| “ | The enemy of our enemy is our friend! | ” |
Sergeant Nicolas Kay[2], also known as Nick, is one of the five main protagonists and a playable character in The Dark Pictures Anthology's third installment, House of Ashes. He is a United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Sergeant of Mailman 2-1. He was voiced and motion captured by Moe Jeudy-Lamour and was modelled on Tom Weston.
Appearance[]
Nick is African-American with light brown skin and an athletic build. He has brown eyes and buzzcut black hair. He also sports a prominent tattoo near his left shoulder.
For the uniform, Nick wears the desert camouflage suit including a boonie hat, fingerless gloves, shemagh, fatigue pants with a kneepad on the right leg and brown combat boots. His outfit includes PASGT body armor in M81 woodland camouflage with small bags, tan backpack and earpiece with flashlight and radio; he is armed with a modified M4A1 carbine and combat knife. In Camp Slayer, Nick is shown without some of his uniform, revealing that he wears a black sleeveless T-shirt with "Chicago" print under body armor.
As the game progresses, Nick's appearance becomes more stained with dust. During confrontations underground, he can sustain a number of injuries on his left shoulder caused by gunfire, cutting, and bite, although he can patch wounds if he found the med-kit.
Personality[]
Nick's profile at the start of the game
Nick is a competent soldier and has the full trust of Jason when it comes to his skills. Being the closest person to him, Nick can be considered the de facto leader of the squad, taking the initiative when Jason is not acting.
Although an experienced fighter, Nick has a gentle nature. He's not antagonistic towards the Iraqis, understanding that they didn't ask for war, and is the first to cooperate with Salim to oppose the vampires, following the principle "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". He also prefers soft methods over going the hard way, acting cautiously during the assault of the shepherds' farm. Though this is questioned because of Nick's approval of using WP rounds on the battlefield, he knows it cannot be used on humans.
After the tragic events at the checkpoint that led to the civilian's death, Nick is left traumatized and guilt-ridden. He often remembers this accident and becomes depressed, especially after making mistakes. His new relationship with Rachel has been lifting up his spirits and even he recognizes that this had saved him from tearing himself apart inside. However, this in turn leads to his insecurity about the sincerity of their relationship when Eric shows care towards Rachel, with Nick antagonizing the former and often questioning the latter about it.
Biography[]
Nick was born on October 23, 1972. Three weeks prior to the raid, Jason and Nick were involved in an incident at a checkpoint: they were guarding it from suicide bombers when a woman with a bag approached them. Despite Jason's order to stop, she continued walking, causing Jason to order Nick to shoot her. It turned out that the woman was a simple civilian who carried groceries in her bag and didn't hear Jason due to having headphones on. Nick was traumatized by this, as he was the one who shot her. From this point on, Nick became troubled and was outwardly detached at times from everything around him.
During this time, Nick became close to Rachel after the previous events, and found solace in each other as they both had major issues going on in their lives.
On May 30, 2003, Nick was involved in a mission in search of weapons of mass destruction. When the American units arrived at the landing point in the Zagros Mountains, they were ambushed by an Iraqi patrol. Due to the warfare, Nick was plunged into the depths of the Zagros Mountains alongside his comrades and enemies. To survive what lurked below, Nick had to forge an alliance with the enemies from above. His fate would then be decided by the player, in which he would escape alive or die buried beneath the sands.
House of Ashes[]
| Chapter Appearances | |||
| Cursed | Absent | ||
| The Briefing | Debut | The Assault | Appears |
| The Raid | Appears | The Horror | Appears |
| Underworld | Appears | Enemy of My Enemy | Absent |
| Pazuzu | Mentioned | The Well | Absent |
| The Temple | Appears | The Ancient One | Appears |
| Breaking Up | Determinant | Brothers | Absent |
| After the Fall | Appears | The City | Appears |
| Slayer | Appears | Strange Aeons | Appears |
| The Truce | Appears | The Vault | Appears (Possible Death) |
| Bloodbath | Appears | Semper Fi | Determinant |
| The Signal | Appears | Daylight | Determinant (Possible Death) |
| The End | Appears (Possibly Dead) | ||
Main Story[]
Act 1[]
Nick shares a kiss with Rachel in her office until they learn of Eric's arrival at Camp Slayer. As they get dressed, Nick tells Rachel that she should talk to Eric while there is still time. Nick leaves after their conversation and briefly meets Jason and Eric before leaving. Later, Nick is present with the others at a briefing, sharing a fist bump with Merwin. After the briefing, Nick is seen packing White Phosphorus with Jason and before the operation begins, they share their opinions about Eric.
