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Nau'kheol Vel'Sharen
Appeared in chapters 2 3 26 27 28 31 32 34 36* 37* 38* 41 43 44 46 47 50 51 55 56 57
Nau'kheol is Chrys'tel's younger brother. He the same age as Ariel and was a classmate of hers at Orthorbbae.
Appearance and Personality
Nau'kheol is stern and serious. He takes great pride in his clan's strength and is determined to do what he must to protect that. He does not have any particular sorcery affinity, and tends to prefer physical combat to mana-based attacks. In his youth, he was incredibly biased against the Val'Sarghress clan, stating firmly that "commoners shouldn't act like Vals".[1] After their capture and discussion with Sil'lice Val'Sharen, he swore to assist his sister Chrys'tel with her search for truth.
As a young adult, he remained loyal to his sister, Chrys'tel. Though he is driven and brave, he is still young and tends to be a little naive in his way. Nau'kheol had chin-length grey hair and tainted red eyes. Now a soldier in the Vel'Sharen vanguard, he began wearing the standard teal and grey armor given to most of the Vel'Sharen troops.
Three years later, Nau's loyalty has shifted from his sister to his mate, Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'Rezz and their child. His physical appearance has changed little, with Nau still donning his teal and grey armor upon their return to investigate Chel and adding a fire focus to his arsenal.
Biography - Arc I
Davya Tower
Nau'kheol was first seen arriving at Orthorbbae, escorted by his father, Sabrror. His cold and angry demeanor caused Ariel to compare him unfavorably to Syphile[3]. After the rest of the children arrived, Nau'kheol entered Davya tower with the rest of the class and listened as Kel'noz instructed the class on the school's workings. After learning to activate their keystones, the class began to learn how to ride their floaters. Nau'kheol displayed some difficulty with this task, dizzying himself by unintentionally putting his floater into a rapid spin.
The next day, the students began their lessons with a class on basic mana arts, under the instruction of Master Soleam'ji. As Mir'kiin was disciplined for his crass behavior, Nau'kheol looked briefly amused before forcing himself to remain outwardly aloof. Afterwards, the students were tested for their potential elemental affinities. To his irritation, Nau'kheol was not found to have any particular affinity at all[4]. Later that day, he attended the history class taught by Master Traylyn. He found Traylyn's lack of a clan name interesting, and asked the wizened master why he did not provide one. Traylyn largely evaded the question, explaining that a lack of clan affiliation allows for an unbiased view of history[5].
The next day's classes began with their introduction to combat training under Master Sandaur. When Khal'harror asked what the point of physical training was when one wielded sorcery and golems, Nau'kheol smacked him upside the head from behind. Sandaur noted with amusement that such defenses could mean very little if one is caught by surprise. Afterwards, the students were assigned to pair up for sparring, and Nau'kheol challenged Khal'harror, quickly gaining the advantage. During the same exercise, Mir'kiin accidentally learned of Ariel's true gender, quickly informing both Nau'kheol and Khal'harror[6]]].
Attack On Ariel
Shortly after the class ended, the three confronted Ariel in a remote hallway, revealing her gender in front of Yafein. Nau'kheol, already hating Ariel due to being a member of the Sarghress clan, readily used their clan vendetta as an excuse to attack her. Realizing that a fight was about to occur, a terrified Yafein abandoned Ariel to face the other three by herself. As Nau'kheol and Mir'kiin advanced on Ariel, Khal'harror offered to aid Ariel in exchange for a year's servitude, much to the other boys’ irritation. When Ariel refused, the pair continued their attack as Khal'harror watched. Though she was able to hold her own, she was unable to make it past the boys and back to Sandaur. As Ariel began gaining the upper hand, Khal'harror offered Mir'kiin a knife he had stolen from the earlier combat class. Mir'kiin gleefully took the opportunity to stab Ariel in the side as she grappled with Nau'kheol.
Wounded and now aware of the boys’ lethal intent, Ariel fled on her floater, causing Nau and Mir'kiin to give chase. Nau'kheol quickly lost control of his floater, crashing into a wall and landing on the ground[7]]]. Mir’kiin, however, managed to keep up with Ariel and very nearly killed her by forcing her to fall from her floater into the lower levels. She barely survived, becoming fearful of the boys in her class as a result. For the next four years, Nau'kheol, Mir'kiin, and Khal'harror were able to bully Ariel with little consequence.
Fourth Year School Battle Tournament
During a tournament between their class and the other towers of the school, Nau’kheol teamed up with Mir’kiin and Khal’arror again. Specifically excluding Ariel due to her gender and clan, they three separated from even the rest of their class, all the while arguing over who would be their leader[8]]]. The entire class would over time be defeated by boys from the other tower, with Mir’kiin being defeated by Ariel after attempting to disable her.
Chrys'tel's Quest for Truth
Investigating The Orthorbbae
Nau continued his studies at Orthorbbae until the Moon's End Festival, where he and Khal stumbled across Chrys'tel and her friends, who had returned to the school. After observing their short conversation with Nih'iliir, after which Shinae offered to knock her off of her floater, Nau'kheol revealed himself, commenting that Vel'Sharen shouldn't fight each other[9]. Curious about what she was planning, he questioned Chrys about their presence at the school, if not for the festival. Chrystel then promised to explain everything, claiming it was related to clan matters, on the condition that he keep it a secret from their mother until Chrys'tel told him otherwise. Bored with the festival, Nau agreed, with Khal also insisting on accompanying them if Naal was going[10].
