Nafa

**Nafa** (Rutan: [na.fa]; July 170 - October 204) was a member of the House of Danad, and a Lord of Ruvord. His decision to outlaw human sacrifice in the region of Ruvord led to the Ghalish population rebelling against his rule, resulting in his deposition, and the beginning of the Second Northern Uprising.

## Early Life

It is likely that Nafa was born in Narad in July 170. Nafa's father was Peras, who, at the time of Nafa's birth, was lord of Narad, while his mother is unknown. Nafa spent most of his early life in Narad, and it is likely that he didn't travel often outside of the region in which he was born.

On September 25, 183, five regions of the Vokhvelkh Tribal Empire rose up in revolt in an event known as the First Northern Uprising. For approximately three years, the armies of Kharik fought against the rebels, eventually crushing them in the February of 187. The defeat of the rebels, and the killing of their lords, meant that there were now several regions within the Vokhvelkh Tribal Empire which were now leaderless, including the region of Ruvord. Despite begin only sixteen at the time, Peras arranged for Nafa to become the new lord of Ruvord by convincing Kharikh to appoint him to the position. It is believed that Nafa arrived in Ruvord in the March of 187, only a month after the war had ended, and became lord of the region from that day forward.

## Lord of Ruvord

For the first three years and four months of Nafa's rule over Ruvord, he was assisted by a Vokhvelkh advisor, most likely a man who had married into the Vagjuding, or a friend of the dynasty. During these three years, it can be concluded that Nafa's advisor oversaw most of the actual governing of Ruvord, while Nafa observed the way his advisor handled the responsibilities of lordship. Upon his twentieth birthday in July 190, Nafa assumed full control over Ruvord, dismissing his aging advisor.

It is believed that during his first decade of rule, Nafa acted as a competent lord over Ruvord, and that he was generally liked by the region's citizens. Perhaps that it was because of his citizen's admiration of him that Nafa believed that he could enact a series of policies would atempt to make Ruvord more culturally similar to that of the Rutan regions, and not face opposition from the people of Ruvord.

In 200, Nafa began to introduce the Rutan language to Ruvord through its inscription on law stones. Approximately a year after doing this, Nafa began to write decrees and laws in the Rutan script, instead of the Ghalish script, which was standard to the region. Also during this time, Nafa began to erect temples dedicated to Rutan gods in Ruvord, with the intention of converting the Ghalish and Vokhvelkh population. These efforts were unfruitful, however, as the temples largely went unused. In 204, Nafa would enact his most drastic policy yet: he would outlaw the practice of ritual human sacrifice in Ruvord. By making human sacrifice a crime in Ruvord, Nafa was attacking the religion of the inhabitants of Ruvord, for the religions of both the Ghals and the Vokhvelkh possessed elements of human sacrifice. However, while some of the Vokhvelkh were willing to give up human sacrifice, the Ghals were universally opposed to the decree, due to human sacrifice having a very important role in their religion.

Shortly after the decree was issued, several Ghalish governors rose up against Nafa. Their armies, which comprised of trained soldiers and angry peasants, attacked governors who remained loyal to Nafa, either killing them or forcing them to join their uprising. Nafa was eventually captured by the rebels, having been betrayed by his own guards, who were of Ghalish and Vokhvelkh descent. Nafa, along with his wife, as well as any other Rutans which the rebels had captured, were later executed. The Ghalish Uprising in Ruvord inspired similar revolts by Ghals and Vokhvelkh in other regions under Rutan rule, beginning the Second Northern Uprising.