The Kutokomea

> *"Now, there really isn't anything radically wrong with being sick, or with dying. Who said you're supposed to survive? Who gave you the idea that it's aghast to go on and on and on? And we can't say that it's a good thing for everything to go on living in the very simple demonstration that if we enable everybody to go on living, we overcrowd ourselves. So, therefore, one person who dies, in a way, is honourable, because she's making room for others"*
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**The Kutokomea** was the eventual extinction of the humanoid race, the Nafasi, which took place over 2000 years, from the discovery of fertility magic, to the last Nafasi dying. The events that took place are widely regarded as the fall and (metaphorical) rebirth of their Goddess, Risala.

## Fertility Magic

> *“Children arrange for us to survive in another way. By as it were, passing on a torch, so that you don’t have to carry it all the time. There comes a point where you can give up, and say, “now you work.”*
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> "*It is a far more amusing arrangement for nature to continue the process of life through different individuals than it is always with the same individuals, because as each new individual approaches life, life is renewed. And one remembers how fascinating the most ordinary everyday things are to a child. Because they see them all as marvellous, because they see them all in a way that is not related to survival and profit. And when we get to thinking of everything in terms of survival and profit value, as we do, then the shapes and scratches on the floor cease to have magic, and most things, in fact, cease to have magic”*
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Often cited in history books as one of strangest natural disasters on Candentia, the explosion of the Mana Well, which turned almost the entirety of the Viridian continent an ash black colour, and caused a brief war between the Golems and the Cinnis Elves, was also, in part, the making of fertility magic, due to the spread of so much energy.

The first uses of Fertility Magic were very basic, such as blessings of good health and early identification of the gender. Over the next 100 years or so, as the Nafasi grew to understand Fertility Magic more, they learned different ways of using it; choosing the gender, personality and traits of the baby was commonly taught to Nafasi spellcasters.

As the number of spells grew as the Nafasi learned more about Fertility Magic, they began to spread their uses to other races that they were close to. The commercialisation of Fertility Magic was used to build friendships and relationships with other races, by means of bringing new life into the world.

## The Sisters of Mtoto

During the fight for the Dragon Egg on Heim, the Nafasi were tasked to locate and capture a Mnyama Dragon, something they had never attempted before, due to the Dragon’s elusive and shy nature. After a number of years, the Nafasi found a pride of Mnyama Dragons; capturing one as a gift to the Drowned Ones, and keeping the rest for themselves to create the first Sisters of Mtoto. Eventually, a second Sisters of Mtoto were formed on Cotibus.

The Sisters of Mtoto were a group of Nafasi, distinguishable from other Nafasi for their use of the Mnyama Dragons as a means of transportation, travelling around the continents, promoting and using Fertility Magic on other races if they wished. They also aimed to discover various new ways to use the magic.

But the magic was out of their control, and with too much tampering, the mana around them imploded. On the continents, two simultaneous explosions of mana went off, with both Sisters of Mtoto bands at the epicentres, killing them all at once. Across Candentia, ripples from the implosion could be felt.

A few weeks after the deaths of the Sisters of Mtoto, the Nafasi began to realise no attempts of using Fertility Magic would work, nor would attempts to conceive in any way. And it wasn’t just the Nafasi it was effecting. Any other being who had used Fertility Magic could now not conceive. There are no recorded absolute reasons as to why this disaster happened.

## Risala's Blessing

> *“In the course of nature, once we have ceased to see magic in the world anymore, we are no longer fulfilling natures game of being aware of itself; there’s no point in it anymore. And so, we die. And so, something else comes to birth, which gets and entirely new view.*
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> *“It is not therefore natural for us to wish to prolong life indefinitely. But we live in a culture where it has been rubbed into us, in every conceivable way, that to die is a terrible thing. And that is a tremendous disease from which our culture suffers.”*
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As the story goes, the disaster struck upon Candentia, caused by her own creations, Risala, wrecked with guilt, sent a blessing to the world, and to her fellow Gods, restoring fertility to the world. But, with her experiment on Candentia failing, she resigned the Nafasi to their fate.