Upon arriving at the school, they decided to begin their search in the Orthorbbae basement. The group soon realized that they would need to sneak the boys in, as only females were allowed within the Crescent, which housed the basement. Help arrived in the form of Sorane Val'Ill'hardro, who assisted them by dressing his two classmates in their sisters' old dresses. Nau showed hesitance at continuing, however, expressing concern that he would end up banned from school or worse - a subject in one of their summoning classes. He finally agreed to help the girls, however, agreeing to their plan. A further distraction in the form of one of the faculty assisted their ruse, as the teacher noticed Sorane's presence and immediately hauled the boy off, overlooking the other two boys. Realizing that they had been successfully passed over, Nau merely commented to Khal that it must have been due to his pigtails.
Nau'kheol continued to follow his sister's group as they located the basement, where Naal'suul began displaying more signs of her advanced tainting sickness. He then watched quietly, only asking whose keystone Chrys'tel was using in order to try to unlock the door. The group then realized that there was only one keystone that was likely to open it - Snadhya'rune's keystone.They debated whether to continue their venture; Nau asked Chrys if it was important, and refused to leave his sister, despite Shinae's angry insistence that they leave.
Forming another plan to distract Snadhya'rune, the group decided to use Naal'suul as "bait," drawing the headmistress out of her quarters under the pretense that Naal was having trouble controlling her seed. Nau and Khal remained at Naal's side as she collapsed next to the giant statue in the Crescent's main entrance chamber, warding off any other students who would approach. As the older girl began to have true symptoms of losing control of her taint, Snadhya arrived with Mel'arnach, just in time to siphon off the excess mana and calm Naal's disruptive seed. Mel showed amusement at the presence of the two boys, seeing through their disguises and commenting that she had "played that game too" when she was young, and told the boys to have fun[11].
Returning to the basement, they tried the keystone that Chrys'tel had stolen from the headmistress' quarters. The massive doors opened, revealing a large freezer filled with bodies - some of whom they had encountered upstairs. Recognizing on of their teachers, Sate'ja Vel'Sharen, they were confronted by the very same summoner, who proceeded to attack the group. Nau'kheol fought with the girls to bring her down, though the older drow proved to be much stronger. During the fight, Nau managed to wound her, revealing that the teacher was in fact a summon. Hopelessly outmatched by the nether being, the younger drow would have been killed if not for the intervention of Naal'suul. Hoping to save her friends, Naal released her unruly seed, becoming an insatiable glutton demon which devoured Sate'ja as the group escaped, sealing the freezer shut on their way out[12].
Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'ress
Following Naal's demise to her inner demon, her best friend, Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'ress was forced to face the challenges of her clan's upheaval alone. Kiel's normal happy eccentricity faded, and she refused to speak with Chrys or her protector twin, Shinae. Kiel had been known to hold a candle for Nau'kheol in the past, although he had always rebuffed her advances. Chrys'tel suggested that Nau deliver a message to Kiel'ndia at the Vloz'ress fortress, as he was likely the only one she would respond to. He accepted on the condition that she tell him everything she knew that was causing her to go looking around at Orthorbbae. Chrys'tel agreed, and Nau suggested that if this had anything to do with their older sisters Vy'chriel and Yaeminira, Chrys should speak with the royal Val'Kyorl'solenurn seer[14].
Nau convinced a friend of his, Kio'nel, to drive a carriage over to the Vel'Vloz'ress territories by exploiting his known crush on Chrys'tel. The boys arrived and were greeted by an enthusiastic Kiel'ndia, who accepted Nau's invitation to Chrys'tel's meeting between old friends. Nau'kheol was made incredibly uncomfortable by Kiel's over the top advances, but he survived the carriage ride and Kiel went to speak with Chrys'tel and their other friends. While the girls enjoyed their reunion, he opted to eat separately with Kion'el, who pondered whether or not to attempt to talk to Chrys. Later, Kiel departed to take care of a task at the Orthorbbae; Nau chose to stay, however, and told her to just take the carriage and go. She did, but not before giving him a kiss on the forehead as she left.
After she left, a clearly despondent Chrys was considering going back to the Val'Sarghress fortress for answers. Not trusting Shinae, she asked Kion'el to escort her back to the Vel'Sharen home. Nau insisted that he be allowed to go with Chrys, reminding her that he had been promised answers twice and deserved to know what was going on. Chrys decided to tell him on the way, and the pair left to see the Sarghress[15].
As they arrived at the Sarghress Fortress, Chrys gave her brother one more chance to turn back. Claiming to fear no Sarghress, he chose to continue on with her, and the two Vel'Sharen attempted to slip into the fortress by mingling with a crowd of commoners. They were stopped by the guards, however; when asked what their reason was for visiting, Chrys claimed that they were attempting to visit their mother, Syphile.
