Nikolaos Terrowyn

An eastern refugee turned student with a talent with the pen.

General Information

Name: Nikolaos “Niko” Terrowyn
Alias(s): “Ilyas"Age: 16, 21 (Post-Time-skip)
Date of birth: 14, Garland Moon
Sign: GeminiSexuality: Bisexual, female lean
Sex: Male
Gender: Male
Pronouns: He/HimPersonal Skill: Stable Boy+ 4 Advantage to as adjacent Calvary unitsStatus: Adopted son of Matilda Terrowyn, Bishop of the Eastern Church.
House: Golden Deer House
Affiliation: Almyra (Formerly), Eastern Church, Leicester Alliance

Personality

Nikolaos is an industrious, analytical young man whose mind rarely slows down. Haunted by his past, he often feels as though time is slipping through his fingers, pushing him to work harder, study longer, and shoulder more than he should. His diligence makes him a stellar academic: he excels in history, Reason, and magic, and his fascination with ancient cultures and forgotten stories drives him to read and write with almost obsessive devotion. As a storyteller and chronicler, he is eloquent and articulate—yet when the spotlight turns on him, his confidence falters. Large crowds unsettle him, and despite his gift for words, he prefers the quieter company of books, quills, and ideas.Though reserved, Nikolaos is deeply compassionate. He struggles to express affection openly, instead showing his care through quiet gestures, thoughtful gifts, or self-sacrificing actions. Protective of those close to him, he sometimes loves with such intensity that it borders on obsession—something he recognizes and tries to temper. His guarded nature makes forming bonds difficult, but once someone earns his trust, his loyalty is unwavering.People exhaust him as much as solitude frightens him, so he often finds solace among horses, whose steady presence offers him peace. His keen, judgmental eye for character—sharpened by years of hardship—can make him blunt or distrustful, even as he despises the prejudice he’s faced himself. Beneath his composed, academic exterior lies a young man torn between worlds: critical of Almyra’s cruelty and Fódlan’s xenophobia, yet wary of voicing those feelings too openly. Driven, intelligent, and quietly yearning for connection, Nikolaos hides a tender heart behind layers of caution and relentless work.

Likes, Dislikes, & Interests

Likes: Horses & horse related activities, working hard, warm hugs, the smell of fresh airDislikes: Loud noises, large dogs, the cold, being stuck indoorsHobbies: Equestrian work, writing, story-telling, sketching, sleeping in the stablesInterests: History, common & noble literature, reading, horses

Relationships

Parent(s): Efrayim (Father, Deceased), Matilda Terrowyn (Adoptive Mother)
Siblings: Rukavina Terrowyn (Adoptive Sister)
Current S-supports: Dorothea (@lyricallibra)

Appearance

Hair color: Light Black
Eye color: MagentaHeight: 5 1”, 5 9”
Weight: 100, 160
Body Type: EctomorphDistinguishing features: Bright, vibrant eyes.
Piercings: Pierced ears
Tattoos: None
Scars: Permanent marks on his neck & wrists, lashing scars all across his back.