In the helicopter, Nick gets confronted by Jason as he fails to pay attention to what Jason was saying and makes conversation. Landing near the target LZ, Nick, along with the other marines, follows Jason as he leads the raid. After securing the area, Nick informs Jason that the captives they're holding are nothing but shepherds and calls the raid a bust. In a possible conversation, Nick can complain to Jason that there is no silo and how Eric's satellite system is wrong. During the firefight, Nick can either watch Joey get shot or rescue him, only to die in Nick's arms. An earthquake then ensues, plummeting Nick into the caverns below.
Shortly after falling into the caverns, Nick walks among the caverns, while in the process encountering a strange creature. Nick later reunites with Jason and finds a large gate. Opening the gate, the pair hears Merwin and finds him seriously injured and hanging from wires as Clarice tries to free him. While they are helping Merwin, Clarice is suddenly dragged into the darkness, forcing Nick and Jason to flee, carrying Merwin in the process. They continue to flee the creatures hunting them across the caverns, potentially losing Merwin at multiple points, and eventually reach the chasm where Rachel and Eric try to escape from Dar. Nick will either rescue Eric or arrive late at the scene as the latter falls into the chasm, being impaled by a stalagmite in the process.
Act 2[]
Reaching the temple, the guys may find Eric lamenting Rachel or his body impaled on a stalagmite. After hiding in the temple, Jason plans to form a defense perimeter and tells Eric about the creatures, much to his disbelief. The lights in the temple go out and Nick with Jason inspect the generator in the main hall. After Nick fixes it, they walk down a hallway where the lights went out again and find a room set with tripwire. Continuing to explore, the guys hear Joey's scream, to which Jason insists they follow the scream which Nick informs him it's a trap but follows anyway.
Going back into the caverns, the Americans are ambushed by Dar, whom Nick can be injured in the process. Later, Nick hides from a creature before getting grabbed by Salim, they can then either kill or sneak around the creature. Regardless of the outcome, Nick starts to bond with Salim, only to hear the Americans coming. Nick can then tell Salim to stay or hide from the group. If Salim stays, there will be an ensuing stand off between Salim and the other Americans. Nick tries to defuse the situation, to no avail. If Salim surrenders, Nick takes Salim hostage due to Jason's orders.
Going back to the temple, Nick and Jason decide to set defenses around the hallways, setting up cameras and blocking passages. They later find a radio transmitter in the chasm and while they are discussing about using the radio, Jason is ambushed by a vampiric Joey. After fighting Joey back, the Americans try to tune the radio, only for them to be ambushed by Dar and get the vampires' attention.
After retreating into the temple, the boys find Rachel with possibly Clarice running into the temple, to Nick's surprise. Nick with the Americans then fight the vampires and retreat deeper into the catacombs, where they find Salim and Dar. Both sides are initially hostile, but upon hearing the vampires approach, they decide to cooperate. Upon entering the sacrificial chamber, the group is ambushed by a swarm of vampires. As Nick tries to follow Jason who is captured by a vampire, he is stopped by The Ancient One, to which he will get injured by. He is then thrown to a pile of bones by a vampire, losing consciousness.
Act 3[]
In a possible flashback, Nick gathers with Rachel in the latter's office in Camp Slayer, where they reassure each other. Nick wakes up and possibly reunites with Rachel and/or Eric or is alone. Their meeting is interrupted by The Ancient One, who starts chasing the Americans. The group manages to escape from him, after which they go after Jason. If Rachel is alive, they will converse about their relationship before continuing and their relationship will either stay intact or break up. The group descends into the alien structure and arrives to help Jason and Salim as they are attacked by the vampires, after which Nick and the others retreat into the Star Chamber. They decide to explore the archaeologists' camp and study the origin of the vampires, finding their reason for falling to earth. The group may deal with an ordeal where Rachel is infected, to which Nick will mourn her death, bid her farewell if Rachel is about to be cocooned, or propose to find her if she ran away, much to Jason's disagreement.
