Nathaniel Jameson
A Paladin, Nathan is considered by his brothers and followers to be the living example of what mankind can aspire to be. Defined by courage, righteousness and indomitable spirit, Nathan is the consummate holy warrior.
Appearance
Young.
Older.
Close up.
Present day.
Nathan is a tall, muscular man in his mid-to-late 30's, though because of his enhancements he appears to be much younger, appearing around his early to mid 20's and has stated he ages extremely slowly. He has long, dark brown hair and blue eyes with broad, smooth facial features, though a strong chin. Some consider him to be quite handsome, in a rugged, unkempt way, though he keeps his personal hygiene immaculate, he often can be seen sporting a trimmed goatee and mustache.
Most often, he wears an ornate suit of burnished plate armor that is inscribed with Celestial Letters meant to show he is the chosen representative of the God of War. Outside combat, he opts for simple black and brown robes, similar to the habit of a monk, but unlike a brother of the faith, his are far more well made and comprised of more durable fabrics, topped off by brown leather boots.
Skills and Abilities
Master Swordsman - Trained from the age of 10, Nathan's swordsmanship has been honed to a masterful level. A consummate duelist, he is an exceptional fencer. Everything from his footwork to his bladework, to his hand-eye coordination and style are performed with graceful movement, excellent timing and aim. His style is fast, aggressive and hard hitting, meant to end the fight quickly, without extended combat.
In his mind, once a fight starts, it is tantamount to end it quickly. Thus, every strike is meant to be fatal or crippling, often aiming for the head, neck or the chest. Often he relies on quick stabs, sweeping lunges and pinpoint, close, fast attacks. Rarely defending, Nathan prefers to turn kinetic force against his opponent, often relying on his armor to protect him from counterattacks.
Master Combatant - While he prefers his sword, Nathan is by no means unprepared to fight barehanded. Trained by a monk, he is an excellent martial artist, regarded by Arthur Morn, the combat specialist of his team as the second greatest fighter among their number. His barehanded fighting style, similar to his swordsmanship is aggressive and hard hitting - any weakness his opponents display will be immediately exploited, any advantage is to be utilized and every opening is to be used. He has detailed knowledge of human anatomy and weak points and knows exactly where to hit to cause the most damage. Often, he prefers to hit his opponents in the vital organs, usually trying to incapacitate through the pain and sheer force of his blows.
Nathan's skill in hand-to-hand combat is so great he has nearly defeated Arthur Morn, beaten his younger brother Elias in a boxing match and has fought equally with the powerful assassin, Garun Dugall - the latter admitting Nathan is the most formidable opponent he has ever faced.
Enhanced Condition - Although born with a high amount of magical power, Nathan has rigorously trained both his body and his martial skills to be at the peak of human condition. Every aspect of his physiology, from his strength, speed and endurance are all attuned to grant him the highest level of performance.
Genius Intellect - While he is a skilled, deadly warrior, Nathan is intellectually gifted. Keenly analytical, he can piece together small pieces of evidence or information to form a larger conclusion that is more often than not, correct. This lends itself well to strategic thinking and allows him to outthink difficult opponents.
Furthermore, he is charismatic, well-spoken and with his force of personality can easily sway others to his thinking, making him an excellent public speaker. More than a simple orator, Arthur has stated Nathan is unusually skilled in making friends out of enemies and can with time, turn others to his side, both through rational argument and through appealing to their desires.
Divine Magic - By daily prayer, invocation of the name of Nykios, Nathan has achieved favor with the god in the form of blessings. For his part, these blessings take the form of increased strength, speed, stamina and prowess with the blade. Only one blessing can be used at a time and these cannot be stacked. However, by dispelling the blessing, another can be used in quick succession.
Thus far, four blessings have been shown.
-Blessing of Might: By invoking the strength of Nykios, Nathan can temporarily imbue himself with dramatically increased strength and physical power. Upon completing the invocation, Nathan's musculature increases and his mind temporarily becomes saturated with bloodlust. The drawback to this blessing is that it leaves Nathan tired out and requires him to recover his strength for one hour.
-Blessing of Swiftness: By invoking this blessing, Nathan's speed is temporarily increased, allowing him to run extremely fast for short distances without becoming tired. His reflexes, reaction time and thought processes are likewise amplified, allowing him to avoid attacks with ease. The downside to this blessing is that Nathan will feel the effects of attacks that land with greater intensity. For example, if he is even lightly struck, Nathan's body will register it with significant discomfort.
-Blessing of Holy: Invoking this blessing coats Nathan's sword in a brilliant, golden light that deals increased damage to the undead or demonic beings. Lesser undead and lesser demons are destroyed or banished with ease. Those that are affected by its aura that are not destroyed will flee before it.
-Channel Divinity: Using this blessing temporarily grants Nathan a portion of Nykios' divine power. This energy is antithetical to both the undead and the Dark Ones and their followers. When channeled, he forms a deep connection to the God of War and a coruscating aura of divine energy manifests itself from Nathan's body in the form of an enormous golden lion that rips his foes apart with its claws and teeth. Even greater undead struck by it are significantly damaged or destroyed if they are not strong enough to withstand it.
