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| “ | The Strife Titan. They declare war on the pantheon, plunging the world into endless strife. In ballads of bards, their divine blade of retribution could level heavens and earth in a single strike. | „ |
| ~ Lance of Fury, Nikador Loading Screen Flavor Text |
| “ | Unfearing of blade at the throat, manifesting the visage of courage Unyielding to conniving treachery, protecting the crown of honor |
„ |
| ~ Nikador's Five Great Virtues in Kremnoan Festival Notice. |
Nikador, the Strife Titan is a major antagonist in the turn based role-playing video game Honkai: Star Rail. The Strife Titan, leading the Titankins and the vessel of Strife were one of the adversaries the Trailblazer and Dan Heng faced in Amphoreus as they went into the Eternal City of Okhema.
Nikador, along with his mortal incarnation in the previous cycle, Gnaeus are voiced by Hunter Peterson in English dub.
Profile[]
According to the mythology circulated among the Chrysos Heirs, Nikador was worshipped by the people of Castrum Kremnos because of the Strife Titan's acts of valor, protection, and nobility after the arduous battle against the Titan of the sky, Aquila. Legends said that Nikador's Lance can even raze the powerful and the prosperous city into the ground. As the people of Castrum Kremnos increasingly becomes more bloodthirsty than they used to be and values honor less as individual lives, they preserve Nikador's soul by splitting it into five fragments. Also, they wanted to wage war against Okhema with fearful of losing power and guidance of the Strife Titan as an excuse. Eventually, Nikador was fully corrupted, with the sense of reason being stripped off, becoming an impending threat to Amphoreus, commanding the Titankins of Strife storming the City of Okhema as Castrum Kremnos becoming history.
While being reverred by the people of Castrum Kremnos, others condemn the Strife Titan, Nikador as "Savage God", "Mad King", and many other defaming names.
Associated Myths[]
Nikador & Bepsis[]
Bepsis was born in the temple of Mnestia and blessed by the Chrysalis of Gold, giving her golden hair and eyes. Her beauty is so astounding as she matures that Nikador is attracted to her. Bepsis' father declared that only those won the duel against his three sons win her hand. Then Nikador transformed into a young man. The three sons were defeated by the young man, and they had no choice to bethroth her to the young man named Nikador. The young man arranged for Bepsis to meet at the edge of the highest peak outside the city on the night of the third day. When the night came, Bepsis came to the spot as promised, only to saw a towering giant, thinking her lover was slain and fearing her purity ruined by the giant. She decides to end her life by jumping off the cliff out of sorrow. Unbeknownst to her, and her brothers, the towering giant is Nikador.
Courting Talanton[]
While the origin of the story is impossible to verify, it gains popularity from a play named The Weight of Soil in the holy city of Okhema during Chrysos War. The Scale of Justice, Talanton, reverred by Nikador for power and captivated by Georios for fairness, bade the two suitors seeking out the treasure that best represented their love, and in return, would reciprocate the worth in kind.
The foolish Nikador sought some advice from a death titan, Thanatos and asked about what was equivalent to the love of the law titan. Thanatos responded with death, that takes away all things fairly, would be truly fair. Meanwhile, the composed Georios sought advice from Mnestia and Cerces about how the Earth Titan should respond to Talanton's riddle. Mnestia instigated Georios to give up the coreflame of earth while Cerces persuaded Georios with follow the heart, to seek out Talanton's precious treasure.
And so, Nikador hurled the lance, and presenting Talanton an obliterated city as a gift. Talanton placed the coreflame of law on one side of the scale. If the corpse of the city could balance it out, Nikador would have won Talanton's love. Alas, the scale didn't budge.
Georios placed a handful of wheat offered by the humans on the scale. The seemingly shoddy gift of Georios manages to press the scale down and becoming heavier than Talanton's coreflame on the Scale of Justice, for bearing the humanity's life and history. Talanton eventually forced to decline Georios' pursuit because of Talanton couldn't offer more love than Georios' abundant life of humanity. However, later poets would often jest that the Scale of Justice prohibited the love from one's heart from moving Amphoreus' balance, and that was just an excuse.
