Dumai

**SPOILERS: A DAY OF FALLEN NIGHT**

### Relatives

Noziken pa Manai (paternal grandmother), unnmed member of Clan Mithara (paternal grandfather),Kiywo (maternal grandmother), Saguresi of Afa (maternal grandfather)

## Physical description

### Eye color

Black

**Dumai** of the House of Noziken was a godsinger in the High Temple of Kwiriki on Mount Ipyeda and later the crown-princess of Seiiki, after it was discovered that her father was Emperor Jorodu IV. She woke the Seiikinese dragons before the Great Sorrow and joined them in the war against the Draconic Army and Taugran the Golden from the back of Furtia Stormcaller, the last Seiikinese dragon to hatch before they went into the Great Slumber. Dumai was the holder of the Rising Jewel during her time and deeply devoted to her gods, the Eastern dragons, her whole life. She had a dream link with Glorian III, stemming from the facts that they both were a bearers of sterren, The two shared a sisterly relationship and communicated thorugh their dreams.

## Physical description

Dumai had long, black hair, which she she used to tie back during her time on the mountain. On her right hand, only her thumb and forefinger were whole, due to the fact that she got stuck in a snow storm as a child, which froze the other fingers off. She was tall, had unusually strong eyesight and calloused hands. Dumai is described as being the spitting image of her father, Noziken pa Jorodu, with wide-set eyes, rounded chins and tiny matching freckles on their left cheekbones. She is also described as being tall, and from her life climbing the peaks of Mount Ipyeda, it can be assumed she has a somewhat muscular build.

## Personality

Some of her most apprent qualities are braveness and loyalty, both to the ones closest to her and to the dragons, who Dumai praises as her gods, like most of Seiiki. Most of all, she desires to serve them. During her time on Mount Ipyeda, she dreamed of becoming its Maiden Officiant like her mother, Unora of Afa. Though, during and after her time at the Antuman court, she became more and more sceptical of people, developing issues with trusting.

## Biography

The year before her birth, Dumai's mother Unora asked for a wish of Pajati the White, an elder dragon in the Afa Province. This to find a way to enter the Antuman Palace and convince the Emperor to cease the exile of her father. Her wish was granted and Unora arrived to court, and by accident began a love affair with Jorodu. Dumai was then born during the autumn of CE 483 on Mount Ipyeda, to Unora of Afa and Noziken pa Jorodu, although she didn't know who her father was until she was 28, when he came to the mountain. As Jorodu was already married to Kuposa pa Sipwo when Dumai was conceived, Unora had to flee when she realised she was pregnant, both to avoid raising suspicion and to protect her unborn child from the dangers of court. She hid in the High Temple of Kwiriki, taken in by its Supreme Officiant, the former Empress Noziken pa Manai. By so, Dumai was raised on the mountain as a godsinger, not knowing anything of her mother's past.

Sometime during her childhood, she got lost in a snowstorm she almost didn't survive and lost all fingers except her thumb and forefinger on her right hand to the cold. At the age of ten, she met Kanifa for the first time, who was three years her senior and would become her closest friend. When he became Keeper of the Queen Bell two years later, he taught Dumai how to climb the peaks of their mountain. He made her her first ice sickles and when they climbed together they always had a braided rope binding them to each other to keep the other from falling.

The High Temple was visited by Kuposa pa Nikeya, daughter of Kuposa pa Fotaja who was the head of the Kuposa, and her retinue during the winter of CE 509. Unora kept Dumai from meeting them, as they would recognise her father in her face. Not soon after, a man called Epabo arrived to the temple, disguised as a salt walker. He was later revealed to be the spy of the Emperor, and as soon as he saw her face, he left the temple to inform his master of Dumai's existence. Nikeya also saw her, and left as well. Kanifa was sent after them and came back with the news that the Emperor would visit them. By so, Dumai learned about her royal descent and was taken to the Court of Antuma, where she was made crown-princess and met the former crown-princess, her younger half-sister Noziken pa Suzumai. This due to the fact that Clan Kuposa was growing ever more powerful and more or less ruled the country behind the scenes, controlling the actions of the Noziken. Adding on the the mess, the number of Noziken was dangerously low compared to the Kuposa, making Dumai's existence even more important.

During her time in Antuma Palace she was trained in courtly manners as well as in foreign languages. Kanifa has followed her and acted as her bodyguard. Tajorin pa Osipa, handmaiden of the Grand Empress, joined as well, to guide Dumai thorugh life at court. In CE 510, she was chosen by Furtia Stormcaller, the first dragon to wake after the Great Slumber. Due to the the sterren in her Noziken blood, woken by her mother's involvement with Pajati the White, the two could communicate telepathicly. Together, they travelled around the East and North to investigate the strange objects later discovered to be eggs of the Western Dragons, and later why the draconic beings had come into existence. Dumai brought Kanifa, who died to save Dumai on the Mountain of Brhazat, where the two searched for a woman named Tonra and Dumai aqquired the Rising Jewel, and more reluctantly, Nikeya. Against all odds, they became closer during their journeys, gradually falling for each other. This was something Dumai refused to accept, as she saw all Kuposa as untrustworthy and her enemies, rejecting all Nikeya's many attempts for peace between them.

During the Great Sorrow, in CE 511, Dumai made her own court after a conflict with Kuposa pa Fotaja, Seiiki's former River Lord. During one of Dumai's journeys, Fotaja killed Jorodu and made Suzumai empress by presuming Dumai dead in her abscence, and himself regent. By so, he had all of Seiiki in his hand, though he refused to aid his country as it suffered from the red sickness and countless attacks from the Draconic Army. It resulted in the fact that Dumai, who fought the wyrms from dragonback, became popular with the people and appointed Queen of Seiiki. Her court consisted of the clans Mithara and Tajorin, as well as the people of Seiiki, and was located in Mayupora forest in northern Seiiki. Together with Furtia and such other Eastern dragons, she killed Taugran the Golden close to the island of Muysima, in a battle where Fotaja's mind had been usurped by Taugran, making him offer Suzumai to the wyrm who then killed her. Dumai may have lost her life in the battle, but her true ending is unknown.

Before the battle, Nikeya arrived at Dumai's court, close to death. When she was being nursed back to health, Dumai finally accepted her feelings for Nikeya. They met in a natural pool under the starlight one night, confessing their love for one another. Nikeya presented a plan to unite Seiiki, with Dumai as queen and Nikeya as her consort, a plan that would give them the support of all Seiikinese clans. Nikeya also shared her backstory about her clan's claim of descending from Queen Neporo of Komoridu. A few days later, Dumai accepted the proposal and told Nikeya that according to an old wedding ritual, all that is needed is to pledge ones love for one another by water, under the night sky, and if Nikeya still wanted it they were already wed. By so, they became wives.

## Trivia

* The name 'Dumai' is from Proto-Japanese *\*dùmài* (‘dream’).
* She never wanted children.
* She was made into a legend and there is a statue of her in the Ginuran School of War, which was seen by Tané in *The Priory of the Orange Tree.*

## References

1. ↑ A Day of Fallen Night, pages 27-8 and 123.
2. ↑ A Day of Fallen Night, pages 736-7.
3. ↑ Samantha Shannon's instagram, the "Roots of Chaos" highlight.