The group then plans to bomb the cocoon vault, to which Nick volunteers to do so. Nick goes to plant the explosives and can either advance to the motherlode or retreat. Regardless, the vault will always be successfully bombed, but Nick can die in the process. After escaping from the structure, Jason informs the group that Salim is still alive but separated, to which Nick tells Jason to leave Salim behind as he would never make it out. Either way, Nick would escape to the elevator and converse with whoever is left alive with him.
In the caves, the group will be attacked by a vampiric Clarice/Rachel, whom Nick can die to the latter in the process. The party successfully reaches the surface again, but is immediately confronted by vampires when an eclipse rises. Nick with the others fight the vampires with a flare and a knife, surviving or dying in the process. When the sun arrives, Nick along with other survivors will board the air support and leave the mountains.
The End[]
At Camp Slayer, Nick will be seen interrogated by an agent about how many of the creatures are left alive.
- If Nick is dead, his body will lie inside a bodybag.
Possible Deaths[]
| Chapter | Mechanism of Kill | Caused by | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Vault | Torn apart | Vampires | Nick chose to advance to the motherlode; Nick fails Keep Calm segment. |
| Nick alerted a vampire by failing Keep Calm segment due to being injured or going left; Nick chose to retreat; Nick fails a QTE and does not have the UV wand. | |||
| Neck snapped | The Ancient One | Nick chose to advance to the motherlode; Nick completes Keep Calm segment; Nick fails QTE while being strangled. | |
| Same condition; Nick completes QTE while being strangled; another character is injured; Nick doesn't have a stake. | |||
| Same condition; Nick has a stake OR Jason and Nick avoided Dar's tripwire, then while resetting it in Bloodbath, Jason chose to be foreboding and serious; Nick fails to kill the Ancient One when he has the chance to do so. | |||
| Same condition; Eric is alive; Eric has a low relationship with Nick and ignores his radio signal. | |||
| Daylight | Throat ripped out | Clarice | Rachel did not become a vampire; Nick fails to fight Clarice in the caves. |
| Dropped from great height | Vampires | Nick fails QTE to release himself while being grabbed by a vampire through the roof. | |
| Eyes gouged out | Nick fails to fight the vampire in the hut. | ||
| Head crushed | Nick chose to retreat from the motherlode; The Ancient One killed two protagonists in the hut. | ||
| Eyes gouged out | The Ancient One | Same condition; Nick fails to fight The Ancient One in the hut. | |
| Throat ripped out |
Killed Victims[]
| Chapter | Character | Mechanism of Kill | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A - Prior to events of game | A civilian | Shot | Certain. |
| Underworld | Merwin | Suffocation | Nick completes all three QTEs to cover Merwin's mouth. |
| The Temple | Sacrifice to vampire | Nick chooses to leave Merwin behind. | |
| The Truce | A vampire | Team kill - Stabbed by stake | Salim decided to kill the vampire; Nick and Salim complete every QTEs. |
| The Assault | Rachel | Incinerated | Jason and Nick triggered Dar's tripwire OR Eric or Nick failed QTE to hold the door; Eric is dead; Nick chooses to shoot the generator while Rachel is grabbed by a vampire (Shared Story). |
| Explosion | Rachel retreated OR was grabbed by a vampire; Nick directs the survivors to the side where the mines are planted OR says nothing with the mines planted in the middle; Rachel is alive. | ||
| Eric | Same condition; Eric is alive. | ||
| Clarice | Clarice was brought to the temple and was not killed by Jason; Same condition. | ||
| The Vault | Numerous vampires | Burned by UV wand | Eric is alive; Eric has a high relationship with Nick and gives him the UV wand; Nick is injured and fails Keep Calm! segment while hiding from a vampire; Nick chooses to retreat; Nick fails QTEs to fight the vampire. |
| Assisted - Explosion AND/OR burning | Certain. | ||
| The Ancient One | Assisted - Burned | Nick chose to advance to the motherlode; Nick fails Keep Calm segment. | |
| Impaled | Jason found the Staked Woman secret; Jason chose to give stake to Nick; Same condition; Nick completes Keep Calm segment; Nick completes QTE while being strangled; At least one character from the rescue team is injured; Nick completes QTEs to kill The Ancient One with stake. | ||
| Jason and Nick avoided the tripwire; In Bloodbath, while resetting it, Jason chose to be foreboding and serious; Same condition; Nick completes QTE to kill The Ancient One. | |||
| Daylight | Burned by flare | Nick chose to retreat; Nick succeeds to fight with The Ancient One in the hut. | |
| Impaled by spear |
Relationships[]
| |
|---|---|
| |
| |
|
Jason[]
Nick is one of Jason's men. Jason ordered him to fire at the civilian, which Nick struggles with during the events of the game.
