- "That's just his way, youngster. Master Niko, he's as hard to understand sometimes as any oracle. When the fit's on him, he can talk you so confused you'll forget which bearing is north."
- —A captain about Niko[src]
Niklaren "Niko" Goldeye is a powerful academic mage. As a seer, he discovered Sandrilene fa Toren, Trisana Chandler, Daja Kisubo and Briar Moss and brought them to Winding Circle[1] where their ambient magic could be trained. Because of the dearth in weather mages, he became Tris's teacher himself. While teaching Tris he lived in Winding Circle and was a regular guest at Discipline Cottage. Afterwards he travelled with Tris to Tharios.
Biography
Early life
He was born in 982 K.F.[2] Very little is known about his personal history. He learned to master academic magic at the Lightsbridge University in Karang[3]. After he earned his mage's credentials Niko chose "Goldeye" as his mage name because his specialty is finding things and people, even those which are hidden to other people[4]. He travelled most of the time. By 1035 HE Niko is a famous member of the governing board at Lightsbridge University for mages, although he hasn't been at the university since 1030 K.F.[5]. However, Niko doesn't agree with all of the University training in magic. This is the reason why he takes the four ambient mages he discovers to Winding Circle Temple instead.
Extended stay at Winding Circle
Around the end of 1034 K.F. and the beginning of 1035 K.F. Niko was "on a very special task"[6]. This was most likely a reference to his searching for mages with special abilities. That's how his path crossed that of four children, Sandrilene fa Toren, Daja Kisubo, Briar Moss and Trisana Chandler, as he saved all of them from live-threatening situations and brought them to the Winding Circle Temple in Summersea, Emelan. There it was discovered that they possessed ambient magic, which isn't easily discovered even by mages specialised on it.
In the beginning Niko expected to simply find the four children and leave them at Winding Circle. Instead he ended up teaching all of them meditation techniques in order to enable them to control their magic. He was also the main teacher of Trisana Chandler, as there aren't that much mages specialised in weather magic. For that purpose he stayed in the temple for quite a long time. Dedicate Moonstream had also asked him to refresh the spells on the scrying-glasses used in the Hub and to help out in other ways.
While he is staying at Winding Circle Niko also has an affair with Dedicate Moonstream, which was supposed to be mentioned in Tris's Book but was cut because it would have made the book too long.[7]
Physical description
Niko is described as being lean. He has dark eyes, set deep under thick brows and a heavy fringe of black lashes. His long hair is black but already streaked with silver, which he wears tied back.[8] Niko is five foot and ten inches (5'10") tall[9]. He normally pays great attention to his clothes, making sure they are spotless and without wrinkles[10].
Personality and traits
Niko is finicky with his clothing, tableware and bedding, but also knows when it is more important to do his work. When Tris whines at him at the prospect of following a trail in the sewers he snaps at her. According to an amused Lark, Niko also avoids work that he doesn't want to do. At the end of the Circle of Magic quartet, Niko confesses to the four young mages that he expected to find them and leave them at Winding Circle. Instead he is forced to reexamine his ideas about magic, having shared their experiences through an earthquake, pirate attack, forest fire, and epidemic.
Magical abilities
Niko took his mage name "Goldeye" because his specialty is finding things and people. He can see things hidden to most people but even he had to look deeply into Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar to see their power. Their magic was for ordinary, workaday things (thread, weather, metal and plants) and had escaped discovery by everyone else. Briar notes when they first meet that Niko wears power like a cloak. The first time Niko teaches Tris to meditate, she opens her eyes and sees him as a blinding white radiance. Niko uses crystal scrying to foresee the future. He can also act as a Truthsayer which is a well-paid position. Truthsayer wages are even higher than the fine for cruelty to animals (a month's income for a craftsman).
However, even Niko's power isn't endless and certain spells drain him. Thus he needs to tap into Tris' powers sometimes like when he was using a time spell on the ruins of Bit Island or when he was follwing a trail that lead them to the place where a plague-like epidemic, the blue pox, originated.
In addition to seeing magic, he has qualifications in glass-making and star magic as well as teaching magic.[11]
Appearances
- Sandry's Book
- Tris's Book
- Daja's Book
- Briar's Book
- Magic Steps Template:Mention
- Street Magic Template:Mention
- Cold Fire Template:Mention
- Shatterglass
- The Will of the Empress Template:Mention
Notes and references
- ↑ Sandry's Book
- ↑ Tris's Book, Cp. 2 (p. 27; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Sandry's Book, Cp. 2 (p. 33; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Sandry's Book, Cp. 5 (p. 86; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Sandry's Book, Cp. 2 (p. 34; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Sandry's Book, Cp. 1 (p. 18; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Tim Liebe on Sheroes-Central, "TP, I heard that in your new book that you have a gay c...", January of 2004
- ↑ Sandry's Book, Cp. 1 (p. 8; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Sandry's Book, Cp. 3 (p. 50; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Tris's Book, Cp. 2 (p. 19; Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Shatterglass, Cp. 2 (p. 46; Scholastic paperback)
See also
| Shatterglass | |
|---|---|
| Set in Tharios, the protagonists must find the perpetrator of the gruesome serial killings. | |
| Mages | Niklaren Goldeye • Trisana Chandler • Kethlun Warder • Glakisa Irakory • Demakos Nomasdina • Lieshield • Jumshida Dawnspeaker • Vishaneh Amberglass • Rainspinner |
| Yaskedasi | Nioki • Farray • Ophelika • Zudana • Yali • Iralima • Xantha • Poppy • Rhidassa • Lysis • Stenatia • Baoya the Golden |
| Others | The Ghost • Chime • Little Bear • Hafgwyn • Antonou Tinas • Ferouze • Nerit • Brosdes • Majnuna • Aethra Papufos |
| Places | Tharios: Phakomathen • Heskalifos • Kurchal Empire; Other places: Aliput • Emelan • Winding Circle • Ithocot Sea |
| Classes & Government | Assembly • Keepers • First Class • Prathmuni |
| other The Circle Opens novels: Magic Steps • Street Magic • Cold Fire | |