Races of Avendar, Chapter VIII: The Nefortu
An excerpt from the Races of Avendar, an in-game text found in the school of heroes, this chapter covers the nefortu.
Nefortu: Section 1 The nefortu rose in Avendar's far south, southeast of the human city of Ashta Harrud. According to nefortean shaman, the race lived in a great canyon that was plentiful in food, shade, and heat. The race venerated their first deity, Tzajai, and it was there that they developed their characteristic love for games, entertainment, and frivolity. This changed with the coming of Bayyal, whose fiery magic both terrified and amazed them. Although many died to the fury of this new god, many more embraced his furious bent and the explosive powers of Fire. This marks an interesting contrast to the rise of Fire elsewhere, with the srryn, and suggests a measure of fate, rather than chance, in being discovered twice in two different places. Bayyal led the flame-mad nefortu north, out of their idyllic canyon, and joined the War of Fire by torching the prosperous southern human civilization of Ashta Harrud. The feverish destruction laid waste to the fertile lands, and the fury of Bayyal transformed the grasslands into the vast, permanent scar known as the Crimson Sands. With His imprisonment by Jolinn, many nefortu sought new homes in post-War Avendar. Nefortu: Section 2 The nefortu settled into a canyon just north of the Crimson Sands, which they called Kzaya-Ha, while others of their kind continued north by night. They found their way to a sea-cave, which they called Rahh-Nefor, and in the process, discovered their great affinity for commerce. They lauded a goddess, Ayaunj, as the mistress of trade, finding tentative ties with humanity via Var Bandor. During the War of Night, the shuddeni employed the nefortu as assassins and thieves, seeking to use them against the allied forces they fought. The nefortu did so only for profit, and with the victory of the light, turned on their former shuddeni allies. They gained a measure of respect from other races in hunting and driving out shuddeni in nearby caverns-- also for profit. Their trade ties only increased. The nefortu, however, never created unified kingdoms or empires like those of the humans or aelin. Nefortu are given to a playful, trick-oriented nature, and their exceptional greed and craftiness is respected among their own far more than it is tolerated by others. Thus, nefortean societies remain rudimentary, and are unlikely to ever produce lasting political structures. nefortu: Section 3 nefortu embrace the idea of chance, and pursue fortunes by all manner of trickery. They are considered the inventors of the business contract, as well as the creators of modern gambling. They also possess a strong affinity for magic, making them some of the most formidable practitioners of Fire magic out of all races. Physically, nefortu are the smallest race, averaging between three and four feet in height. Their bodies are nimble but tough, and they are gifted with the ability to fly on leathery wings. Their faces are often bat-like and their bodies hairless. They prefer caves or dark places to live, but some have integrated themselves into mainstream society under the auspices of trade.