They are shown to be close and Jason can be supportive about Nick's struggle. However, he is disappointed that Nick is getting distracted from the present situation and his lack of attention can put them in danger. They remain together for a large section of the game and are shown to respect each others' opinions when it comes to decisions. They know each other very well and Jason can say when Nick wants to say something. On the opposite, Nick can say whether Jason lies or not.
- After holding Merwin's mouth two times and after Jason injects the morphine on him, Jason tells Nick he needs him.
- The Curator comments on their relationship that they are "brothers in arms" with a darkness in their past, which will test the strength of their friendship.
- When Nick tries to smoke his cigarette, Jason tells him it's not the time to do that, to which Nick complies.
- If Nick goes to destroy the motherlode, Jason decides to lie about the many vampires coming at him.
- After holding Merwin's mouth two times and after Jason injects the morphine on him, Nick begins to panic as the creatures arrives but Jason tells him to get a hold of himself.
- The Curator asks if they are really close as they appear or will it be the case of "each man for himself".
- When Nick tries to smoke his cigarette, Jason tells him playfully that it will kill him, to which Nick disregards his remark and tries to smoke his cigarette.
- If Nick goes to destroy the motherlode, Jason decides to tell the truth about the many vampires coming at him.
Rachel[]
Main article: Nick and Rachel
After Rachel was estranged from her husband, Eric, the two started dating in secret, three weeks prior to the game. Nick admits that their new relationship has lifted him out of the grief caused by the checkpoint incident. Nick is not comfortable keeping Eric in the dark about the situation and presses her to tell him. Rachel can ask him to put their relationship "on ice" or promise to tell Eric soon.
The trio will be together for a large amount of the game, and decisions made during this segment will affect whether Rachel chooses to get back with Eric, stay with Nick or dump them both.
If the three are still alive in the medical bay, Nick can insist that Rachel tell Eric right there and then. If it is just Nick and Rachel, he will insist on knowing where they stand. Rachel will make her decision at this point.
If Rachel dumps Nick, she will maintain her distance from him from that point onward - Nick can ask to talk, but Rachel will refuse.
Eric[]
Nick and Eric's first interaction is somewhat frosty. If Eric finds out Nick is the man that Rachel is seeing, the relationship becomes significantly more tense - however, if Nick and Eric are nice to each other and Nick chooses to be honest with Eric, they can bury the hatchet and have a newfound respect for one another by the end of the game - in this case, Eric will lend Nick his UV wand in the vault that can possibly save his life during certain outcomes.
Other dialogue choices will lead to them being openly hostile - they may brawl with each other, Nick will be openly insubordinate and Eric can potentially cut the radio while Nick asks for help, dooming him.
If they are the only survivors in the elevator ride, they can speak fondly about Rachel's memory; or they can argue with one another, whom Nick will call Eric a "pencilneck".
- Eric directly punches Nick after he hugs Rachel in front of him. (Theatrical Cut)
- Eric doesn't lend his UV wand to Nick when the latter goes down in the cocoon mound.
- Eric cuts the radio on Nick when the latter calls for help after blowing the main cocoon mound.
- If Eric and Nick are the only survivors left in the elevator, they argue and antagonize each other.
- Eric tries to make peace with Nick if Rachel dies after their encounter with The Ancient One.