## The Last Nafasi

Alea Caymen, aged 2086 at the time of her death, (nee. Bryhorn) is the last know living Nafasi before the race died out. She was the second youngest child of Satral (a Taurus) and Lillie (a Nafasi) Bryhorn. She had 27 full siblings, and 154 half-siblings from her mother’s previous relationships.

Below is a series of extracts from the diary of Alea Bryhorn, translated into common.

> *12.20.4425 Today I turn 20, I am finally allowed to leave home and start my life, get married, get a job, whatever. And father gets me a diary. Thanks, dad. I’ll attempt to put it to good use, but I’m not making any promises. I don’t particularly like writing. (…) It’s a bit scary going out into the world, and I don’t want to leave mother alone. Of course, she won’t be alone, father will be with her, but she’s always had children around her. Once I leave, only Mairey will be left. (…) I think I want to be a bartender, it’s a good starting job I think.*
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> *5.24.4429 Settled into Oakly Village. Father doesn’t like that I’m working in a brothel, he says I should have gone for that library job, but I don’t like books! Although I’ve been in the local library a couple of times because I think I saw a Taurus eyeing me up and it made me feel good. Mother seems happy, I guess she’s having time off from children, and enjoying it. Oh, and I heard from Mairey, she’s only gone and gotten married! To a Taurus carpenter!*
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> *7.03.4452 I feel a bit empty. I have been for a while now. I think it’s something about not having children of my own, I’m just missing something that so many Nafasi got to experience. Having children was such a big part of Nafasi culture, and now, well, I can’t join in. I have spoken to some of my sisters, and they all agree with this. We’re all just missing out. It sucks being punished for something I had nothing to do with.*
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> *20.13.4499 So, I have some news. I’m getting married. Going to quit my job, and become a bartender hopefully! Much better option for a married woman. His name is Tuzias Caymen, so I guess this is goodbye to Alea Bryhorn, hello Alea Caymen. He’s beginning to show me the Taurus ways, and some of it isn’t all that bad. I guess books are okay. I’d still prefer a good old beer.*
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> *11.02.4543 Mairey died. She was cutting down a tree, and a golem attacked her. Her husband didn’t get there in time to save her. She was only 136. It was hard when father died, but this is somehow worse because I’m the youngest Nafasi there will ever be in this lineage. I think mother is struggling a lot. I’ve suggested to Tuzias that we live closer to her so she isn’t so lonely, but he says “51 of your sisters live in the same village as her, she’s got enough family around her!” which I guess is fair, but it’s different for Nafasi.*
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> *08.06.4803 I’m living back near mother again. I think it’s better this way. Loneliness is hard for us, so it’s better we’re at least close. Other sisters of mine are closer now too, we think mother might be dying.*
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> *32.24.4995 Mother finally passed away. I’m feeling okay though, she had a long life, and a lot of family around. I’m actually quite jealous.*
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> *15.05.5160 Back working in a brothel. It’s okay. The pay is pretty good. I’m thinking about moving to Viridia, but I’ve heard bad things about the way they treat Cotibians. I’d probably just end up in a brothel there, too. So I don’t know.*
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> *01.18.5224 I’ve met someone. She’s quite a bit younger than me, but I guess that’s to be expected. She’s a librarian; Goddess damn books again! I don’t think I’ll marry again though. Don’t know why, Nafasi usually marry between 5-10 times in their lives, but I just don’t see the point. The ways of the Nafasi are changing a lot, we’re all different now. We’ve lost that one thing that made us, well, us. I’m glad mother never got to see this change.*
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> *22.31.5502 There are so many less of us now. Everywhere I look there are empty houses, and empty villages, and empty Nafasi with nothing left. Of my 181 siblings, only 23 remain alive. It makes me angry some times. Dear Goddess, why did she do this to us? I have lost faith.*
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> *11.02.5844 The last 100 or so years have been pretty good. I got a new job, and I’m having a lot of sex; no relationships to deal with, no kids. I’m taking this situation and running with it, why not? Who the hell cares?*
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> *01.18.6183 I think it’s time to slow down. I can feel myself fading. Nearly 2000 years of this shit, and I’m done.*
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> *05.24.6491 I believe this is the last entry I will make. I am on my death bed. Everyone is gone. I have no children, no partner, all my family is dead. And I give up. I want to leave now. Goddess, please take me. I want to be with my kind again, I miss them.*
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