The amused guards nearly ejected them from the citadel gates, when Snadhya'rune's unexpected arrival at the main entrance caused a huge distraction. They were then met by a slave girl named Diva, who was wearing one of Chrys' old dresses and seemed to know much of the Vel'Sharen clan. Diva told them that she was once a servant to Diva'ratrika herself and promised to tell the children of Zala'ess anything they wanted so long as it did not interfere with her duties to the Val'Sarghress heir. She then helped them break into Sil'lice's tower, where they were promptly ambushed by Kadara. Kadara had been on watch and was ruthless in her assault, shooting Nau'kheol in the foot with a crossbow and detaining both Vel children in a pair of iron maidens while she forced Diva to give her a foot massage.
By the time Sil'lice returned, Nau'kheol had already passed out from blood loss. Sil'lice's children, Kau and Shala, tended to his wounds while Chrys'tel spoke with Sil'lice about her doubts regarding the clan and where her search for truth was leading. Suspecting that he could become a liability due to his knowledge of her presence among the Sarghress, Sil'lice suggested that Nau'kheol may need to be killed. Aghast at the implication, Chrys argued against it, insisting that her brother was loyal, and would never run from a challenge to the clan. Commenting that loyalty was rare, as was trustworthy companions, the Third Daughter agreed to let them both go. Sil'lice then gave Chrys a token of alliance to her line and instructions to just go home and survive[17].
As they left, Nau became visibly frustrated. He did not like Sil'lice's notion that no matter how strong he became, he would still inevitably die from the seed within him. He angrily told Chrys that he would prefer not to know if that was true, and the siblings made the trip back home. [18]
Biography - Arc II
15 years later, Nau'kheol grew into a soldier, continuing to stand at his sister Chrys'tel's side. The siblings attended their mother, Zala'ess, in a mission to aid the Val'Illhar'dro loyalists in the civil war that had broken out in Nuqrah'shareh. As they entered the besieged city, he noticed the starving and downtrodden citizens of the once rich city-state. The Vel'Sharen vanguard then proceeded to meet with Nega'fanae Val'Illhar'dro and her vassal allies, and a tentative alliance was struck. In exchange for their support in Zala'ess' bid for the throne, the Vel'Sharen would assist in restoring order to Nuqrah'shareh.
Following Chrys' lead, Nau'kheol accompanied her on several missions, beginning with a task to bring down the rebel war machines guarding the central island which housed Nuqrah'shareh's High Palace. Riding along with Chrys on her dragon, Cahal, the pair entered the palace alongside Sharen and Balvhakara troops, fighting their way to the Queen's Armory. There, they encountered a summoner, who attempted to destroy them with a massive summoning core. The creature housed within the summoning core was more than a match for the Val'Illhar'dro rebel's abilities, however, and depleted the summoner's mana completely, killing her. As he witnessed the resulting destruction of the mana backlash, Nau began to wonder what the point was of all the battles[19].
After returning to Zala'ess to report their progress in taking back control over the High Palace, Nau waited quietly as Chrys'tel advised their mother of the mission's completion. Standing quietly, he then observed his sister questioning her mother about why she had been named Overseer, despite speaking a traitors words in the past. The discussion was interrupted by a messenger, who reported that the rebel factionists had arrived at the encampment gate, ready to surrender.
Their next mission took them to Nuqrah's lower city, where they worked to pacify the remaining rebels. Nau was assigned with Chrys'tel to a new infiltration team formed of members of the new allied clans, which included Sara'hilana Balvhakara, An'jin of the Jie'yen, and Craft Lumesowa of the local Duskian Order. The group was assigned a mission to destroy the rebel communication equipment, leading them to infiltrate the area aboard a small river boat, allowing them to slip quietly into the city.
Upon their entry to the city, the team quickly located their target, as well as an enemy war golem and its crew. Entering the building where the golem's crew had taken refuge, they stormed the room, taking the two rebels within prisoner. Nau hesitated to kill the golem pilot, citing that as of yet, he had killed no one[21]. Before the rest could act, Craft took the opportunity to execute the co-pilot after realizing that she had been tainted due after exposure to several nether gates that had been loosed around the city. Despite Chrys'tel and Nau'kheol's protests, the Duskian remained unrepentant, reminding the Sharen that they held no authority in the city.
With one more pilot remaining in the golem itself, the group put aside their argument in order to take down the rebel war machine. They drew the fire of the golem's mana cannons, which forced the pilot to deplete its core; without a copilot to assist in changing mana cores, according to Sara'hilana, the machine quickly ran out of mana, leaving it - and its pilot - helpless. The whispering tower - the original target of their mission - was then disabled, completing their task. While the group rested and congratulated each other on another mission accomplished, the Jie'yen and Balvhakara team members revealed that the alliance had been made official, and that they would be returning to Chel with the Sharen Vanguard[22].
Nau's next assignment with Chrys'tel would send them to retrieve an unknown ancient Val'Illhar'dro weapon from the rebels' hands. Accompanied by their kin, Yami'ni, Ji'ann and Quar'imar, they located the missing weapon in a rebel controlled area, the Wailing Well. The team managed to break into the main structure, locating a team of engineers who had been reported missing by the Val'Illhar'dro clan and fighting off rebel guards along the way. It was here that Nau'kheol found himself forced to kill an enemy for the first time. He then noticed the engineers' odd behavior, and the team realized that they had been affected by powerful empathy - most likely courtesy of a rumored blue-tattooed empath that Yami'ni had caught word of.