Notes[]
Unlike the myths, Bepsis' father, along with the three sons met their deaths in battle against Castrum Kremnos in reality. After her city besieged by Castrum Kremnos, Bepsis refused to be humiliated and chose to take her own life in the end. Nikador's triumph over Bepsis' father & her brothers symbolizes the victory of Castrum Kremnos' brutal conquest.
The portrayal of Nikador in the play The Weight of Soil as a barbaric yet foolish clearly vilifies the Titan. The educational and political undertones contained within also indirectly portrayed war's influence on Okhema's theaterical creativity. Rather than saying people enjoyed a made-up history or myths about Nikador, one could interpret that they reveled in seeing the failures of the titan in love. In certain sense, it reflects the discrimination and animosity the various cities held to the people of Castrum Kremnos during the Golden War.
History[]
Eternal Recurrence 33,550,336[]
Castrum Kremnos: The Cult of Nikador[]
When the Black Tide descended upon Amphoreus in Era Bellica, Nikador, along with Trickery Titan Zagreus were born, and brought the world into calamity. As noted in Ptolemy's historical work, "Kings of Kremnos", the tribe leader Gorgo's tenacity of fighting the Great Lion of Tretos earns a worthy respect from Nikador. And thus, begin the history of Castrum Kremnos with Gorgo as the First King. In an unspecified time during Era Bellica, one of the Chrysos Heirs who was a faceless soldier, Gnaeus has ascended into becoming Nikador's incarnation in the previous cycle, joining Calypso who would later ascending as Cerces and joining along with Polyxia, the Demigod of Death. He has fought the countless Black-Tide creatures that invades Amphoreus resulting many of his comrades died as a martyr leading him as one of the survivors.
From the moment as the years passed, the people of Castrum Kremnos values life & honor less than power and glory before Nikador was corrupted. At some time, King Agrysius wanted to end the savage traditions of waging reasonless bloodshed by competitive sports to appease Nikador. However, the citizens of Castrum Kremnos were outraged. And they blind the king and then banishing him, branding him as a coward. In accordance with a military education tablet An Introduction to Military Strategy (Foreword), the people of Castrum Kremnos witnessed the rise of dangerous misconception that they sought to conquer nations out of twisted sense of honor in the name of Nikador. Obviously, it was never meant for the people of Kremnos to die in senseless deaths in a pursuit of pointless glory, but the corrupt officials seemingly ignore the warnings in their desire for war. Fearful of losing guidance of The Strife Titan, the corrupt officials of Castrum Kremnos planned to wage war to Okhema and split Nikador's soul into 5 fragments. This led to a downfall of the once mighty Castrum Kremnos as Nikador becomes brainwashed without sapience with no will to resist. The remaining of Nikador's Furiae Titankins were sculpted as a weapon to mindlessly wage war to Okhema when The Astral Express Crew embarks journey to Amphoreus.
War in Okhema[]
| “ | Nikador... Has your divine body truly been hollowed out by the hands of madness? Have you completely forsaken your dignity as a warrior? | „ |
| ~ Mydeimos horrified upon learning that Nikador, the Strife Titan has lost his honorable aspects |
When the Trailblazer & Dan Heng began their journey to Amphoreus and crash-landed on Janusopolis, they have encountered some Furiae Titankins before meeting with Phainon and Tribbie. As they arrived to Okhema, they began to repel the invasion of the Furiae Titankins, Nikador's Legions. It ultimately culminates with them fighting one of Nikador's vessels and Aglaea thwarted the vessel's assault in Okhema, after which the forces retreated upon defeat. Later on, The Trailblazer, Phainon, and Mydei went to the ruins of Castrum Kremnos to fight Nikador, but because the soul of Nikador was separated into five fragments including Nikador's sense of Reason, the vessel is proven to be unkillable, and they soon discover that one of Nikador's vessel intends to attack Okhema and destroy Kephale's body. This forcing Mydei hold the line to fight Nikador by himself until a solution can be found.
