Nahri e-Nahid

Nahri, the protagonist of The Daevabad Trilogy, is a con woman from eighteenth-century Cairo who gets swept into a magical world of djinns and tries to find her place there.

## History

### Early Life

Nahri's earliest memories are of burning papyrus, cries in Arabic, being embraced by soft arms, seeing someone's warm brown eyes, and then being submerged in muddy water.

When she was five, a fisherman pulled her out of the Nile, speaking a language no one knew, Divasti. She went through several orphanages in Cairo, got kicked out for her strange ability to predict people's illnesses, until she had no choice but to live on the streets. She eventually learned to try to blend in, but she was often ostracized. Women at the local hammam were unwelcoming; perhaps fearing she'd hex the bathwater.

Nahri managed to survive by becoming a con-artist. She also spent years cultivating her reputation as healer, eventually partnering with Yaqub, a Jewish pharmacist down the lane from where she rented a shop.

## The Daevabad Trilogy

### The City of Brass

Nahri goes on about her daily life, when she attempts a zar exorcism, despite being warned by Yaqub, her friend and well-wisher, and accidentally summons an ancient djinn warrior, Dara. They are then chased by Ifrit, threatening to kill them. After fleeing, Dara claims she must be Nahid after Nahri demonstrates her healing powers, and is likely to be the daughter of Manizheh e-Nahid, one of the last Nahids alive before they were killed by the Ifrit. He convince her that they need to get to Daevabad, the hidden city of brass as soon as they can.

## Characteristics

### Appearance

Nahri is a shafit; a Nahid with human blood. By all accounts Nahri appears human; rounded ears, earthy brown skin, sharp facial features, with waist-length black curly hair and dark black eyes, though not quite at the Daeva-level depth. Her true appearance is a mix of human and djinn features, as a Marid curse affected her appearance to hide her djinn features.

Nahri has a knack or skill for lying and cleverness since in Cairo she was a con artist using her powers secretly.

### Outfits

#### In City of Brass

* Early in her journey to Daevabad with Dara, he gave her some clothes to wear that she had to modify: an ash-colored tunic that was far too big and went past her knees, having to roll up the sleeves; pants that she had to roll up at the hems; a strip torn from her destroyed abaya to use as a belt; and more fabric cut from her old abaya to use as a headscarf, and to make a bag. No shoes.
* During her and Dara's journey to Daevabad, she stole some clothes from a village: an embroidered tunic, brown leather boots, and a headscarf.

#### In Kingdom of Copper

* When Nahri went to visit Muntadhir's room, she wore a pale butter-colored linen sheath gown that was ankle-length and sleeveless, with an ornate collar made of hundreds of beads: lapis lazuli, gold, carnelian, and topaz; the design reminding her of Egypt. She also wore her hair in a crown of braids and a hooded robe.
* When Ali interrupts Nahri in the orange grove by the infirmary, she wore a calf-length white tunic, loose purple trousers, a shimmering umber silk chador pinned with diamond clips above her ears, and her hair in four braids.
* For Ali's welcome-back feast, Nahri wore the Egyptian-style beaded sheath gown again, but with her hair down loosely and a snow-white chador embroidered with sapphire sunbursts.

## Relationships

**Dara** - The Afshin warrior that brought Nahri to Daevabad, and was the first person she ever trusted and loved. Their relationship was romantic for a time. His betrayal and "death" at the end of City of Brass affected her deeply, as did his unexpected return during the Daevabad invasion in Kingdom of Copper. After their violent confrontation in Empire of Gold, they parted on peaceful terms.

**Muntadhir** - As a way to protect herself and her tribe, Nahri agreed to a political marriage with Emir Muntadhir, even negotiating her own bride price. They were married a year after The City of Brass took place, until they were able to get a mutually-desired divorce at the end of The Empire of Gold, for a more-or-less total of five years. As noted by both, they were terribly matched and did not love each other.

**Ali** - A like-minded friend and tutor in The City of Brass, their friendship was destroyed in the climax and then steadily repaired in Kingdom of Copper as they partnered to rebuild the Nahid Hospital. Their relationship turned romantic in Empire of Gold, though the ending put it on hold.

**Nisreen** - An old confidante of Manizheh and Rustam, Nisreen became Nahri's mentor and the closest thing to family she had in the city. Nisreen helped guide her in healing techniques and Daeva customs, and more until her death in Kingdom of Copper.

## Quotes

#### From City of Brass

* [Dara] "You're some kind of thief, then?"

[Nahri] "That's a very narrow-minded way of looking at it. I prefer to think of myself as a merchant of delicate tasks."
* "I'm not sleeping alongside you in some temple dedicated to fish orgies.
* [Nahri] "And it's the way the world works. By now, people have certainly broken into my home in Cairo and stolen my things."

[Dara] "How does that make it better?"
[Nahri] "Someone steals from me, I steal from others, and I'm sure the people I stole from will eventually take something that doesn't belong to them. It's a circle."
[Dara] "There is something very wrong with you."
[Nahri] "Probably comes from my Daeva blood."
#### From Kingdom of Copper

* "You know, for a magical being, you have a terrible sense of adventure."
* "I need to put some men in their place."
* "Go steal some happiness for yourself, my friend. Trust me when I say the chance doesn't always come back."

#### From Empire of Gold

* "Not wanting to be destroyed by despair doesn't make you a coward, Ali. It makes you a survivor."

## Image Gallery

Promotional poster for The City of Brass, featuring Ali, Nahri, and Dara. (2018)Promotional artwork for The Empire of Gold, featuring Ali and Nahri in Cairo. (2020)The Kingdom of Copper (Fairyloot edition) dust jacket art featuring Nahri in her hospital. (2020)The City of Brass (FaeCrate edition) dustjacket art featuring Nahri, Dara, and Khayzur facing off against the ifrit and marid. (2020)The Kingdom of Copper (FaeCrate edition) dustjacket art featuring Nahri and Ali along with Manizheh and her army. (2020)The Empire of Gold (FaeCrate edition) dustjacket art featuring Nahri, Mishmish, Ali, and Dara. (2020)The City of Brass (Fox & Wit edition) dust jacket art featuring Nahri in Daevabad. (2022)The character card for Nahri from the FaeCrate Empire of Gold Hangover Kit (2020)The Faecrate Empire of Gold Hangover Kit preview art for the Nahri plushie. (2020)Print of Nahri and Dara as Hades and Persephone from the FaeCrate March 2020 "Make a Wish" box.

## References

1. ↑ The Kingdom of Copper, ch. 40, pg. 591, 600
2. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 3, pg. 45
3. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 3, pg. 48-49
4. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 5, pg. 93
5. ↑ The Kingdom of Copper, ch. 6 pg. 115
6. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 3, pg. 49
7. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 7, pg. 134
8. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 9, pg. 162
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Kingdom of Copper, ch.6 pg. 114-115
10. ↑ The Kingdom of Copper, ch. 9, pg. 175
11. ↑ The Kingdom of Copper, ch.12, pg. 212-213
12. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 3, pg. 44
13. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 5, pg. 90
14. ↑ The City of Brass, ch. 7, pg. 135
15. ↑ The Kingdom of Copper, ch. 1, pg. 42
16. ↑ The Kingdom of Copper, ch. 23, pg. 380
17. ↑ The Kingdom of Copper, ch. 28, pg. 451
18. ↑ The Empire of Gold, ch. 8, pg. 111