group of other women at the docks and brought out on the open sea and drowned. She was just old enough to remember her, and Nikias noted she reminded him of his wife. When Nikias disappeared, Alexa became the de facto leader of Paros, becoming a target of the Cult herself.

Cult of Kosmos - helping the Naxians had its price. The Cult of Kosmos had put their Redblood Silanos to rule Paros and deal with Myrrine, posing as an Athenian strategos. With the help of Euneas and Myrrine, Nikias managed to bring down Silanos. After this, Nikias became a personal target for the Cult. When he also became the oligarch, the Ghost of Kosmos sent her Defenders to hunt and kill Nikias. This sparked a years-long conflict with the notorious Sculptor that would split Nikias from his children, and put the Cult back in control of Paros.

Doris - an older woman serving Nikias, Doris was one of his oldest friends. As Nikias didn't have any parents to take proper care of him, Doris, the village's crazy-lady, took him under his wings. She had no children of her own, but had inherited her deceased husband's fancy house and apothecary. She made Nikias go out in the wild and get her the herbs she wanted, making him earn his time he lived with her. Doris was convinced this would create character, and was firm but also caring with Nikias.

Elios - the local blacksmith and weapon maker on Paros. Nikias and Elios were never close friends, but the latter owed Nikias much for becoming one of the most well-known in the region. After he came into power, Nikias made Elios the Spartans' main blacksmith: providing them with armor and weapons. He owed a lot to Nikias for this, but when it was assumed he was dead Elios felt his debt was annulled. When the Eagle Bearer therefore paid him a visit, he refused to provide Linos the equipment Nikias' son desired, leaving it up Kassandra to deal with the problem.

Linos - the younger sibling of Alexa, Linos was too young to remember their mother. Doris became his mother figure, but her strict teachings had the opposite effect on him. Nikias never told him enough how much he appreciated Linos as himself, as the young boy idealized his father. When Nikias was wounded and presumed deceased, Linos felt he had to avenge his father no matter the cost.

Naxian oligarchy - after helping Myrrine and her fellowmen bringing down Silanos and Nikias became oligarch of Paros, he hold close contact with Myrrine's second-in-command: Timo. The two remained loyal to each other, but she couldn't help him when Spartan troops invaded and took over the island. Naxos was already aligned with the Spartans, and it was a mere strategic move on behalf of King Pausanias.

Trivia

1. Nikias is derived from Greek νικη (nike) meaning "victory".
   • This was the name of an Athenian general who fought in the Peloponnesian war.