Determining that they would need to capture or eliminate the empath, they continued through the engineering station, until they found themselves in a large, open chamber. The team was then ambushed by a trio of Sullisinrune, each a powerful empath. The three rogue Suls unleashed a powerful combined empathy attack which nearly incapacitated the whole team, until Yami'ni sacrificed her life in order to try to break their grip. Nau remained overwhelmed by the empathic assault, but luckily his sister managed to break free. The remaining Sharen team members managed to survive falling from the main deck of the now revealed airship, and could only watch as it flew off and away into the air, with Yami'ni and Jiaan still trapped aboard[23].
Zala'ess' Return to Chel
Nau'kheol again accompanied his sister Chrys'tel, this time to the Beldrobbaen districts. Finding Kiel'ndia running from Nir'naya and other Imperials, the siblings quickly crafted a ruse to fool Kiel's pursuers, using Chrys' blood arts to fake Kiel's death. Nau remained silent as his sister lied to the Imperial overseer, and the pair then waited for the Imperial Guard to leave the area before advising Kiel that it was safe to get up. After questioning what she had done to draw so many pursuers, Nau and Chrys were somewhat surprised to hear Kiel admit that she had assassinated the false Empress[24].
Much to his distaste, Kiel still attempted to flirt with Nau, drawing the ire of both siblings. Amidst her advances, however, Kiel revealed that she had been assisted in her mission by Khaless herself, with Snadhya'rune likely pulling the strings behind her. Dismayed at hearing more news of Sharen interfering with other Sharen business, the brother and sister agreed to assist Kiel with getting out of the Beldrobbaen District alive in exchange for her help with getting them to Felde in order to confront Snadhya'rune[25].
Nau and Chrys returned to the Vloz'rezz Fortress the next day, meeting with Kiel, Baliir, and her companion demons. Feeling that Kiel wasn't taking their plans seriously, Nau urged his sister to leave, and for the pair to return to the Sharen rendesvous point. As they watcher Kiel become distracted again by her cousin's music, they discussed how to help the Vloz leader regain her focus; Nau suggested to lend her the Summoner Killer, recognizing Kiel's love for turtles. Despite Chrys'tel's reservations, the Sharen warrior pointed out several positive things about allowing Kiel to use such a dangerous device, reinforcing the importance of Chrys' mission for their side. Better to use it to push the mission forward, rather than it sit unused back home[26].
Journey To Felde
Six days later, Nau'kheol and Chrys'tel delivered the Summoner Killer to Kiel'ndia, and stood back amongst the clan members to observe its activation. While it had been calculated that it would take multiple summoners to bring the Turtle forth, the onlookers were shocked as Kharla'ggen stepped forward alone, and proceeded to summon it successfully[27]. Days later, the expeditionary group that would leave for Felde began to assemble, using the Turtle summon as a massive travel mount.
As the group assembled, a pair of stowaways were caught aboard the Turtle. Recognizing them as Sara'hilana and An'jin, Nau questioned their presence, commenting that they should have waited for Chrys to return. After pledging their word to obey Kharla's orders, the group departed Chel, and began their journey to confront Snadhya'rune.
Several days into the journey, a discussion of diplomacy came up amongst the travelers, and Nau'kheol was asked if he had made his "choice" yet. Confused as to what An'jin was referring to, it was explained to the young Sharen that he had been offered as part of his mother's deal with the new Sharen Alliance with Nuqrah'shareh, specifically to sire children of Sharen lineage in order to strengthen their ties to each other. Panicking, Nau claimed that he was already taken, pointing to Kiel as his "mate." An'jin and Sara expressed their sympathies at his choice, and he quickly made an escape from the conversation[28].
Eventually, the Turtle arrived at Felde, where the group disembarked after donning masks and cloaks to try to hide their identities. As Kiel began to make a spectacle of herself, Nau'kheol took advantage of her antics to slip away from the group. After spotting a Sharen dragon amongst the guests who were arriving, he moved in closer to investigate, but was caught by the dragon. Held captive by the large beast, Nau was questioned by the Sharen as to who he was working for. Unsure of where they stood in the conspiracy, he initially denied their accusations of being a Vloz'ress spy. When asked who had killed the Empress, he claimed it had been the work of the Nidraa'chal, with help from Imperial Guard traitors.
Unimpressed, the Sharen group revealed that [i]they[/i] were what was left of the Imperial Guard, and he was given one more chance to answer their questions. Resigned to the fact that they would not believe the truth due to his disguise, he sighed and claimed that Kharla'ggen had been the mastermind[30]. Leaving him in the custody of the dragon [Baef], the Sharen left to confront the First Sister on their own.
Questioning The "Cure"
Later, having managed to escape Baef's watchful eye, he made his way to the assembled crowd in Snadhya'rune's tower, where he witnessed the results of Jiaan Vel'Sharen's seed merging. Noting the massive change in demeanor of the former Sharen knight, Nau'kheol slipped quietly away from the crowd, realizing that this was not the cure for tainting sickness that he had been hoping for. Returning to his companions, Nau noted that Kyo'nne, who had greeted them upon their arrival, was missing - as well as An'jin. He continued to wait with the other members of Kyo'nne's band, discussing his reservations that Jiaan had come out of the merging ceremony different.
