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Riptide 110 Thumbnail

Official art of Niklaus Hendrix in Episode 110.(art by Shan shanuraru)

"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 "profession" in granting people "wishes," in the form of twisted deals based on their utmost desires. As an NPC, he is played by Grizzlyplays, aka Grizzly.

Description

Niklaus Hendrix (Kazzafraz)

Fanart of Niklaus by Kazzafraz.[Art 1]

Appearance

Niklaus Hendrix, aka the Wish Doctor, is described as a handsome, towering Tiefling 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. His hair is dark and 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 often a charming but a not so trustworthy smile.

In Episode 56: Mystery and Misery, he is seen wearing a fancy, low-cut red robe that gathers at the waist.

Personality

Niklaus Hendrix in episode 56.

Niklaus in episode 56.

Known by some as the "Wish Doctor" (or "Desire Daddy", "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: A Hero's Burden. 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.

Background

Niklaus Hendrix is a tiefling man with a unique and highly powerful ability to fulfill people's desires for a price. He offers his services to those with an intense desire for something that he has the power to provide, appearing to them individually to make a proposition. Those who he makes deals with run the risk of severe consquences for not holding up their end of the exchange or for having selfish desires. Deals can corrupt, turning their fulfilled desire into a curse or outright killing the individual.

The exact age and origin of Niklaus Hendrix is unknown, but his actions have had impacts as far back in Mana's history as 400 years ago, when he made a deal with Ezme Aelinor to make them and their crew immortal. Notably, Niklaus is one of two tiefling characters in the Riptide universe, with the other being Captain Tastrius, who is similarly older than 400 years.

History

400 years ago, Niklaus made a deal with Ezme Aelinor, offering them immortality. However, this deal led to Ezme slowly being driven to an obsessive madness. The specific cost Ezme paid for immortality is not known, as the madness may be a result of a corrupted deal.

Niklaus was one of four pirate lords during the height of piracy and was known as Captain Hendrix. His influence contrasted the other pirate lords, being known only as powerful with no crew. As a pirate lord, Hendrix was at least familiar with the Black Rose Pirates. According to Drey Ferin, Captain Hendrix actually gifted Captain Rose a treasure map. After following this map, the Black Rose Pirates sailed to their location of departure where the crew would split up following Rose's retirement, but never reached their destination as the Midnight Rose was swallowed by The Hole.

At some point in his life, befriended Alveros and became a business associate. At Desire Island, he helped Alveros as part of some contract, which Niklaus ended roughly ten years ago[1]. Niklaus presumably during their friendship created and gifted Alveros a compass with the magical ability to point to someone's desire.

In other nonspecific time periods, Niklaus made several deals with individuals across Mana. Niklaus made a deal with Stella "Empress" Malice that provided her with fame and recognition in the music world. However, this deal corrupted and cursed Malice to turn those who listened to her music into stone. Niklaus is implied to have made a deal with the Blossom Boss, a member of the Teslar family, though the details of this deal are unknown.

In Loffinlot, he made a deal with Rolan Loffin for the success of the town at the cost of what the mayor wanted most, which caused the deal to corrupt because of Rolan's selfish desire for his own success. Additionally, he made a deal with Abigail Loffin to protect her father with the cost of becoming a rat, though it wasn't enough to prevent the deal from nearly killing Rolan. The corruption of Rolan's deal caused a laughing curse to settle upon the people of Loffinlot, slowly driving them insane or to their deaths. Niklaus' deal with Rolan was undone by another deal with Gillion Tidestrider, in which Niklaus cured Loffinlot and freed Abigail in exchange for an unspecified favor.

In Episode 56: Mystery and Misery, Niklaus met and talked with Chip, who appeared in his meadow domain while sleeping.

While attempting to scry on Niklaus using the power of Celestine's mirror in Episode 81: It All Falls Apart, Chip and Jay found themselves seeing Niklaus dressed in a captain's coat in the crow's nest of their ship, which was at the time docked in Liquidis. Once they returned to Mana, Jay was contacted by Niklaus, who seemingly froze time in order for them to make a deal. Despite Jay's attempts at bargainning, Niklaus ultimately obtained a deal with her offering the Luxbris Pearl that housed an imprisoned Gillion Tidestrider in exchange for the vague cost of her hearing a command and name that would force her to "follow through" regardless of what it was. She did negotiate that whatever the cost was, it couldn't hurt Chip or Gillion.

In Episode 110: Desire Daddy, Niklaus appeared to Chip. Having ripped the heart from the slowly forming body of the Dread Queen, he recited a monologue from Hamlet. Chip and Niklaus discussed Niklaus' history and Chip's mission.

Official.art.of

Official Art of Niklaus Hendrix.

Relationships

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, aka Stella, have a... seemingly complicated relationship. They are implied to have had an intimate bond before Stella was cursed, as mentioned by Niklaus in episode 56 when he told Chip that she was one of the people who have 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 became hateful toward Niklaus, wanting vengeance. She dedicated the rest of her life to retrieving the compass and using it to find him and make him reverse her deal, 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. 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.

Chip

In the Black Sea, episode 109-110, Chip gets his heart eaten by Captain Widow. After the battle, the others try to think of a solution, but Chip goes off on his own and calls out to Niklaus for help. The Compass guides him into the heart sack where they meet again. Chip is asks several questions, one thing he learns is that Niklaus truly means it when he says he doesn't have any interest in Chip's death. Unfortunately he tells Chip that not only can he not undo her curse, but he can't have two deals with one person anyway. Instead, he says that because they're "Friends" he can help him out, promising to protect Chip's heart as long as Chip doesn't tell anyone they spoke or that Niklaus took the Dread Queen's heart. Upon leaving the Sack, they discover that Captain Widow has been turned to stone. No one questions it.

Notable Items

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: The Serpent. Chip also is infatuated with it at that point, but it isnt until episode 98 where he takes it out to try and save Gillion that he from then on is obessed with it and corrupted.

References

Art References

  1. Alveros' journal, in which he talks about his friend Nik (Episode 23: Downhill Desires, 30:59-31:32)
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