Name: Mikko Toivonen Species: Ghost Age: 20 at the time of death. it’s been 15 years since.. Occupation: in life, a candle-stick maker FC: Luke Newberry
Having dipped candlewicks into wax all his life, Mikko Toivonen dreamed of greater things, of visiting elves, of making friends with witches, of parleying with werewolves and of riding on dragons. He dreamed of winning wealth and fame, of making a name for himself in history. Such stories he would tell to his younger siblings, who he loved more than anyone in the world.
That is, until Kustaa came along. Kustaa was the son of the local baker, and in the space of what felt like days, they became friends, then best friends, then lovers. They had just about pledged their lives to one another, nothing could tear them apart - except, of course, for a little thing called death. On one of the most beautiful days of the year, a band of raiders invaded their village. Kustaa and Mikko had been just outside the village at the time, and only encountered the raiders as they were fleeing. ( a second later, and they would not have seen them at all. Such is fate. )
In a tense moment, Mikko placed himself between Kustaa and the business end of a raider’s sword - and suddenly, his life was over. Kustaa mourned, the Toivonens mourned, practically the whole village mourned, for it was a small one, and everyone knew everyone else. It is at the clearing of trees where he died that Mikko almost scares the life out of Kustaa, having come back as a ghost. They are overjoyed, initially, though they assume that he is only here to say goodbye. But then a week passes, and another week, and Mikko is still around. It’s almost back to normal - Mikko can only venture about halfway into the village, but that is fine, because he can see Kustaa, he can see his family.
His parents, though happy to see their son, are concerned that his spirit will not go to rest. It’s been more than forty days, the usual length of time for spirits to linger before they move on to a better afterlife, one the Toivonens wish for Mikko. Mikko himself cannot say why he still stays. So they make sacrifices, his body is blessed, and so is the ground it is buried in, they make a karsikko-mark on the tree under which Mikko had died ( at this point, they are reaching - karsikko marks are for those who cannot remember or cannot face their death, and Mikko is neither ).
Meanwhile, Kustaa and Mikko drift further and further apart. It almost doesn’t surprise Mikko when, one day, Kustaa confesses that he is finding this strange arrangement difficult. Moreover, he has met another. Mikko is heartbroken, but he gives Kustaa his blessing, and the two remain friends. Kustaa pledged to keep visiting, but as the years have passed, the time between between his visits grows longer and longer. It’s almost a relief when Kustaa comes to say that he is moving to another village - at least one of them can move on, and it’ll certainly never be Mikko, tied to the clearing of trees where he died.
As the days pass, Mikko grows increasingly restless, and lonely. His parents no longer visit, ashamed perhaps that they cannot appease their son’s spirit, but his siblings still do quite regularly, and for that he is so grateful. The copse of trees where he is tied is, at least, beside the main road leading into the village, where he can approach visitors ( and try his best not to scare them away ). He suspects that his true unfinished business is his ambition to explore the kingdom, to have adventure. And unless there is some powerful magic, dark or otherwise, that can untether him from this spot, he may be doomed to haunt the copse forevermore.
As a ghost, he cannot feel any sensation of touch nor pain. He’s also technically immortal, since, you know, he can’t move on. Intangibility. ( At a future point, he learns how to possess objects and manipulate them ). Ability to disappear at will.
Once upon a time, Mikko could sometimes be found practicing basic sword skills on Nidhoggs: relentlessly aggressive, large, rat-like creatures which usually moved in packs of two or three to attack their prey (often, a child who had wandered too far out of the village ).
He doesn’t look see-through, as other ghosts often do ( for he concentrates oh-so-hard on appearing as life-like as possible ), but if one were to look closer they might see that the lines of his body are smudgy, even blur into nothingness in certain areas.
He has a few scars, mostly on his hands and arms, caused by hot wax drips whilst working in the chandlery. And, of course, the stab wound in his chest that eventually led to his death.
As the eldest son in his family, Mikko was expected to take the business on when the time came. He never let on to his uncle or parents that he was dissatisfied with being a candlemaker, but he figured once they got old maybe one of his other siblings could take over, instead of him.