Frisk - a member of Kyo'nne's band - questioned what lunatic would volunteer to be turned inside out[31]. Nau'kheol then watched in surprise as Shinae volunteered for the ceremony, and was equally horrified to see the change in her personality when she too stepped out of the merging ceremony.
As Chrys'tel spoke with her twin in the aftermath of the merging, he began to step away to give them space, but was surprised to see Kyo'nne passing by in a nearby hallway. Calling out for her, he began to give chase, concerned about her disappearance; to his surprise, he found her in the company of Ariel Val'Sarghress and her squad, who had just arrived in Felde. Much to his consternation, she did not show any sign of recognizing him, and asked if he was Nau'kheol's little brother. Irritated, he insisted that he [i]was[/i] Nau'kheol. After teasing him for his height, the others quickly reminisced about who had stabbed whom back during their school days.
Flustered, Nau'kheol attempted to speak again, but was distracted by Ariel's rear end, drawing more snickers from the others. Denying any attraction to Ariel, he was then told firmly by Kyo that he had zero chance with the Sarghress heir; as the group departed, he commented to himself about Ariel's height, lamenting the size difference between them[33].
Escape From Felde
After reuniting, the group fled the city as it came under the attack of the Mimaneid aerial warriors of the Kavahini clan. Impressed by Kiel's dedication to her friends, no matter what clan they came from, he decided to give the strange relationship that had begun to form with the Vloz leader a chance.
Return To Chel
When the Turtle returned to the Vloz'ress Clan Fortress, they found themselves confronted but an army camped on the clan's doorstep. Admitting that they had deceived Kiel by making a deal with Nyo'ka under her nose, the Vloz leader embraced Nau, calling him her fierce warlord when he explained that if they had not deceived her, the Sharen Alliance would have attacked the Vloz backdoor in order to gain access. Kiel accepted their explanation, and moved to the next problem - finding food for Kharla'ggen, as the exertion from maintaining the Turtle Summon for so long had drained her. Chrys'tel and Kiel'ndia then began to argue over Nau'kheol, until he broke up their dispute by insisting that he could make his own decision, which was to stay with Kiel[34].
Returning to the Vloz Fortress with Kiel'ndia, he remained at her side as they were met by Vicyl, who reported strange activity afoot, as well as Turis'lok, who reminded Kiel that Naal'sul had not been fed recently. Surprised to hear that Naal had survived, even as a demon, he followed Kiel as she dashed to the school, hoping to check on her old friend.
As they traveled through the Vloz Rift, Nau and Kiel discussed his fears about his taint, and his regrets that none of his dreams for the future would happen because of it. Sensing a change in the atmosphere, the two drow spotted a strange aura emanating from the fortress. When Nau asked if it was normal, she commented that someone would be getting punished when she got back. Concerned that her clan may be attempting to attack either his clan or the Sarghress, he expressed his concern to Kiel, who shrugged it off, saying that there was always someone insane enough to attempt to cause trouble.
The Puppeteer Incident
As demonic energies began to spread throughout Chel, Nau and Kiel'ndia found their way to the Orthobbae's basement. Upon arrival, he reminded Kiel that she had forgotten to bring food for Naal, right before they were discovered by one of the Orthobbae instructors. She questioned the two drow regarding their presence; Kiel quickly came up with a cover story about checking on her clan's students, though the instructor seemed dubious. As males were not allowed in the main tower of the school, Nau'kheol opted to stay in the main entry hall under the instructor's watchful eye while Kiel continued her errand.
While they waited for her to return, the instructor and Nau chatted about his current assignment, with Nau commenting that he wouldn't mind being posted as a guard if they were to give him a dragon. Their conversation was interrupted by the loud arrival of the massive glutton demon that once was Naal'sul, with Kiel'ndia hanging on for dear life. The Naal demon crashed into the Crescent's main chamber, knocking over the statue of Sharess in the middle and attempting to devour Nau'kheol and the instructor. Kiel managed to convince Naal to exit the school, and began to order the demon to spit out her two captives.
Recovering quickly after being removed from Naal's demon gullet, he confronted Kiel about Naal'suul. As he attempted to make her see reason that Naal had [i]fallen[/i] to the demon, rather than overcoming her taint as Kiel had claimed, they were again interrupted. Kiel had begun to admit her mistake when Nau froze, suddenly losing control over his own body. He began to panic, fearing that his demon seed had begun to take over early, when Kiel noticed that his symptoms appeared closer to Kharla'ggen's puppeteering magic. Once he became unable to speak, she embraced him, giving him a quick kiss as she promised to fix everything[35].
They quickly raced back to the Vloz'ress Fortress, with Naal carrying them. Making their way to the ceremony room, they found Kharla'ggen in the thrall of a massive summoning ritual. Nau'kheol remained frozen in Kharla's grip, until Naal intervened by attempting to eat the Ill'haress. Freed from her power, Nau then attempted to pull Kiel away from her attempts to save Kharla, as the building began to collapse beneath them. Seeing that the floor would no longer hold the massive glutton demon, he forcefully carried Kiel away, narrowly escaping the crumbling fortress. They were finally saved by the last animated efforts of the Turtle Summon, whose last act before falling dormant again was to catch Nau and Kiel before they could fall into the abyss below[36].
