Nifadas

Nifadas held the title of First Eunuch at the Letherii royal court in LetherasMidnight Tides, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB and served as an advisor to King Ezgara Diskanar.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.79 It was at Nifadas' suggestion that Brys Beddict was named King's Champion.
Nifadas was described as a huge man, large and heavy, with a sombre face. His small, placid eyes peered out from folds of pink flesh with a gaze Brys Beddict likened to that of a Flare-neck snake.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.91/92Midnight Tides, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.354 His hands were plump and his mouth was small. He walked noiselessly with slow and even motions, and his eyes would blink sleepily, slowly and measured.
Nifadas was generally respected for his intellectual acumen and loyalty to the king. In that task, he worked at cross purposes with Queen Janall, Prince Quillas, and Chancellor Triban Gnol, whose faction had its own goals. His status as eunuch gave him an outsider's perspective and a certain objectivity regarding other people's lives.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.78 He had an immense respect for Hull Beddict and the controversial choices he had made against the Empire's interests.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.77
The Rulith, who were all tall and unusually fit eunuchs, were his personal bodyguard.Midnight Tides, Chapter 6, US TPB p.154
==In Midnight Tides==
Nifadas prepared to lead the Letherii delegation to the Great Meeting with Hannan Mosag's Tiste Edur.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.66 He became aware that Buruk the Pale traveled to the Edur lands ahead of the delegation with secret instructions he suspected were not in the king's interests. When he learned that Hull Beddict had joined Buruk's entourage as it crossed the mountains, he summoned Brys to his office chamber to get his insight into Hull's motives and intentions.Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.77-79 
The First Eunuch traveled to the Great Meeting aboard the Risen Pale and four other ships with Prince Quillas, Finadd Gerun Eberict, and the rest of their entourage. They arrived just after Rhulad Sengar deposed the Warlock King and declared himself emperor. Nifadas immediately latched onto Acquitor Seren Pedac, picking her brain to better understand the situation.Midnight Tides, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.347-352 In the end, he was unable to prevent the war with the Edur that Janall, Quillas, and Triban Gnol had carefully orchestrated. Emperor Rhulad dismissed the Quillas' demands out of hand, sent the delegation home, and declared a state of war between the two nations.Midnight Tides, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.408-409
The war did not go as either the queen's faction planned or the king's faction expected. The Letherii were defeated at Trate, Fent Reach, High Fort, Fort Shake, and elsewhere. The queen and prince were captured at the Battle of High Fort.Midnight Tides, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.548-561 As the Edur armies neared Letheras, Nifadas tried to convince King Ezgara to flee to one of their protectorates, such as Truce or Tallis on the Isle. But the king refused to drag the war on.Midnight Tides, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.617
On the day of the Seventh Closure, Nifadas crowned Ezgara emperor in the throne room of the Eternal Domicile.Midnight Tides, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.664 At the same time, the Edur crushed the remaining Letherii armies at the Battle of Brans Keep.Midnight Tides, Chapter 23 The conquering Edur soon captured the city of Letheras where the king and his entourage, including Nifadas, awaited Rhulad's arrival in the throne room. 
After slaying Ceda Kuru Qan, the Edur produced the horribly disfigured queen and prince. Nifadas offered the king wine and drank some himself before a final duel between Brys Beddict and Emperor Rhulad. While Brys successfully defeated Rhulad, few noticed the king and Nifadas slumped over where they sat. Queen Janall cackled as Brys, not realising the wine was poisoned, drank from the same jug. Soon, the king, Nifadas, and Brys were all dead.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.732-736/740-747 Rhulad declared himself emperor of the Letherii Empire, and Triban Gnol knelt and declared his eternal service.Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.759 It was unclear who poisoned the wine and whether the king and First Eunuch might have intentionally poisoned themselves.
==In Reaper's Gale==
During the rule of the Tiste Edur, Chancellor Triban Gnol kept a small bottle of poison in a lacquered Bloodwood box on the desk in his office. He gleefully reminisced on having used it to poison the King and Nifadas.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 15, US HC p.445-447 
==Speculations==
From Triban Gnol's recollection it seemed that clear Nifadas and King Ezgara were unaware their wine had been poisoned. This does not seem to match the account in Midnight Tides suggesting that Nifadas had had the same idea and the cups were poisoned twice.
==Notes and references==
Category:Males
Category:Letherii