The Trailblazer and Castorice later head into the past timeline of Castrum Kremnos during the final stages of Chrysos Wars, where they met a silent gladiator named Gnaeus. During their journey in the past Castrum Kremnos, they restored Nikador's sense of Courage, Honor, Tenacity, and Sacrifice through Soul-Forging Ceremony, and the silent gladiator Gnaeus was revealed to be Nikador's fragment of Reason. He returned into an original form, and restoring Nikador's divinity in the present time, and asked the group to grant a "death" befitting of a warrior. At the same time, the vessel of Nikador attempts to hurl the lance towards Kephale, the Worldbearing Titan, but Aglaea and Tribbie manages to block the attack with careful planning. After spending too much energy, Nikador dissipates away, leaving behind the Coreflame of Strife, which Phainon picked up for partaking the trial of Strife. Castorice later spoke to the remnants of Nikador to see if it had seen Thanatos in order to reclaim what's stolen from her, but it didn't.
The Trial of Strife & The Apotheosis of Mydeimos[]
| “ | As the successor to Kremnos, Mydei, you know better than anyone that if it were simply about emerging triumphant on the battlefield of Strife, you and your people could manage it with ease. But ultimately... the heavy burden of divinity can only be borne by one. It is foolhardiness and indecision, not the unclaimed seat of divinity, that pushes this world into the deathly fog. | „ |
| ~ Aglaea warns Mydeimos' indecision to delay his Trial of Strife, after Phainon fails the trial. |
During the Strife Trial, the Chrysos Heirs let Phainon taking over Mydei's position as the Chrysos Heir who bear the Strife's Coreflame in order to become a demigod, but Mydei concerns if he would fail the trial. His concern comes into realization as when the Trailblazer, Dan Heng, and Mydei enters the domain inside. Mydeimos gets called out by the Divine Echo of Gnaeus for delaying his own ascension to be a Demigod of Strife, and then he gets stabbed by the maddened Phainon, in the front. Afterwards, when Phainon taking some time to recover, Aglaea warns Mydei that delaying his ascendance as a Demigod of Strife would hinder the prophesized fate into a worse outcome for Amphoreus. Mydeimos took a time for a decision to meet his people (Kremnoan Refugees) in Okhema, and Krateros, his mentor.
After Krateros abduct Trinnon to bring him into the Vortex of Genesis, he later went to the Strife Trial to obtain Nikador's Divinity out of desperation. Alarmed, Aglaea rushes in towards the Vortex of Genesis by her own, followed by Mydeimos. Krateros, also predictably failed the Strife Trial, is deviant towards Aglaea after sentencing him. He calls out not only Aglaea for her hypocrisy as a hegemonic cold-hearted ruler, but also Mydeimos for being a neglectful King, to pressure him to restore the Kremnoan Kingdom, in doing so perpetuating the vicious cycle of Okhema-Kremnos Warfare. However, Tribbie brought a proposal to resolve the Okhema-Kremnos conflict, that he needs to witness the source of prophecy in Janusopolis by the Titan of Time, Oronyx. In order to resolve the conflicting goals between the Kremnoans, Okhemans, the Chrysos Heirs, and the Council of Elders, Mydeimos later went on to seek some advice from Chartonus. The Mountain-Dweller reveals that he found the signet of Queen Gorgo, Mother of Mydei when he's fishing, and told the story of the heroic & legendary Mountain Dweller named Geocles towards Mydei. He responded that Mydei should take the Trial of Strife, in spite of the conflicting goals from Kremnoans and the Chrysos Heirs.
After the Flame-Reaver killed the Time Titan Oronyx, The Fragments of Tribios were under attack in Janusopolis, forcing Trianne to sacrifice herself using the remaining of Janus' divinity to escort Tribbie and Trinnon. Krateros rushes in to defend the dying Trianne to hold against the Flame-Reaver. He was defeated, albeit injured, while Trianne became a lifeless doll anyway. Meanwhile, at the Vortex of Genesis, Mydei is inspired by the deeds of the Heroic Mountain Dweller Geocles told by Chartonus to prepare the Trial of Strife. He staked his mother's name to set his mentor free and follows the Flame-Chase Prophecy in exchange. He tells Phainon that he would resume Nikador's goal to kill the Black-Tide Hordes to protect the last city of Okhema, and hints that he'd fated to die, telling Phainon to stab his back in order to kill him should he be corrupted. Afterwards, Mydeimos succeeded in the Trial of Strife, becoming the Demigod of Strife, and joins in fighting the Flame-Reaver. Phainon also protects Mydeimos and preventing the Flame-Reaver stab Mydei's back. The Flame-Reaver is defeated, for now in Castrum Kremnos.