As they began to climb to safety, Nau began to sense the massive demonic presence again. Kiel'ndia, being in close proximity to it as it attempted to climb out of the lava crater, confronted it and ordered it to return back to its home plane. With the help of a mana barrage, the demon was finally forced back through its portal. As she seemed ready to step forward to follow it, Nau again caught her, pulling Kiel to safety for the second time. They finally reached safety on top of the fallen turtle head, where they slumped down in relief.
Search For The Ninth Tower
Two days after the Puppeteer Incident found Nau'kheol still by Kiel's side, bringing rations to her as she stared out and screamed from the top of the turtle head. The Fortress now in ruins, the remaining Vloz'ress had camped in the ruins, although many from the clan scattered after the loss of their home. Kiel began voicing her doubts regarding whether or not Zala'ess would approve of their union, now that her clan had been effectively destroyed, but Nau merely commented that he doubted his mother would approve of any union she hadn't chosen herself. She then asked if he would accept being forced into another union, but he instead pushed food at her, telling her to eat. He then stated that his place would be to make sure she stayed fed for everyone's sake, and that he wouldn't let his mother choose for him.
Kiel swept Nau up in a passionate kiss, much to the delight of Fame'ndia, who observed from nearby with Kuso.
The small band of refugees was shortly afterwards met by Sara'hilana and Bal'iir, who had found interest in spending time with Sara's clan for the near future. The pair brought word of a new mission for the misfit group at the request of the Alliance, dangling the prospect of Zala's approval of Nau's pairing with Kiel as a potential reward for the task's completion. Fame immediately accepted on behalf of the group at the prospect of seeing Nau and Kiel become an official couple, much to Nau's annoyance, as they hadn't even heard the mission details yet.
After being briefed on the Alliance's request that they find the location of the fabled Ninth Tower of Orthorrbae, Kiel pondered the idea, and asked what Nau thought. He was unsure how to respond, stating that he was always being dragged along instead of being asked his opinion on matters. She insisted that that changed that day - he would make the decision. Still unsure, he agreed that the team would take on the mission[37].
Nine days after the Puppeteer Incident concluded, Nau and Kiel met again after she had scouted out Orthorrbae, seeking a safe entry point. As they discussed how to proceed - with Nau recommending that they take a cautious approach - they were met by a small, one-eyed demon, which Kiel immediately recognized as Naal's demon.
They set out for the school the next day, with Kiel promising to find the Naal demon a new host body to survive in. Nau again suggested using caution, as Sil'lice's troops were searching the Orthorrbae as well with the intent to massacre any tainted or demons found within, as well as any students or teachers. As they dodged the Sharen and Sarghress team, the misfits managed to find a platform lift deep within the school's halls. Kiel activated it impulsively, and Nau was barely able to climb on as it began to rise. As it rose, Nau remarked upon his childhood at the school, where he and the others had seen how some bridges led to nowhere, but they had thought there was [i]somewhere[/i] the bridges were leading to after all.
Once the platform reached the top floor, Nau and Kiel encountered two golems, which confronted them about their unauthorized entry. After the Naal blob disabled the guardians, the two drow continued their exploration, finding themselves in a large chamber that reminded them of a summoning gate. Continuing on, they then passed through a laboratory, commenting to each other about such a place could be above their heads the entire time. While Kiel wasn't surprised that Snadhya would be involved in such dealings after knowing what had happened to the teachers in the basement, Nau disagreed, reasoning that she couldnt' be everywhere - she couldn't have done everything in their current location while pulling strings in Felde.
The friend demon [Sindas] met up with them after his own scouting foray upstairs, warning the pair of another tainted woman on the floor above. Nau and Kiel hurried upstairs, where they found an irate [Sha'sana], who quickly captured Sindas and the other friend demons. While Kiel began to argue with her about the presence of the demons, demanding the stranger release her friends, Nau began to recognize her. He attempted to unsuccessfully persuade Kiel to back down, and confronted Sha'sanna as well when she struck down Kiel. With an attempt to reason with the dark elf, he complimented her, professing that his family had always held deep respect for her, but he wouldn't let her kill Kiel.
Sha'sanna recognized his tainting sickness almost immediately, commenting that whoever had performed his tainting had botched the job, and that he should seek help upon leaving her home. Surprised, he asked how she could possibly know, to which she admitted that she had invented the technique. Sha'sanna recognized that Snadhya'rune had been misusing the tainting process, and that her own intention was that the tainted were to be merged fully, as Kiel was - it was the only way to gain dominion over their ancient demonic foes. Regretfully, Nau attacked her with a punch to the stomach, hoping to stop her from overwhelming them. This enraged the ancient dark elf, who lashed out at him in fury. Her magic impacted him, knocking him back down the steps leading to the lower level. The drow turned to run, realizing she massively outmatched them.
