From Introduction: In the farthest, northern reaches of the known (and not-so-known) world, in a forest as old as time, there lives a wizard who goes by the name Nicholas of Myrna, but whom everyone else variously calls “Saint Nicholas,” “Good Ol’ Saint Nick,” or “That Fat, Red Bastard,” depending on their particular outlook on life. He’s not an especially jolly man, contrary to popular belief. In fact, he’s rather neurotic, but we’ll get to that a little later.