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11 Nhaga (also romanized as Naga) are one of the four intelligent races in the world of Project Windless and The Bird That Drinks Tears. They are cold-blooded, reptilian beings defined by one extraordinary cultural practice: during a coming-of-age ceremony, Nhaga remove their hearts, which grants them near-immortality and powerful regeneration.
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33 Biology
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55 Cold-blooded reptilian physiologyVulnerable to cold northern climates due to their cold-blooded natureAfter heart removal: near-immortal with powerful regenerative abilitiesBefore heart removal (or with heart intact): mortal and vulnerable
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77 Heart Removal
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99 The defining trait of the Nhaga is their coming-of-age ritual in which they remove their own hearts. A heartless Nhaga gains extraordinary regeneration and near-immortality, making them formidable. A Nhaga who still possesses their heart is far more vulnerable, an anomaly in their society.
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1111 This concept is central to the plot of The Bird That Drinks Tears novels: the replacement Nhaga envoy is unusual precisely because he still has his heart, making the escort mission far more dangerous.
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1313 Neereum
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1515 Nhaga communicate through a form of silent communication called Neereum. The exact nature of Neereum is not fully explained in available sources, but it appears to be a telepathic or empathic mode of communication distinct from spoken language.
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1717 Culture
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1919 Nhaga are described as ruthlessly dominant, brilliant, and isolationist. They dwell in the southern forests and jungles (the Kiboren forest in the novels) and have been largely isolated from the other races since an ancient war. Their intelligence and cold-blooded nature make them dangerous opponents and difficult allies.
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2121 In the Game
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2323 The snake-like antagonists seen in the Project Windless reveal trailer appear to be Nhaga. In the game's era (set 1,500 years before the novels) the Nhaga are one of the four factions in a continent-spanning conflict. The Hero King built a watchtower specifically to monitor Nhaga movements, suggesting they are a significant military threat.
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2525 Relationship with Other Races
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2727 Nhaga exist in deep tension with the other races. In the novels, Humans are known to hunt and eat Nhaga: a fact that makes cross-racial cooperation extremely fraught. The Rekon view them with wariness, and the Tokkebi maintain their own complicated relationship with the reptilian race.