After the spell is complete, (or if Nathan dispels it) the very ground he stands on will become sacred and damage any creatures of evil alignment that tread upon it.
However, any opponents of neutral or good alignment caught in the blast are unaffected by its power.
Uniquely among all of Nathan's powers, this blessing can only be used if all three are available once a day, such as after the final stroke of midnight.
Weaknesses
While powerful, Nathan does have a few glaring weaknesses that he admits he cannot cover given either his profession or by personality.
Ranged Combat: Even if he is skilled at deflection, Nathan remains primarily a melee fighter with almost no ranged attacks beyond some limited options. As such, if faced with an opponent with long-ranged weapons, he is at a disadvantage.
Dark Magic: While certainly his divine magic (and his armor) provide him with some protection against the dark arts, Nathan is still vulnerable to it if it is powerful enough. Blasts of unholy energy will still hurt him if he is struck in a vulnerable area for example, while unholy weapons can cancel out his healing.
Human Anatomy: Although he is enhanced, Nathan is still biologically human. Thus, he is vulnerable to serious injury and blunt force trauma. Wounds to his head in particular are quite effective. As well, if his healing is overtaxed, he can be killed.
Naivete: Arguably his greatest weakness, Nathan is an eternal optimist and believes in the best in people. This makes him somewhat vulnerable to manipulation, as he usually takes others word at face value, though he is far from stupid, he dislikes falsehood and usually assumes others are being truthful when there always exists a chance they are being deceitful. This makes it quite possible for him to wrongly interpret other's intentions.
A firm believer in redemption, Nathan tries to sway others whenever possible to a good end, even those who might be uninterested. In his mind, he must always try to save others if he can from the dark arts, even if his efforts might be for naught.
That said, he gives no such quarter to those that have become less than human (such as a lich or a death knight for example) or to those associated with the Dark Ones.
Equipment
Godsend is the name of Nathan's sword. A finely crafted, double-edged blade that measures 30' inches long. The cruciform handle is slightly elongated, but is well-balanced and light enough to be wielded with one hand if he so chooses. Most often, he prefers both hands for ease of control and to better direct it. Woven within the blade are spells that protect it from rust and ensure that does not require cleaning or sharpening and when wielded by one of Nathan's strength, the sword can cut through most materials with ease.
Also to note, Godsend can only be wielded by one of good alignment. Any who are neutral will find themselves unable to pick it up, much less wield it. Any who are evil that attempt to touch it will have their hands horribly burned by sacred flames.
Virtuoso is the name of Nathan's primary armor. In full, the armor covers him from neck to toe. Forged by a master blacksmith, it is an extraordinarily well crafted suit of overlapping steel plates that provide protection from blades, spears and a limited protection from projectiles such as arrows. The armor has a notable lion motif, with a leonine head on one of the pauldrons and a fur line on the opposite, emblematic of Nathan's noble upbringing. Overhanging his breastplate and the rondels on his shoulders is a light blue surcoat that is decorated with gold patterned fleur de lis symbols, meant to symbolize purity.
Far from ordinary steel, the armor has enchantments that protect Nathan's body and mind from access or influence, giving him a degree of resistance to possession and psychic attacks.
However, it provides no protection from combative or offensive magics.
Golden Templar: Another suit of armor that Nathan owns, this suit is more ornate than Virtuoso, being inscribed by a number of golden symbols that protect him from magical attacks, especially from those of the dark arts. Because this suit is old and a family heirloom, he rarely ever wears it unless he intends to fight against opponents who wield powerful magic.
Also to note is that because it was originally meant to be ceremonial armor, Golden Templar is not well suited to close-combat.
In addition to these, Nathan also carries around a small, double edged knife he uses for parrying or for mundane tasks. Typically he carries it in a sheath on a belt on his back for ease of carrying and drawing.
Personality
Considered by many to be the shining example of a true Paladin, Nathan is a man defined by courage, righteousness, generosity, fierce loyalty and a never say die spirit. A noble and open soul, he maintains that he can be approached under any circumstances and is always willing to compromise. Although agreeable, he knows full well when to hold his ground and is far from a doormat, he is naturally a kind, just man. As noted by his comrade, Arthur Morn, Nathan genuinely believes in their cause of destroying demons to safeguard Mankind, a trait which the guardsman finds admirable. Although suffering no false pride, Nathan holds great confidence in himself and his team - which others note heightens his ability to lead.
As a leader, he gives his subordinates a degree of freedom and is willing to listen to their advice and criticism in equal measure. He likes to give outside ideas some thought and carefully weighs every choice before making a final decision, though he will include advice given, provided others can prove their logic. While he refuses compromise his ideals, he does allow a great deal of flexibility in his decision making and looks often for alternative solutions to conventional problems. This further enhances his reasonable image and makes it easy for him to earn trust. As well, it also makes him an adept strategist and makes it difficult for his enemies to counter his tactics.
