Siegfried Mortem

"'Whats the difference between Siegfried and an angry wraith? An angry wraith won't whine about your grammar while it devours your soul!' -Vermithrax"Siegfried is the primary protagonist of the Yaalheim series. He is an Infilrator-class mercenary working for the YMS and a powerful Umbramancer, primarily skilled in knife combat and self defense. He is aged 15 at the start of the books, appearing first in chapter 1.

Appearance
Siegfried is a reasonably short teenager with very dark brown hair, usually combed to one side. He has a unique eye condition, known as Leukocoria, causing his pupils to be white and reflective. He wears his black gambeson and tunic, with leather armor and pockets sewn on, as well as his signature tattered cloak hanging over one shoulder. On the uncovered shoulder the handle of his kukri juts out from behind, for a quick draw. He wears primarily light armor, black gloves and pointy-toed boots. His hood has been ripped apart and resewn, giving it a pointed look from the front and back. On his cloaked shoulder usually resides Edgar, his crow. Under the cloak, in multiple places, Siegfried has throwing knives strapped to his body. Like his sister, Lilith Mortem, he has a slightly rounded face and dimples when he smiles, though he rarely ever does in public.

Weapons and Abilities
Taught by his Grandfather, Siegfried is quite skilled in sword and knife combat, as well as defensive martial arts. His primary weapon is his catalyst, a Kukri imbued with shadow magic, allowing him to instantly disappear into darkness and reappear instantaneously. However, it is limited to shadows and the darkness of night, as high concentrations of photons would disperse his molecules. This makes him useless in some situations, and imperative in others. He is the unofficial leader of his team of mercenaries, due to his strategic prowess and tactical mind. He is essentially their trump card, only using his power in the dark of night. Being adept at teleportation, he can do many things including materializing his blade inside of his enemies and throwing his Kukri at enemies, teleporting behind them and catching the handle, delivering a killing blow. He can also lob throwing knives into shadows, which then reappear from a different direction, eliminating the target. In future chapters, he learns how to use his abilities to do other things like creating a wall of shadow that absorbs incoming enemy fire, as well as dragging foes into the shadows, dispersing their molecules permanently. Though he doesn't have one at first, Siegfried develops a trump card which essentially makes him completely invulnerable, becoming a wraith of pure darkness for limited amounts of time. Unlike most trump cards, which usually cause fatigue or unconsciousness, his can cause slow dissipation of his molecules, which, if continued, leads to death.

Personality
Siegfried, simply put, is a arrogant and cynical jackass. He does have some redeeming qualities, such as his calm and analytical mind and his extremely protective nature toward his close friends and relatives. He is a genius level strategist, though his common sense can be lacking. Though appearing callous and nihilistic to most, he is an intense thinker and cares deeply for his friends. He is quite vain, considering he once dropped a Zinian soldier off of a cliff without thinking twice, as he had insulted his height. This was not completely psychopathic however, as he was using it as a show of force to save his friends. He has an IQ of 134.