N is for Niklos Kaunitz

Niklos Kaunitz was born under the sign of Mummet the Fool in 2497 IC.

Raised by an artistic father that traded in calligraphy for social and official business, Niklos was expected to carry on his father's trade. While he was naturally gifted with a brush and ink, he was bored with “learning his letters." Niklos instead found trading his physical talents as muscle earned far better coin, to one that didn't have a lot of expenses living under another's roof.

When the roof was no longer available, Niklos's coin didn't go as far. He still could earn with his fists. Niklos's follow through in a fight was earning him a reputation. You owed Niklos in a card game and couldn't pay, pray he pulled his punches and left you with coin for a drink to numb pain.

Niklos ran a few games in Übersreik before the Institute crossed his path. He was about to petition “the Guild" for more tables for games and cement his position as a racketeer. Yet Niklos soon found himself drafted into the city guard and thought for, just a minute, that any crimes he might be evading could be swept under the rug as they say.

Only the crimes just had new bosses and he found himself an agent for a shadowy organization chasing another shadowy organization, avoiding vampires, river trolls, cultists, witches, and assassins. But he took his skills on the choices put before him and perfected them with far larger and more dangerous marks.

Niklos is probably guilty of murder is some places, but he sees these crimes as made in self defense or in service of his friends and against corruption.

You can read a Niklos Kaunitz story, The Tail and the Bridge. I promised more, and I will write more, finding the right event in the current game seems to elude me.