An exceptionally brave man, Nathan admits he does very much feel fear but does not allow it to influence his decisions or his actions in the heat of battle. Arthur notes that even in the most desperate situations he has never seen Nathan lose his composure or panic. In the rare times where he truly feels fear, Nathan instead uses it as an extra incentive to push himself harder, longer than any normal man, stating he fears failure, fear for his loved ones and for himself, he has admitted he has met powerful enemies capable of killing him.
Out of combat, Nathan is polite and soft-spoken with an almost musically smooth voice that others find calming and reassuring. He has an eidetic memory and is an eloquent speaker, frequently coming up with grand speeches off the top of his head without missing a beat. He often quotes great literary works or waxes poetic whenever making a speech, another factor that often helps him to sway others' opinions and makes them often defer to his counsel.
A voracious reader, Nathan has a personal library both in his home and in the Watchers' headquarters that he studies in his spare time, usually finishing off a steady three books a week. His favorites are the epic works of old, stories of heroes of bygone eras and legendary exploits, though he also admits a weakness for tales of courtly love and romantic novellas.
A Celestialist, Nathan gives homage to the god, Nykios as his main patron. Nathan believes that the best way to serve the divine is to attract his attention through brave deeds and striking against the forces of evil.
In many ways, some claim Nathan represents the ideal of the human race: Brave, open, honest, moral, compassionate, diplomatic and wise.
Biography & Lore
Nathan was born in the only son of minor nobility in the city of Alliria, Michael Jameson and his wife, Helen, the daughter of a wealthy merchant family. His childhood home was a private estate called Angelis Keep, though he spent little time there, much preferring to spend his time abroad. From a young age, he desired to be an explorer and often urged his parents to allow him to leave the city and see the world.
Eventually, they relented, provided he excel at his studies to become part of the aristocracy. From a young age, he demonstrated a keen intellect and exceptional memory - learning not only etiquette, but also cartography, astral navigation, equestrianism and fencing. He notes he much preferred the latter, as he felt alive in combat. His father, seeking to make use of his son's eagerness to fight enrolled him in a fencing school.
By age twelve, he had already become an accomplished swordsman able to best even adult opponents in matches. By fourteen, he had won first place in two fencing tournaments. Deciding to become a warrior, Nathan petitioned to study abroad. His parents assented and he was sent out to Elbion's famous College. During this time, he studied history, military tactics, leadership, diplomacy and demagogy, becoming a skilled public speaker. By age sixteen, he returned to Alliria, where per the advice of his old friend, Gale Hawk, he decided to form his own band of fighters to promoting the cause of good across the world.
Dubbing the group, "The Freedom Fighters", Nathan was elected first among equals of them. Over the next few years, the team fought and defeated multiple threats, both man-made and the undead, focusing especially on vanquishing necromancers and rogue sorcerers. Around this time, when Nathan was 27, he met a young and upcoming Paladin by the name of Zasz. A half-giant, Zasz was pleasantly surprised to learn that Nathan held no prejudice against him despite his strange size. The two became fast friends and, after much convincing, Zasz became Nathan's apprentice. T and even found love in the form of a female mercenary by the name of Andrea Osmond. Together, the three fought side-by-side and, under Nathan's tutelage, Zasz became a renowned hero in his own right.
However, tragedy struck when Andrea led an expedition into the Ixmus Graveyard, attempting to recover the Grimoire of Souls: A tome of powerful dark magic. Though she was successful, Andrea suffered greatly from her wounds at the blade of the necromancer she had killed to acquire the grimoire. After two weeks of pain, Andrea succumbed to her wounds, much to Zasz's despair. Nathan attempted to console his apprentice, but this led to a fierce argument between the two. Blaming Nathan for not doing enough to protect her, Zasz stole the grimoire and stormed away from their brotherhood forever.
Over the next decade, Nathan pursued Zasz and attempted to turn his old friend away from the dark path, to no avail. When the two met again five years after their initial split, they fought a fierce duel that saw Zasz seriously wound his former mentor, but spared his life - promising the next time they met, he would show no mercy.
Around this time, Nathan met again with Gale and after some convincing, took on another apprentice, Maximus. Thereafter, Nathan spent the next five years training and preparing for his inevitable rematch with Zasz whilst stymying his efforts to acquire more artifacts of dark power. Eventually, he caught up with his old nemesis, transformed, in the very same place that Andrea had been fatally wounded and buried - Ixmus Graveyard. In the ensuing fight over the Grimoire, he met the sorceress, Khasmina Zvonimir. Feeling she could be turned to the side of good, Nathan struck a pact with her and together, the two confronted his old opponent.
Around this time, a third party entered the conflict in the form of the lich, Vardan. Unaligned with either of them, the lich nonetheless participated in the fight and distracted Zasz as he fought Nathan in one last duel to the death.
Ultimately, Nathan did defeat Zasz, not by force of arms but by talking him down and convincing him to renounce the dark arts. In so doing, Zasz expressed his regret over his terrible deeds and allowed Nathan to strike him down.
With that, Nathan turned his attention to Vardan, proclaiming his intention to one day hunt down and eradicate the lich. In a show of strength and to demonstrate a warning to those that would defy the God of War, Nathan channeled His divine power in a blow that purified the graveyard and cleansed it of dark magic, freeing it from the grip of death and horror that had plagued it for so long.