Nakaira (prime)

Nakaira ('nə-kī-rə') Kedeviss Faendryl, sometimes called the Sea Witch or (formerly) the Näkki, is a female Faendryl dark elf currently residing in the frontier town of Wehnimer's Landing.

Nakaira Kedeviss Faendryl Nakaira Kedeviss Faendryl as rendered by Hero Forge Race Dark Elf Culture Faendryl Class Sorcerer Profession Necromancer Religion Luukosian Disposition Curt and disapproving Demeanor Aged and sickly Greatest Weakness Physically frail Habits Terrible cough, throat gurgle, leaning on her runestaff for support, dripping seawater Hobbies Essence illusions

Nakaira Rising by Mnar

Nakaira emerging from the sea onto Caligos Isle, as depicted by Stormyrain

Appearance

You see Lady Nakaira Kedeviss Faendryl the Defiler.
She appears to be a Faendryl Dark Elf.
She is average height and has an emaciated body.  She appears to have one foot in the grave.  She has milky white eyes and waxen-looking, pale skin.  She has very long, matted black hair in a wild miasma of tangles.  She has a gaunt, severely angled face and high cheekbones.
She is wearing an invar hexagram earring, a tarnish-blackened slender silver chain dangling a pentacle-incised bloodjewel, a brilliant fire pearl suspended from a thick leather cord, a black silk cloak held at the throat by a scarlet despanal toggle, some elegant silver-insigiled conjuring gloves fastened with shadowglass buttons, a water-stained corset gown of zaffre satin overlaid with black lace tatters, a series of bone bracelets carved with screaming faces, a sapphire-inset ring etched with leaping waves, and a pair of narrow leather shoes.

History

Nakaira Kedeviss Faendryl is the name of a female summoner assigned to the scout cutter Veil Shark, a ship attached to the invasion fleet deployed to destroy House Ta'Ashrim's lands and people during the Sea Elf War some five thousand years prior to the modern era. She was named "Näkki" and "Sea Witch" by Ashrim refugees, the former a reference to the legend of a malicious, shapeshifting water spirit who lured people to their deaths in the sea. The Veil Shark was ultimately believed lost at sea with all hands when it failed to make rendezvous with the surviving remnants of Fleet Task A for the return voyage to Ta'Faendryl.

In the modern era, a vastly older dark elf calling herself Nakaira appeared with the return of the Ebon Gate festival in Eoantos 5117, although resembling a typical Faendryl far less than a pallid, decaying drowning victim. Speaking in a characteristic rasp, she described five millenia of existence in a state between life and undeath at the bottom of the sea before finally washing ashore on Caligos. A necromancer, she assisted with the infusion of shadow energy into three of Grishom Stone's five bone pillars in Charlatos 5118, and since has been seen sporadically in the environs of the Landing.

Known Affiliations

Citizen of Wehnimer's Landing
Sorcerer Guild
Faendryl Enclave
Order of the Shadow

IC Observations

Nakaira is afflicted with a terrible cough which never heals or subsides, and seems impervious to the best efforts of empaths to diagnose and treat. This may be related somehow to her omnipresent raspy voice.

As often as not, for no explicable reason, Nakaira is dripping wet.

Although not technically an elementalist, Nakaira possesses an elemental affinity for water which is sometimes apparent in her casting of spells from the Minor Elemental sphere.

Speaking to Nakaira, Starcrye says, "I say old girl....hack it up."
Speaking to Starcrye, Nakaira rasps, "Do you, truly?"
Nakaira gazes with interest at Starcrye.
Nakaira clasps her hand over her mouth.
Nakaira makes a gurgling sound in her throat.
Nakaira makes a gurgling sound in her throat.
Nakaira coughs.
Nakaira bends forward slightly, shoulders drawn in, and lets loose with a terrible, hacking cough.
Nakaira glances at a slimy white seaworm in her hand.
Speaking in Dark Elven, Nakaira rasps, "The worms are particularly restless tonight."
Marijka glances at Nakaira.
Speaking slowly to Nakaira, Marijka says, "You... did not... just cough up... a sea worm."
Nakaira glances at Marijka.
A pained expression crosses Baelrun's face.
Baelrun gags.
Speaking in Dark Elven to Marijka, Nakaira rasps, "Very well.  I did not."

A goblin whips out a stake and mallet, grins and hammers it into the chest of Nakaira.  When Nakaira doesn't collapse into dust, the goblin grimaces and says, "Cooda swoorn woos undead."

An errant gust of wind swirls through the square, stirring up dust and rattling the branches of the oak tree.  Small twigs, a smattering of leaves, and a lone acorn are shaken loose.  The nutty projectile drops directly on Nakaira's head, bounces off, and tumbles to the ground.
Kippe glances between Nakaira and a large acorn.
Nakaira glances up.
Nakaira thrusts her gloved hand into the air while chanting a magic phrase under her breath.  A stream of ebon black essence shoots forcefully upwards from the silvery sigil on her glove.
Nakaira rasps, "Got you, you little..."

OOC Observations

The worms which have taken up residence in Nakaira's chest cavity are a species of marine bristleworms.

Nakaira's nickname "the Näkki," as well as the legend of her being a malicious shapeshifting water spirit who drowns people, are a reference to the Neck of Germanic and Scandinavian myth; "Näkki", specifically, is the Finnish name/spelling. There are also distinct parallels with the Slavic rusalka, who is herself an undead drowning victim.