Nick Knight Nick Knight is a fictional character on the Canadian television series Forever Knight. He was portrayed by Geriant Wyn Davies.
Life as a Mortal Nick Knight was born as Nicholas deBrabant in France in the year 1190. He was born into a noble family, and eventually became a Norman Knight. Early in his career, he was sent to Wales on behalf of the Catholic Church to investigate pagan activities. While there, he had been framed for the murder of a young pagan high priestess. The real murderer, a local official, arranged for his conditional release, provided that he leave Wales and fight for the Church in the Crusades as penance. His service during the crusades was troubled. (Although never mentioned in any episode, series creator James Parriott stated that during the crusades, Nicholas was captured by Muslims and suffered a brutal incarceration lasting many years. During this period, he became bitter and began to lose faith in God.) Brought Across By 1228, Nicholas had returned to France. One fateful night in a tavern, a drunken Nicholas met a beautiful lady named Janette duCharme, who intrigued him with talk of gaining immortality. She then introduced him to Lucien Lacroix. He revealed to Nick that both he and Jeanette were in fact vampires and wanted to bring him across (to the world of the undead.) Lacroix tempted Nicholas with the prospect of having eternal life, eternal youth and power beyond his imagination. Having been sold on the idea, Nicholas readily agreed to allow Lacroix to turn him into a vampire. Lacroix then brought Nicholas to the catacombs of Paris for his first feeding. This involves killing a mortal for their blood. After some brief hesitation, Nicholas killed the first of what would become many victims for blood, and fully embraced life as a vampire. Life as a Vampire Being a vampire has given Nick extra-ordinary powers. He has infra-red vision and has enhanced hearing. He can move at incredibly fast speeds, can fly and has super human strength. He has the ability to hypnotize some people (however, some mortals, known resisters among vampires, are immune from hypnosis by vampires.) This skill has proven useful when trying to extract information from people, erase or alter their memories or getting them to perform some kind of action. His heart beats only once every ten minutes. Although he can suffer serious physical injuries, his wounds heal within a matter of hours. Cold weather does not affect him in anyway. He is also immune to all forms of disease and illnesses, and poison gas will not harm in. When he is threatened or acting on his vampire instincts, his eyes turn yellow and he bares fangs. With his incredible powers comes a heavy price. Sunlight will cause Nick to burst into flames, so he cannot go outside during the day. He does not enjoy eating any food, though he can drink some liquids and occasionally mixes blood with wine. Ingesting large portions of food make him violently ill. The smell of garlic makes him sick. He is compelled to look away at crosses or other religious symbols. Touching blessed objects such as crucifixes or holy water with physically burn him. Vampires must keep their true identities secret from the public. In order to avoid suspicion from others, Nick can never stay in one location very long. Every few years or so, he will move on, a term used by vampires which refers to leaving an area and establishing new life in a different area under an assumed identity. Although immortal, Nick can be destroyed by a stake being driven through his heart, sunlight, fire and decapitation. Unlike other vampires depicted in fiction, Nick (or other vampires depicted in the series for that matter) does not sleep in a coffin. He cannot turn into a bat or other animal forms. He can see his reflection in a mirror, and silver bullets cannot kill him. For over 700 years, Nick traveled with both Lacroix and Jeanette, leading a very evil life. He and Jeanette became lovers, and at one point lived together as man and wife for 97 years during the Renaissance period. Jeanette eventually ended the relationship. Although Nick was devastated, he eventually accepted her decision, and the two have remained close friends. Over the centuries, he began to realize that murdering people for their blood was wrong. He resolved only to feed on those who deserved death, specifically those who committed major crimes. He rationalized this behavior by claiming that he was acting as Gods instrument of vengeance. It was around this time that he began to entertain notions that perhaps he made the wrong choice becoming a vampire, and expressed and interest in regaining his mortality. Although Jeanette and others in the vampire community expressed mild amusement with Nicks ideas, Lacroix found such thoughts unacceptable, feeling that Nick should accept his vampire nature. He cruelly mocked Nicks desire to regain mortality, and went out his way to frustrate any and all attempts by Nick to reclaim it. Nick responded by leaving Lacroix and Jeanette for periods of time, some lasting a few years or even decades. Such rejection hurt Lacroix, who looked upon Nick as a son. Eventually, Lacroix would locate him and make him return to his vampire family. Lacroix went too far once when teaching Nick a lesson about his vampire nature, a lesson that resulted in tragedy for a woman Nick fell in love with. From that moment on, Nick resolved never to kill anyone again, under any circumstances, in order to feed. Although French is Nicks first language, he has learned many others over the centuries. He is fluent in Cantonese Chinese, English, German, Italian, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. He has also encountered several historical figures over the years, including Joan of Arc, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Grigori Rasputin and Adolph Hitler. Police Career By 1992, Nick had re-established