Nicolau Belacqua
Race: Human
Birthday: Roalis 29, 2688
Age: 32 (as of Roalis 2720)
FC: OC art by Mochi
Birthday: Roalis 29, 2688
Age: 32 (as of Roalis 2720)
FC: OC art by Mochi
Place of Origin: Old Rose Harbour
Current Location: Vienda
Occupation: Officially: rugby player; unofficially: Bad Brother, information broker, thief, thug, bodyguard
Player Name: Mochi
Current Location: Vienda
Occupation: Officially: rugby player; unofficially: Bad Brother, information broker, thief, thug, bodyguard
Player Name: Mochi
Appearance
Nico Belacqua is a tall, lean man. His physique speaks to his years of physical activity, ranging from labour to sport. He is all lean muscle, honed for strength and speed. He has light reddish-blonde hair that he wears slicked back with the sides and back shaved, and intense blue eyes. His gaze often feels predatory, like catching the eyes of a wolf sizing up it’s next opponent or meal. His face sits in a perpetual scowl with a slightly crooked nose in the center of it. His complexion is clean and fair and he shaves regularly. His right eyebrow has a scar running through it from some altercation or another, but other than that mark, his face is generally free of blemishes unless he's been in a dust-up recently, which happens often. He has a black and grey tattoo of a hawk perched on a broken crown on his right pectoral.
He is often seen in a rugby uniform, as he plays for one of the first galdori-sponsored lower race teams in Vienda. Off the field, he dresses impeccably and is always very well put together. While he loathes his current position as a kept man, he does enjoy the fine wardrobe afforded him by his "sponsor".
Personality
Nico tends to have a very stiff presence, but has been known to actually relax in the company of those he trusts, such as his teammates. He generally tends to give off the aura of a barely contained predator, waiting and watching for an opportunity to strike or escape. He makes a point to try and keep his emotions in check off the field, but on the field, all bets are off. He plays very aggressively. He has been known to get into more than a few scraps and is always ready to throw hands if necessary. He is fiercely protective of what is important to him.
He has a strong dislike for galdori and detests his position, but given the knowledge that his other options are prison or death, he keeps his complaints to a minimum, at least in polite company. He has a strong loyalty to his King and not much else.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Physically strong. He is tall, intimidating, and wiry.
- Observant. Always has a strong awareness of his surroundings and picks up on things others may not.
- Athletic, with high endurance.
- Very resourceful and street smart.
- Fiercely loyal.
- Short temper. Nico is very quick to anger. While he often only reaches a simmer, he can be explosive and violent if provoked.
- Illiterate. Like a majority of humans, Nico is unable to read or write. He becomes defensive if this is pointed out.
History
Nicolau was born 2688 in the slums of Old Rose, and is the only child of his parents to survive into adulthood. His early life was spent begging and scraping and fighting for anything he could get. His father’s income — what little there was of it that made it home — was barely enough to keep food on the table, and his mother had lost so many children that she had fallen into a bottle and never made it back out again. As soon as he was old enough to fend for himself, he left home and didn’t look back. He quickly found his way into the criminal underworld, picking pockets with a gaggle of other boys for a Bad Brother too lazy to make his dues himself.
It wasn’t long before he found he had a knack for picking more than pockets. People rarely pay attention to those around them, especially if those around them are humans. And most especially if they’re human children. He began to pay attention, learning bits of information over time. This habit of listening proved dangerous, however, when he was caught eavesdropping on something he shouldn’t have been. He found himself dragged before the local captain by the man he’d been working for, accused of poking his nose where he shouldn’t. It was a fair accusation, as he absolutely had… but the man who caught him hadn’t counted on Nico being ready and able to roll on him to save his own skin, while also proving his usefulness. He had plenty of ammunition to use against his accuser, and use it he did. He was rewarded for helping to shed dead weight, and it wasn’t long before he gained a reputation: if there was something worth knowing, Nico probably knew it. And he would share, for a price.
As he grew up, his size, strength, and ruthless loyalty to his King offered him more opportunities than just picking pockets. He was ready and willing to do most anything that needed to be done, from intimidation to persuasion to anything in between. All the while he kept accruing secrets, swapping information for information and keeping the best bits for himself. This would eventually prove to be his downfall; with secrets come power, and having too much power can make those above nervous. Nico was a valuable asset to the Bad Brothers, but a dangerous one. Several captains began to undermine him, raising concerns about his loyalty and what information he picked up. While there was never any real cause for concern, the murmurs eventually came to a head, and something had to be done.
Nico was “asked” to take the fall for a lieutenant who had gotten himself in a spot of trouble. He was given little opportunity to refuse. Nor could he, really, if he wanted to keep drawing breath. It was framed out to him as some grand plan. Taking the fall was only the beginning. There had been rumblings in Vienda of Galdori-sponsored lower race rugby leagues. It was all for show, of course. With the growing unrest, politicians had been scrambling to find ways to give the lower races legitimacy without actually making any meaningful change, and several of them had decided that sports was the way to do it. Rugby had always been popular, both among galdori and the lower races. Legitimizing and sponsoring the lower race teams that already existed could go a long way to soothing tension.
Silas Hawke was always keen for more pies to stick his fingers in, and extending his reach into Vienda was a tantalizing prospect. Nico, of course, had been a prominent player on several human teams in Old Rose since he was a teenager. Using his connections, Hawke would ensure that Nico’s sentence would be commuted and buried so long as he agreed to a sponsorship by one of the key players in the Viendan pilot program. It was a test of his loyalty, they told him. Take the fall, go to Vienda, and feed information back to his superiors. If he was willing to do it, then surely he was no cause for concern.
With a knife over his head and few real options, Nico agreed. He was unceremoniously arrested, charged, and things proceeded as planned. Within several months, he found himself relocated to the capital and set up as the pet player in the first legitimized lower-race sports league in Anaxas. Sponsored by a prominent politician, he is afforded a good salary, accommodations far above his station, and is routinely shown off to potential investors while serving as an example to his own kind of what they could have if they work hard and stay in line.
He currently lives in a very cushy gilded cage.
And he hates it.
Miscellaneous
Aptitudes
- Mental: Average
- Physical: Excellent
- Social Poor. Looses points for his terrible temper.
Nico is paid above average for a human based on his position as one of the poster children for the newly legitimized Viendan Non-Galdori Rugby League. He is still not rich by any means, and his spending is closely monitored by his sponsor.
Housing
Nico lives in a rather nice guest residence close to his galdori sponsor’s manor home, far enough away to give the illusion of independence but close enough that he can be watched. He does not own it even a little, and any damages are taken from his salary.
Career
Nico is the star player on one of the first sponsored and recognized lower race rugby teams in Vienda. While this is his main occupation, he also is obliged to serve as the bodyguard and chaperone to his sponsor’s son.
Goals
- Get out of Vienda, somehow. While he is willing to bide his time, he is also getting steadily more tired of being kept in a cage.
- Prove his loyalty to his King so he will no longer be questioned.
- Regain his independence.
