Niklaus Hendrix

"'But your stature, the way you carry yourself screams 'heroic nature'. And I love those who want to be a hero.' -Niklaus making his deal with Gillion Tidestrider in Episode 8" Niklaus Hendrix is a mysterious tiefling man with an odd connection to most of the NPC's met in Riptide. He is played by Grizzly_Plays.

Appearance
Niklaus Hendrix(Wish Doctor) is a handsome, towering Tiefling man with dark obsidian-colored skin and solid black eyes that can glow green. He sports curled horns on his head covered in beautiful golden jewelry as with his neck and hands, and his hair is dark, long with elegant braids that fall down his shoulders. He wears a black vest with golden filigree and black fur beneath a raised collar, with puffed sleeves gathering at his wrists and tied off at the cuff. Beneath the vest is a low cut purple undershirt that heavily exposes his chest, tied off with a golden scarf at the waist. On his feet are black leather boots with golden buckles, and on his face is a charming but a not so trustworthy smile.

In episode 56, he is seen wearing a fancy red robe that gathers at the waist.

Personality
Known by some as the "Wish Doctor" (or "Daddy Desire", "Papa Possibility" "Granter of all wishes", whatever), Niklaus is a powerful and mysterious force who grants people their greatest desires through negotiations and deals. Depending on the purity of the other persons heart or intentions, the cost of their wishes can become curses that affect those around them instead of just themselves.

Niklaus is a laid-back and morally neutral character, neither good nor evil as seen when Gillion Tidestrider casts divine sense on him in episode 8. He is sneaky, charming but not one to trust with your entire heart. While not evil, he shows little sympathy for those cursed by his deals, regardless of his relationship with them. While calmer and even cracking jokes at times, when it gets down to it, he can easily become a serious and intimidating character. His true, genuine intentions are misty and unclear, but one thing is for certain-

He just wants a good story.

Prior to the events of Riptide
As of right now, little to nothing is known of Niklaus Hendrix.

He has been around for a very, very long time; evident by his deal with the immortal pirate Ezme Aelinor, who had made a deal with him over 400 years ago. Through implications of the black ooze that affects his deal partners, and the existence of Yuckies, he has presumably been making deals consistently for a while.

Niklaus was present for an undisclosed amount of time on Desire Island, where he befriended King Alveros and helped the king to build a sacred temple full of traps and riddles. Here, he also crafted a magical compass for the king, one that would show you to the direction of your greatest desire when used.

According to him, he was friends with Arlin James of the Black Rose Pirates. Their specific relationship is unclear, but Arlin is, in some way shape or form, important enough that Niklaus asks Chip saves him, no matter the consequences, in episode 56. The sincerity of his supposed relationship with Arlin can be questioned.

King Alveros
Even with his notoriety and trickster nature, Niklaus seemed to have had found a friend in the late Alveros of Desire Island. While the specific reason for him visiting the island is unclear, he and Alveros worked alongside one another to build a temple that Alveros would rest in after his passing. This temple included both traps and riddles, one notable riddle being a room where an act of true love needed to be performed to pass. Niklaus had also crafted a compass imbued with powerful arcane energy for Alveros, which the king held on to after his death. In journals that were discovered in Alveros' library, the king wrote a few entries about Niklaus, referring to him as "Nik" and "Old Friend". In one such entry, he writes about Niklaus having left the island before the completion of the temple. He finished the entry off with the line "May we meet again, old friend."

The Empress
Niklaus and the empress, or by her real name, Stella, have a... complicated relationship. They were implied to have had an intimate bond before Stella was cursed, mentioned by Niklaus in episode 56 when he told Chip she was one of the people who referred to him as "Desire Daddy". Before this, after Stella's defeat on Desire Island, she also stated that they had been close. They would talk about their lives over teatime, and it was during these nights that Niklaus told Stella about Desire Island, the compass, and Alveros. After she was cursed by Niklaus' deal, becoming famous on her island but her music turning those who hear it to stone, Stella grew a hatred and vengeance against Niklaus. She dedicated her life to retrieving the compass and using it to find him and make him turn her back, while Niklaus seemed- and seems- indifferent to the pain he caused her.

Black Rose Pirates
Through Niklaus' own word, he says that he had once upon a time known the Black Rose Pirates. More specifically, Arlin James, who he says he was friends with in episode 56 when speaking with Chip. He had known the crew long enough to claim he had stories of them, and they hold enough importance to him (or his ideals) that he agreed to give Chip hints to Finn Tidestrider and Arlin's whereabouts.

Edyn Tidestrider
As mentioned by Edyn in episode 58, she had met Niklaus upon one of her first adventures to the oversea. She got herself in a significant amount of trouble though, and nearly lost her life as she tried to verify the safety of Gillion Tidestrider. She was rescued by Niklaus, who she stated was a very kind and gentle figure to her. He did not push her for any deals or agreements, only helped her back to her feet and health, and then the two were off on their separate ways.

Cursed Compass
Built specifically by Niklaus for his late friend Alveros, the compass was imbued with an almost necrotic arcane magic. It is a simple, black and gold compass with the initials NK. It was built for the intention of giving a direction to the user's greatest desires, but when used by those it was not intended for, it works with a price. The user will become obsessed with using the compass, and will face some form of curse, as seen with Oliver in episode 40.

Art References