Pre-Timeskip Appearance

Post-Timeskip Appearance

Backstory

Nikolaos was born "Ilyas" in a quiet valley along the Leicester–Almyra border, known simply as the Vale. His mother died giving birth to him, leaving him in the care of his father, Efrayim—a kind, timeless man who raised horses and filled their home with books, stories, and lessons in magic. For eight years, Niko lived in peace, developing a love for horses and an even deeper obsession with reading.That peace ended when an Almyran warlord seized the Vale, enslaving its people. Efrayim, already growing frail, offered himself and his son as stable hands to keep them together. The work was brutal, and the years wore Efrayim down further. By the time Niko turned twelve, his father was slipping into illness and confusion. On his deathbed, Efrayim gave Niko one last embrace and a final wish: “If you find the chance, my son—run, and never look back.”Niko’s chance came during the warlord’s failed assault on Fódlan’s Locket. Amidst the rout, he fled toward the fortress, only to be greeted by the Goneril Garrison. There, on account for his ability to read and write in Fodlan's language, he was turned over to a visiting Holy Woman, Lady Matilda Terrowyn. Rather than leaving him to be a servant for the Gonerils, Matilda saw promise in the boy. A learned Bishop without children of her own, she had begun adopting children of talent to preserve her line. Niko bonded quickly with her and her first adoptee, Rukavina, and on his thirteenth birthday he took Matilda’s name as her son.With a roof over his head and books at his fingertips, Niko flourished. He immersed himself in history and magic, determined to live and write freely and academically in honor of his father, and bygone people. By sixteen, his path led him to Garreg Mach Monastery, where he would take his place as the newest—and ninth—member of the Golden Deer, his scholarship paid in full by the Eastern Church.At first, Nikolaos keeps his distance from the Golden Deer. His guarded nature leaves him circling the class from afar, unsure how to bridge the gap. The nobles—Hilda and Lorenz—feel suffocating to be around, while the easy camaraderie between Raphael and Ignatz intimidates him. Even Claude earns his suspicion: an Almyran in Fódlan’s clothes is too familiar a reminder of wounds not yet healed. So Niko retreats into himself, spending his free time quietly chronicling the history of his scattered people. His studies center on equestrian arts and magic, pursuing the path of a Dark Knight who might one day serve an Alliance lord. Though his swordplay lags behind, his words grow keener with every stroke of his quill—his pen, sharper than any blade.Slowly, cracks form in his solitude. Small, tentative steps lead to friendships: sharing stories with Ignatz, finding gentle understanding in Marianne, and enjoying Raphael’s warmth despite his initial reservations. Caring for the monastery’s horses alongside Marianne and Leonie becomes his refuge, where he swaps legendary tales while brushing manes and mending tack. Most importantly, Niko begins a dialogue with Claude. Through long talks about their pasts, their dreams, and their visions for the future, Claude’s hope for a world without borders begins to soothe Niko’s vengeful heart. For the first time in years, he dares to imagine a future where the Pass—and all it represents—might not be erased. Amid this quiet renewal, Niko helps deliver a colt, a black foal he names Emir, whom he affectionately calls his “brother.”By the time chapter four arrives, fate offers him another piece of home: his sister Rukavina appears at Garreg Mach’s gates, a refugee of the Western Church’s destruction who has found a place among the monastery guard. Her arrival is a moment of pure joy for Niko. Between his growing circle of friends, the horses he cares for, his sister’s company, and the pages of his chronicle, the boy who once believed himself alone begins—at last—to feel part of something greater.

Extra Lore

Extra Info on characters, places, and other lore bits regarding Niko's backstory

𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧" 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞Tucked away in the mountains along the Fódlan–Almyra border lies a quiet river valley known as the Forgotten Pass—a name as fitting as it is poetic. For centuries, the Pass was overlooked by kings and lords alike, left to exist as a hidden crossroads between two continents and two cultures. Locals often say that beneath its forests and meadows, the old world still slumbers, waiting to be awakened.The valley itself is a picture of rustic beauty: wide meadows dotted with pine forests, small farms scattered across fertile soil, and a population barely numbering five thousand. Its people are hardy and welcoming, shaped by traditions drawn from both Fódlan and Almyra. Bilingual and egalitarian, they have fostered a unique micro-culture all their own.Yet the Pass is more than pastoral. Crumbling ruins stand half-buried among the trees, reminders that this place once held greater purpose. Whispers persist of an ancient city sleeping beneath the earth, a legend that lures adventurers and treasure-seekers. In the end, it was such whispers that drew ruin to the valley.In Imperial Year 1174, the discovery of rich gold veins in the surrounding mountains finally caught Almyra’s attention. The invasion was swift and merciless. Farms were burned, families scattered, and those not slaughtered were shackled and sold into bondage. Within months, the Pass was annexed and its people displaced, its once-quiet fields turned into an Almyran colony.Now, little remains of the Forgotten Pass but memory and myth. Its culture survives only in fragments—in the hearts of those few who remember their home not as a colony, but as a verdant land where two worlds once met in peace.

Mun Information

Writer Tag: Inis
Sex/Gender: Male, He/Him
Age: 22 years old
Time zone: Eastern Standard TimeI try to keep my TL clean, with lewd strictly kept to DMsDMs are always open for plotting, and I'd love to interact!

Shipping Info

Niko ships with chemistry, and is interested in both men and women, with a lean toward the latter.On that note, I will not ship pre-timeskip Niko with anyone three or more years older/younger than he his, just for the sake of my own comfort.