Beating a hasty retreat, Nau and Kiel attempted to escape to the lift, only to find that it hadn't arrived back at the top yet. The two were knocked down again by another magical assault, this time with Nau'kheol being almost tossed over the edge of the elevator bay flooring. Kiel barely managed to catch him before he fell; as she attempted to pull him back up, he insisted that after this mess was over with, he wanted to take a break. Kiel offered the option of settling down to make a family, which he agreed to[38]. She found herself struggling to hold on to her "princeling" as Sha'sanna approached, her ire subsiding and turning into curiosity after sensing the demons' attraction to the Vloz girl. As Nau was about to fall, another friend demon formed from within Kiel'ndia herself, taking the shape of Naal'sul. Naal reached down, helping Kiel pull Nau up to safety to Sha'sanna's surprise.
Nau and Sha'sanna showed amazement at Naal, with Kiel unable to hide her excitement at the turn of events. Sha'sanna then insisted that Kiel stay until she worked out the nature of the friend demon, as she hadn't seen their like before. Nau advised that they had friends below, and would need to send for them, which the dark elf agreed to, offering to send for them. She was in the process of negotiating with the two when they were interrupted by the arrival of the platform, which now carried not only Kiel and Nau's companions, but Sil'lice's mixed team of Sharen and Sarghress soldiers. As Sha'sanna moved to greet Sil'lice, the Sharen renegade responded by stabbing her in the midsection, fatally wounding her[39].
Attempting to stop her, Nau moved in closer to his aunt, attempting to pull her away from Sha'sanna, but was ultimately unsuccessful as the mortally wounded summoner took matters into her own hands by slamming Sil'lice in the face with a friend demon, tainting her.
Later, he would observe the aftermath of Sha'sanna's death as they watched Sil'lice panicking upon discovering her taint. He empathized with her, feeling hopeless now that the one who had invented the tainting process was dead - there would be no help for either of them[40].
Interlude
An unspecified time later, Nau'kheol and Kiel'ndia spent time together, stargazing at the illusionary ceiling atop the Ninth Tower. Having decided to settle down at the now vacant school, the pair began the consumation of their union, not caring at this point whether or not Zala'ess had given her approval.
Biography - Arc III
An Unwelcome Visitor
Three years later, Nau'kheol and Kiel'ndia had settled down in the remains of the Orthorrbae with several remaining members of the Vloz'ress, as well as Sil'lice and her surviving bloodline. One day, a demon-possessed Pen'ri arrived at the school, and began to devour the paltry amounts of mana lighting the light fixtures in the camp, drawing the ire of Kiel. She confronted the demon, which in turn drew the attention of the other residents. Nau'kheol attempted to assist her with forcing out the unwelcome visitor, showing proficiency with fire mana arts in the process[41]. The combined efforts of Kiel, Nau and Naal did not seem to be enough to vanquish the demon, which proceeded to devour Naal'sul.
Nau'kheol began to suspect they would lose the fight, commenting that Naal had yet again "died" when the friend demon burst out of the demon's gullet, severely weakening it. With the assistance of a massive ball of friend demons, Kiel was able to fire a burst of friend demon energy, further disabling Pen'ri. At Kiel's urging, Nau then finished her off with a massive burst of fire, and the pair came out victorious.
After they had identified the demon as a shard of the demon god, it broke free from the fallen Pen'ri, only to be in turn devoured by Naal'sul. Nau commented that feeding her in such a manner was bound to backfire on them someday. They then began to try to determine how the demon had entered their home, questioning each other if they had seen anyone new enter lately. As the others responded, the former Sharen detected the noise of the lift leading to the Ninth Tower, confirming that Pen'ri's arrival had merely been a distraction.
While they waited for the lift to return down, they started attempting to form another plan of attack, but were interrupted by the rapid descent and fatal landing of one of Snadhya'runes' living summon agents. Kiel then attempted to interrogate the summoned aura that remained of the fallen agent, until Nau pointed out that she would need a physical body to communicate. He then offered to go check on their [baby|Lil'turtle] as Kiel instructed her friend demons to devour the summon[42].
Returning to the Ninth Tower, he found his Sil'lice sitting on a couch with Lil'turtle, having dispatched the other intruder. Nau attempted to comfort his daughter, only to be chastised by Sil'lice, who told him to spare her the baby talk and take better care of her. She then confirmed that the only other one hurt was Diva, who would likely not survive without a healer.
A short time later, Nau'kheol geared up again and joined Kiel'ndia, the pair having decided to seek out the outside city to find out the current status of events, and to make sure no further assassins would be sent. He couldn't help but look back, however, voicing his concern that their adventures tended to end in disaster, and that this would be the last time he saw his daughter[43].
Returning To Chel...Again
Their return to the main city was ominous, with signs of destruction, looting and graffiti everywhere they looked. As they explored the ruined districts, they found constant evidence of the flower plague, which had spread throughout Chel. Kiel continued to show no fear regarding their safety, frustrating the former Sharen until he snapped at her angrily. When she reminded him that he didn't have to come along, he insisted that he did - he loved her, after all.