- Eric lends his UV wand to Nick when he goes down in the cocoon mound.
- Eric responds to Nick's call for help after Nick blows the main cocoon mound.
- If Eric and Nick are the only survivors left in the elevator, they bond and yell out "Oorah" together in the elevator.
- They can also yell out "Oorah" with Jason and Salim if they make it.
Salim[]
Salim's first interaction with Nick is when they encounter the vampire in the caverns. They will agree to work together, and can either succeed or fail at killing the vampire; Nick will introduce himself and they can talk about Salim going home to his son, with it being his son's best birthday present.
If a standoff ensues when the others arrive, Nick will insist that Salim is "not hostile". Nick is the first to assist Salim when the survivors are trying to open a door - convincing the others to join with the quote "The enemy of our enemy is our friend".
If Nick speaks to Salim in the Star Chamber, Salim can say that Nick isn't like the other soldiers - and that he knew that after they encountered the first vampire together. If so, Nick will reply the same. Salim will then apologize for speaking to Jason about what happened - Nick will tell him "don't sweat it".
If Jason dies before the elevator ride, Nick can become openly hostile to Salim - accusing him of lying about how Jason died.
Trivia[]
Playability[]
- Nick, along with Jason, is the most playable protagonist, having 12 playable chapters in total.
- Nick has 9 official playable chapters in Theatrical Cut, that being one in Underworld, Slayer, The Truce, The Signal, The Assault, The Horror, The Ancient One, The Vault, and Daylight.
- Nick has 9 official playable chapters in Curator's Cut, that being one in The Temple, After the Fall, Slayer, The Assault, The Horror, The Ancient One, Strange Aeons, The Vault, and Daylight.
- Nick appears in 18 chapters.
- Nick can replace Eric in The Ancient One if the latter is dead and can replace Jason in Strange Aeons if Rachel is dead.
Pictures[]
See also: Category:Pictures found by Nick
- Nick can find the second most pictures, with 5.
- Nick can find 2 white pictures, 2 black pictures, and 1 gold picture.
- Only Nick can find Surrendered.
- Nick appears in 3 pictures: Surrendered, Squeeze, and Thirst.
Secrets[]
See also: Category:Secrets found by Nick
- Nick is tied with Salim for finding the second least secrets, with 15.
- Only Nick can find Randolph's Journal - Part 3.
Facts[]
- Nick is a smoker.
- Nick may be Christian, as he can attempt to exorcise The Ancient One with Joey's crucifix.
- Nick's carbine has the following modifications: Aimpoint CompM2 sight with cantilever mount, M203 grenade launcher, Magpul MOE stock and magazine (which are anachronistic to 2003).
- Nick may be a sports fan as he uses the terms 'Major League' and 'gold medal.'
- Nick, Andrew, and Erin are the youngest protagonists in their respective groups, with Nick being 30 years old.
Deaths[]
- Nick is the third protagonist who can die, starting with The Vault.
- Nick is tied with Salim for having the second most deaths (with 6) and tied with Salim and Jason for having the least chapters to die in (with 2).
Other[]
- Nick shares the same face model as:
- A cop from Hidden Agenda.
- George Hawthorne from The Inpatient.
- Scarecrow from Bravo Team.
- Alex Smith and Bradley Smith from Man of Medan.
- Joseph Morello from The Devil in Me.
- Nick shares the same first name with a minor character from the anthology's second installment, Little Hope.
Trophies[]
- Nick has 8 trophies associated with him:
- He shares with other protagonists the trophies "Golden Path" and "Six Minutes of Night".
- He shares with Eric, Jason, and Salim the trophy "Ain't Got Time to Bleed".
- He shares with Eric and Rachel the trophies "Let Me Have a Go!" and "Climbing out of Hell".
- He shares with Eric the trophies "Ghost Signal" and "Oorah".
- His personal trophy is "Heart to Heart".
