Nahar

Nahar
Plural	Nahari
Spirit Origin	Unknown (Rumors of the Drowned Ones)
Factions	Fendalis Federation

The Nahari are an amphibious race native to Fendralis, the archipelago that was once part of Orrakar before the sea reclaimed it. The Nahari are as comfortable beneath the waves as they are on land, their society built around the rhythms of the tides, the secrets of the abyss, and the delicate balance between survival and the unknown.

Masters of reef navigation, deep-sea hunting, and guerrilla warfare, the Nahari control the waterways and ruins of their drowned homeland, repelling outsiders who dare to trespass. Their cities rise from the coral-covered cliffs, while their temples and sanctuaries descend into the abyssal depths, where even they do not always return unchanged.

Biology and Physical Traits

The Nahari are sleek, swift, and biologically adapted for both ocean and land survival.

Amphibious Biology

Nahari can breathe both air and water, using gill-like slits along their necks and ribs to extract oxygen.

Webbed Hands and Feet

Their elongated fingers and toes are webbed, allowing for swift underwater movement and strong bursts of speed.

Chameleon Skin Adaptation

Some Nahari can shift their pigmentation to match coral, stone, or open water, blending seamlessly into their surroundings for hunting or evasion.

Bioluminescent Markings

Those born with the Deep-Blood possess faint glowing patterns along their arms and spine, allowing for silent communication in the abyss and navigation through deep waters.

Predatory Features

Nahari possess serrated, shark-like teeth designed for tearing into flesh, and their claws are ridged to grip slippery surfaces, making them effective hunters.

Pressure-Resistant Physiology

The deepest-dwelling Nahari can withstand immense oceanic pressure, diving to depths where even light does not reach.

Culture and Society

The Nahari are not a singular empire but a federation of island-clans, each ruling their own mesa, reef, or underwater ruin. Though they have a central capital, Va’karis, their way of life remains fluid and independent, much like the tides they follow.

Federation and Leadership

The Fendralis Federation binds the Nahari together, ensuring peace between the island clans, but each island maintains its own traditions, rulers, and warriors. Every season of storms, the clans gather at Va’karis, where disputes are settled, alliances formed, and leaders chosen for the coming year. Nahari do not rule by bloodlines; instead, leaders prove themselves through trials, combat, and displays of wisdom.

Way of Life

Tideborn Philosophy – The Nahari believe in balance, flow, and adaptation, seeing rigid, unchanging laws as folly. Oral Tradition and Carved Histories – Instead of writing, Nahari weave stories into driftwood carvings, bone etchings, and coral engravings, allowing history to shift like the tides. Drowned Trial Rites – To be considered an adult, a young Nahari must descend into the abyssal ruins, retrieving a relic from the past or surviving an encounter with the deep.

Notable Settlements

Va’karis

The floating capital of the Nahari, built upon the highest mesa still above water, with structures both above and beneath the waves.

The Sunken Spires

The half-drowned ruins of a forgotten civilization, standing just beneath the water’s surface, where ancient secrets may still remain.

The Maw of the Abyss

A trench so deep and dark that even the Nahari fear it—some say it speaks to those who listen too closely.

The Stormbreak Reefs

The Nahari’s greatest natural defense, a labyrinth of hidden shallows, crashing waves, and razor-sharp coral, where countless enemy ships have met their end.

Mythology and Legends

The Nahari have many stories of the past, some rooted in truth, others whispered in fear.

The Drowned Ones – A legend speaks of Nahari who ventured too deep and never returned, their bodies transformed by the abyss into something no longer mortal. The Devourer Beneath – Some Nahari believe a great beast sleeps in the deepest trenches, an ancient force that, if awakened, could consume the world. The Vanished Isles – Stories tell of entire islands disappearing without a trace, swallowed by the sea, not by nature, but by something else.