himself in Toronto, Ontario as Homicide Detective Nicholas (Nick) Knight for the Metro Toronto Police Force. He had not killed anyone for blood for past 100 years, and subsists on cows blood to satisfy his hunger. However, he must constantly struggle to control his urges to drink human blood as well as hunting humans. He chose policing as a profession in part to try to re-establish a connection with mortals, and also as a self-imposed penance for the numerous murders and other crimes he committed over the centuries. Nick worked permanent grave yard shift at the 27th precinct due to his nature, although he explained to his superior, Capt. Joseph Stonetree, that he had to because he was allergic to sunlight. Although Stonetree had his misgivings about Knight, he tolerated him because he was an excellent detective. Originally, he initially worked alone, but Nick was partnered with Det. Donald Schanke, a capable detective who was a complete opposite of Nick in terms of personality and approach to police work. Although the two initially butted heads, they came to respect each other and became close friends, although Schanke never learned that Nick was a vampire. Nick was also working with Dr. Natalie Lambert, a coroner who assisted Nick and Schanke with their murder investigations. Lambert met Nick in the morgue one night, when his apparently dead body was brought in. To her surprise, she noticed no apparent injuries, and was shocked when he came to life and started drinking blood samples in her lab. Rather then fear him, Natalie took a scientific interest in him. She agreed to keep his vampire nature a secret, and has been helping him to regain his mortality through a variety of means, such as encouraging him to use a sun tan lamp to develop UV tolerance, developing synthesized blood for him, etc. Although she occasionally expresses frustration over Nicks lack of progress, she has also developed strong feelings for him, though Nick is reluctant to act on them. It was in 1992 that Lacroix located Nick in Toronto, and destroyed another attempt by him to regain his mortality. Nick was forced to destroy Lacroix by driving a burning stake through his heart in order to save someone. Jeanette was also living in Toronto, operating The Raven nightclub, which both vampires and mortals frequented, and re-established her friendship with Nick Nick resides at 101 Gateway Lane in a three story loft, which is accessible by a freight elevator. The windows are covered during day light hours by metal shutters to prevent the sun from getting in. In his spare time, he often plays music on his grand piano and paints. He drives a 1962 Cadillac more out of necessity then vanity. This model of car has enough trunk space for a person to easily fit into. Nick has often climbed into the trunk and stayed there for several hours in situations where the sun suddenly rises. Nick has amassed a personal fortune over the centuries worth $478, 000, 000. 00 (Canadian), which was gained through illegitimate means. Transfer and Reunion Within a year, both Nick and Schanke were transferred to the 96th Precinct, under the command of no-nonsense Capt. Amanda Cohen. Like Stonetree, Cohen was exacerbated at times by Nicks unorthodox police work she respected him as a Detective. It was around the time of Nicks transfer that he made a shocking discovery. His old master Lacroix was alive and in Toronto. Lacroix had unsuccessfully tried to frame Nick for a murder in order to force him to move on and live like other vampires. Lacroix claimed to a stunned Nick that he was "far too old and powerful to be killed by a burning stake." (It was never clearly explained how Lacroix re-generated, implying that Lacroix must have more powers then Nick, and that for some reason Lacroix has not taught him all his knowledge of vampire ways.) Nick was exonerated when Schanke arrested the real killer. An uneasy truce was formed between the two, though Lacroix still continued to urge Nick to return to his vampire family. Lacroix settled in Toronto and became a late night radio show host. Nick would often listen to his shows while driving his Cadillac. Tragedy and Change In 1995, both Donald Schanke and Amanda Cohen were killed when a plane they were traveling on was blown up. Nick was devastated over the loss of his Captain and partner. Further complicating matters was the fact that Jeanette suddenly left Toronto without any explanation, signing over The Raven to Lacroix, who began broadcasting his shows from a booth inside the club. Nicks new partner was Tracy Vetter, a recently promoted detective who was often willing to take risks. Vetter's father was a member of the Metro Toronto Police Commission, and she was determined to advance her career on her own merit. Like Schanke, Vetter was unaware that Nick was a vampire. Captain Joe Reese succeeded Cohen as head of the 96th precinct. An American ex-patriot, Reese respected Nicks detective work, even though he was frustrated at times by Nicks unorthodox methods. Janette did return briefly to Toronto in 1996 seeking Nick's help. While in Montreal, she fell in love with Patrick, a mortal fireman. She eventually became mortal again, drawing blood from Patrick, a little at a time, while making love to him. When Patrick was murdered, Jeanette sought vengeance against his killers. Nick and Jeanette eventually tracked them down. Jeanette was shot by them while in a burning house. Nick brought her across in order to save her (over her expressed objections.) She again fled Toronto for good this time, leaving only a centuries old portrait of herself in Nick's loft. When LaCroix learned what had happened, he told Nick in all sincerity that he didn't know whether to laugh at him or cry for him. Though he had lost his daughter, he felt that in many ways he regained his son. Peace in the Shadows, Mistress of the Night http://thedarkgift.freewebspace.com