During their exploration, the small group found themselves at the outskirts of a district which was undergoing a Kyorl'solenurn purge. Nau showed hesitant approval, feeling that it showed that at least one clan was attempting to keep order within the city. After running into Zenon'wraith - a fairly sane and even tempered demon, for someone possessed - and having a brief conversation, the group then stumbled upon a small home, finding a weeping child inside. With both parents heavily tainted and nether infested to the point of unresponsiveness, the child had attempted to care for them with little success. As one of the infested parents finally reacted, snapping at Kiel ferally, she confronted them, ordering them to stop scaring their child.
As Kiel continued to lecture the severely tainted drow, Nau commented that he had had no trouble with his taint. Wondering again whether the sight in front of him was his future, Kiel attempted to reassure him, telling him that he had "something" inside of him, and it was up to him whether it would be a parasite, friend or if it would eventually become part of him[44].
After attempting to wait out the aftermath of the battle between Kyorls and demons, the group tried to sneak away from the area. They were unfortunately discovered by [Delpian'des], a Kyorl'solenurn warden, who alerted the others in her patrol to their presence. After narrowly escaping the purge squad, Nau and the others managed to slip down a pipe and into the sewers. As they began to traverse the stench-filled corridor, they discussed their available options, settling on the idea of seeking out Chrys'tel in order to further gather information[45].
A Brief Reunion
Nau'kheol was briefly reunited with his sister a short time later, after he, Kiel and Naal managed to sneak into the Imperial Tower. To his sister's surprise, Nau greeted her with news of his daughters birth as well as a tight embrace, displaying happiness in contrast to his previously serious demeanor. As he hugged Chrys, asking her to visit her infant niece anytime, she merely commented that he had changed. Along with a hasty warning to not cause trouble with their search, she provided the location of the agents in white that Nau and Kiel were searching for[46].
Reunited...Again
After completing their search, Nau, Kiel and the friend demons met Chrys again, this time in the sewers. She asked if they had found anything, and he reported that they had found a prison in the dome - an addition he hadn't remembered during the time he had lived there during childhood. In addition, they dome had been filled with bodies and demons. Chrys was quick to deny the bodies as the work of the Imperial Guard, suspecting that the Nidraa'chal had had their own prison somewhere. Formulating a plan, she told Nau that she would need him to lead her there later, in order to rescue the Sarghress imprisoned within - they could perhaps give them an advantage later.
As they returned to the sewers, intent on escaping the Sharen Dome, Nau asked his sister if the Sarghress were truly the "bad guys" in current times; Chrys admitted that she had wondered if there was anyone left who wasn't[47].
Later, upon reaching the Sarghress Fortress, they stumbled across a strange scene - the majority of the clan appeared to have assembled in front of the main fortress courtyard, where a fighting competition seemed to be occuring. Realizing that Chrys intended to approach the crowd, Nau questioned her, asking if they were there to find help for the Guard or to get answers. When she spoke of both options being preferable, he expressed doubt, and questioned what would happen if she couldn't get the help she sought.
Realizing that one of the ones in the crowd was her old roomate, Faen, Chrys thought of another plan. Hoping to get the empath's help in convincing Ariel to assist them, they slipped into the crowd, and rescued the Sullisin'rune from her Sarghress captors. With Faen vouching for them, the group gained an audience with Ariel after the conclusion of the fight, finding to their surprise that it had actually been a leadership duel. Nau stood quietly as a new alliance was formed, with Chrys'tel promising to assist the Sarghress clan's food shortage problems in return for military support in toppling Snadhya'rune[48].
The Final Battle Looms
Marching with the rest of the group and the assembled Sarghress soldiers, Nau and Kiel halted amongst their fellows as the former Vloz'ress leader sensed demons in the area. As his mate slipped away from the army, he gave chase, unwilling to let her run off alone.
Notable Quotes
"Commoners shouldn't act like Vals. Your whole clan will be tamed by mine!" - To Ariel Val'Sarghress, right before ganging up on her with Mir'kiin Vel'Vloz'ress and Khal'harror Val'Beldrobbaen.
"Damn, she's grown over the years. Why can't I grow too?" - To himself, lamenting the height difference between himself and Ariel, after meeting her again after the timeskip.
"No one ever asks my opinion. They just drag me around." - To Kiel'ndia Vel'Vloz'rezz, after being asked if he wanted to accept the mission to seek out the Ninth Tower.
"You keep going straight into danger regardless of who you drag along!!! Why can't you stop and listen to me for a moment. We're in this together!" - To Kiel'ndia, arguing about her habit of running into danger without thought for consequences.
"Are the Sarghress still the bad guys these days?" - To Chrys'tel Vel'Sharen, pondering who the real villains were in the recent events.
"Sis, I live with Kiel. I know a crazy idea when I hear one." - To Chrys'tel Vel'Sharen, unsure of her idea to go to Ariel for help with bringing down Snadhya'rune.
"You're opening demon fucking gates in the city and you got to ask if you're the bad person!?!" - To Fame'nidia Vloz'ress, after discovering her working as a mercenary summoner during the march on the Imperial Fortress[49].
Character Concept
- Concept NauEarly.png
Early concept art of Nau.
- Concept Nau.png
Official Chapter 50 concept art for Nau'kheol.
- Concept Nau55.png
Concept sketches of Nau'kheol, Chapter 55.