The End of Kremnoan Dynasty[]
After becoming the Demigod of Strife, Mydeimos later met Krateros to bid farewell. He then renounces the title of "King" and declares that the Castrum Kremnos was officially history and grant his people a new beginning over restoring Kremnoan Dynasty's former glory, much to Krateros' distraught. Before bidding farewell, Mydei correctly judges that Krateros has tried protecting Trianne as the Shield of Kremnos, passing his secret test of character. In which, it convinces him that there is a better path for the Kremnoans for starting a new life. He then bid farewell to fellow Chrysos Heirs (Hyacine, Aglaea, Castorice, and Phainon), Chartonus, Dan Heng, and the Trailblazer. In the Month of Balance, Mydei returns to Castrum Kremnos alone to face the Black-Tide Creatures, continuing Nikador's destiny as "Guardian of Amphoreus". However, the Flame-Reaver is revived once more by the Black-Tide and nearly kills Mydei. Though he has delivered the message of the Flame-Reaver's revival with thunderclaps as a signal.
After the Chrysos Heirs obtained the Coreflame of Aquila, they return towards the Dawncloud and the Black-Tide Creatures has devastated Okhema. Phainon, Dan Heng and The Trailblazer went into Dawncloud to obtain Kephale's Coreflame, but went missing. After Caenis killed by the Black-Tide Hordes, the Flame-Reaver approaches Phainon, knowing that he also aims for the Coreflame of Worldbearing. Mydeimos, alongside Castorice from the Netherworld, returns to Dawncloud to stall the Flame-Reaver to buy Phainon, The Trailblazer, and Dan Heng some time to reach Vortex of Genesis with Tribbie and Trinnon using their last remaining Divine Powers of Janus before becoming a lifeless doll. The Flame-Reaver kills Mydeimos, from behind, ending Nikador's goal for good, while Castorice decays offscreen within the Netherworld. 
Eternal Recurrence 33,550,337[]
Once again, Gnaeus' ascension as Demigod of Strife marks the involvement of The Strife Titan, Nikador and the founding of Castrum Kremnos to King Gorgo after slaying the Great Lion of Tretos. However, he was among the Kremnoan Soldiers implied to be perished by the Black-Tide Calamity. Instead of Gnaeus himself, the decision of splitting the Strife Titan's Soul into five fragments was made by Mydeimos himself during the Siege of Lygus to Okhema. Mydei also perishes defending Amphoreus. Back then, Castrum Kremnos during King Eurypon was under Cerydra's grasp to unify the Amphoreus as a whole in her conquest. Among Cerydra's right-hand men, there's a pointy-eared citizen named Verginia, known by her title "Dux Carminum", a lesser known chrysos heir from Castrum Kremnos who was a chronicler of the "Heroic Saga of Flame-Chase" and was in-love with "Dux Helkolithist" Apollonius, a Chrysos Heir who was a scholar from the Grove of Epiphany. They're both died during the Cerydra's Trial of Law, when declaring their love with a poem.
At the Great Tomb of the Nameless Titan, the Trailblazer and Dan Heng proceed to find Evernight/March 7th inside the Great Tomb Matrix. To access further, they must download all the data files from the "As I've Written" Book to the Scepter. One of the Data Files, PoleMos600 is attempting to abort the progress, manifests as the vessel form of the Strife Titan, leading to Dan Heng and the Trailblazer had no choice but to fight it.
Powers & Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Titan physiology
- Titankin vessels
- Photokinesis
- Imaginary manipulation
- Golden ichor
- Lance proficiency
Abilities[]
Savage God, Mad King, Incarnation of Strive[]
- Titankin War Armor
The Giver, Master of Legions, Lance of Fury[]
- The Vanquished Behold Woe
- Conquer or Be Conquered
Trivia[]
- Nikador may be derived from Ancient Greek word "νικάτωρ" / "nikátōr", which means "Conqueror".
- Nikador is likely inspired from Greek Mythology's God of War, Ares & his Roman Mythological equivalent Mars.
External Links[]
- Nikador on Honkai Star Rail wiki.
- Savage God, Mad King, Incarnation of Strife on Honkai Star Rail wiki.
- The Giver, Master of Legions, Lance of Fury on Honkai Star Rail wiki.
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