Revision 4

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.

Biology

• Cold-blooded reptilian physiology

• Vulnerable to cold northern climates due to their cold-blooded nature

• After heart removal: near-immortal with powerful regenerative abilities

• Before heart removal (or with heart intact): mortal and vulnerable

Heart Removal

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.

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.

Neereum

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.

Culture

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.

In the Game

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 is remembered in the source novels for building a watchtower to monitor Nhaga movements, though whether that appears in the game has not been confirmed.

Relationship with Other Races

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.