Nefertari Abmam is a Nagi light cleric of Jakra who appears in the campaign Escape From Manzil, where her and the rest of the party attempt to escape the nation of Manzil.
Early Life
Nefertari hatched in the village of Annaga, located in the lands administrated from Copperhead. Her parents were lowly farm labourers, and Nefertari was the second oldest of nine siblings, of whom four survived to adulthood including Nefertari. With these humble beginnings, it seemed likely that she would follow the same path in life led by her parents, and upon which her siblings would later embark. However, Nefertari came to the notice of Helabaht Adnocana, a Priestess of the Virginal Vessels that came to inspect the village for its yearly tribute to Copperhead. At only eleven, Nefertari was already showing signs of the physical characteristics that the Vessels selected for, with glimmering jade scales and a cobra hood striped with darker streaks that were almost the colour of amethyst. In addition, Nefertari showed significant intelligence, despite her rural upbringing, being able to recite sections of the Book of the Father on command, as well as assisting her father with calculating the required tithe. Adnocana was most swayed however by Nefertari's hauntingly melodic singing voice that she used to offer up hymns to Jakra.
Having observed Nefertari for the week that she was staying in Annaga, the Priestess put forward a proposal to Nefertari's parents, offering to reduce their tithe in return for their daughter. Knowing that they could not refuse, and likely believing it would mean a better life for their daughter, they accepted and Nefertari was taken to the Verdigris Cathedral in Copperhead to be inducted into the Virginal Vessels.
In the Vessels
Here, Nefertari flourished, finally able to make more of her skills. She learnt to read and write, the various scriptures of the Manzili church, as well as the responsibilities and duties of the initiates of the order. Adnocana was most impressed with how quickly Nefertari came along, keeping a close eye upon her career. Most impressively, by the age of fourteen Nefertari was able to manifest minor magical abilities by channelling the will of Jakra, such as creating light or conjuring small flames. By sixteen, Nefertari was able to channel the magic to close wounds or summon enough fire to cover a large bonfire. These talents, as well as her diligence and blossoming beauty led to Nefertari being granted the rank of Priestess Inferior shortly after her seventeenth birthday.
Nefertari continued to excel in her duties as Priestess Inferior, often assisting Adnocana as she collected tithes, carried out services and located and inducted new initiates. Other junior members of the Vessels grew jealous of Nefertari, but the reaction of more senior members was strange – a mix of relief and pity. This confused the young Nagi, but she had taken on a number of additional duties due to her capability, so she reasoned that they merely felt bad for delegating to her.
Several also commented that Nefertari looked the spitting image of a young Arboc Horemheb, with her scales and hood. She took this as a compliment, not realising the danger behind their words. Adnocana reinforced this, telling Nefertari that it was a great honour to be compared to the High Priestess.
A horrifying discovery
At the age of only twenty-three, Nefertari’s worldview was ripped from underneath her.
While performing one of her duties cleansing the Verdigris Cathedral after services and rites were completed for the day, Nefertari caught a glimpse of a ritual involving several senior Priestesses and the High Priestess. Wanting to see more of Jakra’s magnificence at work, she snuck up to a balcony to watch. The aging High Priestess was in one runic circle, while a much younger middling rank priestess was in a similar circle nearby. Several senior Priestesses including Adnocana were surrounding them chanting. Soon great magical energies had built up in the room, and thick black and purple streams of energy were passing between the two circles.
Nefertari was fascinated and against her better judgement stayed to watch the ritual to completion. Eventually, the magical energies died down. Almost as soon as they had, two of the senior Priestesses had summoned chains around Horemheb, while the others were bowing to the lower ranking priestess like she was the High Priestess. Then she heard the lower ranking priestess talk and it was in the voice of Arboc Horemheb.
Shocked at hearing the head of her order’s voice from the mouth of one of her juniors, Nefertari stole away, only to see the chained High Priestess being taken away by the two Priestesses. As she followed, Nefertari could hear who she thought was the High Priestess begging and pleading with the senior Priestesses to undo something, that something was not right.
Realisation of what she had witnessed began to hit Nefertari as she watched from the shadows, seeing the two Priestesses drag their captive to a small chamber and use their magic to incinerate the body of the former High Priestess to ash. The High Priestess must have swapped bodies with the younger acolyte. Horror overtook Nefertari’s mind as she finally understood what she had seen and why she had been chosen for the Vessels.
Leaving the order
In a half-crazed panic, Nefertari slithered back to her chambers, thoughts screaming in her head. Suddenly she knew. She knew what the looks of pity and relief were for. She knew why people were uneasy on complimenting her for resembling the High Priestess. She knew why she had risen so far, so quickly.
Nefertari smashed a mirror in her room and, in a fit of madness, used one of the shards to slice across her snout, marring her face and partially damaging her tongue. Her voice and beauty would never be stolen from her. She grabbed her meagre belongings, most importantly the Book of the Father and her symbol of Jakra, and hurried to leave the Cathedral. Some strange urge caused her to return to that room that she had seen the immolation take place and gather up the ashes in a simple urn, which she took with her.
Nefertari fled the church district of Coppehead and ditched her church vestments, replacing them with a heavy grey robe. She did however keep the bronze scale armour that had been a gift to her from Adnocana for reaching Priestess Inferior. Upon regaining her senses, she established a partial life for herself on the move, occasionally impersonating a Priestess to request food and shelter, but more often stealing or scavenging to stay alive. She believes that Jakra has commanded her to leave Manzil and its wickedness behind; to escape so she can live a life away from the sin of the High Priestess.
At the beginning of Escape From Manzil, Nefertari has been contacted by Redda, who apparently has a way to leave the nation.
Appearance
Nefertari is a Nagi with jade green scales, and a cobra hood that is lined with dark purple stripes. She has golden eyes that give an unhinged piercing stare, and those that look into them for too long usually begin to shift uncomfortable. Her most distinctive feature on her face is a poorly healed scar running across her snout and both lips that gives her voice a raspy, sibilant quality.
Since leaving the Virginal Vessels, Nefertari usually dresses in simple grey robes, with a holy symbol of Jakra tied around her neck. Beneath these, she wears bronze scale mail, which she takes great care to hide. Nefertari wears little other jewellery, having left it behind in the Verdigris Cathedral.