Quotes[]
| “ | Whatever it is... You'll deal with it. Or say the word... and I'll handle it for you.
|
” |
| “ | After what happened at that checkpoint, uh... I thought I was done. These last few weeks, you... you've lifted me up. I don't know where I'd be without you.
|
” |
| “ | Rachel: We should put this on ice. Nick: On ice? Just like that? So what, we just... We just stop? That how it works? Rachel: That's exactly how it works. My husband is here. For crying out loud, Nick, how else do you think it works? From now on, we just... we just have to keep a little distance. Nick: Sounds like an order Ma'am. |
” |
| “ | Lieutenant Kolchek! Sir? Fuck! Let's talk these guys out. Take positions and hold fire!
|
” |
| “ | Jason: You ever seen anything like this? The hell is this place? Nick: Pass. I flunked History at school. |
” |
| “ | Nick: I fucking killed Merwin. Jason: It was an accident! Nick: Just like the woman at the checkpoint. Jason: Don't make shit weirder than it already is. Clear your fucking mind! |
” |
| “ | Please, God, let him be alright. Let him live.
|
” |
| “ | Nick: You know... For someone who just lost his wife you sure are acting like a Major League asshole. Eric: You say that again! Nick: All right, all right! Ease off, ease off, man! I was out of line. |
” |
| “ | Nick: You got us into this mess. You better get us out. Eric: Do you wanna repeat that? That's what I thought. |
” |
| “ | You better step off before I start swinging. Colonel or no Colonel.
|
” |
| “ | Jason: Those demons down there will kill you... But the demons in here will eat you from the inside out. You gotta let it go man, I'm serious. Nick: So, that's you. All moved on. Jason: Yes, I have. I sure as hell have. Nick: Nah, I know you too good. When you lie, you always say the same thing twice. First one to see how it floats, second one to nail it down. |
” |
| “ | Nick: Wonder how many places like this we bombed without a second thought. Jason: Those relics are better off in the dust. Nick: What's your problem? These people didn't ask for this war. |
” |
| “ | Jason: Why are you defending the enemy, Sergeant? Nick: You and I both know, they're not all our enemy. Fuck Jason! Jason: Is this about the girl at the checkpoint? Shit Nick! How many times? We thought she had a bomb. Nick: It was just a bag of groceries. We fucked up. |
” |
| “ | Jason: That girl's death is getting under your skin, buddy. Nick: Yes, as a matter of fact, it is! Isn't it getting under yours? |
” |
| “ | Well, hello there, 'wabbit.
|
” |
| “ | Yeah, you really are the Queen Bitch. I should get my head checked for fucking with you.
|
” |
| “ | Rachel: Nick... I love you, Marine. Nick: You do? I love you too. |
” |
| “ | Nick: They're all fucking dead. And you and me, we're fucking next! Eric: Oh shit! Here I was thinking I was in the presence of a Marine. Turns out it's a second grader! Nick: You fucking pencilneck! If you did your job properly, we wouldn't even be down here. Eric: Yeah, you go ahead and blame everyone but yourself! The hell did Rachel see in you anyway? Nick: Everything she couldn't find in you. |
” |
| “ | Eric: So what's his malfunction? Jason: Nick ain't been himself lately. We got caught in a shooting a few weeks back. Civilian ate a bullet. Nick took it hard. Eric: Is he combat ready? Jason: He's a big boy, Sir. He's ready. |
” |
| “ | Goddamn jarhead!
|
” |
| “ | Salim: Your friend Nick... I like him. He was good to me. Jason: Circumstances... Any other day, he'd put one between your eyes. |
” |
| “ | It's him, isn't it? I understand you're not the brightest, Nick, but even you must know what I'm talking about. You've been fucking him, haven't you?
|
” |
| “ | It's encouraging to see that Eric and Nick have accepted the past and decided to make peace. I suspect that's more agreeable than having to bury one or the other. Friends... if only out of respect for Rachel's memory.
|
” |
| “ | It seems Eric and Nick are just never going to see eye-to-eye. They both loved and lost under the Arabian sands... their choices have driven a wedge between them which can never be lifted. Enemies until the last.
|
” |
| “ | Sergeant Kay managed to hold his nerves and focus on staying alive. He could have easily surrendered to the nightmare hunting him. But he proved he has the "right stuff" after all.
|
” |
Gallery
References[]
[]
| Protagonists |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antagonists | |||||||
| Supporting Characters |
| ||||||